Current Affairs 9th March 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

UN Human Rights Office

Context: The UN Human Rights Office released a report stating that Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem may constitute a war crime.

More in News

• The report examines activity from November 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023, noting a significant increase in housing units within West Bank settlements.
• The UN Human Rights Chief highlighted a critical rise in settler violence and related violations, potentially jeopardising the future of a viable Palestinian state.
  • Additionally, addressing the Human Rights Council, criticised Israel’s plans to construct additional settler homes as being against international law.
  • He pointed out that the settlements represent Israel moving its population into occupied territories, an act classified as a war crime by international law.
• Globally, the settlements are widely viewed by the international community as illegal according to international law.
• Increased settlement activity and violence in the West Bank have been eclipsed by the conflict in Gaza.

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First National Creators’ Awards

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the inaugural ‘National Creators Award’ at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

About the Award

• Honours excellence and influence in various creative fields like storytelling, sustainability, education, gaming, and more.
• Aims to promote positive change through creativity.
• Twenty award categories include Best Storyteller, Disruptor of the Year, Best Food Creator, and Cultural Ambassador.

Presentation Process:

• Over 150,000 nominations were received across categories.
• Public voted for their favourite creators, resulting in 1 million votes cast.
• A total of 23 winners were chosen, including 3 international creators.

Some Notable Winners

• Nishchay: Best Creator in Gaming
• Ankit Baiyanpuria: Best Health and Fitness Creator
• Naman Deshmukh: Best Creator in Education
• Kabita Singh (Kabita’s Kitchen): Best Creator in Food
• RJ Raunac (Bauaa): Most Creative Creator (Male)
• Shraddha: Most Creative Creator (Female)
• Maithili Thakur: Cultural Ambassador of the Year
• Jaya Kishori: Best Creator for Social Change
• Ranveer Allahbadia (BeerBiceps): Disruptor of the Year
• Aman Gupta: Celebrity Creator of the Year
• Lakshay Dabas: Most Impactful Agri Creator

Anthropocene

Context:

• Geologists from the Anthropocene Working Group suggest evidence from Crawford Lake, Ontario, marks the start of the Anthropocene, a new epoch.
• The epoch reflects the significant human impact on Earth and is proposed to start between 1950 and 1954.

What is the Anthropocene Epoch?

• A proposed geological epoch marking the human impact on Earth’s ecosystem.
• Coined in 2000 by Paul Crutzen and Eugene Stoermer.
• Characterised by:
  • Global warming
  • Sea-level rise
  • Ocean acidification
  • Mass-scale soil erosion
  • Biodiversity loss
  • Other environmental damage

Evidence for the Anthropocene

• Geologists analysed sediments from Crawford Lake, Canada.
• Layers of sediment captured the fallout from human activities:
  • Fossil fuel burning
  • Nuclear weapons testing
  • Plastic and fertilizer use
• This shift is believed to have begun between 1950 and 1954.

The Approval Process

• The Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) is proposing the new epoch.
• Their findings need approval from various scientific bodies:
  • Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS)
  • International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS)
  • International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)
• Final approval might come next year at the International Geological Congress.

Geological Time Scale

• Earth’s geological time is categorised into:
  • Eons (broadest)
  • Eras
  • Periods
  • Epochs
  • Ages (smallest)
• Fossils are the primary way to define these categories.
• Each category is further divided.
  • For instance, Earth’s history is characterised by four eons, including Hadeon (oldest), Archean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic (youngest).
• Currently, we are in the:
  • Phanerozoic Eon
  • Cenozoic Era
  • Quaternary Period
  • Holocene Epoch
  • Meghalayan Age

Examples, Case Studies and Data Points For Value Edition

1. Women Empowerment (GS 1, GS 2): The Army is raising two girls’ sports companies (AGSCs) at two of its centers of excellence in Mhow and Pune, to identify young talent, educate and train them to become champions in their respective sporting disciplines.

• The girls at the AGSCs will be eligible for recruitment as direct entry NCOs (non-commissioned officers) and JCOs (junior commissioned officers), apart from their enrolment as Agniveers in the 12-lakh strong force.

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