Daily Current Affairs and News Analysis 30-01-2025

News Trigger: Investigation into attack on a Bollywood actor highlighted the importance of fingerprint evidence in crime solving.

Fingerprint Use: Used to confirm prior criminal records or match prints from crime scenes to suspects.

Legal Framework: The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 allows storage of fingerprints of those arrested for crimes punishable by over a year in prison. Henry Classification System (HCS) is used for unique pattern identification.

Constitutional Position: Article 20(3) protects against self-incrimination, but this protection doesn’t extend to compulsory provision of fingerprints.

Judicial View – Kathi Kalu Oghad Case (1961): SC ruled compulsory fingerprinting does not violate Article 20(3).

Judicial View – Ritesh Sinha vs State of Uttar Pradesh Case (2019): Expanded the scope to include voice samples without violating self-incrimination rights.

Judicial View – Selvi vs Karnataka Case (2010): Narco-analysis and lie-detector tests (if forced) do violate self-incrimination rights.

Why it matters: Fingerprint evidence is a crucial tool in criminal investigations but must be balanced with constitutional rights against self-incrimination. Court rulings define the boundaries of acceptable evidence collection.

Central Government Approval: The central government has approved the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme (MCGS) for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This is significant because it aims to ease access to finance for MSMEs.

Guarantee Coverage: The scheme offers 60% guarantee coverage by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) for credit facilities up to ₹100 crore. This reduces the risk for lenders, encouraging them to lend to MSMEs.

Purpose of Loans: The scheme is designed for loans to MSMEs for the purchase of equipment/machinery. This promotes investment in productive assets and modernization.

Loan Eligibility: Borrowers must be MSMEs with a valid Udyam Registration Number. This ensures that the scheme targets genuine MSMEs.

Project Cost Allocation: A minimum of 75% of the project cost must be allocated for equipment or machinery. This focuses the loans on asset creation.

Repayment Period & Moratorium: Repayment periods can extend up to 8 years with up to a 2-year moratorium on principal installments for loans up to ₹50 crore. Flexibility in repayment terms helps MSMEs manage their cash flow.

Upfront Contribution: A 5% upfront contribution of the loan amount is required at the time of application. This demonstrates the borrower’s commitment.

Annual Guarantee Fees: No fees during the year of sanction. During the next 3 years, it shall be 1.5% p.a. of loan outstanding as on March 31 of previous year. Thereafter, Annual Guarantee Fee shall be 1% p.a. of loan outstanding as on March 31 of previous year.

Scheme Duration: The scheme is applicable to loans sanctioned within 4 years from the operational guidelines’ issue date, or until cumulative guarantees of ₹7 lakh crore are issued, whichever is earlier. This sets a timeline and a limit for the scheme’s operation.

Tribute Paid: The Prime Minister paid tribute to Lala Lajpat Rai on his 160th birth anniversary. This highlights his continued relevance in Indian history.

Birth & Identity: Born on January 28, 1865, in Punjab, he was known as ‘Punjab Kesari’. This establishes his geographical roots and a popular title reflecting his regional significance.

INC Leader & Lal-Bal-Pal: A prominent figure in the Indian National Congress (INC) and a member of the influential Lal-Bal-Pal trio. This emphasizes his political standing and association with other key freedom fighters.

Opposition to Partition of Bengal & Support for Non-Cooperation Movement: He opposed the Partition of Bengal (1905) and supported the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920). This showcases

Home Rule League of America Founder: He founded the Home Rule League of America (1917). This indicates his efforts to garner international support for India’s independence.

Protest Against Rowlatt Act & Jallianwala Bagh: He protested against the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. This highlights his opposition to oppressive British policies.

Death During Simon Commission Protest (1928): He died from injuries sustained during a lathi charge while protesting the Simon Commission (1928). This underscores his ultimate sacrifice for the cause of independence.

Legal Challenges: The Lateral Entry Scheme (LES) is challenged for potentially conflicting with Article 309 of the Constitution regarding public servant recruitment rules and for excluding reservations, which undermines social justice.

Short Tenure: The 3-year contract tenure may be insufficient for effective governance adaptation and accountability.

Scale & Justification: Using Article 310 for large-scale recruitment of senior, non-permanent roles is debated. The necessity is questioned given existing officer pools.

Conflict of Interest: Concerns arise about potential biases influencing policy due to private-sector backgrounds, and insufficient vetting processes for appointees.

Bureaucratic Morale: The influx of lateral entrants may negatively impact the morale of career bureaucrats, potentially leading to resistance and hostility.

Reservation Issue: Lateral entry positions are exempt from reservation policies due to being considered “single posts,” leading to opposition and withdrawal of recruitment efforts in some instances.

NITI Aayog Launches Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2025: Aims to improve fiscal governance by evaluating the fiscal health of 18 major Indian states for 2022-23.

Comprehensive Evaluation Tool: The FHI assesses states using five sub-indices: Quality of Expenditure, Revenue Mobilization, Fiscal Prudence, Debt Index, and Debt Sustainability.

Objective: To guide state-level policy interventions for sustainable economic growth, fiscal consolidation, and improved resource management.

Encourages Competition: Motivates states to align fiscal strategies with national economic goals.

Top Performers: Odisha leads with the highest FHI score, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, and Gujarat. Strengths include Debt Index, Revenue Mobilization, and Fiscal Prudence.

Revenue Mobilization Leaders: Goa, Telangana, and Odisha demonstrate strong revenue generation and fiscal prudence.

Challenges for Some States: Punjab, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala face significant fiscal challenges. Punjab and Kerala struggle with debt sustainability and expenditure quality. Andhra Pradesh struggles with high Fiscal Deficits.

Capital Expenditure: Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh allocate a high percentage to capital expenditure, promoting long-term investments. West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan allocate the lowest percentages to capital expenditure.

Debt Management Disparities: Odisha and Goa manage debt effectively, while West Bengal and Punjab exhibit growing debt burdens, raising sustainability concerns.

Drone Attack on El-Fasher Hospital: A recent drone strike on one of the last operational hospitals in El-Fasher, Darfur, resulted in 67 deaths and numerous injuries. This highlights the escalating violence and its direct impact on civilian infrastructure and healthcare access in the region.

Darfur’s Location and Size: Darfur is a region in western Sudan, bordering Libya to the north and Chad to the west. It covers a vast area of approximately 440,000 sq km.

Geographical Diversity: Darfur’s landscape includes rolling plains, volcanic highlands (Marrah Mountains), deserts, and seasonal water sources.

Historical Significance: Darfur was an independent sultanate until 1916, when it was annexed by Sudan. The name “Darfur” means “land of the Fur” in Arabic, referencing the Fur tribe’s historical rule.

Diverse Population: Darfur is home to about 80 tribes and ethnic groups, including nomadic and sedentary communities. Arabs are the majority in the north, while Arabs and Fur predominate in the south. Other groups include Beja, Zaghawa, Nubian, and Daju peoples.

Darfur Plateau Location: The Darfur Plateau is located in the western part of Sudan, within the Darfur region.

Sudan’s Capital: Sudan’s capital city is Khartoum, located at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers.

RNA therapy is emerging as a promising approach for treating genetic disorders, particularly inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). This is due to its ability to modulate biological pathways for targeted condition treatment.

RNA therapy offers a safer alternative to DNA or genome editing. It makes temporary changes that do not affect future generations, thus minimizing long-term risks.

RNA-editing with ADAR enzymes allows correction of specific genetic mutations at the RNA level. This can restore protein production in retinal cells without altering the DNA, offering a new treatment for retinal degeneration caused by single-point mutations.

Suppressor tRNAs can bypass stop-codon mutations. These mutations prematurely halt protein synthesis in retinal cells; bypassing them allows for full-length protein production and restoration of retinal function in IRD patients.

PTC124 (ataluren) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) demonstrate RNA therapy’s existing clinical applications. Ataluren is used for cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, while ASOs have successfully treated spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

RNA plays diverse biological roles. It carries biological information, provides structure, facilitates chemical reactions, and regulates DNA and other RNA molecules.

Examples of RNA therapies include: antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), small interfering RNA (siRNA), and microRNA (miRNA) therapies.

Reportedly, RNA has benefits such as promoting injury recovery, post-surgery healing, memory support, digestive health, and managing signs of aging.

IIT-Madras Achieves SiC Extraction from Simulated Moon Soil: Researchers at IIT-Madras have successfully extracted silicon carbide (SiC) from simulated lunar soil.

What is Silicon Carbide (SiC)? A synthetically produced crystalline compound of silicon and carbon (SiC), the most widely used non-oxide ceramic, discovered in 1891 by Edward G. Acheson. Its common name is Carborundum.

Key Properties: Hardest ceramic material, excellent thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion, excellent mechanical properties, resistance to wear and oxidation, and semiconducting properties.

Primary Application: Abrasive material due to its high hardness.

Other Applications: Refractory linings, heating elements for industrial furnaces, wear-resistant parts (pumps, rocket engines), semiconducting substrates for LEDs.

SiC as a Semiconductor: Exhibiting electrical conductivity between metals and insulators.

Advantages Over Silicon: SiC has a higher breakdown electric field.

Other benefits: Higher temperature capability.

Summit Goal: To accelerate energy access across Africa, focusing on the “Mission 300” initiative. Why: Addresses the critical need for electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mission 300 Target: Provide electricity to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Why: Directly confronts the massive energy deficit in the region.

Co-Hosts: Government of Tanzania, African Union, African Development Bank, and the World Bank. Why: Highlights the multi-institutional commitment to the initiative.

Energy Access Deficit: Over 600 million Africans lack reliable electricity. Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa account for 80% of the global population without electricity. Why: Underscores the urgent need for action.

National Energy Compacts: 12 African countries presented their plans (Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia). Why: National-level commitment is essential for achieving the ambitious goals.

Compact Objectives: Achieve universal electricity access and clean cooking by 2030. Why: Aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7).

Compacts as Roadmaps: The Compacts will serve as country-specific plans for achieving energy goals. Why: Provides a framework for implementation and accountability.

Crosspathy Definition: Practicing medicine outside one’s recognized expertise, specifically AYUSH practitioners prescribing allopathic treatments.

Maharashtra FDA Directive (Dec 2024): Allowed homeopaths with pharmacology certificates to prescribe allopathic medicines.

IMA’s Criticism: Warns of “crosspathy,” potentially harming patients due to inadequate training in allopathic medicine.

Concerns: Misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatments, risks to patient safety, undermining medical qualifications.

Legal Precedents: Poonam Verma Vs. Ashwin Patel (1996) established liability for homeopath prescribing allopathic drugs, constituting negligence unless state-authorized.

Reasons for Promoting Crosspathy: Addressing specialist shortages in rural areas (80% deficit), expanding healthcare access in underserved regions, and affordability.

Concerns Regarding Crosspathy: Violates NMC Act, 2019; contradicts national policies; compromises healthcare standards; ethical violations in hospital appointments; reduced opportunities for MBBS doctors.

Way Forward: Strengthen GP system, incentivize rural medical posts, regulated framework for AYUSH-allopathic collaboration with additional training and supervision, promote telemedicine for remote healthcare access.

• Mandatory IST: IST, maintained by CSIR-NPL, will be the sole legal time standard.
• Synchronization: Government institutions, financial entities, telecom providers, power grids, and digital infrastructure must synchronize with IST.
• Compliance: Monitored via audits with penalties for non-adherence.

• Self-Reliance: Reduces reliance on foreign GPS, mitigating national security and cybersecurity risks.
• Precision: Enhances accuracy for critical sectors like 5G, AI, IoT, navigation, and power grids.
• Efficiency: Improves financial transactions, regulatory compliance, and synchronization of digital devices.
• Investment: Strengthens digital infrastructure, attracting global tech investments.

• Telecom Adoption: Telecom operators rely on foreign time sources.
• Global Integration: Synchronization with global time standards (UTC, GMT) needed for international trade.
• Infrastructure: Ensuring time synchronization across the country, including regions with limited connectivity.
• Cybersecurity: Time synchronization systems are potential targets for cyberattacks.

• Cybersecurity Measures: Implement robust encryption methods to protect time synchronization systems from cyberattacks. Develop backup systems for time dissemination to ensure resilience against potential disruptions.
• Monitoring Authority: Establish a dedicated Centralized Monitoring authority to oversee the implementation and compliance of IST synchronization across all sectors.
• Promoting Awareness: Educate industries, financial institutions, and public services on IST synchronization benefits , while collaborating with global standardization bodies for seamless international integration.
• Research and Development: Invest in R&D to continuously improve timekeeping technologies and protocols, ensuring India remains at the forefront of precise timekeeping.

WHO Recommendation: The WHO recommends lowering sodium intake to under 5g (2g sodium) per day for adults to combat hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and strokes.

Lower Sodium Salt Substitutes (LSSS): The WHO promotes LSSS, which contain potassium chloride, magnesium sulphate, and calcium chloride, to reduce sodium consumption without affecting taste.

Global Impact: Poor diets, including high sodium intake, contribute to a significant number of deaths globally.

India’s Situation: India faces high salt intake (10.4g/day) and low potassium levels, increasing hypertension risks.

India’s Response: India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) is implementing sodium reduction policies. This includes regulating the composition of edible salt and mandating accurate sodium labeling.

High Snakebite Mortality: India accounts for nearly half of global snakebite deaths (around 58,000 annually), making it a critical public health issue.

“Big Four” Problem: Most deaths are attributed to the Indian cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper, and saw-scaled viper. Existing antivenom is polyvalent, created to counter these four snakes but not others.

Rural Vulnerability: Rural communities, especially agricultural workers during monsoon season, face the highest risk due to increased snake encounters and limited healthcare access.

Antivenom Access Barriers: Geographical barriers, cultural beliefs favoring traditional medicine, economic constraints, and logistical issues (inadequate cold storage) hinder timely and effective antivenom administration.

National Action Plan (NAP-SE): The NAP-SE aims to halve snakebite deaths and disabilities by 2030 through prevention and control measures.

Innovative Solutions: Research is underway to develop safer synthetic antivenoms, region-specific antivenoms, and rapid diagnostic tools for venom detection.

Urban Risk Increase: Urbanization, poor waste management, and flooding are increasing snake-human encounters in cities.

Neglected Tropical Disease: The WHO classifies snakebite envenoming as a neglected tropical disease of high priority.

Role of Irula Tribe: The Irula tribe of Tamil Nadu plays a key role in venom extraction for antivenom production.

ISRO’s 100th Launch: ISRO marked its 100th launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. This milestone signifies ISRO’s long-standing success and reliability in space missions.

GSLV-F15 and NVS-02: The launch vehicle was GSLV-F15, which deployed the NVS-02 satellite. This highlights ISRO’s capabilities in using advanced launch vehicles like GSLV.

NVS-02 Satellite: NVS-02 is the second satellite in the 2nd generation NavIC series. This is important for strengthening India’s indigenous navigation system.

NavIC System: NavIC consists of 7 operational satellites providing accurate positioning within India and up to 1,500 km beyond. This emphasizes India’s self-reliance in navigation technology and its strategic importance.

GSLV-F15 Significance: It was the 17th GSLV flight and the 11th with an Indigenous Cryogenic stage, showcasing ISRO’s advancements in cryogenic engine technology, essential for heavier payloads and complex missions.

SDSC’s History: The first launch from SDSC was in 1979. This puts into perspective the evolution and growth of ISRO’s launch capabilities over the decades.

Key Past Launches: Landmark missions like Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, PSLV-C37 (record of 104 satellites), Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and Aditya-L1 were launched from SDSC, which show ISRO’s diverse mission portfolio and its global impact in space exploration.

Nuclear Icebreaker Damage: The Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker “50 Let Pobedy” sustained damage after colliding with a cargo vessel in the Kara Sea, amid increased Russian Arctic activity.

Location and Definition: A marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Siberia, Russia.

Area: Covers an area of 880,000 sq. km.

Borders: Situated between Franz Josef Land (NW), Novaya Zemlya islands (W), and Severnaya Zemlya archipelago (E).

Connections to Other Seas: The Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya separate it from the Barents Sea (W); Severnaya Zemlya separates it from the Laptev Sea (E); connected to the Arctic Basin (N).

Climate: One of the world’s coldest seas, ice-covered from September to May.

River Drainage: Drained by rivers including the Kara, Ob, Pyasina, and Yenisei.

Significant Islands: Contains islands such as Bely, Dikson, Kamennyye, Oleni, and Taymyr Islands. Nordenskiold Archipelago is the largest island group.

Bordering Country: Bordered by Russia to the south.

Novaya Zemlya: The Novaya Zemlya archipelago lies between the Kara Sea (east) and the Barents Sea (west).

Barents Sea Location: A marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia.

Ghaggar River Pollution: An NGT joint committee found the river’s Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is 2-3 times the safe limit for outdoor bathing, indicating significant pollution.

Intermittent River: The Ghaggar is a seasonal river, flowing only during the monsoon. It is called “dead river” because it depends on the monsoon rainfall to flow.

Course: Originates in the Shivalik Hills (Himachal Pradesh), flows through Haryana and Rajasthan, and disappears into the Thar Desert.

Ghaggar-Hakra River: The Hakra River in Pakistan is considered the continuation of the Ghaggar.

Historical Significance: Some historians believe the Ghaggar is the Vedic Saraswati River. Many Indus Valley Civilization settlements have been found along its banks.

Tributaries: Key tributaries include the Kaushalya River, Markanda, Sarsuti, Tangri, and Chautang.