Daily Prelims Notes 17 February 2024

February 17, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

No Comments

Daily Prelims Notes

17 February 2024

Table Of Contents

1. With ethanol makers competing for maize, poultry industry sends SOS to Govt

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic Geography

Context:

The poultry industry in India, facing stiff competition from ethanol producers for maize supplies, has requested the Union Government to permit the importation of genetically modified (GM) maize and soyameal, essential for poultry feed.

Details:

Additionally, the industry advocates for the introduction of high-yielding GM seeds to boost domestic productivity.
Similar to the transformative impact of the Green Revolution on wheat and paddy yields, there is a need for similar advancements in maize cultivation.
The per capita egg consumption now stood at 101 eggs, It is expected to go up to 180 eggs in the next 6-7 years.

Steps to increase output:

The government should allow the import of genetically modified (GM) maize for ethanol production and aim to increase maize production from 30 million tonnes to 40 million tonnes.
This increase would help meet the growing demand for maize as feed in the poultry industry, which is expected to rise by 1 million tonnes annually from the current 16 million tonnes.
The move towards using corn and broken rice for ethanol, with projections showing maize use for ethanol to grow significantly by 2027-28, is seen as exacerbating the shortage of these grains for other uses.
While the poultry industry has become more efficient, reducing resource use by 70%, the cost of inputs in India remains high compared to global competitors like Brazil and Argentina, coupled with high volatility.

About maize:

Maize is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability under varied agro-climatic conditions.
Globally, maize is known as the queen of cereals because it has the highest genetic yield potential among cereals.
It is cultivated on nearly 190 m ha in about 165 countries having a wider diversity of soil, climate, biodiversity and management practices that contribute to 39 % of the global grain production.
The United States of America (USA) is the largest producer of maize contributes nearly 30.99% of the total production in the world in 2020 and maize is the driver of the US economy.
In India, Maize is grown throughout the year. It is predominantly a Kharif crop with 85 percent of the area under cultivation during the season.
Maize is the third most important cereal crop in India after rice and wheat.
It accounts for around 10 per cent of total food grain production in the country. India was also the fifth largest producer of Maize in 2020 as per FAO data and India’s share in world production accounted to be 2.59 per cent in the same year.
In addition to staple food for human beings and quality feed for animals, maize serves as a basic raw material as an ingredient in thousands of industrial products that include starch, oil, protein, alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, film, textile, gum, package and paper industries, etc.
Areas of Cultivation:
- Major wheat-growing states in India are Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
India’s Production:
- Production of maize is estimated to be 35.91 million tonnes in 2022-23 (3rd Advance Estimate).
Exports:
- The country has exported 3,453,680.58 MT of maize to the world for the worth of Rs. 8,987.13 crores/ 1,116.17 USD Million in 2022-23.
Major Export Destinations (2022-23): Bangladesh, Vietnam, Nepal, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Source: TH BL

2. CMS COP14: Action plans for African-Eurasian migratory landbirds, other avian species adopted

Subject: Environment

Section: International Conventions

Context:

The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14), held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, adopted an action plan to improve the conservation status of migratory landbird species in the African-Eurasian region on February 15, 2024.

African-Eurasian Migratory Landbirds Action Plan (AEMLAP):

The adopted African-Eurasian Migratory Landbirds Action Plan (AEMLAP) includes urgent measures for habitat conservation, urges against illegal and unsustainable killing and trade, and emphasizes preventing bird poisoning from pesticides.
It also included the adoption of the 12-year multi-species action plan for vultures.
The plan also focuses on addressing habitat loss, degradation, and threats from energy infrastructure, particularly for migratory bustards.
Additional action plans were adopted for species like the far eastern curlew, Baer’s pochard, European roller, Great Bustard, and the Christmas Island Frigatebird.
Concerns were raised about the declining conservation status of the Indian Skimmer, with India and Bangladesh proposing its listing under the CMS and the development of an international action plan for its conservation.

Source: DTE

3. Researchers find new crustacean in Odisha’s Chilika Lagoon

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

Researchers from Berhampur University in Odisha, India, have identified a new species of marine amphipod, named Parhyale odian, in Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon.

About Parhyale odian:

The discovery increases the total known species in the Parhyale genus to 16.
This particular species was distinguished by its unique characteristics, including a stout robust seta on the male’s first pair of legs, and it’s brown in colour with 13 pairs of legs.
The research involved collecting specimens from the intertidal region of the lagoon.
This finding contributes to the understanding of marine biodiversity in Chilika Lake and highlights the amphipods’ role in marine ecosystems and their potential as indicators for climate change impacts on coastal environments.
The discovery follows the identification of three other marine amphipods by the same research team in 2023, underscoring their continued contributions to marine biology.

Chilika Lake

Chilika is Asia’s largest and world’s second largest lagoon.
It lies on the east coast of India in the state of Odisha, separated from the mighty Bay of Bengal by a small strip of sand.
It spreads over Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 square kilometers.
It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent and is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.
In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Major attraction at Chilika is Irrawady dolphins which are often spotted off Satpada Island.
The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987.
Kalijai Temple – Located on an island in the Chilika Lake

Source: DTE

4. Genetically modified bananas approved by regulators for the first time

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Biotechnology

Context:

For the first time, a genetically modified strain of the Cavendish banana, engineered to resist a destructive fungal disease, has been authorized for farm cultivation in Australia and New Zealand.

Details:

The Australian Office of the Gene Technology Regulator granted a commercial growth license, followed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand approving it for consumption, affirming its safety and nutritional equivalence to traditional bananas.
This development aims to combat the global spread of a new Fusarium fungus strain, TR4, threatening the Cavendish variety, which became the primary banana type in Western countries after the Gros Michel variety was decimated by an earlier Fusarium strain, TR1, in the 1950s.

Cavendish banana:

Cavendish bananas are the fruits of one of several banana cultivars belonging to the Cavendish subgroup of the AAA banana cultivar group (triploid cultivars of Musa acuminata).
They include commercially important cultivars like ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ (1888) and ‘Grand Nain’ (the “Chiquita banana”).
Since the 1950s, these cultivars have been the most internationally traded bananas. They replaced the Gros Michel banana (commonly known as Kampala banana in Kenya and Bogoya in Uganda) after it was devastated by Panama disease.
They are unable to reproduce sexually, instead being propagated via identical clones.
Due to this, the genetic diversity of the Cavendish banana is very low.
This, combined with the fact the Cavendish is planted in dense chunks in a monoculture without other natural species to serve as a buffer, makes the Cavendish extremely vulnerable to disease, fungal outbreaks, and genetic mutation, possibly leading to eventual commercial extinction.

Panama disease:

Panama disease (or Fusarium wilt) is a plant disease that infects banana plants (Musa spp.).
It is a wilting disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). The pathogen is resistant to fungicides and its control is limited to phytosanitary measures.
During the 1950s, an outbreak of Panama disease almost wiped out commercial Gros Michel banana production. The Gros Michel banana was the dominant cultivar of bananas, and Fusarium wilt inflicted enormous costs and forced producers to switch to other, disease-resistant cultivars.
Since the 2010s, a new outbreak of Panama disease caused by the strain Tropical Race 4 (TR4) has threatened the production of the Cavendish banana, today’s most popular cultivar.

Source: NS

5. Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT)

Subject: Economy

Section: Fiscal Policy

Context:

Recently, the I.T. department froze Congress bank accounts over 2018-19 returns but the appellate tribunal provided partial relief.

About Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT):

ITAT is a quasi-judicial institution set up in January 1941.
It specialises in dealing with appeals under the Direct Taxes Acts.

Functions:

It hears income tax appeals from taxpayers against orders passed by the Income Tax Authorities.
The orders passed by the ITAT are final, an appeal lies to the High Court only if a substantial question of law arises for determination.

Benches:

Presently ITAT has 63 Benches in 27 different states covering almost all the cities having a seat of the High Court.

Strength:

One President, who is assisted by ten (10) Zonal Vice Presidents and 115 Members (i.e. Accountant Members and Judicial Members).
The ITAT is headed by a President, who is appointed by the Central Government.
ITAT is referred to as the ‘Mother Tribunal’ being the oldest tribunal in the country.

6. SBI in talks with RBI to lower CRR on green deposits

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

Context:

The State Bank of India (SBI) is in talks with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to reduce the cash reserve ratio (CRR) requirement on green deposits.

About Green Deposits

Green deposits are fixed-term investments tailored for individuals and entities seeking to support environmentally friendly initiatives.
These deposits align with the principles of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing, reflecting a growing trend towards sustainable finance.
Funds from green deposits are directed towards projects promoting renewable energy, clean transportation, pollution control, green infrastructure, and sustainable water management.

Green Deposits Vs Normal Deposits

Green deposits allocate funds to specific environmentally friendly projects, unlike regular deposits.
Interest rates on green deposits are determined by lenders and are currently comparable to those offered on conventional deposits.

RBI Framework for Green Deposits

Preventing Greenwashing: The RBI’s framework ensures transparency in environmental claims associated with green deposits.
Deposit Options: Banks offer green deposits denominated in rupees, with choices between cumulative or non-cumulative options.
Applicability: Scheduled commercial banks, small finance banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), and housing finance companies (HFCs) must comply with this framework.
Eligibility: Both corporate entities and individual customers can invest in green deposits, contributing to environmentally sustainable initiatives.
Allocation: Funds mobilized through green deposits are directed towards sectors such as renewable energy, waste management, and afforestation.
Restrictions: Lenders are prohibited from channelling green deposit funds into sectors like fossil fuels, nuclear power, or tobacco.
Verification: Independent Third-Party Verification is conducted annually to assess the allocation and impact of funds raised through green deposits.
Oversight: Lenders are required to review the impact of funds lent for green finance activities on an annual basis.
Penalties: There are no penalties for underutilization of funds raised through green deposits, providing flexibility to financial institutions.