Daily Prelims Notes 20 October 2023

October 20, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

20 October 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Cyber frauds CBI searches 76 places, seizes gadgets

Subject: Schemes

Section: IT

Context: The CBI conducted searches at 76 locations across the country under Operation Chakra-2

More about the news:

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India launched Operation Chakra-2, conducting searches at 76 locations across the country.
This operation was in response to five separate cases involving cyber-enabled financial fraud, including a cryptocurrency scam exceeding Rs 100 crore.
Perpetrators operated under the guise of a fake cryptocurrency mining venture, victimizing unsuspecting Indian citizens.
Searches were executed in multiple states, resulting in the seizure of mobile phones, laptops, server images, SIM cards, pen drives, and the freezing of numerous bank accounts.
The CBI also accessed 15 email accounts, revealing the intricate web of deceit woven by the accused.
Two of these cases were initiated following complaints from Amazon and Microsoft, where the accused ran call centers impersonating technical support representatives to target foreign nationals.
Operating across five states and Union Territories, they systematically posed as representatives of major IT companies and multinational corporations, systematically targeting foreign individuals.

Some details about Operation Chakra-2

The operation is aimed at combating and dismantling infrastructure of organized cyber-enabled financial crimes in India.
The CBI conducted it jointly with national and international agencies and private sector giants.
The CBI will share the details of the cases with international law enforcement agencies including the FBI, INTERPOL, NCA in UK, Singapore Police and BKA of Germany to combat organized crime.
Operation Chakra-1 was conducted a year ago.

2. In China Putin staff seen carrying nuclear briefcase

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Nuclear energy

Context: In China Putin staff are seen carrying nuclear briefcases.

More about the news:

Russian President Vladimir Putin was recently spotted with officers carrying a mysterious “nuclear briefcase” during his visit to China.
After a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a video showed Putin walking with two Russian naval officers, and one of the officers is presumed to be carrying the enigmatic “nuclear briefcase,” which has been a subject of intrigue.

What is the ‘nuclear briefcase’

The “Cheget,” also known as the nuclear briefcase, is a crucial element of the system responsible for authorizing nuclear strikes in Russia.
It serves as a secure communication tool for transmitting orders for a nuclear attack to the country’s rocket forces.
The communication network used for this purpose is called “Kazbek,” and it supports another system called “Kavkaz.”
In addition to the Russian President, the Defence Minister and the Chief of General Staff each possess a briefcase.
In the event of a possible order to launch a nuclear strike, these three individuals are expected to coordinate their actions. The President even carries the briefcase during foreign visits.

Has the nuclear briefcase ever come close to being used:

These briefcases were developed during the final phase of the Cold War in the early 1980s to enable remote command and reduce reaction time to potential nuclear threats.
The incident in 1995 involved Russian officers mistaking an aeronautical research rocket for a hostile American missile off Norway’s coast.
This led to a high alert, and the nuclear briefcases were given to Russian leaders to plan a response.
Fortunately, it was soon realized that the rocket was not a threat, and the crisis was resolved within minutes.
This incident represents the only known instance of a nuclear briefcase being used in a crisis.

Do other countries have such a briefcase:

The American President’s equivalent of the Russian nuclear briefcase, known as the Presidential Emergency Satchel or “football.”
This nickname originated from a 1960s mission called “Dropkick.”
It was introduced during the Cold War era to ensure quick verification of orders for a nuclear strike.
The football contains information on retaliatory options, a classified site locations book, and a card with authentication codes, known as the “biscuit.” Through the biscuit, the President can authorize a nuclear attack, which is then executed by the military. The Vice President also has a similar briefcase in case the President is unable to act.
In 2021, concerns were raised about the safety protocols surrounding the football, particularly after the January 2021 riots at the US Capitol. The Vice President’s football was in proximity to the commotion during this event.

3. Supreme Court order hiring of district officer for POSH implementation

Subject: Schemes

Section: Vulnerable

Context: SC had ordered hiring of dist officers for effective implementation of POSH Act

More about the news:

The Supreme Court has addressed issues and inconsistencies in the implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act by various state governments.
In response, the court issued several directives to the Central government, states, and Union Territories.
It mandated that district officers be appointed in each district within four weeks to uphold the provisions of Section 5 of the Act, emphasizing the critical role of these officers in the redressal and monitoring framework.
The court also urged the governments to raise awareness about local committees and make them accessible to the unorganized sector.
The judgment was in response to a petition by the NGO Initiatives for Inclusion Foundation, seeking effective implementation of the Act and the publication of annual compliance reports for transparency.

What is Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act (POSH Act):

Background:
- The Supreme Court in a landmark judgement in the Vishakha and others v State of Rajasthan 1997 case gave ‘Vishakha guidelines’.
- These guidelines formed the basis for The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
- It was passed in 2013 and defines sexual harassment, by laying down the procedures for a complaint and inquiry, and the action to be taken.
Definition of Sexual harassment:
- It includes any one or more of the following unwelcome acts or behaviour committed directly or by implication:-
  1. Physical contact and advances
  2. A demand or request for sexual favours
  3. Sexually coloured remarks
  4. Showing pornography
  5. Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.

Obligation:
- Every employer is required to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee at each office or branch with 10 or more
- The District Officer is required to constitute a Local Complaints Committee at each district, and if required at the block level.
Complaint Committees:
- The Internal Complaint Committees (ICC) has powers similar to those of a civil court in respect of summoning and examining any person on oath, and requiring the discovery and production of documents.
- The Complaints Committees are required to provide for conciliation before initiating an inquiry if requested by the complainant.
- The ICC may either forward the victim’s complaint to the police, or it can start an inquiry that has to be completed within 90 days.
Complaint procedure:
- Technically, it is not compulsory for the aggrieved victim to file a complaint for the ICC to act.
- If the woman cannot complain because of physical or mental incapacity or death or otherwise her legal heir may do so.
Time:
- The complaint must be made within three months from the date of the incident.
- However, the ICC can extend the time limit if it is satisfied that the circumstances were such which prevented the woman from filing a complaint within the said period.
Possibility of conciliation:
- The ICC may, before inquiry, and at the request of the aggrieved woman, take steps to settle the matter between her and the respondent through conciliation, provided that no monetary settlement shall be made as a basis of conciliation.
Punishment:
- Penalties have been prescribed for employers. Non-compliance with the provisions of the Act shall be punishable with a fine of up to Rs 50,000.
- Repeated violations may lead to higher penalties and cancellation of licence or registration to conduct business.
Compensation:
- Compensation is determined based on five aspects:
  1. Suffering and emotional distress caused to the woman;
  2. Loss in career opportunity;
  3. Her medical expenses;
  4. Income and financial status of the respondent; and
  5. the feasibility of such payment.

Identity;-The identity of the woman, respondent, witness, any information on the inquiry, recommendation and action taken should not be made publi
Appeal:- After the recommendations, the aggrieved woman or the respondent can appeal in court within 90 days.
False complaints:-Section 14 of the Act provides that the ICC may recommend to the employer to take action against the person who has made the malicious complaint and false evidence.
Domestic workers are separately defined under Section 2(e) of the POSH Act.

What were Vishaka guidelines?

The Vishaka guidelines were laid down by the Supreme Court in a judgment in
This was in a case filed by women’s rights groups, one of which was Vishaka.
The guidelines defined sexual harassment and imposed three key obligations on institutions prohibition, prevention, redress.
The Supreme Court directed that they should establish a Complaints Committee, which would look into matters of sexual harassment of women at the workplace.
It was a legally binding

4. Center asked state to hold digital crop survey from July 2024

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic geography

Context: The Centre has asked states and Union Territories (UTs) to digitize the process by adopting the Digital Crop Survey System from July next year.

More about the news:

The Indian government’s plan to modernize the estimation of crop area and production, which is currently a manual process leading to delays and errors.
The government has asked states and Union Territories to adopt a Digital Crop Survey system starting from July next year.
Under these guidelines, states and UTs will use GPS-enabled mobile applications to collect data on crop sowing and share it with the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.
Currently, only a few states have such digital systems in place.
The government aims to improve the accuracy and timeliness of agricultural production estimates through technological intervention.
This move is prompted by concerns about the reliability of existing agricultural production data.
Additionally, the ministry has revised the release timeline for estimates, moving the final estimates for all states and seasons to September-October, replacing the previous release in February.

What is the Digital Crop Survey:

As part of the Digital Crop Survey, the MoA&FW has asked states to collect information on “basic parameters”, including –
- Village name, year, season, farmer ID, farm ID,
- Crop name (at farm plot level),
- Crop variety,
- Crop sown area (at farm plot level),
- Geotags of crop photos,
- Geotags of farm boundary where the crop is sown,
- Sowing/planting date (at farm plot level), irrigation type (at farm plot level), and
- Irrigation source (at farm plot level).
This move comes after the Centre launched a pilot Digital Crop Survey across a dozen states earlier this year.
In a separate move, the MoA&FW has also revamped the timelines of the estimate release.
As per the earlier system, the ministry used to release estimates in five phases. However, now the ministry has decided to do away with the fourth phase that had been released every August.
The ministry will release the final estimates covering all states and all seasons i.e. kharif, rabi, summer in September-October.
Earlier, the final estimates used to be released in the month of February, the following year.

What are the guidelines for the Digital Crop Survey:

According to sources, the Economics, Statistics and Evaluation Division (ESED) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), has finalized the guidelines.
According to the guidelines, all states/ UTs shall automate/digitize the process of area enumeration/girdawari of crops at field level, i.e., Digital Crop Survey, from 2024-25 Agricultural Year.
In India, the agriculture year begins in July and ends in June, the following year.
Under the guidelines, states and UTs shall use GPS enabled mobile application for collecting crop sown data of each plot for each season and share the village level aggregated data with DA&FW through API only.

5. Why Egypt and Jordan are unwilling to take refuge from Gaza

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: Egypt and Jordan, have refused to take in Palestinian refugees.

More about the news:

Refusal to Accept Palestinian Refugees:

Egypt and Jordan have refused to accept Palestinian refugees who are fleeing the conflict in Gaza.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II both stated their refusal, citing concerns and potential consequences.
Concerns of Egypt and Jordan:
Egypt fears that Israel may intend to force a permanent expulsion of Palestinians into their country and nullify Palestinian demands for statehood.
El-Sissi warned that a mass exodus to Egypt could lead to regional instability and threaten the peace in the region because mass exodus from Gaza could bring Hamas or other Palestinian militants into Sinai,
Moreover, there’s no clear scenario for how the current conflict will end, which has raised concerns about the potential for reoccupation of Gaza by Israel.
Egypt is not reassured by Israel’s intentions and suggests housing Palestinians in its Negev Desert.
The refusal to accept Palestinian refugees by Egypt and Jordan is motivated by concerns about their own security, potential demographic changes, and the broader implications for regional peace and stability.

What is the History of Displacement:

Palestinian history has been marked by displacement, with the Nakba in 1948 and further displacement in the 1967 Mideast war.
Palestinians and their descendants now number nearly 6 million, residing in various regions.

Some facts about Egypt

Egypt is a transcontinental country situated in northeastern Africa and the Sinai Peninsula in Western Asia (Middle East).
It is bordered by Libya in the west, the Palestinian territory (Gaza Strip) and Israel in the northeast, and Sudan in the south.
It shares maritime borders with Cyprus, Turkey and Greece in the Mediterranean Sea, and with Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
The Capital of Egypt is Cairo.
The famous River Nile is the only river that flows in Egypt throughout the year.
Suez Canal:
- It is a 30 km long artificial sea-level waterway located in Egypt.
- It connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, a northern branch of the Red Sea.
- It provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the lands lying around the Indian and western Pacific oceans.
- It is one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes.

Some facts about Jordan:

Jordan is a country in Western Asia.
It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan River.
It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and east, Iraq to the northeast, Syria to the north, and Israel, Palestinian West Bank, and the Dead Sea to the west.
The Gulf of Aqabaseparates Jordan from Egypt.
Amman is Jordan’s capital and largest city.
The Dead Sea at the Jordan and Israel border is the lowest land point on earth.
It has the 5th largest oil-shale reserves in the world

6. A draft menstrual hygiene policy is finally out

Subject: Schemes

Section: Vulnerable

Quick facts

According to the UN globally 1.2 billion women lack access to basic sanitation and hygiene.
About 71% of girls in India are unaware about menstruation before their first period.
Out of 10.8 lakh government schools, 15,000 have no toilets and 42,000 lack drinking water.
According to National Family Health Survey-5 findings:
49.3% of girls use cloth and 15.2% use locally produced napkins.
Bihar (59.7%) has the lowest percentage of girls using a hygienic method, followed by Madhya Pradesh (61%) and Meghalaya (65.6%).
Girls with higher than the secondary level of education are more than twice as likely to be using a hygienic method as girls without any education level.

About Draft Policy

Vision

All women, girls and persons who menstruate are able to experience menstruation in a manner that is safe, healthy and free from stigma.

Goal

Each girl, woman and person who menstruates across India can access safe and dignified menstrual hygiene resources in order to improve their quality of life and thereby realize their full potential in health and wellbeing, education, economic and other aspects of life.

Objectives

To ensure that women, girls and persons who menstruate have access to safe, hygienic and quality menstrual products and sanitation facilities.
To create an enabling environment for people including women, girls, men and boys so that they have access to correct information on menstruation, and to address myths, stigma and gender issues around menstruation.
To provide a coordination mechanism among different Central Government Ministries, States/ UTs and relevant stakeholders and sectors.
To create a ‘menstrual friendly environment’ in all settings including homes, schools/ educational institutions, workplaces and public spaces.
To foster innovative practices with social entrepreneurs and the private sector.
To strengthen environmentally sustainable menstrual waste disposal.

Target

The policy caters to the needs of and covers all who menstruate in rural, urban and tribal areas, as well as in educational institutions, workplaces, healthcare settings and other public places. This includes adolescent girls, women in the reproductive age group, people with special needs or hard to reach populations including disabled folks, trans populations, orphans, destitute populations , tribal populations, prisoners, all other marginalized communities, and those with differential needs during emergency situations.

What are the other measures taken by governments for menstrual hygiene?

Menstrual Hygiene Scheme- Launched in 2011 to provide sanitary pads to girls aged 10 to 19 at a nominal rate.
Suvidha scheme – Launched in 2019 to distribute eco-friendly and biodegradable pads at a subsidized rate.
As of 2021-22 over 1,128 lakh pads are distributed under this scheme.
Rashtriya Kishor SwasthyaKaryakram – Focuses on promoting sexual and reproductive wellness for all adolescents.
Mini incinerators – The Union Government in 2013 issued guidelines for setting up mini incinerators in schools to burn sanitary waste.

What are the challenges to menstrual hygiene?

Since sanitary pads contain plastics the disposing via incinerators causes emissions.
Various challenges in the scheme implementations such as lack of funds, poor quality and irregular supply of sanitary pads.
Non uniformity of the schemes across India.
The nominal rate of the pads is not affordable by marginalized girls.
Prevailing stigma in the society adding to low awareness about menstrual hygiene.
Awareness programs face administrative challenges too.
Lack of female teachers at school to distribute the sanitary napkins to girls.

7. Seeing the magic of AI applications in ophthalmology

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Awareness in IT

About AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that focuses on creating computer systems and software that can perform tasks like problem-solving, learning, reasoning, understanding natural language, and perceiving the environment.
The aim of AI is to develop systems that can mimic and replicate various aspects of human intelligence or cognitive functions, and thereby automate and enhance processes, make predictions, assist in decision-making, and improve the efficiency and capabilities of systems and devices.

AI in Medicine

AI can analyze data from sensors and predict when equipment or machinery will require maintenance, reducing downtime.
AI can be used, with machine learning, to analyze and interpret images and videos, making it useful in reading and coming up with interpretations of scans and other diagnostics.
Already, robotics has been employed in precision surgery, with good outcomes, and faster recovery periods.

AI in ophthalmology

AI has made significant advancements in the field of ophthalmology, offering a range of potential applications that can improve patient care and enhance the efficiency of eye disease diagnosis and treatment.
Retinal disease diagnosis: AI algorithms can analyse retinal images, such as fundus photographs and optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans, to detect and classify various retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma. These AI systems can help identify diseases at an early stage, allowing for timely treatment and reducing the risk of vision loss.
Automated screening: AI-powered screening programmes can assist in the early identification of eye diseases by analysing large datasets of retinal images. This can be particularly useful in regions with limited access to ophthalmologists, and in mobile medical camps.
Glaucoma diagnosis and management: AI can aid in monitoring glaucoma progression by analysing visual field tests and OCT scans. It helps ophthalmologists in making more informed decisions about the treatment and management of glaucoma patients.
Customized treatment plans: AI can recommend personalised treatment plans for patients with conditions like AMD. By analyzing patient data and clinical information, AI can assist in tailoring treatment strategies to maximize effectiveness. Already, AI is also being used regularly by ophthalmologists in surgical assistance. During eye surgeries, AI can provide real-time guidance to surgeons by tracking eye movements, enhancing precision, and reducing the risk of complications. AI is also used to diagnose and stage Retinopathy of Prematurity(ROP) , a blinding disease affecting premature and low birth weight babies and in telemedicine.
AI is also being used to discover new drugs for ophthalmic conditions by analysing vast datasets to identify potential therapeutic targets and compounds and in predicting whether individuals may develop eye diseases, based on their health records, lifestyle factors, and genetic data.
Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are commonly used for image-based ophthalmic applications. The model has to be taught to recognise patterns and make predictions based on the provided data. It is fine-tuned using the validation dataset and parameters are adjusted as needed until it reaches an acceptable level of performance.

Smart vision glasses: These glasses incorporate a combination of hardware, software, and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a range of features aimed at improving the visual experience for those with vision challenges. Smart glasses are equipped with cameras and sensors to capture the user’s surroundings. Advanced image recognition algorithms and AI are employed to identify and describe objects, text, people, and more within the wearer’s field of vision. This information is then conveyed to the user, often through audio feedback. Smart glasses can also convert printed text into audible speech, allowing users to “read” signs, documents, labels, and other text-based cont

8. Why are earthquakes frequent in Afghanistan?

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

Multiple earthquakes hit Afghanistan recently with a magnitude of 6.3

Anatomy of an earthquake:

The earth is made up of chunks of solid rocks called tectonic plates. Discontinuities in these rock masses, along which they have moved, are called fault lines. These fractures are a result of tectonic forces and stress that builds up in the earth’s lithosphere, causing the rocks to break and slip.
An earthquake occurs when blocks of lithosphere suddenly slip past one another, releasing energy and sending seismic waves through the ground.
The surface where the lithosphere chunks slip becomes a fault plane. The point within the earth where the fault rupture starts and produces an earthquake is called the focus or the hypocentre. The point on the surface of the earth directly above it is called the epicentre.
Tectonic plates are slow moving but are always in motion, mostly due to the heat energy generated inside the earth. The edges of these plates are called plate boundaries and consist of faults— this is where most earthquakes occur.

Why do frequent earthquakes occur in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is located over multiple fault lines in the region where the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates meet. These plates collide often, leading to significant tectonic activity in the region.
The Hindu Kush mountain range and the Pamir Knot are geologically complex regions where tectonic plates meet. The collision and convergence of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate result in the folding and faulting of the Earth’s crust. This geological complexity contributes to the occurrence of earthquakes in the region.
The ongoing northward movement of the Indian Plate towards the Eurasian Plate also results in compression, leading to the uplift of the Himalayas and the transmission of tectonic stress across the entire region.
Afghanistan is also crisscrossed by various active fault systems like the Chaman Fault and the Main Pamir Thrust.

Source: TH

9. Major regional disparity in overcoming cancer though survival rates are up: study

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Health

Context:

Roughly 52% of cervical cancer cases diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 survived, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, based on data from Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) across India.

Report findings:

Research conducted by: National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
It is a notable improvement (52%) of approximately 6% compared to the previous SurvCan survey-3, where the survival rate was recorded at 46%.
Various urban PBCRs from different regions of India were assessed to find the survival rates of cervical cancer patients and it was found that there was significant variation in survival rates across these regions.
Among those that participated in the study, Ahmedabad’s urban PBCR demonstrated the highest survival rate at 61.5%, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 58.8% and Kollam at 56.1% and in contrast, Tripura reported the lowest survival rate at 1.6%.
Survival rates were lower in India’s northeastern region, particularly in PBCRs in Tripura, Pasighat and Kamrup urban.
Factors including access to diagnostic services, effective treatment varied across the population, distance from clinical care facilities, travel costs, co-morbidities, and poverty contributed to survival rates.

Cervical Cancer:

Cervical cancer is a growth of cells that starts in the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Various strains of the human papillomavirus(HPV) play a role in causing most cervical cancers.

Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs):

National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) commenced as a long term activity of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with a network of cancer registries across the country in December 1981.
Three Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCR) at Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai started functioning in January 1982.Three Hospital Based Cancer Registries (HBCR) at Chandigarh, Dibrugarh and Thiruvananthapuram were initiated in the same year.
PBCRs systematically collect data on all new cases of cancer occurring in a well defined population from multiple sources of registrations (SoR) such as Government Hospitals, Private Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Clinics, Diagnostic Labs, Imaging centres, Hospices and Registrars of Births & Deaths.
ICMR-NCDIR coordinates the activities of the PBCRs. ICMR-NCDIR offers training, technical support, data evaluation and analytics to PBCRs for reporting the incidence, trends and patterns of cancer in the PBCR coverage areas and for India.

Source: TH

10. Now, a portable sterilisation system that will benefit remote areas

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Health

Context:

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed a new way to sterilize surgical instruments that dentists use at medical camps in remote and rural areas with poor access to electricity and water.

Details:

Project funded by: Climate Change and Clean Energy (C3E) Division, Department of Science and Technology.
The sterilization system uses portable steam cylinders charged by solar energy-based stations that are strategically placed in rural areas for power generation, steam generation and other uses.
The team also designed special sterilisation chambers to use stored steam to sterilise the instruments.
Lack of electricity and water led to improper sterilisation and consequently, post-treatment infections.

Significance of this system:

Steam sterilization is one of the best disinfecting methods.
Currently, as doctors carry a limited set of sterilized tools, they can treat only a handful of patients in a camp. Sterilization would disinfect contaminated surgical tools making them safe for reuse.
The technology requires no external source for heating; is portable and compact; has multi-layer insulation aided with vacuum layer; besides an integrated exothermic capsule integration system to increase the efficiency of the steam storage cylinder that can capture the unused steam and reuse it.

Source: TH

11. MSP calculations still continue with old formula & not on comprehensive cost

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic geography

Context:

The Union government on October 18, 2023 announced an increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP) for six Rabi crops (rapeseed and mustard, wheat, safflower, barley, gram and lentils) for the 2024-25 marketing season.

Details:

The announcement has set off discussions on the government not following MS Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation of adding a profit margin of 50 per cent on the cost of production to calculate MSP.
If the recommendations were followed, the MSP of the six crops would be higher. For example, the MSP for wheat, which is the main Rabi crop, would be Rs 2,478 per quintal as opposed to Rs 2,275 announced by the government. The farmers will lose Rs 203 on every quintal of wheat sold in the market.
The highest increase in MSP has been approved for lentils (masoor dal) at Rs 425 per quintal, followed by rapeseed and mustard at Rs 200 per quintal.
Wheat and safflower got an increase of Rs 150 per quintal each. Barley and gram saw MSP hike of Rs 115 per quintal and Rs 105 per quintal respectively.

Minimum Support Price (MSP):

MSP is the minimum price at which the government procures crops from farmers.
The actual amount depends on the method used to calculate cost of production (CoP).
Fixing MSP based on the Swaminathan report has been a long demand of farmer groups and was a major demand during the year-long farmers’ protest in 2021-22.
The government bases its announcement on the recommendations given by the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), which details three major formulae to arrive at MSP. These are:

A2: Costs incurred by the farmer in production of a particular crop. It includes several inputs such as expenditure on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, leased-in land, hired labour, machinery and fuel
A2+FL: Costs incurred by the farmer and the value of family labour
C2: A comprehensive cost, which is A2+FL cost plus imputed rental value of owned land plus interest on fixed capital, rent paid for leased-in land.

CACP recommendation vs. Swaminathan committee recommendation:

The National Commission of Farmers also known as the Swaminathan Commission recommended that the MSP should at least be 50 per cent more than the weighted average CoP, which it refers to as the C2 cost.
The government maintains that the MSP was fixed at a level of at least 1.5 times of the all-India weighted average CoP, but it calculates this cost as 1.5 times of A2+FL.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has referred to the ‘A2+FL’ costs as the cost of production on which it has based its MSP calculations.
Now if the C2+50% formula is to be applied, the difference between the declared MSP and the one that the farmers have been demanding ranges between Rs 203 per quintal and Rs 1,380 per quintal, depending on the crop.

Source: DownToEarth

12. Saltwater crocodiles are slowly returning to Bali and Java. Can we learn to live alongside them?

Subject: Geography

Section: Species in news

Context:

A three-metre saltwater crocodile was seen on the Legian Beach, one of Bali’s most popular spots. Another was seen in Lombok’s Awang Bay, Indonesia.

Saltwater crocodiles:

Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylusporosus) are also known as estuarine crocodiles, as they prefer to live in mangrove-lined rivers, and native to saltwater habitats, brackish wetlands and freshwater rivers from India’s east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia.
They’re the largest living reptile, reaching up to seven metres in length– far larger than Indonesia’s famous Komodo dragon, which tops out at three metres.
These crocodiles are the most territorial of all crocodilians. Dominant males push out smaller male crocodiles, who set out in search of new habitat.
Worldwide, saltwater crocodiles are listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
There is a full population recovery in parts of northern Australia.
In Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam the species is extinct.

Saltwater crocodile in Indonesia:

Historically found throughout Indonesia.
Killed off in Bali, Lombok, and Java. But survived in remote parts of Indonesia.
They emerge again on the island of Java, Bangka-Belitung islands off Sumatra and the provinces of East Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara and Riau.
For Bali and Lombok, crocodiles are likely migrating from the islands to the east, such as Flores, Lembata, Sumba and Timor.

Source: DownToEarth

13. MS Swaminathan — the Lord Krishna Indian agriculture lacks today

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic geography

Introduction:

American agronomist Norman Borlaug came to Delhi accompanied by M S Swaminathan and decided to send about 100 kg seeds each of four semi-dwarf wheat varieties he had bred at Mexico under a Rockefeller Foundation-funded programme — Sonora 63, Sonora 64, Mayo 64 and Lerma Rojo 64A — for testing under Indian conditions.
These varieties are less tall varieties with strong stems that responded to high-fertiliser doses and didn’t bend when their ears were heavy with well-filled grains.

Production of new crop varieties during Green Revolution:

In 1965-66 and 1966-67, India suffered back-to-back droughts. As foodgrain production fell to 72-74 million tonnes (mt), from the previous five years’ average of 83 mt, imports soared and touched 10.4 mt in 1966.
As the imported seeds (of Maxican varieties) got planted on a large scale, foodgrain output crossed 95 mt in 1967-68 and 108.5 mt by 1970-71.
Wheat production alone more than doubled from 11.4 mt to 23.8 mt between 1966-67 and 1970-71.
Now India has also developed its own hybrid wheat varieties viz. Kalyansona and Sonalika varieties.
- These produced amber-coloured grains with better chapati-making quality than the red kernels from the original Mexican varieties.
Other Wheat varieties: Arjun, HD 2285 and HD 2329
Rice varieties: IR 36 and IR64, Swarna and Samba Mahsuri.

S. Swaminathan:

As early as January 1968, he flagged the risks of pathogen and pest attacks from mono-cropping and unscientific tapping of underground water leading to the rapid exhaustion of this capital resource left to us through ages of natural farming.
The Green Revolution relied on breeding varieties enabling farmers to apply more nutrients and water.
This “more input, more output strategy” has yielded diminishing returns over time, apart from being environmentally and financially unsustainable.
Mr. Swaminathan would have focused on technologies for improved nutrient and water use efficiency (“less input, more output”) and breeding for climate change.
He would have championed cutting-edge agricultural biotechnology, gene modification and editing research with the same zeal as with the semi-dwarf wheat and rice varieties.

White revolution:

Operation Flood, launched on 13 January 1970, was the world’s largest dairy development program and a landmark project of India’s National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
It transformed India from a milk-deficient nation into the world’s largest milk producer, surpassing the United States of America in 1998 with about 22.29 percent of global output in 2018.
Within 30 years, it doubled the milk available per person in India and made dairy farming India’s largest self-sustainable rural employment generator.
The program was launched to help farmers direct their own development, and to give them control of the resources they create. The program has since been termed the “White Revolution”.
Verghese Kurien is known as the father of the White Revolution.
He provided Amul with its technical backbone and invented the world’s first spray dryer (H M Dalaya) for making powder from buffalo milk.

Source: IE

14. Enforcing DTAA needs IT Act notiﬁcation: SC

Subject: Economy

Section: External sector

In News: DTAA can’t be enforced unless notified under Section 90 of Income Tax Act, says SC

Key Points:

Supreme Court on Thursday held that a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) cannot be given effect unless notified under the Income Tax Act.
Court set aside order by Delhi High Court. Section 90 of the Income Tax Act prescribes tax relief under the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).

Concept:

Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) is a treaty signed between two or more countries and is applicable in cases where a taxpayer residing in one country has to earn his/her income from another country.

It is signed between two countries, which, through the elimination of international double taxation, promotes the exchange of goods, services, and investment of capital between the two countries. This implies that there are consented tax rates and jurisdiction on specified kinds of incomes arising in one country to a tax resident of another nation.

India establishes DTAAs with other countries through Section 90 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. India has DTAAs with more than 80 countries. It is legislated on a reciprocal basis and covers residents of India as well as the residents of the negotiating country. An individual or a corporation not a resident of India or the country with which DTAA is signed cannot claim benefits under DTAAs.

DTAA can either cover all types of income or can target a specific type of income depending upon the types of businesses/holdings of citizens of one country in another. The following categories are covered under the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA):

services
salary
property
capital gains
savings/fixed deposit accounts

Benefits:

Sections 90 and 91 under the Income Tax Act 1961 offer specific relief to taxpayers to avoid double taxation.

Section 90 deals with those provisions involving taxpayers who have paid tax to another country with which India has a DTAA.
Section 91 is for those countries with which India does not have a DTAA.

Some of the major benefits of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) are mentioned below:

Relief on double taxation is provided by the exemption of incomes earned abroad from tax in the resident country or by providing credit to the extent taxes that have already been paid abroad.
In some cases, the DTAA also provides concessional rates of tax.
DTAA can become an incentive for even legitimate investors to route investments through low-tax regimes to sidestep taxation.
DTAA also provides tax certainty to the various investors and businesses of both the countries through the clear allocation of taxing rights between the contracting states by Agreement.

What is the MFN clause?

This clause provides for lowering of rate of taxation at source on dividends, interest, royalties or fees for technical services (FTS) or restriction of scope of royalty/FTS in the treaty, similar to concession given to another OECD country subsequently.
In other words the best concession offered to any OECD country will be available to the treaty partner.
The government argued that India follows the “dualist” practice which means that international treaties and conventions upon their ratification are not automatically assimilated into municipal law (the national legal system) but require enabling legislation.
Now the government is likely to generate greater tax revenue in such matters but there may be litigation from foreign firms.

15. Term deposit rates have reached their peak in last 5 years

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

Key Points:

Term deposit rates have surged to their highest levels in the past five years as banks rush to meet strong credit demand, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s latest monthly bulletin.
Term deposit rates of more than one-year tenor are currently (as on October 6, 2023) in the 6-7.25 per cent range against 5.45-6.10 per cent range as on October 7, 2022, per RBI data.
Banks are trying to bridge the funding gap caused by faster credit vis-à-vis deposit growth. The liquidity crunch is causing banks to attract more deposits.
The structural liquidity mismatch in the banking system is reflected in the highest issuances of certificates of deposits (CDs) in September during the current financial year.
Outflows on account of tax payments and increased demand for credit ahead of the festival season have also tightened access to liquidity.
Renewed government spending and the release of the last tranche of the incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) will likely ease liquidity but CD raising will likely continue.

16. Mumbai’s air quality worse than Delhi, AQI dips to 156 due to development projects

Subject :Environment

Section: Pollution

Major Air Pollutants:

CO:

By incomplete combustion of carbon based fuels, Automobile exhaust, Cigarette smoke
Combines with hemoglobin to form carboxy haemoglobin, which is highly stable & reduces oxygen carrying capacity of blood
Slow our reflexes & make us confused & sleepy

CO2:

Major greenhouse gas formed by respiration, burning of fuels, decomposition of lime, volcanic eruption.

CFCs:

Released mainly from air conditioning systems & refrigeration
Detrimental to Ozone layer present in the stratosphere as CFC + UV >> Cl (Chlorine radicals which causes breakdown of Ozone)

Lead:

Present in petrol, diesel, lead batteries, paints, hair dye products etc. (Affects children in particular)
Damages nervous system & cause digestive problems & in some cases causes cancer

O3:

Formed when NOx particle from vehicle exhaust & volatile Hydrocarbons interact with each other in presence of sunlight

SPM:

SPMs in air, when breathed in causes lung damage & respiratory problems

SO2:

Produced from burning coal (60 %), mainly in thermal power plants + Petroleum products + in production of paper & smelting of metals
Major contributor to smog causing lung diseases

CH4:

Mainly CH4 burns in fossil fuels + produced by burning of vegetation / rotting

Acid Rain:

Ph< 5.6 (Rain with oxides of sulphur & nitrogen (SO2 & NO2)) – HNO3 + H2SO4

NOx

NO3- → Acts as a fertilizer to the soil
Automobile exhaust produces NO2 which damages plant leaves & retard rate of photosynthesis + also causes red haze & lung irritation

Classical Smog

Occurs in cool humid climate
Chemically reducing hence called reducing smog
Smoke + fog + SO2.

AQI

(AQI) is A tool for effective dissemination of air quality information to people. An Expert Group comprising medical professionals, air quality experts, academia, advocacy groups, and SPCBs was constituted and a technical study was awarded to IIT Kanpur. IIT Kanpur and the Expert Group recommended an AQI scheme.

There are six AQI categories, namely Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. The proposed AQI will consider eight pollutants (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃, NH₃, and Pb) for which short-term (up to 24-hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.

Based on the measured ambient concentrations, corresponding standards and likely health impact, a sub-index is calculated for each of these pollutants. The worst sub-index reflects overall AQI. Associated likely health impacts for different AQI categories and pollutants have been also been suggested, with primary inputs from the medical expert members of the group. The AQI values and corresponding ambient concentrations (health breakpoints) as well as associated likely health impacts for the identified eight pollutants are as follows: