EDITORIALS & ARTICLES

June 13,2024 Current Affairs

Recently, three out of the six states where the Centre has proposed ‘Eco-sensitive areas (ESA)’ to safeguard the Western Ghats have requested a reduction in the size of these ESAs.

Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESA):

  • The National Environment Policy (2006) defined Eco-Sensitive Zonesas areas/zones with identified environmental resources having incomparable values which require special attention for their conservation” because of their landscape, wildlife, biodiversity, historical, and natural values.
  • Designation: Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESAs) are designated within a 10-kilometer radius around Protected Areas, National Parks, and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
  • Notified by: The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notifies them under the Environment Protection Act of 1986.
  • Objective: The primary objective is to regulate specific activities near these areas to mitigate their adverse effects on the delicate ecosystem surrounding the protected zones.

Western Ghats:

  • The Western Ghats are a mountain range that runs almost parallel to India’s western coast. They span 1,600 kilometres from the mouth of the Tapti River near the Gujarat-Maharashtra border to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
  • It covers six states: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
  • Biodiversity: The Western Ghats harbor over 30% of India’s plant, fish, herpetofauna, bird, and mammal species.
  • Additionally, it boasts the unique shola ecosystem, characterised by montane grasslands interspersed with patches of evergreen forest.
  • Resources: The Western Ghats are abundant in certain areas of iron, manganese, and bauxite ores.
  • Plantations: This region supports numerous plantation crops and is a significant source of timber.
  • It also contains many wild relatives of cultivated plants, such as pepper, cardamom, mango, jackfruit, and plantain.

 

Emissions of planet-warming nitrous oxide (N2O) gas rose 40% between 1980 and 2020, says study

Key Highlights of the study by the Global Carbon Project:

Atmospheric Concentrations of N2O and CO2:

  • N2O: In 2022, atmospheric N2O reached 336 parts per billion, marking a 25% increase from pre-industrial levels.
  • CO2: In contrast, atmospheric CO2, the primary greenhouse gas after water vapor, measured 417 parts per million in the same year.
  • Increase in Human-Generated N2O Emissions: Human-generated N2O emissions have surged by 40% (three million metric tons per year) over the past four decades.
  • Dominance of Agricultural Sources: Agricultural practises utilising nitrogen fertilisers like ammonia and animal manure accounted for 74% of total anthropogenic N2O emissions in the past decade.
  • Exceeding IPCC Projections: In the past decade, observed atmospheric N2O concentrations have surpassed even the most pessimistic future greenhouse gas trajectories outlined by the IPCC, which could lead to global mean temperatures exceeding 3°C by the end of this century.
  • Top Five Emittors: The top five country emitters by volume of anthropogenic N2O emissions in 2020 were China (16.7%), India (10.9%), the United States (5.7%), Brazil (5.3%), and Russia (4.6%).
  • Long term Effects: N2O stays in the atmosphere for longer than the average human lifespan (117 years), impacting climate and ozone.
  • Environmental Impact of Nitrogen Fertilisers:  Inefficient use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers and animal manure also leads to the pollution of groundwater, drinking water, and inland and coastal waters.
  • Impact of Meat and Dairy Production: The growing demand for meat and dairy products has also contributed to an increase in emissions through the increase in manure production, which also causes N2O emissions.
  • Increased nitrogen fertilisers used in the production of animal feed have also contributed to the increase.
  • Agricultural and Aquaculture Emission Trends: Emissions from agriculture continue to grow, while those from other sectors, such as fossil fuels and the chemical industry, are not growing or declining globally.
  • India’s Standing: India ranks second in the world concerning N2O emissions from nitrogen fertilizers, which are all subsidised by over 80% in India. 

 

Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

  • Nitrous oxide, often referred to as laughing gas or happy gas, is a colorless, odorless, and non-flammable gas. However, it supports combustion as effectively as oxygen does.
  • Applications: Nitrous oxide is widely utilized by dentists and medical professionals to sedate patients during minor medical procedures.
  • The gas serves as a propellant in food aerosols. It is employed in the automotive industry to improve engine performance.

 

The FDA unanimously gave backing to Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug, Donanemab.

  • The FDA confirmed that the drug has potential benefits for early-stage patients that outweigh the risks

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD):

  • It is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is a major cause of Dementia in patients.
  • Symptoms: Memory loss, problems with language, disorientation etc.
  • Duration: Long term.
  • Prevalence: An estimated 5.3 million people are currently living with dementia in India.
  • Alzheimer’s is one of the most common forms of dementia. This prevalence is likely to increase to 14 million by 2050.
  • Risk factors: Genetics, head injuries, clinical depression, hypertension, psychological stress, lack of physical and mental exercise, Abnormal accumulation of amyloid-beta protein and tau protein inside neurons is also linked to the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Treatment: At present, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, it can be managed by medicine and supportive therapies. These can temporarily reduce the symptoms.
  • Amyloid beta_protein therapy: There are three main ways to target amyloid β-protein for treating Alzheimer disease: inhibiting its production, preventing its aggregation (or promoting its disaggregation), and promoting its clearance.

Donanemab Drug:

  • Donanemab is a monoclonal antibody designed to remove toxic beta-amyloid plaques from the brains of people with early Alzheimer’s disease.
  • This drug is not the cure for Alzheimer’s; however, it is effective in lessening cognitive decline.
  • It is the third drug after Leqembi and Biogento to show that removing amyloid early in the disease can slow neurological degeneration.

Benefits of Donanemab Drug:

  • Slows Cognitive Decline: The cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s patients is slowed down by 35.1 per cent in 76 weeks.
  • Improves patient’s Independence: It can extend patients’ ability to function independently by months and, possibly, years.
  • Continued Benefits Post-Treatment: The drug’s benefits continued even after patients stopped taking the monthly infusions.
  • Monthly Infusion Schedule: An infusion is required only once a month compared to other drugs.

Side Effects of Donanemab:

  • Safety Profile slightly risky: This may result in slightly higher adverse events than its predecessor, Lecanemab.
  • Risk of ARIA: Risk of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) such as swelling or bleeding in the brain.
  • Possibility of Treatment-related Deaths: Three treatment-related deaths were reported in the study.

 

CSIR-IICT scientists identify microalgae as a potential protein supplement.

  • CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) scientists have spotlighted the potential of Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF), a protein-rich extract derived from the microalgae ‘Chlorella sorokiniana’, as an ideal ingredient for a wide range of food and feed applications.

Microalgae:

  • They are microscopic algal species, as opposed to other algae that are macroscopic.
  • They are mostly unicellular, although some complex associations giving colonies with larger structures exist.
  • Depending on the species, their sizes can range from a few micrometers (µm) to a few hundreds of micrometers.
  • Unlike higher plants, microalgae do not have roots, stems, or leaves.
  • They are mostly photosynthetic. Their ability to photosynthesize is due to the presence of photosynthetic pigments.
  • They can be found in a variety of aquatic habitats, being able to thrive in freshwater, brackish, marine, and hypersaline aquatic environments.
  • Examples of unicellular algal species are green algae, diatoms, and dinoflagellates.

Importance:

  • They play a pivotal role in ecosystems as primary producers.
  • Their adaptability and diverse taxonomy make them a crucial component of aquatic food webs, supporting various organisms and influencing nutrient cycling.
  • They are a rich resource of lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and pigments with nutritional and health benefits.
  • Spirulina and Chlorella, two types of microalgae, are often consumed as dietary supplements.
  • Through photosynthesis, they release oxygen as a byproduct, and thus, they are a vital contributor of oxygen in the environment.
  • They can form symbiotic relationships with other organisms. For example, they live within the tissues of corals (zooxanthellae) and provide them with nutrients through photosynthesis.
  • Some of them are also capable of fixing nitrogen. Eg: Nostoc, Anabaena, and Oscillatoria.

 

The Telangana High Court has ruled against a taxpayer against whom the revenue department had invoked the General Anti-avoidance Rule (GAAR).

General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR):

  • GAAR is an anti-tax avoidance law in India to curb tax evasion and avoid tax leaks.
  • It came into effect on 1st April 2017.
  • The GAAR provisions come under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
  • GAAR is a tool for checking aggressive tax planning, especially those transactions or business arrangements that are entered into with the objective of avoiding tax.
  • It is specifically aimed at cutting revenue losses that happen to the government due to aggressive tax avoidance measures practiced by companies.
  • It is meant to apply to transactions that are prima facie legal, but result in tax reduction.
  • Broadly, tax reduction can be divided into three categories.
  • Tax mitigation is a ‘positive’ term in the context of a situation where taxpayers take advantage of a fiscal incentive provided to them by tax legislation by complying with its conditions and taking cognisance of the economic consequences of their actions.
  • Tax mitigation is permitted under the Act. This tax reduction is acceptable even after GAAR has come into force.
  • Tax evasion is when a person or entity does not pay the taxes that are due to the government.
  • This is illegal and liable to prosecution. Illegality, wilful suppression of facts, misrepresentation, and fraud—all constitute tax evasion, which is prohibited under law.
  • This is also not covered by GAAR, as the existing jurisprudence is sufficient to cover tax evasion/Sham transactions.
  • Tax avoidance includes actions taken by a taxpayer, none of which are illegal or forbidden by the law.
  • However, although these are not prohibited by the law, they are considered undesirable and inequitable since they undermine the objective of effective collection of revenue.
  • GAAR is specifically against transactions where the sole intention is to avoid tax.
  • In this, the taxpayers used legal steps which results in tax reduction, which steps would not have been undertaken if there was no tax reduction.
  • This kind of tax avoidance planning is sought to be covered by GAAR.
  • With GAAR, there is no difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion. All transactions which have the implication of avoiding tax can come under the scanner of GAAR.






POSTED ON 13-06-2024 BY ADMIN
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