Daily Prelims Notes 1 August 2022

August 1, 2022
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

1 August 2022

Table Of Contents

1. India observes Chabahar Day with emphasis on linkage with Central Asia

Subject: IR

Section: International organisation

Context: The Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) on Sunday observed ‘Chabahar Day’ in Mumbai to mark the Chabahar – Link to International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) – Connecting Central Asian Markets.

Chabahar

Chabahar is located strategically off Makran coast in the Gulf of Oman at the southern end of Persian Gulf and Iran’s closest and best access point to the Indian Ocean.
It is far away from Iran’s other major port of Bandar Abbas that currently handles the bulk of its transshipments but is constrained due to capacity and inability to berth large ships.
In contrast, Chabahar is an oceanic port and capable of handling much larger vessels. Developing it and utilising its true potential is in Iranian interest as that will reduce the distance. When linked with the Iranian railway network, it will connect the port with the rest of Iran.
The development of Chabahar-Zahedan railway line and its development has provided an opportunity to Iran to initiate developmental projects in the region since it enjoys exemptions from the new round of the US. sanctions that were obtained due to Indian pressure and leverage with the USA, due it being the preferred port of transit for goods destined for Afghanistan for providing relief and humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
The impetus to the development of the port came in May 2016 when India, Iran and Afghanistan signed a key trilateral deal, known as the Chabahar Agreement, to establish a strategic India-Iran-Afghanistan Trilateral Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridors to facilitate trade with Afghanistan, Central Asia, Russia and Europe for utilizing Chabahar port as a hub, giving a boost to Indian access to Afghanistan and creating the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

INSTC

The INSTC is a key trade corridor project, wherein India is partnering with 12 countries to establish an economic corridor.
7,200-km multi-mode transport (Rail, sea, Road) project to move freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
Aim is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali, etc.
Dry runs of two routes were conducted in 2014, the first was Mumbai to Baku via Bandar Abbas and the second was Mumbai to Astrakhan via Bandar Abbas, Tehran and Bandar Anzali.

2. The technology powering hybrid electric vehicles

Subject: Science and tech

Section: electric vehicle

Context: In recent months, automakers Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Honda have launched hybrid electric vehicles in India, offering car buyers more choices in the nascent electric vehicle market

What is a hybrid electric vehicle?

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) uses an internal combustion engine (a petrol/diesel engine) and one or more electric motors to run.
It is powered by the electric motor alone, which uses energy stored in batteries, by the ICE, or both.
The powertrain of the HEV is more complex than a regular ICE-powered car as it has EV components and a conventional ICE.

How do HEV powertrains work?

HEV powertrains are designed to power cars in a series, parallel or series-parallel (power split) methods
A series HEV uses only the electric motor to drive the wheels, while the ICE powers the generator, which in turn recharges the battery.
A parallel HEV, based on the driving condition, uses the best power source to power the vehicle. It will alternate between the electric motor and the ICE to keep the car moving.
A series-parallel HEV offers a combination of both models and allows to split power, wherein power is routed from the ICE alone or from the battery to the electric motor to drive the vehicle.
In all above three designs, the battery is charged through regenerative braking technology.

What is Regenerative Braking Technology (RBT)?

Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can either be used immediately or stored until needed.

How does regenerative braking work?

A regenerative braking system (RBS) used in automotive applications has several advantages like better braking efficiency in stop-and-go traffic which enhances fuel economy and also helps in reducing carbon emissions
RBS also helps in energy optimisation resulting in minimum energy wastage.
A kinetic system can recover the energy lost during braking and then use this energy to recharge the high-voltage battery of the vehicle. An electric system generates electricity through a motor during sudden braking. Lastly, a hydraulic system uses pressurised tanks to store the vehicle’s kinetic energy and can offer a high energy recovery rate which is ideal for heavy vehicles.
The efficiency of HEVs and EVs will in large part be determined by their ability to recover as much energy as possible while braking, with a higher degree of energy recovery lowering fuel consumption
The amount of recoverable energy depends upon factors like vehicle speed and stopping pattern.

What are the different types of HEVs?

The HEVs can be categorized into micro, mild and full hybrid vehicles, based on the degree of hybridization.
A full HEV will have a larger battery and a more powerful electric motor compared with a mild HEV. As a result, a full HEV can power the vehicle for longer distances using just electric mode, whereas a mild HEV cannot drive using only the electric motor and uses the battery at traffic lights or in stop-and-go traffic to support the ICE.
Micro hybrids do not offer electric torque assistance as they lack an electric motor, but they have an idle stop-start system and energy management functions
There are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that are just like full HEVs, but they can be charged using a wall outlet, as they have an onboard charger and a charging port
PHEVs generally use the electric motor until the battery is almost drained, and then automatically switch to the ICE.

Advantages of hybrid technology:

Most vehicles with hybrid technology offer better fuel efficiency, more power, and minimum emissions
The design of hybrid vehicles for reduced engine size and car weight as compared to ICE vehicles, translates into increased mileage to favour the demand for these vehicles
With the increase in total power and torque, HEVs can deliver instant torque and provide high torque even at low speeds.

Challenges of hybrid technology:

A major challenge for HEVs is the high vehicle cost.
Battery, a vital component of an HEV, increases the cost of the vehicle, making it pricier than vehicles powered only by an ICE. The RBS also adds to the higher cost of an HEV

3. Principles of International Environmental Law

Subject: Environment

Section

General Principles of Environmental Law

Sovereignty and Responsibility Principle

International environmental law has developed between two contradicting principles.
First principle is that states’ have sovereign rights over their natural resources.
Second, states should not damage to the environment.
However, the concept of sovereignty is not absolute, and state’s general duty is not to cause environmental damage to the environment of other states.
1992 Rio Declaration stated that: “states have, in accordance with principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other states or areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction

The Precautionary Principle

The precautionary principle requires that, if there is a strong suspicion that a certain activity may have environmentally harmful consequences, it is better to control that activity now rather than to wait for incontrovertible scientific evidence
This principle is expressed in the Rio Declaration, which stipulates in principle 15 Rio Declaration, where there are “threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation

The Prevention Principle

Under this rule, a state is under the obligation to prevent damage within its own jurisdiction. Preventing environmental harm is cheaper, easier, and less environmentally dangerous than reacting to environmental harm that already has taken place.
The prevention principle is the fundamental notion behind laws regulating the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste and laws regulating the use of pesticides.

The “Polluter Pays” Principle

The “polluter pays” principle has been a dominant concept in environmental law. A state responsible for a violation of international law has to stop the injurious conduct which may be a cause for damage environment and revised the condition that existed prior to the wrongful conduct.
According to this principle if the state cannot to re-establish the condition due to its impossibility, the state should pay compensation.

Sustainable Development Principle

The principle of sustainable development has been defined by the 1987 Brundtland Reportas a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainable development, as reflected in international agreements, encompasses at least three elements: (i) intergenerational equity (ii) sustainable use of natural resources (iii) integration of environment and development.

4. The violent conflict in the DRC, in which two BSF personnel were killed

Subject :International Relations

Section: Mapping

Context: Two Border Security Force personnel who were part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), were among the 15 people who were killed during the violent protests in the city of Butempo on Tuesday

The DRC has witnessed a decades-long conflict between state forces and rebel groups that has resulted in the death and displacement of millions of people. The UN, which has deployed peacekeeping forces in the country since 1999, is routinely criticised by locals for being unable to protect civilians from the militias in the region.
India has contributed more personnel to UN Peacekeeping Missions than any other country. Since 1948, more than 2,53,000 Indians have served in 49 of the 71 missions across the world.

Latest Conflict

The DRC’s army is engaged in battle with more than 100 armed militias that are jockeying for power and territory in the eastern part of the country, and violence has escalated over the past few months. Chief among them is the M23 rebel group, which has been able to take control of key territories, and in June it captured the town of Bunagana located on the Ugandan border towards the east.
DRC’s eastern region holds massive reserves of valuable minerals such as gold, diamond, copper, zinc, tin, cobalt and coltan, worth an estimated $24 trillion, according to the think tank Council on Foreign Relations. Rebel groups are aiming to control these resources to buy weapons and recruit more fighters.
In June, the DRC topped the Norwegian Refugee Council’s list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises in 2021

M23 Group

The rebel group known as M23, short for the March 23 Movement, refers to the date of failed peace accords signed in 2009 between the DRC government and the rebel group known as the National Congress for the Defence of People (CNDP). After claiming that the terms of the deal were not followed by the DRC government, the CNDP members formed the M23 movement.
The rebel group primarily consists of ethnic Tutsis, and they claim to defend the interests of people of Rwandan ancestry in eastern DRC, especially against the Hutu rebels associated with the 1994 Rwanda genocide

UN Peacekeeping

UN Peacekeeping began in 1948 when the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of UN military observers to the Middle East.
UN Peacekeeping helps countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace.
It deploys troops and police from around the world, integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to address a range of mandates set by the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the General Assembly.

Composition:

UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets) can include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel.
Peacekeeping forces are contributed by member states on a voluntary basis.
Civilian staff of peace operations are international civil servants, recruited and deployed by the UN Secretaria

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is located in sub-Saharan Africa, bordered to the northwest by the Republic of the Congo, to the north by the Central African Republic, to the northeast by South Sudan, to the east by Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, and by Tanzania , to the south and southeast by Zambia, to the southwest by Angola, and to the west by the South Atlantic Ocean and the Cabinda exclave of Angola.
By area, it is the second-largest country in Africa and the 11th-largest in the world
The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt ore, and a major producer of copper and diamonds

5. ‘Russian propaganda promoters list’: NSAB Chairman on Ukraine list

Subject : National organisation

Besides P S Raghavan — who retired as India’s ambassador to Russia in 2016, others on the list are former National Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda and journalist Saeed Naqvi.
Published on July 14, Ukraine’s “Center for Countering Disinformation”, the list of more than 70 politicians, academicians and activists who are “promoting Russian propaganda”

National Security Council

NSC of India is a three-tiered organization that oversees political, economic, energy and security issues of strategic concern.
The National Security Advisor (NSA) presides over the NSC, and is also the primary advisor to the prime minister.
It was formed in 1998, where all aspects of national security are deliberated
Members: The Ministers of Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs and Finance are its members.
Three tier Structure
- NSC comprises the three tier structure- Strategic Policy Group (SPG), the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and the National Security Council Secretariat.
- The SPG chaired by the Cabinet Secretary is the principal forum for inter-ministerial coordination and integration of the relevant inputs.
- The NSAB undertakes long-term analysis and provides perspectives on issues of national security.
Function
- It operates within the executive office of the prime minister of India, liaising between the government’s executive branch and the intelligence services, advising leadership on intelligence and security issues.

6. India knowledge system

Subject : Government Schemes

Section: Education

Indian Knowledge System (IKS) is an innovative cell under Ministry of Education (MoE) at AICTE, New Delhi.
It is established to promote interdisciplinary research on all aspects of IKS, preserve and disseminate IKS for further research and societal applications.
It will actively engage for spreading the rich heritage of our country and traditional knowledge in the field of Arts and literature, Agriculture, Basic Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Architecture, Management, Economics, etc.

Functions of IKS division:

Facilitate and coordinate IKS based/related inter and transdisciplinary work done by various institutions in India and abroad including universities, institutions of national importance, R&D laboratories and different ministries and inspire private sector organizations to engage with it.
Establish, guide and monitor subject-wise interdisciplinary research groups comprising of researchers from institutes, centers and individuals.
Create and promote popularization schemes.
Facilitate funding of various projects and develop mechanisms to undertake research.
Make Policy recommendations wherever required for the promotion of IKS.

7. Neighbour’s envy: India’s jute economy is faltering while Bangladesh’s is flourishing; here’s why

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic

Lack of market, government procurement and diversification, poor infrastructure as well as the sorry state of Indian jute mills is responsible for current scenario.
India is still the largest producer of jute but in terms of acreage, Bangladesh is the largest cultivator.
In West Bengal — the country’s largest jute-producing state, which also has 70 of India’s 93 jute mills — the area under jute has reduced by 0.1 million ha between 2009-10 and 2020-21.
Jute can be highly profitable. Its leaves are sold in markets as a vegetable even before the crop is harvested. The inner stem can be used to manufacture paper while the outer layer produces the fibre.

The Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act 1987 (JPMA)

It provides for use of jute packaging material for foodgrains.
Under this Act, the government issues orders from time to time for mandatory use of jute packaging.
Since 2017, the norms provide that 100 per cent of foodgrains and 20 per cent of sugar should only be packed in jute bags.
Due to this, jute sacks account for 75 per cent of the total production of the jute industry.

National Jute Board

It is governed by National Jute Board Act-2008, as framed by the Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India and enacted by the Parliament on February 12, 2009.
Board engages in research and human resource development programmes to explore new and innovative use of jute with the idea of enabling both the organized as well as the decentralized sector to compete and increase the global share of Indian jute goods consumption.

Government Initiatives for Promoting Jute Industry

Jute Corporation of India (JCI) procures raw jute at Minimum Support Price (MSP), fixed on the basis of recommendation of the commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP), from jute growers to safeguard their interest.
Incentive Scheme for Acquisition of Plants and Machinery (ISAPM): Launched in 2013, it aims to facilitate modernization in existing and new jute mills and up- gradation of technology in existing jute mills .
Jute-ICARE (Jute: Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise): This pilot project launched in 2015 is aimed at addressing the difficulties faced by the jute cultivators by providing them certified seeds at subsidized rates, and by popularizing several newly developed retting technologies under water limiting conditions.
The National Jute Board implements various schemes for market development, workers’ welfare and promotion of diversification and exports.
In order to boost demand in the jute sector, the Government has also imposed anti-dumping duty on import of jute goods from Bangladesh and Nepal.

About Jute

Jut is known as the ‘golden fibre’ , is one of the longest and most used natural fibre for various textile applications.
It thrives in tropical lowland areas with humidity of 60% to 90%. Jute is a rain-fed crop with little need for fertilizer or pesticides.
Retting of Jute is a process in which the tied bundles of jute stalks are immersed in water by which fibres get loosened and separated from the woody stalk.
World’s leading jute producing countries are India , Bangladesh , China and Thailand . India is the world’s largest producer of raw jute and jute goods , contributing to over 50% and 40% respectively of global production.
The cultivation of jute in India is mainly confined to the eastern region of the country . The jute crop is grown in seven states – West Bengal , Assam , Orissa , Bihar , Uttar Pradesh , Tripura and Meghalaya . West Bengal alone accounts for over 50% of the total raw jute production.
To promote and popularize jute diversification work, National Jute Board, Ministry of Textiles, acts as the apex body for promotion of the products in India and abroad.
The first jute mill was established at Rishra (Bengal – now in West Bengal), on the river Hooghly near Calcutta in the year 1855, by Mr. George Aclend. In 1959, the first power driven weaving factory was set up.

8. As Chinese rocket debris plunges into ocean, the risks of space junk and its uncontrolled descent

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Space

Ending over a week of global anxiety and alarm, the debris from a large Chinese rocket – the Long March 5B — crashed to earth over the Pacific and the Indian oceans.

What is an uncontrolled re-entry?

Generally, the core or first stage of a rocket is made up of heavy pieces that usually don’t reach orbit after liftoff, and fall back safely along a near-precise projected trajectory.
If they do enter an orbit, then a costly de-orbit manoeuvre is required for a steered, controlled return using engine burn. Without a de-orbit manoeuvre, the orbital core stage makes an uncontrolled fall.
Gigantic remnants from China’s Long March 5B rockets’ core stage are known to make such fiery, out-of-control descents back to earth. The reason is a difference in the mission sequence where the core stage reaches orbit, and then crashes back.
Most nations’ rockets separate the launcher from the payload before leaving the atmosphere. An extra engine then gives the payload a final boost. But China’s 5B series does not use a second engine and pushes right into orbit.

Why is it difficult to track uncontrolled descents?

The variables involved make it difficult to precisely track the re-entry time and drop zone of rocket debris in uncontrolled descents. The factors that make this prediction extremely challenging include atmospheric drag, variations in solar activity, angle and rotational variation of the object among others.
A miscalculation of even a minute in re-entry time could result in the final resting place of the debris changing by hundreds of kilometres.

Are there laws regulating space junk?

The Space Liability Convention of 1972 defines responsibility in case a space object causes harm. The treaty says that “a launching State shall be absolutely liable to pay compensation for damage caused by its space objects on the surface of the earth or to aircraft, and liable for damage due to its faults in space. The Convention also provides for procedures for the settlement of claims for damages.”
However, there is no law against space junk crashing back to earth. In April this year, suspected debris from a Chinese rocket was found in two Maharashtra villages.

What is Space Junk?

Space junk or debris consist of spent rocket stages, dead satellites, fragments of space objects and debris resulting from Anti-satellite (ASAT) System (ASAT).
Hurtling at an average speed of 27,000 kmph in Low Eart Orbit (LEO), these objects pose a very real threat as collisions involving even centimetre-sized fragments can be lethal to satellites.
This free floating space debris is a potential hazard for operational satellites and colliding with them can leave the satellites dysfunctional.
This is referred to as Kessler Syndrome, named after National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientist Donald Kessler in 1978.
It says if there is too much space junk in orbit, it could result in a chain reaction where more and more objects will collide and create new space junk in the process, to the point where Earth’s orbit becomes unusable – a Domino Effect.

What is the NETRA Project?

‘Project NETRA’ is an early warning system in space to detect debris and other hazards to Indian satellites.
Once operational, it will give India its own capability in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) like the other space powers
It is implemented by ISRO

9. India’s unique jobs crisis

Subject: Economy

Section: Unemployment

India has “too many people” in agriculture and the inability to move surplus labour from farms constitutes a major policy failure of successive governments.
Overall, between 1993-94 and 2018-19, agriculture’s share in India’s workforce came down from 61.9% to 41.4% based on data from the National Statistical Office’s Periodic Labour Force (previously known as ‘employment and unemployment’) Surveys

Kuznets Curve

Kuznets Curve is used to demonstrate the hypothesis that economic growth initially leads to greater inequality, followed later by the reduction of inequality. The idea was first proposed by American economist Simon Kuznets.

Kuznets Process

It is the movement of labour from farms – to higher value-added non-farm activities, specifically manufacturing and modern services

What is the Periodic Labour Force Survey?

Considering the importance of the availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals, the National Statistical Office (NSO) launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017.

The objective of PLFS is primarily twofold:

To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the CWS.
To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both usual Status and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.

National Statistical Office (NSO)

The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) merged with the Central Statistical Office (CSO) to form the National Statistical Office (NSO).
NSO was first envisaged by Rangarajan Commission to implement and maintain statistical standards and coordinate statistical activities of Central and State agencies as laid down by the National Statistical Commission (NSC).
NSO would be headed by Secretary (Statistics and Programme Implementation).
CSO coordinates the statistical activities in the country and also evolves statistical standards.
NSSO is responsible for the conduct of large scale sample surveys in diverse fields on an all India basis.
It is the statistical wing of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

NSO is mandated with the following responsibilities-

Acts as the nodal agency for planned development of the statistical system in the country,
Lays down and maintains norms and standards in the field of statistics, involving concepts and definitions, methodology of data collection, processing of data and dissemination of results.
Prepares national accounts as well as publishes annual estimates of national product, government and private consumption expenditure, capital formation, savings, estimates of capital stock and consumption of fixed capital.
Maintains liaison with international statistical organizations, such as the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP), etc.
Compiles and releases the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) every month in the form of ‘quick estimates’ and conducts the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI)
Organizes and conducts periodic all-India Economic Censuses and follow-up enterprise surveys.
It has conducted the first Time Use Survey (TUS) in India during January to December 2019.