Daily Prelims Notes 7 February 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

7 February 2024

Table Of Contents

1. World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan
2. SHRESHTA SCHEME
3. PRACTICE OF PROXY REPRESENTATIVE
4. Plea Bargaining
5. Atmospheric rivers
6. India to see $67 bn in energy investments in next 5-6 years: PM
7. Hindu Kush Himalaya is a ‘biosphere on the brink’: ICIMOD
8. New GRI Biodiversity Standard demands reporting of drivers of biodiversity loss, impact on Indigenous Peoples
9. Cameroon adopts Nagoya Protocol to benefit from its rich biodiversity
10. Hot Money
11. Rajya Sabha passes Bills to add PVTGs of Odisha, A.P. in ST lists
12. Understanding the delimitation exercise
13. ‘Tax-to-GDP ratio to hit all-time high of 11.7% of GDP in FY25’
14. Indigenous CAR-T cell therapy gets rolling: ‘first’ patient is cancer-free

1. World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan

Subject: Schemes

Section: Agri

Context:

The Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, mentioned about the 54 initiatives taken by the Ministry of Cooperation.

More on news:

• The Ministry of Cooperation was created by transferring the existing entries related to cooperation and cooperative in the business of the erstwhile Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare vide Cabinet Secretariat’s Gazette Notification dated 6th July, 2021.
• The Ministry of Cooperation, since its inception on 6th July, 2021, has undertaken several initiatives to realize the vision of “Sahakar-se-Samriddhi” and to strengthen & deepen the cooperative movement from Primary to Apex level Cooperatives in the country. 

Various initiatives undertaken:

• World’s Largest Decentralized Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative sector: 
  • Government has approved a plan to create warehouses, custom hiring centers, primary processing units and other agri infrastructure for grain storage at PACS level, through convergence of various GOI schemes, including AIF, AMI, SMAM, PMF ME, etc. 
  • This will reduce wastage of food grains and transportation costs, enable farmers to realize better prices for their produce and meet various agricultural needs at the PACS level itself.
  • 27 States/ UTs and National level Cooperative Federations such as National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), have identified more than 2,000 PACS for creation of storage capacity under the Pilot Project.
• An MoU has been signed between Ministry of Cooperation, MeitY, NABARD and CSC e-Governance Services India Limited for providing more than 300 e-services such as banking, insurance, Aadhar enrolment/ updation, health services, PAN card and IRCTC/ Bus/ Air ticket, etc. through PACS.
• Micro-ATMs to Bank Mitra Cooperative Societies for providing doorstep financial services:
  • Dairy and Fisheries cooperative societies can be made Bank Mitras of DCCBs and StCBs. To ensure their ease of doing business, transparency and financial inclusion.
  • Micro-ATMs are also being given to these Bank Mitra Co-operative Societies with support from NABARD to provide ‘Door-step Financial Services’. 
• Promotion of training and awareness through National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT):
  • By increasing its reach, NCCT has conducted 3,287 training programs and provided training to 2,01,507 participants in FY 2022-23.
• Computerization of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs): 
  • To strengthen the long-term cooperative credit structure, the project of computerization of 1,851 units of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) spread across 13 States/ Union Territories has been approved by the Government.
  • NABARD is the implementing agency for the project and will develop a national level software for ARDBs.
• Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023:
  • Amendment has been brought in the MSCS Act, 2002 to strengthen governance, enhance transparency, increase accountability, reform electoral processes and incorporate provisions of the 97th Constitutional Amendment in the Multi State Cooperative Societies.

Three new National Level Multi-State Societies

• New National Multi-State Cooperative Seed Society for certified seeds:
  • Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative seed society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely Bhartiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) as an umbrella organization for quality seed cultivation, production and distribution under a single brand.
  • Wheat, mustard, and pulses (gram, pea) breeder seeds have been planted across 1,750 acres.
• New National Multi-State Cooperative Organic Society for organic farming: 
  • Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative organic society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) as an umbrella organization to produce, distribute and market certified and authentic organic products.
  • Six organic products have been launched by NCOL under the “Bharat Organics” brand.
• New National Multi-State Cooperative Export Society for promoting exports:
  • Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative export society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) as an umbrella organization to give thrust to exports from the cooperative sector. 

CO’s Co-operative Models:

• Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Society, known as IFFCO, is a Multi-State Cooperative Society. 
• IFFCO has been ranked as the No. 1 cooperative in the world in the line-up of 300 top cooperatives of the world in the 2022 edition of the Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report based on the ratio of turnover over GDP per capita income, designed by International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).

2. SHRESHTA SCHEME

Subject: Schemes

Section: Marginalised section

Context: 

• Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri A. Narayanaswamy in a written reply in Lok Sabha, mentioned about the objectives of the Shreshta scheme.

Objectives of the scheme:

• The objective of SHRESHTA is to enhance the reach of development Intervention of the Government and to fill the gap in service deficient SCs dominant areas, in the sector of education through the efforts of grant-in-aid institutions (run by NGOs) and residential high schools offering high quality education.
• It aims  to provide an environment for socio economic upliftment and overall development of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) by providing financial assistance to best private residential schools affiliated by CBSE/ State Board in class 9th & 11th for completion of education till 12th standard.
• Financial assistance is also provided to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)/ Voluntary Organisations (VOs) for running residential , non-residential schools and hostels having adequate infrastructure and maintaining good academic quality for SC students.

Provision of Bridge course:

• There is provision of Bridge course in the scheme to ensure that the SC students admitted can catch up with the rest of the class.
• Bridge courses target enhancing the capability of the student to easily adapt to the environment of the school.
• Provisions have been incorporated for a bridge course in the selected schools for students selected under the Scheme, outside-the-school-hours after identifying the individual academic requirements.
• The cost of bridge course i.e. 10% of annual fee shall also be borne by the Department.
• The progress of the students would be monitored by the Ministry from time to time.

Various modes under the scheme:

The scheme is being implemented in two Modes.

MODE-1:

• In mode-I, each year a specified number of meritorious SC students around 3000 in States/UTs are selected through the National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and admitted in the private residential schools affiliated to CBSE/State Boards.
• Under the mode 1 of the scheme, students are admitted in 9th and 10th class and financial assistance is provided for them till completion of education upto 12th standard.
• Thereafter, students may take benefits under Post Matric Scholarship or Top Class Education Scheme to continue their further studies for securing their future opportunities.

MODE-2:

• Under mode-2, financial assistance is provided to the NGOs for running the schools/hostel projects related to the Education sector to Scheduled Caste students.
• 13500 slots every year have been marked for SC students.

Other provisions in the scheme

Selection of schools: 

• Best performing CBSE based private residential schools, having more than 75% pass percentage for class 10 and 12 for the last three years are selected by a Committee for admission of selected students.

Selection of students: 

• Approx 3000 (1500 for 9th class and 1500 for class 11th tentative) SC students, whose parents annual income is upto 2.5 lakh.
• They will be selected every year under the Scheme through a national level test conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA), choices of schools shall be offered to the students in accordance with their merit.
• Total fee for the student covering the school fee (including tuition fees) and hostel fee (including mess charges) would be borne by the Department.

3. PRACTICE OF PROXY REPRESENTATIVE

Subject: Polity

Section: Local Govt

Context: 

• Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil in a written reply in Lok Sabha mentions about the practice of sarpanch pati / pradhanpat in our Panchayati Raj System.

About Proxy Representation:

• The practice of sarpanch pati/pradhanpat highlights the necessity and importance of capacity building of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) and generating awareness among them.

Steps taken in this regard:

• Extensive exercise of capacity building of Elected Representatives, including EWRs, through the scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan.
• The Ministry has been engaging with the EWRs through a series of workshops, conferences, committees and expert groups on the issues of women empowerment and women leadership.
• The Ministry has issued advisories to States to facilitate holding of separate Ward Sabha and Mahila Sabha meetings prior to Gram Sabha meetings.
• Advisories have also been issued to States for enhancing the presence and participation of women in Gram Sabha and Panchayat meetings, allocation of Panchayat funds for women-centric activities, combating the evil of women trafficking, female foeticide, child marriage etc.
• The Ministry has also been encouraging increased involvement of women in the functioning of Panchayats through active participation in the Gram Sabha meetings for preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans and various schemes being implemented by the Panchayats.

About Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

• Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) was launched on 24th April 2018 as an umbrella scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Govt. of India.
• It is a unique scheme proposed to develop and strengthen the Panchayati Raj System across India in the rural areas.It is a centrally sponsored scheme

Objectives of RGSA

• Develop governance capabilities of PRIs to deliver on the SDGs.
• Enhance capabilities of Panchayats for inclusive local governance with focus on optimum utilization of available resources and convergence with other schemes to address issues of national importance.
• Enhance capabilities of Panchayats to raise their own sources of revenue.
• Strengthen Gram Sabhas to function effectively as the basic forum of people’s participation, transparency and accountability within the Panchayat system.
• Promote devolution of powers and responsibilities to Panchayats according to the spirit of the Constitution and PESA Act 1996.

4. Plea Bargaining

Subject: Polity

Section: Judiciary

Prisons’/‘persons detained therein’ is a “State List” subject under Entry 4 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Administration and management of prisons and prisoners is the responsibility of respective  State Governments.

 However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in this regard. The initiatives taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs to address the issue of undertrial prisoners are as follows:

(i) The Government of India inserted Section 436A in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which provides for release of an under-trial prisoner on bail on undergoing detention for a period extending up to one half of the maximum period of imprisonment specified for an offence under any law.

(ii) The concept of plea bargaining has been introduced by inserting a “Chapter XXIA” on “Plea Bargaining” (Sections 265A to 265L) in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which enables pre-trial negotiation between the defendant and the prosecution.

(iii) E-prisons Software, which is a Prison Management Application integrated with Interoperable Criminal Justice System provides facility to State Jail authorities to access the data of inmates in a quick and efficient manner and helps them in identifying the inmates whose cases are due for consideration by the Under Trial Review Committee, etc.

(iv) The Model Prison Manual 2016 circulated to all States/ Union Territories has specific chapters on “Legal Aid” and “Undertrial Prisoners”, etc, which provide detailed guidelines on the facilities which may be provided to undertrial inmates, namely legal defence, interview with lawyers, application to Courts for legal aid at Government cost etc.

The State Legal Services Authorities have established Legal Service Clinics in jails, which provide free legal assistance to persons in need. These Legal Service Clinics are managed by Empanelled Legal Services Advocates and trained Para-Legal Volunteers. These clinics have been established to ensure that no prisoner remains unrepresented and legal aid and advice is provided to them. National Legal Services Authority holds awareness generation camps in jails to generate awareness about availability of free legal aid, plea bargaining, Lok Adalats and legal rights of inmates, including their right to bail, etc.

The National Legal Services Authority had prepared a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Under-Trial Review Committees, which has been circulated by MHA to all States/Union Territories for making best use of the same and provide relief to prisoners.

5. Atmospheric rivers

Subject: Geography

Section: Climatology

Context: Southern California has been in undated with massive rainfall, with the risk of landslides rising on the soaked ground.

The rainfall has been caused by an ‘atmospheric river’, and is likely to bring in both positives and negatives for the region.

• Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere that extend from the tropics to higher latitudes. These rivers in the sky can transport 15 times the volume of the Mississippi River.
• When that moisture reaches the coast and moves inland, it rises over the mountains, generating rain and snowfall. Many fire-weary westerners welcome these deluges, but atmospheric rivers can trigger other disasters, such as extreme flooding and debris flows.

• Atmospheric rivers occur globally, affecting the west coasts of the world’s major land masses, including Portugal, Western Europe, Chile and South Africa.
• So-called “Pineapple Express” storms that carry moisture from Hawaii to the United States West Coast are just one of their many flavors.
  • In the 1960s meteorologists coined the phrase “Pineapple Express” to describe storm tracks that originated near Hawaii and carried warm water vapor to the coast of North America.
  • By the late 1990s atmospheric scientists had found that over 90 per cent of the world’s moisture from the tropics and subtropics was transported to higher latitudes by similar systems, which they named “atmospheric rivers.”
• Atmospheric rivers are predicted to grow longer, wetter and wider in a warming climate.
  • Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, warming the planet. This causes more water to evaporate from oceans and lakes, and increased moisture in the air makes storm systems grow stronger.
• In dry conditions, atmospheric rivers can replenish water supplies and quench dangerous wildfires. In wet conditions, they can cause damaging floods and debris flows, wreaking havoc on local economies.
• Atmospheric river classification scale ranks the storms from 1 to 5, similar to systems for categorizing hurricanes and tornadoes.
  • Atmospheric River category 1 (AR1) and AR2 storms caused estimated damages under $1 million.
  • AR4 and AR5 storms caused median damages in the 10s and 100s of millions of dollars respectively.
  • The most damaging AR4s and AR5s generated impacts of over $1 billion per storm. These billion-dollar storms occurred every three to four years.
  • The most significant finding was an exponential relationship between the intensity of atmospheric rivers and the flood damages they caused. Each increase in the scale from 1 to 5 was associated with a 10-fold increase in damages.

6. India to see $67 bn in energy investments in next 5-6 years: PM

Subject: Geography

Section: Human and economic geo

Context:

• Prime Minister announced India’s aim to increase the share of domestic gas in its primary energy mix from the current 6% to 15% as a move towards more environmentally friendly energy sources.

Details:

• This initiative is expected to attract an investment of about $67 billion over the next five to six years.
• India’s energy demand is projected to double by 2045, and in anticipation, the country is focusing on developing affordable and sustainable energy.
• There is an ‘unprecedented infrastructure push’ with ₹11 lakh crore allocated for it in the interim budget, underlining the government’s commitment to enhancing India’s energy infrastructure.

‘Big part for energy’:

• A significant portion of the allocated ₹11 lakh crore will be invested in the energy sector, supporting the development of infrastructure in railways, roadways, waterways, airways, and housing, all of which will increase energy demand and aid in expanding India’s energy capacity.
• Additionally, he highlighted the Global Biofuel Alliance, introduced during the G20 Summit in India, which has garnered support from 22 nations and 12 international organizations.
• This alliance aims to promote the use of biofuels, potentially unlocking economic opportunities valued at $500 billion.

About Global Biofuels Alliance:

• It is an India-led Initiative to develop an alliance of Governments, International organisations and Industry to facilitate the adoption of biofuels.
• A total of 19 countries and 12 international organisations have so far agreed to join the alliance, including both G20 members and non-member countries.
• India, Brazil and the US is the founding members of the alliance.
• This Alliance will be aimed at facilitating cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels, including in the transportation sector.
• Significance of the alliance
  • It will place emphasis on strengthening markets, facilitating global biofuels trade, developing concrete policy lesson-sharing and providing technical support for national biofuels programs worldwide.
  • It will support worldwide development and deployment of sustainable biofuels by offering capacity-building exercises across the value chain, technical support for national programs and promoting policy lessons-sharing.
  • It will facilitate mobilising a virtual marketplace to assist industries, countries, ecosystem players and key stakeholders in mapping demand and supply, as well as connecting technology providers to end users.
  • It will also facilitate the development, adoption and implementation of internationally recognised standards, codes, sustainability principles and regulations to incentivise biofuels adoption and trade.

Ethanol blending push:

• Ethanol blending in petrol has increased from 1.5% in 2014 to 12% in 2023, resulting in a reduction of approximately 42 million metric tons in carbon emissions.
• The government aims to achieve a 20% ethanol blending rate in petrol by 2025.
• The government has established 5,000 compressed biogas plants to further enhance India’s energy sustainability.

Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme:

• The Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme was launched in 2003 with an aim to promote the use of renewable and environmentally friendly fuels and reduce India’s import dependence for energy security.
• Starting with 5% blending, the government has set a target of 10% ethanol blending by 2022 and 20% blending (E20) by 2030.
• The programme is implemented in accordance with the National Policy on Biofuels.
• Under this programme, oil marketing companies (OMCs) will procure ethanol from domestic sources at prices fixed by the government.
• Till 2018, only sugarcane was used to derive ethanol. Now, the government has extended the ambit of the scheme to include foodgrains like maize, bajra, fruit and vegetable waste, etc. to produce ethanol.

Generations of biofuels

• First generation biofuels – First-generation biofuels are made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats using conventional technology. Common first-generation biofuels include Bio-alcohols, Biodiesel, Vegetable oil, Bio-ethers, Biogas.
• Second generation biofuels – These are produced from non-food crops, such as cellulosic biofuels and waste biomass (stalks of wheat and corn, and wood). Examples include advanced biofuels like bio-hydrogen, bio-methanol.
• Third generation biofuels – These are produced from micro-organisms like algae.
• Four Generation Bio-fuels-It uses genetically modified (GM) algae to enhance biofuel production.

7. Hindu Kush Himalaya is a ‘biosphere on the brink’: ICIMOD

Subject: Environment

Section: Protected Area

Context:

• Experts from The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) have urgently called for significant actions and immediate funding to prevent the deterioration of nature in High Mountain Asia, during a meeting on February 5, 2024, in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Details:

• Highlighting the critical state of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, known for its rich biodiversity, ICIMOD warned that this area is on the verge of ecological collapse as global experts gather for the Third Lead Authors meeting of the IPBES nexus assessment.
• This meeting, hosted by ICIMOD, focuses on understanding the connections between food, water security, health, biodiversity, and climate change.
• The dire situation in the HKH is described as catastrophic due to rapid losses in nature and habitat.
• The region, home to four of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots, significant eco-regions, protected areas, and bird habitats, has seen a 70% loss in its original biodiversity over the last century.
• Despite this, the local mountain communities, which are highly dependent on this biodiversity for sustenance, water, flood control, and cultural identity, are facing an accelerating crisis.

Biodiversity of HKH region:

• The mountain ecosystems of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) are diverse with one of the highest diversity of flora and fauna providing varied ecosystem services to one fourth of humanity. With four out of 36 global biodiversity hotspots the HKH is a cradle for 35,000+ species of plants and 200+ species of animals.
• At least 353 new species—242 plants, 16 amphibians, 16 reptiles, 14 fish, two birds, and two mammals, and at least 61 invertebrates—have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas between 1998 and 2008, equating to an average of 35 new species finds every year.
• The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is of global importance due to its unique biodiversity and is home to 4 of 34 global biodiversity hotspots, 6 UNESCO natural World Heritage sites, 30 Ramsar sites, 330 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and 53 Important Plant Areas (IPAs).
• In total, there are 60 ecoregion types (6 per cent of the world total), of which 30 are critical ecoregions.
• HKH countries have established roughly 488 protected areas in the region with varying degrees of protection and status, covering 39 per cent of HKH terrestrial land.

Significance of Hindukush- Himalaya region (HKH):

• The biodiversity of the region — 40 per cent of which is under protected areas — is dependent on the cryosphere as it is an important source of water for maintaining ecosystem health, supporting biological diversity, and providing ecosystem services.
• Glaciers occupy an area of approximately 73,173 square kilometres (km2) in the HKH.
• The average temperature in the region has increased by 0.28°C per decade between 1951 and 2020.
• The HKH region harbours the highest mountain ranges in the world. It also contains the largest volume of ice on earth outside of the polar areas and is called “Asia’s water tower”.
• The region is undergoing “unprecedented and largely irreversible” changes triggered by global warming.
• Ice and snow in the Hindu Kush Himalaya are an important source of water for 12 rivers that flow through 16 countries in Asia, providing fresh water and other vital ecosystem services to 240 million people in the mountains and a further 1.65 billion downstream.

Water tower:

• High Mountain Asia comprises of mountain ranges such as the Tian Shan, Kunlun Shan, Pamir, Karakoram, Hindu Kush, Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas.
• HKH, which stretches 3,500 kilometres and spans eight countries, is home to most of the snow and ice on Earth outside the poles. At least 12 rivers fan out in every direction across the Asian continent from it:
  • Syr Darya and Amu Darya towards the now-dead Aral Sea
  • The Tarim toward the Taklamakan
  • The Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra towards the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal
  • The Yellow River towards the Gulf of Bohai
  • The Yangtze towards the East China Sea
  • The Mekong towards the South China Sea
  • The Chindwin, Salween and Irrawaddy towards the Andaman Sea
• The ‘Water Tower of Asia’ provides essential ecosystem services such as clean water for a third of the world’s population. It is estimated to be warming at nearly two times the average rate of warming in the Northern Hemisphere.

Nexus Assessment: Thematic assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health.

• The  Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Plenary, at IPBES 7 (2019, Paris), adopted a new work programme following up on the first IPBES work programme 2014-2018.
• This new work programme includes a thematic assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health (nexus assessment), which will examine the interlinkages among the sustainable development goals related to food and water security, health for all, protecting biodiversity on land and in the oceans and combating climate change.

About ICIMOD:

• Founded in 5 December 1983.
• The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is an intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre working on behalf of the people of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH).
• We are based in Kathmandu, Nepal and work in and for our eight regional member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
• They work to improve the lives and livelihoods of men, women, and children of the HKH and protect mountain environments and cultures.
• Activities:
  • Their activities range greatly from hands-on research and piloting of solutions, to policy implementation with governments, to mountain advocacy on the global stage.

Source: DTE

8. New GRI Biodiversity Standard demands reporting of drivers of biodiversity loss, impact on Indigenous Peoples

Subject: Environment

Section: Int Conversation

Context:

• The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has launched an updated Biodiversity Standard, GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024,aimed at enhancing global transparency in reporting biodiversity impacts.

Details:

• Developed by the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB), this standard is designed to help businesses, governments, and other organizations report on their environmental impact, including issues related to climate change, human rights, and corruption.
• The new standard focuses on providing a detailed account of an organization’s impact on biodiversity through its supply chain and operations, addressing the urgent need to mitigate the pressures on nature, with over one million plant and animal species at risk of extinction.
• Scheduled for formal implementation from January 1, 2026, the document is currently available for early adoption and pilot testing.
• It is aligned with critical global biodiversity developments, such as the United Nations Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Science-Based Target Network, and the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures.
• The standard aims to meet the increasing demands for information on biodiversity impacts from various stakeholders, offering full transparency throughout the supply chain and requiring disclosure of location-specific impacts, direct drivers of biodiversity loss, and effects on communities and Indigenous Peoples.
• The updated standard will help in raising transparency and understanding the risks and dependencies associated with biodiversity loss.

The Science Based Target Network (STN):

• It aims to transform economic systems and protect the global commons – our air, water, land, biodiversity and ocean.
• Vision: A global economy in which companies and cities operate within environmental boundaries on a socially equitable basis through the setting of science-based targets (SBTs) to transform their impact.
• Mission:
  • Develop methods for cities and companies to set integrated targets across all Earth systems.
  • Build on the progress of establishing science-based targets for climate to achieve widespread adoption of science-based targets on water, land, biodiversity and ocean.
  • Demonstrate significant progress in line with key global policy milestones like the SDGs, and goals and targets under the UNFCCC, UNCCD, CBD, by developing an indicator framework that tracks how SBT setters deliver progress.
  • Work to embed adoption of science-based targets within capital markets by partnering with policy makers, financial institutions and service providers such as benchmarkers and credit agencies.

About Global Reporting Initiative (GRI):

• Founded: 1997, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• Founders: United Nations Environment Programme, Ceres, Tellus Institute
• GRI is the independent, international organization that helps businesses and other organizations take responsibility for their impacts, by providing them with the global common language to communicate those impacts.
• The GRI Secretariat is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and they have a network of seven regional offices to ensure we support organizations and stakeholders worldwide.

9. Cameroon adopts Nagoya Protocol to benefit from its rich biodiversity

Subject: Environment

Section: Int Conversation

Context:

• Cameroon, a country rich in biodiversity in Central Africa, has adopted the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing.

About Nagoya Protocol:

• The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.
• The Nagoya Protocol on ABS was adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan and entered into force on 12 October 2014, 90 days after the deposit of the fiftieth instrument of ratification.
• Its objective is the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Exploitation of biological resources of Camroon:

• The protocol is a response to the exploitation of Cameroon’s estimated 11,000 species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, which include valuable genetic resources and traditional knowledge used for bioprospecting – the search for new sources of drugs, food, and other products.
• One highlighted issue is the exploitation of Prunus Africana, a plant endemic to Cameroon used in prostate cancer drugs.
• Foreign companies have been buying this resource at low prices and selling the finished drugs at a high markup without benefiting the local communities.
• The adoption of the Nagoya Protocol aims to change this dynamic by protecting the rights and interests of indigenous and local communities and promoting biodiversity-based innovation.

Solution:

• Cameroon has enacted legislation to implement the Nagoya Protocol but faces challenges such as lack of tools, institutional capacity, and research and development on the biodiversity value chain.
• To overcome these challenges, the Global Environment Facility has financed a project to support bioprospecting research in Cameroon.
• The project focuses on several species, including the bush mango (Irvingiawombulu), known for its medical properties and economic potential.
• Cameroon has also signed agreements with French and Swiss cosmetic businesses for research, development, and commercial activities based on the Nagoya Protocol, illustrating a move towards better leveraging the country’s biological resources for economic development and ensuring that exploitation is aligned with the protocol’s guidelines for fair and equitable benefit sharing.

10. Hot Money

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Context: India to stay alert for ‘hot money’ after bond index inclusion: official

Concept:

• Hot money refers to the currency that quickly and regularly moves between financial markets and is invested for short-term.
• In this investors lock in the highest available short-term interest rates for large gains.
• It is less flexible and bring in volatility in economy (Ex- FPI is often referred to as “hot money” because of its tendency to flee at the first signs of trouble in an economy.).
• Banks usually attract “hot money” by offering relatively short-term certificates of deposit (CD) that have above-average interest rates. As soon as the institution reduces interest rates or another institution offers higher rates, investors with “hot money” withdraw their funds and move them to another institution with higher rates.

11. Rajya Sabha passes Bills to add PVTGs of Odisha, A.P. in ST lists

Subject: Polity

Section: Legislation in news

Context:

• Rajya Sabha passed the Constitution (STs) Order Amendment Bill 2024 and the Constitution (SCs and STs) Order Amendment Bill 2024, presented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

About the Bills:

• Among the additions were notably seven Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) (a subset of STs) – four in Odisha and three in Andhra Pradesh.
• The independent names of these PVTGs had been specifically added as synonyms or sub-tribes of communities already on the ST lists of these States.
• In Odisha, the PVTG communities added are –
  • Pauri Bhuyan and Paudi Bhuyan as synonyms of the Bhuyan tribe;
  • The ChuktiaBhunjia as a synonym of the Bhunjia tribe;
  • The Bondo as a sub-tribe of the Bondo Poraja tribe; and
  • The Mankidia as a synonym for the Mankirdia tribe.
• In Andhra Pradesh, the PVTG communities included Bondo Porja and Khond Porja as synonyms of the Porja tribe and the Konda Savaras as a synonym for the Savaras tribe.

Other Additions and Changes:

• In addition to this, the Bill to amend Odisha’s ST list also shifted two entries – Tamadia and Tamudia – from the Scheduled Castes list to the Scheduled Tribes list.
• The Bill also added synonyms, phonetic variations and sub-tribes of at least eight existing communities in the State’s ST list.
• Further, Odisha’s ST list was expanded by adding two communities to it as new entries. These are –
  • The Muka Dora community (and synonyms) in undivided Koraput District which includes Koraput, Nowrangapur, Rayagada and Malkangiri districts; and
  • The Konda Reddy (and synonyms) community.

Government Initiatives for the Welfare of the PVTGs:

• The Union Budget 2023-24 announced the launch of the PM PVTG Development Mission.
  • This will saturate PVTG households and habitations with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition, etc.
  • An amount of Rs.15,000 crore will be made available to implement the Mission in the next three years under the Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribes (DAPST).
• The PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) has been launched to enhance the socio-economic conditions of PVTGs.
  • The PM-JANMAN (comprising Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes) to focus on 11 critical interventions through 9 Ministries.
• The government has been consistently following up with respective State governments over the declining populations of several PVTG communities across the country.

12. Understanding the delimitation exercise

Subject: Polity

Section: Elections

Context:

• The impending delimitation exercise for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, based on the first Census after 2026, has sparked discussions and raised pertinent questions.

About Delimitation

• Delimitation entails fixing the number of seats and boundaries of territorial constituencies, including the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), based on census data.
• Article 82 (Lok Sabha) and Article 170 (State Legislative Assemblies) mandate readjustment of seats after each Census, performed by the Delimitation Commission.
• Delimitation exercises were conducted post the 1951, 1961, and 1971 Censuses, highlighting its periodic nature.

Need for Delimitation

• Democracy and Representation: The essence of democracy mandates ‘one citizen-one vote-one value,’ necessitating periodic readjustment of seats to reflect population changes.
• Freezing of Seats: Seats have been frozen since 1971 to encourage population control, with the freeze extended until 2026 through the 84th Amendment Act.

Challenges

• Uneven Population Growth: Population disparities among states pose challenges, with some states experiencing rapid growth while others stagnate.
• Options Discussed: Options include redistributing existing seats among states or increasing the total seats to reflect population changes.
• Constituency Shrinkage: Electorates often lose their representation due to the merger of constituencies.

13. ‘Tax-to-GDP ratio to hit all-time high of 11.7% of GDP in FY25’

Subject: Economy

Section: Fiscal economy

Context:

• India’s tax landscape is anticipated to witness significant growth in the coming fiscal year, with the tax-to-GDP ratio expected to reach a historic high of 11.7%.

About ‘Tax-to-GDP’ Ratio

• The tax-to-GDP ratio measures a nation’s tax revenue relative to the size of its economy.
• This ratio is used with other metrics to determine how well a nation’s government directs its economic resources via taxation.
• Developed nations typically have higher tax-to-GDP ratios than developing nations.
• Higher tax revenues mean a country can spend more on improving infrastructure, health, and education—keys to the long-term prospects for a country’s economy and people.
• According to the World Bank, tax revenues above 15% of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) are a key ingredient for economic growth and poverty reduction.

What led to this growth?

• Direct Tax Collection
  • Optimistic Outlook: Revenue Secretary anticipates a rise in the adoption of the new tax regime, characterized by simplified tax structures and a higher tax-free income threshold.
  • Growth in Personal Income Tax: Personal income tax collections have witnessed a substantial 28% growth, with a projected moderation to 20%-22% by the fiscal year-end.
• Rationalizing GST Rates
  • Ongoing Review: A Group of Ministers (GoM) appointed by the GST Council is reviewing the rate structure, aiming to rationalize GST rates on various items.
  • Quarterly Meetings: The GST Council is expected to convene regularly to address rate rationalization, although no fixed date has been announced yet.
• Projected Revenue Growth
  • Modest Projections: Despite a buoyant revenue growth of 1.4% this year, projections for the following fiscal year aim for a 1.1% buoyancy, aligning with an anticipated nominal GDP growth of 10.5%.
  • Corporate Tax Dynamics: The deadline for availing the reduced corporate tax rate ends in March 2023, with a significant proportion of companies already benefitting from it.
  • Enforcement Measures: While the Department of Revenue focuses on tax administration, the Enforcement Directorate intervenes in cases related to money laundering, ensuring comprehensive enforcement mechanisms.

14. Indigenous CAR-T cell therapy gets rolling: ‘first’ patient is cancer-free

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Health

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells are T cells that have been genetically engineered to produce an artificial T-cell receptor for use in immunotherapy. Chimeric antigen receptors are receptor proteins that have been engineered to give T cells the new ability to target a specific protein.

• An 11-year-old has become the first patient to receive CAR-T therapy (immunotherapy) that uses the body’s own cells to fight cancer.
• CAR-T is a personalized form of cancer treatment.

• CAR-T involves removing immune cells and modifying them in a laboratory so they can recognize cancer cells.
• Immunotherapy is treatment that uses your body’s own immune system to help fight cancer.
• First, the patient has blood removed and the white blood cells are separated out, with the rest of the blood being returned to the patient.
• A harmless virus is used to insert genes into T-cells, a special type of immune cell.
• These genes cause the T-cells to add a hook on to their surface, known as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR).
• These engineered CAR-T cells – programmed to recognize and destroy the patient’s cancer cells – are multiplied in huge numbers and then infused back into the patient.