28 Nov | UPSC Current Affairs: Pennaiyar River, Design Law Treaty, ASCI, Pathogen Surveillance, and More

UPSC GS 1

Pennaiyar  River

• News:  The Supreme Court has asked the Union government to place on record the report prepared by a committee negotiating a dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of the Pennaiyar river water.
• Definition: The Pennaiyar River is a significant river in southern India, traversing the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
• Alternate Names: Known as the South Pennar River, Dakshina Pinakini in Kannada, and Thenpennai or Ponnaiyar in Tamil.
• Origin: The river originates in the Nandi Hills of Chikkaballapura district in Karnataka.
• Flow:
  • Travels southward for approximately 80 km through Karnataka.
  • Continues southeastward into northwestern Tamil Nadu, covering a total length of 320 km before emptying into the Bay of Bengal at Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.
• Basin Boundaries:
  • Bordered in the northwest and south by various ranges of the Eastern Ghats, including the Velikonda Range, Nagari Hills, Javadu Hills, Shevaroy Hills, Chitteri Hills, and Kalrayan Hills.
  • The eastern boundary is the Bay of Bengal.
• Basin Features:
  • The Pennaiyar River forms the second largest east-flowing inter-state river basin among the 12 basins located between the Pennar and Cauvery basins.
  • It has a drainage area of 16,019 sq. km., with approximately 77% of the basin lying in Tamil Nadu.
• Tributaries: Key tributaries include the Chinnar, Markanda, Vaniar, and Pamban rivers.
• Usage: The river is extensively dammed for irrigation, especially in Tamil Nadu, supporting agriculture in the region.
• Environmental Concerns: Bengaluru, the only major metropolitan city within the catchment area, is also the primary contributor to the river’s pollution.

Read also: Supreme Court Judgment on the 42nd Amendment | UPSC

UPSC GS 2

Design Law Treaty (DLT)

• News: After nearly two decades of negotiations, the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted the landmark Design Law Treaty (DLT). By signing the Final Act of the Riyadh Design Law Treaty, India builds on its progress and reaffirms its commitment to fostering inclusive growth. 
• About Design Law Treaty: 
  • The DLT aims to standardize procedural frameworks for industrial design protection, enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of design registration processes across multiple jurisdictions.
  • The treaty will come into force once it has been ratified by 15 contracting parties.

• Key Features:
  • Grace Period: A 12-month grace period is provided following the first disclosure of a design, ensuring that such disclosure does not impact the design’s validity for registration.
  • Relief Measures: The treaty includes provisions for offering flexibility to applicants, safeguarding their rights even if deadlines are missed.
  • Simplified Renewal Process: It simplifies the steps required for renewing a design registration.
  • E-filing Systems: Encourages the implementation of e-filing systems for design applications and promotes the electronic exchange of priority documents.
  • Technical Assistance: Assures technical support to developing and least developed countries for implementing the treaty effectively.
• Benefits:
• • Access for All Stakeholders: It ensures that the advantages of streamlined design protection are accessible, particularly to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startups, and independent designers.
  • Reduction of Administrative Burdens: By standardizing procedural requirements, the treaty minimizes administrative hurdles, fostering global innovation in design.
  • Boost for Startups and SMEs: Complementing initiatives like Startup India and the Startups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) scheme, the treaty empowers startups and SMEs to secure design rights internationally, enhancing their competitiveness and driving market expansion.

Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)

• News:  The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released its Half-Yearly Complaints Report for 2024-25, highlighting significant non-compliance in digital media.
• Definition: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is a voluntary, self-regulatory organization for the advertising industry in India.
• Establishment and Purpose:
  • Founded in 1985, ASCI is registered as a non-profit entity under Section 25 of the Companies Act.
  • Its primary mission is to promote self-regulation in advertising and safeguard consumer interests.
  • ASCI ensures that advertisements adhere to its Code for Self-Regulation, which emphasizes legality, decency, honesty, and truthfulness while avoiding harm or hazards and ensuring fair competition.
• Areas of Oversight:
  • ASCI reviews complaints about advertisements across various media platforms, including print, television, radio, hoardings, SMS, email campaigns, websites, product packaging, brochures, promotional materials, and point-of-sale content.
• Structure:
  • Board of Governors: Composed of 16 members representing leading businesses, media agencies, and advertisers.
  • Consumer Complaints Council (CCC): Investigates complaints and determines whether advertisements align with ASCI’s Code.
• Secretariat: Led by the Secretary General, the Secretariat manages the organization’s daily operations.
• Recognition and Global Role:
• • While ASCI operates independently of the government, its work has received official acknowledgment.
  • In 2006, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting mandated compliance with ASCI’s codes for all television advertisements in India.
  • ASCI is also a member of the Executive Committee of the International Council on Ad Self-Regulation (ICAS).

International Pathogen Surveillance Network

• News:  International Pathogen Surveillance Network has announced first recipients of grants to better understand disease threats.
• Definition: The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) is a global public health initiative aimed at preventing and identifying infectious disease threats before they escalate into epidemics or pandemics.
• Objective: The primary goal is to detect, monitor, and respond to disease threats early, while enhancing routine disease surveillance systems.

• Coordination and Membership:
  • The IPSN operates with a Secretariat hosted by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence.
  • It unites global experts from diverse sectors, including governments, philanthropic organizations, multilateral bodies, civil society, academia, and private industry.
  • All members collaborate to strengthen global health security by leveraging expertise in genomics and data analytics.
• Role of Pathogen Genomics:
  • Pathogen genomics forms the backbone of IPSN’s work, involving the study of genetic material from viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms.
  • This analysis provides insights into how pathogens spread, evolve, and their potential infectiousness or lethality.
  • Such data allows researchers to identify and monitor diseases effectively, improving outbreak prevention, responses, and treatment strategies.
• Key Activities:
  • Members collaborate in dedicated working groups to address specific challenges in pathogen surveillance.
  • IPSN provides funding for projects and innovations that advance the use of pathogen genomics.
  • It strengthens the surveillance ecosystem to enable faster identification of new pathogens and better tracking of disease evolution and transmission.
• Significance: By building a robust pathogen genomic surveillance network, IPSN enhances global preparedness and responsiveness to emerging infectious diseases.

UPSC GS 3

Black Thrips

• News: The black thrips infestation has re-emerged in the chilli crop around Ballari, Karnataka, after a one-year hiatus, causing significant concern among farmers.

• About Black Thrips:
• Invasive Pest Species: Black thrips are an invasive pest first identified in India in 2015, initially found on papaya plants.
• Feeding Behavior: These insects damage plants by lacerating tender leaves and flowers, consuming tissues, and causing extensive harm. The lacerations, particularly on flowers, hinder fruit formation.
• Polyphagous Nature: Black thrips can feed on a wide range of plant species, affecting multiple crops.
• Impact on Chilli Crops: Thrips feed on tender flowers, resulting in flower shedding, stunted growth, malformed fruits, and fruit drop. This can lead to severe yield losses in chilli cultivation.
• Other Crops Affected: Apart from chilli, black thrips damage crops like cotton, bell peppers, red and black grams, mangoes, watermelons, and various others.
• Distribution: Since 2015, black thrips have been recorded feeding on agricultural, horticultural, and ornamental crops across states such as Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
• Reasons for Upsurge in India:
• • Absence of Natural Predators: The lack of natural enemies in the invaded regions has resulted in unchecked growth of the pest population.
  • Excessive Use of Chemical Pesticides: Overreliance on chemical pesticides may have disrupted ecological balance, inadvertently supporting pest outbreaks.
  • Staggered Planting: Practices like staggered plantings have also contributed to the pest’s proliferation.

Dunlin

• News: Dunlin spotted at Kerala Bird Race, facing increased threat, with 192 avian species observed in Kochi edition.
• General Characteristics:
  • The Dunlin is a small shorebird recognized for its distinct droopy black bill.
  • It is a fully migratory species that breeds in circumpolar regions.

• Appearance:
  • Size and Shape: Medium-sized sandpiper with a slightly down-curved black bill.
  • Breeding Plumage: During the summer, they display a prominent black belly spot and orange-hued feathers on their back.
  • Non-breeding Plumage: In winter, they transition to an all-white body with a gray back and head.
  • Group Names: A group of Dunlins is referred to as a “flight,” “fling,” or “trip.”
• Habitat:
  • Breeding Season: They inhabit coastal tundra regions during their breeding period.
  • Winter Season: Found along mudflats, estuaries, marshes, and coastlines during the winter months.
  • Migration Patterns: Spend the summer breeding in Arctic and sub-Arctic zones, while wintering along the coasts of the United States and Mexico.
• Diet:
  • Nesting Grounds: Primarily consume insects during the breeding season.
  • Winter and Migration: Feed on mollusks, worms, and crustaceans during migration and wintering periods.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Status: Listed as Near Threatened.
• Threats:
• • Habitat destruction due to wetland drainage and global warming.
  • Invasive plant species encroaching on wetlands at migratory stopovers and wintering grounds.
  • Susceptibility to avian influenza further endangers their populations.

See more: 75 Years of the Indian Constitution | UPSC

Global Matchmaking Platform (GMP)

• News: The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Climate Club have recently launched the Global Matchmaking Platform (GMP) to accelerate decarbonization in industries with high emissions.
• About Global Matchmaking Platform (GMP):
• Purpose: The platform aims to expedite the transition to low-carbon and zero-emission practices in heavy-emitting industries, particularly in emerging and developing economies.
• Origin: The concept of GMP originated during the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in December 2023 with the establishment of the Climate Club.

• Objectives:
  • Matches the specific decarbonization needs of countries with global technical and financial resources.
  • Focuses on reducing emissions in energy-intensive and emissions-heavy industrial sectors.
• Features:
• • Global Network: Provides countries with access to a network of delivery partners offering extensive technical and financial support.
  • Comprehensive Assistance:
    • Aids in policy development and formulation.
    • Facilitates the adoption and transfer of innovative technologies.
    • Supports investments to transition towards low-carbon industrial practices.
  • Tailored Pathways: Enables nations to design customized decarbonization strategies while accessing guidance and resources to meet ambitious emission reduction targets.
• Integration with the Climate Club:
• • • GMP functions as a key support mechanism for the Climate Club, with its secretariat hosted by UNIDO.
    • The platform also receives support from the interim secretariat of the Climate Club, which is jointly managed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
• Benefits:
• • Facilitates collaboration between countries and global organizations to address industrial emissions effectively.
  • Enhances countries’ ability to meet decarbonization goals by connecting them with technical expertise and financial resources.
  • Drives innovation and investment in cleaner industrial technologies, fostering sustainable industrial growth.