09.04.25 Daily [Goa] GPSC Current Affairs

Recent Launch: A Soyuz spacecraft, commemorating the 80th anniversary of WWII’s end, launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Crew: The spacecraft is carrying an American astronaut (Jonny Kim) and two Russian cosmonauts (Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky) to the International Space Station (ISS).

Mission: The crew will conduct 50 scientific studies in space before returning on December 9.

Historical Significance: The Soyuz program is the longest operational human spacecraft program, dating back to the 1960s. Soyuz means “union” in Russian.

Function: Soyuz spacecraft primarily serve as crew ferries to and from Earth-orbiting space stations, including the ISS.

Design: The Soyuz spacecraft is composed of three modules: orbital, service, and reentry.

Non-Reusable: Both the Soyuz rockets and spacecraft are non-reusable.

US-Russia Collaboration: Space collaboration through the ISS remains one of the few active partnerships between Russia and the United States.

Challenges for Roscosmos: Russia’s space program faces challenges including funding issues, corruption, and setbacks, although still serves as crucial transport to the ISS.

RGI Cautions Hospitals: The Registrar General of India (RGI) has warned government and private hospitals for failing to report births and deaths promptly, violating the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969.

Reporting Delay: Many hospitals delay reporting births and deaths, waiting for relatives to request it or directing relatives to report themselves.

Legal Requirement: Hospitals are legally obligated to report birth and death events within 21 days as per the RBD Act. Negligence in registration attracts a fine under Section 23(2).

Universal Registration Goal: While 90% of birth/death events are registered, the RGI aims for 100% universal registration.

Civil Registration System (CRS): Government hospitals act as registrars under the CRS, using the central online portal.

Digital Birth Certificate: Since October 1, 2023, a digital birth certificate serves as the single document for proving date of birth for various services.

Certificate Issuance Time: The RGI has instructed registrars to issue birth and death certificates within seven days.

Data Integration: The centralized database will update the National Population Register (NPR), ration cards, property registration, and electoral rolls.

Vital Statistics Delay: The RGI has not released vital statistics reports since 2020, impacting population estimation.

SC reprimands TN Governor: The Supreme Court criticized Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi for delaying action on and reserving 10 state bills for the President.

Unconstitutional Action: The Court deemed the Governor’s reservation of bills for the President’s consideration unconstitutional.

Article 200 Focus: The case highlights the interpretation of Article 200, which outlines the Governor’s powers regarding state bills (assent, withhold, reserve for President).

Governor’s Limited Discretion: The SC clarified that the Governor must act on the advice of the Council of Ministers and cannot indefinitely delay bills or exercise an “absolute veto.”

Timelines Introduced: The Supreme Court, for the first time, established specific timelines for Governors to act on bills:

• 1 month to withhold assent or reserve for President (with CoM advice)
• 3 months to return bill if withholding assent without CoM advice
• 1 month to give assent after the bill is re-passed

Judicial Review: Governor inaction within these timelines will be subject to judicial review. The SC can use Article 142 to declare bills as deemed to have received assent.

Democratic Principles Reaffirmed: The Court emphasized that Governors should not obstruct the legislative process. They should facilitate governance, not paralyze it.

Re-passed Bills: A Governor cannot reserve a re-passed bill for the President unless its content has materially changed.

Delayed Assent Concerns: Delays in granting assent undermine legislative autonomy and can spark judicial scrutiny.

Presidential Action: If a bill is reserved for the President, the President may assent, withhold assent (Article 201), or direct the Governor to return it to the assembly.

ESA’s Biomass Mission Launch Imminent: The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to launch the Biomass satellite. The launch is expected in 2025.

Purpose: Carbon Cycle Understanding: The mission aims to improve our understanding of the carbon cycle by providing more accurate forest biomass measurements.

Detailed 3D Forest Mapping: Biomass will create detailed 3D maps of dense and remote tropical forests.

Vega C Rocket Launch: The satellite will be launched aboard the Vega C rocket from French Guiana.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO): It will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 666 km altitude.

P-Band Radar Technology: The mission utilizes a long-wavelength P-band radar.

Penetrates Forest Canopy: The P-band radar can penetrate deep into the forest canopy.

Collects Information on Forest Components: It gathers data on tree trunks, branches, and stems, where the majority of carbon is stored.

Provides Forest Height and Biomass Data: Biomass will supply experts with new data on forest height and above-ground forest biomass from space.

Carbon Cycle & Forest Study: Scientists will use this information to study forest health, changes, and the role of forests in the carbon cycle.

Mission Duration: The Biomass mission is planned to last for five years.

“Dire Wolf” Pups Created: Colossal Biosciences claims to have genetically engineered wolf pups with traits resembling extinct dire wolves.

Genetic Engineering Process: Scientists used ancient dire wolf DNA to identify traits like white coats and thick fur. They edited gray wolf cells using CRISPR based on 99.5% DNA similarity and inserted them into domestic dog egg cells.

Not Exact Replicas: The pups are not exact genetic replicas of dire wolves due to millions of base pair differences. Classification as “dire wolves” is based on physical resemblance.

Dire Wolf Characteristics: Extinct dire wolves were larger than gray wolves, native to North America, and hunted large prey. They went extinct around 13,000 years ago due to prey depletion and human interference.

Skepticism from Scientists: Independent scientists emphasize this is not a true revival of dire wolves. Vincent Lynch notes it’s only making something look superficially similar.

Lost Ecological Function: Even with physical resemblance, the pups cannot perform the ecological functions of extinct dire wolves in today’s landscapes.

Cloning Red Wolves: Colossal also cloned four red wolves to increase genetic diversity within the endangered population.

Conservation Potential: The cloning technology may have applications for conserving other species by being less invasive.

Government Interest: The U.S. Interior Department is enthusiastic about the project’s potential, with Secretary Doug Burgum praising it as a “thrilling new era of scientific wonder.”

Learning Behavior: Pups will not be able to act like dire wolves because they would not learn to kill giant elks or big deer.

Shift from Globalism to Regionalism/Minilateralism: The global order is moving away from universal globalism towards regional and interest-driven coalitions. Nations are favoring smaller, more focused partnerships over large multilateral institutions.

Reasons for the Shift:

• Global Conflicts and Institutional Paralysis: Conflicts like Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza expose the limitations of global governance. UN Security Council deadlocks hinder conflict resolution.
• Reassertion of National Sovereignty: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted supply chain vulnerabilities and unequal vaccine access, prompting countries to prioritize self-reliance.
• Historical Disillusionment: Developing countries criticize unequal power dynamics in global institutions (WTO, IMF, World Bank), leading them to seek alternative platforms like BRICS.

Rise of Regionalism/Minilateralism:

• Regionalism: Geographically and culturally aligned partnerships (e.g., EU, ASEAN).
• Minilateralism: Smaller, interest-based groups (e.g., QUAD, I2U2) for focused cooperation.
• Flexible coalitions like QUAD, BRICS, and IMEC promote strategic autonomy and faster decision-making.

India’s Role:

• Actively engaging in regional initiatives like BIMSTEC and IORA.
• Promoting regional connectivity through projects like BBIN.
• Serving as a security provider and humanitarian responder.
• Acting as a trade and investment hub in South Asia.
• Promoting shared cultural and democratic values.

Challenges to India’s Regional Integration Efforts:

• Perception of Hegemony: Smaller nations perceive India’s dominance as overbearing.
• Bilateral Political Tensions: Disputes with Pakistan and China strain relations.
• Asymmetry in Economic Capabilities: Vast economic disparities hinder policy alignment.
• China’s Strategic Entrenchment: China’s growing influence through BRI complicates India’s agenda.

Way Forward for India:

• Revive and reform regional institutions like BIMSTEC and IORA.
• Strengthen sub-regional partnerships like BBIN.
• Boost regional trade and connectivity through simplified customs and integrated infrastructure.
• Foster inclusive engagement through transparent aid and cultural diplomacy.

Historical Context & India’s Initial Approach: Post WWII optimism faded, with big powers creating blocs like the Warsaw Pact and NATO. India, under Nehru, initially showed realism but later embraced Non-Alignment, which wasn’t as effective.

Regionalism as the Future: The post-globalist era is driven by regional interests. The EU and ASEAN serve as examples. South Asia is the least integrated region.

Modi’s Efforts: Modi is trying to inject vigor into regional geopolitics by emphasizing the Indian Ocean Region and promoting inclusivity in the Quad’s Indo-Pacific discourse. While SAARC remains dysfunctional, BIMSTEC has potential. Greater integration of the IOR through minilaterals is a priority.

Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) Notified: MeitY launched the ECMS to boost India’s position as a global electronics manufacturing hub (April 8, 2025).

Focus on Passive Components: Scheme targets manufacturing of passive electronic components like resistors, capacitors, connectors, speakers, sensors, etc. Active components are covered under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).

Incentive Structures: Offers three incentive models: turnover-linked, capex-linked, and hybrid (combination of both) to suit varying investment needs.

Support for Capital Equipment: The scheme supports the design and manufacturing of capital equipment used in electronics production.

Horizontal Initiative: Benefits span multiple sectors like consumer electronics, automobiles, medical devices, creating a multiplier effect.

Employment Generation: Mandatory requirement for all applicants, promoting job creation.

Growth in Electronics Sector: Electronics production has grown five-fold, and exports six-fold in the last decade, with smartphone exports exceeding ₹2 lakh crore in the last financial year.

Ecosystem Development: Over 400 production units now exist, and the sector is evolving from finished goods to deep component manufacturing, increasing value addition.

Industry Trends: India’s electronics manufacturing has progressed from finished goods to sub-assemblies, now focusing on deep component manufacturing.

Investment and Gestation: Acknowledges higher investment needs and longer gestation periods for component manufacturing.