13 July 2023

• Geology: Scientists proposed the start of the Anthropocene epoch at approximately 1950, with Crawford Lake, Ontario as the principal study site.
• Judiciary: The Supreme Court asked the Enforcement Directorate Director to step down four months before his third tenure extension ends, ruling the back-to-back extensions were illegal.
• Rivers: Yamuna continued to flood Delhi, with the river level still above the Highest Flood Level for the second consecutive day.
• Language: Odisha's cabinet approved inclusion of the Kui language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• Health: Guillain-Barré Syndrome cases surged in Peru, prompting a national emergency declaration.

GS area: Environment, Geography (Physical)

The Anthropocene Working Group (AWG), a body of scientists, formally proposed Crawford Lake in Ontario, Canada as the primary reference site for the beginning of the Anthropocene epoch.

• What the Anthropocene is: A proposed geological epoch characterised by radical changes in the Earth's systems due to human activity, especially since industrialisation.
• Start date: The AWG identified approximately 1950 as the start, marked by the fallout of plutonium deposits from nuclear weapons testing in lake sediments.
• Current epoch: Earth is currently in the Holocene epoch, which began about 11,700 years ago after the last ice age.
• Who named it: Atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen and biologist Eugene Stoermer coined the term in 2000.
• Crawford Lake evidence: Sediment layers in this small, deep Ontario lake show sharp mid-20th century changes in plutonium, nitrogen, and carbon, providing a clear stratigraphic marker.
• Institutional context: The AWG submitted its recommendation to the International Commission on Stratigraphy and the International Union of Geological Sciences for formal ratification.

Static linkage: Earth's history (Physical Geography), climate change, environment.

GS area: Polity (Accountability institutions)

The Supreme Court directed the Director of the Enforcement Directorate to step down four months before the end of his third successive tenure extension, holding that the earlier back-to-back extensions in 2021 and 2022 were not consistent with the law.

• ED's role: The Enforcement Directorate enforces the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It investigates financial crimes and is under the Ministry of Finance.
• Tenure law (as amended in 2021): Allows up to three annual one-year extensions for the heads of CBI and ED, for a maximum total service of five years. The amendment was upheld.
• High-Level Committee for ED: A five-member panel including the Central Vigilance Commissioner reviews extension recommendations and must record written reasons.
• High-Level Committee for CBI: Comprises the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India.
• Court's concern: The "carrot and stick" argument (that extensions create dependence on the executive) was rejected by the court but flagged as a concern for rule of law.

Static linkage: Constitutional bodies, accountability, investigative agencies.

GS area: Polity, Culture

The Odisha cabinet approved a resolution recommending inclusion of the Kui language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

• Kui language: The vernacular language of the Kandha (Kondh) tribal community in Odisha. Also called Kandh, Khondi, or Koda. It belongs to the South-Eastern Dravidian language family and is written in the Odia script.
• UNESCO status: Classified as potentially vulnerable.
• Eighth Schedule: Currently lists 22 languages. Inclusion confers official recognition, supports language development, and allows use in official proceedings.
• Process: A state government recommendation goes to Parliament, which amends the Eighth Schedule.

Static linkage: Eighth Schedule, tribal communities, linguistic diversity.

GS area: History, Art and Culture

Archaeological discoveries in Tamil Nadu added new material evidence for Sangam Age civilisation.

• Sangam Age: Generally dated from the 6th century BCE to the 3rd century CE. It refers to the period of classical Tamil literature and culture in what was then Tamilakam (covering present-day Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Sri Lanka).
• Recent finds: A gold stud, carnelian bead, bone point, glass bangles, terracotta lamps, and over 150 artefacts unearthed.
• Carnelian sourcing: Carnelian stones found at Tamil Nadu sites originated in Gujarat, pointing to long-distance trade networks between south India and the west coast.
• Publication: Tamil Nadu government published the Patthuppattu (Ten Idylls), a Sangam literary corpus, in a new edition.

Static linkage: Art and Culture, ancient history, Tamil Nadu.

GS area: Polity, International Relations

India chairs A-WEB, the largest global network of election management bodies.

• Founded: 2012.
• Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea.
• Membership: 118 Election Management Bodies and 20 regional associations as associate members.
• Purpose: Foster efficient, free, fair, and transparent elections through knowledge sharing and capacity building.
• India A-WEB Centre: Established in New Delhi to document best practices and provide training.

Static linkage: Elections, international cooperation, Election Commission.

GS area: Economy, Technology

The Reserve Bank of India announced that UPI QR codes can now be used for transactions in the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the digital rupee.

• Benefit: Eliminates the need for separate merchant onboarding for CBDC. Merchants with existing UPI QR codes can accept digital rupee without additional setup.
• Digital Rupee: Launched by RBI in 2022 as a blockchain-based currency in the same denominations as physical currency.
• Why it matters: Interoperability between the UPI system and CBDC expands the CBDC's reach without requiring new infrastructure.

Static linkage: Digital currency, payment systems, RBI, financial inclusion.

• Dudhwa Tiger Reserve: Four tigers died in Dudhwa, Uttar Pradesh within two months due to infighting and infection. Dudhwa is the only reserve in Uttar Pradesh where tigers and rhinoceroses coexist. It is part of the Terai Arc Landscape, a 14-unit trans-border protected area network spanning India and Nepal.
• Ocean colour changes: A Nature study found that climate change has altered the colour of 56 per cent of the world's oceans, with tropical waters turning greener due to increased phytoplankton. The data came from the MODIS satellite over two decades.
• Shelf clouds: Dense wedge-shaped formations on the leading edge of thunderstorms, occurring when cold storm downdrafts push into warmer air. Observed in Haridwar during the July 2023 monsoon rains.
• Brucellosis in India: A 7-year-old girl in Kollam, Kerala, tested positive for brucellosis, a bacterial infection transmitted through close contact with animals or contaminated animal products. It is common in cattle.