Current Affairs 10 September 2024

CONTENTS

1. Asset Reconstruction Sector Faces Decline Amidst Lower NPAs
2. Typhoon (Cyclone) Shanshan
3. Cyclical Anomalies in the North Indian Ocean
4. Impact of Sanitation Improvements on Infant Mortality in India
5. BepiColombo
6. Kawasaki Disease
7. Teal Carbon

Asset Reconstruction Sector Faces Decline Amidst Lower NPAs

Context:

Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) in India have seen a decline in growth, largely due to a significant drop in Non-Performing Assets (NPAs), which hit a 12-year low of 2.8% by March 2024. Additionally, the ratings agency Crisil forecasts a contraction of 7-10% in the assets under management (AUM) of ARCs for the fiscal year 2024-25, following a year of no growth in 2023-24.

Relevance:

GS III: Indian Economy

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Concerns of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs)
2. What is an Asset Reconstruction Company?
3. Strategies to Address the Challenges faced by Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs)

Concerns of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs)

The concerns facing Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) in India are multifaceted, primarily influenced by regulatory changes and market dynamics. Here are the key issues highlighted:

• Shift in Asset Focus: With a decrease in new non-performing corporate assets, ARCs have redirected their focus towards smaller, less profitable retail loans. However, the growth in retail non-performing assets (NPAs) has not been significant, limiting the opportunities for ARCs to expand and profit in this segment.
• Regulatory Requirements: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the investment mandates for ARCs, requiring them to invest at least 15% in security receipts or 2.5% of the total security receipts issued, whichever is higher. Additionally, the RBI raised the minimum net owned funds requirement from Rs 100 crore to Rs 300 crore. These changes have placed additional financial burdens on ARCs, complicating their operational capabilities.
• Competition from NARCL: The introduction of the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL), a government-backed entity providing security receipts guaranteed by the government, poses a significant challenge to private ARCs. NARCL’s more lucrative government-backed security receipts make it a formidable competitor in the ARC market.
• Approval Delays: New regulations require ARCs to obtain approval from an independent advisory committee for all settlement proposals, leading to delays in the approval process, particularly in retail loan settlements. This cautious approach is intended to avoid future regulatory scrutiny but slows down the operation of ARCs.
• Increased Scrutiny and Trust Issues: Increased scrutiny from the RBI, including actions like the ban on Edelweiss ARC from issuing new loans for circumventing regulations through related group loans, has created a trust deficit between ARCs and the regulator. This scrutiny stems from concerns that some ARC transactions may allow defaulting promoters to regain control of their assets, effectively circumventing the provisions of Section 29A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which bars defaulting promoters from bidding for their insolvent firms.

What is an Asset Reconstruction Company?

• An asset reconstruction company is a special type of financial institution that buys the debtors of the bank at a mutually agreed value and attempts to recover the debts or associated securities by itself.
• The asset reconstruction companies or ARCs are registered under the RBI. Hence, RBI has the power to regulate the ARCs.
• ARCs are regulated under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI Act, 2002).
• The ARCs take over a portion of the debts of the bank that qualify to be recognised as Non-Performing Assets. Thus, ARCs are engaged in the business of asset reconstruction or securitization (securitization is the acquisition of financial assets either by way of issuing security receipts to Qualified Buyers or any other means) or both.
• All the rights that were held by the lender (the bank) in respect of the debt would be transferred to the ARC. The required funds to purchase such such debts can be raised from Qualified Buyers.
• The ARC can take over only secured debts which have been classified as a non-performing asset (NPA). In case debentures / bonds remain unpaid, the beneficiary of the securities is required to give a notice of 90 days before it qualifies to be taken over.

What are Bad Banks?

• A Bad Bank (usually set up as a government-backed bad bank) is technically an asset reconstruction company (ARC) or an asset management company.
• Bad banks are typically set up in times of crisis when long-standing financial institutions are trying to recuperate their reputations and wallets.

How does it work?

• A bad bank buys the bad loans and other illiquid holdings of other banks and financial institutions, which clears their balance sheet.
• A bad bank structure may also assume the risky assets of a group of financial institutions, instead of a single bank.
• The bad bank is not involved in lending and taking deposits, but helps commercial banks clean up their balance sheets and resolve bad loans.

National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL)

• National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) is the name coined for the bad bank announced in the Budget 2021-22.
• The new entity is being created in collaboration with both public and private sector banks.
• NARCL will take over identified bad loans of lenders and the lead bank with offer in hand of NARCL will go for a ‘Swiss Challenge’, where other asset reconstruction players will be invited to better the offer made by a chosen bidder for finding higher valuation of an NPA on sale. The company will pick up those assets that are 100 per cent provided for by the lenders.
• The biggest advantage of NARCL would be aggregation of identified NPAs (non-performing assets). This is expected to be more efficient in recovery as it will step into the shoes of multiple lenders who currently have different compulsions when it comes to resolving a bad loan.
• After enactment of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act in 2002, regulatory guidelines for ARCs were issued in 2003 to enable development of this sector and to facilitate smooth functioning of companies such as NARCL.

Strategies to Address the Challenges faced by Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs)

Strategic Expansion and Collaboration

• Broaden Asset Portfolio: ARCs should expand beyond traditional assets like corporate and retail loans to include sectors like infrastructure, MSMEs, and other high-stress sectors still viable for recovery.
• Regulatory Partnerships: Enhance collaboration with regulatory bodies like the RBI to ensure operations are transparent and adhere strictly to regulatory standards.

Enhancing Operations and Trust

• Code of Conduct: Implement a standard code of conduct to boost trust and accountability within the sector.
• Utilize Advanced Technologies: Integrate AI-driven analytics to speed up the evaluation processes, helping to reduce delays caused by mandatory approvals from independent advisory committees.

Service Differentiation

• Niche Market Specialization: Private ARCs should tailor their services to cater to specific market needs, focusing on niche areas that could benefit from specialized recovery strategies and faster service delivery.

-Source: Live Mint

Typhoon (Cyclone) Shanshan

Context:

Recently, Typhoon (Cyclone) Shanshan has hit Japan bringing heavy rains and strong winds, prompting airlines and railways to cancel multiple services.

Relevance:

GS-I: Geography (Physical geography – Climatology, Important Geophysical phenomena), GS-III: Disaster Management

Dimensions of the Article:

1. What are Tropical Cyclones?
2. Conditions for cyclone formation:
3. How are Tropical Cyclones Formed?
4. Why tropical cyclones don’t form in the eastern tropical oceans?
5. Names of Tropical Cyclones
6. Structure of the tropical cyclone
7. Landfall, what happens when a Cyclone reaches land from the ocean?
8. Cyclone Management in India

What are Tropical Cyclones?

• The Tropical Cyclones are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to coastal areas bringing about large-scale destruction caused by violent winds, very heavy rainfall and storm surges.
• These are low pressure weather systems in which winds equal or exceed speeds of 62kmph.
• Winds circulate around in anti-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.
• “Tropical” refers to the geographical origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively over tropical seas.
• “Cyclone” refers to their winds moving in a circle, whirling round their central clear eye, with their winds blowing counter clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
• The opposite direction of circulation is due to the Coriolis effect.

Tropical Cyclones in India

• Tropical cyclones striking India generally originate in the eastern side of India.
• Bay of Bengal is more prone to cyclone than Arabian Sea because it gets high sea surface temperature, low vertical shear winds and has enough moisture in middle layers of its atmosphere.
• The frequency of cyclones in this region is bi-modal, i.e., Cyclones occur in the months of May–June and October–November.

Conditions for cyclone formation:

• A warm sea surface (temperature in excess of 26o –27o C) and associated warming extending up to a depth of 60m with abundant water vapour.
• High relative humidity in the atmosphere up to a height of about 5,000 metres.
• Atmospheric instability that encourages the formation of cumulus clouds.
• Low vertical wind between the lower and higher levels of the atmosphere that do not allow the heat generated and released by the clouds to get transported from the area.
• The presence of cyclonic vorticity (rate of rotation of air) that initiates and favours rotation of the air cyclonically.
• Location over the ocean, at least 4–5 o latitude away from the equator.

How are Tropical Cyclones Formed?

1. Tropical cyclones typically form over large bodies of relatively warm water. Warm water > Evaporation > Rising up of air > Low Pressure area.
2. They derive their energy through the evaporation of water from the ocean surface, which ultimately re-condenses into clouds and rain when moist air rises and cools to saturation.
3. Water takes up heat from the atmosphere to change into vapour.
4. When water vapour changes back to liquid form as raindrops, this heat is released to the atmosphere.
5. The heat released to the atmosphere warms the air around.
6. The air tends to rise and causes a drop in the pressure.
7. More air rushes to the centre of the storm.
8. This cycle is repeated.

Why tropical cyclones don’t form in the eastern tropical oceans?

• The depth of warm water (26-27°C) should extend for 60-70 m from surface of the ocean/sea, so that deep convection currents within the water do not churn and mix the cooler water below with the warmer water near the surface.
• The above condition occurs only in western tropical oceans because of warm ocean currents (easterly trade winds pushes ocean waters towards west) that flow from east towards west forming a thick layer of water with temperatures greater than 27°C. This supplies enough moisture to the storm.
• The cold currents lower the surface temperatures of the eastern parts of the tropical oceans making them unfit for the breeding of cyclonic storms.
• ONE EXCEPTION: During strong El Nino years, strong hurricanes occur in the eastern Pacific. This is due to the accumulation of warm waters in the eastern Pacific due to weak Walker Cell.

Names of Tropical Cyclones

Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone is referred to by different names:

1. Cyclones in the Indian Ocean
2. Hurricanes in the Atlantic
3. Typhoons in the Western Pacific and the South China Sea
4. Willy-willies in Western Australia

Structure of the tropical cyclone

Tropical cyclones are compact, circular storms, generally some 320 km (200 miles) in diameter, whose winds swirl around a central region of low atmospheric pressure. The winds are driven by this low-pressure core and by the rotation of Earth, which deflects the path of the wind through a phenomenon known as the Coriolis force. As a result, tropical cyclones rotate in a counter clockwise (or cyclonic) direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in a clockwise (or anticyclonic) direction in the Southern Hemisphere.

1. The Eye: A characteristic feature of tropical cyclones is the eye, a central region of clear skies, warm temperatures, and low atmospheric pressure. Typically, atmospheric pressure at the surface of Earth is about 1,000 millibars.
2. The Eyewall: The most dangerous and destructive part of a tropical cyclone is the eyewall. Here winds are strongest, rainfall is heaviest, and deep convective clouds rise from close to Earth’s surface to a height of 15,000 metres.
3. Rainbands: These bands, commonly called rainbands, spiral into the centre of the storm. In some cases the rainbands are stationary relative to the centre of the moving storm, and in other cases they seem to rotate around the centre.

Landfall, what happens when a Cyclone reaches land from the ocean?

• Tropical cyclones dissipate when they can no longer extract sufficient energy from warm ocean water.
• A storm that moves over land will abruptly lose its fuel source and quickly lose intensity.
• A tropical cyclone can contribute to its own demise by stirring up deeper, cooler ocean waters. tropical cyclone can contribute to its own demise by stirring up deeper, cooler ocean waters.

Cyclone Management in India

India is highly vulnerable to natural disasters especially cyclones, earthquakes, floods, landslides, and drought. Natural disasters cause a loss of 2% of GDP every year in India. According to the Home ministry, 8% of total area in India is prone to cyclones. India has a coastline of 7,516 km, of which 5,700 km are prone to cyclones of various degrees.

• Loss due to cyclones: Loss of lives, livelihood opportunities, damage to public and private property and severe damage to infrastructure are the resultant consequences, which can disrupt the process of development
• Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is the nodal agency for early warning of cyclones and floods.
• Natural Disaster Management Authority is mandated to deal with the disaster management in India. It has prepared National Guidelines on Management of Cyclone.
• National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) was launched by Home ministry to upgrade the forecasting, tracking and warning about cyclones in states.
• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has done a commendable performance in rescuing and managing relief work.
• National Disaster Response Reserve (NDRR)– a fund of 250 crores operated by NDRF for maintaining inventory for an emergency situation.
• In 2016, a blueprint of National Disaster Management Plan was unveiled to tackle disaster. It provides a framework to deal with prevention, mitigation, response and recovery during a disaster. According to the plan, Ministry of earth science will be responsible for disaster management of cyclone. By this plan, India joined the list of countries which follow the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
• Due to increased awareness and tracking of Cyclone, the death toll has been reduced substantially. For example, Very severe cyclone Hudhud and Phailin claimed lives of around 138 and 45 people respectively, which might have been more. It was reduced due to the early warning and relocation of the population from the cyclone-hit areas. Very severe cyclone Ockhi claimed many lives of people in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This was due to the unprecedented change in the direction of the cyclone.
• But the destruction of infrastructure due to cyclonic hit is not been reduced which leads to increase in poverty due to the economic weakening of the affected population.

-Source: Indian Express

Cyclical Anomalies in the North Indian Ocean

Context:

The North Indian Ocean plays a pivotal role in providing moisture for the summer monsoon, contributing roughly 200 lakh crore buckets of water through significant evaporation from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Despite these regions’ warmth, which typically fosters cyclone activity, the North Indian Ocean is noted for its relatively low cyclonic activity compared to other tropical areas. This unique characteristic stems from a blend of factors that both promote and inhibit cyclone formation, making it an atypical zone in terms of cyclone frequency, seasonality, and interactions with global warming effects.

Relevance:

GS I: Geography

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Distinctive Features of the Indian Ocean
2. Climate Change Impacts
3. The Case of Cyclone Asna

Distinctive Features of the Indian Ocean

• Unique Circulation Patterns: The Indian Ocean is distinguished by its monsoonal patterns, with seasonal wind reversals north of the Equator, which significantly affect regional climates and oceanic conditions.
• Oceanic Connectivity: It features unique ‘oceanic tunnels’ that link it to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, facilitating significant transfers of warm water from the Pacific into the upper layers and cooler waters from the Southern Ocean into deeper layers.

Seasonal Dynamics and Temperature Variations

• Rapid Seasonal Warming: The Arabian Sea experiences quick temperature increases during the pre-monsoon period as the sun shifts to the northern hemisphere. In contrast, the Bay of Bengal heats up even more significantly, driving atmospheric convection and rainfall.
• Monsoon Impact: The formation of a key atmospheric trough over the Bay of Bengal by mid-May catalyzes the monsoon onset in Kerala, leading to extensive rainfall across many Indian states during the post-monsoon period.

Climate Change Impacts

• Warming Trends: Climate change is intensifying the unique characteristics of the Indian Ocean, with increased heat transfer from the Pacific and more intense warming due to the Southern Ocean’s influences.
• Environmental Responses: The north Indian Ocean and associated monsoon systems are adjusting to these changes, affecting wind patterns and humidity levels.
• Global Oceanic Impact: The Indian Ocean’s rapid warming is influencing broader oceanic dynamics, including heat absorption in the Pacific and altering deep water processes in the North Atlantic, acting as a global thermal buffer during climate shifts.

Regional Weather Phenomena

• Cyclogenesis Factors: The Indian Ocean’s diverse temperature and wind patterns contribute to the formation and intensity of cyclones, particularly noting the stark differences in cyclogenesis between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. These dynamics are increasingly influenced by regional climate change drivers.

Frequency of Cyclones and Their Uniqueness

• Monsoon Influence: During the monsoon, strong southwesterly winds stimulate a significant cooling in the Arabian Sea due to the mixing of cold subsurface and surface waters, reducing its potential for cyclone formation.
• Impact of Vertical Shear: Variable strength and direction of monsoon winds from the surface up to the middle atmosphere create a vertical shear, which disrupts the energy accumulation necessary for cyclone development.

Cyclogenesis Across Seasons

• Seasonal Split: The cyclogenesis in the north Indian Ocean is distinctively divided into pre-monsoon and post-monsoon phases, unlike other regions that typically experience a single cyclonic season.
• Regional Variations: While the Bay of Bengal shows higher cyclonic activity due to favorable conditions, the Arabian Sea exhibits subdued cyclonic formation due to lesser convective activity, especially in the pre-monsoon period.

The Case of Cyclone Asna

• Rare Occurrence: The recent cyclone named ‘Asna’ marked a rare cyclonic event in August, the first since 1981, originating from a potent land-born depression that transitioned into the Arabian Sea.
• Growth and Impact: This cyclone was notable for its intense development over land, which is atypical as depressions usually gain strength over the Bay of Bengal. Asna was fueled by the accumulated soil moisture from heavy rainfall, intensifying as it moved over the warm waters of the Arabian Sea.
• Wider Climate Influences: The formation and strengthening of Asna have been linked to broader climatic shifts including a northward migration of the low-level jet, influenced by significant warming over West Asia.

Broader Climatic Context and Surprises

• Global Warming and Weather Anomalies: The year 2023-2024 has witnessed unusual climatic phenomena influenced by global warming, El Niño, and possible volcanic activities undersea, contributing to unpredictable weather patterns including the unusual trajectory and impact of Cyclone Asna.
• Unexpected Weather Events: The behavior of the monsoon and associated weather patterns like Asna underscores the increasing unpredictability in weather events, highlighting a complex interplay of regional and global climatic factors.

-Source: The Hindu

Impact of Sanitation Improvements on Infant Mortality in India

Context:

The science journal Nature recently featured a study highlighting the relationship between the construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and reductions in infant mortality across India. This comprehensive analysis spanned the decade from 2011 to 2020 and covered all 35 states and Union territories, incorporating data from over 600 districts. The research aimed to quantify the public health impacts of improved sanitation facilities, which are crucial for reducing preventable infant deaths.

Relevance:

GS II: Government Policies and Interventions

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Outcomes of the Swachh Bharat Mission Study
2. Swachh Bharat Mission

Outcomes of the Swachh Bharat Mission Study

• Significant Reduction in Infant Mortality: The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has been instrumental in preventing 60,000-70,000 infant deaths annually from 2011 to 2020.
• Impact on Child Mortality Rates: Districts with more than 30% toilet coverage under SBM saw substantial declines in mortality, with 5.3 fewer infant deaths and 6.8 fewer child deaths per 1,000 births.
• Correlation with Toilet Accessibility: A 10% rise in access to toilets at the district level is associated with a 0.9 point decrease in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and a 1.1 point decrease in the Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR).
• Acceleration in IMR Reduction Post-SBM: Post-SBM, the rate of decrease in IMR increased to 8-9% annually, up from 3% annually during the pre-SBM period of 2000-2014.
• Improvement in Sanitation Facilities: The availability of toilets doubled, and the rate of open defecation dropped from 60% to 19% in the first five years of the SBM’s implementation.
• Construction of Toilets and ODF Status: Between 2014 and 2020, the government constructed 109 million household toilets, achieving open defecation free (ODF) status in over 600,000 villages.
• Wider Benefits Realized: Increased toilet access enhanced women’s safety, led to significant financial savings from reduced medical costs, and improved overall quality of life.
• Economic Benefits for Families: Households in ODF villages reported saving an average of Rs 50,000 annually on health-related expenses.
• Comprehensive Strategy Implementation: SBM effectively combined physical infrastructure development with significant investments in Information, Education, and Communication (IEC), fostering robust community engagement to eliminate open defecation.

Swachh Bharat Mission:

• On October 2, 2014, the Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) with the primary goal of eradicating open defecation throughout the country by 2019.
• The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative signifies a crucial and long-overdue endeavor to improve sanitation conditions in India.
• Globally, India’s record in terms of open defecation was even worse than in some economically disadvantaged regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti, and Ghana.
• This campaign aims to tackle this issue and elevate India’s sanitation standards to meet international norms.

Two distinct phases of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:

• The first phase of the mission extended until October 2019, and the second phase extends from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
• The objectives of these phases were rooted in completing the foundational work laid out in Phase 1.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Grameen Phase I:

• In the initial phase, launched in 2014, the rural sanitation coverage in the country stood at 38.7%.
• Since the initiation of this effort, more than 100 million individual toilets have been constructed.
•  Rural areas across all states declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF) by October 2, 2019.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Grameen Phase II:

• The emphasis of Phase-II is on ensuring the lasting success of the accomplishments achieved in Phase-I.
• This phase places significant importance on establishing effective infrastructure for the management of Solid/Liquid & Plastic Waste (SLWM) in rural India.
• Implemented from 2020-21 to 2024-25 in a mission mode, this phase is allocated a comprehensive budget of Rs. 1,40,881 crores.

Under the ODF Plus category, SLWM is monitored using four outcome indicators:

• Plastic waste management,
• Biodegradable solid waste management (including animal waste),
• Greywater (Household Wastewater) management
• Fecal sludge management.

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U):

• The Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), initiated in 2014, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, it is a national mission aimed at promoting cleanliness, sanitation, and effective waste management in the urban areas of India.
• The program’s primary goal is to cleanse and eliminate open defecation from cities and towns across the country, and its implementation is divided into distinct phases.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Urban Phase I:

• In the initial phase, SBM-U 1.0, the pivotal goal was achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status across urban India. This involved providing access to sanitary facilities and encouraging a shift in behavioral norms.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Urban Phase II:

• SBM-U 2.0 (2021-2026), building upon the accomplishments of the initial phase, aimed not only for ODF+ and ODF++ standards but also for garbage-free urban regions.
• Central to SBM-U 2.0 were sustainable sanitation practices, efficient waste management strategies, and the promotion of a circular economy model, focusing on harnessing waste as a resource and minimizing waste generation.

-Source: The Hindu

BepiColombo

Context:

Recently, the BepiColombo spacecraft gave scientists their first clear view of Mercury’s south pole.

Relevance:

GS III: Science and Technology

Dimensions of the Article:

1. BepiColombo Mission: Exploring Mercury
2. Objectives of BepiColombo

BepiColombo Mission: Exploring Mercury

BepiColombo is a collaborative mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to explore Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun.

Named After Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo:

• The mission is named after Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo, an Italian mathematician and engineer who made significant contributions to understanding Mercury’s orbit.

Launch and Purpose:

• Launched on October 20, 2018, BepiColombo aims to study various aspects of Mercury, including its surface, composition, magnetic field, and interaction with the solar environment.

Two Main Components:

BepiColombo consists of two main components:

• Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO): Provided by ESA, the MPO focuses on mapping and studying Mercury’s surface, composition, and topography.
• Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO): Provided by JAXA, the MMO studies Mercury’s magnetic field and magnetosphere.

Objectives of BepiColombo:

• Investigate Mercury’s surface and composition to gain insights into its geological history and formation processes.
• Study Mercury’s magnetic field and magnetosphere to understand its internal structure and interactions with the solar wind.
• Measure Mercury’s exosphere (thin atmosphere) and understand its composition and dynamics.
• Conduct experiments to test principles of general relativity and improve our understanding of gravity.

-Source: Indian Express

Kawasaki Disease

Context:

Recently, a Bengaluru based doctor revealed that they saw a surge in Kawasaki disease among children after the devastating second wave of COVID-19.

Relevance:

GS II: Health

Kawasaki Disease

• Kawasaki Disease is also referred to as Kawasaki syndrome or mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome.
• It is a rare pediatric illness that triggers fever and inflammation in blood vessels predominantly in children below five years.
• It ranks as one of the prevalent causes of acquired heart disease in young children.
• The disease provokes the immune system to attack and inflame the blood vessels.
• The inflammation typically targets the coronary arteries but can also affect lymph nodes, skin, and mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and throat.
• Symptoms manifest as fever, rash, swelling of hands and feet, red and irritated eyes, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, and inflammation in the mouth, lips, and throat.
• Discovered by Tomisaku Kawasaki in Japan in 1967, with the first international cases noted in Hawaii in 1976.
• The precise cause of Kawasaki Disease remains elusive, though it most frequently occurs in late winter and early spring.

-Source: The Hindu

Teal Carbon

Context:

India’s first study on ‘teal carbon’, undertaken at Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, has highlighted the significance of wetland conservation to address the challenges of climate adaptation and resilience.

Relevance:

Facts for Prelims

Teal Carbon:

• Teal Carbon refers to the carbon stored within non-tidal freshwater wetlands, which includes carbon found in vegetation, microbial biomass, and both dissolved and particulate organic matter.
• Compared to terrestrial forests, these wetland ecosystems are more efficient at capturing and storing carbon, making them superior in carbon sequestration capabilities.
• The term ‘teal carbon’ is a newer concept in environmental science focused on the study of organic carbon in inland freshwater wetlands.
• The term is a color-based nomenclature that categorizes organic carbon based on its functional role and geographical presence rather than its physical characteristics.
• The global reservoir of teal carbon is approximated at 500.21 petagrams (PgC), a scientific measurement for large quantities of carbon.
• Significant contributors to teal carbon include peatlands, freshwater swamps, and natural freshwater marshes.
• Despite their critical function in greenhouse gas regulation, these ecosystems face threats such as pollution, alterations in land use, water extraction, and changes to the landscape.

-Source: The Hindu