★★★★★ 4/5
Prelims: Science and Tech (Diseases), Edwards Syndrome
Mains: General Studies-III Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.
Why in the News ?
Researchers have reported chromosomal disorders discovered from prehistoric skeletal remains, dating up to approximately 5,500 years old — including six cases of Down syndrome and one case of Edwards syndrome.
Source: TH
📌 FYI on Prelims
Down’s syndrome
- Down syndrome is a genetic disorder, caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21 also known as trisomy of chromosome 21.
- It is one of the leading causes of genetic disorders around the world.
- Types of Down syndrome: There are three types of Down syndrome.
- Trisomy 21: About 95% of people with Down syndrome have Trisomy 21. With this type of Down syndrome, each cell in the body has 3 separate copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual 2 copies.
- Translocation Down syndrome: This type accounts for a small percentage of people with Down syndrome (about 3%). This occurs when an extra part or a whole extra chromosome 21 is present, but it is attached or “trans-located” to a different chromosome rather than being a separate chromosome 21.
- Mosaic Down syndrome: Mosaic means mixture or combination. For children with mosaic Down syndrome, some of their cells have 3 copies of chromosome 21, but other cells have the typical two copies of chromosome 21.
- The primary symptoms of Down’s Syndrome are as follows:
- Mental retardation
- Cognitive impairment may be mild to moderate
- Tilted eyes or Fold of the skin above the eye etc.
- Treatment: Down syndrome is a lifelong condition and it cannot be cured. Early therapy programs can help improve skills.
About:
Edwards syndrome
- It is also known as trisomy 18.
- It is an autosomal chromosomal disorder due to an extra copy of chromosome 18.
- It is a very severe genetic condition that affects child’s body development and growth.
- Symptoms: Children diagnosed with trisomy 18 have a low birth weight, multiple birth defects and defining physical characteristics.
- There are three types of Edwards syndrome
- Complete trisomy 18:
- It is the most common form (94%).
- In this type, every cell contains three complete copies of chromosome 18.
- The extra chromosome is most often of maternal origin.
- Mosaic trisomy 18:
- It is the second most common type (less than 5%).
- In this type, both a complete trisomy 18 and a normal cell line exist.
- Partial trisomy 18:
- In this type, only a partial segment of chromosome 18 is present in triplicate.
- The partial triplicate often results from a balanced translocation or inversion carried by one of the parents.
- Treatment: There are no specific treatments for trisomy 18. Treatment will focus on the symptoms of the condition, such as heart conditions, breathing difficulties and infections.
★★★★★ 5/5
Prelims: Environment (Climate funds), Sub National Climate Resilient Green Fund
Mains: General Studies-III Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Why in the News ?
Recently, Goa became the 1st state to get the World Bank backed Sub National Climate Resilient Green Fund.
Source: TOI
📌 FYI on Prelims
A blended finance facility (BFF)
- It is a program that uses development finance to attract commercial capital for projects that contribute to sustainable development.
- Blended finance can also help to raise capital for projects that are difficult to fund.
- Example: Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (Samridh) is a blended financing entity, that mobilized a capital pool of $300 million to offer grant and debt financing provisions to healthcare enterprises and innovators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About:
Sub National Climate Resilient Green Fund
- Goa’s government has partnered with the World Bank to set up a unique finance facility to strengthen climate resilience.
- Stakeholders: Under the framework of the Blended Finance facility, the Department of Environment, Government of Goa, has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with key financial institutions, including the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), and the Power Finance Corporation (PFC).
- The announcement of the Blended Finance facility was made during the 2024 edition of the World Bank’s India Climate and Development Partners’ Meet held in Panaji from February 19 to 21.
- The fund is being set up as an outcome of 100% renewable energy plan for Goa, which was announced at the G20 Summit.
- Significance:
- This initiative marks a significant step towards accessing and mobilizing concessional finance to implement low-carbon and climate-resilient investments in Goa.
- This facility is one of the first sub-national facilities of its kind in India. This will serve as a template for other states to adopt at the national level.
- Key sectors earmarked to benefit from blended finance investments include e-mobility, renewable energy, biodiversity conservation, coastal protection, and green tourism, among others.
Green Climate Fund
- The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was set up in 2010 as a financial mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- The GCF mechanism allows funding from developed countries to developing countries to allow them to mitigate climate change and also adapt to disruptions arising from a changing climate.
- The GCF is based in Incheon, South Korea. It is governed by a Board of 24 members and supported by a Secretariat.
- The Fund also targets societies that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, in particular Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and African States.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Mains: PYQ/FAQ
Q. What are the key challenges in mobilizing, measuring and monitoring climate finance? Suggest measures to ensure accurate and transparent financial contributions for climate mitigation and adaptation projects on a global scale.
★★★★★ 4.5/5
Prelims: Environment (climate change Funds), Loss and Damage Board, Loss and Damage Fund
Mains: General Studies-III Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Why in the News ?
Developed countries have delayed nominating members to the Loss and Damage Board, hampering efforts to fully operationalise the fund to developing countries in time.
Source: DTE
📌 FYI on Prelims
Common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR)
- Principle of international environmental law establishing that all states are responsible for addressing global environmental destruction yet not equally responsible.
- The principle balances, on the one hand, the need for all states to take responsibility for global environmental problems and, on the other hand, the need to recognize the wide differences in levels of economic development between states.
- These differences in turn are linked to the states’ contributions to, as well as their abilities to address, these problems.
- CBDR was formalized in international law at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.
About:
Loss and Damage Board
- Background: At the 27th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) held in Egypt, Parties reached an agreement on providing loss and damage funding to nations most vulnerable and impacted by the effects of climate change.
- At COP28, the fund was formally established and a decision text stated that the fund would be governed and supervised by a board, a decision-making body.
- The board is tasked with setting up a strategic direction for the Fund as well as its governance and operational modalities, policies, frameworks and work programme, including relevant funding decisions.
- The Board will comprise 26 members, 12 members from developed countries and 14 from developing nations.
Loss and Damage Fund
- It is a global financial package to ensure the rescue and rehabilitation of countries facing the cascading effects of climate change.
- The term refers to the compensation that rich nations, whose industrial growth has resulted in global warming and driven the planet into a climate crisis, must pay to poor nations, whose carbon footprint is low but are facing the brunt of rising sea levels, floods, crippling droughts, and intense cyclones, among others.
- It is often categorised as economic or non-economic.
- Economic loss and damage are negative impacts that we can assign a monetary value to.
- These are things such as the costs of rebuilding infrastructure that has been damaged due to a flood, or the loss of revenue from agricultural crops that were destroyed due to drought.
- Non-economic loss and damage are negative impacts where it is difficult or infeasible to assign a monetary value.
- These are things such as trauma from experiencing a tropical cyclone, loss of community due to displacement of people, or loss of biodiversity,”
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Mains: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (2021)
★★★★★ 3.5/5
Prelims: Indian Geography, Ken River, Crocodiles, Ken-Betwa River Link Project
Mains: General Studies-I, Important Geophysical Phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
Why in the News ?
The Prime Minister in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ recently cited crocodiles in Ken River to hail how technology is being used extensively for the conservation of wildlife in different parts of the country.
Source: TOI
📌 FYI on Prelims
Bundelkhand region
- Bundelkhand is a geographical and cultural region, divided between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
- Jhansi is the largest city of Bundelkhand and Sagar is the second-largest city, the area of Bundelkhand is 59000 sq km, spread over 7 districts of Uttar Pradesh namely Chitrakoot, Banda, Jhansi, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Mahoba, and Lalitpur, and 6 districts Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Damoh, Sagar, Datia and Panna of Madhya Pradesh.
About:
Ken River
- It is one of the major rivers of the Bundelkhand region of central India.
- It flows through two states, namely Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- It is a tributary of the Yamuna River. The river is the last tributary of the Yamuna before the Yamuna joins the Ganga.
- Course:
- The river originates near the village of Ahirgawan on the north-west slopes of the Kaimur Range in the district of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
- Crossing the Bijawar-Panna hills, the river cuts a 60 km long, and 150- 180 m deep gorge. It is joined by several streams in this gorge, making waterfalls.
- It travels a distance of 427 km and then merges with the Yamuna at Chilla village, near Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh.
- It is known for its rare Sajhar or Dendritic Agate stone.
- Banda city is located on the banks of Ken River.
- Tributaries: The major tributaries of the Ken River are Bawas, Dewar, Kaith, Baink, Kopra, and Bearma.
Ken-Betwa River Link Project
- It aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken River to the Betwa River basin through concrete canal to irrigate India’s worst drought-prone Bundelkhand region.
- It is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for the interlinking of rivers.
- It aims to provide irrigation to the Bundelkhand region, which is one of the worst drought-affected areas in India.
- The project will benefit Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in terms of meeting the irrigation, drinking water, and electricity needs of people across six districts in the two states.
Mugger or Marsh Crocodile:
- Description: An egg-laying and hole-nesting species, also known to be dangerous.
- Habitat:
- Mainly restricted to the Indian subcontinent where it may be found in a number of freshwater habitat types and also in coastal saltwater lagoons and estuaries.
- It is already extinct in Bhutan and Myanmar.
- Threats: Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and transformation, fishing activities and use of crocodile parts for medicinal purposes.
- Protection Status:
- Wildlife Protection Act Schedule 1
- IUCN – Vulnerable
- CITES – Appendix 1
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Prelims: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Consider the following pairs: (2010)
Protected area | Well-known for | |
1. | Bhiterkanika, Orissa | Salt Water Crocodile |
2. | Desert National Park, Rajasthan | Great Indian Bustard |
3. | Eravikulam, Kerala | Hoolak Gibbon |
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: b. 1 and 2 only
Explaination:
- Bhitarkanika National Park is the core area of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary located in the Kendrapara district in the state of Odisha. It was designated as national park in 1998 and as a Ramsar site by the state of Odisha in 2002. The national park is home to saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), Indian python, king cobra, black ibis, darters and many other species of flora and fauna. It hosts a large number of mangrove species. The national park and wildlife sanctuary are inundated by the rivers Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, Pathsala. Hence, pair 1 is correctly matched.
- Desert National Park is located in the Thar Desert and is situated near Jaisalmer. The major wildlife found in the park are chinkara, desert fox, blackbuck, Bengal fox, spiny-tail lizard, sandfish, desert monitors, chameleons, etc. The main attraction of the national park is the Great Indian Bustard which is a critically endangered bird species. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched.
- Eravikulam National Park, located in Kerala, holds the largest viable population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr and is a famous habitat of Neelakurinji, which blooms once in 12 years. Apart from Tahr, the park is an abode of other little known fauna such as nilgiri marten (endemic), ruddy mongoose, small clawed otter, dusky striped squirrel etc.
- Hoolock Gibbons are found in several states of North- East including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland. They are also spotted in the Kaziranga National Park, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary and Namdhapha National Park. Hence, pair 3 is not correctly matched.
★★★★★ 4/5
Prelims: International Relations (Groupings, Institutions at global level), G-33 Countries, Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), WTO
Mains: General Studies-II, Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Why in the News ?
Ahead of the 13th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a majority of the G-33 countries have called for a permanent solution to public stockholding for food security.
Source: TH
About:
G-33 Countries
- The G33 (or the Friends of Special Products in agriculture) is a coalition of developing and least developed countries.
- Despite the name, there are currently 47 member nations. Some of the main countries include India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines, Turkey, Tanzania, Kenya, and South Korea.
- It was established prior to the 2003 Cancun ministerial conference that have coordinated during the Doha Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, specifically in regard to agriculture.
- Dominated by India, the group has “defensive” concerns regarding agriculture in relation to WTO negotiations, and seeks to limit the degree of market opening required of developing countries.
- The group has advocated the creation of a “special products” exemption, which would allow developing countries to exempt certain products from tariff exemptions, and also a “special safeguard mechanism” which would permit tariff increases in response to import surges.
Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) of WTO
- The Special Safeguard Mechanism of the WTO is a special protection mechanism for developing countries that allows developing countries to raise tariffs on agricultural imports that are injurious to domestic farmers.
- It is a permission to increase tariffs for developing countries when imports surge or price declines for agricultural products.
- SSM is different from the Special Agricultural Safeguard (SSG) that is provided for in the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA).
- The design and use of the SSM is an area of conflict under the WTO.
Extended Topic
World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Created in 1995, it is an international institution that oversees the rules for global trade among nations.
- It superseded the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), created in the wake of World War II.
- It is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
- The primary purpose of the WTO is to open trade for the benefit of all.
- The WTO has many roles: it operates a global system of trade rules, it acts as a forum for negotiating trade agreements, it settles trade disputes between its members and it supports the needs of developing countries.
- Structure:
- The WTO’s top-level decision-making body is the Ministerial Conference, which usually meets every two years.
- Below this is the General Council (normally ambassadors and heads of delegation in Geneva, and sometimes officials sent from members’ capitals), which meets several times a year in the Geneva headquarters.
- The General Council also meets as the Trade Policy Review Body and the Dispute Settlement Body.
- At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Prelims: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Consider the following statements: (2017)
- India has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of WTO.
- TFA is a part of WTO’s Bali Ministerial Package of 2013.
- TFA came into force in January 2016.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 and 2 only
B) 1 and 3 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: a. 1 and 2 only
Explaination:
- Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) was negotiated at the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference. Hence,statement 2 is correct.
- It entered into force on 22 February 2017 following its ratification by two-thirds of the WTO members. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
- India had ratified TFA in 2016. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- The TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area.
