UPSC QUIZ 02.12.2023

Explanation:

• The Centre, through the Department of Personnel and Training, has issued a notification exempting the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team from the purview of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
• CERT-In, will now operate outside the scope of the RTI Act,2005 limiting public access to information about its activities and functioning.

CERT-In Exempted

• The Centre has used its powers given under Section 24(2) of the RTI Act to exempt CERT-In from the purview of the transparency law.
• Section 24(2) of the RTI Act, 2005 allows the Central Government to change the Schedule by adding or removing intelligence or security organizations established by the Government.
• However, the subsection does not apply to the information pertaining to the allegations of corruption and human rights violations, not to the cases where such allegations are made.
• Moreover, the information related to the allegations of human rights violations can only be provided after the approval of the Central Information Commission.

Explanation:

• Global Energy Monitor (GEM), a not-for-profit cataloging coal projects worldwide, has released its quarterly update of GEM’s Global Coal Plant Tracker, highlighting several key findings regarding the status of coal power projects worldwide.

Key Findings of the GEM Report

Global Trends in Coal Construction

• More than 95% of coal plant capacity beginning construction in 2023 is in China, showcasing a dominance in new coal projects.
• A decline is observed in new coal power capacity construction for the second consecutive year, signaling a shift away from coal in many regions.

Coal Capacity Under Consideration

• 110 GW of coal power capacity is under consideration in 32 countries, indicating a significant amount of Coal projects are still being deliberated.
• India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia lead, comprising 83% of the proposed coal capacity outside China.

Explanation:

• ISRO's Astrosat has successfully detected its 600th Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB). This event has been named GRB 231122B

Gamma-ray burst

• Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are momentary bursts of gamma-ray light, the most energetic form of light. Lasting from a few milliseconds to several minutes, GRBs are hundreds of times brighter than a typical supernova and about a million trillion times brighter than the Sun.
• When a GRB burst occurs, it is the brightest source of brief cosmic gamma-ray photons in the observable universe.
• Long duration bursts last from 2 seconds to a few hundreds of seconds (several minutes), with an average time of about 30 seconds. They are associated with the end of massive stars in supernovae; However not every supernova produces a gamma-ray burst.

Explanation:

• United Kingdom's drug regulator has approved the world's first gene therapy treatment for sickle cell disease and thalassemia. The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency said it has approved Casgevi for patients aged 12 years and older with sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

Casgevy Therapy Work

• Both sickle cell disease and thalassaemia are caused by errors in the gene for haemoglobin (Hb), a protein in the red blood cells that carry oxygen to organs and tissues.
• The therapy uses the patient’s own blood stem cells, which are precisely edited using CRISPR-Cas9.
• A gene called BCL11A, which is crucial for switching from foetal to adult haemoglobin, is targeted by the therapy.
• Foetal haemoglobin, which is naturally present in everyone at birth, does not carry the same abnormalities as adult haemoglobin.

Explanation:

• Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on November 27, 2023 approved amendments to the 'Communication and Connectivity Infrastructure Policy-2023' with an aim to increase the availability of high-quality technology and communication infrastructure to boost connectivity across the state.
• This new policy will replace the 'Communication and Connectivity Infrastructure Policy-2017' and will align with the revised Indian Telegraph Right of Way rules notified by the Union Ministry of Communications (Department of Telecommunications) in 2022.
• The cabinet decision encourages integration of cutting-edge technological advancements in the telecom sector, including innovative business models such as 'Fiber to the Home' (FTTH) and 'Open Access Network' (OAN), which separates physical access to networks from service delivery.
• The revised policy establishes a framework for building 5G enabled infrastructure through roadside ducts, allowing multiple service providers to share the same infrastructure to optimise 'Right of Way' (ROW) availability and prevent repeated disruptions caused by digging in ROWs by multiple infrastructure providers.
• Under the newly sanctioned schedule, if the nodal officer fails to grant permission or reject the application within 45 days (about 1 and a half months) from the date of submission of application, the permission will be deemed granted. The Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district will be the only contact person for all the approvals.