Daily Current Affairs

November 3, 2024

Table of content

1. Punjab paddy procurement crosses 8.5 MT, Centre says ops in full swing
2. Punjab records 379 farm fire cases, maximum 66 in Sangrur district
3. Unprecedented floods that killed more than 200 in Spain
4. The key takeaways from COP-16
5. A decade of India’s transformative sanitation mission
6. India commits to protect 30% land, marine area in upgraded biodiversity plan
7. The PM scheme is predominantly offered by energy, automotive, and banking sectors for internships
8. India may extend bid deadline for coal gasification scheme
9. Firms sanctioned by US not in violation of Indian laws: MEA
10. Eye on moon voyage, Isro gets 1st analog space mission

1. Punjab paddy procurement crosses 8.5 MT, Centre says ops in full swing:

Punjab Procures 85.41 Lakh tonnes of Paddy in 2024-25 Kharif Marketing Season

• Punjab procured 85.41 Lakh tonnes of paddy valued at Rs 19,800 crore.
• Procurement operations resumed after initial weather-related delays.
• Around 90.69 Lakh tonnes of paddy arrived in mandis till November 2.
• Payments worth Rs 19,800 crore reached about 4 lakh farmers.
• Centre fixed a procurement target of 185 Lakh tonnes for the season.
• Procurement is carried out at Rs 2,320 per quintal MSP for ‘Grade A’ paddy.
• Rice Millers Apply for Paddy Shelling Operations
• 4,640 rice millers applied.
• State government allocates work to 4,132 millers.
• Procurement operations conducted through FCI and MSP agencies.

2. Punjab records 379 farm fire cases, maximum 66 in Sangrur district:

Punjab’s Farm Fires Increase

• Punjab recorded 379 farm fires on Saturday, with Sangrur district reporting the highest number of 66 incidents.
• The state recorded the biggest spike in farm fires on Friday with 587 cases, with Sangrur reporting the highest number of 79.
• From September 15 to November 2, the state has seen 3,916 farm-fire cases.
• Ferozepur district reported 50 farm fires, Tarn Taran 42, Amritsar 27, Bathinda 28, Moga 26, Patiala 21.
• The state recorded 219 farm fires on Tuesday, raising the season’s count to 2,356.
• The state is currently preparing for paddy procurement, with stubble burning blamed for rising air pollution levels in Delhi.
• Punjab produces around 180-200 lakh tonnes of paddy straw annually.
• The state recorded 36,663 farm fires in 2023, a 26% drop from the previous year.

3. Unprecedented floods that killed more than 200 in Spain:

Flash Floods in Eastern Spain

• Heavy downpours caused flash floods, trapping people and destroying livelihoods.
• Authorities recovered 213 bodies, mostly in eastern Valencia region, four days later.
• The storms concentrated over the Magro and Turia river basins and the Poyo riverbed, creating walls of water that overflowed riverbanks.
• The muddy water covered roads, railways, and entered houses and businesses in towns and villages on the southern outskirts of Valencia city.
• The national weather service in the hard-hit locality of Chiva rained more in eight hours than it had in the preceding 20 months, calling the deluge “extraordinary.”
• Scientists suggest two likely connections to human-caused climate change: warmer air holding and then dumps more rain, and possible changes in the jet stream that spawn extreme weather.
• The immediate cause of the flooding is called a cut-off lower-pressure storm system that migrated from an unusually wavy and stalled jet stream.
• The extreme weather event came after Spain battled with prolonged droughts in 2022 and 2023, and experts say that drought and flood cycles are increasing with climate change.
• The flash floods also surpassed the flood that swept away a campsite along the Gallego river in Biescas, in the northeast, in August 1996.

Flash Floods in Spain: Causes and Impact

• Scientists link flash floods to human-caused climate change.
• Warmer air holds and dumps more rain.
• Possible changes in the jet stream, the river of air above land, spawn extreme weather.
• The immediate cause is a cut-off lower-pressure storm system that migrated from an unusually wavy jet stream.
• The Mediterranean Sea’s unusually high temperature, its warmest on record in mid-August, also contributes.
• The extreme weather event occurred after prolonged droughts in 2022 and 2023.

Spain’s Mediterranean Coast Experiences Powerful Flash Floods

• The Mediterranean coast in Spain is experiencing the most powerful flash flood event in recent memory.
• Older people in Paiporta claim the floods were three times as bad as those of 1957, causing at least 81 deaths.
• The floods led to the diversion of the Turia watercourse, allowing a large part of the city to be spared.
• Valencia has experienced two major DANAs in the 1980s, one causing around 30 deaths and another breaking rainfall records five years later.
• The flash floods are Spain’s deadliest natural tragedy in living memory.

4. The key takeaways from COP-16:

Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) 16th Edition in Cali, Colombia

• The convention, which was set to conclude on November 1, involved about 190 countries and was due to conclude on November 1.
• The convention follows the 2022 meeting in Montreal, Canada, where countries agreed to protect 30% of land and water by 2030.
• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) set 23 action-oriented global targets for urgent action in the decade to 2030.
• Key goals include reducing the introduction of invasive alien species by 50%, reducing pollution risks, setting up a mechanism for benefit-sharing from digital sequence information, and integrating biodiversity into policies, regulations, planning, and development processes.
• Despite estimates of $200 billion required annually to achieve these targets, less than tenth of this money has been committed.
• Negotiators have decided to set up a subsidiary body to include indigenous groups and peoples in conservation and biodiversity discussions.
• Major texts adopted include agreements on biodiversity and climate change, mainstreaming biodiversity, putting a check on invasive species, and the technical needs to support the implementation of the KMBGF.
• India’s contribution to COP-16 included an updated biodiversity plan, stating it expects to spend around ₹81,664 crore from 2025-30 on biodiversity and conservation.

COP 16: AI in Global Ecosystems Atlas Development

• Launched at COP 16, combining AI, earth observation technology, and field data for ecosystem mapping and monitoring.
• First intergovernmental effort to collect best ecosystem data from countries.
• Finalized mechanism for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from digital genetic information.
• Agreement to expand role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity conservation.
• Commitment to provide at least $30 billion a year of nature finance by the end of the decade.
• Permanent body for Indigenous people to have more influence over negotiations.
• Recognition of contributions of certain African descent communities in Latin America.

5. A decade of India’s transformative sanitation mission:

The Swachh Bharat Mission, a global sanitation revolution, is not just a success for India but also a significant achievement globally.

Swachh Bharat Mission

• Launched on October 2, 2014, aimed at improving sanitation in India.
• Aims to improve survival, dignity, empowerment, and prosperity.
• Led by the Prime Minister, the mission has transformed lives of nearly 500 million people, half of India’s population.
• Achieved Open Defecation Free status by providing safe toilets at home in less than a decade.
• Prime Minister of India praised SBM as the world’s largest and most successful people-led public movement.

Swachh Bharat Mission: Transformational Impact on India

• Safe sanitation has saved lives for children, reducing diarrhoea and malnutrition.
• Children often advocate for change, teaching their parents, family, friends, and neighbors about hygiene practices.
• The SBM has empowered women, particularly in rural areas, by promoting safety, dignity, better health, and freedom from fear.
• Women are not just passive beneficiaries of safe sanitation but active leaders in promoting it, as seen in programmes like ‘Rani Mistris’.
• Empowering women to lead benefits the entire community, making them partners in the fight for better sanitation, better health, and a better life.

India’s Sanitation Revolution: A Global Progress

• India’s sanitation revolution extends beyond open defecation (ODF) status to include waste management, including organic and plastic waste collection and composting.
• This shift in behavior has given sanitation workers a sense of pride and dignity, and empowered them to build a healthier, more sustainable future.
• Political will and leadership at the national and local levels have played a key role in this progress.
• UNICEF has been a crucial partner in India’s sanitation journey, supporting the government with handpumps, handwashing, and environmental sustainability.
• India’s sanitation revolution contributes to the global Sustainable Development Goals and can be shared with the world.
• As India grows, the challenges surrounding sanitation, especially in the context of environmental sustainability, will continue to grow. UNICEF’s support to the Indian government and people remains steadfast for achieving these goals.

6. India commits to protect 30% land, marine area in upgraded biodiversity plan:

India’s diverse topography and climate make it a global biodiversity power, home to over 55,000 plant taxa and 100,000 animal species.

India’s Updated Biodiversity Action Plan

• India has launched an updated biodiversity action plan, aiming to protect at least 30% of its terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine areas by 2030.
• The plan aligns with 23 national targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
• The KMGBF aims to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean areas by 2030.
• The plan also aims to restore degraded ecosystems to ensure they continue providing essential resources.
• India, one of the 17 megadiverse countries, spent around ₹32,200 crore on biodiversity protection, conservation, and restoration between 2017-2018 and 2021-2022.

India’s Biodiversity Goals

• ‘Reducing Threats to Biodiversity’ theme: eight targets, focusing on major threats: land and sea use changes, pollution, species overuse, climate change, and invasive alien species.
• Biodiversity-inclusive planning aims to reduce loss of highly biodiverse areas to “close to zero” by 2030.
• High-resolution geospatial data used to identify rich, biodiverse areas and endangered ecosystems.
• Forest working plans prepared for each area, adhering to a national working plan.
• Focus on “integrated coastal management” for India’s rich river basins.

India’s New Biodiversity Conservation Strategy

• Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, has released the updated National Biodiversity Strategy (NBSAP) to address biodiversity loss by 2030.
• The strategy includes restoring ecosystems, managing species and genetic diversity, and ensuring the legal, sustainable use of wild species.
• The NBSAP aligns with India’s governance framework for biodiversity conservation, exemplified by the Biological Diversity Act of 2002 and its amendments of 2023.
• However, experts argue that actions do not align with the targets, citing threats posed by unsustainable development and the disruption of sensitive areas.

Regulatory Protection and Biodiversity Conservation in India

• Lack of regulatory protection leads to increased afforestation, causing harm to ecosystems.
• Re-evaluation and strengthening of environmental legislation is needed to prioritize biodiversity conservation.
• India’s diverse topography and climate make it a global biodiversity power, home to over 55,000 plant taxa and over 100,000 animal species.

7. The PM scheme is predominantly offered by energy, automotive, and banking sectors for internships:

The PM internship scheme has offered over 125,000 internships, with energy, automotive, banking, financial services, and travel and tourism sectors accounting for two-thirds of these opportunities.

Internship Opportunities Overview

• Oil, gas, and energy sectors offer over 29,100 internships.
• Automotive sector offers over 22,000 internships.
• Travel and tourism industry provides 15,639 internships.
• Banking and financial services offer 12,265 opportunities.
• Metals, mining, and manufacturing sectors offer 8,000-9,000 internships each.
• Indian Government Plans to Launch Industry-led Skill Development Scheme
• The government has set up a dedicated portal for candidates to register for the PM internship scheme.
• The scheme aims to shortlist 100,000 candidates for internships by December.
• The union budget for FY25 aims to offer internships to 10 million people in five years, in top 500 companies.
• About 280 companies have offered internships so far, including Jubilant Foodworks Ltd., Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd., Reliance Industries Ltd., and Eicher Motors Ltd.
• Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have the highest share of internships across 745 districts.
• Aditya Ghosh, Chairman of CII National Committee on Skill Development and Livelihood, said the scheme marks a significant step toward Industry-led skilling.
• Over 300,000 candidates have registered on the PM internship portal.
• The scheme comes at a time of labour market shift due to digitisation and greater automation, which demand newer skills among job seekers.
• The PM internship scheme targets candidates from the economically disadvantaged section of society, excluding those with income above ₹8 lakh in FY24, those with professional degrees offered by the Indian Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Management and National Law Universities, chartered accountants and MBBS degree holders.

8. India may extend bid deadline for coal gasification scheme:

Union Government May Extend VGF Bid Submission Deadline for Coal Gasification Projects

• The Union government may extend the deadline for bid submissions under the viability gap funding (VGF) scheme for coal gasification.
• Some companies have requested extensions beyond November 11, the current submission deadline.
• The extension is being considered due to the significant time required for preparing project feasibility reports.
• Cabinet Approves Coal and Lignite Gasification Promotion Scheme
• Scheme approved for promotion of coal and lignite gasification projects for PSUs and private sector.
• Outlay of ₹8,500 crore for incentive for coal gasification projects.
• Three categories: public, private sectors, and startups.
• PSUs: ₹4,050 crore for up to three projects supported by a lump-sum grant of ₹1,350 crore or 15% of capex.
• Demonstrations and small-scale product-based gasification plants: ₹600 crore, lump sum grant of ₹100 crore or 15% of capex.

Coal Gasification Projects in India

• The bid submission date is November 11th and the agreement execution date is May 13th, 2025.
• The commercial scale coal gasification projects are expected to be completed by May 2030.
• Coal gasification is a cleaner alternative to burning coal but is cost-intensive.
• High ash content in Indian coal is a technical barrier to its adoption.
• The government is offering incentives to attract investments in coal gasification.
• The Viability Gap Funding Scheme (VGF) scheme has an investment potential of over ₹4 trillion.
• Investments in coal gasification projects could replace a portion of India’s natural gas imports.
• Coal gasification is a capital-intensive process, with 50% of the levelised cost of brown hydrogen accounted for by interest, depreciation, and return on equity.
• Major projects include joint venture projects with BHEL, GAIL, SAIL, Sonepur Bazari, and the Durgapur Steel Plant.

9. Firms sanctioned by US not in violation of Indian laws: MEA:

Indian Government Responds to US Sanctions on Indian Entities

• The Indian government is in contact with American authorities to clarify issues following US sanctions on Indian entities linked to Russia.
• The government emphasizes India’s “robust” legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade and non-proliferation controls.
• The ministry of external affairs is working with relevant departments to sensitize Indian companies about export control provisions.
• The US has also sanctioned companies from China, Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkiye for supplying Russia with advanced technology and equipment.
• The action targets domestic Russian importers and producers of key inputs and material for Russia’s military-industrial base.

10. Eye on moon voyage, Isro gets 1st analog space mission:

India’s First Analog Space Mission Launched at Leh, Ladakh

• India’s first analog space mission is underway at Leh, Ladakh, where space agency Isro will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat.
• Analog space missions simulate extreme space environments and are crucial for spaceflight research.
• Ladakh’s geographical features, including dry climate, barren land, high-altitude terrain, and isolation, are ideal for such missions.
• The mission, supported by Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and Ladakh Aunomous Hill Development Council, aims to simulate life in an interplanetary habitat.
• The mission includes a compact, inflatable habitat named Hab-1, equipped with essentials for long-duration space missions.
• The low-pressure, low-oxygen setting allows researchers to evaluate life support systems under conditions similar to Mars.