TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 16.09.2024

1. BILATERAL

PAKISTAN INTIVES PM MODI TO SCO MEET IN ISLAMABAD

• Pakistan has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the upcoming meeting, highlighting the importance of diplomatic engagement within the SCO framework despite bilateral tensions. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
• Overview:
• Formation: Established in 2001.
• Members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Pakistan.
• Objectives: Promote regional cooperation in political, economic, and security domains.
• Significance of SCO: Regional Security: SCO plays a crucial role in combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism through joint military exercises and intelligence sharing.
• Economic Cooperation: Facilitates trade and economic collaboration among member states. Initiatives like the SCO Development Bank and SCO Business Council aim to boost economic ties.
• Cultural Exchange: Promotes cultural and humanitarian cooperation, enhancing people-to-people ties among member countries.
• Geopolitical Influence: Provides a platform for member countries to discuss and coordinate on regional and global issues, enhancing their collective geopolitical influence.
• Upcoming Meeting: Event: SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting. Oct 15-16, 2024. 
• Host: Pakistan (holds rotating chairmanship).
• Significance: This meeting will focus on economic and trade cooperation, regional connectivity, and other strategic issues. Invitations have been extended to all member states, including India.

2. STATES

ASSAM ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL TO MAKE MUSLIM MARRIAGE REGISTRATION A MUST

• Bill Passed: Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024
• Objective: Prevent child marriage, check polygamy, and end the role of kazis in marriage registration.
• Repealed Law: Previous Act: Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act, 1935.
• Function: Allowed licensed kazis to register Muslim marriages and divorces. 
• Issue: The 1935 Act was deemed outdated and allowed registration only for Muslims.
• New Provisions:
• Marriage Registration:
• Authority: Government’s Marriage and Divorce Registration authority, with Sub-Registrar in charge.
• Conditions: Woman must be 18 years old, man 21 years old.
• Marriage must be solemnized in presence of both parties.
• At least one party must reside in the district for 30 days before notice.
• Marriage must not be within prohibited degrees of relationship as per Muslim personal law.
• Notice Period: 30 days’ notice required before registration.
• Affidavits: Required for identity, age, and residence.
• Objections and Appeals: Objections: Can be raised by any aggrieved person within the 30- day notice period.
• Appeals: Two stages – District Registrar and Registrar General of Marriages.
• Penalties: Violation: Up to 2 years imprisonment and a fine up to 50,000 rupees for knowingly violating conditions.
• Child Marriage: Immediate reporting to Child Marriage Protection Officer for legal action

3. ENVIRONMENT

ARTIFICIAL RAIN LIKELY TO BE PART TO DELHI GOVERNMENT PLAN TO CURB POLLUTION

• What is Artificial Rain?
• Definition: Also known as cloud seeding, it is a weather modification technique aimed at inducing precipitation.
• Process:
• Cloud Seeding: Involves dispersing substances like silver iodide, potassium iodide, or sodium chloride into the atmosphere.
• Mechanism: These substances act as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, encouraging the formation of raindrops.
• Methods:
• Aerial Dispersal: Using aircraft to release the seeding agents into clouds.
• Ground-Based Dispersal: Using ground-based generators to release the agents. Artificial rain is a proposed measure in Delhi’s Winter Action Plan to combat severe air pollution. While it holds promise, its implementation requires careful consideration and collaboration with experts and authorities.
• Winter Action Plan:
• Objective: To mitigate air pollution during the winter months.
• Key Measures: Artificial Rain:
• Purpose: To clear pollutants from the air.
• Implementation: Requires collaboration with the Union Environment Ministry and experts from IIT Kanpur.
• Work-from-Home Policy:
• Current Status: Part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for severe pollution days.
• Proposed Change: Promote work-from-home culture in both private and government offices even before pollution reaches emergency levels.
• Vehicle Ban in Hotspots: Reduce vehicular emissions in areas with high pollution levels.
• Awareness Campaigns: Change citizens’ behavior to reduce pollution.
• Staggered Office Timings: Reduce the number of vehicles on the road during peak pollution hours.
• Promotion of Electric Vehicles: Encourage the use of electric vehicles in pollution hotspots

4. ENVIRONMENT

SHUN EXOTIC TREES, PLANT LOCAL SPECIES SAYS ADVISORY FROM A.P FOREST DEPARTMENT

• Afforestation Drive in Andhra Pradesh
• Objective: Increase green cover to more than 33% of the State’s geographical area.
• Authority: Andhra Pradesh Forest Department.
• Directive: Recommended planting indigenous species and avoiding certain exotic species.
• Indigenous Species Recommended:
• Neem (Azadirachta indica)
• Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
• Mango (Mangifera indica)
• Pongamia pinnata (Karanja)
• Mimusops elengi (Bakul)
• Ficus varieties (e.g., Banyan, Peepal)
• Exotic Species to Avoid:
• Conocarpus erectus (Buttonwood Mangrove)
• Concerns: Alleged to deplete groundwater and cause respiratory issues.
• Current Status: Subject of a PIL in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh.
• Alstonia scholaris (Devil’s Tree)
• Concerns: Reportedly causes gastrointestinal irritations and other ailments.
• Terminalia mantaly (Umbrella Tree / Madagascar Almond)
• Concerns: Vulnerable to destruction in cyclone-prone areas.
• Rationale: Environmental Impact: Exotic species are considered detrimental to the environment and human health.
• Scientific Evidence: Petitioners argue there is no scientific evidence supporting the claims against Conocarpus erectus.
• Growth Conditions: Exotic species are preferred for their rapid growth in saline areas but pose other risk.

5. GEOGRAPHY

IMD WARNS OF CYCLONE IN SAURASHTRA, BAY OF BENGAL DEPRESSION

• Cyclones are large-scale air masses that rotate around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure. They are characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Formation of Cyclones
• Cyclones typically form over warm ocean waters near the equator. The process involves several stages:
• Warm Ocean Water: The sea surface temperature needs to be at least 26.5°C to a depth of about 50 meters.
• Atmospheric Instability: Warm, moist air rises, creating an area of low pressure beneath.
• Coriolis Effect: The rotation of the Earth causes the rising air to spiral.
• High Humidity: High moisture content in the mid-troposphere (5 km to 10 km altitude).
• Low Wind Shear: Low vertical wind shear allows the storm to grow vertically.
• Cyclone Seasons in India
• In the Indian subcontinent, cyclones are most common during the pre-monsoon (April to June) and post-monsoon (October to December) periods. The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are the two main regions where cyclones form.

ONE LINER

1. Telangana, Tamil Nadu (8.2%) and Rajasthan have recorded the highest growth in real gross domestic product (GSDP) in FY24.
2. The first foreign ministers meeting of the India- Gulf Cooperation Council is being held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia