Daily Prelims Notes 16 July 2023

July 16, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN Topics

Daily Prelims Notes

16 July 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP)

Subject: Geography

Section: Rivers in news

Context- The Chief Minister of Rajasthan has demanded the national project status for the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).

Concept-

The main advantage of a project which has received national project status is that 90% of the funding for the project will be given by the central government.
The estimated cost of the ERCP is around Rs. 40,000 crore.

About the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project:

It aims to harvest surplus water available during rainy season in rivers in Southern Rajasthan such as Chambal and its tributaries, including Kunnu, Parvati, Kalisindh, and use this water in south-eastern districts of the state, where there is scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation.
ERCP is planned to meet drinking and industrial water needs of the southern and south eastern Rajasthan, for humans and Livestock till the year 2051.
It proposes to provide drinking water to 13 districts of Rajasthan and provide irrigation water for 2.8 lakh hectares of land through 26 different large and medium projects.
13 districts: Jhalawar, Baran, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Tonk, Jaipur, Karauli, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa and Dholpur.

Chambal River:

It is one of the most pollution-free rivers of India.
It originates at the Singar Chouri peak in the northern slopes of the Vindhya mountains (Indore, Madhya Pradesh). From there, it flows in the North direction in Madhya Pradesh for a length of about 346 km and then follows a north-easterly direction for a length of 225 km through Rajasthan.
It enters U.P. and flows for about 32 km before joining the Yamuna River in Etawah District.
It is a rainfed river and its basin is bounded by the Vindhyan mountain ranges and the Aravallis. The Chambal and its tributaries drain the Malwa region of northwestern Madhya Pradesh.
The Hadauti plateau in Rajasthan occurs in the upper catchment of the Chambal River to the southeast of the Mewar Plains.
Tributaries: Banas, Kali Sindh, Sipra, Parbati, etc.
Main Power Projects/ Dam: Gandhi Sagar Dam, Rana Pratap Sagar Dam, Jawahar Sagar Dam, and Kota Barrage.
The National Chambal Sanctuary is located along river Chambal on the tri-junction of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is known for critically endangered gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle, and the endangered Ganges river dolphin.

2. A new diarrhoea-causing parasite found

Subject : Science

Section: Health

Context:

A three-year surveillance study from March 2017 to February 2020 in Kolkata has found an amoeba pathogen that previously did not cause any amoebiasis (a form of diarrhoea) in humans has now become pathogenic.

Research findings:

A team of researchers from the Kolkata-based National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED) found that not only had the amoeba pathogen — Entamoeba moshkovskii — turned pathogenic, it was the leading cause of amoebic infections in humans.
More than half of the amoebic infections were caused by this pathogen.
The infections caused by E. histolytica, which used to be the predominant amoeba pathogen that caused amoebiasis, were decreasing and the newly pathogenic E. moshkovskii was taking its place.
The researchers identified a few mutations that signify an essential role of the new pathogenic parasite in adapting to the gut environment of humans or in acquiring other enteric pathogens.
The amoebiasis is routinely diagnosed by light microscopy.

Diarrhoea:

Diarrhoea can be caused by bacteria, viruses and amoeba pathogens.
As per WHO, Diarrhoea is defined as the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent passage than is normal for the individual). It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss.
The most common cause is an infection of the intestines due to either a virus, bacterium, or parasite—a condition also known as gastroenteritis.
These infections are often acquired from food or water that has been contaminated by feces, or directly from another person who is infected.
Diarrhea can be prevented by improved sanitation, clean drinking water, and hand washing with soap.

Clinical Types:

Acute Watery Diarrhoea – lasts several hours or days, and includes cholera;
Acute Bloody Diarrhoea – also called dysentery; and
Persistent Diarrhoea – lasts 14 days or longer.

Status of Diarrhoea in India:

Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of deaths in children in this age group globally and claims approximately 1.1 lakh lives in India every year – according to 2019-2020 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).
The National Family Health Survey shows that the prevalence of childhood diarrhoea has increased from 9% to 9.2% from 2016 to 2020 in India. It is the third most common responsible disease for under five mortality.
According to the latest survey (NFHS-5) conducted by the Ministry, only 60.6% children under the age of five with diarrhoea were given ORS and only 30.5% were given zinc. This means that there is a lack of awareness among mothers.
Dehydration is the biggest cause of diarrhoea in children and other reasons include a change in the baby’s diet to make up for a change in the mother’s diet when breastfeeding; Use of antibiotics by the baby, or use by the mother while breastfeeding, or any type of bacterial or parasitic infection.

Prevention:

Access to safe drinking-water;
Use of improved sanitation;
Hand washing with soap;
Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life;
Good personal and food hygiene;
Health education about how infections spread; and
Rotavirus vaccination.

Treatment:

Rehydration with Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS)
Zinc Supplements
Rehydration with Intravenous Fluids
Nutrient-rich Foods

IDCF:

The Intensive Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) has been organized since 2014 with an objective to ‘bringing the number of deaths due to diarrhoea in childhood to zero’.
This fortnight is organised especially during summer/monsoon so that preventive measures can be taken.
IDCF consists of a set of activities to be implemented in an intensified manner for prevention and control of deaths due to dehydration from diarrhoea across all States & UTs. These activities mainly include:

Intensification of advocacy & awareness generation activities for diarrhoea management,
Strengthening service provision for diarrhoea case management,
Establishment of ORS-zinc corners,
Prepositioning of ORS by asha in households with under-five children and
Awareness generation activities for hygiene and sanitation.

One of the main activities under IDCF program has been the activities by field workers including ASHA, ANM and anganwadi workers. Field workers visit the homes of families with children below five years of age and provide counselling in case of diarrhoea for distribution of zinc and ORS sachets. They also promote sanitation practices, breastfeeding practices and advise on preparation method of ORS through group meetings among mothers.

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP): It was launched by the government in 1985 and prevents mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases including pneumonia and diarrhoea.

3. Unethical to continue using polio-causing oral polio vaccines

Subject : Science

Section: Health

Context:

In 1988, the World Health Assembly declared WHO’s commitment to global eradication of polio by 2000. But in 1993, the goalpost was shifted — the goal was to eradicate only wild poliovirus globally by 2000.

Details:

That meant that eradicating vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) and vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) was no longer the objective.
The reason: developing countries using oral polio vaccine reported many vaccine-derived or vaccine-associated polio cases annually.
Meanwhile, the developed countries switched to inactivated polio vaccine thus eradicating polio decades ago.

Polio virus cases in India:

Though the last case of type 2 wild poliovirus was reported in October 1999 from India (and declared eradicated globally in 2015), more than 90% of vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks are due to type 2 virus present in oral polio vaccines.
Also, 40% of VAPP are caused by type 2 oral polio vaccine.
Similarly, the last case of type 3 wild poliovirus was reported in November 2012 (and declared eradicated in 2019).

Shift from trivalent to bivalent vaccine:

With type 2 wild poliovirus being eradicated and all type 2 polio cases being vaccine-derived, there was a global switch from trivalent (containing all three variants) to bivalent (type 1 and type 3) oral polio vaccine in 2016 to prevent any more type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus.
The number of vaccine-derived type 2 poliovirus outbreaks have only increased sharply after the global switch to bivalent oral polio vaccine.

Concern over the Type-3 polio virus:

But many cases of VAPP from type 3 virus occur in countries using oral polio vaccine.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has never reported VAPP cases throughout the 34 years of polio eradication efforts. And the Indian government does not count VAPP as polio as such cases are sporadic and pose little or no threat to others.
In result, the number of VAPP-compatible cases showed an increasing trend in India from 1998 to 2013, so much so that they outnumbered the polio cases caused by wild poliovirus since 2004.
VAPP cases occur at a frequency of two-four cases per million birth cohort per year in countries that use OPV.
Based on this incidence rate, an estimated 50-100 children might suffer from VAPP every year in India.

Type 2 novel OPV:

A type 2 novel oral polio vaccine (OPV) that is genetically modified such that it is to less likely to revert to neurovirulence unlike the Sabin vaccine and therefore cause less type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus cases was authorised by WHO under Emergency Use Listing in November 2020 and first used in the field in March 2021.
But as of May 2023, the novel vaccine, which is to be used only in type 2 VDPV outbreak situations, has already caused three type 2 VDPV cases.
However, the type 2 novel OPV vaccine does not address VAPP cases arising from continued use of oral polio vaccine.

Polio virus:

Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly viral infectious disease that affects the nervous system.
There are three individual and immunologically distinct wild poliovirus strains:
- Wild Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)
- Wild Poliovirus type 2 (WPV2)
- Wild Poliovirus type 3 (WPV3)
Symptomatically, all three strains are identical, in that they cause irreversible paralysis or even death. However, there are genetic and virological differences, which make these three strains separate viruses which must each be eradicated individually.
The virus is transmitted person-to-person mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (for example, through contaminated water or food).

Vaccines:

Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV): It is given orally as a birth dose for institutional deliveries, then primary three doses at 6, 10 and 14 weeks and one booster dose at 16-24 months of age.
Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV): It is introduced as an additional dose along with the 3rd dose of DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus) under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

Initiative by India:

Pulse Polio Programme:
- It was started with an objective of achieving 100% coverage under Oral Polio Vaccine.
Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0:
- It was a nationwide immunisation drive to mark the 25 years of Pulse polio programme (2019-20).
Universal Immunization Programme (UIP):
- It was launched in 1985 with the modification to ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI). The objectives of the Programme include:
- Rapidly increasing immunization coverage
- Improving the quality of services
- Establishing a reliable cold chain system to the health facility level
- Introducing a district-wise system for monitoring of performance
- Achieving self-sufficiency in vaccine production.

Global Polio Eradication Initiative:

It was launched in 1988 by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), by national governments and WHO. Presently, 80% of the world’s population is now living in certified polio-free regions.
An estimated 1.5 million childhood deaths have been prevented, through the systemic administration of vitamin A during polio immunization activities.

4. Coal mining in Meghalaya

Subject : Geography

Section: Economic geography

Coal in Meghalaya:

Meghalaya is predominantly rich in tertiary coal deposits belonging to the Eocene age (36-56 million years ago).
The total estimated of coal reserve found in Meghalaya is about 576.48 million tonnes.
Meghalaya coal belongs to sub-bituminous type with high sulphur content.
The main characteristics of the coal found in Jaintia Hills are
- its low ash content,
- high volatile matter,
- high calorific value and
- comparatively high sulphur content.
The physical properties characterize the coal of Jaintia Hills District as hard, lumpy, bright and jointed except for the coal in Jarain which is both soft and hard in nature.
Composition of the coal revealed by chemical analysis indicates moisture content between 0.4% to 9.2%, ash content between 1.3% to 24.7%, and sulphur content between 2.7% to 5.0%.
The calorific value ranges from 5,694 to 8230 kilo calories/Kilogram

Coal Bearing Areas in Meghalaya:

Coal is found in all three undivided hill regions (namely Khasi, Garo and Jaintia) of Meghalaya.

Coal mining in Meghalaya:

Though the coal mines all over the county were nationalised by an Act passed by the Parliament, that is, Coal Mines Nationalization Act, 1973, and subsequently brought under the Coal India Limited in November, 1975, the coal mines in Meghalaya remained outside the provisions of the said Act due to Sixth Schedule of Constitution of India.
Hence, the land owners are also the owners of the minerals below their land.

Mining Method

Rat hole mining:

Coal in Meghalaya being found deposited in thin seams imbedded in sedimentary rocks, sandstones and shale is mined by making tunnels through the coal seam.
The tunnels being narrow are referred to as ‘rat holes’ and the mining method is commonly known as ‘rat hole mining’.
The rat hole mining is a primitive method of mining and mostly done manually by employing small implements and machineries.
In this method of mining, a narrow tunnel is dug either through the side of the hill (referred to as- side-cutting) or through a rectangular shaft/pit (known as box-cutting) and coal is extracted manually.
- In ‘side-cutting’ rat hole mining a hole is cut from the side of the hill where coal seam is visible from outside or there is possibility of coal seam located inside. Through a narrow tunnel the miners explore the inside of the hill for coal and if found extract it manually through small implements.
- In the box-cutting method the land is, first cleared by cutting and removing the ground vegetation and then pits ranging from 5 to 100 m2 are dug vertically into the ground to reach the coal seam. The depth of the vertical shaft varies from 20 m to 130 m depending on the depth of the coal seam. Thereafter, horizontal narrow tunnels are made into the seam. The height of the tunnel, in most cases is about 3 to 4 feet due to thin coal seems.
In both methods (side-cutting or box-cutting) the miners enter/ crawl into the tunnel and mine the coal with small shovel.

Implications of Rat Hole Mining

The water sources of many rivers, especially in Jaintia Hills district, have turned acidic.
The water also has high concentration of sulphates, iron and toxic heavy metals, low dissolved oxygen (DO) and high BOD, showing its degraded quality.
The roadside dumping of coal is a major source of air, water and soil pollution.
Off road movement of trucks and other vehicles in the area for coal transportation also adds to the ecological and environmental damage of the area.
The practice has been declared as unsafe for workers by the NGT.
The mines branch into networks of horizontal channels, which are at constant risk of caving in or flooding.

Order by National Green Tribunal (NGT):

It is illegal as The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned rat-hole mining in Meghalaya in 2014
The ban of transportation of already mined materials will also continue.

Other Concerns

Coal mine owners have left thousands of abandoned
The Government does not insist that they reclaim and afforest those
In 40 years of mining and profiteering, the mine owners have till date not constructed a single hospital or even a school. There is complete disregard for corporate social responsibility because the mines are privately owned by the

How does the ban affect local people?

Mining has provided jobs to local people. Following the ban, there are demands for rehabilitation or alternative employment.
It was a major issue in the assembly polls. The new state government challenged the ban in the Supreme Court in November that allowed the transportation of already extracted coal till 31 January.
A citizens’ report filed in the apex court names several state legislators who have stakes in the largely unregulated coal mining and transportation industry.

5. India and UAE set to use rupee, dirham for trade

Subject : Economy

Section: External Sector

Concept :

India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to build a framework to promote the use of the rupee and the UAE Dirham (AED) in cross-border transactions.

India and MoU Agreement

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBE) have signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with respect to various topics.
The first agreement will provide a framework to encourage cross-border transactions in local currencies (rupee and dirham).
In accordance with the second MoU, the two central banks would work together to connect the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India with the Instant Payment Platform (IPP) of the UAE, as well as with RuPay switch and UAESWITCH.
A messaging system that could compete with SWIFT (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) will also be developed by both nations.

Local Currency Settlement System (LCSS)

A Local Currency Settlement System (LCSS) would be implemented as part of the MoU on using national currencies to encourage the usage of the rupee and dirham.
All permissible capital account transactions as well as current account transactions are covered under the agreement.
Exporters and importers will be able to settle their invoices in their respective home currencies thanks to the LCSS, which will also help the INR-AED foreign exchange market grow.

Significance for India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of the UAE made the decision to advance the development of their economic cooperation.
Additionally, the LCSS agreement will encourage cross-border transfers of money and investments.
Using local currencies will speed up settlement and cut down on transaction expenses, notably for Indian remittances to the UAE.
India may utilise this system to pay for imports of goods from the UAE, its fourth-largest energy source, including oil and other commodities.
Presently, India pays the UAE in dollars for its oil.
Additionally, the Structured Financial Messaging System (SFMS) of India and the UAE’s payments messaging system will be connected via the MoUs.

6. Ayushman Bharat embraces AI to tackle fraud

Subject : Scheme

Concept :

An anti-fraud programme utilising artificial intelligence and machine learning has resulted in the recovery of Rs 9.5 crore in penalty money.
The goal of this endeavour is to safeguard Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the biggest government-run insurance programme in the world.

Important Features

The National Health Authority (NHA), the organization responsible for carrying out AB-PMJAY, released a thorough list of anti-fraud recommendations.
For the purpose of overseeing the anti-fraud framework that is backed by State Anti-Fraud Units (SAFUs) at the State level, the National Anti-Fraud Unit (NAFU) was established at NHA.
The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which aims to establish a nationwide digital system to guarantee the security of personal health information, is now being implemented by the Ministry.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

It aims to provide digital health IDs for all Indian citizens to help hospitals, insurance firms, and citizens access health records electronically when required.
The pilot project of the Mission had been announced by the Prime Minister from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August 2020.
The project is being implemented in the pilot phase in six States & Union Territories.

Features of the Mission:

Health ID:
It will be issued for every citizen that will also work as their health account. This health account will contain details of every test, every disease, the doctors visited, the medicines taken and the diagnosis.
Health ID is free of cost, voluntary. It will help in doing analysis of health data and lead to better planning, budgeting and implementation for health programs.
Healthcare Facilities & Professionals’ Registry:
The other major component of the programme is creating a Healthcare Professionals’ Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registry (HFR), allowing easy electronic access to medical professionals and health infrastructure.
The HPR will be a comprehensive repository of all healthcare professionals involved in delivering healthcare services across both modern and traditional systems of medicine.
The HFR database will have records of all the country’s health facilities.
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Sandbox:
The Sandbox, created as a part of the mission, will act as a framework for technology and product testing that will help organisations, including private players intending to be a part of the national digital health ecosystem become a Health Information Provider or Health Information User or efficiently link with building blocks of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
Implementing Agency:
National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

7. Seed Festival

Subject : Geography

Section: Economic geography

Concept :

The native seed festival was first introduced in South India at Thiruthuraipoondi in Tiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu in 2006 by the late Nel Jayaraman ( nel means paddy in Tamil).
Since then it has grown from strength to strength, drawing a large number of organic farmers and promoters of traditional seed varieties every year.
The annual two-day festival is patronised by not only those from Tamil Nadu but also neighbouring States.
It is one of the largest seed exchange programmes across the country.
As many as 200 native varieties of grain are showcased. Mapillai samba, thanga samba and kichili samba were some of the varieties on display.
Native seeds are more genetically diverse and are resilient to harsh climate conditions.
A highlight of the show is that two kg of native seeds are given to farmers who can pledge that they will return with four kg the next year.
Saving water: Farmers say that irrigation needs come down when native seeds are used. While regular varieties may need to be irrigated two hours daily four days a week, a native variety may only need irrigation for two hours twice a week.
Sharing knowledge: An organic farmer talks about farming of kambu (pearl millet).

8. Payloads in Chandrayaan 3

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Concept :

The Chandrayaan-3 carries six payloads that would help ISRO understand the lunar soil and also get the blue planet’s photographs from the lunar orbit.
Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) will measure the near-surface plasma density and its changes with time.
Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) will measure seismicity around the landing site and delineate the structure of the lunar crust and mantle.
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) will determine the elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks around the landing site.
Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) will derive the chemical composition and infer the mineralogical composition of the moon’s surface.
Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) will study the spectro-polarimetric signatures of the earth in the near-infrared wavelength range.
This could be used in the search for life on exo-planets beyond the solar system.
Lunar lander Vikram will click photos of the rover Pragyaan as it studies the seismic activity on the moon by dropping some instruments.
Using laser beams, it would try to melt a piece of the lunar surface — the regolith — to study the gases emitted during the process.

9. AMRUT 2.0

Subject : Schemes

Concept :

In a Pilot project under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0, 10 cities across the country are getting ready to revive defunct borewells, neglected heritage stepwells and other shallow aquifers in a pilot project to recharge the groundwater as well as mitigate flooding.
According to officials of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which runs AMRUT 2.0, the pilot is expected to be on the ground by the end of this year or early 2024.
The cities — Jaipur, Gwalior, Dhanbad, Kolkata, Rajkot, Thane, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai — were selected due to their historical dependence on shallow aquifer systems and the local urban bodies’ interest in implementing the project, a ministry source said.

AMRUT 2.0

AMRUT 2.0 was launched in October 2021 for a period of 5 years, i.e., Financial Year 2021-22 to 2025-26.
It is an extension of the AMRUT mission, which was launched in June 2015 and aims to provide every household with access to a tap with a guaranteed supply of water and a sewer connection.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is the nodal ministry for the scheme.

Objectives

To carry forward the objective of universal coverage of water supply from 500 cities covered under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) to all the statutory towns across the country.
Providing comprehensive coverage of sewage and septage control in 500 AMRUT cities and making the cities “self-reliant” and “water secure.” The mission has a reform plan that is centred on water sector changes, citizen comfort, and financial sustainability.
It will build on AMRUT’s achievements in addressing water demands, reviving waterbodies, managing aquifers better, reusing treated wastewater, and encouraging a circular economy of water.
100% coverage of sewage and septic systems in 500 AMRUT cities.
Freshwater bodies shall be protected from pollution under the Mission to ensure the sustainability of natural resources. It is projected that recycled and reused treated wastewater will provide 40% of industrial demand and 20% of urban water demand.
Ensure fair water distribution, wastewater reuse, and the mapping of water bodies, Pey Jal Survekshan will be carried out in cities.

Present Status of the AMRUT

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has approved State Water Action Plans (SWAPs) for 6,527 projects (including Operation & Maintenance Costs).
These initiatives are planned to result in 148 million new tap connections and 33.42 lakh new sewer connections.
Plans include the provision of 148 lakh new water connections and 33.42 lakh new sewer connections.
2,102 water body rejuvenation projects have also been approved under SWAPs.

10. Centre to seek States’ inputs to bridge gaps in sex ratio

Subject : Schemes

Concept :

Concerned over the sex-ratio imbalance across the country, the Union Health Ministry is looking at inviting suggestions from the States for amending the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 (PC-PNDT Act).
The Ministry has also appealed to the States to support people with disabilities by making it easier to issue disability certificates.

About PCPNDT Act:

The Pre-conception & Pre-natal Diagnostics Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, 1994 was enacted in response to the decline in Sex ratio in India, which deteriorated from 972 in 1901 to 927 in 1991.
The main purpose of enacting the act is to ban the use of sex selection techniques before or after conception and prevent the misuse of prenatal diagnostic technique for sex selective abortion.
Offences under this act include conducting or helping in the conduct of prenatal diagnostic technique in the unregistered units, sex selection on a man or woman, conducting PND test for any purpose other than the one mentioned in the act, sale, distribution, supply, renting etc. of any ultra sound machine or any other equipment capable of detecting sex of the foetus.
The act was amended in 2003 to improve the regulation of the technology used in sex selection.
The Act was amended to bring the technique of pre conception sex selection and ultrasound technique within the ambit of the act.
The amendment also empowered the central supervisory board and state level supervisory board was constituted.
In 1988, the State of Maharashtra became the first in the country to ban pre-natal sex determination through enacting the Maharashtra Regulation of Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act.

Provision of the act:

The Act provides for the prohibition of sex selection, before or after conception.
It regulates the use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques, like ultrasound and amniocentesis by allowing them their use only to detect few cases.
No laboratory or centre or clinic will conduct any test including ultrasonography for the purpose of determining the sex of the foetus.
No person, including the one who is conducting the procedure as per the law, will communicate the sex of the foetus to the pregnant woman or her relatives by words, signs or any other method.
Any person who puts an advertisement for pre-natal and pre-conception sex determination facilities in the form of a notice, circular, label, wrapper or any document, or advertises through interior or other media in electronic or print form or engages in any visible representation made by means of hoarding, wall painting, signal, light, sound, smoke or gas, can be imprisoned for up to three years and fined Rs. 10,000.
The Act mandates compulsory registration of all diagnostic laboratories, all genetic counselling centres, genetic laboratories, genetic clinics and ultrasound clinics.

11. ISRO performs first orbitraising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan3

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Concept :

A day after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched India’s third moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, the first orbit-raising manoeuvre was conducted on Saturday.
The manoeuvre was performed by the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru to place the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft at the 41,762 km x 173 km orbit.
This means that Chandrayaan-3 is now in an orbit, which when closest to Earth is at 173 km and farthest at 41,762 km.

Orbital Manoeuvre

In spaceflight, an orbital maneuver (otherwise known as a burn) is the use of propulsion systems to change the orbit of a spacecraft.
For spacecraft far from Earth (for example those in orbits around the Sun) an orbital maneuver is called a deep-space maneuver (DSM).
An on-orbit burn (ie a delta-v, for change in velocity) can alter the shape of an orbit.
Posigrade burns (forward in the direction of orbit) will raise the existing flight path, while retrograde burns (opposite the direction of orbit) will lower it.
Left Posigrade burn results in higher orbital altitude and Right Retrograde burn lowers orbital altitude
An interesting feature of orbital burns is that if no other burn occurs, the spacecraft will always pass again through the point of burn. These burns can be combined into orbital maneuvers that will change the size, shape, or orientation of the orbit

Hohmann transfer:

An elliptical orbit used to transfer between two circular orbits in the same plane. The first posigrade burn stretches the circular orbit into an elliptical one. Then at the apoapsis of the elliptical orbit, another posigrade burn circularizes the orbit at a higher altitude. Two retrograde burns can be done in the same order if a smaller circular orbit is desired
A Hohmann transfer orbit being used to increase orbital altitude

Bi-elliptic transfer:

An alternate way to transfer between two circular orbits in the same plane. It takes a combination of three posigrade/retrograde burns (posigrade, posigrade, retrograde to increase, retrograde, retrograde, posigrade to decrease altitude), but despite the extra burn, it can actually be more fuel efficient than the Hohmann transfer if the ratio between the new and old altitudes is sufficiently high (~12x). A mathematical explanation for why is included in a later section.
A bi-elliptic transfer being used to achieve a higher altitude circular orbit. Posigrade burns at points 1 and 2, retrograde burn at point 3
Orbital inclination changes:
The Hohmann and bi-elliptic transfers are useful for orbits in the same plane, but what if we want to increase orbital inclination? These require much more energy, but can be done with an upward or downward thrust perpendicular to the existing orbital plane at one of the nodes. This will rotate the orbital plane about the line of nodes

12. AUKUS

Subject :International Relations

Section: Groupings

A new trilateral security partnership for the Indo-Pacific between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. (AUKUS) was formed.
The security grouping AUKUS will focus on advancing strategic interests in the Indo Pacific region
A central feature of the partnership would involve a trilateral 18-month effort to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines which are quieter, more capable (than their conventional counterparts) and can be deployed for longer periods, needing to surface less frequently.
The partnership would also involve a new architecture of meetings and engagements between the three countries and also cooperation across emerging technologies (applied AI, quantum technologies and undersea capabilities)
Under the Aukus pact Australia is to get its first nuclear-powered subs – at least three – from the US.
The allies will also work to create a new fleet using cutting-edge tech, including UK-made Rolls-Royce reactors.
Beijing has strongly criticised the significant naval deal.
Under the deal, Australian navy sailors will be sent to US and UK submarine bases from this year to learn how to use the nuclear-powered submarines.
From 2027, the US and UK will also base a small number of nuclear submarines in Perth, Western Australia, before Canberra will buy three US-model Virginia-class submarines in the early 2030s – with options to purchase two more.
After that, the plan is to design and build an entirely new nuclear-powered submarine for the UK and Australian navies – a model that is being called SSN-AUKUS.
This attack craft will be built in Britain and Australia to a British design, but use technology from all three countries.

13. Farmers in rain-battered Himachal fear massive drop in apple output

Subject : Geography

Section: Economic Geography

Apple (Malus pumila) is commercially the most important temperate fruit and is fourth among the most widely produced fruits in the world after banana, orange and grape. China is the largest apple producing country in the world.

Origin

Apples originated in the Middle East more than 4000 years ago. Spreading across Europe to France, the fruit arrived in England at around the time of the Norman conquest in 1066.

Regions

It is mostly grown in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.