Daily Prelims Notes 12 February 2023

February 12, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

12 February 2023

Table Of Contents

Subject: Economy

Section: Fiscal Policy

Context: Gross Direct tax collections grew 24 per cent to Rs 15.67 lakh crore so far, this fiscal, the finance ministry said on Saturday

Types of Direct tax in India

Income Tax:

Income tax is perhaps the most well known direct tax imposed by the government on annual income generated by businesses and individuals.
Income tax is calculated as per the provisions of Income Tax Act, 1961 and is directly paid to the central government on an annual basis.
Income does not only mean money earned in the form of salary. It also includes income from house property, profits from business, gains from profession (such as bonus), capital gains income, and ‘income from other sources’.
Income tax is levied on the income of individuals, Hindu undivided families (HUF), unregistered firms and other associations of people.

Corporate Tax

-At present, companies having gross turnover up to Rs.250 crore are liable to pay corporate tax at 25% of the net profit while companies with a gross turnover of more than Rs.250 crore are liable to pay the corporate tax at 30%.

Minimum Alternative Tax (MAT)

MAT is imposed on “zero tax companies”, which typically refer to companies that declare little or no income in order to save tax.

Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT)

The FBT tax is imposed on the fringe benefits like drivers and maids provided/paid for by companies to their employees.

Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT)

An amount that is declared, distributed or paid as dividend to the shareholders by a domestic company is taxed under the Dividend Distribution Tax. It is applicable to domestic companies only. Foreign companies distributing dividends in India do not pay this tax (such dividends are taxable in the hands of the shareholder).

Securities Transaction Tax (STT)

The SST is imposed on the income which the companies get through taxable securities transactions. This tax is free of any surcharge.

Capital Gains Tax

The capital gains tax is imposed on the income derived from the sale of investments or assets. On the basis of the holding period, capital tax is categorized under short-term gains and long-term gains.

Composition of taxes in Gross tax revenue

Tax buoyancy explains this relationship between the changes in the government’s tax revenue growth and the changes in GDP. It refers to the responsiveness of tax revenue growth to changes in GDP. When a tax is buoyant, its revenue increases without increasing the tax rate.

A tax is considered buoyant if it is above 1. The tax buoyancy came in at about 2, which means the rate of growth in tax collection was around twice as fast as nominal GDP growth.

Determining factors:

size of the tax base
friendliness of the tax administration
reasonableness and simplicity of the tax rates
lesser the tax rebates and reductions

2. Olympics row: 35 countries demand Russia and Belarus ban

Subject: International Relation

Section: International organisation

Context:

A group of 35 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, will demand that Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from the 2024 Olympics, the Lithuanian sports minister said on Friday, deepening the uncertainty over the Paris Games.

The move cranks up the pressure on an International Olympic Committee (IOC) that is desperate to avoid the sporting event being torn asunder by the bloody conflict unfolding in Ukraine.

IOC

IOC was created on 23 June 1894. The first Olympic Games of the modern era opened in Athens on 6 April 1896.
It is a not-for-profit independent international organisation.
HQ: Lausanne, Switzerland.

Mandate:

The IOC is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement and is responsible for organising the modern Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
The IOC is the governing body of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), which are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic Movement. As of 2016, there are 206 NOCs officially recognised by the IOC.

3. ‘Mangrove Mission’ helps Sundarbans residents fight storms, cyclones and unemployment

Subject : Environment

Section : Ecosystem

Context: In May 2020, when super cyclone Amphan hit the coast of Sundarbans, wreaking havoc in the region, the mangroves played a big role in protecting the life and livelihood of millions of people.

More on the News:

In May 2020, when super cyclone Amphan hit the coast of Sundarbans, wreaking havoc in the region, the mangroves played a big role in protecting the life and livelihood of millions of people by acting as a bio-shield and protecting the embankments.
It was found that wherever the mangroves were deforested, lost and destroyed, the embankments were breached and saline waters inundated agricultural land and ponds causing further damage to the fragile terrain.

How mangrove save from cyclone:

Mangroves also play another important role for humans, protecting communities from major storms. Climate change is more than rising temperatures, and the increased frequency and intensity of cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons is apparent.
Mangrove roots can break up the force of a storm surge, soaking up some of its energy and protecting people living on coasts from cyclone damage.
Mangroves can effectively absorb about 70-90 percent of normal wave energy. It is evident that even under extreme circumstances, mangroves’ dense root and branch networks could help diffuse tsunamis, and reduce their devastating effects.

Mangrove Mission

Mangrove Mission was conceived for eco-restoration of the area and also to protect the city of Kolkata from the wrath of cyclonic storms.
The South 24 Parganas district administration began a robust planning effectively implement the initiative.
The entire programme was undertaken by the district MGNREGA Cell and administration of South 24 Parganas and implemented by the forest department, involving local communities, especially women. They were made aware of the effects of cyclonic storms and the usefulness of mangrove trees.
It is completely a project for the people of Sundarbans, which is being implemented with the help of local villagers. This has generated income for them as they are being employed under MGNREGA

4. RBI to allow all inbound travellers to use Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

Subject: Economy

Section : Monetary Policy

Context: The Reserve Bank of India has said that it will allow all inbound travellers to use Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments for their merchant payments while they are in the country. The facility will be first introduced for travellers from G20 countries arriving at select international airports

Concept:

NPCI asked the UPI ecosystem to allow users from some countries with non-resident account types like non-resident external (NRE) and non-resident ordinary (NRO) accounts with international mobile numbers to transact through UPI.
With this, now Indians staying abroad can make payments through UPI even with having a domestic mobile connection.
The central bank is proposing to allow all inbound travelers to India to use UPI for merchant payments during their stay in the country.
The initiative will initially be rolled out for travellers from G20 countries at selected international airports
This announcement is in-line with the steps undertaken by NPCI to take UPI global, including the extension of UPI on-boarding and transaction facility to Non-Resident account types like NRE/NRO.

Advantages of this facility:

Allows easier and more convenient for international travellers to make payments
It provide travellers with a secure and seamless payment experience,
It boost the growth of the digital payments ecosystem in India,
It strengthen India’s position as the payments leader in the global market
extension of UPI services to citizens of G20 countries will foster India’s relationship with these nations for future collaborations
Travellers from G20 nations will be able to make merchant payments via UPI with the help of their international mobile numbers.
Both travellers and merchants will benefit due to an advanced digital payments acceptance ecosystem being set up by the Government
Under this facility, foreign currency will be deducted from the user’s bank account, which is similar to international debit card transactions

5. Kosi-Mechi link project

Subject :Geography

Section : Indian Physical Geography

Context: The Patna High Court has directed the Centre and Bihar government to set up Kosi Development Authority and interlink Kosi and Mechi rivers to tackle annual floods often caused due to excess water discharged from Nepal.

Concept:

The judgment is path-breaking, as it gives a direction and substance to the Indo-Nepal treaty on Kosi river to ensure that Center-state and Indo-Nepal cooperation and joint effort come to the rescue of the people of Bihar
Central government has suggested 60:30:10 formula that means 60 per cent Central grant, 30 per cent central loan and 10 per cent state share

Kosi-Mechi link project

The project will irrigate about 69,000 hectares in Araria district, about 69,000 hectares in Purnea district, 39,000 hectares in Kishanganj district and 35,000 hectares in Katihar district.
Kosi-Mechi project is designed to divert part of the Kosi River surplus water through the existing Hanuman Nagar Barrage by way of a 117 km long link canal to the Mechi River in the Mahananda Basin.
The Kosi-Mechi link project will benefit Araria, Kishanganj,Purnia and Katihar districts
It is known that approval has already been received from the state cabinet to start the work of Kosi-Mechi link project. In May 2022 itself, the state government had approved administrative and expenditure of about Rs 2.78 crore for DPR formation, survey and exploration work.
The state government has approved budgetary provisions in the form of 60 percent central share and 40 percent state share, including this project in the national project by the central government.
However, the state government continues to demand 90 percent central share and 10 percent state budgetary provision for the Kosi-Mechi link project on the lines of Madhya Pradesh’s Ken-Betwa link project.
A total of about 1397 hectares of land is required under this project, out of which 632 hectares is already acquired, while 765 hectares of private land is to be acquired.

Kosi

Origin: Confluence of three streams: Sun Kosi, Arun Kosi and Tamur Kosi from Tibet forms Kosi (other major tributaries: Indrawati, Likhu, Dudhkoshi, and Tama, from west to east ,all 7 tributaries together forms sapthakosi)

Mouth: Ganges near Kursela in Katihar district.

Transboundary river flows through China, Nepal and India.

Barrage : Sapta Koshi,Kosi Barrage/Bhimnagar Barrage

It rains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal.
From a major confluence of tributaries north of the Chatra Gorge onwards, the Kosi River is also known as Saptakoshi,salso called sorrow of bihar.
The river basin is surrounded by ridges which separate it from the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the north, the Gandaki in the west and the Mahananda in the east.
It passes through the steep and narrow Chatra Gorge in Nepal.
Catchment covers six geological and climatic belts varying in altitude from above 8,000 m (26,000 ft) to 95 m (312 ft) comprising the Tibetan plateau, the Himalayas, the Himalayan mid-hill belt, the Mahabharat Range, the Siwalik Hills and the Terai. The Dudh-Koshi sub-basin alone consists of 36 glaciers and 296 glacier lakes.
Peaks located in the basin include Mount Everest, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma.
Protected areas: Sagarmatha National Park, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve(both in Nepal)

Mechi

Origin: Mahabharat Range in Nepal

Mouth: Mahananda River. Trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India.

Special Features:

It flows through the Indian state of Bihar to join the Mahananda in Kishanganj district
It’s a tributary of Mahananda river

6. Why turkey earthquake more dangerous

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical geography ( Geomorphology)

Context:

Two large earthquakes, one of magnitude 7.8 and closely followed by a magnitude 7.5, hit south-eastern Turkey, claiming at least 17,000 lives and counting, wreaking considerable damage in Turkey as well as Syria. Nearly 200 aftershocks have followed with earthquakes of magnitude 6 being reported in the region three days after the first tremblor.

What causes earthquakes?

The earth’s crust is made up of roughly 15 massive segmented chunky slabs called tectonic plates which are constantly in motion.
The land on which buildings are built rests on these plates.
The plates continually collide, push and grate against each other and the meeting points of these plates are made up of a series of ‘faults.’
The pent-up energy from the moving plates, along faultlines, is often released when an imbalance in pressure causes rocks on either side of the fault to re-adjust.
- One set of rocks rising up relative to the other is a ‘normal’ fault, and one sliding down relative to the other is a ‘reverse’
- When they grate or move past one another, it’s a ‘strike-slip.’
- The energy released travels as waves that cause the ground to shake.

What kind of earthquake occurred in Turkey and Syria?

Turkey and Syria lie at the confluence of three plates — the Arabian Plate, the Anatolian Plate and the Eurasian Plate, making the region an extremely seismically active zone.
The Arabian Plate is inching north into Europe, causing the Anatolian Plate (which Turkey sits on) to be pushed out west.
The bulk of Turkey sits on the Anatolian Plate between two major faults: the North Anatolian Fault and the East Anatolian Fault.
Geologists say that the earthquakes were from a ‘strike-slip’ which is typical of the earthquakes in the region.

Why were these earthquakes so devastating and deadly?

A lack of enforcement of building codes in Turkey and the timing of the earthquake in the early morning are believed to be major factors for the death and devastation inflicted.
The region hosts many fault systems, so the region is highly prone to earthquakes.
- At magnitude 7.8, the February 6 event is much bigger than the ones the area has experienced before. The fault system runs along nearly 190 km which is why the impact of the earthquakes was so far-ranging.
- The second earthquake, of 5 magnitude, occurred further to the north on a different but adjacent fault system called the Sürgü Fault.
The aftershocks can be experienced as far away as Cairo (950km) and Istanbul (815km).

Measurement of earthquakes:

The earthquake events are measured either according to the magnitude or intensity of the shock.
- The magnitude scale is known as the Richter scale. The magnitude relates to the energy released during the quake. The magnitude is expressed in absolute numbers ranging between 0 and 10.
- The intensity scale is named after Mercalli, an Italian seismologist. The intensity scale takes into account the visible damage caused by the event. The range of intensity scale is between 1 and 12.

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical geography (Geomorphology)

The Indian Plate, colliding into the Eurasian plate and tilting upwards, created the Himalayas.
The most common type of earthquake in the Himalayan region is due to reverse faults because of the compressive forces between the two plates.
Scientists have long warned of a massive, overdue earthquake in the Garhwal-Kumaon range here because of what is known about the pattern of quakes in the region.

The records of the last 300 or so years suggest that those earthquakes that have occurred haven’t released all the pent-up energy and that’s why geologists think a major one — maybe even an 8-magnitude one — is overdue.
In the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, energy from nearly 300 years of accumulated strain was released.

How much does the magnitude of earthquakes correlate to the damage they inflict?

The magnitude of the earthquake not exactly corresponds to the death and devastation.
The impact of earthquakes can be reduced by:
- Proper implementation of laws and rules on the building code of that region.
- Proper awareness and rapid rescue plans.
- Construction as per the earthquake zone.

Case study:1

Chile, a country with a long history of devastating earthquakes (over 9), is considered to be a model for earthquake preparedness.
- Despite experiencing earthquakes with magnitudes over 8 in 2014 and 2015 casualties are extremely minimal due to years of strictly enforcing building codes.
- This despite being a much poorer country than Japan, also known for its experience in earthquake-proofing structures.

Case study:2

The 9-magnitude earthquake that caused a tsunami and a radiation leak in the nuclear power plant in the country’s Fukushima prefecture in 2011, didn’t damage the stability of the structure.

8. Agasthyarkoodam’s lost observatory

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Concept:

Agasthyarkoodam on the Western Ghats once (in Nineteenth-century) housed an observatory that was established by Scottish meteorologist John Allan Broun.
Broun used it to record magnetic and meteorological observations in tandem with the Thiruvananthapuram astronomical observatory.
Broun’s astronomical research in India began after he was invited by the ruler of the erstwhile Travancore Uthram Tirunal Marthanda Varma to helm the Thiruvananthapuram (then Trevandrum) observatory following the death of its first director John Caldecott in 1849.
As terrestrial magnetism research requires simultaneous measurements from two different locations, he established his second observatory at Agasthyar mountain at a height of 6,200 ft above sea level.
The observatory started recording observations in July 1855. However, it was closed in 1881 by the then Madras Governor Sir William Denison.
Notably, Broun was awarded the Keith Medal from the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Medal from the Royal Society of London.

Magnetic observatory

Magnetic observatories continuously measure and record Earth’s magnetic field at a number of locations.
In an observatory of this sort, magnetized needles with reflecting mirrors are suspended by quartz fibres.
Light beams reflected from the mirrors are imaged on a photographic negative mounted on a rotating drum. Variations in the field cause corresponding deflections on the negative.
A print of the developed negative is called a
Their magnetograms are photographed on microfilm and submitted to world data centres, where they are available for scientific or practical use.

Applications :

Applications of magnetic observatories include the creation of world magnetic maps for navigation and surveying; correction of data obtained in air, land, and sea surveys for mineral and oil deposits; and scientific studies of the interaction of the Sun with Earth, etc.

9. Visitors rue lack of facilities at 299-year-old Jantar Mantar

Subject: Art and Culture

Concept:

Weeks after the Delhi High Court asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to file a status report on the functionality of instruments at Jantar Mantar, several visitors expressed their displeasure at the lack of facilities in the 299 year old observatory.

Jantar Mantar

In the early 18th century, Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed five Jantar Mantars in total, in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi; they were completed between 1724 and 1735.
Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar is a collection of 19 astrological instruments established by Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II, the city’s founder. In 1734, the monument was completed.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2010, with the world’s largest stone sundial.
The instruments enable for naked-eye observation of astronomical positions. The observatory is an example of Ptolemaic positional astronomy, which was widely used.

Jantar Mantar, Delhi

“Jantar Mantar” means “instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens”.
It consists of 13 architectural astronomy instruments.
The site is one of five built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur, from 1723 onwards, revising the calendar and astronomical tables.
The primary purpose of the observatory was to compile astronomical tables, and to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets. Some of these purposes nowadays would be classified as astronomy.
Completed in 1724, the Delhi Jantar Mantar had decayed considerably by 1857 uprising.
The Ram Yantra, the Samrat Yantra, the Jai Prakash Yantra and the Misra Yantra are the distinct instruments of Jantar Mantar.

Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (1693-1744):

He was a great warrior and astronomer. He came to power at the age of II on the death of his father Maharaja Bishan Singh.
He was feudatory of the Mughals and Aurangazab conferred the title of Sawai to Jai Singh, meaning one and a quarter, a title that all of Jai Singh’s descendants kept.
He was trained by the best teachers and scholars in art, science, philosophy and military affairs.
Jai Sing’s lineage can be traced back to the Kucchwaha Rajput clan who came to power in the 12th century.
He built Astronomy Observatories at Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura known as the Jantar Mantar.
Jaipur gets its name from him.

10. Movement to get horizontal quota for transgender people

Subject : Social Issue / Governance

Concept :

The central government revealed in a reply in Parliament that it is not considering any proposal to provide quotas to trans people.
This move has been widely criticized by activists, scholars and lawyer fighting for the rights of transgenders.

Background

Nearly nine years after the Supreme Court’s landmark National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) decision, which recognized transgender persons as a third gender and issued directions to protect their rights and dignity, public education for trans people,the movement to secure horizontal reservation and employment is gathering momentum.
It includes a legal battle that seeks to modify a part of the landmark 2014 judgement.
The judgment directed the central and state governments to provide “all forms of reservation” to transgender people in admission to educational institutions and employment, but still not enforced.
But since the judgment also calls for trans people to be treated as ‘socially and educationally backward classes’, which runs the risk of lumping them with the OBCs, the community is also demanding that separate trans reservations be ensured in all categories.

About Horizontal Reservation:

Horizontal Reservation refers to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of beneficiaries such as women, veterans, the transgender community, and individuals with disabilities, cutting through the vertical categories.
The percentage of reservation allotted to Horizontal reservation categories should be adjusted against percentage of SC/ST/ OBC and General categories in vertical reservation.
It is also called as Interlocking reservation.
Article 15(3) allows protective discrimination in favour of women.

Application of Reservations:

The horizontal quota is applied separately to each vertical category, and not across the board.
For example, if women have 50% horizontal quota, then half of the selected candidates will have to necessarily be women in each vertical quota category i.e., half of all selected Scheduled Caste candidates will have to be women, half of the unreserved or general category will have to be women, and so on.

11. National financial information registry

Subject : Economy

Concept :

National Financial Information Registry is aimed at expediting loan sanctions and credit flows by offering lenders a ‘360 degree’ perspective on potential borrowers, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said.

National Financial Information Registry

Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman in her Budget 2023 speech announced that the government will set up a National Financial Information Registry to serve as a central repository of financial and ancillary information.
This will facilitate efficient flow of credit and lending, promote financial inclusion, and foster financial stability.
Lot of information is required by a bank, before a loan is sanctioned.
The idea is to create one registry where, it can provide a 360 degree kind of information system which will be readily available to the lending institutions to ensure that it quickens the process of credit flow.
The RBI has already prepared the draft bill, which is currently being deliberated upon in a post-budget interaction.
The objective is to build a public infrastructure for credit-related information and right information can be made available by the NFIR to lending agencies.

12. Mammalian spread of H5N1 and its pandemic potential

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Health

Concept :

Avian influenza (bird flu) is a highly contagious viral infection that impacts birds. However, rarely it can infect mammals through a phenomenon called spillover, and spread among them.
There are various subtypes of avian influenza viruses that range from low pathogenic to highly pathogenic types. One of the highly pathogenic subtypes is H5N1.
Apart from causing severe disease and death in birds, H5N1 has also caused human infections through close contact with infected birds or contaminated environments. It is often fatal.
Several instances of the spread of H5N1 among mammals have been reported. Concerns are raised about its spillover among humans and the risks of the human pandemic.

Associated concerns of H5N1 Spread

The H5N1 can potentially impact mammals like ferrets, minks, seals, and domestic cats when during their contact with infected birds or their feces or while consuming the infected carcasses.
They can further serve as reservoirs. Moreover, the virus could evolve to adapt to new hosts and might lead to further outbreaks.
Along Russia’s Caspian Sea coast there was a mass mortality event that killed nearly 700 seals. Scientists are investigating the potential mammalian spillover as an H5N1 variant was detected in wild birds of the region a few months ago.
Similarly, in February 2023, Peru registered cases of H5N1 in sea lions and a dolphin. Additionally, a lion in a zoo also died from H5N1.
The U.K. communicated the cases of otters’ and foxes’ death due to H5N1 infection.
Notably, wildlife ranging from foxes, coyotes, and raccoons scavenge on infected birds or bird carcasses.
It was found that the only recorded incidents of intra-mammal transmission of the virus were among mink in captivity at a farm in Spain (in 2022).

H5N1 outbreaks cause severe economic impacts such as:

Huge losses to the poultry industry
Threatens food and vaccine security (eggs are used for vaccine production)
Raises concerns about animal welfare

13. Beaches in Visakhapatnam are now heading towards a disaster, say experts

Subject: Geography

Section: Indian Physical; Geography

Concept:

It was reported in the Rajya Sabha that around 28.81 km of coastline in Visakhapatnam is prone to erosion.
In 1930 two ships were sunk near the Dolphin’s Nose in Vishakhapatnam to create a breakwater to control sedimentation at the mouth of harbour (during the construction of Visakhapatnam Port).
Erosion was further aggravated by the construction of two breakwaters during the construction of the Outer Harbour (in the 1970s).

Significance of Beaches

Beaches are dynamic landforms and the sand erosion and deposition of sand are majorly due to the high wave action and high wave energy.
Experts point out that the beaches act as cushions between the high wave action of the sea and the landmass.
Continuous nourishment of beaches through the natural process is essential and, if disturbed it might result in severe erosion.
Due to the construction of breakwaters in the south, the sand is unable to reach the north parts hampering the natural nourishment of beaches.
Beaches should be considered part of the sea instead of land.

Coastal erosion

Coastal erosion is the process by which local sea level rise, strong wave action, and coastal flooding wear down or carry away rocks, soils, and/or sands along the coast.
Erosion and Accretion: Erosion and accretion are complementary to each other. If the sand and sediments have drifted from one side, it must accumulate somewhere else.
Soil erosion is the loss of land and human habitation as sea water washes off regions of soil along the coastline.
Soil accretion, on the other hand, results in an increase in the land area.
Impact:
Recreational activities (sun bathing, picnicking, swimming, surfing, fishing, boating, diving, etc.) may be affected if existing beaches are reduced in width or disappear altogether. Also, there can be an impact on livelihoods of coastal communities.
Measures:
Coastal habitats such as Mangroves, Coral Reefs and lagoons are recognized as the best defence against sea storms and erosion, deflecting and absorbing much of the energy of sea storms.
Therefore, it is important to maintain these natural habitats for shore protection as well as for environmental conservation.

Causes for coastal erosion

Natural Phenomena:
Wave energy is considered to be the primary reason for coastal erosion.
Natural hazards like cyclones, thermal expansion of seawater, storm surges, tsunami etc due to the melting of continental glaciers and ice sheets as a result of climate change hamper the natural rhythm and precipitate erosion.
Littoral Drift:
Strong littoral drift resulting in sand movement can also be considered as one of the major reasons for coastal erosion.
Littoral drift means the natural movement of sediment along marine or lake shorelines by wave action in response to prevailing winds.
Anthropogenic Activities:
Dredging, sand mining and coral mining have contributed to coastal erosion causing sediment deficit, modification of water depth leading to longshore drift and altered wave refraction.
Coastal erosion has been sparked by fishing harbours and dams constructed in the catchment area of rivers and ports reducing the flow of sediments from river estuaries.

14. World Hindi Conference in Fiji to highlight links with Pacific Ocean region: MEA

Subject : International Relations

Section: Msc

Concept :

The 12th World Hindi Conference will be held in Fiji from 15 to 17 February 2023.
The official language of Fiji is Hindi.
The Government of India is taking efforts to promote Hindi and enhance its stature among the world languages.
It is also making efforts to ensure a rightful place for Hindi at the UN and the places that hosted Indian Indentured labours in the 19th century.
Currently UN provides all the important messages and press releases in Hindi. This facility is also available for Bangla and Urdu.
It was highlighted that World Hindi Conference in Fiji would also provide an opportunity to highlight the links between India and the Pacific Ocean region.
A delegation of around 270 academics, experts, and Hindi writers would participate in the upcoming conference.

About World Hindi Conference

The World Hindi Conference provides common platform to several Hindi scholars, writers and laureates from different parts of the world to contribute to the language.
It will be organised by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in association with Government of Mauritius.
It is organised every third year.
The first World Hindi Conference was held in 1975 in Nagpur.

15. Scientists have discovered a third natural source of quasicrystals

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Msc

Concept :

Quasicrystal, also called quasi-periodic crystal, is a matter formed atomically in a manner somewhere between the amorphous solids of glasses (special forms of metals and other minerals, as well as common glass) and the precise pattern of crystals.
Like crystals, quasicrystals contain an ordered structure, but the patterns are subtle and do not recur at precisely regular intervals.
Rather, quasicrystals appear to be formed from two different structures assembled in a nonrepeating array, the three-dimensional equivalent of a tile floor made from two shapes of tile and having an orientational order but no repetition.
The American-Israeli scientist Dan Shechtman discovered quasicrystals in the lab in 1982.
Quasicrystals have poor heat conductivity, which makes them good insulators.

Prevalence:

Quasicrystals rank among the most common structures in alloys of aluminum with such metals as iron, cobalt, or nickel.
The first natural quasicrystal found was as microscopic grains in a fragment of the Khatyrka meteorite lying in the Koryak mountains of Russia.
The second time scientists found natural quasicrystals in the remains of the Trinity test of the Manhattan Project.
Recently for the third time, in the Sand Hills dunes in northern Nebraska, scientists found silicate glass which is a dodecagonal quasicrystal, rare even for quasicrystals.

Applications:

While no major commercial applications yet exploit properties of the quasicrystalline state directly, quasicrystals form in compounds noted for their high strength and light weight, suggesting potential applications in aerospace and other industries.
Quasicrystals can be used in surgical instruments, LED lights and non-stick frying pans.
Other uses: Selective solar absorbers for power conversion, broad-wavelength reflectors, and bone repair and prostheses applications where biocompatibility, low friction and corrosion resistance are required.