GlobE Network

Context:

• India elected to GlobE Network steering committee in Beijing

News:

• India was elected to the 15-member steering committee of the global anti-corruption platform GlobE Network after multi-stage voting in Beijing.

More on the news:

• Having 121 member countries and 219 member authorities, the GlobE Network has one chair, one vice-chair and thirteen members in the steering committee for providing leadership.
• India was elected to the steering committee after a multi-stage voting process during the ongoing fifth plenary meeting of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network) in Beijing.
• As a member of the steering committee, India will play a crucial role in shaping the global agenda against corruption and asset recovery.
• India’s expertise and experience in combating corruption will be valuable assets to GlobE Network.
• The Union Home Ministry is the central authority from India for the GloBE Network while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are member authorities.
• A G20 initiative, the GlobE Network to combat cross-border financial crimes and corruption received strong support from India in 2020.
• The platform was officially launched in June 2021 during a special event at the UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption (UNGASS).
• It has emerged as a unique platform where agencies from across the world share best practices, criminal intelligence, develop strategies, and support in the common cause of combating corruption, the CBI statement said.
• The GlobE Network is a vital platform for international cooperation, and India’s participation will strengthen its efforts to combat cross-border financial crimes and corruption.
• During India’s G20 presidency, two high-level principles for combatting corruption were adopted that detailed leveraging of the GloBE Network.

PARAM Rudra Supercomputers

Context:

• Prime Minister Modi dedicates to nation three PARAM Rudra Supercomputer
• PM also inaugurated a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system tailored for weather and climate research

About PARAM Rudra Supercomputers:

• Developed indigenously under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), these supercomputers have been deployed in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata to facilitate pioneering scientific research.
• These supercomputers will play a crucial role towards making such state-of-the-art technology available to young scientists in the country and highlighted its usage in aiding advanced research in the fields of physics, earth sciences and cosmology.
• Such sectors envision the future of science and technology.
• Giant Metre Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune will leverage the supercomputer to explore Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and other astronomical phenomena.
• Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in Delhi will enhance research in fields like material science and atomic physics.
• N. Bose Centre in Kolkata will drive advanced research in areas such as physics, cosmology, and earth sciences.

HPC system:

• ‘Arka’ and ‘Arunika’ – a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system tailored for weather and climate research.
• India’s capacity for weather forecasting will increase allowing for hyper-local and more accurate predictions with the advent of High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems and supercomputers.
• Located at two key sites, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune and the National Center for Medium Range Weather Forecast (NCMRWF) in Noida, this HPC system has extraordinary computing power.
• The new HPC systems are named ‘Arka’ and ‘Arunika,’ reflecting their connection to the Sun.
• These high-resolution models will significantly enhance the accuracy and lead time of predictions related to tropical cyclones, heavy precipitation, thunderstorms, hailstorms, heat waves, droughts, and other critical weather phenomena.

World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA)

Context:

• India to Host the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) in Delhi

About WTSA 2024:

• India is set to make a significant mark in the telecommunications sector by hosting the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) in New Delhi.
• This will be the first time such a pivotal ITU standards conference is held in Asia.
• Over 190 nations will gather to shape the future of global telecom standards, highlighting India’s growing influence in the global telecom industry.
• It also marks the country’s growing importance in the global technology landscape.
• The WTSA is a quadrennial event and serves as the governing conference of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) Standardization Sector (ITU-T).
• It is one of the three world conferences organized by the International Telecommunication Union, an entity within the United Nations system.
• This event plays a pivotal role in setting global telecommunication standards, making India’s hosting of the WTSA a significant milestone.

Kasturirangan committee report

Context:

• Karnataka rejects Kasturirangan committee report

News:

• The Karnataka government decided to reject the Kasturirangan committee report on the protection of the ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) Western Ghats region from environmental degradation, despite advocating in the last few months that the report would be reviewed.
• The Centre, based on the Kasturirangan committee report, had in 2014 published a draft notification identifying the ESAs and suggested measures for its protection.

Recommendations of the Kasturirangan committee report:

• The Kasturirangan committee report proposes 37 per cent of the total area of Western Ghats, which is roughly 60,000 square kilometres, to be declared as eco-sensitive area (ESA).
• Out of this, 20,668 sq km of the area falls in Karnataka covering 1,576 villages.
• The report recommended a blanket ban on mining, quarrying, setting up of red category industries and thermal power projects.
• It also stated that the impact of infrastructural projects on the forest and wildlife should be studied before permission is given for these activities.
• It also stated that the UNESCO Heritage tag is an opportunity to build global and domestic recognition of the enormous natural wealth that exists in the Western Ghats.
• The 39 sites are located across the Western Ghats and distributed across the states (Kerala 19), Karnataka (10), Tamil Nadu (6) and Maharashtra (4).
• The boundary of the sites, are in most cases, boundaries of the legally demarcated national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves and forest divisions and therefore, already accorded with high level of protection.
• The Eco-Sensitive Area mapping and demarcation done by the committee also indicates that all sites are within this area.
• The state governments should view this development and build a plan to protect, conserve and value the resources and opportunities of the region.
• The state of Karnataka has the highest percentage of the ESA- 46.50 per cent.

Reasons for successive governments in Karnataka rejected the report:

• The state government believes that implementation of the report will halt the developmental activities in the region.
• The political representatives from Uttara Kannada district have always opposed the Kasturirangan report since 600-plus villages will fall under the eco-sensitive area if the report is implemented.
• The state government also opposed the implementation of the report in 2014.
• The union government since 2014 has issued several draft notifications to the Karnataka government to finalise the eco-sensitive areas in the Western Ghats but the government has been firm in rejecting the implementation of the report.

Impact of non-implementation of the report:

• Considering the changes in climate (evident from recurring floods, droughts, landslides, increasing temperature, etc), which would affect the livelihood of all people (irrespective of poor or rich) and hurt the nation’s economy, it is prudent to conserve the fragile ecosystems that costs less compared to the situation prone to calamities (with changes in the climate) than spending money /resources for restoration / rejuvenation.

Antivenoms

Context:

• Region-Specific Antivenoms can Improve Treatment of Monocled Cobra Bites

News:

• Species-Specific and region-specific antivenoms are needed for improving treatment of monocled cobra bites, according to a new study.

More on the news:

• The Monocled Cobra (Naja kaouthia), an Elapidae snake, inhabits eastern and northeastern India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and southern China.
• Neurotoxicity and regional tissue destruction are the chief symptoms of N. kaouthia (NK) envenomation, which is a severe medical condition.
• Unfortunately, NK envenomation data is scarce due to poor record-keeping, lack of diagnostic kits, and poorly coordinated epidemiological investigations across regions.
• A group of scientists carried out proteomic and biochemical investigations to explore the diversity in NK venom (NKV) composition across different geographic regions.
• They found that the variability in lethality and pathophysiological presentation resulting from the qualitative and quantitative variations in toxin isoforms (proteins with similar amino acid sequences) may constrain the efficacy of antivenom therapy.
• The researchers measured venom-specific antibodies in commercial antivenoms and found lack of such antibodies against NKV in the commercial samples.
• Hence the lethality and toxicity of different NKV samples were not effectively neutralized by commercial polyvalent antivenom (PAV).
• The study published in the Elsevier journal Toxicon, has recommended inclusion of species specific and region-specific antibodies against NKV in commercial PAV mixture for better management of NK envenomation.
• Besides, the researchers have also suggested clinical investigations on NK envenomation in areas where the snake is commonly found and assessment of the relationship between this information and the local NKV composition.

L69 and C-10

Context:

• L69, C-10 countries seek urgent reform of UNSC

News:

• The L69 group of countries, of which India is a part, met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
• The group held a joint meeting with the C-10 group of ten African countries.
• Both the L69 and the G4 reaffirmed their strong support to the Common African Position (CAP) based on the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration on UNSC reforms.

About L69 Group of Developing Countries:

• The L69 Group is a group of developing countries from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific (Small Island Developing States).
• They form a major bloc that is united by the common cause of achieving the lasting and comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council.
• The group currently has 32 countries as its members.
• The Group is bound by the firm conviction that expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the Security Council is imperative to better reflect contemporary world realities, and achieve a more accountable, representative, transparent and more importantly a ‘relevant’ Security Council.
• The Group derives its name from the draft document number “L.69” that the Group had tabled in 2007-08, which led to the initiation of the Intergovernmental Negotiation (IGN) process.
• The Group had tabled a draft resolution on the “Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters.”
• The Group meetings are held regularly (preferably once a month at PR/DPR level) to coordinate its position on the IGN process currently underway in the United Nations.
• The Mission of India serves as the Secretariat for the meetings of the L.69 Group of Developing Countries.
• Some Member States of the L.69 Group of Developing Countries include: St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, India, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, Burundi, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Venezuela, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Bahamas and Seychelles.

Committee of Ten (C-10):

• The Committee of Ten African Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors (The C-10) was created during a meeting of Ministers and Governors in Tunis in November 2008.
• The members of the C-10 are the following countries and institutions: Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, the Central Bank of West African States (CBWAS), and the Central Bank of Central African States (CBCAS).
• The Tunis meeting was convened to assess the potential impacts of the then looming global financial and economic crisis on Africa, and to deliberate on effective responses.
• At its creation the C-10 was charged with the following objectives:
• Monitoring the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on Africa and discuss options for policy responses
• Advocating enhanced African participation in governance of international financial institutions (IFIs)
• Identifying strategic economic priorities for Africa and developing a clear strategy for Africa’s engagement with the G-20.
• Achieving these objectives required that the C-10 meet periodically to deliberate on these important issues as well as on prospects for recovery and sustaining long-term growth.