Daily Prelims Notes 13 April 2023

April 13, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

13 April 2023

Table Of Contents

1. India prepares for a domestic carbon market with release of a draft carbon trading scheme

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate change

Context: India’s carbon market is gradually taking shape with the latest push from the Ministry of Power which released a draft of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS).

More on the News:

The carbon trading scheme was introduced through the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which provides for empowering the central government to specify such a scheme.
Though the establishment of a carbon or emission market has been part of India’s overall climate action strategy, it has gained momentum after the Conference of Parties (COP26) organised in Glasgow. The concept of emissions trading is that countries sell excess emission units – emissions that they are permitted to have but not used – to other countries which need the excess units to meet their emission targets.

Draft of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme

The draft of CCTS lays out the organisational architecture needed to set up and operationalise a domestic carbon market in India.
It identified the role composition of key constituents – the regulator (India Carbon Market Governing Board), the administrator, the registry (the Grid Controller of India), the trading administrator (Central Electricity Regulatory Authority), exchanges and specifications for empaneling auditors and developing methodologies.
The draft proposes a structure for the Indian Carbon Market (ICM), including a voluntary trading and compliance market. Secretaries and joint secretaries of several crucial ministries in union government will be part of the governing board, which will administer and regulate the market.
According to the draft, the proposed board will suggest policies and regulations for the market, set up the framework for voluntary carbon credit trading, and specify criteria for selling carbon credit certificates to foreign buyers.
Bureau of Energy Efficiency will be the administrator for the Indian Carbon Market and also work as the secretariat for Indian Carbon Market Governing Board (ICMGB).
Bureau of Energy Efficiency will discharge several responsibilities, from developing standards and processes for registering projects under a voluntary mechanism to developing trajectories and targets for the entities under the compliance mechanism.
The Bureau will also issue carbon credit certificates (CCC) and develop market stability mechanisms for carbon credits.
The Bureau will specify the procedure, including eligibility criteria for the accreditation of agencies to function as Accredited Carbon Verifiers.

Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 https://optimizeias.com/bill-to-set-up-carbon-credit-trading-passed/

Carbon Markets https://optimizeias.com/india-will-be-the-biggest-carbon-market-by-2030/

2. Estimating the potential of community forest rights

Subject : Environment

Section: Environment law

Context: Even after 16 years, implementation provisions under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, have been far from satisfactory. One of the many reasons for non-implementation is a lack of clarity about where and how much forest land might be eligible for Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) claims.

More on the News:

There is no “target” that state governments must reach and against which their performance can be measured in terms of recognising CFRR.
Given the complexity of land and forest settlement in India and the poor quality of land records and maps available, generating an estimate of how much land could come under CFRR and where is not an easy task.
A crude estimate can be made from village land use data provided in the census’ village amenities tables. This pertains to the forest area within a village’s revenue boundary.
But an estimate based on data from census tables is likely to be significantly lower than the actual area where communities traditionally exercised community rights, especially in central India.
This is because the process of forest “settlement” (notification and demarcation) followed in these states resulted in large tracts of forests being demarcated as Reserve Forest (RF) and being kept outside the revenue settlement, thereby not being part of any revenue village and therefore not showing up in the census tables.
These large RF patches have many settlements inside them, and of course have many more abutting or adjacent to them. Field data shows that residents of these villages (inside and adjacent to the forest area) were using these forests and exercising customary rights over them.

Community Forest Resource rights

The Community Forest Resource rights under Section 3(1)(i) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act (commonly referred to as the Forest Rights Act or the FRA) provide for recognition of the right to “protect, regenerate or conserve or manage” the community forest resource.
These rights allow the community to formulate rules for forest useby itself and others and thereby discharge its responsibilities under Section 5 of the FRA.
CFR rights, along with Community Rights (CRs) under Sections 3(1)(b) and 3(1)(c), which include nistar rights and rights over non-timber forest products, ensure sustainable livelihoods of the community.
These rights give the authority to the Gram Sabha to adopt local traditional practices of forest conservation and management within the community forest resource boundary.

Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006

FRA enacted in 2006 recognises the rights of forest-dwelling tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers to forest resources on which these communities were dependent for a variety of needs, including livelihood, habitation and other socio-cultural needs.
It recognizes and vests the forest rights and occupation in Forest land in Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST)and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD) who have been residing in such forests for generations.
It strengthens the conservation regime of the forests while ensuring the livelihood and food security of the FDST and OTFD.
The Gram Sabhais the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of Individual Forest Rights (IFR) or Community Forest Rights (CFR) or both that may be given to FDST and

Rights Under the Forest Rights Act:

Title rights:
It gives FDSTand OTFD the right to ownership to land farmed by tribals or forest dwellers subject to a maximum of 4 hectares.
Ownership is only for land that is actually being cultivated by the concerned family and no new lands will be granted.
Use rights:
The rights of the dwellers extend toextracting Minor Forest Produce, grazing areas
Relief and development rights:
To rehabilitate in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection.
Forest management rights:
It includes the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use.

3. Large Hadron Collider

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Physics

Concept :

Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

The Large Hadron Collider is a giant, complex machine built to study particles that are the smallest known building blocks of all things.
LHC is a collider that accelerates two beams of particles in opposite directions and smashes them head-on.
These beams of particles are Hadrons.
Hadron is a subatomic particle made of quarks, gluons and anti-quarks.
Hadrons are the heaviest particles and are composed of two or more quarks that are held strongly by electromagnetic force.
LHC is built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

Functioning of Large Hadron Collider

The LHC uses Protons, which are made up of quarks and gluons and it energises the protons by accelerating them through a narrow circular pipe that is 27 km long.
This circular pipe encircles two D-shaped magnetic fields, created by close to 9,600 magnets.
In the pipe, Protons are made to move by turning on one hemisphere of magnets and turning off the other and once it reaches a specific position the magnetic polarity is reversed by turning off the first hemisphere and turning on the second.
This makes the Proton move in an anticlockwise direction and by switching the direction of the magnetic field rapidly, Protons are accelerated through the beam pipe.
There are a few other components placed in the pipe that ensure that the particles do not hit the pipe’s walls.
This process makes the Protons move at 99.999999% of the speed of light which helps them accrue a tremendous amount of energy as per the special theory of relativity.
When two antiparallel beams of energised particles collide head-on, the energy at the point of collision is equal to the sum of the energy carried by the two beams.
At the time of the collision, chaos is witnessed and parts of energy coalesce into different subatomic particles based on the fundamental forces of nature.
The particles take shape depending on the amount and flavour of energy available and which other particles are being created or destroyed around them.
A few particles are created very rarely i.e. are created with a probability of 0.00001%.
A few other particles are quite massive and require the right kind of energy to be created.
A few other particles are extremely short-lived and the detectors studying them need to record them in a similar timeframe.
The LHC is built in such a way that scientists can alter all these parameters to study different particle interactions.

The Findings of the LHC

The LHC has nine detectors that are placed at different points on the beam pipe. These detectors are used to study particle interactions in different ways.
Annually, these detectors generate close to 30,000 TB of data worth storing, Physicists filter this data with the help of computers to identify and analyse specific patterns.
This is similar to how the ATLAS and CMS detectors helped discover the Higgs boson.
The LHC is known for accelerating a beam of hadronic particles to certain specifications and delivering it which facilitates scientists to do different things with the beam.
With the help of data generated from all these collisions, researchers have tested the predictions of the Standard Model of particle physics, the reigning theory of subatomic particles, observed exotic particles such as pentaquarks and tetraquarks and examined the extreme natural conditions that existed right after the Big Bang.

Latest Upgrade:

This is the LHC’s third run, it will operate round-the-clock for four years at unprecedented energy levels of 13 tera electron volts. (An electron volt is the energy given to an electron by accelerating it through 1 volt of electric potential difference).
Scientists are aiming to be delivering 1.6 billion proton-proton collisions per second” for the ATLAS and CMS experiments.
ATLAS: Largest general purpose particle detector experiment at the LHC.
Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment: one of the largest international scientific collaborations in history, with the same goals as ATLAS, but which uses a different magnet-system design.

For further details, refer – https://optimizeias.com/hint-of-an-elementary-particle-vanishes-under-lhc-scrutiny/

4. U.S. aviation watchdog retains India’s safety category after review

Subject : International Relations

Section :International Organizations

Concept :

The Federal Aviation Administration, which is the aviation safety regulator of the U.S., has retained the “Category 1” status for India’s aviation safety oversight.

International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme

The International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme of the Federal Aviation Administration checks if a country’s oversight of its airlines that operate or wish to operate to the U.S. or enter into codeshare partnerships with the U.S. complies with the safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is a specialised agency of the UN.
The IASA programme focuses mainly on three broad areas namely personnel licensing, operation of aircraft and airworthiness of aircraft.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has met the international standards for aviation safety oversight of the Chicago Convention.

Chicago Convention

The Chicago Convention established the core principles permitting international transport by air, and also led to the creation of the ICAO.
ICAO was created in 1944 by the Chicago Convention in order to promote the safe and orderly development of civil aviation around the world.

Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme Continuous Monitoring Approach

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) was established in 1999.
It aims to promote global aviation safety.
It is done through regular audits of ICAO Member States to determine their ability to maintain their safety oversight systems.
This enables the State to ensure the implementation of ICAO’s safety-related Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and associated procedures and guidance material.
In addition, it provides ICAO with a means to continuously monitor the States’ fulfillment of their safety oversight obligations.
The programme is managed by the Monitoring and Oversight office within the Air Navigation Bureau.

5. Graphene

Subject : Science and technology

Section: chemistry

Concept :

Graphene is a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern. It is an is an allotrope of carbon. Graphene is considered to be the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material – of both electricity and heat.
Properties: It is harder than diamond yet more elastic than rubber; tougher than steel yet lighter than aluminium. Graphene is the strongest known material.
Other Properties of Graphene are:
Lowest resistivity substance known at room temperature.
High thermal stability.
High elasticity.
High electrical conductivity.
Electron mobility is high at room temperature.
Graphene oxide (GO) membranes can be used to filter common salt from seawater.

Applications of graphene/GO/rGO

Graphite and its derivate recently gained science and engineering awareness due to its numerous applications.
The discovery of graphene is rightly regarded as a milestone in the world of material science; as can be seen in the worldwide attention, the material has received in the fields of electronics, photonics, capacitors/supercapacitors, biosensing, etc.
They are used in numerous applications as illustrated below. In this book, applications of graphene and its derivatives are discussed in detail.
These applications include photocatalysis, electronics, gas sensing, graphene-based heterogeneous electrodes for energy storage devices, etc. In addition, sound devices based on graphene is also explained in this book.
Carbon Allotropes: Diamond, graphite and fullerenes (substances that include nanotubes and buckminsterfullerene) are the important allotropes of pure carbon.
Allotropy is the property of some chemical elements to exist in two or more different forms, in the same physical state.

6. Tejas, Sukhoi jets participate in Cope Exercise

Subject: International relations

Section: msc

Defence

Concept :

The Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters, including Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Rafale, SU-30MKI, and Jaguars, are set to participate in bilateral air Exercise Cope India 23 with US Air Force (USAF) F-15 fighters and B-1B long-range bombers.

Background

Cope India began in 2004 as a fighter training exercise held at Air Station Gwalior, India.
The exercise has evolved to incorporate subject matter expert exchanges, air mobility training, airdrop training and large-force exercises, in addition to fighter-training exercises.
The exercise showcases U.S. and India’s efforts and commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

About the exercise

It is a bilateral exercise between the air forces of the two countries.
The exercise comes amid India’s continuing three-year-long military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh as well as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which has seen Beijing and Moscow get into a tighter strategic clinch.

Highlights of the 2023 version

The exercise will be conducted in two phases, with the first phase practicing the air-mobility component involving transport aircraft of both countries.
The IAF element will include the Su-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas, and Jaguar fighter aircraft, while Japan is taking part in the exercise as an observer.
The second phase of the exercise will witness the participation of B-1B bombers of USAF, and F-15 fighter aircraft of the USAF will join the exercise subsequently, according to an IAF statement.
The exercise will be supported by aerial refuellers, Airborne Warning and Control System, and Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft of the IAF.

7. International Conference on defence, finance and economics

Subject :International Relations

Section: Msc

Concept :

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the three-day International Conference on Defense Finance and Economics in New Delhi.

About the conference

The conference is organized by the Ministry of Defence.
It will provide a platform to eminent policy makers, academicians and government officials from home and abroad to share their insights and experiences on defense finance and economics in the context of emerging security challenges and policies globally.
Delegates from USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Kenya are participating in the conference.

Objective of the Conference

To promote dialogue and cooperation among the participants and contribute to the defense preparedness of the country with optimum financial resources and effective implementation of the defense budget.
Participating in global discussions on defense finance and economics and proposing a sustainable roadmap on the subject.
To disseminate the best practices, experiences and expertise of various countries and align processes in the Indian context with international standards.

The topics of discussion

Current challenges and opportunities in the areas of Defence Finance and Economics, such as how to allocate and use resources efficiently & effectively.
Different models and practices of finance and economics related to Defence Acquisition around the world.
Latest developments and innovations in Defence Research and Development.
Best practices on managing human resources in Defence, including issues related to pay, pensions and welfare of Defence Personnel and the role & functions of oversight mechanisms within defence ecosystems.

8. Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission

Subject : Science and technology

Section: space technology

Concept :

The European Space Agency (ESA) is all set to launch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice, mission from its spaceport in French Guiana on an Ariane 5 launcher.

About Juice Mission

It is planned to reach Jupiter in 2031.
The mission aims to carry out a detailed exploration of Jupiter and its icy moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa, which potentially have habitable environments.
The main focus will be on Ganymede, as it is the largest moon in the Solar System and the only one to generate its own magnetic field.
Another primary goal of the mission is to create a comprehensive picture of Jupiter by trying to understand its origin, history and evolution.
Juice will also analyse the chemistry, structure, dynamics, weather, and climate of Jupiter and its ever-changing atmosphere.
However, Juice isn’t equipped to detect life.
It is capable of is finding out whether there could be places where the necessary conditions, such as water, biological essential elements, energy, and stability, to sustain life are present.

Other spacecraft to Jupiter:

Only two other spacecraft have ever examined Jupiter:
the Galileo probe, which orbited the gas giant between 1995 and 2003, and
Juno, which has been circling the planet since 2016.

Europa Clipper:

By the time Juice reaches Jupiter, another spacecraft, NASA’s Europa Clipper, would already be orbiting the planet.
It is scheduled to be launched in 2023.
It would arrive at Jupiter in 2030 and aims to study its Europa moon.

9. Teja Singh Sutantar

Subject : History

Section: Art and Culture

Concept :

Punjab Chief Minister unveiled a statue of Teja Singh Sutantar, a former MP and revolutionary leader.

Teja Singh Sutantar

Teja Singh was born as Samund Singh in 1901 in Aluna village of Gurdaspur district.
After completing his schooling, he joined Khalsa College in Amritsar.
Following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, he joined the Akali Dal to participate in the movement to liberate gurdwaras from degenerate mahants.
However, in September 1921, he formed his own squad called the Sutantar Jatha, which successfully liberated a gurdwara in a village called Teja in Gurdaspur district from the mahants.
He later freed another gurdwara in Othian village from mahants.

Early life and revolutionary activities

In early 1923, Teja Singh went to Kabul as a Sikh missionary and there he came into contact with a few leaders of the Ghadar Party, who were preparing for their second attempt to overthrow the British government.
They persuaded Teja Singh to undergo military training, so he joined the Turkish military academy in 1925 under the pseudonym Azad Beg.
He later moved to Berlin and then to Canada and the United States, where he addressed congregations of Indians, mainly Punjabi Sikh immigrants.

Political Career

After visiting several countries, Teja Singh returned to India and became a prominent leader of the communist party (CPI).
He contributed revolutionary articles to the party journal, the Kirti, frequently writing about issues that plagued peasants.
In May 1937, he was elected unopposed to the Punjab Legislative Assembly as a nominee of the Indian National Congress while he was still in prison.
He continued to remain a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly till 1945.
He was also the secretary of the Communist Party (Punjab) from 1944 to 1947.

Post Independence political activities:

Post-independence, Teja Singh, who a prominent leader of the Kisan Sabha, led a number of peasant agitations against the government and landlords.
He was a key leader in the PEPSU Muzara movement, which started in the 1930s and went on till 1952.
The movement was started by landless peasants (muzaras) in PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union, which included the districts of Mansa, Sangrur, Barnala, and parts of Bathinda, apart from Patiala) to obtain ownership rights of the land they had been tilling for generations.
The farmers would finally receive land rights in 1952.
After independence, Teja Singh formed his Lal (Red) Party with the Kirti group of the Punjab Communist Party as its nucleus.
He would go on to become a member of the Punjab Legislative Council from 1964-1969.
He edited Lal Jhanda, a monthly magazine in Urdu, Lal Savera, a Punjabi weekly and contributed to various newspapers.
In 1971, he was elected to the Lok Sabha.