UPSC QUIZ 23.05.2024

Explanation:

• Supreme Court of India has expressed deep concern over the inadequate measures being adopted to address the problem of solid waste management in New Delhi.
• The Supreme Court pointed out that out of the 11,000 tonnes of solid waste generated daily in the national capital, about 3,800 tonnes is not disposed of properly.
• A large portion of this untreated waste is being deposited in landfills, causing serious problems to public health and the environment.
• The Supreme Court has stressed the need for immediate solution while keeping it away from political conflicts.

Issues with India’s Solid Waste Management

• Solid Waste comprises solid or semi-solid household waste, sanitary waste, commercial waste, institutional waste, catering and market waste, as well as other non-residential wastes.
• It also includes street sweepings, silt collected from surface drains, horticulture waste, agriculture and dairy waste, treated biomedical waste (excluding industrial, bio-medical, and e-waste), battery, and radioactive waste.
• India accounts for roughly 18% of the world's population and 12% of global municipal waste generation.

Explanation:

• World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 was launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

• It is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime.
• It was established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention.

• UNODC is mandated to assist Member States in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism

Explanation:

• Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a warning about an increase in 'digital arrest' scams, where cybercriminals impersonate government officials to extort money from unsuspecting victims.
• The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), in collaboration with Microsoft, is actively combating this organised online economic crime.

Digital Arrest Scams

• Cybercriminal Impersonation: Scammers pose as personnel from various government agencies, including the police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Department, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), or Enforcement Directorate.
• Intimidation Tactics: Victims receive calls alleging their involvement in illegal activities, such as sending or receiving contraband items like drugs or fake passports.
• Claims may also involve a loved one supposedly caught in criminal activities or accidents, with the fraudsters demanding money to resolve the 'case'.

Explanation:

• Researchers studying Sea Anemones (Actiniaria) in the Lakshadweep group of islands have observed a large-scale bleaching event among the anemones off Agatti island.
• Sea anemone bleaching has been observed in Lakshadweep islands for the first time.
• Sea anemone bleaching refers to the process in which sea anemones lose their vibrant colours and turn white or pale due to loss of symbiotic photosynthetic algae from them.
• This can occur due to environmental stressors such as rising water temperatures, pollution, or changes in ocean chemistry.
• Bleaching causes sea anemones to lose their primary source of energy, rendering them more susceptible to diseases and leading to higher mortality rates.Sea anemone is an aquatic animal marked by soft bodies and an ability to sting.

Explanation:

• The Central Government has provided citizenship certificates to more than 300 people who applied under the Citizenship Act- CAA, 2019.
• The Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 were notified by the Home Ministry on March 11, 2024, paving the way for the implementation of the CAA, four years after it was passed by Parliament in December, 2019.
• The CAA provides citizenship to immigrants (undocumented) from 6 non-Muslim communities (Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian) from 3 neighboring countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan) who entered the country on or before December 31, 2014. Had entered India before that.
• Section 6B (introduced into the Citizenship Act of 1955 by the 2019 CAA) outlines a specific process for immigrants from the mentioned 3 neighboring countries to acquire Indian citizenship by naturalization.
• It reduced the period to qualify for citizenship from the existing 11 years to 5 years.
• The Act states that such minorities "shall not be treated as illegal immigrants" and will be exempted from penal sections under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and Section 3 of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
• The insertion of Section 6B allows such migrants to acquire citizenship through registration and naturalization.