Current Affairs 5th Sep 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

World Employment and Social Outlook Report

Context: Recently The International Labour Organisation (ILO) released its World Employment and Social Outlook September 2024 Update.

Major Highlights of the September Update:

• It has pointed out rising inequality worldwide due to stagnant labour income.
• A major factor behind this decline is Artificial Intelligence (AI) & COVID Pandemic.
• AI has improved productivity but simultaneously it has reduced workers’ income share.
• From 2019 to 2022, the share of global income going to workers dropped by 0.6 percentage points and has stayed at that level since then.
• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly contributed to this, with nearly 40% of the reduction occurring from 2020 to 2022.
• The report also noted slow progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as their 2030 deadline approaches.

Global Capability Centres (GCC)

Context: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is signed between Assurant, a Fortune 500 Insurance and Finance company and the Tamil Nadu government for setting up a GCC in Chennai.

What are GCC’s ?

• It is a strategic outpost/branch set up by multinational corporations (MNCs) to perform specialised functions for their parent organisation.
• Functions of GCC:
  • Driving Innovation: Create new products or services, and conduct research.
  • Managing Technology: Handling IT systems, software development, cybersecurity, and other tech needs.
  • Handling Back-Office Tasks: They take care of finance, human resources, procurement, and customer support.
  • Ensuring Compliance: They make sure the company meets legal requirements and manages risks in global operations.
• In India, GCCs have evolved into Innovation Hubs and Centers of Excellence (CoEs).
• Top Destinations for setting up GCCs in India: Bengaluru, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and GIFT City

Genome Sequencing of Chandipura Virus

Context: The Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) in Gandhinagar has published the only fully mapped genome of the Chandipura virus (CHPV).

What is Genome Mapping ?

• It refers to the process of determining the location of genes on an organism’s chromosomes.
• It provides important information about;
  • where a virus comes from
  • how it is changing
  • whether it has any mutations that are likely to make it more transmissible or deadly.
• Types of Genome Maps:
  • Genetic Maps: These maps show the relative positions of genes based on how often they are passed together through recombination.
  • Physical Maps: These maps show the exact positions of genes by measuring distances in DNA base pairs.

Exemption of Export led Green Hydrogen projects from Solar Shortlist

Context: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has exempted export-oriented green hydrogen projects from its solar module shortlist of domestic manufacturers.

What are different types of Hydrogen ?

• Green hydrogen:
  • It is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy sources like solar or wind power.
  • It is a clean energy source and is considered climate-neutral.
• Grey hydrogen:
  • It is produced from fossil fuels (natural gas, coal etc.)
  • Its production releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
  • It’s the most common type of hydrogen produced currently, accounting for about 95% of the world’s hydrogen supply.
• Blue hydrogen:
  • It is produced using the same process as grey hydrogen but its carbon emissions are captured and stored.
  • It is more environmentally friendly than grey hydrogen, but its production is more expensive and has technical challenges.
• Pink hydrogen:
  • It is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using nuclear energy-powered electrolysis.
  • It is also known as purple or crimson hydrogen.
• Turquoise hydrogen:
  • It is produced from natural gas through a process called methane pyrolysis.

Real Time Monitoring at Highway Toll Plaza

Context: The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has developed a GIS-based software for Real-time monitoring of the waiting time at the Toll Plazas.

About the Software

• Developed by: Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL)
• Significance: It will help the NHAI officials to check the congestion at specific lane levels to ensure the free flow of traffic.
• Features:
  • It will provide details related to the live status of queue length in metres, total waiting time and vehicle speed at the toll plaza.
  • It will also provide congestion alerts and lane distribution recommendations if the queue of vehicles at a toll plaza is more than the prescribed limit.
  • It will provide updates on current weather conditions and information about local festivals.
    • This will help NHAI officials take pre-emptive measures to manage the traffic load and decongest the toll plazas.
  • Presently it is being implemented at the 100 toll plazas and will be extended to more toll plazas in a phased manner.

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