Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

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U.S. challenges Indian export programmes at WTO

News

• Turning the heat further on India on trade issues, the United States has challenged India’s export subsidy programmes at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Beyond News

• The move comes close on the heels of a string of statements accusing India of “unfair” trade practices, by President Donald Trump. U.S.
• Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer said Washington has requested dispute settlement consultations with the Government of India at the WTO on the issue.
• Trump had threatened to raise duties on products from India.
• Unlike the many trade disputes between India and America that are sector specific or product specific, the new move by Mr. Lighthizer a trade hawk closely in alignment with Mr. Trump’s nationalist economic policies  is broad and sweeping, in targeting the whole range of Indian export subsidy programmes.
• Mukesh Aghi, president of the United States-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), said the case would not alter the long-term trajectory of bilateral trade partnership.

‘Alarming rise in hate crimes’

News

• Amnesty International India, which launched an interactive data website that documents hate crimes, has said there is an “alarming increase” in the number of crimes against people from the marginalised groups, especially Dalits and Muslims.

Beyond News

• The website documents hate crimes from September 2015.
• A hate crime(also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime^[1]) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership (or perceived membership) in a certain social group or race.

U.P. on top

• The interactive data website “Halt the Hate” notes that 40 of the total 200 hate crimes across the country in 2017 were from Uttar Pradesh.
• Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan reported 18 each. It also shows that 141 of these crimes were against Dalits and 44 were against Muslims.
• The website documents alleged hate crimes from September 2015, since Mohammad Akhlaq was killed in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly killing a cow.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Navy inducts two mircolight aircraft

News

• Two microlight Garud (Virus SW80) aircraft were inducted into the Indian Naval Air Squadron 550 ‘Flying Fish’ at the Southern Naval Air Command.

Beyond News

• Garud is a fixed-wing aircraft having low weight, slow landing speed and short landing roll and the first of its type to have been inducted into Indian naval aviation.
• Induction of Garud into the Navy will play a key role in enhancing bird survey, thus augmenting measures to tackle bird hazard and promoting flight safety.
• Garud will be the 14th type of aircraft to join INAS 550 since its commissioning in 1959.
• The squadron currently operates Dornier DO 228 aircraft used for maritime surveillance, search and rescue and training of pilots and observers .

 

Space travel causes changes to genes

News

• Space travel caused lasting changes to 7% of genes of astronaut Scott Kelly, according to a NASA study which compared his DNA to that of his identical twin brother, who remained on the earth.
• NASA’s Twins Study brought ten research teams together to accomplish one goal: find out what happens to the human body after spending one year in space.

Twin study

• Reports included data on what happened to Scott Kelly, physiologically and psychologically, while he was in space, and compared the data to Mark Kelly, as a control subject on the earth.
• Researchers also presented what happened to Scott Kelly after he returned to the earth. By measuring large numbers of metabolites, cytokines, and proteins, researchers learned that spaceflight is associated with oxygen deprivation stress, increased inflammation, and dramatic nutrient shifts that affect gene expression.
• After returning to the earth, Scott Kelly started the process of re-adapting to gravity. Most of the biological changes he experienced in space quickly returned to nearly his preflight status. Some changes returned to baseline within hours or days of landing, while a few persisted after six months.
• Scott’s telomeres end caps of chromosomes that shorten as one ages  actually became significantly longer in space.
• A new finding is that the majority of those telomeres shortened within two days of Scott’s return to the earth. Researchers now know that 93% of Scott’s genes returned to normal after landing.
• However, the remaining 7% points to possible longer term changes in genes related to his immune system, DNA repair, bone formation networks, hypoxia and hypercapnia.

Ban on plastic from Gudi Padwa

News

• The Maharashtra State Cabinet decided to impose a ban on plastic products from Gudi Padwa, which falls on March 18. Violation of the ban will invite penal action against sellers and users.

Beyond News

• The department has omitted items such as flex, non-woven polypropylene bags, banners, flags, decorative door hangings, plastic sheets, and all types of plastic wrappers.
• According to the sources in the Environment department, the ban will be effective only on manufacture, use, storage, distribution and sale of plastic carry bags, thermocol and plastic plates, cups, glasses, forks, bowls and spoons.
• Violators would be fined ₹25,000 and could also face a three-year jail term.
• An empowered committee has been formed to discuss the ban on rest of the plastic goods.
• The State has already banned the production and distribution of plastic carry bags thinner than 50 microns and smaller than 8×12 inches.
• But no visible, effective impact is seen on the ground.

After Effects

• Environmental problems due to non-biodegradable plastic are on the rise. Water clogging due to plastic bags causes health hazards.
• Animals are eating these bags, and marine animals are endangered too.

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