Daily Prelims Notes 20 August 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

20 August 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Coastal raptors make power towers their home
2. Warming-induced glacier retreat could create novel ecosystems
3. Are turmeric supplements advisable?
4. Bacterial reshaping speeds hydrocarbon breakdown
5. India’s first 3D-printed post office inaugurated in Bengaluru: How does 3D printing work?
6. RBI circular:  ‘Reset of Floating Interest Rate on Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) based Personal Loans’
7. Pipeline Excavation Uncovers Megalithic Site in Kerala
8. Observations of Wolf-Rayet Star Indicate Potential Magnetar Formation in Supernova
9. “Oil-eating” Microbes and Hydrocarbon Biodegradation
10. CSIR’s New Lotus Variety ‘Namoh 108’: A Grand Gift to PM Modi
11. Blood trail from the 1857 war to a flight down South
12. INS Vagir
13. BRICS summit and its importance for India
14. G20 Health Minister Meet

1. Coastal raptors make power towers their home

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

• White-bellied sea eagles in India are beginning to emulate their counterparts in Australia and Thailand by making their homes on power towers holding high-tension wires.

Details:

• The nests of the white-bellied sea eagles were found on powerline towers about 2 km away from the sea in Ramanathapuram of Tamil Nadu.
• The nesting sites were strategic for the birds to conveniently scan the marine area for food.
• In India, the bird’s nesting was earlier reported on a telecommunication tower from Andhra Pradesh.
• The use of man-made structures as nesting sites can be both risky and beneficial to these coastal raptors and humans in the vicinity, but the development points to a lack of trees and other natural nesting alternatives.

White-bellied sea eagle:

• The white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) is a resident raptor belonging to the family Accipitridae.
• It has a wide distribution range on the sea coast of Indiafrom Mumbai to the eastern coast of Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in southern Asia, through all coastal south-eastern Asia, southern China to Australia.
• The raptor, a diurnal monogamous bird of prey, is categorised as being of ‘least concern’ on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Feeding mainly on sea snakes and fish, the bird is occasionally seen in inland waters along tidal rivers and in freshwater lakes. It occupies the same localities for years and generally builds nests in tall trees near the seacoast, tidal creeks, and estuaries.

2. Warming-induced glacier retreat could create novel ecosystems

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate change

Context:

• Climate change caused by human activity under a high-emissions scenario may halve the area covered by glaciers outside the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets by the end of the century, as per a study published in Nature.

Details:

• Less than half of glacial areas are located in protected areas.
• This will have marked ecological and societal cascading consequences, as novel ecosystems develop to fill emerging new habitats.
• However, there has been no complete spatial analysis carried out to quantify or anticipate the important changeover.

What does the study say?

• Under a high-emissions scenario (in which global greenhouse gas emissions triple by 2075), about half of 2020 glacier area could be lost by 2100.
• However, this could be curbed by a low-emissions scenario (in which net zero is achieved by 2050), which would reduce this loss to approximately 22%.
• As per the modeling exercise undertaken by Jean-Baptiste Bosson from the Conservatory of Natural Areas of Haute-Savoie, Annecy, France and others, the loss of glacier area will range from 22% to 51%, depending on the climate scenario.
• It would mean that by 2100, the decline of all glaciers outside the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets may produce “new terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems over an area ranging from the size of Nepal (1,49,000 sq. km) to that of Finland (3,39,000 sq. km)”.

Probable features of novel ecosystem:

• In the deglaciated areas, the new ecosystems will be characterised by:
  • “Extreme to mild ecological conditions” encompassing terrestrial, freshwater and even marine habitats.
  • Might favour primary productivity
  • Increased numbers of non-native species that can thrive as cold-adapted species and generalist species.
  • It will increase the complexity of glacial dynamics and will increase the challenge of glacier conservation.

Probable solution:

• There is an urgent need to urgently and simultaneously enhance climate-change mitigation and the in-situ protection of these ecosystems to secure their existence, functioning and values.

3. Are turmeric supplements advisable?

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Health

Why in news:

• Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the country’s regulator of medicines, medical devices and biologicals, issued a medical advisory last week warning Australians of the risk of liver injury from using medicines and herbal supplements containing turmeric or its active ingredient, curcumin.

Why was this advisory issued?

• There are over 600 listed medicines, legally available in Australia, that contain these curcuma species and/or curcumin.
• TGA had received 18 reports of liver problems experienced by consumers taking products containing curcuma longa (turmeric) and/or curcumin.
• The prolonged investigation and the evidence from nine of these reports had enough information to suggest that a liver injury may have been caused by curcuma longa or a curcumin product.

Does turmeric have health benefits?

• The TGA warning says that the risk of liver injury did not appear to relate to curcuma longa consumed in “typical” dietary amounts as a food.
• As a staple ingredient in South and South East Asian cuisine, turmeric is also used in Ayurvedic and Chinese-medicine concoctions.
• Several studies indicate that curcumine has:
  • Anti-oxidant properties that can help with inflammation.
  • Can potentially help in arthritis and infections.
  • Curcumin used along with the drug Artemisinin was effective in treating malaria when tested on mice.
• There have also been studies investigating the drug as an adjuvant in chemotherapy based on results in mice and animal studies. But their studies on human trials are inconclusive.

Bioavailability of curcumine:

• Very little of curcumine is absorbed, or made ‘bioavailable’, by the body.
• A popular approach is to use piperine, the major active component of black pepper, which improves bioavailability by 2000%.

Challenges with curcumine consumption:

• The ANSES report ( French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) underlines that turmeric has “choleretic” properties.
  • It means it stimulates the secretion of bile to improve digestion, and therefore, it is advisable that those with bile duct disease should avoid turmeric.
  • Curcumin could also interact with medications such as anticoagulants, cancer drugs and immunosuppressants, reducing their safety and effectiveness.

Is there a ‘safe limit’ on the amount of turmeric that can be consumed?

• The European Food Safety Authority has set an acceptable daily intake of 180 mg of curcumin per day for a 60 kg adult as the safe level of consumption.
• The average consumption in France remains low, with 27 mg for heavy consumers of foods containing turmeric.
• A World Health Organization/Food and Agricultural Organisation advisory recommends 3 mg/kg of body weight. A 75 kg person can have about 200 mg a day.
• India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has standards that packaged turmeric must comply with but nothing on the recommended dietary allowance.

India-USA patent dispute over turmeric:

• The Indian government challenges the US for patenting turmeric and forces them to revoke it.
• American researchers of Indian origin, Suman K. Das and Hari Har P. Cohlyof the University of Mississippi Medical Center put a claim to the US Patent and Trademark Office, maintaining that they had discovered haldi’s healing properties.
• In March 1995, they received a patent for the Haldi medication.
• On March 6, 1997, the United States filed its first complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against India’s ‘patent protection for pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical products.‘
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research requested a reexamination from the US Patent Office.
• The patent,”use of turmeric in wound healing”, was cancelled in 1998. Evidence established that use of turmeric to promote wound healing had been known for generations in India, hence, it is not an invention.

4. Bacterial reshaping speeds hydrocarbon breakdown

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Biotechnology

Context:

• Specialized marine bacteria that bloom following oil spills form unique biofilms that reshape the oil droplets, allowing more bacteria to feed at once. The finding improves scientists’ understanding of the processes that drive biodegradation of spilled oil.

Details:

• The bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis consumes hydrocarbons as its sole carbon and energy source.
• The marine bacteria are known to form biofilms around oil droplets, but how exactly this process works hasn’t previously been fully understood.

New study:

• A research team based in Japan and France has captured the full dynamics of biofilm development by using a microfluidic device that allows the real-time imaging of bacteria-covered oil droplets.
• This enabled the team to observe the whole process from initial colonisation through to complete consumption of oil droplets.
• The speed with which the bacteria degrade the droplets depends on the bacteria’s adaptation to oil consumption.
• But rather than this being caused by an increase in individual metabolic throughput, this acceleration appears to be due to the types of biofilms that the bacteria form.
• Bacteria that were exposed to the oil for longer formed thin biofilms with numerous branching dendrites.
• These dendritic biofilms decrease the oil–water interfacial tension causing dimples to form on the droplets, which speeds up the bacteria’s consumption by expanding the interface of the oil droplet allowing more bacteria to feed simultaneously.

5. India’s first 3D-printed post office inaugurated in Bengaluru: How does 3D printing work?

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Msc

Context:

• India’s first 3D-printed post office was virtually inaugurated by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Bengaluru’s Cambridge Layout on Friday (August 18).

Details:

• Multinational company Larsen & Toubro Limited built the post office with technological support from IIT Madras under the guidance of Professor Manu Santhanam.
•  Its construction was completed in just 43 days — two days ahead of the deadline.

What exactly is 3D printing ? And how do 3D printers work?

• Invented in the 1980s, 3D printing burst into the mainstream around the 2010s, when many thought it would take over the world.
• The technology at the time was expensive, slow and prone to making errors.
• In recent years, some of these flaws have been done away with, making 3D printing more prevalent than ever before.

• Concept of 3D printing:
  • 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process that uses computer-created design to make three-dimensional objects layer by layer.
  • It is an additive process, in which layers of a material like plastic, composites or bio-materials are built up to construct objects that range in shape, size, rigidity and colour.

• Working mechanism:
  • A personal computer is connected to a 3D printer.
  • Design a 3D model of the required object on computer-aid design (CAD) software and press ‘print’.
  • The 3D printer does the rest of the job.
• 3D printers construct the desired object by using a layering method, which is the complete opposite of the subtractive manufacturing processes.
  • Subtractive manufacturing process involves carving out a desired product out of a large object. Example: Sculpture from a big piece of marble, monoliths out of a big rock etc.
  • In the layering method, objects arebuilt from the bottom up by piling on layer after layer until the object looks exactly like it was envisioned.

What objects can be built using 3D printers?

• These machines are capable of printing anything from ordinary objects like a ball or a spoon to complex moving parts like hinges and wheels.
• One could print a whole bike – handlebars, saddle, frame, wheels, brakes, pedals and chain – ready assembled, without using any tools.

Use of 3D printing in Space sector:

• The Agnilet engine (developed by Space Startup- Agnikul) is an entirely 3D-printed, single-piece, 6 kN semi-cryogenic engine.
  • The engine, which uses a mixture of liquid kerosene at room temperature and supercold liquid oxygen as propellant, was tested last year at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
• In 2021, Skyroot had successfully demonstrated the country’s first privately developed cryogenic engine, Dhawan-1, which too was completely 3D printed, using a superalloy, by a process that cut the manufacturing time by 95 per cent.

Are there any concerns about 3D printing?

• While it does allow engineers to reiterate designs faster than with conventional manufacturing techniques, it is not as scalable.
• With conventional techniques, once a design has been set, multiple copies can be made much faster.
• 3D printing is still slow if you compare it to injection moulding or planar-based manufacturing where you can manufacture millions of pieces every month. Soit is not meant for manufacturing in large volumes.

• Other challenges include:
  • Equipment costs
  • Limited materials available
  • Post-processing requirements
  • Manufacturing costs
  • Lack of in-house additive manufacturing resources
  • Lack of expertise and/or training among workforce/employees
  • Limited repeatability (accuracy from build to build)
  • Lack of formal standards
  • Lack of proven documentation of additive manufacturing’s capabilities
  • Software development and capabilities
  • Longer production timelines
  • Limited recyclability
  • Risk of litigation/legal implication
  • Data storage requirements

6. RBI circular:  ‘Reset of Floating Interest Rate on Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) based Personal Loans’

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

RBI’s Guidelines on Interest Rate Reset:

• Lenders must provide borrowers with clear information about how changes in the benchmark interest rate can affect personal loans.
• Communicate potential changes in EMI and/or tenor during the loan sanction process.
• REs to ensure that the instructions contained in the circular are extended to existing as well as new loans, suitably by December 31, 2023
• Direct borrowers towards making informed decisions.

Option to Switch to Fixed Rate:

• Borrowers can choose to switch to a fixed interest rate during the interest rate reset period.
• The policy should define the frequency and conditions for switching during the loan term.
• Banks can limit the number of switches to maintain financial stability.
• Prevents borrowers from exploiting rate changes for personal gain.

Borrowers have the choice to:

• Opt for a higher EMI or longer tenor.
• Prepay a part or the entirety of the loan during its term.
• Provides flexibility based on individual financial situations.
• Prevents overburdening borrowers with rigid terms.

Charges and Transparency:

• Charges for switching and services must be fully disclosed.
• Foreclosure charges or pre-payment penalties will be subject to extant instructions
• Transparent communication about charges during revisions.

Quarterly Statement and Reporting

Quarterly Statements:

• Lenders are required to share a statement with borrowers at the end of each quarter.
• The statement should include:
  • Principal and interest recovered to date.
  • Remaining EMIs.
  • EMI amount.
  • Annualized interest rate.
• Enables borrowers to track their loan progress.
• Statements must be easily comprehensible.

Broad Applicability:

• Not limited to personal loans only.
• Applies to all equated installment-based loans with varying periodicities.

Personal Loan Definition

• Personal loans encompass various categories:
  • Consumer credit.
  • Education loans.
  • Loans for immovable assets.
  • Loans for financial assets.
• Outstanding personal loan amount: Rs 42.60 lakh crore as of June 2023.

RBI’s Directive on Penal Interest

• RBI directs lenders not to charge penal interest for non-compliance, benefiting consumers.
• Norms are introduced due to observed excessive penal rates by regulated entities (RE).
• Penal charges are defined as additional fees for late EMI payments, defaults, and non-compliance.
• No capitalization of penal charges; regular compounding for interest applies.
• New guidelines apply to banks, excluding payments banks, NBFCs, housing finance, and co-operative banks.
• Lenders are prohibited from adding new interest rate components; must follow board-approved policy.

Consumer Impact and Transparency

• Individual borrower penalties for non-compliance aligned with non-individuals.
• REs must transparently disclose penalty amounts and reasons in agreements, KFS (Key Fact Statement), and websites.
• Communication of penalties with non-compliance reminders; reasons communicated.
• New instructions effective from January 1, 2024; existing loans transition within 6 months or the next review (whichever is earlier).

Exemptions

• Instructions are not applicable to credit cards, external borrowings, trade credits, or structured obligations.

7. Pipeline Excavation Uncovers Megalithic Site in Kerala

Subject: History

Section: Ancient India

Context

• Recent salvage excavation by State Archaeology Department at Nagaparamba, Kuttippuram village, near Tirunavaya, Kerala.
• Discovery of numerous megalithic hat stones, also known as Thoppikkallu, used as lids for burial urns during the megalithic era.

Key Findings:

• The unprotected site reveals possibly the largest collection of hat stones in the State.

• Led by archaeologist K. Krishnaraj, Pazhassi Raja Archaeological Museum, Kozhikode.
• Recovery of earthen urns and unique iron implements offering insights into ancient life (2,000+ years ago).

• Unconventional architectural attributes of the rock-cut cave.
• Different designs of recovered pots compared to regular urns at such sites.
• Discovery of special ashes within pots and under hat stones, unlike typical cremated bones.

Significance of the site:

• Urgent appeal to grant heritage village status to Tirunavaya due to its historical significance on Bharathapuzha’s banks.

Megalithic Monuments and their Types

• ‘Megalith’ refers to monuments with large stone blocks.
• Kerala megaliths were constructed over a broad time frame, c. 1st millennium BCE to the middle of 1st millennium CE.

Major types in Kerala:

Surface Megaliths:

Type of Megalith	Definition
Dolmens	Large stone blocks arranged above ground in a square or rectangular shape with a capstone.
Cists	Architectural variant of dolmens, mostly underground, with a capstone covering the burial area.
Dolmenoid Cists	Subtype of dolmens, partially buried in the ground. Sometimes used interchangeably with ‘dolmen’.
Menhirs	Monolithic slab, often made of granite, erected vertically.
Kudakkal	Mushroom-shaped laterite monument with an umbrella-like stone supported by clinostats (slanting stone blocks).
Topikkal	Hemispherical laterite stone is used as a lid on a burial urn.
Pathikkal	Dressed blocks of laterite arranged to resemble a snake’s hood.
Stone Circle	Circles made of granite and laterite stones marking burial sites, arranged in single or multiple circles.
Cairn	Circular packing of rubble associated with a stone circle, often covered by soil and vegetation.

Sub-Surface Megaliths:

Type of Megalith	Definition
Rock-cut Caves	Subterranean laterite monuments with single or multiple chambers. May have carved stone benches and portholes.
Urns	Pyriform (pear-shaped) handmade jars buried with burial goods inside a pit.
Sarcophagus	Legged terracotta coffin, is rare in Kerala compared to other burial forms.

8. Observations of Wolf-Rayet Star Indicate Potential Magnetar Formation in Supernova

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Introduction:

• Observations and stellar evolution models suggest a connection between a Wolf-Rayet star and magnetar production during a supernova.
• This study offers insights into the formation process of magnetars, which are characterized by extremely powerful magnetic fields.

Magnetars:

• Magnetars are a type of neutron star with magnetic fields trillions of times stronger than the sun’s.
• Magnetars can induce starquakes, analogous to earthquakes on stars, releasing massive amounts of energy and radiation.

Wolf-Rayet Star and Supernova:

• Wolf-Rayet stars are advanced-stage massive stars that have expelled their outer hydrogen layers and exposed their helium core.
• Neutron stars, including magnetars, are born from the remnants of massive stars that have undergone supernova explosions.
• The exact origin of magnetars remains a subject of scientific inquiry.
• One hypothesis posits that amplification of the magnetic field within the parent star’s core during a supernova event could lead to the formation of a magnetar.
• However, such strong magnetic fields have not been observed in massive, evolving stars that eventually become neutron stars.

Observation and Study Details:

• The study conducted by Tomar Shenar and colleagues focuses on the binary system HD 45166.
• This system comprises a main sequence star and a companion hot Wolf-Rayet star.
• Binary system HD 45166 (artistic impression)

9. “Oil-eating” Microbes and Hydrocarbon Biodegradation

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Biotechnology

Introduction:

• Alcanivorax borkumensis bacteria have specialized biofilm formation
• Reshaping oil droplets increases the consumption rate
• The study investigates the optimization of oil biodegradation and consumption mechanisms

Obligate Hydrocarbonoclastic Bacteria (OHCB) and Bioremediation

• OHCB uniquely consumes hydrocarbons as its sole carbon and energy source
• Crucial role in bioremediation of spilled petroleum globally
• A. borkumensis (Alca): OHBC with aerobic and rod-shaped characteristics
  • Alca exploits organic acids and alkanes; prominent during oil spills
  • Alca forms biofilms around oil droplets during consumption

• Biofilm morphology changes tied to adaptations in oil consumption
  • Initial oil exposure leads to a thick spherical biofilm growing outward; oil droplet mostly retains its shape
  • Prolonged oil exposure results in thin biofilm with dendritic finger-like protrusions
  • Dendritic biofilms modify oil-water interfacial tension
  • Bacterial proliferation leads to the buckling and reshaping of oil droplets
  • The increased surface area of droplets enhances consumption by the growing bacteria population
  • Alca oil consumption efficiency is amplified by expanding interfacial properties

Collaborative Microbial Degradation

• Alca lacks the capability to degrade the entire range of hydrocarbons in crude oil
• Comprehensive degradation requires a diverse microbial community
• Microbes interact and sometimes compete to perform degradation

Commonly Used Bacterial Species for Hydrocarbon Degradation and Bioremediation

10. CSIR’s New Lotus Variety ‘Namoh 108’: A Grand Gift to PM Modi

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Biotechnology

Context

• Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh unveils the ‘Namoh 108’ lotus variety at CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow.
• The variety is described as a grand gift to PM Narendra Modi, recognizing his relentless zeal and tenure.

Key Features of Namoh 108 Lotus

• Lotus with precisely 108 petals, a unique trait.
• Initially discovered in Manipur and incorporated into CSIR-NBRI’s plant collection.

• Initially appeared ordinary compared to other lotus types.
• Subsequent genome sequencing revealed unique characteristics.
• Sole lotus variety in India with its genome sequenced.
  • Genome research led to improved germplasm and characteristics.
  • Modified to enable easier cultivation outside Manipur.
• Plan to establish an industrial and entrepreneurial ecosystem around the variety.

Name and Significance

• The name ‘Namoh 108‘ is derived from “Om Namaha Vasudeva“.
• ‘Namoh’ translates to ‘salutations’ in Sanskrit.

Lotus Mission

• The launch of ‘Lotus Mission’ follows the success of the Aroma Mission.
• CSIR-NBRI initiates the ‘Lotus Mission’ to promote the wider cultivation of 108 Namo flowers.
• An integral part of a larger horticultural mission.
• Aims to spread cultivation across various regions of India.
• Unveiling of products derived from the variety:
  • Apparel made from lotus fiber.
  • The perfume named ‘Frotus’ is extracted from lotus flowers.
  • Perfume developed under Lotus Research Programme in collaboration with FFDC, Kannauj.

Other Initiatives and Publications

• Launch of new Aloe vera variety ‘NBRI-Nihar’ with approximately 2.5 times higher gel yield.
• Introduction of herbal colors from temple flower offerings for various applications, including dyeing silk and cotton cloths.
• Introduction of herbal products including ‘Herbal Cold Drops’ and ‘Herbal Anti Dandruff Hair Oil’.
• Launch of a Database of 500 Raw Drug Repositories adhering to Indian Pharmacopoeia Standards.
• Release of a book on roses conserved at CSIR-NBRI Garden.
• Collaboration with M/s Nucleome Informatics, Hyderabad, for research on Cotton.

CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI):

• Originally established as the National Botanic Gardens (NBG) by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.).
• Taken over by CSIR in 1953.
• Transitioned from classical botanical research to applied and developmental research.
• Renamed the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in 1978.

11. Blood trail from the 1857 war to a flight down South

Subject: History

Section: Modern India

Introduction

• Uncovering Descendants of 1857 Ajnala Massacre Victims
• The Ajnala massacre occurred during India’s 1857 first War of Independence.
• Event led to significant migration of families from northern India to the southern regions.
• Victims were from the 26th Native Bengal Infantry Regiment 

Analysis of Remains from Ajnala

• In 2014, amateur historian Surinder Kochhar discovered skeletal remains of 282 soldiers in a well beneath a gurdwara in Ajnala, near Amritsar, Punjab.
• Remains accompanied by artifacts like bullets, epaulets, and coins of the East India Company.
• Scientific analysis of certain markers in the remains indicated their origin from the Gangetic plains.
• Current DNA data includes mitochondrial DNA from 50 martyrs.
• Plan to enhance information through nuclear DNA analysis, offering more comprehensive insights.

Forced Migration and Descendant Search

• After the massacre, British forces harassed families of soldiers, leading to their displacement.
• Families migrated from places like Dumtahar, Rae Bareli in northern India to Tamil Nadu in the south.

Historical Context: Ajnala Massacre of 1857

• Location: Ajnala, Amritsar district, Punjab.
• Sipahis of the 26th Native Infantry stationed in Mian Mir, Lahore.

Sequence of Events and Inhumane Treatment

• May 13, 1857:Sipahis disarmed due to army-wide outbreaks.
• July 30, rebellion breakout after killing officers, camped at Ravi banks.
• British troops led by Tahsildar Pram Nath attacked, killing 150 sipahis.
• Remaining escaped sipahis surrendered to Deputy Commissioner Frederic Cooper.
• Transported to Ajnala and imprisoned.
• August 1: 237 sipahis tied and shot by firing squad without trial.
• 45 detained sipahis died in unventilated prison from suffocation and heat stroke.
• Bodies disposed of in a local well.

Rediscovery and Memorial

• February 28, 2014: Local amateur archaeologists found the well.
• Well named Shaheedan da Khu (Well of Martyrs).
• Memorial constructed to honor the martyrs’ memory.

12. INS Vagir

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Defence

Context: For the first time, the Indian Navy’s INS Vagir, a Scorpene-class submarine, has been deployed to Australia on an extended-range mission.

More about INS Vagir:

• It is a Kalvari-class submarine, which includes vessels, such as the INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela and INS Vagsheer.
• It is the fifth Scorpène-class submarine.
• This class of submarines have Diesel Electric transmission systems.
• These are primarily attack submarines or ‘hunter-killer’ types which means they are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels.
• It is built under Project-75 by the Mazgaon Docks Ltd, under technology transfer from the Naval Group of France
• INS Vagir is capable of undertaking diverse missions including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and surveillance missions.
• It has advanced stealth features and is also equipped with both long-range guided torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.

What is Malabar naval exercise:

• It is an annual exercise between the navies of India, Japan, and the U.S. held alternately in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
• It began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and the U.S.
• Then it got permanently expanded into a trilateral format with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.
• With the addition of Australia, it has become a Quadilateral naval exercise between India, USA, Japan and Australia.
• The aim of the Malabar Exercise of India, the US, Japan and Australia is to coordinate for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

What is Project 75:

• This project envisages the indigenous construction of submarines equipped with a state-of-the-art Air Independent Propulsion system
• Project 75 (I), approved in 2007, is part of the Indian Navy’s 30-year Plan for indigenous submarine construction.
• Project-75(I) envisages indigenous construction of six modern conventional submarines including associated shore support, Engineering Support Package, training and spares package with contemporary equipment, weapons & sensors including Fuel-Cell based AIP (Air Independent Propulsion Plant), advanced torpedoes, modern missiles and state of the art countermeasure systems. .

13. BRICS summit and its importance for India

Subject: International Relations

Section: International Groupings

Context: The 15th BRICS Summit will be hosted by South-Africa in Johannesburg.

More about 15th BRICS Summit:

• The 15th BRICS Summit is scheduled to be held in Johannesburg,South-Africa.
• The theme of the Summit is “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism” 
• This will be the first in­-person summit since 2019 ,the COVID­19 pandemic and  Russian invasion of Ukraine.

What’s the big item on the agenda:

• The main items on the agenda include attracting attention for their potential for a greater geopolitical consolidation of the grouping,and a plan to expand the membership of BRICS.
• Over 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, and at least 19 have formally applied for membership such as Argentina, Mexico from Latin America; Nigeria, Algeria, from Africa; Saudi Arabia, UAE, from West Asia; Kazakhstan from Central Asia; Bangladesh and Afghanistan from South Asia.
• The leaders are also expected to take forward earlier talks on intra­ BRICS trading in national currencies, 

What is BRICS:

• BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
• The grouping was formalized during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers’ in
• South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS

Some Facts about BRICS:

• BRICS is an important grouping bringing together the major emerging economies from the world, comprising:
• 41% of the world population.
• 24% of the world GDP 
• Over 16% share in world trade.
• Total combined area of 29.3% of the total land surface of the world

What are Few Initiatives of the BRICS:

• New Development Bank:
• During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (Brazil) in 2014, the leaders agreed to set up NDB.
• The NDB became fully operational in 2016 with headquarters established in Shanghai.
• Each member holds an equal amount of shares 20% in the NDB.
• Contingent Reserve Arrangement:
• In 2014, the BRICS governments had signed a treaty on the setting up of the contingent reserve arrangement
• The arrangement is aimed at forestalling short-term balance of payments pressures, providing mutual support and strengthening financial stability of the BRICS nations.
• BRICS Payment System:
• BRICS countries are trying to create a payment system as an alternative to the SWIFT payment system.
• This has taken on a new urgency as post Ukraine war, Russia has been frozen out of SWIFT.
• Customs Agreements:
• Customs agreement were signed to coordinate and ease trade transport between BRICS countries
• Launched of Remote Sensing Satellite:
• A Remote Sensing constellation of satellites has been launched – with 6 satellites including 2 from India, 2 from China, 1 from Russia, and 1 Brazil-China collaboration

14. G20 Health Minister Meet

Subject: International Relations

Section: International Groupings

 Context: The health ministers’ meeting under G20 ended in Gandhinagar with the adoption of the Indian Health Ministry spear-headed outcome document.

More about the news:

• India’s G20 presidency has managed to build consensus on setting up R&D and manufacturing networks for vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, and setting up a platform for making open-source, inter-operable digital solutions readily available.
• The Global Initiative Digital Health, a platform for sharing digital goods and knowledge was also launched at the meeting. It will have four pillars
  • Investment tracker,
  • Ask tracker to track technologies the countries need,
  • A library of available digital tools, 
  • A platform for knowledge-sharing to implement these technologies at scale
• The priority on health emergency prevention preparedness and response ended with a commitment to negotiate a legally binding WHO convention, agreement, or other international instrument by May 2024.
• The G20 countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen dialogue through the G20 Joint Finance-Health Task Force. 
• They welcomed the successful conclusion of the First Call for Proposals of the Pandemic Fund, focusing on disease surveillance, lab capacity, and public health workforce. This fund, with $2 billion from the previous G20 presidency, aims to enhance health emergency preparedness in low to middle-income countries. 

What is G20 Summit:

• G-20 was a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 19 individual countries and the European Union.
• It was established in 1999 and was elevated to a forum of Heads of Government in 2008 to effectively respond to the global financial crisis of 2008.
• G-20 is a forum, not a legislative body and its agreements and decisions have no legal impact, but they do influence countries’ policies and global cooperation..
• The G20 membership accounts for
• Two-thirds of the world’s population, 
• 85% of global gross domestic product,
• 80% of global investment 
• 75% of global trade.
• Contribute 79% of the world carbon emissions
• G20 does not have any permanent secretariat or headquarters.
• The G20 Summit is formally known as the “Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy”.

How G20 works:

• Since the G20 has no permanent secretariat. Theagenda and work are coordinated by representatives of the G20 countries, known as ‘Sherpas’.
• The presidency of the G20 rotates every year among members, and the country holding the presidency, together with the previous and next presidency-holder, forms the ‘Troika’.
• Troika ensures continuity of the G20 agenda.
• During India’s presidency, India, Indonesia and Brazil will form the troika.

More about India Presidency:

• India assumes the presidency of G20 from 1st of December.
• The G20 Presidency also marks the beginning of “Amritkaal”, the 25-year period beginning from the 75th anniversary of its independence on 15 August 2022.
• Guest countries during India’s presidency will include Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the UAE