Daily Prelims Notes 19 August 2023

August 19, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

19 August 2023

Table Of Contents

1. West African Militaries meets to finalize Niger intervention

Subject :IR

Section: Places in news

More about the news:

West African army chiefs met on Friday in Ghana’s capital Accra, where they have been hashing out the details of a possible military intervention in Niger if diplomacy fails to reverse a military coup.

What is ECOWAS:

Also known as CEDEAO (in French), ECOWAS is the regional group established in 1975 through the Lagos Treaty – with a mandate of promoting economic integration among its members.
ECOWAS’ larger aims are to have a single common currency and create a single, large trading bloc in areas of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, financial issues, and social and cultural matters.
The vision of ECOWAS is the creation of a “borderless region” that is well-integrated and governed in accordance with the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance.
The new vision of ECOWAS is to move from an ECOWAS of States to an “ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity to All” by 2050.

More about Niger:

Niger, officially the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked sub-Saharan country in western Africa.
It is bounded on the northwest by Algeria, on the northeast by Libya, on the east by Chad, on the south by Nigeria and Benin, and on the west by Burkina Faso and Mali.
The country takes its name from the Niger River, which flows through the southwestern part of its territory.
The Capital of Niger is Niamey
The official language of Niger is French, due to its colonial history.
The other main national languages are Arabic, Djerma-Sonhraï, Gourmantchéma, Hausa, Kanouri, Fulfuldé, Tamacheq and Toubou.

2. US, Japan ,S. Korea to enter into security pact for the Pacific

Subject :IR

Section: International groupings

Context: A historic meeting was held between the U.S , Japan and South Korea at Camp David on strengthening economic and security ties.

More about the news:

The summit at Camp David was the first standalone meeting between the three countries
The three leader released the “Camp David Principles”
The leaders agreed to establish a three-way hotline for crisis communication.
They decided to enhance cooperation on ballistic missile-related
The agreement included the expansion of joint military exercises.
A written “commitment to consult” was issued by the leaders.The commitment emphasized their resolve to coordinate responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats that affect their collective interests and security.

Different initiatives of India in the Indo-Pacific region:

Maritime Principles at HACGAM:India upheld its commitment to open and rule-based maritime boundaries in the Indo-Pacific region during the 18th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) in New Delhi on October 15, 2022.
SAGAR Initiative’s Purpose:Through the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative, India aims to foster strategic partnerships with littoral nations in both Asia and Africa within the Indian Ocean region.
IPRD as a Dialogue Platform:The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) serves as a platform for discussions on public policy, fostering balanced participation from governmental and non-governmental entities. It encourages robust exchanges on regional concerns.
IPOI’s Pillars of Cooperation:The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) engages in multifaceted cooperation with partner countries. Key areas include Maritime Security, Ecology, Resources, Capacity Building, Disaster Management, Science, Technology, Trade, Connectivity, and Transport.
QUAD:India actively participates in the Quadrilateral security dialogue (QUAD), a forum fostering regional security and economic collaboration across the Indo-Pacific region.
MEA’s Indo-Pacific Division:To streamline Indo-Pacific affairs, India established a dedicated division within the Ministry of External Affairs. This division facilitates comprehensive engagement on Indo-Pacific matters.

3. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

Subject :IR

Section: International Organisation

Context: UNRWA has decided to suspend its relief work in Lebanon’s largest refugee camp.

More about UNRWA

It is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 when nearly three-quarters of a million Palestinians became refugees in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab- Israeli war.
It was mandated to support Palestinian refugees and their patrilineal descendants who fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Palestine War and 1967 Six-Day War.
UNRWA was originally designed as a temporary agency, though its mandate has been continuously renewed every three years by the General Assembly.
It provides services in its five fields of operationse Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East of Jerusalem.
UNRWA is unique in that it delivers services directly to its beneficiaries.
It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States. It also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of the United Nations.
It reports only to the UN General Assembly.
It was originally headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, but was moved to Vienna, Austria, in 1978. In 1996 the General Assembly moved the agency to the Gaza Strip to demonstrate the Assembly’s commitment to the Arab-Israeli peace process.
Its chief officer, the commissioner-general—the only leader of a UN agency to report directly to the General Assembly and is appointed by the UN secretary-general with the approval of an Advisory Commission.
It supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees across its five fields of operation.Its services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.

4. Material consideration: On the LK-99 ‘superconductor’ episode

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Msc

Context:

A group of South Korean scientists have recently claimed the discovery of a material they named LK-99. According to their reports, LK-99 is a superconductor at room temperature and pressure.

What does the Claim on Discovery of LK-99 Suggest?

Exploring Apatite Materials: The South Korean group’s discovery involved a rather unexpected material called apatite.
- Apatites are minerals with a phosphate scaffold in a tetrahedral or pyramidal motif(one phosphorus atom is surrounded by four oxygen atoms).
- The scientists started with lead apatite and substituted some of the lead atoms with copper, resulting in copper-substituted lead apatite, which they named LK-99.
Evidence of Superconductivity: The group reported that at 10% copper substitution, LK-99 exhibited the characteristics of a superconductor.
The material also maintained superconductivity in the presence of an external magnetic field, up to a certain critical threshold, a behavior consistent with known superconductors.

Why has the scientific community rejected the claim?

The scientific community is now confident that the material known as LK-99 is not a room-temperature and ambient-pressure superconductor.
There were two reasons why the material was not a superconductor.
- First, as conventional superconductors inside a weak magnetic field are cooled to induce a superconducting state, they expel the field from their bulk at and under the transition temperature. So, a magnet near the superconductor will be pushed away during the transition. The South Korean group had shared a video in which LK-99 appeared to half-repel a magnet. But independent researchers found that the material was an insulator whose impurities could be magnetised, leading to the half-repulsion seen in the video.
- Second, the South Koreans reported that the electrical resistivity of LK-99 dropped sharply at around 104° Celsius, a potential sign of superconductivity. But scientists observed the drop if the material contained copper sulphide as an impurity; copper sulphide undergoes a phase transition at that temperature, distorting the resistivity.

Superconductors:

Superconductors are materials that exhibit zero electrical resistance when cooled to extremely low temperatures. This property allows them to conduct electricity with no loss of energy.
Example: Lanthanum-Barium-Copper Oxide, Yttrium-Barium-Copper Oxide, Niobium-Tin etc.

What are Room temperature superconductors?

A room-temperature superconductor is a material capable of displaying superconductivity at temperatures above 0 °C (273 K; 32 °F), which are commonly encountered in everyday settings.
As of 2023, the material with the highest accepted superconducting temperature was highly pressurized lanthanum decahydride, whose transition temperature is approximately 250 K (−23 °C) at 200 GPa.
At standard atmospheric pressure, cuprates currently hold the temperature record, manifesting superconductivity at temperatures as high as 138 K (−135 °C).
The concept of “near-room temperature” transient effects has been a subject of discussion since the early 1950s.

Significance:

The discovery of a room-temperature superconductor would have enormous technological significance.
It has the potential to address:
- Global energy challenges,
- Enhance computing speed,
- Enable innovative memory-storage devices, and
- Create highly sensitive sensors, among a multitude of other possibilities.

5. Himachal Pradesh government declares incessant rain as State calamity

Subject :Geography

Section: Indian geography

Context:

Following the heavy loss of life and property caused by incessant rains that triggered landslides and floods, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on August 18 declared Himachal Pradesh a ‘Natural Calamity Affected Area’.

Himachal Pradesh is highly prone to landslide:

Torrential rains, floods and landslides killed around 330 people, with over 12,000 houses damaged. The State has suffered a loss of over ₹10,000 crore.
There are 17,120 landslide-prone sites in Himachal and 675 of these are near critical infrastructure and habitations.
The maximum of such prioritized landslide-prone sites are in Chamba (133) followed by Mandi (110), Kangra (102), Lahaul and Spiti (91), Una (63), Kullu (55), Shimla (50), Solan (44), Bilaspur (37), Sirmaur (21) and Kinnaur (15).

Reason behind Himachal landslide:

Unscientific constructions in the ecologically fragile Himalayas,
Depleting forest cover,
Structures near streams blocking the flow of water,
Extensive cutting of hill slopes for construction and widening of roads,
Blasting for tunnels, and hydro projects

NDMA report flagged poor planning, lax enforcement in 2019:

The NDMA’s report, titled National Landslide Risk Management Strategy.
Flagged Shimla and said that the city was built for a population of around 25,000 but now houses around 3,00,000 people.
Cities of the Himalayas are growing and beginning to turn into the mountains of garbage.
There was no specific planning for the hills and the implementation is poor.
The report said that the authorities resort to “quick-fixes” instead of systemic correction of flaws.

For details on Himachal Floods: https://optimizeias.com/himachal-floods-a-man-made-disaster/

6. Third-longest monsoonal break in this century has ended

Subject :Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

The current monsoon break that started on August 7, 2023 has finally ended, according to the regional centre of India Meteorological Department, Pune.

Details:

This current monsoonal break makes it the third-longest for this century after 2002 and 2009.
The core monsoon saw suppressed rainfall, which was enough to pull down the all-India cumulative monsoon rainfall anomaly from 7 per cent to –6 per cent in less than a month.

Monsoon break:

Meteorologically, a monsoonal break occurs when the monsoon trough shifts northward, which enhances rainfall along the Himalayan foothills and parts of eastern India while rainfall is suppressed in the rest of the country.
This happens especially in the core monsoon zone area or the region stretching from Gujarat in the west to West Bengal and Odisha in the east, where agricultural activities are rain-fed.
Climatologically, a monsoonal break is declared when normalized rainfall anomaly index or deviation from the long term rainfall average over the core monsoon zone exceeds -1 threshold and the situation persists for at least three consecutive days.

Mechanism of Break in Monsoon:

Overindulgent solar insolation causes a zone of low pressure to develop over northwest India. This low heat gradually moves eastward with the arrival of the monsoon until it creates an elongated low-pressure zone that runs west to east parallel to the Himalayan mountains.
- The Himalayan foothills are roughly parallel to its axis. This monsoon trough periodically shifts north and south of its usual location.
- The pattern of rainfall over India changes noticeably when it moves north and passes by the foothills of the Himalayas.
- While the rains abruptly stop over the northern Indian plains, they intensify just as quickly over the northeast Indian foothills.
- This is referred to as a monsoon “break.”
Since the majority of India’s major river systems originate in the Himalayan region, it creates a paradoxical situation when people in the plains lament the lack of rain while those living in the northeastern parts of the country are troubled by floods.

A combination of factors were at play behind this decade-high monsoonal break:

The developing El Nino played a role in prolonging the break monsoon and making it intense.
It was supported by the absence of sub-seasonal weather patterns that boost rainfall.

Earlier instances of Monsoon break:

While a monsoon season might feature multiple break spells, to assess how dire the situation is currently, researchers accessed data on longest consecutive break spells since 1951.
- According to the data, in the last 73 years, there have been a total of 10 instances when the break spell has stretched over 10 days.
- The longest consecutive break spell was reported in 1972, when the core monsoon zone did not receive any rainfall for 17 days at a stretch, while in 1966 and 2002, the break spell stretched over 10 days on multiple occasions.

Rainfall anomaly in monsoon season of 2023:

Monsoon 2023 has a six percent deficit when compared to the long term average but ‘normal’ as per IMD’s rainfall categorisation.
A total of 264 out of 717 districts remain deficient to large deficient.
Another anomaly that stands out in 2023 has been the drier western regions, specifically the West Rajasthan and Saurashtra-Kutch meteorological subdivisions receiving large excess rainfall while the usually wetter regions like Kerala, Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand remaining dry due to deficient rainfall.

7. WHO and US CDC are now tracking new COVID variant BA.2.86

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Health

Context:

The World Health Organization (WHO) on August 18, 2023 said it is monitoring a new variant of the novel coronavirus, BA.2.86, also known as BA.X.

About the new variant BA.2.86 or BA.X:

It has so far been detected in the US, Denmark and Israel.
WHO monitors the different COVID variants under three categories:

Variant under monitoring (VUM), meaning the global health agency is tracking the variant closely.
Variant of interest (VOI)
Variant of concern (VOC) if there is evidence that it is more transmissible, more likely to cause severe disease or evades immunity.

The WHO has classified BA.2.86 as a VUM.
EG.5 is a sublineage of the Omicron variant and was designated a VOI earlier this month.
Globally, EG.5 (dubbed Eris) and XBB.1.16 (Arcturus) are the most prevalent VOIs.
The four WHO regions have reported decreases in the number of both cases and deaths, the Western Pacific Region has reported an increase in cases and a decrease in deaths.

For details on classification of virus variant: https://optimizeias.com/eg-5-1-covid-variant-takes-off-india-not-at-risk-currently/

8. India’s fight against tobacco needs strength

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Health

Context:

The health ministry of India has proposed to place nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) under Schedule K so that in future they would be available only on the prescription of authorised medical practitioners and not as over-the-counter (OTC) preparation.

89th Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) meeting:

Nicotine polacrilex gums, lozenges and transdermal patches are used for NRT.
At the 89th Drugs Technical Advisory Board meeting held in May 2023, there was a proposal to amend Schedule K.
The idea is to place all formulations of nicotine containing up to 2mg-4mg under prescription of authorized medical practitioners and not as over the counter (OTC) preparation.

Consequences of putting NRT under prescription drugs:

It will limit the product accessibility to prospective tobacco quitters and will also slow down the efforts of the government on tobacco de-addiction.
It will hinder ease of access, thereby going against the intent of National List of Essential Medicines 2022, in which oral dosage forms of 2mg and 4mg were recently included by the health ministry.
At the 81st DTAB meeting in 2018, the committee agreed to amend entry no 33 in Schedule K for providing exemption for all nicotine oral formulations containing 2mg of nicotine.

Impact of tobacco in India:

India has over a 100 million smokers and accounts for over a fifth of the world’s tobacco-related deaths.
Tobacco-related cancers accounted for 27 per cent of the country’s cancer burden in 2020, according to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
One of the significant goals of the health policy of India is relative reduction in prevalence of current tobacco use by 30 per cent by 2025.

Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs):

NRT is a WHO-approved therapy for smoking cessation.
This was first available in the United States as an over-the-counter (OTC) product in 1996 (patch and gum), with approval of the lozenge and mini-lozenge in 2002 and 2010.
Since then, nicotine gums (2mg and 4mg) have been granted OTC status worldwide including in Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Colombia, Iceland, Denmark, New Zealand, Austria, Italy based on its excellent safety and the confidence that patients / consumers can self-medicate responsibly.
Nicotine lozenges and transdermal patches are available OTC in the US and the United Kingdom.

Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1940:

The Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1940 are the rules which the government of India established through the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
These rules classify drugs under given schedules and present guidelines for the storage, sale, display and prescription of each schedule.
Schedule K: Contains various substances and drugs and their corresponding regulation.
Schedule M: Contains various regulations for manufacturing, premises, waste disposal and equipment.

For more details on India’s tobacco control programme: https://optimizeias.com/who-report-on-tobacco-control-key-findings-how-india-fares/

9. Gabon announces $500 million debt-for-nature swap deal for marine conservation

Subject :Environment

Section: International convention

Context:

Gabon on August 15, 2023 announced a $500 million debt-for-nature swap. In Africa, it is the largest such deal signed by any country to refinance its debt and conserve marine resources.

What is the Debt-for-nature swaps deal?

Debt-for-nature swaps allow heavily indebted developing countries to seek help from financial institutions in the developed world with paying off their debt if they agree to spend on conservation of natural resources.
Usually banks in developed countries buy the debts of such counties and replace them with new loans which mature later. These have lower interest rates.

World’s first and largest debt swap:

In May 2023, the world’s first and largest debt swap to conserve oceans was signed by Ecuador. The country had exchanged $1.6 billion denominated bonds for a new $656 million loan.

About Gabon’s debt swap deal:

Gabon’s debt has been restructured under a Blue Bond in the world’s second-largest debt-for-nature swap.
Under the debt-for-nature swap, Gabon has agreed to a deal with the Bank of America, the US International Development Finance Corporation (USDFC) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), to refinance $500 million in national debt toward marine conservation efforts in the country.
This is the fourth project under TNC’s “Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation” strategy. Gabon is the fourth country to partner with TNC on a Blue Bonds project after Seychelles, Belize and Barbados.
According to US International Development Finance Corporation, the Gabon Blue Bond will generate an expected $163 million in financing.

Gabon Bleu initiative:

A government-led initiative called ‘Gabon Bleu’ announced in 2013, has contributed significantly to the expansion of marine protected areas.
In 2014, Gabon became the first central African nation to protect its marine resources with the establishment of a marine protected area network.
As of February 2022, Gabon has created 20 protected areas, increasing protection of Gabonese waters from less than 1 per cent to 26 per cent.

About Gabon:

Gabon is a country on the west coast of Central Africa.
Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west.
There are coastal plains, mountains (the Cristal Mountains and the Chaillu Massif in the centre), and a savanna in the east.
The largest city, as well as the capital, is Libreville.
Gabon’s original inhabitants are the pigmy peoples. Bantu migrants began settling in the area as well.
Official language: French
Manganese is the main mining activity in Gabon. Gabon was the third largest producer of manganese in 2020.
The Belinga iron ore deposit, believed to be among the largest iron ore deposits in the world.

10. PM Modi mentions Katchatheevu: Why the tiny, uninhabited island remains a hot-button political issue in TN

Subject :Geography

Section: Paces in news

Context:

PM Modi said it was the Indira Gandhi government which gave away Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in 1974.

Details:

The transfer of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka, by the Union government, without the state government’s consent, has deprived Tamil Nadu fishermen’s rights and adversely impacted their livelihoods.

Where is the island of Katchatheevu?

Katchatheevu is a 285-acre uninhabited speck in the Palk Strait, between India and Sri Lanka.
It is no more than 1.6 km in length and slightly over 300 m wide at its broadest point.
It lies northeast of Rameswaram, about 33 km from the Indian coast. It is about 62 km southwest of Jaffna, at the northern tip of Sri Lanka, and 24 km away from the inhabited Delft Island, belonging to Sri Lanka.
The only structure on the island is an early 20th century Catholic shrine – St Anthony’s church. During an annual festival, Christian priests from both India and Sri Lanka conduct the service, with devotees from both India and Sri Lanka making the pilgrimage.
Katchatheevu is not suited for permanent settlement as there is no source of drinking water on the island.

Island’s history:

The island is relatively new in the geological timescale, being the product of a 14-century volcanic eruption.
In the early medieval period, it was controlled by the Jaffna kingdom of Sri Lanka.
In the 17th century, control passed to the Ramnad zamindari based out of Ramanathapuram, about 55 km northwest of Rameswaram.
It became part of the Madras Presidency during the British Raj. But in 1921, both India and Sri Lanka, at the time British colonies, claimed Katchatheevu in order to determine fishing boundaries.
A survey marked Katchatheevu in Sri Lanka, but a British delegation from India challenged this, citing ownership of the island by the Ramnad kingdom.
This dispute was not settled until 1974.

What is the agreement now?

In 1974, as a part of this settlement, known as the ‘Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime agreement’, Indira Gandhi ‘ceded’ Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.
As per the agreement, Indian fishermen were still allowed to access Katchatheevu, but fishing rights were not ironed out in the agreement.
Sri Lanka interpreted Indian fishermens’ right to access Katchatheevu to be limited to “rest, drying nets and for visit to the Catholic shrine without visa”.
In 1976, another agreement barred either country from fishing in the other’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

What is Tamil Nadu’s position on Katchatheevu?

Katchatheevu was “given away” to Sri Lanka without consulting the Tamil Nadu state assembly.
In 1991, in the aftermath of India’s disastrous intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War, the Tamil Nadu Assembly again sought retrieval of Katchatheevu and restoration of fishing rights of Tamil fishermen.
In 2008, then AIADMK supremo, the late J Jayalalitha, filed a petition in court saying Katchatheevu could not be ceded to another country without a constitutional amendment.
The Union government has argued that since the island had always been under dispute, “no territory belonging to India was ceded nor sovereignty relinquished.”

11. As Chandrayaan-3 and Luna 25 prepare to land on Moon, two questions

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Context:

India’s Chandrayaan-3 and Russia’s Luna 25 are both in lunar orbit, preparing for a landing on the Moon next week. Luna 25 is expected to go first, on August 21, while Chandrayaan-3 is likely to touch down two days later, on August 23.

Details:

Both missions are aiming to land in a region where no spacecraft has gone before, near the South Pole of the Moon.
Since the landing of the then Soviet Union’s Luna 24 in 1976, only China has been able to land a spacecraft on the Moon — Chang’e 3 and Chang’e 4 in 2013 and 2018 respectively. India and Russia are both trying to make their first soft landing.

Why is Luna 25 Reaching the Moon Earlier than Chandrayaan-3?

Luna 25 rode on a powerful rocket to reach lunar orbit in just six days after launch on August 10.
Chandrayaan-3 took 23 days after launching on July 14, because ISRO still does not have a powerful enough rocket to go directly to lunar orbit.
Luna-25 has a direct trajectory route unlike Chandrayaan-3, that took a longer route to compensate for its lower fuel reserve
Luna 25’s lift-off mass of 1,750 kg is significantly lighter than Chandrayaan-3’s 3,900 kg, facilitating a quicker journey.

What determines the landing time of the two spacecraft?

August 23 is the beginning of daytime on the Moon.
- One lunar day is equivalent to about 14 days on Earth, when sunlight is continually available.
The instruments on Chandrayaan-3 have a life of just one lunar day, or 14 Earth days.
That is because they are solar-powered instruments, and require sunlight to remain operational.
- The Moon gets extremely cold during night time, well below minus 100 degree Celsius. Electronics not specifically designed to operate at such low temperatures can freeze and become non-functional.
To maximize the time for observations and experiments, it is crucial for Chandrayaan-3 to land at the beginning of the lunar day.
- If for some reason, it is unable to attempt the landing on August 23, another attempt is supposed to be made the next day.
- If that too is not feasible, it would wait for one full month– about 29 days– for the lunar day and lunar night to get over.
Luna 25 has no such restrictions.
- It too is solar powered, but it also has an onboard generator to provide heat and power to the instruments during night time.
- It has a life of a year, and the choice of its landing date is not dictated by how much Sun is shining on the Moon.

How far apart will the Indian and Russian missions land?

The selected site for Chandrayaan-3 is about 68 degree South latitude while that of Luna 25 is closer to 70 degree South.
All landings have so far happened in the equatorial region, mainly because this area gets the most sunlight.

For details on Chandrayaan-3: https://optimizeias.com/chandrayaan-3-mission/

12. Ancient Fires Drove Large Mammals Extinct, Study Suggests

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Msc

About the new Study:

In a new study a group of paleontologists that analyzed fossil records at La Brea Tar Pits, a famous excavation site in Southern California, concluded that the disappearance of sabertooth cats, dire wolves and other large mammals in this region nearly 13,000 years ago was linked to rising temperatures and increased fire activity spurred by people.

Research findings:

The team analyzed fossils for eight large mammal species — including the sabertooth cat, the American lion and Camelops hesternus, an ancient camel — that lived between 10,000 and 15,600 years ago.
- Using radiocarbon dating, the team determined that seven of these species went extinct around 13,000 years ago.
To figure out why, the researchers analyzed climate, pollen and fire records in the region alongside continental human population growth at the time.
- They found that human occupation began to rise rapidly around the same time that Southern California entered a period of severe drought and warming.
- Extreme fires ensued, and the vegetation, once rich in juniper and oak trees, was eventually replaced by grass and chaparral shrubs.
The scientists determined that humans were the primary drivers of these fires, both through direct ignition and by the elimination of herbivores, which allowed flammable underbrush to spread uncontained.
Shifts in the climate exacerbated this further, setting the stage for the extinction of species.
This pattern could not account for the notable disappearance of large mammals elsewhere in the world at the end of the last ice age.

Similarities with the present day climate trends:

Climate records during the ice age extinction indicate a warming of about 10 degrees Fahrenheit over 1,000 years.
Today, temperatures in Southern California have risen about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit in only the past century.
Increased fire activity after the arrival of humans has also been documented in other locations, including Australia, Hawaii and Canada and India.

La Brea Tar Pits, California, USA:

La Brea Tar Pits is one of the few sites in the world with a large enough fossil record for scientists to investigate the mass extinctions.
The pits, which are still active across 13 acres of land, are filled with bubbling black asphalt that has seeped to the surface from inside Earth.
Prehistoric animals that became stuck in this goo died of fatigue or predation, and the asphalt fossilized and preserved their remains. And that’s still happening today.
La Brea now boasts a continuous fossil record of the region stretching as far back as 55,000 years.

Mass extinction on earth:

Earth has seen five mass extinction events so far; some scientists argue that the disappearance of large mammals at the end of the last ice age was the start of a sixth.
It was the biggest extinction event since an asteroid slammed into Earth and wiped out all the dinosaurs.

For details on Sixth mass extinction: https://optimizeias.com/sixth-mass-extinction-2/

13. Digital innovations in healthcare must be for public good: PM

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Health

Context:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the G-20 Health Ministers’ Meeting, in Gandhinagar, via video conferencing.
Emphasized the importance of digital innovations in healthcare for the public good.
Urged G-20 Health Ministers to avoid funding duplication and ensure equitable access to technology.

Key aspects discussed:

Global Health and COVID-19
Anti-Microbial Resistance and TB
Holistic Approach to Health in India
- India follows a holistic and inclusive approach to healthcare..
- Promotion of traditional systems of medicine.
- WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine was established in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
- WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine running concurrently with the G-20 Health Ministers’ meeting.
- Joint effort to create a global repository of traditional medicine.
Link Between Health and Environment

One Health:

“One Health” is an integrated approach that aims to optimize the health of people, animals, and the environment.
Organizations Involved (One Health Quadripartite)

World Health Organization (WHO)
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)

WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine:

Knowledge center for traditional medicine.
Strategic focus on evidence, learning, data, sustainability, equity, innovation, and technology.
Aims to optimize traditional medicine’s contribution to global health and sustainable development.
Respect for local heritages, resources, and rights is a guiding principle.

India’s Contribution:

Lead investor in the GCTM.
- Committed around US$ 250 million for establishment, infrastructure, and operations.
Providing 35 acres of land in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Supporting GCTM operational costs for 10 years.
GCTM will showcase global traditions and modern scientific advances in traditional medicine.

International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

ICD-11, in effect since January 2022, includes a chapter on traditional medicine from ancient Chinese Medicine.
A new module is being developed by WHO, adding diagnostic terms from Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha systems.

14. Supreme Court Reserves Order on Inheritance Rights of Children from Invalid Marriages

Subject :Polity

Section: Msc

Case Background and Context

The case centers on the interpretation of Section 16(3) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
Section 16 aims to legitimize children from null and void marriages as legitimate if the marriage were valid.
Section 16(3) restricts the inheritance rights of children from void or annulled marriages.

Revanasidappa v Mallikarjun Judgment (2011)

Division Bench: Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly.
Children from void and voidable marriages deserve rights equal to those born from valid marriages.
Children have rights over both self-acquired and ancestral property of their parents.
Emphasized that a child’s legitimacy is independent of the parent’s relationship.
Acknowledged changing social norms and the evolving concept of legitimacy.
Clarified that children’s claims extend only to parental property, not other relations’ property.

Differing Views and Larger Bench

2011 Division Bench decision contradicted earlier Supreme Court judgments.
Referral to a larger three-judge bench to reconcile conflicting views.

Supreme Court Bench

Three-judge bench: Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra.

Prior Supreme Court Cases

Bharatha Matha & Another v. R. Vijaya Renganathan & Others (2010): Children from void marriages can’t claim ancestral coparcenary property, only self-acquired property.
Jinia Keotin v. Kumar Sitaram (2003): Similar to Bharatha Matha, children from void marriages have rights only in self-acquired property.

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955:

Introduction

The Hindu Marriage Act is a significant law in India regulating marriages among Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs.
Enacted in 1955, it also applies to individuals not belonging to Muslim, Christian, Parsi, or Jewish faiths.
Aims to regulate, safeguard, and uphold the institution of marriage within the Hindu community.

Structure and Purpose of the Act

Comprises six chapters and 29 sections, outlining diverse aspects of Hindu marriages.
Sets conditions for a valid Hindu marriage, including age, mental capacity, and prohibited relationships.
Defines ceremonies, both traditional and court-registered, to solemnize Hindu marriages.
Stresses the significance of registering marriages to ensure legal recognition and protection of rights.

Important Sections

Section 9: Restitution of Conjugal Rights
Section 13: Grounds for Divorce
Section 16: Legitimacy of Children

Section 24: Maintenance and Alimony

15. PIL in Madras High Court insists on revoking UA certificate issued to Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer

Subject :POLITY

Section: National body

Context: Litigant claims that the movie is full of violent scenes such as smashing heads, beheading, chopping off ear and therefore not conducive for children below 12 years of age

About Central Board of Film Certification:

Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory body under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952.
Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they have been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification.
The Board consists of non-official members and a Chairman (all of whom are appointed by Central Government) and functions with headquarters at Mumbai.
It has nine Regional offices, one each at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati. The Regional Offices are assisted in the examination of films by Advisory Panels.
The members of the panels are nominated by Central Government by drawing people from different walks of life for a period of 2 years.
Films are certified under 4 categories.
- “U” (unrestricted public exhibition)
- “A” (restricted to adult audiences]
- “U/A” (unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental guidance for children below the age of twelve) and
- “S” (restricted to specialized audiences such as doctors or scientists).
In addition to these certifications the board may also refuse to certify.