2 May | UPSC Current Affairs | Earth’s Rotation to IMF & Exercises

GS Paper 1

Earth’s Rotation

• News:  A recent study published in Nature suggests that global warming-induced melting of polar ice is causing a slowdown in the Earth’s rotation. 
• “Rotation” refers to an object’s spinning motion about its own axis. “Revolution” refers the object’s orbital motion around another object.
• • Earth rotates on its own axis, producing the 24-hour day. 
  • Earth revolves about the Sun, producing the 365-day year.
• Earth’s Rotation: 
  • Earth rotates along its axis from west to east.
  • It takes approximately 24 hrs to complete on rotation.
  • Days and nights occur due to rotation of the earth.
  • The circle that divides the day from night on the globe is called the circle of illumination.
  • Earth rotates on a tilted axis.
  •  Earth’s rotational axis makes an angle of 23.5° with the normal i.e. it makes an angle of 66.5° with the orbital plane. 
  • Orbital plane is the plane of earth’s orbit around the Sun.

• Factors Affecting Earth’s Rotation:
• • Tidal Forces: Gravitational pull from the Moon and the Sun causes tidal bulges, slowing Earth’s rotation due to friction between ocean water and the sea floor.
  • Core-Mantle Coupling: Variances in rotation rates between Earth’s inner and outer core impact the magnetic field.
  • Glacial Melt: Global warming-induced melting of glaciers and ice sheets redistributes mass, altering Earth’s shape and decelerating its rotation.

Coriolis Force The rotation of the earth about its axis affects the direction of the wind. This force is called the Coriolis force. It deflects the wind to the right direction in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.  The deflection is more when the wind velocity is high.  The Coriolis force is directly proportional to the angle of latitude. It is maximum at the poles and is absent at the equator.

• Earth’s Rotation and Leap Seconds:
• • Atomic Clocks and UTC: Official time, defined by atomic clocks, is known as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
  • Variability in Earth’s Rotation: Earth’s rotation isn’t constant, occasionally slowing due to factors like melting ice caps.
  • Leap Second Adjustment: To reconcile discrepancies between atomic time and Earth’s rotation, leap seconds are added or subtracted from UTC.

Climate Engineering and Solar Geoengineering: Types, Techniques and Challenges

GS Paper 2

Sierra Madre

• News: Sierra Madre, an old Philippine ship, is fuelling China-Philippine tensions.
• Definition:  It is a 100ft-long landing ship commissioned by the US in 1944 during World War II.
• Landing Ship: Landing ship is specially designed to transport and deploy troops, vehicles, and supplies onto foreign shores for the conduct of offensive military operations.
• Utilization in Conflict:
  • It was deployed by the US during the Vietnam War (1954-75).
  • It was transferred to the Philippines in 1976.
• Strategic Placement:
  • In 1999, this landing ship was left on the Second Thomas Shoal by the Philippines . This move was an attempt at halting further Chinese assertions.
  •  Second Thomas Shoal is a part of the mostly uninhabited Spratly islands.
• Ongoing Tensions:
  • China Demands Removal: China continuously demands the removal of the ship.
  • Philippine Resistance: Philippines resists removal to maintain territorial claims and counter Chinese presence in the South China Sea.
• Spratly Islands:
• • The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs in the South China Sea.

• They are located north of insular Malaysia and are roughly midway between Vietnam and the Philippines.
• These islands are rich in oil and gas reserves along with fishing waters and hence claimed by several countries in the region.

Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance

• News: Recently, the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and the Global Leaders Group (GLG) on AMR jointly organised a high-level event, ‘Forging partnerships between science and policy’, in Barcelona, Spain.
• Definition: 
  • The Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR Leaders) consists of world leaders and experts from across sectors working together to accelerate political action on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
  • It was established in November 2020.
• Functions:
  • Independent Advisory Role: Performs global advisory and advocacy functions independently.
  • Promoting Urgency: Maintains urgency, public support, political momentum, and visibility of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenge on the global health and development agenda.
• Approach and Focus: 
  • One Health Approach: Addresses the AMR challenge by acknowledging the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
• Understanding Antimicrobial Resistance:
• • Definition: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines.
  • Public Health Threat: AMR poses a growing threat to public health, as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites develop resistance to drugs intended to combat them.
  • Consequences: Resistance renders traditional medicines ineffective, complicating the treatment of even common illnesses.

Coral Reefs: Types, Formation, Threats and Significance | UPSC

UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals

• News:  The United Nations has formed a new panel on “Critical Energy Transition Minerals.”
• Panel’s Aim:
  • Development of Global Principles: The panel aims to develop a set of global common and voluntary principles to guide the transition and accelerate the adoption of renewable energies.
• Objectives Aligned with Global Agreements:
  • 2030 Agenda and Climate Change Framework: The panel’s objective aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN’s Framework Agreement on Climate Change, and its Paris Agreement.
• Twofold Objective:
  • • Just and Equitable Transition: Supporting a fair transition to renewable energies.
    • Economic and Social Benefits: Ensuring that countries and local communities benefit economically while upholding social and environmental safeguards.
• Composition:
  • •  Presently, the panel comprises 23 countries alongside the African Union, with 14 non-governmental organizations representing diverse entities.
• Key Members: Both China and the United States are key members of the panel.
• Significance of Critical Energy Transition Minerals:
• • Vital Components for Clean Energy: Critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements are essential for clean energy technologies like wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and battery storage.
  • Increased Demand: The global transition towards renewable energy to combat carbon emissions has led to a surge in demand for critical minerals, with projections indicating a threefold increase by 2030.

GS Paper 3

Inflation Expectations Survey of Households & Consumer Confidence Survey

• News: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently introduced two new surveys, the ‘Inflation Expectations Survey of Households’ and the ‘Consumer Confidence Survey’. 
• • • These surveys are aimed at providing crucial insights for the upcoming bi-monthly monetary policy.
• Inflation Expectations Survey of Households:
• • • This survey will gather subjective evaluations on price movements and inflation based on individual consumption patterns. 
    • This survey spans 19 cities, including Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Thiruvananthapuram.
    • It will gather qualitative responses from households regarding price changes, including general prices and specific product groups, over the next 3 months and one year.
• Consumer Confidence Survey: 
• • Aims to gather qualitative responses from households regarding their views on:
    •  The General Economic Situation,
    •  Employment Scenario, 
    • Price Levels, 
    • Household Income, And 
    • Spending.
  •  This survey will also be conducted in 19 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, and Delhi.

Salmonella

• News: The US has rejected 1/3rd of MDH exports since October over salmonella. 
• Definition: Salmonella are a group of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis.
• Transmission and Contamination:
  • Salmonella naturally lives in the intestines of animals and can be found in their feces (poop). 
  • It can contaminate meat and poultry during slaughter.
  •  Spread to humans occurs through contact with salmonella-contaminated items in the environment.
• Survival and Resilience:
• • Ubiquitous Nature: Salmonella is widespread and resilient.
  • Environmental Longevity: Can survive for several weeks in dry environments and several months in water.

• Symptoms of Salmonellosis:
• • Onset and Manifestations: Symptoms typically appear 6 to 72 hours post-infection and include diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.

Ethylene (C2H4)

• News:  It is being used for artificial ripening of mangoes.
• Nature and Properties: Colourless, flammable gas with a sweet taste and odor.
• Environmental Impact: Acts as a greenhouse gas, contributing to global warming.
• Industrial Importance:
  • Chemical Production: Crucial starting material for manufacturing various chemicals, including plastics like polyethylene, polyester fibers, and antifreeze.
• Biological Functions:
  • Plant Hormone: Naturally occurring plant hormone involved in physiological processes such as promoting root growth and root hair formation.
  • Role in Fruit Ripening: Highly influential in fruit ripening processes, affecting respiration rates and enzymatic activities.
• Effects on Fruit Ripening:
  • Color Changes: Influences the synthesis of pigments such as carotenoids (red, orange, and yellow colors ) and anthocyanins (blue or purple colour), leading to color changes during ripening.
  • Flavor and Aroma: Stimulates the production of volatile compounds responsible for the flavor and aroma of ripe fruits.
• Regulatory Guidelines:
  • FSSAI Directions: Allows the use of ethylene for artificial ripening with a concentration limit of 100 ppm.
  • Prohibited Contact: Direct contact of ethylene gas sources with fruits is not permitted according to FSSAI regulations.

IMF’s Stand-by Arrangement (SBA)

• • News: The IMF Executive Board completed the second review under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for Pakistan. 
  • Stand-by Arrangement (SBA): The IMF Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) is an economic program of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 
  • Purpose: It provides short-term financial aid to nations grappling with balance of payments issues.
  • Eligibility Criteria: 
    • Open to all member countries facing actual or potential external financing requirements, primarily utilized by advanced and emerging market economies. 
    • Low-income countries may also access the SBA alongside the Standby Credit Facility (SCF).
• Conditionality:
• • Economic Policy Alignment: Countries seeking SBA funding must align their economic policies to address the underlying issues causing the need for financial assistance.
  • Disbursement Criteria: Disbursements are contingent upon the fulfillment of performance targets related to the implementation of suggested structural measures.
• Duration of the Assistance: Typically covers a period of 12–24 months, but not more than 36 months.

Facts for Prelims

Exercise Poorvi  Leher

• News: Indian Navy has recently conducted ‘Poorvi Leher’ exercise along east coast to test preparedness. 
• Recent Conduct: The Indian Navy executed a Military Exercise called “Poorvi Lehar” along the Eastern Coast of India.
• Objective: The primary goal of the exercise was to evaluate the readiness of the Indian Navy in addressing Maritime Security challenges within the region.

Stridhan

• News:   As per a recent ruling of the Supreme Court, a husband has no control over wife’s ‘stridhan’. 
• Stridhan:
  •  Properties gifted to a woman before marriage, at the time of marriage, or upon bidding farewell, and even thereafter constitute her stridhan properties.
  •  These properties are solely owned by the woman, granting her the full right to dispose of them as she pleases.
• Husband’s Role:
• Lack of Control: The husband holds no authority or control over his wife’s stridhan property.
• Usage in Distress: He may utilize the stridhan property during times of personal distress, but he retains a moral obligation to restore either the property itself or its equivalent value to his wife.