Daily Prelims Notes 1 January 2024

January 1, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

1 January 2024

Table Of Contents

1. You had your genome sequenced and found something – now what?

Subject : S&T

Section: Biotechnology

Context:

In recent decades, genomics and the use of genetic information in healthcare have undergone significant transformations.
Once limited to major research centers, personal genome sequencing has become widely accessible, empowering individuals with detailed knowledge of their genetic makeup.

Advantage of Advancements in Sequencing Technologies

Reduced Costs: The affordability of genome sequencing, particularly due to advancements in next-generation sequencing, has democratized access to genetic information.
Population-Wide Projects: This accessibility has spurred large-scale initiatives aiming to use genetic data for healthcare improvements, including population-scale whole genome sequencing.

Benefits of Personal Genome Sequencing

Tailored Treatments: Personal genome sequencing enables customized treatments based on individual genetic profiles and predicts susceptibility to specific diseases.
Incidental Findings: Comprehensive genetic tests often reveal additional genetic abnormalities beyond their initial purpose, known as incidental or secondary findings.

Various Guidelines and Recommendations on Incidental Findings

ACMG Recommendations: In 2013, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics recommended disclosing certain incidental findings from whole exome or genome sequencing that could benefit individuals.
Expanding List of Conditions: The ACMG has expanded its list of reportable conditions, with the latest version including 97 disorders and 81 genes related to cardiovascular, metabolic disorders, and cancer.

Prevalence and Impact of Incidental Findings

Population-Scale Studies: Studies in various populations, including the Indian population, have revealed the prevalence of underdiagnosed diseases like cardiac channelopathies and familial hypercholesterolemia.
Significance of Findings: While there is evidence supporting the medical benefits of disclosing incidental findings, their population-scale impact remains limitedly understood.

Iceland’s Genetics Research Approach

Iceland’s Unique Demographics: Iceland’s historical demographic isolation and early initiation of population-level genome sequencing have made it a focal point in genetics research.
Research on Lifespan and Genetic Variants: A study in Iceland suggested that actionable incidental genetic variants could potentially improve lifespan, with significant findings related to cancer-related genotypes.

Prospects of Genome Sequencing and Healthcare

Increasing Accessibility: As genome sequencing becomes more accessible and affordable, regular population-scale sequencing and newborn sequencing initiatives are becoming more feasible.
Benefits for Population Health: Widespread implementation of these programs could provide medically actionable insights, enabling proactive and effective disease treatment and prevention.

2. NSE’s investor base grows to 8.5 crore in 2023

Subject: Economy

Section: Capital Market

Context: The investor base of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) increased by 22 percent from 7 crore in 2022 to 8.54 crore in 2023.

More on News:

India’s market capitalisation crossed $4 trillion in December 2023.
The benchmark Nifty index touched 21,000 on December 8, 2023.
99.85 percent of India’s postal PIN codes are covered in terms of investor registrations.
NSE EMERGE: Market capitalization of NSE EMERGE listed companies (SMEs) has crossed Rs 1,00,000 crore mark for the first time since 2012.

State wise registered investors:

Maharashtra is at the top position with 1.49 crore investors.
Uttar Pradesh is at the second position with 90 lakh investors
Gujarat is at third position with 77 lakh investors followed by West Bengal with 48 lakh investors.

About National Stock Exchange(NSE):

NSE is the largest stock exchange in India and is one of the largest stock exchanges of the world.
NSE was incorporated in 1992 and recognised as a stock exchange by SEBI in April 1993. However it commenced its operations in 1994.
Headquarters: Mumbai
NSE is India’s first digitized stock exchange.
NIFTY 50 is a benchmark Indian stock market index, representing the weighted average of 50 largest Indian companies listed on the National Stock Exchange.
EMERGE Platform:
EMERGE is a credible , efficient market place aimed at the convergence of investors and emerging corporates in the country.
It offers opportunities to informed investors to invest in emerging businesses with exciting growth plans
It helps SMEs and startups to connect with investors for funding.

About Bombay Stock Exchange(BSE):

BSE is Asia’s first & the Fastest Stock Exchange in the world with the speed of 6 microseconds.
It was established in 1875 as ‘The Native Share & Stock Brokers’ Association’.
On 31 August 1957, BSE became the first stock exchange in India to get recognition from the Government of India under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (SCRA).
Headquaters: Dalal Street, Mumbai
In 2017 BSE became the 1st listed stock exchange of India.

3. South Africa files genocide case against Israel at ICJ

Subject : IR

Section: Int Org

Context: South Africa has filed a case in the International Court of Justice (the ICJ) against Israel accusing it of ‘genocidal acts’ and continued bombing in Gaza.

More on news:

The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that more than 21,600 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israel’s 70% of the total casualties comprises women and children.

Why did South Africa act against Israel?

Colonialism: South Africa, who bore the brunt of colonialism, has traditionally been sympathetic to the Palestinian plight.

Like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela spoke up strongly for the rights of the Palestinians.

UN’s Genocide Convention

First treaty: The UN Genocide Convention is the first human rights treaty.

Adoption: It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948

Definition:Genocide means any acts committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group which includes

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

Action: Any Contracting Party may move to the competent organs of the United Nations to take action under the Charter of the United Nations.

Ratification: The Genocide Convention has been ratified or acceded to by 153 States(as of April 2022)

About India: India had participated in the formulation of Genocide Convention and ratified it in August 1959.

International Day:9 December is adopted as “International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime” marks the adoption of the Genocide Convention.

About International Court Of Justice(ICJ)

Establishment: It was established in 1945 by the United Nations as one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.

Judicial organ: It is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.

Headquarters: It is headquartered at Peace Palace , Hague (Netherlands).

Panel of judges: Justice Dalveer Bhandari is one of the judges of the International Court of Justice.

4. Lemongrass, mint spread scent of change in Odisha

Subject: Economy

Section: Capital Market

Context:

High-value aromatic crops and floriculture have recently emerged as a means to supplement the livelihood of Odisha’s tribal communities.

Details:

With the help of the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) in Lucknow, the district of Odisha has recently introduced different aromatic plants such as menthol mint (the CIM-Unnati variety), rosemary (Hariyali variety), patchouli (CIM-Samarth), damask roses (Ranisahiba), chamomile, and geraniums (CIM-Bharat).

Higher value:

Tribal farmers in Nabarangpur, Odisha, are transitioning to high-value crops like lemongrass and aromatic plants, encouraged by successful experiments with strawberries and lemongrass.
Lemongrass, mentha, vetiver, and citronella are now cultivated across 300 acres, with the installation of distillation units for processing lemongrass oil.

Huge demand:

Aromatic plants are in high demand due to fewer regulatory challenges compared to medicinal crops, offering farmers promising returns with minimal effort.
In Odisha, the CSIR-Aroma Mission has reached 26 districts, establishing 46 clusters and planting nearly 850 hectares with aromatic crops.
The successful introduction, notably lemongrass began on a small scale but quickly gained market traction, selling out its distilled oil instantly.

Lemon grass:

Cymbopogon, also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, oily heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family.
Some species (particularly Cymbopogon citratus) are commonly cultivated as culinary and medicinal herbs because of their scent, resembling that of lemons (Citrus limon).
Lemongrass and its oil are believed to possess therapeutic properties.

Repel elephants:

Aromatic plants like lemongrass, citronella, and vetiver have served as effective deterrents against wild elephants in Angul district, causing them to vomit upon consumption.
This success led to the expansion of aromatic plantations to over 150 acres in Angul and Dhenkanal districts within two years.
Cultivating aromatics on uncultivable lands is preferred to avoid interference with paddy fields while providing additional income to farmers.

Source: The Hindu

Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA):

It is an international alliance of governments and stakeholders working together to facilitate the managed phase-out of oil and gas production.
Led by the governments of Denmark and Costa Rica, the alliance aims to elevate the issue of oil and gas production phase-out in international climate dialogues, mobilize action and commitments, and create an international community of practice on this issue.

Members:

Denmark, Costa Rica, France, Greenland, Ireland, The Marshall Islands, Portugal, Quebec, Sweden, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wales, Washington state.
Associate members: California and New Zealand.

BOGA Declaration:

The BOGA Declaration is a shared commitment between national governments, subnational governments, and other actors to work to limit oil and gas production and extraction and plan for a just, equitable, and managed phase out of existing oil and gas production.
By signing, actors indicate their support for BOGA’s goals and theories of change.
All actors who wish to become a member of BOGA at any level must sign, with additional steps required for those who wish to become Core or Associate members.

Source: BOGA

5. XPoSat: ISRO’s X-ray eye in the sky

Subject : S&T

Section: Space tech

Context:

The Indian Space Research Organisation has launched XPoSat, short for ‘X-ray Polarimeter Satellite’.
During the mission, the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) experiment was executed to meet the objective of 10 other payloads.

About XPoSat:

The satellite will study X-rays emitted by phenomena in space and their polarization from the earth-orbit.
XPoSat is the first dedicated scientific satellite from the ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources.
It carries two payloads, namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing).
- POLIX (developed by Raman Research Institute (RRI) Bengaluru) will study X-rays with energy 8-30 keV emitted by around 40 astronomical sources in five years.
- XSPECT (Space Astronomy Group of URSC, Bengaluru) will study X-rays with energy 0.8-15 keV and track changes in continuous X-ray emissions.

About X-rays:

X-rays are electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is 0.01-10 nanometres (where 1 nanometre is one-billionth of a metre), corresponding to energies of 100-100,000 electron-volt (eV).
Electromagnetic radiation is characterised by an electric field and a magnetic field vibrating perpendicular to each other.
The polarisation of electromagnetic radiation refers to the orientation of these two fields as the radiation moves through space.
X-rays can be polarised when they get scattered. Polarised X-rays are also produced when the path of a fast-moving charged particle is bent by a magnetic field.

Significance of the mission:

Studying these X-rays can reveal which way the magnetic field is pointing, and tracking how these X-rays evolve in time can reveal many things about the body producing such fields, like a pulsar

6. Pendency down, but petitioners disappointed in many cases

Subject: Polity

Section: Judiciary

Context: The year 2023 saw the Supreme Court form Constitution Benches almost back-to-back to hear long-pending and contentious cases like the abrogation of Article 370, same-sex marriage and demonetisation, but the results have left petitioners disappointed.

Constitutional bench

A constitution bench consists of at least five or more judges of the court which is set up to decide substantial questions of law with regard to the interpretation of the constitution in a case.
The provision for a constitution bench has been provided in the Constitution of India under Article 143.
It is the Chief Justice of India who is constitutionally authorized to constitute a constitution bench and refer cases to it.

Constitution benches are set up when the following circumstances exist:

1) When a case involves a substantial question of law pertaining to the interpretation of the Constitution [Article 145(3)].

Article 145(3) provides, “The minimum number of Judges who are to sit for the purpose of deciding any case involving a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of this Constitution or for the purpose of hearing any reference under Article 143 shall be five.”

2) When President of India has sought the Supreme Court’s opinion on a question of fact or law under Article 143 of the Constitution.

Article 143 of the Constitution provides for Advisory jurisdiction to the Supreme Court of India. As per the provision, the President of India has the power to address questions to the Supreme Court, which he deems important for public welfare. The Supreme Court upon reference advises the President by answering the query. However, such referral advice by the apex court is not binding on the President, nor is it ‘law declared by the Supreme Court’.

3) When two or more three-judge benches of the Supreme Court have delivered conflicting judgments on the same point of law, necessitating a definite understanding and interpretation of the law by a larger bench.

The Constitution benches are set up on ad hoc basis as and when the above-mentioned conditions exist.

7. Government e-Marketplace (GeM): Transforming Procurement Dynamics

Subject :Polity

Section: National body

Evolution of GeM:
- GeM, initially focused on general store items has expanded its scope. Now, it brings together defense PSUs Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) and Bharat Electrical Ltd (BEL) for procurement.
Specific Procurement Details:
- BDL, specializing in Akash missiles, procured radars and ground support systems from BEL.
- The procurement for Akash missiles is valued at ₹4,415 crore.
Involvement of Defense PSUs:
- Defense PSUs are not only buying through GeM but also selling items.
- Goods traded include simulators, drones, bulletproof jackets, and ballistic helmets.
Significant Benefits of GeM:
- Beyond transaction savings, GeM reports substantial benefits due to end-to-end digital journeys.
- Savings in advertising costs, printing costs, travel costs, and maintenance of in-house portals.
Initiatives for Customer Satisfaction:
- Use of custom bids encouraged for goods not available on GeM.
- Pre and post-dispatch inspection of goods by Quality Assurance and NABL-accredited labs.
- Timely online payment ensures 99% satisfaction rate.
- GeM ensures that 25% of orders go to MSMEs.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM): Revolutionizing Procurement in India

GeM is an online platform launched by the Indian government to facilitate e-commerce for procurement of goods and services.

It serves as a one-stop solution for various government departments and organizations for their procurement needs.

Initially focused on procuring general store items, GeM has expanded its scope to include a wide range of products and services.

It has become a central hub for government purchases, bringing together buyers and sellers.

Key Objectives:
- Enhance transparency, efficiency, and speed in government procurement
- Provide a fair and open platform for vendors, including small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
Demand Aggregation Module:
- GeM encourages demand aggregation, wherein ministries pool requirements for similar products.
- This promotes large-volume procurement benefits and efficiency in the procurement process.

8. Appointment and TOR of 16th Finance Commission

Subject: Polity

Section: National Body

Context:

Arvind Panagariya, former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog appointed as Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission.
The 16th Finance Commission is tasked to submit its Report by October 31, 2025.
Covers a period of five years from April 1, 2026.

Qualification:

Qualifications for appointment as, and the manner of selection of, members of the commission

The Chairman of the Commission shall be selected from among persons who have had experience in public affairs, and the four other members shall be selected from among persons who–

(a) are, or have been, or are qualified to be appointed as Judges of a High Court

(b) have special knowledge of the finances and accounts of Government

(d) have special knowledge of economics.

Major Terms of Reference for 16th Finance Commission:

Division of Tax Proceeds:
- Recommending the distribution of taxes between the Union Government and the States under Chapter I, Part XII of the Constitution.
- Includes the allocation of shares among the States from these tax proceeds.
Principles for Grants-in-Aid:
- Establishing principles governing grants-in-aid to the States from the Consolidated Fund of India.
- Determines amounts to be provided to the States as grants-in-aid under Article 275 of the Constitution.
Enhancing State Funds for Local Bodies:
- Identifying measures to enhance the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement resources available to Panchayats and Municipalities.
- Based on recommendations made by the State’s own Finance Commission.
Evaluation of Disaster Management Financing:
- The Commission may review current financing structures related to Disaster Management initiatives.
- Examines funds created under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and presents suitable recommendations for improvements or alterations.

Key Recommendations of 15th Finance Commission:

Maintained states’ share in central taxes at 41% for the 2021-26 period, a slight reduction from the 42% allocated during 2015-20 by the 14th Finance Commission.
Adjustment accommodates the newly formed union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Advised the Centre to limit its fiscal deficit to 4% of GDP by 2025-26.
Proposed a Modernisation Fund for Defence and Internal Security.
Recommendations for Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), including setting a threshold for annual CSS allocations.

What is the Finance Commission?

The Finance Commission is a constitutional body established under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution.
Its primary function is to recommend the distribution of financial resources between the central government and the state governments.
The Fifteenth Finance Commission, made recommendations covering the period of six years commencing on April 1, 2020.
Criteria include factors like income distance, area, population, demographic performance, forest cover, and tax and fiscal efforts.

Daily Mapping

Israel-Palestine Conflict

Choke Points: Suez Canal and Panama Canal