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

Methane Emissions from Livestock

Context: A recent Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, titled "Methane Emissions in Livestock and Rice Systems," highlights the significant climate impact of methane emissions from livestock and rice paddies.

• Released during FAO's inaugural 'Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation' in September 2023, the report emphasizes the importance of reducing methane emissions in achieving the Paris Agreement's goals, as noted in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report.

What are the Key Findings from the Report?

Sources of Methane Emissions:

• Ruminant livestock and manure management contribute to approximately 32% of global anthropogenic methane emissions.
• Rice paddies account for an additional 8% of methane emissions.
• Besides agrifood systems, other human activities that generate methane emissions include landfills, oil and natural gas systems, coal mines and more.

Note:

• Ruminants are mammals of the suborder Ruminantia (order Artiodactyla).
  • They encompass a diverse group of animals such as giraffes, okapis, deer, cattle, antelopes, sheep, and goats.
• Most ruminants have a four-chambered stomach and two-toed feet. Camels and chevrotains, however, have a three-chambered stomach and are often referred to as pseudoruminants.

Impact of Ruminant Livestock:

• Among ruminants, cattle are the highest daily emitters of methane, followed by sheep, goats, and buffalo.
• Ruminant meat and milk are significant protein sources, and global demand for animal products is expected to rise by 60-70% by 2050.

Improving Feed Efficiency:

• Report focuses on improving feed to reduce methane emissions by enhancing feed efficiency.
• This involves increasing nutrient density, and feed digestibility, altering rumen microbial composition, and selectively breeding animals with negative residual feed intake and smaller metabolic body weight.
• Enhanced feed efficiency boosts animal productivity per unit of feed, potentially increasing farm profitability based on feed costs and meat/milk revenues.

Need for Regional Studies:

• The report underscores the need for regional studies to quantify the effects of improved nutrition, health, reproduction, and genetics to increase animal production and decrease methane emission.
• Such studies would help assess the impact of mitigation strategies on net greenhouse gas emissions at a regional level.
• Strategies for Mitigating Methane Emissions:

The study noted four broad strategies in mitigating methane emissions:

• Animal breeding and management.
• Feed management, diet formulation and precision feeding.
• Forages.
• Rumen manipulation.

Challenges and Research Gaps:

• Challenges include the lack of regional information to calculate carbon footprints and limited economically affordable methane mitigation solutions.
• Further research is needed to develop practical and cost-effective measures.

Methane

• Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon, consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms (CH4).
  • It is flammable, and is used as a fuel worldwide.
• Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG), which has an atmospheric lifetime of around a decade and affects the climate for hundreds of years.
• Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years of its lifetime in the atmosphere.
• The common sources of methane are oil and natural gas systems, agricultural activities, coal mining and wastes.

What are the Initiatives to Tackle Methane Emissions?

Indian:

‘Harit Dhara’ (HD):

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed an anti-methanogenic feed supplement ‘Harit Dhara’ (HD), which can cut down cattle methane emissions by 17-20% and can also result in higher milk production.

The National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA):

• It is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, involves climate resilient practices including methane reduction practices in rice cultivation.
  • These practices contribute to substantial reduction of methane emissions.

National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA):

• Under the NICRA project, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed technologies to mitigate methane emissions from rice cultivation. These technologies include:
• System for Rice Intensification: This technique can increase rice yield by 36-49% while using 22-35% less water compared to conventional transplanted rice.
• Direct Seeded Rice: This method reduces methane emissions by eliminating the need for raising nurseries, puddling, and transplanting. Unlike traditional paddy cultivation.
• Crop Diversification Programme: By shifting from paddy cultivation to alternative crops like pulses, oilseeds, maize, cotton, and agroforestry, methane emissions are minimized.

Bharat Stage-VI Norms:

• India shifted from Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms.

Global:

Methane Alert and Response System (MARS):

• MARS will integrate data from a large number of existing and future satellites that have the ability to detect methane emission events anywhere in the world, send out notifications to the relevant stakeholders to act on it.

Global Methane Pledge:

• At the Glasgow climate conference (UNFCCC COP 26) in 2021, nearly 100 countries had come together in a voluntary pledge, referred to as the Global Methane Pledge, to cut methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 from the 2020 levels.
• India is not a part of Global Methane Pledge.

Global Methane Initiative (GMI):

• It is an international public-private partnership focused on reducing barriers to the recovery and use of methane as a clean energy source.

South China Sea

Context: Recently, the Philippines Coast Guard removed barriers placed by Chinese vessels at the entrance to a lagoon off the Scarborough Shoal.

• This incident came after Chinese Coast Guard ships placed a 300-meter-long barrier to prevent boats from the Philippines from entering, adding to the long-running tensions in the South China Sea.

What is the Significance of the South China Sea?

• Strategic Location: The South China Sea is bordered by China and Taiwan to the north, the Indo-Chinese peninsula (including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore) to the west, Indonesia and Brunei to the south, and the Philippines to the east (referred to as the West Philippine Sea).
  • It is connected by the Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by the Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea (both marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean).
• Trade Importance: Approximately USD 3.37 trillion worth of trade passed through the South China Sea in 2016, making it a crucial global trade route.
  • According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 80% of global trade by volume and 70% by value is transported by sea, with 60% of it passing through Asia and one-third of global shipping moving through the South China Sea.
  • China, the world's second-largest economy, relies heavily on the South China Sea, with an estimated 64% of its trade passing through the region. In contrast, only 14% of U.S. trade traverses these waters.
  • India relies on the region for approximately 55% of its trade.
• Fishing Ground: The South China Sea is also a rich fishing ground, providing a vital source of livelihood and food security for millions of people in the region.

What are the Major Disputes in the South China Sea?

Dispute:

• The heart of the South China Sea dispute revolves around territorial claims to land features (islands and reefs) and their associated territorial waters.
• The major island and reef formations in the South China Sea are the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Pratas, the Natuna Islands and Scarborough Shoal.
• As many as 70 disputed reefs and islets are under contention, with China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Taiwan all building more than 90 outposts on these disputed features.
• China claims up to 90% of the sea with its "nine-dash line" map and has physically expanded islands and constructed military installations to assert control.
• China has been particularly active in the Paracel and Spratly Islands, engaging in extensive dredging and artificial island-building, creating 3,200 acres of new land since 2013.
• China also controls the Scarborough Shoal through a constant Coast Guard presence.

Efforts to Resolve the Dispute:

• Code of Conduct (CoC): Talks between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have aimed at establishing a CoC to manage the situation, but progress has been slow due to internal ASEAN disputes and the magnitude of China's claims.
• Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DoC): In 2002, ASEAN and China adopted the DoC, affirming their commitment to peaceful dispute resolution in accordance with international law.
  • The DoC was meant to pave the way for a CoC, which remains elusive.
• Arbitral Proceedings: In 2013, the Philippines initiated arbitral proceedings against China under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
  • In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled against China's "nine-dash line" claim, stating it was inconsistent with UNCLOS.
• China rejected the arbitration ruling and asserted its sovereignty and historical rights, challenging the PCA's authority.

Note: Under the UNCLOS, each state can establish a territorial sea of up to 12 nautical miles and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending up to 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline.

Way Forward

• Multilateral Engagement: Encourage active involvement from the international community, including countries outside the region, to facilitate diplomatic efforts and ensure that any resolution is fair, impartial, and in line with international norms particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• Environmental Protection: There is need for collaboration on efforts to protect the marine environment in the South China Sea, including measures to combat illegal fishing, reduce pollution, and preserve biodiversity because the total fish stocks in this region have been depleted by 70 to 95% since the 1950s and coral reefs, have been declining by 16% per decade, according to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
• Maritime Peace Parks: Explore the concept of creating maritime peace parks or protected areas within the South China Sea. Similar to terrestrial national parks, these areas could be designated for peaceful purposes, such as conservation, research, and ecotourism, transcending political disputes.

Illicit Trade of Tortoises and Hard-Shell Turtles

Context: A recent study titled 'From Pets to Plates,' published in Oryx, The International Journal of Conservation, has provided insights into the illicit trade of tortoises and hard-shell turtles.

• The study was conducted by experts associated with the Counter Wildlife Trafficking Programme of the Wildlife Conservation Society-India.

What are the Key Highlights of the Report?

Chennai Leads the Network:

• Chennai emerges as the primary node in the tortoise and hard-shell turtle trafficking network.
• The city plays a central role in the global pet trade, facilitating the illicit trade in these reptiles.
• Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Anantapur, Agra, North 24 Parganas (in West Bengal), and Howrah (near the India-Bangladesh border) are also crucial in the network, contributing significantly to the trafficking of tortoises and turtles.

Predominantly Domestic Soft-Shell Turtle Trafficking:

• Soft-shell turtle trafficking is primarily domestic in nature. International trafficking of soft-shell turtles to and from India is mostly limited to Bangladesh.

The Asian Turtle Crisis:

• Wild populations of tortoises and freshwater turtles face immense pressure from illegal trade for pets, food, and medicines.
• At least 15 of the 30 threatened TFT (Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles) species in India are illegally traded.
• Freshwater species, such as the Indian flapshell turtles, are in great demand in illegal markets.
• The Indian Softshell turtle, also known as the Ganges Softshell turtle, is a freshwater reptile found in the Ganges, Indus and Mahanadi rivers in northern and eastern India.

Comparing Networks:

• The study found that the tortoise and hard-shell turtle network had a more extensive geographical scale with more international trafficking links compared to the soft-shell turtle network.
• Complex routes were recorded in tortoise and hard-shell turtle smuggling, whereas soft-shell turtle trafficking primarily followed a one-directional route from source to destination.

Dire Condition of Trafficked Turtles:

• Turtles involved in the illegal trade often arrive dehydrated, starved, and with injuries.
• High mortality rates among trafficked turtles highlight the urgency of addressing this issue.

Tortoise and Hard-Shell Turtles:

• All tortoises are turtles as they belong to the order Testudines/Chelonia.
• Tortoises are distinguished from other turtles by being land-dwelling, while many (though not all) other turtle species are at partly aquatic.
• Hard-shell turtles have rigid and bony shells that provide protection and cannot be easily compressed.
• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) most of the species of turtles and tortoises are vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered.
• Indian star tortoise, Olive Ridley Turtle , and Green Turtle are a few examples of Tortoise and Hard-Shell Turtles in India.

Soft-Shell Turtle

• Softshell turtles are a large group of reptiles in the family Trionychidae.
• They are called softshells because their shells lack hard scales, and are instead leathery and flexible.
• They often lie buried in mud, sand, and shallow water.
• Commonly found Soft-Shell Turtles in India are Indian Flapshell Turtles, Indian peacock softshell turtles, and Leith’s Soft-shelled Turtle.

Myths Regarding Microbiome Research

Context: In the last two decades, Microbiome Research has gone from a ‘Niche subject area’ to ‘one of the hottest topics in all of science’.

• Microbial interactions and activities within the human gut have been a subject of extensive research and discussion.
• Contrary to popular misconceptions, recent assessments shed light on the complexity of the human microbiome, challenging certain widely believed claims.

Note: Under the Union Budget 2021-22, the government outlaid Rs. 1,660 crore for biotechnology research and development.

What is Microbiome?

About:

• The microbiome is the community of Microorganisms (such as fungi, bacteria and viruses) that exists in a particular environment.
• In humans, the term is often used to describe the microorganisms that live in or on a particular part of the body, such as the skin or gastrointestinal tract.
• These groups of microorganisms are dynamic and change in response to a host of environmental factors, such as exercise, diet, medication and other exposures.

Myths Regarding Microbiome in Human Body:

The Age of the Field:

• One of the misconceptions is that Microbiome Research is a new field. Scientists had described and speculated on the benefits of bacteria inhabiting the gut, such as Escerichia coli and Bifidobacteria, as early as the late 19th and early 20th centuries itself.

The Question of Origin:

• The term "microbiome" in its modern form was used before its popularization in 2001, challenging the common attribution to Joshua Lederberg.
• Joshua Lederberg is a Nobel laureate in medicine, with the naming of the field in 2001.
• The term had been used in 1988 to describe a community of microbes.

The Number and Mass of Microbes:

• Some of the more prevalent and more harmful myths concern the size of the microbiome.
• The actual number of microbial cells in human feces is around 1010 to 1012 per gram, and the weight of the human microbiota is about 200 grams, not 1-2 kg as often stated.

From Mother to Child:

• Contrary to some opinions, mothers don’t pass their microbiomes to their children at birth.
• Some microorganisms are directly transferred during birth but they constitute a small fraction of the human microbiota; and only an even smaller fraction of these microbes survive and persist throughout the child’s life.
• Every adult ends up with a unique microbiota configuration, even identical twins that are raised in the same household.

Microbes are Dangerous:

• Some researchers have suggested that diseases are caused by undesirable interactions between microbial communities and our cells.
• But whether a microbe and its metabolite are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depends on the context.
• For example, most humans carry a species of bacteria called Clostridium difficile without any disease for life. It causes problems only in the elderly or in people with compromised immune systems.

The Firmicutes-Bacteroidetes Ratio:

• One myth correlates obesity with the ratio of two phyla of bacteria — Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.
• The problem with this myth is that the level of phyla is too broad to comment on effects with confidence.
• A phylum is a group within a kingdom. In the descending order of classifying organisms, a kingdom comprises different phyla; a phylum comprises classes; then there are orders, families, genuses, and, finally, species.
• Even within a bacterial species, several strains behave differently, causing the host to manifest different clinical symptoms.

Functionality and Redundancy of Microbes:

• Not all microbes are functionally redundant; many functions are specific to certain species within the microbiome.
• Some researchers have claimed that different microbes are actually functionally redundant.
• However, the different bacteria in the human microbiome perform some common important functions, many functions are the preserve of a few species.

Bias in Sequencing:

• Sequencing in microbiome research is not entirely unbiased; biases can be introduced at various stages, affecting the results and conclusions.

Standardized Methods in Microbiome Research:

• While standardized methods are important for comparing findings across studies, no methodology is perfect, and it is crucial to acknowledge the limitations of the chosen method.

Culturing the Microbiome:

• While it's challenging to grow microbes from the human microbiome in the lab, there have been successful efforts in the past, indicating that current gaps in culture collections are due to a lack of previous effort rather than inherent 'unculturability'.

How the Human Microbiome is Linked with Bodily Functions?

Digestive Health and Nutrient Absorption:

• The gut microbiome, primarily in the intestines, aids in breaking down complex carbohydrates, fibers, and other indigestible compounds that the human body can't process on its own.
• Microbes assist in the fermentation process, producing essential nutrients such as vitamins (e.g., Vitamin B and K) that the body can absorb and utilize.

Immune System Regulation:

• The microbiome interacts closely with the immune system, influencing its development, training, and responses.
• A well-balanced microbiome helps regulate immune responses, preventing inappropriate reactions and enhancing the ability to fight off infections.

Metabolic Health and Weight Regulation:

• The composition of the gut microbiome has been linked to metabolic disorders like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• Certain microbes may affect metabolism, energy extraction from food, and storage of fats, ultimately impacting body weight and metabolic health.

Mental Health and Brain Function:

• The gut-brain axis represents the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain through neural, hormonal, and immunological pathways.
• The gut microbiome can influence brain function, behavior, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and stress by producing neurotransmitters and interacting with the central nervous system.

Concerns of Caste-Based Discrimination

Context: The recent directive by the Patan District Collector, mandating the transfer of all ration cards from a Dalit-run Fair Price Shop (FPS) in Kanosan village to a neighboring village, raises important ethical and constitutional questions.

What is a Fair Price Shop (FPS)?

• FPS is a government-run or government-regulated retail outlet or store in India.
• The primary purpose of fair price shops is to distribute essential commodities like food grains, edible oils, sugar, and other basic necessities to the public at subsidized or fair prices.
• These shops are typically part of government welfare programs aimed at ensuring food security and reducing the economic burden on low-income households.
• This system has a robust mechanism for verification of beneficiaries through Aadhaar authentication and has features to monitor transactions online with the help of electronic Point of Sale (e-POS) machines.
• The e-PoS devices have been integrated with electronic weighing machines to ensure the beneficiaries get the correct amount of ration.
• These FPSs and ePOS machines have proved instrumental in the effectuation and seamless implementation of the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme (ONORC).

What are the Different Ethical Aspects Involved in the Incident?

Ethical Issues:

• Discrimination and Social Equity
• The core ethical issue in this case is discrimination based on caste leading to the transfer of ration cards.
• Dereliction of Duty:
• The district collector's directive to transfer ration cards can be seen as a dereliction of duty.
• The ethical principle of integrity, where public officials are expected to act in the best interest of all citizens without favoritism should be practiced.

Mental Health and Well-being

• The mental trauma experienced by, the victim of caste-based discrimination, leading to a suicide attempt and physical injury, is a significant ethical concern.
• Ethical principles of compassion, empathy, and the duty to protect individuals' well-being become important.

Use of Legal Framework

• The convenors of the Right to Food Campaign call for the application of legal frameworks like the SC/ST Act and National Food Security Act.
• Ethical principle of upholding the rule of law and respecting the constitution should be abided by.
• Empowerment of Marginalized Communities
• The violation of the mandated principles related to the empowerment of marginalized communities is a key ethical concern.
• Ethical principles of fairness, equity, and non-discrimination, justice and equality should be adhered to.
• Moral Responsibility
• The moral responsibility of the district collector and the upper caste households in addressing the consequences of their actions is raised.

What are the Other Perspectives of the Incident?

Violation of Constitutional Mandates:

• The Indian Constitution enshrines fundamental values of equality, justice, and non-discrimination as enshrined under Fundamental Rights (FRs) in Part-III (Article 17) of the Constitution.
• Discriminatory actions such as actions based on caste contradict these constitutional principles

Violation of Statutory Mandates:

Non-implementation of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (Amended 2015):

• The discriminatory treatment of a Scheduled Caste person falls under the purview of SC/ST Act, 1989 which aims to prevent and punish atrocities against marginalized communities.
• It emphasizes the need for strict action against caste-based discrimination and violence.

National Food Security Act:

• The act upholds the democratic empowerment of FPSs in villages, advocating for distribution control to marginalized communities.
• The transfer of ration shops to another FPS violates the spirit of this legislation.

What Action Could be Taken in the Similar Situations?

Preventive Steps:

Raising Awareness:

• Model of Mid-Day Meals Scheme implementation can be adopted where high dignitaries eat the cooked food to bust the myths of caste-stigma and discrimination.

Punitive Action:

• Further legal action must be taken to address the caste-based discrimination and social boycott effectively.
• Linking such erroneous activities with Annual Confidential Reports of Bureaucrats such that it acts as a deterrence in the future.

License Revocation:

• The impending revocation of the Dalit FPS dealer's license raises concerns about economic repercussions and livelihoods.

Call for Suo Motu Cognizance:

• The Right to Food Campaign urges the High Courts or Chief Minister’s Office of the government to take Suo Motu cognizance of the discriminatory ration card transfers.
• Such action is essential to uphold the rule of law and constitutional values.

Democratic Empowerment and Inclusivity:

Role of Fair Price Shops (FPSs):

• FPSs play a crucial role in ensuring food security and access to essential commodities for marginalized communities.
• Democratic empowerment of FPSs is vital to promote inclusivity and economic well-being.

Conclusion

• Caste-based discrimination and social boycott have inflicted severe harm on shop owners, emphasizing the urgent need for justice and accountability. Upholding the values of social equity, justice, and inclusivity is not just a legal obligation but a moral imperative for a democratic and diverse society.
• This incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges in eradicating caste-based discrimination and upholding constitutional values in India.