Jan 04, 2025 | Current Affairs for UPSC, State PCS & other Govt. Exams

The MeitY has released the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 for public consultation. These rules, once notified, will facilitate the implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), 2023.

The Act's journey began with the Justice AP Shah Committee's recommendation for privacy legislation in 2011 and the Supreme Court's landmark recognition of privacy as a fundamental right in the Justice KS Puttaswamy (Retd.) vs Union of India case in 2017.

The Act applies to digital personal data processing in India, whether collected online or offline and subsequently digitized.

The Act mandates that Data Fiduciaries (entities determining the purpose and method of data processing) obtain explicit user consent before processing personal data. However, certain exceptions exist for legitimate uses such as voluntary data provision, government services or benefits, and medical emergencies. F

or processing children's data, verifiable consent from a parent or lawful guardian is required. Significant Data Fiduciaries, as notified by the Central Government, must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) based in India to manage grievance redressal mechanisms.

The Act grants users several rights, including access to a summary of how their personal data is processed, the entities it is shared with, and other related information.

Enforcement is ensured through the Data Protection Board (DPB), which has civil court powers to address data breach complaints.

Guidelines:

1) Users must be informed immediately of any breaches, including their nature, consequences, and safety measures.

2) Simultaneously, the DPB must be alerted without delay, with a detailed report submitted within 72 hours.

3) For data retention, big platforms are required to delete user data after three years of inactivity, providing 48-hour advanced notice before deletion, except where retention is legally mandated.

4) Parental verification for children's data must be done using reliable identification or government-authorized tokens, though exemptions are allowed for healthcare, education, welfare services, school transport safety, and email account creation.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) marks its 30th anniversary, having been established in 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, which concluded the Uruguay Round negotiations (1986–1994) of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

Succeeding GATT, which regulated global trade since 1948, the WTO is the only international body governing trade rules between nations. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it has 166 members, representing 98% of global trade.

The Vice-President addressed the 27th International Congress of Vedanta held in Delhi, centered on the theme "Re-imagining Vedantic World Order."

A Quantum-based atomic clock has been developed in the United Kingdom.

An atomic clock is a type of clock that uses the resonance frequencies of atoms, typically cesium or rubidium, to measure time with exceptional accuracy. These clocks are incredibly precise because the resonance frequencies of atoms are highly stable and predictable.

The Quantum-based atomic clock is expected to have even greater accuracy, with claims that it will lose less than one second over billions of years, making it one of the most precise timekeeping devices ever developed.

The Union Home Minister chaired the 7th meeting of the Island Development Agency (IDA). The Island Development Agency (IDA) was set up in 2017. The primary goal of IDA is to promote the holistic development of India's islands, focusing on their infrastructure, economic development, and environmental sustainability.

IDA regularly reviews the progress of various developmental projects aimed at improving the quality of life and enhancing the overall development of these islands.

Tamil Nadu has launched India’s first glass bridge in Kanniyakumari, connecting the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the Thiruvalluvar Statue. The bridge, which is part of a Rs 37-crore project funded by the Tamil Nadu government, spans a length of 77 meters and has a width of 10 meters.

Farmers in Telangana will now receive ₹12,000 per acre annually under the Rythu Bharosa scheme, an increase from the previous ₹10,000. In addition, families of landless farm labourers will receive a similar amount annually through the newly introduced Indiramma Atmeeya Bharosa scheme.

Both schemes are set to be implemented starting January 26, 2025.

Scientists have demonstrated that the nano-formulation of Melatonin could be a therapeutic solution for Parkinson's Disease (PD). This innovative approach could potentially induce mitophagy, a process that identifies and removes dysfunctional mitochondria, which in turn helps to reduce oxidative stress associated with PD.

Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder caused by the progressive death of dopamine-secreting neurons in the brain, leading to motor and cognitive impairments.

Melatonin is a neurohormone secreted by the pineal gland, an endocrine gland in the brain, in response to darkness. It plays a crucial role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle, which is part of the broader circadian rhythms—the physical, mental, and behavioral changes an organism undergoes over a 24-hour period.

Melatonin is commonly used to treat insomnia, a sleep disorder.

Exposure to light at night can inhibit melatonin production, disrupting the body's circadian rhythm.

Assam's Elephant Population has seen a notable rise over the past seven years. The latest Elephant Population Estimate 2024 reveals an estimated 5,828 elephants, marking an increase of 109 elephants from the previous count in 2017.

The 6th edition of the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2024 Report has been released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. LEADS, first conceived in 2018, was modeled after the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) of the World Bank.

The report evaluates the logistics performance across Indian States and Union Territories, categorizing them into four groups: Coastal, Landlocked, Northeast, and Union Territories.

Based on their performance, these States and UTs are further classified into three categories: Achievers, Fast Movers, and Aspirers. Among the Landlocked Group Achievers, the top performers are Haryana, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

The performance assessment in LEADS 2024 is based on key parameters such as:

1) Sustainable logistics
2) Logistics infrastructure
3) Operating and regulatory environment.
4) Logistics services

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has revised the rules for the selection of experts for the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), as per recent reports. The new rules mandate that expert members disclose any conflicts of interest.

GEAC is India's apex regulatory body responsible for overseeing the regulation of genetically modified (GM) seeds. It plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and sustainability of genetically engineered organisms in the country.

GEAC was constituted as a statutory committee under the Rules for the Manufacture, Use/Import/Export, and Storage of Hazardous Micro Organisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells (Rules, 1989).

Manastu Space, a startup from IIT Bombay, has successfully tested their green propulsion system VYOM 2U onboard the PSLV C60 rocket in space using POEM-4. This system offers three times the capacity of its predecessor, POEM-3.

Launched by: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Purpose: POEM (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module) provides a cost-effective platform for on-orbit experiments. Traditionally, launching proprietary systems into space has been prohibitively expensive, especially for smaller entities, but POEM makes it more accessible.

Working: It transforms the fourth stage of the PSLV rocket into a free-flying space testbed in low Earth orbit, allowing various experiments and technologies to be tested in space conditions.

POEM enabling smaller entities to conduct space-based experiments affordably.

The Ministry of Education's Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report for 2023-24 reveals a significant drop in student enrolment, falling to 24.8 crore from 26.02 crore in 2018-19, a decline of over one crore students.

Both boys and girls have seen reduced enrolment, with regional variations observed, particularly in states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

UDISE+, which is an online data collection system developed by the Department of School Education & Literacy in 2018-19, tracks enrolment and other education-related data across the country.

In Uttar Pradesh, enrolment has declined from 4.44 crore in 2018-19 to 4.16 crore in 2023-24, reflecting a decrease of 28.26 lakh students. This trend highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring consistent student enrolment across different regions of India.

The Ministry of Finance has launched a revamped e-auction portal called BAANKNET.

BAANKNET is a platform that consolidates information on e-auction properties from all Public Sector Banks (PSBs), providing a one-stop destination for buyers and investors to explore a wide range of assets. The listings available on the portal include:

1) Residential properties such as flats, independent houses, and open plots.
2) Commercial properties like office spaces and shops.
3) Industrial land and buildings.

Chhattisgarh has become the first state to integrate forest ecosystem services with Green Gross Domestic Product (Green GDP), reflecting the environmental contributions of forests in economic metrics.

Green GDP, defined as environmentally adjusted GDP, accounts for the value of natural resources and the cost of environmental degradation, promoting sustainable development.

Green GDP = Net Domestic Product - (Cost of Depletion of Natural Resources + Cost of Degradation of Ecosystem)

Jan 04, 2025 | Current Affairs for UPSC, State PCS & other Govt. Exams

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