Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 22 December 2021

::NATIONAL::

New research showing that, glaciers across the Himalayas are melting at an extraordinary rate.

About:

The vast ice sheets there shrank 10 times faster in the past 40 years than during the previous seven centuries.
Avalanches, flooding and other effects of the accelerating loss of ice imperil residents in India, Nepal and Bhutan and threaten to disrupt agriculture for hundreds of millions of people across South Asia, according to the researchers.
Since water from melting glaciers contributes to sea-level rise, glacial ice loss in the Himalayas also adds to the threat of inundation and related problems faced by coastal communities around the world.

Research findings:

Scientists have long observed ice loss from large glaciers in New Zealand, Greenland, Patagonia and other parts of the world. But ice loss in the Himalayas is especially rapid, the new study found.
The researchers didn’t pinpoint a reason but noted that regional climate factors, such as shifts in the South Asian monsoon, may play a role.
The new finding comes as there is scientific consensus that ice loss from glaciers and polar ice sheets results from rising global temperatures caused by greenhouse-gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels..

Union Government has decided to amend the Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002 to “plug the loopholes in the Act”.

What is the Act, and what are multistate cooperative societies?

Cooperatives are a state subject, but there are many societies such as those for sugar and milk, banks, milk unions etc whose members and areas of operation are spread across more than one state. The Act was passed to govern such cooperatives.

Why does the government plan to amend the Act?

Experts on cooperatives talk of loopholes in the Act.
The exclusive control of the central registrar, who is also the Central Cooperative Commissioner, was meant to allow smooth functioning of these societies.
The central Act cushions them from the interference of state authorities so that these societies are able to function in multiple states. What was supposed to facilitate smooth functioning, however, has created obstacles.
For state-registered societies, financial and administrative control rests with state registrars who exercise it through district- and tehshil-level officers

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published detailed rules to assist in the implementation of new international tax system.
It will ensure multinational enterprises (MNEs) will be subject to a minimum 15 per cent tax rate from 2023.

About:

India is one among 137 countries that are signatory to new global tax regime. These rules have come at a time when preparations are underway for the Budget for the next fiscal.
This would imply that the Finance Ministry may take a cue from these rules to include similar provisions in the Finance Bill.
They are drafted as model rules that provide a template that jurisdictions can translate into domestic law, which should assist them in implementing Pillar Two within the agreed time frame and in a co-ordinated manner.
The rules define the scope and set out the mechanism for the Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) Rules under Pillar Two.
These will assist countries to bring the GloBE rules into domestic legislation in 2022.
The minimum tax will apply to MNEs with revenue above €750 million and is estimated to generate around $150 billion in additional global tax revenues annually.

Two-pillar solution:

The model rules released today are a significant building-block in the development of a two-pillar solution, converting the foundations of a political agreement reached in October into enforceable rules.

About:

Killer robots include machines that can make their own decisions with little to no humaninvolvement.
Collectively, these weapons fall under lethal autonomous weapons systems, which can includebombs, dog-like robots etc.
It doesn’t include drones, which are manned remotely by pilots.

Benefits:

India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $350 million loan to improve access tourban services.

About:

Sustainable Urban Development program will establish essential policies and guidelines forurban reforms at the national level.
Service Delivery program will provide specific reform actions and program proposals at thestate and ULB-level.
ADB will provide knowledge and advisory support to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
It will also support ULBs particularly in select low-income states.

Nearly 2,000 pet and stray dogs in Maharashtra’s Amravati were infected with the Canine Parvovirus in November. The report also saidthat, as many as 17 infected stray dogs died in November.

How does Canine Parvovirus spread?

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says Canine Parvovirus is highly contagious and affects all dogs. However, unvaccinated dogs and puppies aged less than four months are the most at risk. Dogs ill with this virus are often said to have “parvo.”
The virus affects dogs’ gastrointestinal tracts and is spread by direct dog-to-dog contact and contact with contaminated faeces (stool), environments, or people.
The Canine Parvovirus also contaminates food and water bowls, leashes, collars and the hands or clothing of humans who handle the infected dogs.
The recent surge in cases of the virus in pets is due to Covid-19 as it forced owners to avoid timely vaccination of their dogs.

What are the signs of Canine Parvovirus?

The common signs of this virus include fever, loss of appetite, severe and bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain.

How to treat the virus?

Currently, there is no specific drug available to kill the Canine Parvovirus in infected dogs.
The treatment should commence immediately and it comprises efforts to fight dehydration by replacing electrolyte, protein and fluid losses, controlling vomiting and diarrhoea, and preventing secondary infections, it added.
Since the virus is highly contagious, it becomes extremely important to isolate the infected dogs to minimise the spread.
The prevention of the virus spreading also requires proper cleaning and sanitisation of contaminated objects and areas.
Parvovirus B19 infects only humans.