Current Affairs 11th April 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

World Trade Outlook

Context: As per the World Trade Outlook by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) global trade is expected to rebound in 2024 after a contraction in 2023.

What are the Findings of World Trade Outlook?

• 2023:
  • Trade volume contracted by 1.2% (worse than the earlier forecast of 0.8% growth).
  • High energy prices and inflation dampened demand for manufactured goods.
  • Global trade in value terms fell 5% to $24.01 trillion.
  • Example: India’s exports fell 4.8% to $431.4 billion.
• 2024:
  • The forecast was revised downwards to 2.6% growth (from 3.3% in October 2023).
  • Expected recovery in consumption demand in advanced economies, driven by:
    • Abating inflationary pressures
    • Rising real incomes
  • Signs of recovery are already evident in new export order indices.
• 2025: Forecast for 3.3% growth in trade volume.
• Regional Trends:
  • Asia is expected to contribute more to trade volume growth in 2024 and 2025.
  • Import demand in 2023:
    • Fell sharply in Europe.
    • Declined in North America.
    • Remained flat in Asia.
    • Increased in major fuel-exporting economies.
  • Commercial Services Trade:
    • Increased by 9% to $7.54 trillion in 2023, partially offsetting the decline in goods trade.

India’s Hepatitis Challenge

Context

• As per the WHO’s Global Hepatitis Report 2024 report, India has nearly 3 crore (30 million) Hepatitis B patients and more than 50 lakh (5 million) Hepatitis C patients, ranking it with the second-highest burden of these diseases globally.
• In 2022, Hepatitis B and C collectively were responsible for over a lakh (100,000) deaths in India.

What are the Concerns?

• High Burden of Disease: India’s massive patient population with Hepatitis B and C, with a significant mortality rate attributed to these diseases in 2022.
• Low Detection Rates: The report points out the alarmingly low detection rates for Hepatitis B and C, indicating that the vast majority of infected individuals remain undiagnosed.
  • Example: Less than 3% of Hepatitis B cases and less than 30% of Hepatitis C cases are detected.
• Treatment Coverage: Despite the low cost of treatment and the availability of generic drugs and diagnostics made by Indian companies, the coverage remains poor.
• Inadequate Progress towards Elimination Goals: The National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) aims to eliminate Hepatitis C by 2030 and reduce Hepatitis B-related morbidity and mortality significantly.
  • The WHO report suggested India needs significant improvement by 2026 to achieve these goals.
• Transmission and Vaccination Gaps: Most Hepatitis B infections in India are transmitted from mother to child, yet less than 50% of infants receive the crucial early vaccination.
  • The report attributes this gap partly to the low rate of institutional births in many regions.
• Healthcare Infrastructure Deficit: The WHO identifies a broader healthcare infrastructure deficit, with 70% of Hepatitis C patients not even entering the diagnostic network, highlighting a gap in healthcare access and quality.

Solutions Proposed

• Course Correction for NVHCP: The WHO suggests a strategic “course correction” between 2024 and 2026 to realign the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme with its elimination and reduction goals.
• Expanding Diagnosis: Early detection is crucial for timely treatment and preventing further transmission.
  • Strengthening healthcare infrastructure and outreach programs can improve diagnosis rates.
• Focus on Mother-to-Child Transmission:
  • Timely vaccination of newborns within the first few hours of birth is essential to prevent Hepatitis B.
  • Addressing low institutional birth rates and educating healthcare workers can increase early vaccination coverage.
• Improved Access to Treatment:
  • Hepatitis C has highly effective and affordable treatments available in India.
  • Expanding access to healthcare facilities and raising awareness can ensure more patients receive the treatment they need.

Time Standard for Moon

Context: The US White House has instructed NASA to collaborate with other US government entities to devise a strategy by the end of 2026 for setting up a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).

Earth’s Time Standard

• Earth operates on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), maintained by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris and based on the average of over 400 atomic clocks worldwide.
• UTC relies on the stable resonant frequencies of cesium-133 atoms, with one second defined by 9,192,631,770 vibrations of a cesium atom.
• Local time adjustments are made by adding or subtracting hours from UTC based on a country’s longitude relative to the Greenwich meridian.

Necessity for a Lunar Time Standard

• Time flows differently on the Moon compared to Earth, a phenomenon explained by Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.
• On the Moon, a clock would tick slightly faster due to the lower gravitational pull, resulting in a time discrepancy with Earth clocks.
  • Example: For someone on the Moon, an Earth-based clock will appear to lose on average 58.7 microseconds per Earth day with “additional periodic variations”.
• This discrepancy, although seemingly minor, poses challenges for precision tasks like spacecraft docking, data transfers, and communication on the lunar surface.
• Current lunar missions operate on their own time scales linked to UTC, but a unified lunar time standard is essential for future missions and potential lunar habitation.

International and Private Lunar Missions

• Several countries, including the US, China, and India, have plans to launch lunar missions in the coming years, with ambitions ranging from crewed landings to establishing a long-term human outpost on the Moon.
  • Example:
    • NASA’s Artemis program aims to send astronauts back to the lunar surface no earlier than September 2026.
    • China has announced plans to land its astronauts by 2030, and India intends to arrive by 2040.
  • The increasing likelihood of simultaneous operations by multiple spacecraft necessitates a standardised lunar time to ensure coordination and safety.

Creating a Lunar Time Standard (Coordinated Lunar Time – LTC):

• Specific details are yet to be finalised (by end of 2026).
• Likely solution:
  • It is suggested that atomic clocks could be deployed on the Moon to measure time based on the Moon’s natural rhythms.
  • A proposal includes placing at least three atomic clocks on the lunar surface at various locations to account for the Moon’s rotational variations and local gravitational anomalies caused by mass concentrations (mascons).
  • These clocks would work together through an algorithm to create a unified lunar time, which would then be synchronised with Earth’s UTC for seamless operations.

Examples, Data and Case Studies For Value Addition

• Climate Change (GS 3): March experienced its highest temperatures on record due to a combined effect of El Niño and human-caused climate change, as reported by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)
  • The average global temperature for March reached 14.14 degrees Celsius, which is 1.68 degrees Celsius higher than the historical average for March during the pre-industrial period of 1850–1900.
  • This temperature surpassed the previous record high for March in 2016 by 0.10 degrees Celsius.
  • January of the current year marked the first time the global average temperature exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold set in the Paris Agreement.

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