Daily Current Affairs for 23rd June 2021

GS PAPER I NEWS

Great Barrier Reef

Why in News

Recently, the UN pane suggested that the Great Barrier Reef should be added in the ‘World Heritage Sites’ that are ‘in danger’.

Deterioration of the Reef

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• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) panel, making its recommendation, said action was needed to counter the effects of the climate crisis as the prospects of the reef retaining its cherished status had deteriorated.
• 13 members of the UNESCO panel reached the recommendation, which will now be considered by all 21 nations on the committee.
• Although a member of the panel, Australia can’t vote on the matter.

Heat builds on Australia

• The downgrade prompted environmental groups to take aim at Australia’s reluctance to take strong climate action.
• The Climate Council said it brought “shame on the federal government, which is standing by as the reef declines rather than fighting to protect it”.
• Australia’s reliance on coal-fired power makes it one of the world’s largest carbon emitters per capita, but its conservative government has steadfastly backed fossil fuel industries.

Australia’s Outrage

• Australian government said the country will challenge the recommendation based in “politics”, saying the UN body did not consider the billions spent attempting to protect the coral reef.

Three Major Bleaching Events

• In December, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said climate change had pushed the reef into “critical condition”.
• UNESCO delegates visited an unspoilt stretch of the reef in 2015, but scientists say it has suffered three mass coral bleaching events since (particularly ones in 2016 and 2017) in the past five years due to the climate crisis.
• The Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its Corals since 1995.

Coral Bleaching

• Coral bleaching Occurs when corals expel their photosynthetic algae.
• Coral receives their colour from algae called ‘zooxanthellae’ that live on them in a symbiotic relationship.
• Algae use nitrogen, phosphorus and other metabolic waste from corals to generate energy from the Sun via photosynthesis.
• Oxygen and other organic products of photosynthesis help corals to grow.

The Bleaching Process

• Under environmental stress, such as a change in temperature, corals expel algae.
• Pollution and overexposure to the Sun’s rays can also cause algae to leave.
• Loss of algae causes coral bleaching, making them vulnerable to disease.
• Bleached corals will eventually die if they don’t regain algae.

GS PAPER II

National Human Rights Commission

Why in News

According to the National Human Rights Commission, “right to life should prevail over the rights of patentholders” so that life­saving medicines and vaccines for COVID­19 would be available to the poor.

Key Points

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• The statement was given in an online discussion headed by the Chairperson National Human Rights Commission on the topic of the “State’s response to the COVID­19 pandemic”.
• This online meeting was done as a part of the 47th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

National Human Rights Commission

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India is a statutory public body.
• It was constituted on 12^th October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance.
• The Commission is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights, defined by the Act as “Rights Relating to Life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India”.

Function of NHRC

• Proactively or reactively inquire into violations of human rights by government of India or negligence of such violation by a public servant,
• The protection of human rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation,
• Review the factors, including acts of terrorism that inhibit the enjoyment of human rights and recommend appropriate remedial measures,
• To study treaties and other international instruments on human rights and make recommendations for their effective implementation,
• Undertake and promote research in the field of human rights,
• To visit jails and study the condition of inmates,
• Engage in human rights education among various sections of society and promote awareness of the safeguards available for the protection of these rights through publications, the media, seminars and other available means,
• Encourage the efforts of NGOs and institutions congress to working in the field of human rights,
• Considers the necessity for the protection of human rights.
• Requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office.

United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

• The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body aims to promote and protect human rights around the world.
• It was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 March 2006.
• The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis.
• It headquarters situated at Geneva, Switzerland.
• The Council investigates allegations of breaches of human rights in United Nations member states, and addresses thematic human rights issues such as freedom of association and assembly, freedom of expression, freedom of belief and religion, women’s rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of racial and ethnic minorities.

GS PAPER III

Genetically Modified (GM) rubber plant

Why in News

Recently, Rubber Board research farm on the outskirts of Guwahati now sports the world’s first Genetically Modified (GM) rubber plant tailored for the climatic conditions in the Northeast.

Key Points

• The GM rubber has MnSOD, or manganese containing superoxide dismutase gene, inserted in the plant, which is expected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter a major factor affecting the growth of young rubber plants in the region.
• This plant was developed at the Kerala based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII).
• The RRII had earlier developed two high-yielding hybrid clones of rubber adapted to the climatic conditions of the Northeast.
• This is the first time any GM crop has been developed exclusively at this region after years of painstaking research in RRII’s biotechnology laboratory.
• Natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forests and is not naturally suited for the colder conditions in the Northeast, which is one of the largest producers of rubber in India.
• Laboratory studies conducted at the RRII showed the GM rubber plants overexpressed the MnSOD gene as expected.

Genetically Modified Crops

• The Genetically Modified Crops is the technology of inserting DNA into the genome of an organism.
• It was first introduced in the U.S. in the mid-1990s. Most current GM crops grown in the U.S. are engineered for insect resistance or herbicide tolerance. Corn, soybeans, and cotton are the three largest acreage GM crops.
• To produce a GM plant, new DNA is transferred into plant cells. Usually, the cells are then grown in tissue culture where they develop into plants. The seeds produced by these plants will inherit the new DNA.
• Genetic modification of plants involves adding a specific stretch of DNA into the plant’s genome, giving it new or different characteristics. This could include changing the way the plant grows, or making it resistant to a particular disease.
• The new DNA becomes part of the GM plant’s genome which the seeds produced by these plants will contain.

MnSOD gene

• MnSOD gene has the ability to protect plants from the adverse effects of severe environmental stresses such as cold, drought, etc.
• MnSOD gene used in the GM rubber was taken from the rubber plant itself.
• Its copies were multiplied in the laboratory and reinserted into a cell of the rubber plant which was the regenerated into a full plant that is now planted in the field.

Natural Rubber

• Natural rubber is a polymer of isoprene, is mainly harvested in the form of latex from the rubber tree.
• The latex is refined and processed to produce commercial natural rubber.
• In India, it is mostly grown in Kerala. It accounts for more than 90 per cent of the total rubber production in the country. Tamil Nadu and North-eastern states is another region from where India produces Natural Rubber.
• Apart from India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Cambodia are few countries where Natural Rubber cultivated.

GS PAPER III

New Draft Rules

Why in News

The new e-commerce rules, as proposed in by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, will impact a wide range of companies.

Key Points

• Government officials said taxi Aggregators, food aggregators, online grocery stores, among others, will fall under the ambit of the proposed consumer protection rules.
• The rules will be applicable to all e-commerce companies.
• The consumer affairs ministry proposed changes to Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. According to the draft, the rules will be applicable to “all goods and services bought or sold over digital or electronic network including digital products”.
• The e-commerce rules are applicable to all companies, whether domestic or (under) FDI (foreign domestic investment).
• The definitions of “fall-back liability” and “mis-selling” are problematic; the rules define “fall-back liability” as the liability of a marketplace e-commerce entity where a seller registered with the entity fails to deliver the goods or services exactly in the way described on the platform, as a result of negligent conduct, omission or a seller’s fault.

Big takeaways from Draft Rules

• The new draft rules were issued by the Consumer affairs ministry ‘explaining’ that proposed rules deal with ‘unfair’ trade practices that hurts customers, may be an attempt to give this intervention a gentler avatar. That is, make draft rules appear to not be a product of online-offline battle.
• Second, unlike the last set of rules issued by commerce ministry this draft doesn’t distinguish between foreign and domestic e-commerce.

Biggest Confusion

• First, flash sales:
• The Government of India issued a clarification that flash sales were not banned, as stated in the notification. It said that ‘conventional’ flash sales will be allowed.
• Only specific flash sales or back-to-back sales which limit customer choice, increase prices and prevent a level playing field are not allowed.”
• But the new draft rules don’t define the “Conventional Flash Sales”.
• Recently, the Government of India said e-commerce companies won’t have to ‘disclose’ flash sales data, and that discounts that ‘benefit’ consumers won’t be banned. But that action will be taken based on consumer complaints. This still leaves the scope of potential government action unclear.
• Second, no related parties and associated enterprises should be listed as sellers on marketplaces:
• This is confusing because an earlier set of rules issued by commerce ministry had forced companies like Amazon to bring down their shareholding in what they called preferred sellers to 24%.
• This was done to provide a more level playing field among sellers.
• A recent report by Statista, mapping India’s e-commerce market, stated that pre-pandemic the share of e-commerce in retail was 3.6%, but during the peak pandemic period it went up to almost 10%, and has now stabilised at 5%.
• Compare that to the US market, which had an e-commerce penetration of 11% before Covid-19, which increased to 22% during the months when the pandemic was pretty severe and has now settled at 17%.

Changes for Consumers

• E-commerce companies will be restricted from making available to any person information pertaining to the consumer without express and affirmative consent.
• No entity shall record consent automatically, including in the form of pre-ticked checkboxes.
• Further, the companies will have to provide domestic alternatives to imported goods, adding to the government’s push for made-in-India products.
• The draft amendment also proposes to ask e-commerce firms to mandatorily become a part of the National Consumer Helpline.

Changes for E-commerce Companies

• The rules propose mandating that no logistics service provider of a marketplace e-commerce entity shall provide differentiated treatment between sellers of the same category.
• Taking on from the DPIIT’s foreign direct investment policy for e-commerce marketplaces, parties and associated enterprises related to e-commerce companies will not be allowed to be enlisted as sellers on the respective platform.
• Any entity having 10 per cent or more common ultimate beneficial ownership will be considered an “associated enterprise” of an e-commerce platform.

GS PAPER III

Delta plus Variant

Why in News

Recently, the Centre termed the emerging delta plus variant a ‘variant of concern’

Key Points

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• Variant of Concern (VoI) carries the highest threat perception of a corona virus variant, which is characterized by increased infectivity, transmissibility or resistance to vaccines and treatment.
• A Variant of Concern (VoI) is a degree lower. The World Health Organization, as of June 14, had classified the variant ‘delta’ (B.1.617.2) as well as offshoots — AY.1 and AY.2 — as VoC.
• Delta plus, as the variant, is an informal name. So far there are only four international VoC (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) with the off­shoots, AY.1 and AY.2 classified as off­shoots of Delta.
• Delta variant is a Variant of Concern and has been found in 80 countries. Delta plus is in 9 countries and as of now is in the category of variant of interest and is not yet in the variant of concern category.

Delta Variant

• The Delta variant is a collection of around 13-15 mutations, of which several are of concern.
• At least four of these – D614G, E484Q, L452R and P681R – are known or are being investigated for making the Sars-CoV-2 better able to spread, cause more serious disease or resist immunity from a past infection or vaccine.
• Now, it has picked up a mutation known as K417N. Delta with the K417N mutation has been designated as AY.1 for now, and is informally referred to as ‘Delta plus’.
• Delta has been reported in 80 countries. It is now the most common variant in India and Britain, where it accounts for more than 90% of cases.
• Delta was first identified in the United States in March. Although Alpha remains the most prevalent variant here, Delta has spread quickly.
• In early April, Delta represented just 0.1% of cases in the United States. By early May, Delta accounted for 1.3% of cases, and by early June, that figure had jumped to 9.5%. A few days ago, the estimate reached 20.6%, Fauci said at the briefing.

Worry about Delta Variant

• It is believed that the Delta Variant is the most transmissible variant yet, spreading more easily than both the original strain of the virus and the Alpha variant first identified in Britain.
• Public health officials there have said that Delta could be 50% more contagious than Alpha, although estimates of its infectiousness vary.
• Other evidence suggests that the variant may partially evade the antibodies made by the body after a corona virus infection or vaccination. And the variant may render certain monoclonal antibody treatments less effective, the CDC notes.
• Delta may also cause more severe illness. A recent Scottish study found that people infected by the Delta variant were roughly twice as likely to be hospitalized as those infected with Alpha.