Daily Prelims Notes 11 December 2020

December 11, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Table Of Contents

Subject : International Events

Context : Iran has said that it is enhancing its nuclear programme, which can be reversed if talks with the U.S. are revived.

Concept :

In 2015, Iran with the P5+1 group of world powers – the USA, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany agreed on a long-term deal on its nuclear programme.
The deal was named as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and in common parlance as Iran Nuclear Deal.
Under the deal, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear activity in return for the lifting of sanctions and access to global trade.
The agreement allowed Iran to accumulate small amounts of uranium for research but it banned the enrichment of uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel and nuclear weapons.
Iran was also required to redesign a heavy-water reactor being built, whose spent fuel would contain plutonium suitable for a bomb and to allow international inspections.
In May 2018, the USA abandoned the deal criticising it as flawed and reinstated and tightened its sanctions.
The USA held that it would attempt to force all countries to stop buying Iranian oil and put pressure on Iran to negotiate a new nuclear accord.
The top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani (the commander of the Al-Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC) was assassinated by the USA during his visit to Iraq. This escalated tensions in the international arena.
Amid rising tensions, Britain, France and Germany declared that Iran was violating the 2015 pact and launched a dispute mechanism that could eventually see the matter referred back to the Security Council and the reimposition of UN sanctions.
Since sanctions were tightened, Iran has been steadily breaking some of its commitments to pressure the remaining signatories to find a way to provide sanctions relief.

2. NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDING

Subject : Current Events

Context : Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the New Parliament Building.

Concept :

The new parliament building will be the highlight of the ambitious ₹ 20,000 crore Central Vista project that PM Modi said will become “a symbol of a new and self-reliant India”.
The four-story building will be triangular and its interiors will have three national symbols – the lotus, the peacock and the banyan tree – as its themes.
The triangular shape of the new parliament was a reference to “sacred geometries in various religions and cultures of India”.
In the Lok Sabha chamber, the national bird (peacock) will be the theme. In the Rajya Sabha the national flower (lotus) and in the central lounge the national tree (banyan) will be the theme.
The parliament building alone will cost an estimated ₹ 971 crore and will, the government hopes, be ready before India’s 75th Independence Day (in 2022). However, construction cannot yet begin as a legal challenge is pending in the Supreme Court.
To be constructed by Tata Projects Ltd, the new parliament building will overlook the old – which was built nearly 100 years ago at a cost of ₹ 83 lakh and will be turned into a museum.
The new Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha halls will have increased seating capacities (888 and 384 seats, respectively) in anticipation of an expanded Parliament; a 25-year-old freeze on increasing state-wise distribution of seats ends in 2026.
In addition, seating in the Lok Sabha hall can be expanded to 1,272 to host joint sessions.
Dholpur stone will be the primary construction material (as it was with the current building) and red granite may replace red sandstone in some interior sections.
The building will be equipped with modern audio-visual communication systems. The new parliament will also be fully wheelchair- and disabled-access friendly.

3. AEROSOL IMPACTS

Subject : Environment

Context : Scientists have found that aerosols like black carbon and dust, which makes the Indo-Gangetic Plain one of the most polluted regions of the world, have led to increased incidents of high rainfall events in the foothills of the Himalayan Region.

Concept :

The Indo-Gangetic Plain is located South and upwind of the Himalayan foothills is associated with high aerosol loading, much of which is black carbon and dust,
It thus provides an opportunity for studying how aerosol affects extreme rainfall events, particularly when air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain technically called orographic forcing.
The study showed us that particulate emissions can alter the physical and dynamical properties of cloud systems and, in turn, amplify rainfall events over orographic regions downwind of highly polluted urban areas.
The study used 17 years (2001–2017) of rainfall rate, aerosol measurements called aerosol optical depth (AOD), meteorological reanalysis fields such as pressure, temperature, and moisture content at different altitudes are used to compute the thermodynamic variable “moist static energy” and outgoing long-wave radiation from Indian region to investigate high precipitation events on the foothills of the Himalayas.
The team found clear associations between high precipitation events, high aerosol loading, and high moist static energy (MSE) values (Moist static energy of an air mass includes the potential energy due to its height above the ground and the latent heat due to its moisture content).
The findings also highlight the crucial role of the radiative effect of aerosol on high precipitation events over the Himalayan region.

Aerosols

Aerosols are defined as a combination of liquid or solid particles suspended in a gaseous or liquid environment.
In the atmosphere, these particles are mainly situated in the low layers of the atmosphere (< 1.5 km) since aerosol sources are located on the terrestrial surface.
However, certain aerosols can still be found in the stratosphere, especially volcanic aerosols ejected into the high altitude layers.

4. KARNATAKA’S NEW ANTI-COW SLAUGHTER BILL

Subject : Polity

Context : Karnataka government passed the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill (2020) in the Assembly amid strong opposition.

Concept :

The Bill envisages a ban on all forms of cattle slaughter and stringent punishment for offenders.
While ‘beef’ is defined as the flesh of cattle in any form, the word ‘cattle’ is defined as “cow, calf of a cow and bull, bullock, and he or she buffalo below the age of thirteen years”.
The Bill also terms shelters established for the protection and preservation of cattle registered with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries as ‘gau shalas’.
Police officers ranked sub-inspector and above or a competent authority will have the power to search premises and seize cattle and materials used or intended to use to commit the offence.
Terming cow slaughter as a cognizable offence, violators can attract three to seven years of imprisonment. While a penalty between Rs 50,000 and Rs 5 lakh can be levied for the first offence, second and subsequent offences can attract penalties ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh.

5. ISCHAEMUMJANARTHANAMII

Subject : Environment

Context : A new species of Indian Muraingrasses known for their ecological and economic importance, such as fodder, have been spotted by scientists in Goa in the Western Ghats, one of the four global biodiversity hotspots of India.

Concept :

Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, has been exploring the biodiversity of the Western Ghats for last few decades.
A team from ARI has been working on relationships among different groups of plants and their evolutionary development (plant taxonomy and phylogeny) of Indian Muraingrasses (Genus Ischaemum) to document the diversity and report novel species.
The team discovered a novel species named Ischaemumjanarthanamii from plateaus of Western Ghats of Goa, and a research paper describing this species was published recently in Annales BotaniciFennici, a Finland based journal.
The species was named Ischaemumjanarthanamiiin honour of Prof. M. K. Janarthanam, Professor of Botany, Goa University, for his contribution to the Indian grass taxonomy and documentation of the floristic diversity of Goa state.

Additional Information

Ischaemumjanarthanamii grows on low altitude lateritic plateaus in the outskirts of Bhagwan Mahavir National Park, Goa.
The vegetation is exposed to extreme climatic conditions like desiccation in drier months and soils with low nutrient availability. However, withstanding these, the species has adapted to survive harsh conditions and blossom every monsoon.
Globally 85 species are known from Ischaemum, of which 61 species are exclusively found in India. The Western Ghats have 40 species with the highest concentration of the genus.

6. ADMM – PLUS

Subject : Defence

Context : Defence Minister, attended the 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus organized online at Hanoi, Vietnam on 10 December 2020 that marked the 10th anniversary of ADMM Plus.

Concept :

ASEAN Defense Minister’s Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) is the only official framework of Defense Minister’s meetings in the Asia-Pacific Region.
It is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region.
The ADMM-Plus comprises the ten ASEAN countries as well as Australia, China, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.
It was established in 2010.

7. JOINT VENTURE PROTECTIVE CARBINE (JVPC)

Subject : Defence

Context : Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) designed 5.56×30 mm Protective Carbine has successfully undergone the final phase of User trials on 7th December 2020. This has paved the way for induction into the services.

Concept :

JVPC is a Gas Operated Semi Bull-pup automatic weapon having more than 700 rpm rate of fire.
The effective range of the carbine is more than 100 m and weighs about 3.0 kg with key features like high reliability, low recoil, retractable Butt, ergonomic design, single hand firing capability, and multiple Picatinny rails etc.
These features make it a very potent weapon for Counter Insurgency /Counter Terrorism operations by security agencies.
The carbine has been designed as per Indian Army’s GSQR, by Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a Pune based laboratory of DRDO.
The Weapon is manufactured at Small Arms Factory, Kanpur while the Ammunition is manufactured at ammunition Factory, Kirkee Pune.

8. SATELLITE-BASED NARROW BAND-IoT

Subject : Science & tech

Context : BSNL, in partnership with Skylotech India, announced a breakthrough in satellite-based NB-IoT (Narrow Band-Internet of Things).

Concept :

This new ‘Made in India’ Solution, which is indigenously developed by Skylo, will connect with BSNLs satellite- ground infrastructure and provide PAN-India coverage, including Indian seas.
The coverage will be so vast that it will not leave any dark patch within the boundary of India.
This is the world’s first satellite-based NB-IoT network.
This new technology supports the Department of Telecom and NITI Aayogs plan of bringing indigenous IoT connectivity to India’s core sectors.
Examples of where this technology has already been tested successfully include, Indian Railways, fishing vessels, and enabling connected vehicles across India.
A small, smart, incredibly rugged box, the Skylo ‘User Terminal’ interfaces with sensors and transmits data to the Skylo Network and into people’s hands.

9. ADB PROJECTIONS

Subject : International Organisation

Context : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) upgraded its forecast for the Indian economy, projecting 8% contraction in 2020-21 as compared to 9% estimated earlier, on the back of a faster-than-expected recovery. It retained its growth projection for the next fiscal at 8%.

Concept :

Observing that the economy had begun to normalise, the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) Supplement said the second quarter contraction at 7.5% was better-than-expected.
Highlighting that India was recovering more rapidly than expected, the ADB said the earlier South Asia forecast of 6.8% contraction was upgraded to (-)6.1% in line with an improved projection for India.
Growth will return in 2021-22, at 7.2% in South Asia, the Asian lender added.
Inflation, the ADB said, was expected to ease in the coming months, and maintained the 4% projection for 2021-22.
Supply chain disruptions had taken food inflation to an average of 9.1% in the first 7 months of 2020-21, pushing headline inflation to 6.9% in the same period, the regional lender said.

Asian Development Bank

ADB is a regional development bank established on 1966.
ADB now has 68 members, 49 from within Asia.
ADB’s five largest shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares), the People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%).
It aims to promote social and economic development in Asia.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.
ADB is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.

10. SWAHID DIWAS

Subject : History

Context : The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has paid homage to the martyrs of the Assam Movement on Swahid Diwas.

Concept :

Assam has been paying tribute to the martyrs who had made supreme sacrifice in the historic Assam Movement from 1979 to 1985.
The Assam Movement (1979-1985) was an popular uprising in Assam, that demanded the Government of India to detect illegal immigrants, delete their names from electoral rolls and deport them.
The movement ended in 1985 with the Assam Accord.
It was led by All Assam Students Union and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad, an umbrella organization of different political groups.
The agitation leaders formed a political party, Asom Gana Parishad. It came to power in the state of Assam in the Assembly elections of 1985 and later in 1996.

Additional Information

In India, mainly on 2 dates, Martyr’s Day or Shaheed Diwas is observed and out of 15 nations, India is the one that celebrates Martyr’s Day every year. On this day we pay homage to the freedom fighters who have sacrificed their lives for their Motherland.
On 30 January Martyr’s Day or Shaheed Diwas is celebrated in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and on 23rd March also Martyr’s Day is celebrated to pay tribute to three extraordinary revolutionaries of India who were hanged to death by the British namely Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar.