Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 13 January 2023

::NATIONAL::

Plastic Waste Recycle Report 

• According to the report, India generates around 3.4 million tonnes (MT) of plastic waste only 30 per cent of it is recycled.
• The report has been prepared in association with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Praxis Global Alliance. 

Key findings of the report: 

• India produces 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste in a year, only 30 percent of it is recycled. Rest of plastic waste is sent to landfills oraquatic dumps.
• Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu together contribute 38 percent to total plastic waste generated in India.
• 94% of recycled plastic waste is shredded in India using mechanical recycling method.
• Impact of plastic waste: Greenhouse gas emissions i.e., carbon dioxide, methane; Contamination of entire food chain due to presence ofmicroplastics; Threats to animals especially marine species etc.

Measures can be taken:

• The landfill and incineration taxes must be levied in India to encourage recycling.
• Authorise ‘pay-as-you-throw’ system, which requires citizens to pay a variable rate per kilogram for a bag of mixed garbage.
• Regulate entire life cycle of plastic bags from manufacturing, imports to disposal.

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Identification of Minorities

• Recently Union government told supreme court that it has held meetings with all state governments and union territories and other stakeholders on the matter of identification of minorities. 24 states and UTs have submitted their views, while 6 are yet to do so.

About: 

• Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Zorastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act, 1992.
• As per the Census 2011, the percentage of minorities in the country is about 19.3 of the total population of the country. The population of Muslims are 14.2%; Christians 2.3%; Sikhs 1.7%, Buddhists 0.7%, Jains 0.4% and Parsis 0.006%.
• The Central Government decides who gets the minority community status in India.
• It is done under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
• Only those belonging to the communities notified under Section 2(c) of the 1992 law are regarded as minority citizens.
• The central government has notified only six communities as having the minority status at the national level. Five of them were declared minority communities in October 1993 Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis. In January 2014, the Centre added Jains to the list.
• States generally don’t have their separate lists of the minority communities. But there are exceptions. For example, Maharashtra has notified Jews as a minority community in the state.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

India US Trade PolicyForum

• India and the United States held the 13th Ministerial-level meeting of India – United States Trade Policy Forum (TPF) in Washington, DC recently.  
• Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry and the U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador co-chaired the meeting. 

Key highlights:  

• The Ministers underlined the significance of the TPF in forging robust bilateral trade ties and enhancing the bilateral economic relationship to benefit working people in both countries. They appreciated that bilateral trade in goods and services continued to rise rapidly and reached about $160 billion in 2021.  
• While welcoming this increase, the Ministers recognized that for economies of their size, significant potential remains unfulfilled and expressed their mutual desire to further enhance engagement with the goal of continuing to increase and diversify bilateral trade.
• The Ministers highlighted the work undertaken through the TPF working groups since the 12th TPF Ministerial.  
• They reiterated the importance to India and the United States of specific trade issues enumerated in the 2021 TPF Joint Statement and directed that work be maintained to advance those issues towards resolution, with regular stock-taking of progress by the Ministers and their senior officials.

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Megaraptor

• Scientists have found the remains of four species of dinosaurs, including a megaraptor, in an inhospitable valley in Chilean Patagonia that has emerged over the past decade as an important fossil deposit.
• The fossils were found in Cerro Guido, in southern Chile’s Las Chinas valley near the border with Argentina, and taken to a laboratory in 2021. 
• The researchers said they belong to dinosaurs that have not previously been identified in the area.

About Megaraptor:

• Megaraptor was a large theropod of the Cretaceous Period, 84 to 65 mya.
• Megaraptors possessed strong arms that wielded sickle-like claws that could inflict fatal wounds on prey, along with a more lightly built skull and jaws studded with smaller teeth.
• They also had air-filled, bird-like bones.
• Megaraptor was about 25–26 feet (7.5–8 meters) long.
• Incomplete Megaraptor remains were found in 1996 in Northwest Patagonia, Argentina, by paleontologist Fernando E. Novas. Novas named it in 1998.

::Economy::

Basmati Rice

• For the first time in the country, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has specified the identity standards for Basmati Rice.

About:

• As per these standards, Basmati rice shall possess natural fragrance characteristic of basmati rice and be free from artificial colouring, polishing agents and artificial fragrances. 
• It was issued to Brown Basmati Rice, Milled Basmati Rice, Parboiled Brown Basmati Rice and Milled Parboiled Basmati Rice.
• The standards are aimed at establishing fair practices in the trade of Basmati rice and protect consumer interest, both domestically and globally. These standards will be enforced w.e.f 1st August, 2023.

Significance: 

• Basmati rice is a premium variety of rice cultivated in the Himalayan foothills of the Indian sub-continent and is universally known for its long grain size, fluffy texture and unique inherent aroma and flavour. 
• Agro-climatic conditions of the specific geographical areas where Basmati rice is grown; as well as the method of harvesting, processing and ageing of the rice contributes to the uniqueness of Basmati rice. 
• Due to its unique quality attributes, Basmati is a widely consumed variety of rice both domestically and globally and India accounts for two thirds of its global supply.
• Being a premium quality rice and fetching a price higher than the non-basmati varieties, Basmati rice is prone to various types of adulteration for economic gains which may include, among others, undeclared blending of other non-basmati varieties of rice. 

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::SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY::

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

• Researchers in India are working on developing an affordable treatment for a rare and incurable genetic disorder called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

About: 

• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common and fatal type of muscular dystrophy, marked by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to alterations of a protein called "dystrophin" that helps keep muscle cells intact.
• The condition is predominantly seen in boys, but in rare cases, it can also affect girls.
• The current therapeutic options available to treat DMD are minimal and highly expensive treatment with costs shooting up to Rs 2-3 crore per child a year and are mostly imported from abroad, accelerating dosing costs and putting them out of reach for most families.
• According to scientists, muscle weakness is the principal symptom of DMD. 
• It can begin as early as age 2 or 3, first affecting the proximal muscles (those close to the core of the body) and later affecting the distal limb muscles (those close to the extremities). 
• Usually, the lower external muscles are affected before the upper external muscles. The affected child might have difficulty jumping, running, and walking.
• Other symptoms include enlargement of calves, a waddling gait, and lumbar lordosis (an inward curve of the spine). 

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