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UPSC Daily Current Affairs 25 November 2024


 India’s Growing Diabetes Burden

GS 2: Society: Combating Diabetes

Why is it in the news?

  • On International Diabetes Day (November 14), a Lancet study revealed over 800 million adults worldwide are living with diabetes, with more than half untreated. Of these, 212 million are in India, highlighting the country’s significant burden.
  • This figure contrasts with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-INDIAB study’s 2022 estimate of slightly over 100 million diabetics. The discrepancy has sparked debate over testing methodologies and the need for urgent interventions.

An Analysis

Why the Discrepancy?

  • The differing figures stem from variations in measuring blood sugar. The Lancet study, conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) and the WHO, used diverse data sources from 140 million adults across 200 countries, employing fasting glucose, HbA1c, or three-month glycated haemoglobin averages.
  • In contrast, the ICMR-INDIAB study relied on fasting and two-hour postprandial readings through Oral Glucose Tolerance Tests (OGTT), considered the gold standard in India.
  • Experts argue that HbA1c can overestimate diabetes cases, as factors like age and anaemia can raise A1C levels even in non-diabetics. While global studies must rely on available data, the OGTT-based approach is deemed more precise.

Areas of Concern

  • India’s diabetes prevalence, whether 100 or 200 million, underscores a massive public health challenge. Diabetes significantly raises the risk of heart disease, kidney damage, vision loss, and other complications, making prevention and treatment critical.
  • The Lancet study also highlighted unequal access to treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where younger populations face lifelong risks. Experts warn that no healthcare system can manage the fallout of untreated diabetes complications, emphasizing the need for early interventions.

Urgent Need for Action

  • Experts stress the urgency of “war-like” efforts to combat diabetes, focusing on mass awareness about nutrition, physical activity, and reducing carbohydrate and sugar intake. Prevention is key, with targeted efforts required for vulnerable populations like lower-middle-class, semi-urban, and rural groups.
  • Educating women on obesity risks post-pregnancy and during menopause is essential, as abdominal obesity is a significant diabetes driver in India. Further, long-term strategies, spanning at least a decade, are necessary to curb this epidemic.

Role of Individuals

  • Poor diets and obesity are key drivers of Type 2 diabetes. Regions with rising obesity rates from 1990 to 2022 saw corresponding increases in diabetes prevalence.
  • Lifestyle changes, such as mindful eating and regular exercise, have proven effective in preventing diabetes and managing blood sugar levels.

Government’s Role

  • Governments must enable healthy choices through ambitious policies. These include restricting unhealthy foods, subsidizing nutritious options, ensuring safe exercise spaces, and providing free healthy school meals. Public demand for such initiatives is crucial for their implementation.
  • As a collaborator on the ICMR-INDIAB study suggests, promoting public fitness centres, affordable healthy foods, and accessible parks can make healthier lifestyles achievable for all.

CAQM: Improving Delhi’s Air Quality

GS 3: Environment and Biodiversity: Tackling Delhi’s Air Pollution

Why is it in the news?

  • Delhi’s air pollution has remained in the ‘severe’ and ‘severe plus’ categories for most of the past 10 days. Recently, the Supreme Court criticized the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for its insufficient response to controlling pollution.

About CAQM

  • The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas was established through an ordinance in 2020, later replaced by a 2021 Act of Parliament.
  • It aims to improve air quality by coordinating, researching, identifying, and addressing air pollution challenges. Initially comprising 15 members from various governmental and non-governmental agencies, it now has 27 members, headed by Rajesh Verma.
  • CAQM replaced the EPCA (Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority), which lacked statutory powers despite initiating measures like the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for emergency pollution control.
  • The CAQM Act, 2021, empowers the commission to take measures, issue directives, and entertain complaints to protect and improve air quality in NCR and adjoining areas. Under Section 14 of the Act, it can enforce strict actions against officials failing to comply with its directives.

Is CAQM Responsible for Delhi’s Pollution?

  • While CAQM formulates plans and coordinates with agencies, the onus of ground-level implementation lies with those agencies.
  • CAQM officials noted improved coordination, citing their year-long engagement with state officials to address paddy stubble burning, a significant pollution source. Further, the plans with Punjab and Haryana for stubble burning control are updated annually.

Conclusion

  • Despite efforts, the CAQM has focused heavily on stubble burning while other pollution sources, such as vehicular emissions and dust, received less attention. Moving forward, the commission aims to address multiple pollution sources simultaneously.
  • Experts from the Centre for Science and Environment stressed the need for proactive pollution forecasting and collaborative, time-bound targets with state governments.
  • Identifying gaps, ensuring proper resource allocation, and tracking implementation are crucial. Further, prioritizing enabling ground-level actions before penalizing non-compliance is needed.
  • In essence, the CAQM needs to intensify its efforts, enforce accountability, and adopt a holistic approach to tackle Delhi’s persistent air pollution.

The Need for a Global Plastic Treaty

GS 3: Environment and Biodiversity: Addressing Plastic Pollution

Why is it in the news?

  • Over 170 countries will gather in Busan, Republic of Korea, to negotiate a new legally binding global treaty aimed at addressing plastic pollution, including marine pollution.
  • This marks the fifth and final round of discussions since 2022, when the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) committed to developing the treaty by the end of 2024.

Why is a Global Plastic Treaty Needed?

  • Plastic has become an essential part of modern life due to its versatility, leading to a significant increase in global production. The annual plastic production doubled from 234 million tonnes (mt) in 2000 to 460 mt in 2019, with Asia accounting for nearly half.
  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projects production will reach 700 mt by 2040. However, plastic takes 20 to 500 years to decompose, and less than 10% is recycled.
  • About 400 mt of plastic waste is generated yearly, with this figure expected to rise by 62% between 2024 and 2050. Much of this plastic waste ends up in rivers and oceans, breaking down into microplastics and nanoplastics, causing severe environmental damage and health risks.
  • Studies submitted to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) indicate that exposure to chemicals in plastic can lead to endocrine disruption, cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, and neurodevelopmental issues. Additionally, plastic harms species in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems.
  • Plastic production is also a significant contributor to climate change, responsible for 3.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. If current trends continue, emissions from plastic production could increase by 20% by 2050.
  • India contributes significantly to global plastic pollution, accounting for 20% of the world’s plastic waste, with emissions of 9.3 mt, surpassing other major polluters like Nigeria, Indonesia, and China.

What is on the Negotiating Table?

  • The primary goal of the negotiations is to create a global framework to address plastic pollution throughout its lifecycle, from fossil fuel-based production to disposal and waste management.
  • The treaty could include measures to ban specific types of plastic products and chemical additives, as well as set legally binding targets for recycling and the use of recycled content in consumer goods. Discussions will also address a “just transition” for workers and communities dependent on plastic production and disposal.
  • However, negotiations have been slow due to differing national positions. Oil-rich and major plastic-producing countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, and India have opposed production caps.
  • In contrast, countries like Rwanda, Peru, and the European Union have proposed more ambitious targets, such as Rwanda’s proposal for a 40% reduction by 2040.
  • One significant point of contention is The UNEP’s intergovernmental negotiation committee (INC) has called for increased private funding, along with the alignment of public and private investment, to achieve the treaty’s goals.

India’s Position

  • India has made it clear that it does not support restrictions on the production of polymers, stating that such measures go beyond the mandate of the UNEA’s 2022 resolution. India advocates for the inclusion of financial and technical assistance, as well as technology transfer, in the final treaty provisions.
  • Regarding the exclusion of harmful chemicals used in plastic production, India argues that decisions should be based on scientific studies and that regulation should be managed domestically.
  • In 2022, India banned 19 categories of single-use plastics but suggests that decisions on phase-outs in the treaty should be pragmatic and adapted to national circumstances.
  • India also emphasizes the need for a robust mechanism to assess the infrastructure required for safe and scientific waste management. The country calls for an evaluation of financial resources needed for waste management, ensuring the availability of sufficient, timely, and predictable funding to support these efforts.

The Environmental Risks of Satellite Space Junk

GS 3: Science and Technology: Space Junk

Why is it in the news?

  • Over 10,000 active satellites are currently orbiting Earth, and this number is expected to rise dramatically in the coming decades, potentially reaching over 100,000 by the 2030s and even half a million later on. As satellites near the end of their life-cycle, most fall to Earth and burn up in the atmosphere.
  • While this process prevents them from causing immediate harm on the ground, it results in the release of pollutants into the upper atmosphere. As the number of satellites increases, so will the pollution generated by their re-entry, prompting growing concern among scientists.

More about the news

  • Recent studies have highlighted the extent of this pollution. According to atmospheric scientists at the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), they found that up to 10% of the aerosol particles in the stratosphere contain aluminium and other metals, which originate from the burning of satellites and rocket stages during re-entry.
  • Additionally, emissions from satellite re-entries and rocket launches have seen a significant rise. Atmospheric chemist reported that emissions of aluminium and nitrogen oxides from satellite re-entries grew from 3.3 billion grams in 2020 to 5.6 billion grams in 2022.
  • Alongside these emissions, pollutants such as black carbon, carbon monoxide, and aluminium oxide from rocket launches have also been increasing.
  • While the pollution from burning satellites may seem distant and not immediately harmful to humans, it poses significant risks to Earth’s atmosphere. Even small changes in atmospheric chemistry could lead to significant, cascading effects that disrupt life on Earth.
  • A major concern is the potential harm to the ozone layer, which absorbs up to 99% of harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun. Pollutants from satellite re-entries, such as aluminium oxide, are known to catalyze ozone depletion, which could further undermine the ozone layer’s protective function.
  • This would represent a new threat, especially after the success of the Montreal Protocol of 1987, which effectively banned the production and emissions of ozone-depleting chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
  • In addition to ozone depletion, other pollutants from spacecraft could also disrupt the composition of the atmosphere. Additionally, the soot from rocket engines absorbs solar energy, warming the atmosphere.
  • Metals like copper, which are released during the incineration of spacecraft wiring and alloys, can act as powerful catalysts for chemical reactions in the atmosphere. These metals could facilitate the formation of tiny particles that serve as cloud seeds, further altering atmospheric conditions.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Shaheedi Divas

GS 1: Culture and History: Guru Tegh Bahadur

Why is it in the news?

  • November 24 marks the Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, who was executed on Aurangzeb’s orders in 1675. At the site of his execution stands Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk.

Early Life and Education

  • Born on April 21, 1621, in Amritsar to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur grew up in a spiritually and martially inclined environment.
  • Known as Tyag Mal in his youth due to his ascetic nature, he was educated by Bhai Gurdas in Gurmukhi, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Indian religious philosophy, while Baba Budha trained him in swordsmanship, archery, and horse-riding.
  • At the age of 13, he showcased remarkable bravery and skill in a battle against a Mughal chieftain, earning him the title Tegh Bahadur. In 1632, he married Mata Gujri and later moved to Bakala near Amritsar.

Becoming the Ninth Sikh Guru

  • After Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, the Guru-ship became hereditary. Following the deaths of Guru Har Rai in 1661 and the young Guru Har Krishan in 1664, Tegh Bahadur was named as the successor. Guru Har Krishan, on his deathbed, hinted at “Baba Bakala” as his successor, leading to confusion and multiple claimants.
  • A trader, Makhan Shah, identified Guru Tegh Bahadur as the rightful Guru after a test involving his promised donation of 500 gold coins. Subsequently, Guru Tegh Bahadur moved to Kiratpur Sahib and later to Chak Nanki (now Anandpur Sahib), named after his mother.

Conflict with the Mughals

  • During Aurangzeb’s reign, forced conversions were rampant, often used as a tool for political and religious domination.
  • Guru Tegh Bahadur opposed practices like worshipping at graves of pirs and faqirs, urging people to be ‘nirbhau’ (fearless) and ‘nirvair’ (without envy). His teachings, delivered in Sadukhri and Braj languages, resonated across regions from Sindh to Bengal.
  • His growing influence led to conflicts with authorities, including a fabricated charge by a local chieftain at Dhamtan. Intervention by Raja Ram Singh of Amer saved him from prolonged detention.

Extensive Travels and Influence

  • Between 1665 and 1669, Guru Tegh Bahadur extensively travelled beyond Punjab, visiting places like Dhaka, Puri, Mathura, Agra, Allahabad, and Patna, where his son Guru Gobind Singh was born in 1666.
  • His travels also included brokering peace between Raja Ram Singh and the Ahom king, commemorated at Gurdwara Dhubri Sahib in Assam.

Martyrdom

  • In 1675, Kashmiri Brahmins, led by Kirpa Das, approached Guru Tegh Bahadur, seeking protection against forced conversions. The Guru openly challenged Aurangzeb by offering himself as a test of faith.
  • Arrested in Delhi, he refused to embrace Islam and was tortured before being executed on November 11, 1675, along with Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, and Bhai Dyala ji. Their martyrdom is commemorated at Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, built in 1783.
  • The date of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom was traditionally observed on November 11 but has shifted to November 24 with the introduction of the Nanakshahi calendar. This confusion arises from historical transitions between the Hijri, Bikrami Samvat, and Gregorian calendars.

 


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