Weekly Current Affairs (1st to 7th June 2023) Part - 2 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

World's Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector

Context: The Union Cabinet has given its approval for the establishment of the "world's largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector" with an outlay of around Rs 1 lakh crore.

• The initiative aims to curb crop damages, prevent distress sales by farmers, and bolster the country’s food security.

What are the Major Highlights Related to Grain Storage Plan?

About:

• The plan focuses on the creation of godowns and other agricultural infrastructure at the level of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to strengthen food security, reduce wastage, and empower farmers.
• This ambitious project aims to converge eight ongoing schemes of three ministries to address the shortage of agricultural storage infrastructure in India.
• Ministry of Cooperation will implement a pilot project in at least 10 selected districts.

Inter-Ministerial Committee:

• An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) will be constituted under the chairmanship of the Minister of Cooperation, with the participation of the Ministers of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Food Processing Industries, along with the concerned secretaries.

Rationale:

• The Ministry of Cooperation has developed the grain storage plan to leverage the strength of cooperatives and transform them into successful business enterprises, aligning with the vision of "Sahakar-se-Samriddhi" (Cooperation for Prosperity).
• The plan focuses on establishing agri-infrastructure, including warehouses, custom hiring centres, and processing units, at the PACS level.
• India has over 1,00,000 PACS with a vast membership base of more than 13 crore farmers.
• Given their significant role in the agricultural and rural landscape, the plan seeks to empower PACS by creating decentralised storage capacity and other necessary infrastructure.
• This transformation will enhance the economic viability of PACS and contribute to the growth of the Indian agricultural sector.

Benefits:

• Addressing Infrastructure Shortage: The plan aims to establish godowns at the level of PACS to alleviate the shortage of agricultural storage infrastructure in the country.
• Diversification of PACS Activities: PACS will be empowered to undertake various activities, including functioning as procurement centres for state agencies or the Food Corporation of India (FCI), serving as fair price shops, and setting up custom hiring centres and common processing units.

This diversification will enhance the incomes of farmer members.

• Reduction of Food Grain Wastage: By creating decentralised storage capacity at the local level, the plan aims to reduce grain wastage, contributing to improved food security.
• Preventing Distress Sale: The plan provides farmers with various options, preventing distress sale of crops and enabling them to realise better prices for their produce.
• Cost Reduction: The establishment of storage facilities at the PACS level will significantly reduce transportation costs of food grains to procurement centres and fair price shops.

What are Primary Agricultural Credit Societies?

• PACS constitute the lowest tier of the Short-Term Cooperative Credit (STCC) structure in the country, headed by the State Cooperative Banks (SCB) at the state level.
• Credit from the SCBs is transferred to the District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), which operate at the district level. The DCCBs work with PACS, which deal directly with farmers.
• The first PACS was established in 1904. They are involved in short term lending. At the start of the cropping cycle, farmers avail credit to finance their requirement of seeds, fertilisers etc.
• The Union Budget 2023-24 has announced Rs 2,516 crore for computerisation of 63,000 PACS over the next five years, with the aim of bringing greater transparency and accountability in their operations and enabling them to diversify their business and undertaking more activities.

India's E-cooking Transition on World Environment Day

Context: World Environment Day, observed annually on June 5th, serves as a platform to raise awareness about environmental protection and sustainability.

• On the 50th anniversary of this significant day, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and the Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP), an international non-governmental organization organized a "Conference on Consumer-Centric Approaches for E-cooking Transition" in New Delhi.
• The conference aimed to accelerate the deployment of energy-efficient, clean, and affordable e-cooking solutions in India.

What are the Key Highlights About World Environment Day 2023?

About:

• The United Nations Assembly established World Environment Day on 5th June 1972, which was the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the human environment.
• It is hosted by a different country each year.
• India in 2018 hosted the 45th celebration of World Environment Day under the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.
• The year 2023 World Environment Day is hosted by Côte d'Ivoire in partnership with the Netherlands.
• This year marks the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day.

Theme for 2023:

• The theme will focus on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.

Objective:

• Raise awareness, mobilize communities, and encourage collaborative efforts to address plastic pollution and promote a healthier and more sustainable environment.

What is E-Cooking?

About:

• E-cooking involves the use of electric cooking appliances as a clean and energy-efficient alternative to traditional cooking methods.
• It encompasses the adoption of electric stoves, induction cooktops, and other electric cooking devices in households.

Transition to E-cooking:

• India's achievement of 24/7 electricity access has been a significant driver for the transition to e-cooking.
• The Saubhagya Scheme has played a pivotal role in providing electricity connections to millions of households, eliminating power cuts, and creating an environment conducive to the adoption of electric cooking.

The Role of LiFE:

• E-cooking plays a vital role in the Mission Lifestyle for Environment(LiFE) initiative.
• Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in 2021.
• Mission LiFE aims to transform individuals into pro-planet advocates and promote sustainable lifestyles.
• Access to clean cooking energy is an essential aspect of India's energy transition journey, aligning with the goals of Mission LiFE.

E-Cooking as the Future of the Indian Kitchen:

• With reliable electricity access, e-cooking is poised to become the future of Indian kitchens.
• The scalability and affordability of electric cooking technology make it a viable option for both urban and rural areas.

Affordable E-Cooking Business Models:

• Developing affordable business models is crucial to promote widespread adoption of e-cooking solutions.
• Utilizing renewable energy sources, such as solar and thermal power, can help reduce costs and make e-cooking more accessible.
• Implementing aggregation models and price reduction strategies can further enhance affordability, enabling e-cooking to reach a larger population.

Minimal Technology Barriers:

• E-cooking faces minimal technology barriers, as concerns regarding appliance faults and compatibility with various dishes have been addressed.
• Replicating successful e-cooking models at scale and gradually replacing traditional cookers with electric ones can build consumer confidence and facilitate a smooth transition.

Benefits for the Power Sector and Consumers:

• E-cooking presents a win-win situation for both the power sector and consumers.
• It aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 7.1, ensuring universal access to clean cooking and improving indoor air quality.
• E-cooking can reduce energy consumption in reheating and contribute to a cleaner, greener lifestyle.

What are the Other Initiatives Shaping India’s Energy Transition?

• Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA)
• Green Energy Corridor (GEC)
• National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) and Smart Meter National Programme
• Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME)
• International Solar Alliance (ISA)

What is Bureau of Energy Efficiency?

• The Government of India set up the Bureau of Energy Efficiency in March 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• It assists in developing policies and strategies with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy.
• Major Programmes: State Energy Efficiency Index, Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, The Standards & Labeling Programme, Energy Conservation Building Code.

Derailments in Indian Railways

Context: The tragic train accident that occurred on June 2, 2023, at Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha's Balasore district, has highlighted the urgent need for effective safety measures to prevent such devastating incidents.

• The recent incident has brought attention to the Kavach initiative, which aims to enhance railway safety in India. However, the Kavach system has not been implemented on the Odisha route.
• Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)’s 2022 report on ‘Derailments in Indian Railways’ flagged multiple shortcomings on the causes of train accidents in the country.

What are the Major Highlights of the Report?

About:

• The CAG report reveals that nearly 75% of the consequential train accidents between 2017-18 and 2020-21 were caused by derailments.
• Derailments: The Leading Cause of Train Accidents
• Out of 217 consequential train accidents, 163 (around 75%) were caused by derailments.
• Other causes of train accidents include fire in trains (20 accidents), accidents at unmanned level-crossings (13 accidents), collisions (11 accidents), accidents at manned level crossings (8 accidents), and miscellaneous incidents (2 accidents).

Classification of Train Accidents:

• The Railway Board classifies train accidents into two categories: Consequential Train Accidents and Other Train Accidents.
• Consequential Train Accidents include accidents with significant repercussions, such as loss of life, human injury, property damage, and interruption to railway traffic.
• Other Train Accidents encompass all accidents that do not fall under the consequential category.

Factors Responsible for Derailments:

• Analysis of inquiry reports revealed 23 factors contributing to derailments in 16 Zonal Railways and 32 divisions.
• The major factor responsible for derailments was related to maintenance of track (167 cases), followed by deviation of track parameters beyond permissible limits (149 cases) and bad driving/overspeeding (144 cases).

Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK):

• The CAG also analysed the performance of RRSK, established in 2017-18 to strengthen safety measures on the rail network to prevent accidents with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore.
• The audit found that while the Gross Budgetary Support of Rs 15,000 crore had been contributed, the Railways' internal resources fell short of the target for funding the remaining Rs 5,000 crore per year to RRSK.
• This shortfall of funds from internal resources undermined the primary objective of creating RRSK to enhance safety in Railways.

Declining Allotment of Funds for Track Renewal:

• The report highlighted a decline in the allotment of funds for track renewal works, from Rs 9,607 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 7,417 crore in 2019-20.
• Furthermore, the allocated funds for track renewal works were not fully utilised.
• Out of 1,127 derailments during 2017-21, 289 derailments (26%) were linked to track renewals.

Recommendations and Pending Projects:

• The CAG report recommended strict adherence to scheduled timelines for conducting and finalising accident inquiries.
• Indian Railway (IR) may develop a strong monitoring mechanism to ensure timely implementation of maintenance activities by adopting fully mechanised methods of track maintenance and improved technologies.
• IR may prepare the ‘Detailed Outcome Framework’ for each item of safety work as per the indicative outcomes to gauge whether the benefits derived out of the RRSK funds are in the conformity with the objectives behind the creation of the Fund
• Note: Derailment refers to the situation when a train or any other rail vehicle goes off the tracks, resulting in a loss of stability and the inability to continue moving along its intended path. It is a critical safety incident that can lead to significant damage, injuries, and even fatalities.

What is Kavach?

About:

• Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system aimed at enhancing safety in train operations across the vast network of Indian Railways.
• Developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in association with three Indian vendors, it has been adopted as our National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System.
• The Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering & Telecommunications (IRISET) in Secunderabad, Telangana hosts the 'Centre of Excellence' for Kavach.
• IRISET is responsible for training in-service railway staff on Kavach through its dedicated Kavach lab.

Functionality:

• The system meets Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards, signifying its high reliability.
• Prevents trains from passing red signals and enforces speed restrictions.
• Activates the braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train.
• Prevents collisions between two locomotives equipped with Kavach systems.
• Relays SoS messages during emergency situations.
• Offers centralised live monitoring of train movements through the Network Monitor System.
• Utilises Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) for two-way communication between the station master and loco-pilot.

Implementation and Deployment of Kavach:

• Of the total route length of 1.03 lakh kilometres, only 1,455 kilometres have been brought under Kavach yet.
• The South Central Railway (SCR) Zone has been at the forefront of Kavach implementation.

Way Forward

• Utilising Data Analytics and AI: Utilise big data analytics and artificial intelligence to analyse vast amounts of data collected from trains, tracks, and infrastructure. This can help identify patterns, detect anomalies, and predict potential safety risks, enabling proactive interventions.
• Implementing Kavach Project: It is crucial to expedite the implementation of the Kavach project on the Howrah-Chennai line passing through at least four railway zones.
  • Other railway zones should prioritise the installation of the Kavach system to ensure enhanced safety measures across the entire route.

AI-Driven Discovery of Abaucin: A Powerful Antibiotic

Context: Recently, Scientists from the United States and Canada have achieved a remarkable feat in the field of medicine by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to discover a powerful antibiotic called Abaucin capable of fighting Acinetobacter baumannii superbug.

• This breakthrough holds immense promise in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria.

What is Acinetobacter Baumannii?

• Acinetobacter baumannii is a dangerous bacterium resistant to antibiotics, as identified by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• It can cause severe infections like pneumonia, meningitis, and wound infections, leading to fatalities.
• Typically found in hospitals, Acinetobacter baumannii can survive on surfaces for long periods, making it difficult to eradicate.
• Due to its remarkable capacity to develop resistance to all currently available antibiotics, it was recognised as a "red alert" human pathogen.

How does Antibiotic Resistance Occur?

• Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria adapt and become resistant to the effects of antibiotics, rendering treatments ineffective.
• Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections.
• Overuse and misuse of antibiotics have fueled the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, posing a global health concern.
• The WHO lists infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and foodborne diseases as becoming harder to treat with existing medication due to increasing anti-bacterial resistance.

Note:

• Superbugs are bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics.
• WHO’s list of superbugs highlighted bacteria that have built-in abilities to find new ways to resist treatment and can pass along genetic material that allows other bacteria to become drug resistant as well. They can also be fungi.

What is Abaucin?

About:

• Abaucin is a compound that shows useful activity as a narrow-spectrum antibiotic.
• It is effective against Acinetobacter baumannii.

Discovery:

• Abaucin was discovered with the assistance of AI using a machine-learning model approach.
• Network was trained with a dataset of ~7,500 molecules screened for inhibiting Acinetobacter baumannii growth.
• The network predicted structurally different molecules with activity against A. baumannii, including abaucin.
• Abaucin was experimentally validated and found to have potent antibacterial activity.

Mechanism of Action:

• Abaucin disrupts the normal function of the CCR2 protein in bacteria.
• This disruption hinders the movement of certain molecules inside the bacteria, preventing them from reaching the outer membrane.
• As a result, the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii is inhibited, reducing its ability to cause infections.

Addressing AMR in the Draft Pandemic Treaty

Context: The Draft Pandemic treaty also know as “Zero Draft”, is currently under negotiation by Member States at the World Health Assembly.

• However, there is growing concern that the provisions addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are at risk of being removed from the final text.
• Civil society and research organizations provided analysis and recommendations on addressing AMR.
• A special edition of the Journal of Medicine, Law and Ethics emphasized the importance of including AMR in the Treaty.

What is the Draft Pandemic Treaty?

About:

• The draft pandemic treaty, is an international agreement proposed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemics and global health emergencies.
• It is being negotiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and member states.
• The treaty aims to strengthen global cooperation and solidarity in addressing health threats.
• It covers aspects such as surveillance, detection, notification, access to health technologies, collaboration, and accountability.
• The treaty is based on principles of human rights, equity, and solidarity, while respecting each state's sovereign right to determine its health policies.
• It establishes a global health threats council, a global health threats fund, and an independent review and evaluation mechanism.
• The draft pandemic treaty is a response to the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Principal Components of the Draft:

Global Cooperation:

• It calls for increased global coordination and cooperation in the preparation for and response to pandemics and other global health emergencies.

Strengthening of Health Systems:

• It emphasizes the need to strengthen health systems in all countries, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to ensure they are better prepared to respond to pandemics and other global health emergencies.

Investment in Research and Development:

• It calls for improved access to essential health technologies, such as vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments, during pandemics and other global health emergencies.
• It calls for increased investment in research and development of health technologies, particularly for diseases that pose a significant threat to global health.

Transparency in Sharing of Information:

• It calls for increased transparency and sharing of information about pandemics and other global health emergencies, including data on the spread of diseases and the effectiveness of interventions.

Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS):

• The constitution of PABS has been constituted under the WHO, making Genomic sequences of all pathogens with the pandemic potential to be shared on an “equal footing” in the system.
• The PABS system is an important tool for ensuring the responsible and equitable use of pathogens and their genetic resources in the research and development of new medicines and vaccines, while also recognizing the rights and interests of the countries and communities that provide these resources.

Addressing Gender Disparities:

• In addressing gender disparities in the healthcare workforce, the draft aims to “ensure meaningful representation, engagement, participation and empowerment of all health and care workers” by stressing equal pay and addressing barriers specific to women in taking leadership roles.

Why is AMR Crucial in the Pandemic Treaty?

Reasons to Include:

• AMR is the process by which infections caused by microbes become resistant to the medicines developed to treat them.
• Microbes include bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites.
• Bacterial infections alone cause one in eight deaths globally.
• Not all pandemics are caused by viruses, and past pandemics have been caused by bacterial diseases.
• AMR is fueling the rise of drug-resistant infections, including drug-resistant tuberculosis, pneumonia and drug-resistant Staph infections (caused by bacteria called staphylococcus) such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
• Secondary bacterial/ fungal infections are a serious concern during viral pandemics, requiring effective antibiotics.
• Research from Northwestern University suggests that many of the deaths among hospitalized COVID-19 patients were associated with pneumonia — a secondary bacterial infection that must be treated with antibiotics.
• Black fungus is a fungal infection caused by Mucorales fungi, primarily affecting immunocompromised individuals with conditions like COVID-19 or diabetes.

Impact of Excluding AMR Measures:

• Removal of AMR-related measures would hinder efforts to protect people from future pandemics.
• Measures at risk of removal include access to safe water, infection prevention, surveillance, and antimicrobial stewardship.
• Antimicrobial stewardship is the effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients. It aims to improve clinical outcomes and minimize adverse events related to antibiotic use, including the development of antibiotic resistance.
• Weakening the language of the Treaty could allow countries to opt-out of preventive actions.

The Urgency of Addressing AMR in the Pandemic Treaty:

• AMR requires global political action and collaboration to mitigate its impact.
• Safeguarding antimicrobials is crucial for pandemic response and preparedness.
• Failing to address AMR in the pandemic treaty undermines its broader goals of protecting nations and communities from future health emergencies.