Current Affairs 26th June 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

E-Sakshya App

Context: A few days before the implementation of the three penal laws, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is testing eSakshya (electronic evidence) application.

About eSakshya App

• Implementation:
  • Developed by the National Informatics Center (NIC).
  • Available to all police stations that register and download the app.
• Purpose: It will help the police record crime scenes, searches and seizures in a criminal case.
• Aim: To improve investigation standards by enabling police officials to record crime scenes and forensic examinations using audiovisual technology.
  • This initiative seeks to enhance the quality and reliability of evidence collection, potentially leading to more effective law enforcement and improved conviction rates.
• Functionality:
  • Police officers can upload recordings of crime scenes to a cloud-based platform.
  • Officers must upload a selfie after completing a case.
    • Officers can either upload files directly through eSakshya if internet speed is adequate or record on their own device and upload later using a designated computer at the police station.
  • Each recording can be up to four minutes long, with multiple files allowed per FIR.
• Requirements:
  • Mandatory audio and video recording of searches and seizures.
  • Forensic examination in cases where the offence carries a sentence of seven years or more.

Change 6

Context: China’s Chang’e-6 became the first spacecraft to bring back samples from the far side of the Moon.

Historical Context of Lunar Sample Return Missions

• Apollo 11 Mission (1969): The US Apollo 11 mission brought 22 kg of lunar material to Earth in July 1969.
• Soviet Luna 16 Mission (1970): The Soviet Union’s Luna 16 mission returned lunar samples in September 1970.
• Chang’e-5 Mission (2020): In December 2020, Chang’e-5 brought back 2 kg of lunar soil.
• Near Side vs. Far Side: All these missions collected samples from the near side of the Moon. The far side’s challenging terrain and communication issues posed significant obstacles.
• Chang’e-4 Success (2019): Chang’e-4 overcame these challenges by placing the Yutu-2 rover on the far side of the Moon.
• Advancement with Chang’e-6: Chang’e-6 not only landed on the far side but also successfully returned with samples.

Significance of Sample Return Missions

• Purpose: These missions aim to collect and return extraterrestrial samples for detailed Earth-based analysis.
• Limitations of In Situ Experiments: Robotic explorations on-site are limited by the less sophisticated instruments they carry.
• Benefits of Returned Samples: Samples analysed in laboratories can be studied for their chemical, isotopic, mineralogical, structural, and physical properties in great detail.
• Long-Term Preservation: Returned samples can be preserved for decades, allowing future generations to study them with advanced technologies.
• Continued Study of Apollo Samples: Lunar samples from the Apollo missions are still being studied today, offering insights into the Moon’s history, Earth, and the inner solar system.

Potential Discoveries from Chang’e-6 Samples

• Geological Differences: The far side of the Moon, with a thicker crust, more craters, and fewer plains, is geologically different from the near side. Chang’e-6 samples could help understand these differences.
• SPA Basin: Samples from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin may reveal information about lunar cratering timelines and material from the Moon’s lower crust and upper mantle.
• Lunar Resources for Exploration: These samples could provide insights into using lunar resources, such as producing bricks for building lunar bases through 3D printing.
• Presence of Ice: Scientists are also interested in potential ice at the Moon’s poles, which could be harvested for water, oxygen, and hydrogen—essential for sustaining human presence and as rocket propellant.

The New Race to the Moon

• Lunar Missions in 2023: Countries like India, China, Japan, the US, and Russia launched lunar missions in 2023, with over 100 Moon missions expected by 2030 from both governments and private companies.
• Goals for 2030: Both China and the US aim to place astronauts on the Moon by 2030, with Chang’e-6 being a significant step for China.
• Focus of Modern Lunar Missions: Unlike the 20th-century US-USSR space race, today’s missions focus on establishing a long-term presence on the Moon and utilising its resources.
• Launch Pad for Deeper Space Exploration: The Moon is seen as a potential launch pad for deeper space exploration and missions to other celestial bodies.

Examples, Case Studies and Data

• India’s Debt Burden (GS 3): As of March 2024, India’s external debt reached $663.8 billion, an increase of $39.7 billion from March 2023.
  • Debt-to-GDP Ratio: The external debt-to-GDP ratio slightly decreased from 19.0% to 18.7% over the same period.
  • Valuation Effects: The appreciation of the U.S. dollar against major currencies contributed $8.7 billion to the increase.
  • Currency Composition:S. dollar-denominated debt had the largest share at 53.8%, followed by the Indian rupee (31.5%), yen (5.8%), SDR (5.4%), and euro (2.8%).
  • Sector Debt Increase: Both government and non-government sector debts increased compared to the previous year.
  • Debt Categories: Loans accounted for the largest portion of external debt at 33.4%, followed by currency and deposits (23.3%), trade credit and advances (17.9%), and debt securities (17.3%).
• Health (GS 2): Almost half of the adult Indian population does not meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for sufficient physical activity, according to new data published in The Lancet Global Health.
  • Gender Disparity: The study reveals that 57% of women and 42% of men in India are physically inactive.
  • Rising Inactivity: The prevalence of insufficient physical activity among Indian adults has surged from 22.3% in 2000 to 49.4% in 2022.
  • Future Projections: If the current trend continues, 60% of the population could be unfit by 2030, raising the risk of diseases linked to inadequate physical activity.
  • Global Ranking: India ranks 12th highest in insufficient physical activity prevalence among 195 countries.
  • Global Statistics: Globally, nearly one-third (31%) of adults, or approximately 1.8 billion people, did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.

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