16 December 2024

• Environment: COP29's Article 6.4 carbon market approval was analysed in detail, as was the India-specific PAT scheme and the new Energy Conservation Act amendment.
• Polity: Rajya Sabha debate on the Constitution at 75 years began. The debate covered the Preamble, fundamental duties and the federal structure.
• Defence: India and Morocco signed a defence industry partnership, a first for North Africa.
• Science: Gene therapy for Haemophilia A using lentivirus vectors showed success in trials.

GS area: Environment, Economy

COP29's approval of Article 6.4 standards made India's own evolving carbon market framework directly relevant.

• Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme: India's flagship energy efficiency market. Designated consumers (energy-intensive industries) get targets; those overachieving receive Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts) they can trade.
• Renewable Energy Certificates (REC): Generators of renewable electricity earn RECs that obligated entities (states, open-access consumers) must purchase to meet Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs).
• Energy Conservation Act, 2022 amendment: Introduced a statutory carbon credit framework in India for the first time. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) can register and issue Indian Carbon Credits.
• India's NDC targets: 45 per cent emission intensity reduction by 2030 versus 2005 levels and 500 GW non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030.
• Article 6.2 vs 6.4: Article 6.2 is bilateral (country-to-country transfer of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes or ITMOs). Article 6.4 is multilateral (UN-supervised voluntary market). Both can help India monetise its emission reductions.

Static linkage: Environment (carbon credits, PAT, REC, NDC, Paris Agreement).

GS area: Governance, Science and Technology

NHAI's Rajmarg Saathi system was deployed on national highways to improve safety and emergency response.

• What it does: AI-enabled dashboard cameras mounted on vehicles continuously monitor road conditions. They detect potholes, accidents, debris and road distress automatically.
• Features: Advanced communication systems for real-time alerts to nearest emergency responders; automated road distress data collection reduces manual survey burden.
• NHAI background: National Highways Authority of India, established under the NHAI Act, 1988. India has about 1.46 lakh km of national highways.
• Road accident context: India records the highest number of road accident deaths globally (about 1.68 lakh in 2022). The government targets a 50 per cent reduction by 2030 under the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Static linkage: Governance (NHAI, infrastructure), science and technology (AI in governance).

GS area: Polity, Social Issues

The Supreme Court's Public Interest Litigation on the POSH Act's applicability to political parties was argued.

• Workplace definition under POSH: Includes offices, field sites, events, transportation provided by employer and any place visited in connection with work.
• Political party argument: Political parties are not "employers" of their members under the Act because membership is voluntary. The party does not pay wages or control working conditions.
• Counter-argument in court: Party staff, interns and paid employees at party offices are clearly covered. The question is whether elected representatives (MPs, MLAs) can raise complaints against their own party leadership.
• Broader significance: India has about 2,500 registered political parties. If the Act applies, ICCs would be mandatory in all party offices.

Static linkage: Polity (gender justice, POSH Act, political parties).

GS area: Science and Technology, Health

A lentivirus-vector gene therapy trial for Haemophilia A showed successful results.

• Haemophilia A: A bleeding disorder caused by deficiency of clotting Factor VIII, encoded on the X chromosome. It affects males predominantly.
• Conventional treatment: Regular infusion of Factor VIII concentrates, which is expensive and burdensome.
• Gene therapy approach: Deliver a functional copy of the Factor VIII gene into the patient's liver cells.
• Two vector approaches:
  • Adeno-associated virus (AAV): FDA-approved Roctavian uses this. AAV does not integrate into chromosomes; expression may wane.
  • Lentivirus vector (new trial): Integrates into the host genome for potentially long-term expression. Pre-existing antibodies to lentivirus are rare, unlike AAV.
• Why lentivirus is promising: Long-term expression and lower pre-existing immunity make it attractive for populations that failed AAV-based therapy.

Static linkage: Science and technology (gene therapy, haemophilia, biotechnology).

GS area: International Relations, Defence

India and Morocco signed a defence industry cooperation agreement in December 2024.

• Morocco geography: Northwestern Africa. Borders Algeria (east), Western Sahara (south), Atlantic Ocean (west) and Mediterranean Sea (north), with the Strait of Gibraltar separating it from Spain.
• Capital: Rabat. Major commercial city: Casablanca.
• Strategic significance for India: Morocco is a gateway to West Africa and North Africa. It has a strong relationship with France and is part of both Arab League and African Union.
• Cooperation scope: Joint production in defence equipment, technology transfer, and possible co-manufacturing under India's expanding arms export programme.
• India's arms exports context: India exported defence equipment worth 21,083 crore rupees in FY 2023-24, up from just 1,521 crore rupees in FY 2017. Target: 50,000 crore rupees by 2029.

Static linkage: International relations (India-Africa, defence exports), geography (Morocco).

GS area: Science and Technology, Environment

Solid phase alloying using the ShAPE (Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion) process was highlighted as a low-emission metal manufacturing technique.

• Process: Creates metal alloys without melting them, using mechanical shear forces at lower temperatures.
• Energy savings: Reduces energy consumption by 60 to 80 per cent compared to conventional melting-based alloying.
• Output quality: Produces alloys with strength comparable to primary aluminium from ore.
• Circular economy value: Can process scrap aluminium into high-quality alloys, reducing the need for virgin aluminium.
• Application: Particularly useful for 3D printing feedstock production and lightweight structural components in aerospace and automobiles.

Static linkage: Science and technology (materials science, green manufacturing).

• Vanuatu earthquake: A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu (South Pacific) on 18 December. Vanuatu is the world's most disaster-prone country per the UN World Risk Index. It consists of 13 principal volcanic islands. Capital: Port Vila. Independent since 1980.
• Olive Ridley nesting update: Mass nesting (arribada) at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, Odisha, was expected by January 2025. Mechanised fishing was suspended within a 20-km radius of the nesting beaches from 1 November to 31 May.