Forest Fires in Tamil Nadu
- Fires raged in Coonoor forest range of Nilgiris for a week
- India’s forest fire season:November to June (April-May worst months)
- Causes of forest fires:
- Natural causes (lightning)
- Man-made causes (accidental or intentional)
- Impacts of forest fires:
- Loss of resources (timber, biodiversity)
- Soil erosion
- Health problems
- Global warming
- Forest fire prone areas in India:
- Northeast India
- Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand
- Preventive measures:
- Public awareness campaigns
- Early detection systems
- Community involvement
- Forest management practices
- Investment in firefighting infrastructure
Chemicals in Plastic Material
- Source:A recent report by European scientists
- Key Points
- Health impacts: Leach into water and food, linked to adverse health outcomes.
- Full life cycle assessment: Needed to address chemical issue.
- Recycling and reuse: Not enough to protect people.
- Greater transparency: Needed on chemicals used in plastics.
- Chemical complexity: Difficulty in knowing exact chemicals used.
- Lack of regulation: Only 6% of chemicals regulated internationally.
- Plastic pollution in India
- Huge waste generation: Increased substantially from 15.9 lakh tonnes per annum (TPA) in 2015-16 to 41.2 lakh TPA in 2020-21.
- Inadequate waste management infrastructure.
- Data gap: Inconsistent data on plastic waste generation.
- Recycling inefficiencies: Low-quality recycled plastic and limited environmental benefits.
- Measures required
- Reliable assessment method for amount of plastic waste generated.
- Mandatory reporting of data online on national dashboard.
- Comprehensive policy for containing plastic pollution.
- Alternatives: Finding cost-effective alternatives to plastic.
- Awareness: Spreading awareness about eco-friendly alternatives and ill-effects of SUP.
- Other measures: Making implementing agencies accountable, promoting recycled plastic content, increasing recycling facilities.
- Indian Government initiatives
- Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016: Prohibits certain single-use plastic items.
- Ban on SUP: Effective from July 1, 2022.
- Prohibition on manufacturing, import, sale and use of plastic carry bags thinner than 120 microns from December 31 2022.
- National Policy on Solid Waste Management, 2016: Emphasizes waste minimization, source segregation, and scientific processing.
- EPR rules: Extended producer responsibility for plastic waste collection and recycling.
- Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Promotes waste segregation and processing.
- Indian Swachhata League: Youth-led initiative for promoting Swachhata activities.
Sea Surface Temperatures
- Context:Almost 90% of extra heat trapped by greenhouse gases absorbed by oceans (Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)).
- About
- Average global sea surface temperature (SST) for February 2024 was highest ever recorded (21.06 degree Celsius).
- Reasons for rising sea surface temperatures
- Human factors: Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases (GHGs) that trap heat in the atmosphere.
- Warming Rate: Top part of the ocean warming up about 24% faster than before.
- Ocean absorption: 90% of extra heat trapped by GHGs absorbed by oceans.
- El Niño: Weather pattern contributing to ocean warming and rising global surface temperatures.
- Impact of rising sea surface temperatures
- Marine life:
- Ocean stratification: Limits nutrient mixing and oxygen circulation, harming marine life.
- Nutrient circulation: Limits nutrient availability for phytoplankton, harming marine food webs.
- Marine heat waves (MHWs): Devastating for ecosystems, contribute to coral bleaching and impact migration patterns.
- Extreme weather events: More frequent and intense storms like hurricanes and cyclones.
- Deoxygenation and Sea-Level Rise: Reduced oxygen levels and rising sea levels.
- Marine life:
- Suggestions/Recommendations
- Adhere to Paris agreement goals: Limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
- Enhanced efforts: More effort needed to reduce global warming.
- Expansion of protected area networks: To deliver climate resilient biodiversity conservation.
- Mitigation and adaptation: Greater emphasis on both to avoid risks.
- Restore ecosystems: Restore ecosystems to absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
- Way Ahead
- Disastrous consequences to become worse if warming continues.
- Reduce GHG emissions to avoid or blunt the consequences.
Startup ecosystem in India
- 3rd largest globallywith over 112,718 DPIIT recognized startups
- 2nd in innovation qualityamong middle-income economies
- 114,902 entitiesrecognized as startups under Startup India Initiative
- Women play a significant role with 54,569 startups having at least one woman director
- Innovation in various sectors including DeepTech, SpaceTech, Artificial Intelligence, and EVs
Government initiatives
- Startup India Programmelaunched in 2016 to encourage investment and innovation
- Bharat Startup Ecosystem Registryto connect startups with investors
- Startup Mahakumbhto showcase India’s startup ecosystem globally
- Rs 1 lakh crore fundannounced for research and development
- Atal Innovation Missionand Production-Linked Initiative schemes to support startups
Challenges
- Difficulty navigating the regulatory environment
- Lack of infrastructure
- Need for more skilled talent
- Social enterprises struggle to secure investment
Way forward
- More needs to be done to make India a global entrepreneurial hub
- Expand incentive schemes to emerging technologies in other sectors
Gaganyaan Mission
- ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) developed the multi-purpose app SAKHI for astronauts.
- SAKHI functionalities:
- Monitor health of astronauts
- Facilitate communication with Earth and onboard computer
- Alert astronauts about dietary schedules
- Challenges of Human Space Exploration:
- Exposure to high cosmic radiation outside Earth’s magnetosphere
- Limited medical care during missions
- Sleep disturbances due to microgravity
India-Brazil 2+2 Dialogue
- First-ever 2+2 ministerial dialogueinvolving Foreign and Defence Secretaries
- Discussed areas of cooperation:
- Defence
- Space
- Energy
- Critical minerals
- Technology
- Counter-terrorism
- Regional and multilateral issues
- 2+2 meetings significance:
- Enhance scope of dialogue
- Address strategic concerns and sensitivities
- Build stronger strategic relationships
India-Brazil Relations
- Established diplomatic relations in 1948
- Strategic Partners since 2006
- Strong cooperation in various sectors:
- Trade (bilateral trade expanded by 32% to US$15.2 billion in 2022)
- Defence (Joint Defence Committee meetings)
- Security (Extradition Treaty, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty)
- Space (data sharing and satellite tracking)
- Multifora (BRICS, IBSA, International Solar Alliance etc.)
- Challenges:
- Geopolitical competition
- Trade barriers
- Infrastructure and connectivity
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