Indian farmers should prepare for decreased rainfall conditions due to El Nino

• India may see decreased rainfall conditions due to the likely occurrence of an El Nino event this year, according to the United Nations’ atmospheric science agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
• The warming effect of the phenomenon will likely add to the heating effect due to the emissions of greenhouse gases and witnessing erratic rainfall pattern.
• Indian farmers should not wait for the declaration of an El Nino event in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and should take steps to adapt to the possibility, according to a WMO official.
• El Nino is the warming phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation phenomenon during which the sea surface temperatures of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean become warmer by 0.5 degrees Celsius or more in a particular region of the equatorial Pacific Ocean known as the Nino 3.4 region.
• Most forecasts indicate an El Nino during the season, which may enhance the flood-drought cycle that is already being witnessed in the country, he said.
• Scientists have observed an expansion of the regions in which the ENSO phenomenon has its impacts and also an increase in humidity levels; hence, the intensification of rains due to global warming
• The El Nino warming will be in addition to the heating effect due to greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.
• There were three years of La Nina, which provided a cooling effect, temporarily slowing down the warming engine of the planet. Even then, we saw high temperatures and heatwaves all around the world in the past few years.
• Looking at the last three decades, La Nina events are becoming warmer than in the past. So if we are expecting the event to slow down the global temperature rise, that is not going to happen much anymore
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has not declared the development of an El Nino event, but it has been anticipating its occurrence, which could be crucial for the current monsoon season.
• In an El Nino year, the monsoon season is generally shorter and weaker than normal. Many El Nino years have resulted in droughts for the country.
• El Ninos are only declared by NOAA when it forecasts that the warming would stick around for the next several months and seasons and there are related changes in the atmosphere such as the increase in rainfall over central Pacific Ocean and decrease in rainfall over Indonesia.
• Between 0.5°C and 0.9°C, the event is categorised as a weak event. Between 1 and 1.4°C, it becomes a moderate event and strong event between 1.5 and 1.9°C. When the sea surface temperatures go above 2°C, a very strong event is declared.
• The monsoon system and the rains over India have picked up pace with considerable intensity since June 25 in most parts of India. Just before that, the monsoon had been sluggish, which had resulted in heatwaves in most parts of central and eastern India.
• El Nino and La Nina are complex weather patterns resulting from variations in ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Region. They are opposite phases of what is known as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.
  • The ENSO cycle describes the fluctuations in temperature between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central Equatorial Pacific.
  • El Nino and La Nina episodes typically last nine to 12 months, but some prolonged events may last for years.
• El Nino is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
  • It is the “warm phase” of a larger phenomenon called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
  • It occurs more frequently than La Nina.
• La Nina, the “cool phase” of ENSO, is a pattern that describes the unusual cooling of the tropical eastern Pacific.
  • La Nina events may last between one and three years, unlike El Nino, which usually lasts no more than a year.
  • Both phenomena tend to peak during the Northern Hemisphere winter.

El Nino

• El Nino was first recognized by Peruvian fishermen off the coast of Peru as the appearance of unusually warm water.
  • The Spanish immigrants called it El Nino, meaning “the little boy” in Spanish.
• El Nino soon came to describe irregular and intense climate changes rather than just the warming of coastal surface waters.
• The El Nino event is not a regular cycle, they are not predictable and occur irregularly at two- to seven-year intervals.
  • The climatologists determined that El Nino occurs simultaneously with the Southern Oscillation.
    • The Southern Oscillation is a change in air pressure over the tropical Pacific Ocean.
• When coastal waters become warmer in the eastern tropical Pacific (El Nino), the atmospheric pressure above the ocean decreases.
  • Climatologists define these linked phenomena as El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Monitoring El Nino and La Nina

• Scientists, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) collect data about El Nino using a number of technologies such as scientific buoys.
  • A buoy is a type of an object that floats in water and is used in the middle of the seas as locators or as warning points for the ships. They are generally bright (fluorescent) in colour.
  • These buoys measure ocean and air temperatures, currents, winds, and humidity.
  • The buoys transmit data daily to researchers and forecasters around the world enabling the scientists to more accurately predict El Nino and visualize its development and impact around the globe.
• The Oceanic Nino Index (ONI) is used to measure deviations from normal sea surface temperatures.
  • The intensity of El Nino events varies from weak temperature increases (about 4-5° F) with only moderate local effects on weather and climate to very strong increases (14-18° F) associated with worldwide climatic changes.

Oceanic Nino Index (ONI)

• The Oceanic Niño Index (ONI), is a measure of the departure from normal sea surface temperature in the east-central Pacific Ocean, is the standard means by which each El Nino episode is determined, gauged, and forecast.

Impact of El Nino

• In order to understand the concept of El Nino, it’s important to be familiar with non-El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean.
  • Normally, strong trade winds blow westward across the tropical Pacific, the region of the Pacific Ocean located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
• Impact on Ocean: El Nino also impacts ocean temperatures, the speed and strength of ocean currents, the health of coastal fisheries, and local weather from Australia to South America and beyond.
• Increased Rainfall: Convection above warmer surface waters brings increased precipitation.
  • Rainfall increases drastically in South America, contributing to coastal flooding and erosion.
• Diseases caused by Floods and Droughts: Diseases thrive in communities devastated by natural hazards such as flood or drought.
  • El Nino-related flooding is associated with increases in cholera, dengue, and malaria in some parts of the world, while drought can lead to wildfires that create respiratory problems.
• Positive impact: It can sometimes have a positive impact too, for example, El Nino reduces the instances of hurricanes in the Atlantic.
• In South America: As El Nino brings rain to South America, it brings droughts to Indonesia and Australia.
  • These droughts threaten the region’s water supplies, as reservoirs dry and rivers carry less water. Agriculture, which depends on water for irrigation, is also threatened.
• In Western Pacific: These winds push warm surface water towards the western Pacific, where it borders Asia and Australia.
  • Due to the warm trade winds, the sea surface is normally about 0.5 meter higher and 4-5° F warmer in Indonesia than Ecuador.
  • The westward movement of warmer waters causes cooler waters to rise up towards the surface on the coasts of Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. This process is known as upwelling.
    • Upwelling elevates cold, nutrient-rich water to the euphotic zone, the upper layer of the ocean.

Previous El Nino Events:

• El Nino events of 1982-83 and 1997-98 were the most intense of the 20 century.
• During the 1982-83 event, sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific were 9-18° F above normal.
• The El Nino event of 1997-98 was the first El Nino event to be scientifically monitored from beginning to end.
• The 1997-98 event produced drought conditions in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Peru and California experienced very heavy rains and severe flooding.
• The Midwest experienced record-breaking warm temperatures during a period known as “the year without a winter.”

La Nina

• La Nina means The Little Girl in Spanish. It is also sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El Nino, or simply "a cold event."
• La Nina events represent periods of below-average sea surface temperatures across the east-central Equatorial Pacific.
  • It is indicated by sea-surface temperature decreased by more than 0.9℉ for at least five successive three-month seasons.
• La Nina event is observed when the water temperature in the Eastern Pacific gets comparatively colder than normal, as a consequence of which, there is a strong high pressure over the eastern equatorial Pacific.

The Conditions of La Nina.

• La Nina is caused by a build-up of cooler-than-normal waters in the tropical Pacific, the area of the Pacific Ocean between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
• La Nina is characterized by lower-than-normal air pressure over the western Pacific. These low-pressure zones contribute to increased rainfall.
• La Nina events are also associated with rainier-than-normal conditions over southeastern Africa and northern Brazil.
  • However, strong La Nina events are associated with catastrophic floods in northern Australia.
• La Nina is also characterized by higher-than-normal pressure over the central and eastern Pacific.
  • This results in decreased cloud production and rainfall in that region.
• Drier-than-normal conditions are observed along the west coast of tropical South America, the Gulf Coast of the United States, and the pampas region of southern South America.

Impact of La Nina

• Europe: In Europe, El Nino reduces the number of autumnal hurricanes.
  • La Nina tends to lead to milder winters in Northern Europe (especially UK) and colder winters in southern/western Europe leading to snow in the Mediterranean region.
• North America: It is continental North America where most of these conditions are felt. The wider effects include:
  • Stronger winds along the equatorial region, especially in the Pacific.
  • Favourable conditions for hurricanes in the Caribbean and central Atlantic area.
  • Greater instances of tornados in various states of the US.
  • South America: La Nina causes drought in the South American countries of Peru and Ecuador.
    • It usually has a positive impact on the fishing industry of western South America.
• Western Pacific: In the western Pacific, La Nina increases the potential for landfall in those areas most vulnerable to their effects, and especially into continental Asia and China.
  • It also leads to heavy floods in Australia.
  • There are increased temperatures in Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and off the Somalian coast.

La Nina in 2010

• The 2010 La Nina event correlates with one of the worst floods in the history of Queensland, Australia.
• More than 10,000 people were forced to evacuate, and damage from the disaster was estimated at more than $2 billion.

ENSO and India

• El Nino: Strong El Nino events contribute to weaker monsoons and even droughts in India Southeast Asia.
• La Nina: The cold air occupies a larger part of India than the El Nino cold air.
• In the ‘La Nina year’, rainfall associated with the summer monsoon in Southeast Asia tends to be greater than normal, especially in northwest India and Bangladesh.
  • This generally benefits the Indian economy, which depends on the monsoon for agriculture and industry.
• It usually brings in colder than normal winters in India.
• La Nina influences the Indian subcontinent by piping in cold air from Siberia and South China, which interacts with the tropical heating to produce a north-south low-pressure system.
• The cold air of La Nina associated with this north-south trough tends to extend much further south into India.
  • This is remarkably different from the more northwest-southeast blast of cold air associated with El Nino.
  • The pressure pattern going north-south means lesser impact of western disturbances.
  • The cold temperature can go down as far as Tamil Nadu, but may not affect the North East that much.

Study shows growing zone of active tectonic deformation in northern Haryana plains south of Himalayas

• The piedmont zone of Haryana is actively deforming and could become a future seismic hazard zone, we found out in new research. Piedmont plains are situated at the foot of mountains or hills.
• In fact, the active tectonics and geodynamic framework of the area may have played a role in the extinction of the Vedic Saraswati river that once flowed through the region.
• The study focused on the piedmont alluvial plains and covered parts of Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts in Haryana and Mohali district in Punjab. There are signs of active tectonic deformations in the piedmont alluvial plains of northern Haryana.
• The convergence between the Indian tectonic plate and Eurasian plate resulted in the lifting of the Himalayan mountain belt. Along with the southward movement of the deformation front, the convergence also resulted in a significant shortening of the lithosphere.
• Some postulations suggest an active deformation is propagating further south of the Himalayan front. These deformations may be reaching the 10- to 25-kilometre-wide piedmont zone of the Indo-Gangetic alluvial plains.
• The piedmont zone of the present study area lies in seismic zone IV in the zonation map of India.
• The tectonically controlled evolution of the region’s landscape was further proven by characteristics like the debouching of the Ghaggar and Yamuna tributaries and seasonal streams into the piedmont zone from the Siwalik.
• We concluded that the piedmont alluvial zone of the Himalayan foreland basin is actively deforming. Paleoseismic investigations through trenching are also needed to understand stress partitioning in the region.

PM conveys best wishes on Kharchi Puja

• It is one of the main festivals of Tripura.
• It is performed during the months of July-August on the eighth day of the new moon.
• The meaning of Kharchi can be understood by splitting the word into two Tripuri words “Khar” or Kharta meaning sin and “Chi” or si meaning cleaning. Hence it signifies the cleansing of our sins.
• It occurs during the month of ‘Ashad’ on the ‘Shukla Ashtami’ day.
• The fourteen Gods are worshipped by the Royal priest, ‘Chantai.
• It lasts for seven days, and it takes place at old Agartala in the Fourteen Gods temple known as the ‘Chaturdasha Devata’ temple premises.
• The Kharchi Puja deities do not have a full body; they have only heads which are worshipped.
• On the day of the puja, the fourteen Gods are taken from the temple to the river Saidra by the Chantai members and given bathe with the holy river water, then carried back to the temple.
• This festival''s customs are completely related to the authentic Tripuri traditions.

2023 Global Competitiveness Index: India at 40, Ireland leaps to 2 & Singapore slides to 4

World Competitiveness Index

• The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY), was first published in 1989.
• It is a comprehensive annual report and worldwide reference point on the competitiveness of countries.
• It analyses and ranks countries according to how they manage their competencies to achieve long-term value creation.
• It is based on 336 competitiveness criteria and four factors, namely Economic performance, Government efficiency, Business efficiency, and Infrastructure.
• Denmark, Ireland, and Switzerland have been named the top three among 64 economies measured for their global competitiveness.
• India fell three rungs to finish 40th but is still in a better position than it was between 2019-2021 when it was placed 43rd three years in a row.
• India improved in government efficiency but fared slightly poorer than other countries in business efficiency, infrastructure, and economic performance.
• Specifically, the top three measures that helped India in its score are exchange rate stability, compensation levels, and improvements in pollution control.

Asia is spending big to battle low birth rates 

• The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is an estimate of the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime. A TFR of 2.1 is considered the replacement level, necessary to keep a population stable without immigration.
• The decline in fertility rates in Asian countries can be attributed to several factors, including higher living costs, increased opportunities for women in education and careers, cultural shifts towards smaller families, and government policies. Additionally, the high cost of raising children and lifestyle preferences also play significant roles.
• As of recent data, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are among the countries with the lowest fertility rates in Asia, all falling below a TFR of 1.
• Low fertility rates can lead to an aging population, which may result in a smaller workforce, higher dependency ratios, and increased pressure on social services and pension systems. This demographic shift can challenge economic stability and growth.
• Governments in countries with low fertility rates have implemented various measures to encourage childbirth, including financial incentives, parental leave policies, and support for childcare. For example, South Korea has invested significant funds to boost its fertility rates, although the impact has yet to reverse the trend.
• Many countries in East and Southeast Asia have some of the lowest fertility rates globally, contrasting sharply with some nations in Africa and the Middle East, where fertility rates are still above 3 or 4.

New rules aim to clamp down on corporate greenwashing

Greenwashing

• What is it? It is the process of conveying a false impression or misleading information about how a company’s products are environmentally sound.
• Greenwashing involves making an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly or have a greater positive environmental impact than they actually do.
• In addition, greenwashing may occur when a company attempts to emphasize sustainable aspects of a product to overshadow its involvement in environmentally damaging practices.
• Companies can also greenwash initiatives with vague claims that don''t provide real data or scientific validation for the claims.
• For example, a car vendor claims that a vehicle is eco-friendly because it is more fuel-efficient, while failing to mention or consider the larger industrial impact of vehicle manufacturing on the environment.

International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)

• It was created in 2021-22 to develop a worldwide standard for sustainability reporting.
• It is part of the independent International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) foundation, which also writes accounting rules used in more than 100 countries.
• The mission of the ISSB is to develop—in the public interest—a comprehensive global baseline of high-quality sustainability disclosure standards to meet investors’ information needs.

EPFO extends deadline to apply for higher pension till July 11

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)

• It is a statutory bodythat came into existence under the Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, of 1952.
• The Act and Schemes framed there under are administered by a tripartite Board known as the Central Board of Trustees, Employees'' Provident Fund, consisting of representatives of Government (Both Central and State), Employers, and Employees.
• The Board administers a contributory provident fund, a pension scheme, and an insurance scheme for the workforce engaged in the organized sector in India.
• It is one of the world’s largest organizations in terms of clientele and the volume of financial transactions undertaken by it.
• The Board is assisted by the Employees’ PF Organization (EPFO), consisting of offices at 122 locations across the country.
• The EPFO is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
• The Board operates three schemes, namely:
  • The Employees'' Provident Funds Scheme 1952 (EPF) and its features
    • Accumulation plus interest upon retirement and death.
    • Partial withdrawals allowed for education, marriage, illness, and house construction.
    • Housing scheme for EPFO members to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision of Housing for all by 2022.
  • The Employees'' Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS) and its features
    • The monthly benefit for superannuation/benefit, disability, survivor, widow(er), and children.
    • Minimum pension of disablement.
    • Past service benefit to participants of the erstwhile Family Pension Scheme, 1971.
• The Employees'' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme 1976 (EDLI)
  • The benefit is provided in case of the death of an employee who was a member of the scheme at the time of death.
  • The benefit amount is 20 times the wages, a maximum benefit of 6 Lakh.

Indian-origin satellite expert Aarti Holla-Maini appointed as UN Outer Space Affairs director

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

• It is the UN office responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
• It forms part of the United Nations Office at Vienna and serves as the Secretariat for the UN General Assembly''s only committee dealing exclusively with those issues: the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
• Functions:
  • UNOOSA implements the United Nations Programme on Space Applications (PSA). Under the Programme, UNOOSA conducts training courses, workshops, seminars and other activities on space applications.
  • On behalf of the UN Secretary-General, UNOOSA maintains the Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space and disseminates via its website that information recorded in the Register.
  • It also prepares and distributes documents, reports, studies and publications on various aspects of space science and technology applications and international space law.
  • It works to improve the use of space science and technology for the economic and social development of all countries, particularly developing countries.

Regulatory body tells OTT platform to take down content

Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC)

• It is an independent self-regulatory body for Online Curated Content (OCC) providers.
• It was set up under the aegis of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
• DPCGC has been recognised and registered by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting as Level II Self-Regulatory Body for publishers of OCC providers, under Information Technology (ntermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
• The DPCGC has an Online Curated Content Publishers (OCCP) Council composed of publishers of OCC as members and an independent Grievance Redressal Board [GRB] consisting of a chairperson and six members.
• The GRB will be chaired by a retired Supreme Court/High Court judge, and the members will comprise eminent persons from the media and entertainment industry and experts from various fields, including child rights, minority rights, and media law.
• Functions of GRB:
  • It will oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence to the Code of Ethics by the OCCP Council members.
  • Provide guidance to entities on the Code of Ethics.
  • Address grievances that have not been resolved by the publisher within 15 days.
  • Hear grievances/appeals filed by complainants.
• DPCGC, through the GRB aims to usher in a redressal mechanism which will ensure a balance between addressing viewer complaints and showcasing content in free-speech environment without ad-hoc interventions

Online Curated Content (OCC) Platforms

• OCC Platforms are companies that carry on the business which curates and presents a wide variety of content by means of online video-on-demand platforms.
• Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, Zee5, etc, are examples of OOC Platforms operating in India.
• These platforms operate on the basis of a “pull model”, whereby customers have the choice of viewing content as per their own convenience.

Hyenas inherit power from moms, but it’s a privilege they pay dearly for: Study

Hyenas

• Hyenas are doglike carnivores found in Asia and Africa and are noted for their scavenging habits.
• Family: Hyaenidae
• There are three hyena species — spotted (Crocuta Crocuta), brown (Arahyaena brunnea), and striped (Hyaena hyaena). Spotted hyenas are the largest of the three.
• Habitat: Forest edges, grasslands, savannas, sub-deserts, and even mountains at an elevation of about 13,000 feet.
• Distribution: These animals live throughout Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
• Features:
  • They are four-legged animals with scraggly fur and large ears.
  • They have long forelegs and a powerful neck and shoulders for dismembering and carrying prey.
  • They are tireless trotters with excellent sight, hearing, and smell for locating carrion, and they are proficient hunters as well.
  • All hyenas are more or less nocturnal.
  • These animals usually live for about 12 years, but they can live up to 25 years. Brown hyenas, however, typically have shorter lives.
• Conservation Status: According to IUCN, Spotted Hyena populations are of least concern. However, brown and striped hyenas are classified as near threatened.

DP World provides thermal drones to Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve to protect wildlife and intensify surveillance

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

• Location: It is located in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
• The origin of the name "Tadoba" lies with the name of the God "Tadoba" or "Taru", worshiped by the tribes who live in the dense forests of the Tadoba and Andhari regions. While "Andhari" refers to the Andhari River that meanders through the forest.
• The total area of the reserve is 625.4 square kilometers. This includes Tadoba National Park, covering 116.55 sq. KM, and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary of 508.85 sq. KM.
• Corridor: The reserve has corridor linkages with Nagzira-Navegaon and Pench Tiger Reserves within the State.
• Habitat: Biogeographically, the reserve falls in the Central Plateau Province of the Deccan Peninsula, with tropical dry deciduous forests and a typical Central Indian faunal assemblage.
• Flora:
  • Teak is the dominant tree species.
  • Other major tree species include Ain, Bamboo, Bija, Dhaoda, Haldu, Salai, Semal and Tendu.
  • Along the moist areas, species like Mango, Jamun and Arjun are found.
• Fauna:
  • The notable faunal species include tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, gaur, chital, and sambar.
  • As many as 280 species of birds are found, apart from reptiles (54 species), amphibians (11 species) and fishes (84 species).

Invasion of Whitefly takes toll on coconut trees in Pune

• These are winged insects that have soft bodies and are closely related to aphids.
• These are tiny, sap-sucking insects that may become abundant in vegetable and ornamental plantings, especially during warm weather.
• It is naturally distributed in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico (Martin, 2008), and subsequently, it has spread to 22 other countries in Central and South America.
• It mainly infests coconut palms and other broad-leaved hosts in its native range
• It is an invasive insect.

How the insect attacks

• The whitefly starts attacking the lower leaves of the coconut palm.
• It drains the sap from the underside of the leaf, producing a significant amount of honeydew, which settles on the upper surface of the next lower leaf, leading to the growth of black, sooty mould.
• This is the secondary infection from the whitefly infestation.
• It has a serious impact on the production of coconut.
• Not only does it reduce the size of the coconut, but it also decreases the coconut’s water content.

Parshottam Rupala launched NANDI Portal

• It is developed by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) in collaboration with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) through the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC).
• Significance
  • It will streamline the regulatory approval process for veterinary products.
  • It will enhance transparency and efficiency in assessing and examining proposals for veterinary drugs and vaccines.
  • It will be more streamlined through seamless integration with the SUGAM portal of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization.
  • It will promote the well-being of livestock and the livestock industry.
  • It will bring about growth and innovation by enabling quick and easy coordination between various Government departments and institutes.

Central Drugs Standard Control Organization

• It is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India for the medical devices industry under the provisions of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules.
• It works under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is the head of the CDSCO.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, CDSCO is responsible for,
  • Approval of New Drugs;
  • Conduct Clinical Trials;
  • Laying down the standards for Drugs;
  • Control over the quality of imported Drugs in the country;