Month: September 2023

Categories
International Relations

Conflict Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

As tensions between the two countries remain high, three Armenian soldiers have been killed in Azerbaijani shelling.

What exactly is the point of contention?

  • Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani breakaway area ruled by ethnic Armenians, imposed martial law and mobilised their male populations.
  • Armenia said that Azerbaijan launched an air and artillery strike on Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Nagorno-Karabakh region is the epicentre.

  • Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
  • After thousands of people were slain and many more were displaced, a ceasefire was reached in 1994.
  • Azerbaijan and Armenia routinely accuse each other of carrying out assaults in the vicinity of Nagorno-Karabakh and along the separate Azeri-Armenian border.

The economics of the confrontations

  • The riots sparked a rush of diplomacy to avert a resurgence of a decades-old war between largely Christian Armenia and predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan.
  • Pipelines transporting Caspian oil and natural gas from Azerbaijan to the rest of the world pass near Nagorno-Karabakh.
  • The battles have stoked fears of instability in the South Caucasus, a route for pipelines carrying oil and gas to global markets.
Source: https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/nagorno-karabakh-conflict
Categories
Economics

Deciphering the Adani Report from the OCCRP

  • The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was charged with examining charges relating to the Adani-Hindenburg affair after a Supreme Court ruling in March 2023.
  • The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) recently released new allegations against the Adani Group, heightening the attention.

The claims made by the OCCRP against Adani Group

  • The Adani Group is accused of stock manipulation in the OCCRP report.
  • The story cites exclusive papers revealing that Adani family investors affected the stock prices of Adani enterprises.
  • The Adani Group has categorically disputed the charges, blaming them on “Soros-funded interests.”

What is OCCRP?

  • The OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) is a global network of investigative journalists.
  • OCCRP, founded in 2006 by Drew Sullivan and Paul Radu, focuses on researching organised crime and systemic corruption.
  • OCCRP now has over 150 journalists in 30 countries and works with regional partners and organisations such as the Global Investigative Journalism Network.

The Impact of OCCRP

  • OCCRP’s investigations have resulted in several official investigations, arrests, resignations, and large fines.
  • It was crucial in high-profile investigations, such as those of Russia’s billionaires and the Panama Papers project.
  • For its achievements to exposing governmental corruption and organised crime, the organisation has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The SEBI Investigation

  • The Supreme Court instructed SEBI to look into Rule 19A violations, non-disclosure of related party transactions, and stock price manipulation.
  • According to the OCCRP investigation, Mauritius-based funds linked to the Adani family invested in Adani company equities.
  • The investment funds allegedly paid advising fees to a UAE-based entity affiliated to Adani.
  • The facts presented by the OCCRP, as well as the Hindenburg report, point to potential regulatory violations and contraventions by the Adani Group.

Deciphering Rule 19A

  • Rule 19A of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules, 1957 is a crucial clause.
  • It requires that any company listed on the Indian stock exchange maintain a minimum of 25% public equity.
  • In this usage, “public” refers to anyone other than the “promoter and promoter group.” These words include the company’s subsidiaries and associates as well as immediate family members.
  • This regulation ensures that a sufficient number of shares of a publicly traded corporation are accessible for trading, facilitating price discovery.

SEBI’s Reaction and the Expert Committee

  • SEBI is investigating the Adani-Hindenburg case, with some probes still underway.
  • The Expert Committee has identified regulatory gaps that enable the hiding of “ultimate beneficiary ownership” and transactions with “related parties.”
  • SEBI’s handling of Adani stock alerts, as well as its appraisal of suspected FPIs, has sparked concerns about its involvement.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/explained-decoding-the-occrps-adani-report/article67257280.ece
Categories
Environment & Biodiversity

India’s Illicit Red Sand Boa Trade

  • A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-India details 172 red sand boa (Eryx johnii) seizures from 2016 to 2021.
  • It is illegally distributed under the guise of its use in black magic rituals.

Concerning the Red Sand Boa

  • The Red Sand Boa is a rare non-poisonous snake having medicinal, cosmetic, and even black magic properties, making it highly valued in the global market.
  • It is known as the “Two-headed Snake” by the general people due to its lengthy tail with a rounded tip that resembles two heads.

Conservation Status

  • Trading and possessing the red sand boa are illegal under the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act.
  • The species is included in Schedule IV of the World Protection Act.
  • Furthermore, the red sand boa is included in CITES Appendix II.
  • It is classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the IUCN, with a declining population trend.

Social media is a major trade moving element.

  • The study emphasises the critical importance of social media platforms, particularly YouTube, as conduits for illegal trafficking.
  • YouTube videos serve as interfaces for buyers and sellers, with transactions occasionally facilitated via WhatsApp.
  • In 2021, around 200 YouTube videos advertising sand boas for sale were discovered.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/172-incidents-of-seizures-of-red-sand-boa-recorded-from-2016-to-2021-wcs-india-report/article67249299.ece
Categories
Science & Tech

Sanchar Saathi: Citizen Empowerment

  • Recent improvements in the Indian telecom sector are aimed at preventing cybercrime and financial fraud.
  • The revisions are centred on amending bulk SIM card procurement guidelines and recording final places of sale (PoS).
  • The goal is to improve the effectiveness of the citizen-centric portal Sanchar Saathi, which was launched earlier for the same aim.

Sanchar Saathi: Empowering Citizens

  • Sanchar Saathi enables citizens to manage and prevent the misuse of mobile connections.
  • Users can use IMEI to check device authenticity, prevent stolen or lost phones, report suspicious connections, and verify registered connections.
  • Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) and Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAFCOP) modules are used in the system.
  • Sanchar Saathi has already examined 114 crore active mobile connections, detected 66 lakh suspicious connections, and terminated 52 lakh.
  • Other accomplishments include the disabling of 66,000 WhatsApp accounts and the freezing of 8 lakh bank/wallet accounts linked to fraud.
  • Under the programme, over 300 FIRs have been filed against over 1,700 sellers.

Reforms at the Point of Sale (PoS)

  • SIM card franchisees, agents, and distributors (PoS) must register with telecom carriers under the reforms.
  • Operators are responsible for thorough PoS verification, which includes required police verification.
  • Written agreements for SIM card sales between PoS and licensees are now required.
  • Current SIM card providers have a year to comply with the new registration process.
  • Noncompliance results in dismissal, a three-year blacklist, and a Rs 10 lakh fine.

Addressing the Issue of Bulk SIM Card Misuse

  • ‘Business’ relationships replace ‘bulk procurement’ in the new strategy.
  • Businesses can obtain several connections, but each end-user must go through KYC.
  • KYC entails end-user verification, SIM card activation only after successful KYC, and address verification.
  • Demographic information must be obtained by scanning the QR code to prevent misuse of printed Aadhaar.
  • For SIM replacement, subscribers must provide full KYC; outgoing and incoming SMS services are suspended for 24 hours during this process.
  • Biometric identification options are offered, including thumb impression, iris, and facial recognition.
  • For the next 90 days, disconnected mobile numbers cannot be allocated to new subscribers.

Considerations and Obstacles

  • Effective local enforcement for smaller retailers should be investigated.
  • Concerns have been raised about infrastructure and protections for sensitive data handling.
  • Clarity is required on agent requirements for data collecting, processing, and retention.
  • Despite Aadhaar-based KYC, there are still difficulties in fraud prevention that require addressing.
  • Data collecting should be strictly related to the intended objective.

Considerations and Obstacles

  • Effective local enforcement for smaller retailers should be investigated.
  • Concerns have been raised about infrastructure and protections for sensitive data handling.
  • Clarity is required on agent requirements for data collecting, processing, and retention.
  • Despite Aadhaar-based KYC, there are still difficulties in fraud prevention that require addressing.
  • Data collecting should be strictly related to the intended objective.

Conclusion

  • The telecom reforms are intended to improve cybersecurity and financial safety.
  • It is critical to strike a balance between effective data collecting and privacy.
  • A strong cybersecurity architecture requires constant awareness and adaptability.
Source: https://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/sanchar-saathi-portal
Categories
Science & Tech

Uncovering the Secrets of the Sun: ISRO’s Aditya-L1 Mission

  • The Aditya-L1 mission has been announced by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
  • This mission will be India’s first venture into space-based solar monitoring, with a launch from Sriharikota set for September 2.

Aditya-L1 Mission

  • ISRO unveils the Aditya-L1 project, a new space-based observatory designed to study the Sun.
  • The spacecraft will be in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth system’s Lagrange point 1 (L1), roughly 1.5 million km from Earth.
  • The strategic location of the L1 point allows for continuous solar observation free of eclipses, providing significant insights into solar activities and their real-time effects on space weather.
  • Aditya will leave Earth’s sphere of influence and travel 1.5 million km to the Lagrange point L1.

The Importance of Lagrange Point 1

  • Lagrange points are equilibrium places where gravitational forces balance centripetal pressures, providing satellites with a stable environment.
  • The spacecraft will be positioned around L1, allowing for unimpeded observation of the Sun.
  • Different Lagrange locations provide distinct advantages, such as the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite’s (SOHO) continuous view of the Sun.

Aditya-L1’s Scientific Projects

  • Aditya-L1 includes seven payloads that use a variety of detectors to examine the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona.
  • Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS), and other instruments are among the payloads.
  • Payloads studying solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium help us understand phenomena such as coronal heating, mass ejections, and space weather.

The Importance of Solar Research

  • The Sun has a huge impact on planetary evolution and weather, extending its influence to satellites, electronics, electrical systems, and even the Earth’s temperature.
  • Predicting Solar Storms: Continuous solar observations are critical for following and predicting the potential repercussions of Earth-bound solar storms.
  • All solar storms headed towards Earth pass via L1, making it an important location for monitoring.

The Mighty LAM Engine is a key feature

  • The Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) engine developed by ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) is critical to the success of the Aditya-L1 mission.
  • LAM has been critical in missions such as the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) and Chandrayaan-3.
  • LAM engines allow satellites and spacecraft to modify their orbits, saving fuel and assuring optimal location.a
Source: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/How_is_ESA_supporting_ISRO_s_Aditya-L1_solar_mission#:~:text=Aditya%2DL1%20will%20be%20the,our%20dynamic%20and%20turbulent%20star.
Categories
News

Concerns raised about a 1969 experiment on South Asian women using radioactive chapatis

  • A UK Member of Parliament has called for a formal probe into medical research on Indian and South Asian women in Coventry.
  • To see if it heals anaemia, women of Indian heritage were fed Chapatis containing a radioactive isotope of iron, Iron-59.

The Chapati Study of 1969

  • The study, which took conducted in 1969, featured about 21 Indian-origin women from Coventry.
  • As part of an effort to cure widespread anaemia, these women were fed chapatis containing a radioactive isotope of iron, Iron-59.
  • Because of the insolubility of iron in flour, the UK’s Medical Research Council (MRC) stated that the study highlighted the need for greater iron consumption among Asian women.

Considerations for Ethical Behaviour

  • The 1995 release of the documentary “Deadly Experiments” raised attention to the use of radioactive chemicals in research in the United Kingdom and the United States during the 1950s and 1960s.
  • Women were uninformed of the experiment’s goal, and chapatis were supplied with no explanation of their contents.
  • In reaction to popular outrage following the documentary’s release, an independent Committee of Inquiry was formed.

Principles violated in the experiment:

  • Informed consent
  • Participant-centeredness and
  • Transparent engagement

Reflections on Previous Practises

  • Researchers made decisions on benefits and expenses without considering the well-being of participants.
  • The study’s design reflected the time’s prevalent “paternalistic nature of science” and societal beliefs.
  • The research recommended providing study materials in the languages of participants and resolving issues with informed consent.
  • Many years later, determining informed consent remains a serious difficulty.
  • The MRC no longer had the participation list, and public requests for participants were futile.

Recognising Radioactive Isotopes

  • Radioactive isotopes are unstable elements that produce radiation as they decay into stable forms.
  • Excess energy in unstable nuclei is released as radiation in the form of waves or particles.
  • Radiation exposure has different long-term health impacts depending on the type and amount of radiation.

Current Consequences

  • A member of parliament emphasised the MRC’s unfulfilled proposal to find and engage women participants.
  • Participant identification would have allowed them to share their experiences, receive assistance, and learn from the trial.
  • The MRC reaffirmed its commitment to participation, transparency, and the highest scientific standards.

Conclusion

  • The study emphasises ethical issues in historical medical research.
  • Reflecting on historical practises helps to inform current and future medical research efforts.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/radioactive-chapatis-why-a-uk-mp-has-raised-concern-over-a-1969-experiment-on-south-asian-women-8915925/#:~:text=Taiwo%20Owatemi%2C%20the%20Labour%20MP,Asian%20women%20in%20the%20city.
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