“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine
Page Contents:
6th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2021

Glacial Melting : Brown carbon ‘tarballs’
HEADLINES:
Brown carbon ‘tarballs’ that hasten glacial melt found in Himalayan atmosphere: Study
WHY IN NEWS:
- The percentage of tarballs increased on days with higher pollution levels, could contribute to global warming.
- It was published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters November 4, 2020.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 1 :3 : Global Warming : Climate Change
ISSUE:
WHAT ARE TARBALLS ?
- Tarballs are formed from brown carbon, emitted during the burning of fossil fuels.
- Primary brown carbon (BrC) co-emitted with black carbon (BC) from biomass burning is an important light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosol.
- Until now, black carbon was found to be transported long distances by wind to the Himalayan atmosphere; there was not sufficient direct evidence for primary BrC in the Himalayan atmosphere.
HOW DID THEY REACH HIMALAYAS ?
- Air mass trajectories, satellite detection, and Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled to Chemistry simulations indicated that the tarballs were emitted from biomass burning in the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
- The data revealed that a dense array of active fire spots — corresponding to large-scale wheat-residue burning on the Indo-Gangetic Plain reached the Himalayan research station during sampling.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The researchers concluded that tarballs from long-range transport can be an important factor in the climatic effect and would correspond to a substantial influence on glacial melting in the Himalaya region.
- They suggested future climate models to consider the long-range transport of tarballs to the Himalayas to arrest climate change developments.
SOURCES: DownToEarth | 6th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
“Let’s end it by 2020”
HEADLINES:
“Let’s end it by 2020”: Dr. Harsh Vardhan exhorts Delhi to implement Prime Minister’s Jan Andolan successfully to blunt the momentum of COVID by the end of the year
WHY IN NEWS:
Presses for mandatory testing of all RAT negative persons if they develop ILI/SARI symptoms
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Health:Diseases
ISSUE:
RISE IN CASES
- The Jan Andolan to make the last citizen aware of the virtues of wearing masks, physical distancing and hand washing, has helped the country curb the COVID crisis effectively.
- False negative results might give way to complacency among the COVID infected.
- So it is mandatory to test all RAT negative persons if they develop ILI/SARI symptoms afterwards.
WHO ON ILI/SARI SYMPTOMS
Key messages when using the case definitions:
- Influenza infection causes a clinical syndrome not easily distinguished from other respiratory infections.
- The case definitions for ILI and SARI are not necessarily intended to capture all cases but to describe trends over time.
- Using one common case definition globally will allow national health authorities to interpret their data in an international context.
ILI CASE DEFINITION
An acute respiratory infection with:
- measured fever of ≥ 38 C°
- and Cough;
- with onset within the last 10 days.
SARI CASE DEFINITION
An acute respiratory infection with:
- History of fever or measured fever of ≥ 38 C°;
- and Cough;
- with onset within the last 10 days;
- and requires hospitalization.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The recovery rate of India is currently more than 92% while that of Delhi is 89%.
- Against a national case fatality rate of 1.49%, Delhi continues to have a fatality rate of 1.71%.”
SOURCES: THE HINDU | 6th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
Luhri Stage-I Hydro Electric Project
HEADLINES:
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the investment for 210 MW Luhri Stage-I Hydro Electric Project.
WHY IN NEWS:
Hot from PIB !
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Infrastructure
ISSUE:
LUHRI STAGE-I HYDRO ELECTRIC PROJECT
IMPLEMENTATION
- It is being implemented by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) on Build-Own-Operate Maintain (BOOM) basis with active support from Government of India and the State Government.
- Government of India is providing grants of Rs. 66.19 crore for enabling infrastructure.
LOCATION
IMPORTANCE
- This project will generate 758.20 million units of electricity annually.
- This will help in providing grid stability and improve the power supply position.
- Thus, contributing to an improvement in air quality and less air pollution.
- The construction activities will result in direct and indirect employment and will contribute to the overall socio-economic development of the State.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- Himachal Pradesh will benefit with free power worth around Rs. 1140 crore, during the Project Life Cycle of 40 years.
- The project affected families will be provided with 100 units of free electricity per month for ten years.
SOURCES: PIB | 6th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
India’s resolution adopted : UNGA
HEADLINES:
India’s resolution on counter-terror adopted by UN General Assembly
WHY IN NEWS:
India’s annual resolution on the issue of counter-terrorism was co-sponsored by over 75 countries and adopted by consensus in the First Committee of the UN General Assembly.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : 3 : UN : International institutions : Nuclear Energy
ISSUE:
RESOLUTION 1540
- India’s call for strengthening national measures to address this issue at the General Assembly.
- This abandons non state actors from developing, acquiring, manufacturing, possessing, transporting, transferring or using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery.
- This resolution, co-sponsored by more than 75 countries, was adopted by consensus without a vote.
IASbhai WINDUP:
Through its annual resolution -”Measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction”, India has urged greater international co-operation to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
SOURCES: THE HINDU | 6th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
India’s election experience is a good sign: CEC
HEADLINES:
India’s election experience is a good sign: CEC
WHY IN NEWS:
India’s experience of holding elections during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that other countries could go on with scheduled polls and not defer them.- Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : Election Commission
ISSUE:
- CEC told members of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) that the Election Commission of India had prepared meticulously for the polls.
- “There was no dearth of sceptics, cynics, extreme cynics, who were doing doomsday predictions for us,” .
ASSOCIATION OF WORLD ELECTION BODIES (A-WEB)
- A-WEB was established in October 2013 in Song-do, South Korea.
- The permanent secretariat of A-WEB is located at Seoul.
- Currently, the A-WEB has 115 members and 20 regional associations/ organisations as associate members.
- The members include 37 from Africa, 31 from America, 24 from Asia, 17 from Europe, and six from Oceania.
- An India A-WEB Centre has been established at New Delhi, for world class documentation, research and training for sharing the best practices and capacity building of officials of A-WEB members.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- India is the largest democracy of the world while U.S. is the oldest.
SOURCES: THE HINDU | 6th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
Ban use of disinfection tunnels
HEADLINES:
Ban use of disinfection tunnels, UV rays: Supreme Court
WHY IN NEWS:
The bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah directed the government to complete the exercise in one month’s time “looking at the health concern of the people in general”.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : Judiciary
ISSUE:
THE VERDICT
KEY POINTS
- Disaster Management Act, 2005 specifically deals with the responsibilities of various ministries in an emergent situation.
- Centre has not taken “any measure either to prevent or regulate the spraying of disinfectant on the human body” .
- The bench directed the government to complete the exercise in one month’s time “looking at the health concern of the people in general”.
CONCERNS
- Public authorities/organisations were using disinfectants, both chemical/organic, on the human body and there are various studies to the effect that it may be harmful to the health and the body.
IASbhai WINDUP:
Some more actions were required to remove the cloud of uncertainty and to regulate the use, even if it was to either prevent such use or regulate the use, so that health of citizens is amply protected,” the bench ruled.
SOURCES: THE HINDU | 6th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI)
HEADLINES:
Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI)
WHY IN NEWS:
Union Minister of Science & Technology gave away Gandhian Young Technological Awards in two categories -SITARE-GYTI and SRISTI-GYTI awards.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 1 : Awards
ISSUE:
GANDHIAN YOUNG TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
These could deal for example, with:
a) Communities at grassroots,
b) Co-creation with grassroots innovators,
c) Manufacturable technologies for saving or generating energy, sanitation, water purification, saving material consumption,
d) Biotechnology and medical devices,
e) Diagnostics,
f) Assistive devices for physically challenged, and all others areas of social and industrial applications.
IMPLEMENTATION
- Students Innovations for Advancement of Research Explorations – Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (SITARE-GYTI) is under Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) .
- One can submit more than one application in manufacturing areas.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The SITARE-GYTI awards are given every year to the most promising technologies developed by the students in life sciences, biotechnology, agriculture, medical devices etc.
- SRISTI-GYTI awards are given to students in other engineering disciplines.
SOURCES: PIB | 6th Nov Current Affairs News Analysis
DISCOVER MORE : Important Daily Current Affairs for UPSC PRELIMS 2021
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis & Answer writing video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.