UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 21st November 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

E prime layer

Subject: Geography

Why in News?

Recently, a study by an international team of researchers revealed the formation of a new enigmatic layer – E prime layer at the outermost part of Earth's core.

About E prime layer:

• It was believed that a material exchange between the core and mantle is small.
• But the experiments revealed that when water reaches the core-mantle boundary, it reacts with silicon in the core, forming silica.

How did this layer develop?

• This latest research suggests that tectonic plates carrying surface water have transported it deep into the Earth over billions of years.
• Upon reaching the core-mantle boundary about 1,800 miles below the surface, this water initiates significant chemical changes, influencing the core's structure.
• Scientists have observed that subducted water reacts chemically with core materials under high pressure.
• This reaction leads to the formation of a hydrogen-rich, silicon-depleted layer at the outer core, resembling a film-like structure.
• Silica crystals generated by this process ascend and blend into the mantle, impacting the overall composition.
• These modifications in the liquid metallic layer could potentially result in reduced density and altered seismic characteristics, aligning with anomalies detected by seismologists.

Significance

• This discovery enhances researchers' comprehension of Earth's internal mechanisms, indicating a broader and more intricate global water cycle than previously acknowledged.
• The transformed layer in the core holds significant implications for the interconnected geochemical processes linking surface water cycles with the deep metallic core.

Source: Hindustan Times

GS-II

India and Australia

Subject: International Relations

Why in News?

Recently, India and Australia exchanged views on deepening multifaceted ties in several areas in two-plus two dialogues in New Delhi.

Background:-

• The second India-Australia Two plus Two Dialogue was held in New Delhi .

About India and Australia:-

• The Australia-India relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in June 2020. 
• It is based on mutual understanding, trust, close connections and a shared vision of a stable, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Diplomatic Relationship:-

• Australia and India established diplomatic relations in 1943 when Lieutenant-General Sir Iven Mackay was appointed Australia’s first High Commissioner to India.
• India’s first High Commissioner to Australia, Sir Raghunath P Paranjpe arrived in Canberra in 1945.
• Australia is one of only three countries with which India holds annual leader-level summits.
• The Prime Ministers of Australia and India also regularly interact at major international meetings, including through the Quad, G20 and East Asia Summit.
• In addition, Australian and Indian Foreign and Defence Ministers meet every second year to discuss strategic issues in a ‘2+2’ format.

People-to-people Relationship:-

• The Indian community is Australia’s second-largest, and fastest-growing, overseas-born group.
• In the 2021 Census, the number of people reporting Indian heritage was 976,000.
• Of these, there were 673,000 Indian-born Australians, representing 2.6 per cent of the Australian population.
• India remains Australia’s largest source of skilled migrants.
• India is also the second-largest source of international students.

Economic relationship:-

• According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India is the world’s fifth-largest economy in nominal terms and third-largest by Purchasing Power Parity.
• The IMF estimates India’s GDP will grow by 5.9 per cent in 2023 and 6.2 per cent in 2025.
• In 2022, India was Australia’s sixth-largest two-way goods and services trading partner and fourth-largest goods and services export market.
• Two-way goods and services trade with India was $48.4 billion in 2022.
• Australia’s exports to India totalled $34.8 billion and imports from India totalled $13.5 billion in 2022.
• Australia’s stock of investment in India was $17.6 billion in 2022.
• India’s total investment in Australia was $34.5 billion.

Environmental Relationship:-

• During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Sydney in May 2023, Australia and India agreed on Terms of Reference for the Australia-India Green Hydrogen Taskforce.
• The task force will be comprised of Australian and Indian experts in green hydrogen production and deployment.
• It complements the work of the India-Australia Solar Taskforce welcomed by the Prime Ministers of Australia and India in March 2023.
• The Solar Taskforce will provide advice on opportunities to accelerate solar PV deployment and enhance supply chains.
• The Australia-India Green Steel Partnership is helping India meet growing steel requirements while supporting the commercialization of innovative technologies that improve efficiencies and environmental outcomes in steel production.

Education Relationship:-

• Education is Australia’s largest service export to India, valued at $4.4 billion in 2022.
• As of May 2023, almost 88,000 Indian visa holders were studying in Australia.

Defence Relationship:-

• Australia’s defence engagement with India gathered significant momentum in 2022 and has continued to grow.
• Since signing our CSP in 2020 and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement in 2021.
• For the first time in 2023, Australia will host Exercise Malabar – a joint training initiative with India, the US and Japan.
• They regularly exercise together during Exercise AUSTRAHIND and AUSINDEX, bilateral army and navy exercises.
• They conduct Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployments to enhance maritime domain awareness.

Source: AIR

GS-III

Draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2023

Subject: Economics

Why in News?

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has unveiled the draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2023, signalling a transformative shift in India’s healthcare landscape.

• This bill aims to replace the Pharmacy Act, of 1948, and the existing Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) with the forward-looking National Pharmacy Commission.

Key Highlights of the Bill

• Elevating Pharmacy Education: The primary objective of the bill is to elevate pharmacy education by enhancing access to affordable, high-quality learning opportunities. It envisions a robust educational framework that prepares future pharmacy professionals to excel.
• Universal Access to Pharmacy Services: The bill aspires to make pharmacy services accessible to all, fostering equitable healthcare delivery across the nation.
• Integration of Research and Ethical Standards: It encourages pharmacy professionals to seamlessly integrate the latest research into their practice, contribute to ongoing research efforts, and uphold the highest ethical standards.
• Transparency and Adaptability: The bill advocates for regular, transparent assessments of pharmacy institutions, the establishment of a national pharmacy register, and the flexibility to adapt to evolving healthcare needs. It also introduces an effective grievance redressal mechanism.

National Pharmacy Commission’s Architecture

• A New Beginning: The bill proposes the establishment of the National Pharmacy Commission, headquartered in New Delhi, heralding the dissolution of the existing Pharmacy Council of India.
• Composition: The commission will consist of a Chairperson, 13 ex-officio members, and 14 part-time members.
• Three Key Boards: The Central Government will constitute three vital boards under the commission:
  1. Pharmacy Education Board
  2. Pharmacy Assessment and Rating Board
  3. Pharmacy Ethics and Registration Board

Empowering State Chapters

• The bill mandates every State Government to establish a state pharmacy chapter within one year from the Act’s commencement.
• These chapters will operate under State Law and play a pivotal role in executing the Act’s provisions.
• The Pharmacy Ethics and Registration Board will maintain the National Pharmacy Register (NPR), a comprehensive repository containing detailed information about pharmacy professionals, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Source: Economic Times

Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)

Subject: Economics

Why in News?

Recent data shows that the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) added 17.21 lakh net members during September 2023.

Background:-

• This is an increase of 21 thousand 475 net members over the previous month of August.

About Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO):-

• The EPFO is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
• It is one of the World’s largest Social Security Organisations in terms of clientele and the volume of financial transactions undertaken.
• It into existence with the promulgation of the Employees’ Provident Funds Ordinance on the 15th of November 1951.
• It was replaced by the Employees’ Provident Funds Act, of 1952.
• The Employees’ Provident Funds Bill was introduced in the Parliament in the year 1952 as a Bill to provide for the institution of provident funds for employees in factories and other establishments.
• The Act is now referred to as the Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 which extends to the whole of India.
• The Act and Schemes framed there under are administered by a tri-partite Board known as the Central Board of Trustees, Employees’ Provident Fund.
• The Central Board of Trustees :
  • It consists of representatives of Government (Both Central and State), Employers, and Employees.
  • It administers a contributory provident fund, a pension scheme and an insurance scheme for the workforce engaged in the organized sector in India.
  • It is assisted by the Employees’ PF Organization (EPFO), consisting of offices at 138 locations across the country.
• The Organization has a well-equipped training set-up where officers and employees of the Organization as well as Representatives of the Employers and Employees attend sessions for training and seminars.
• Vision: An innovation-driven social security organisation aiming to extend universal coverage and ensure Nirbadh (Seamless and uninterrupted) service delivery to its stakeholders through state-of-the-art technology.

Schemes under EPFO:-

• EPF Scheme 1952
  • It provides for the accumulation plus interest upon retirement and death.
  • Partial withdrawals are allowed for education, marriage, illness and house construction. 
• Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS)
  • It provides monthly benefits for superannuation/retirement, disability, survivor, widow(er) and children.
  • It provides a minimum pension on disablement.
  • It provides past service benefits to participants of the erstwhile Family Pension Scheme, 1971.
• Insurance Scheme 1976 (EDLI)
  • It provides the benefit in case of the death of an employee who was a member of the scheme at the time of death.
  • It provides the benefit amount 20 times the wages.
    • Maximum benefit is 6 lakhs.

Source: AIR

Chimaeras

Subject: Environment and Ecology

Why in News?

In a recent landmark study, scientists reported successfully generating a live chimaera in non-human primates.

About Chimaeras:

• A genetic chimaera is a single organism composed of cells of more than one distinct genotype (or genetic makeup).
• The animal kingdom has several examples of varying degrees of chimerism.
  • The half-sider budgerigar, a type of common parakeet widely adopted as pets, has different colours on either side of its body due to chimerism.
  • Anglerfish: The male fish fuses with and is eventually absorbed into the female fish, mixing their genetic makeups into a single animal.
  • Marine sponges are known to have up to four distinct genotypes in a single organism.
• Natural chimaeras among humans
  • They occur when the genetic material in one cell changes and gives rise to a clonal population of cells different from all the other cells.
  • The fusion of two fertilised zygotes early in the embryonic stage can also lead to a condition in which two genetic makeups coexist in a single individual.
  • Chimerism can also result from twin or multiple pregnancies evolving into a single foetus or a twin foetus being absorbed into a singleton.

Source: Indian Express

Langlands Program: Making Complex Math Connections Easier to Understand

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

Robert Langlands, a mathematician famous for his “Langlands Program,” has shifted his focus to Turkish literature in his later years.

• This program is about finding deep links between two areas of math: number theory (the study of numbers) and harmonic analysis (a type of math that breaks down functions or signals into simpler parts).

Langlands Program: A Journey to Connect Different Math Areas

• Beginning: In 1967, Robert Langlands, a young mathematician at Princeton, started this journey with a letter to another mathematician, Andre Weil, sharing some groundbreaking ideas.
• Complex Ideas: The program is full of complicated ideas that are hard for even experts to fully understand.
• Goal: It aims to connect number theory and harmonic analysis, two areas of math that don’t seem related at first.

The Purpose of the Program

• Abel’s Discovery: In 1824, Niels Henrik Abel showed that it’s impossible to find a one-size-fits-all solution for certain math equations (polynomial equations) beyond a certain complexity.
• Galois’s Approach: Evariste Galois, who didn’t know about Abel’s work, suggested looking at patterns (symmetries) in the solutions of these equations instead of trying to solve them directly.
• Galois Groups: These are groups that show the patterns in the solutions of these equations and are key to the Langlands Program.
• Linking Ideas: The program tries to connect these Galois groups with something called automorphic functions, which would allow using calculus (a branch of math) to explore these equations, connecting harmonic analysis and number theory.

Automorphic Functions: Connecting Different Areas of Math

• Example of Automorphic Function: Think of functions that have a repeating pattern, like the way sine functions in trigonometry work.
• Special Symmetry: Automorphic functions have a unique property where they remain the same even after certain transformations, showing a special kind of symmetry.
• Role in Langlands Program: The program’s goal is to link these special functions with Galois groups, leading to new ways of understanding and solving math problems.

Impact of the Program

• Solving an Old Puzzle: In 1994, Andrew Wiles and Richard Taylor used ideas from the Langlands Program to solve Fermat’s Last Theorem, a famous and old math problem.
• Creating New Functions: This program helps in making new types of automorphic functions, which could help solve other complex math problems, like the Ramanujan conjectures.
• Geometric Langlands: This is a branch of the Langlands Program that looks at connections between different fields like algebraic geometry, representation theory, and even physics.
• Math and Physics Connection: Recent studies suggest that this program might help in understanding things in physics, like the study of electromagnetic waves.

Source: The Hindu

INFUSE Mission

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

Recently, NASA launched the ‘INFUSE’ payload mission.

Background:-

• INFUSE stands for Integral Field Ultraviolet Spectroscope Experiment (INFUSE) mission.
• NASA’s INFUSE Probes Sizzling Supernova Secrets.

About INFUSE Mission:-

• Launched by: NASA.
• Objective: to study the Cygnus Loop, a 20,000-year-old supernova remnant located 2,600 light-years away from Earth.
• The Cygnus Loop is a favourite spot for both amateur astronomers and scientists due to its prominent location near the constellation Cygnus, often referred to as the “swan.”
• The remnants of this colossal supernova, known as the Cygnus Loop or the Veil Nebula, continue to intrigue researchers.
• The INFUSE mission, led by Brian Fleming from the University of Colorado Boulder, seeks to delve into the life cycle of stars.
• The INFUSE mission involves collecting crucial data about the Cygnus Loop from an altitude of 150 miles (240 km) for a few minutes. The mission’s instrument will capture far-ultraviolet wavelengths of light emanating from the Cygnus Loop.
• One of the primary objectives is to understand how the supernova releases energy into our Milky Way galaxy.
• It will observe the release of light as the supernova’s blast wave collides with pockets of cold gas dispersed throughout the galaxy.
• By studying the Cygnus Loop and its remnants, the INFUSE mission contributes to our understanding of the intricate processes involved in the life cycle of stars and their profound impact on the evolution of galaxies.

Source: The Hindu