Daily Current Affairs Prelims 11 May 2024

• Statistics show that the total volume of water on earth is estimated at 1.386 billion km cube, where 97.5% is salt water and 2.5% fresh water.
• Out of this freshwater, only 0.3% is in liquid form on the surface, which means that the rest is underground, including on or under the ocean bed.
• U.S. Geological Survey drilled boreholes off the New Jersey coast and unexpectedly struck freshwater.

Similarly, a team of scientists from Vietnam and even in other countries have discovered underwater sources of fresh water. For example, a river under the sea was discovered at the bottom of the Black Sea, which would count as one of the largest rivers in the world when compared to land-based rivers.

Dig Deeper: Study the distribution of Fresh Water on Earth

• The Union Health Ministry has issued standardised guidelines for confirming heatstroke and heat-related deaths in the country.
• It has been prepared by the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
• The set of guidelines is aimed at helping hospitals become aware of the criteria to label a death as heat-related/heat stroke.
• The decision to conduct an autopsy should be based on the circumstances of the death, the age of the deceased, and the available resources.
• The collection of blood, urine, etc., for toxicological examination is highly desirable if the condition of the body allows it.

Climate change is raising risks to human health by increasing exposure and vulnerability to extreme heat events like heat waves, humid heat and heat domes.

• Challenges in the post-mortem diagnosis of heat-related deaths:
• Pre-terminal or terminal body temperatures are frequently unavailable.
• The autopsy findings are non-specific and depend upon the duration of survival after exposure.
• Diagnosis of hyperthermia is mostly dependent on the scene investigation
• The circumstances of death, and the reasonable exclusion of alternative causes of death.
• The guidelines have recommended that autopsy findings are non-specific and autopsy is not mandatory in all cases of heat-related illnesses.

Dig Deeper: Study different missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change

• Malaysian minister said orangutans will be gifted to trade partners who buy the country’s palm oil.
• It is seen as a way for Malaysia to distance itself from accusations of unsustainability made against palm oil plantations.
• Over the years, China used the giant panda to make diplomatic overtures and thaw cooler-than-ideal relations with other nations.
• Orangutans are the only one of the great apes in Asia. There are four types of great apes: gorillas (Africa), bonobos (Africa), orangutans (SE Asia), and chimpanzees (Africa).
• The orangutan is an endangered species that is found only in the tropical forests of Borneo (Malaysia and Indonesia) and Sumatra (Indonesia).
• It is listed as Critically endangered under the red list of IUCN.

Dig Deeper: What is the difference between Great apes and Lesser apes and how do apes differ from monkeys?

A recent study by three members of the PM-Economic Advisory Council in India, ‘Share of Religious Minorities – A Cross-Country Analysis,’ shows the trend of the radically changing demographics of the OECD countries.

• This study concludes that of the 35 out of the 38 OECD countries, 30 countries have witnessed a steep decline in the share of the majority religious denomination – Roman Catholics between 1950 to 2015.
• The study covers 167 countries and finds that the average reduction of majority populations globally during the period was 22 per cent.
• The decline was much steeper in the OECD countries where the average decline of the majority religious population was at 29 per cent.
• Data about Africa too is revealing. Animism or native religion was the dominant religion in 24 countries in Africa in 1950. By 2015, it was no longer a majority in any of these.
• Study says, India too has witnessed a reduction in the share of the majority religious denomination by 7.81 per cent.
• In India’s context, increase in the populations of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists whereas Parsis and Jains saw a decline.

Dig Deeper: Make a list of minorities in India and Revise article 29 and 30.