Daily Prelims Notes 21 December 2020

December 21, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Table Of Contents

Subject: Science & tech

Context: Using the technique of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), Dr Bing Chen and colleagues at Boston Children’s Hospital have freeze-framed the spike protein in both its shapes — before and after fusion with the cell.

Concept:

Cryo-electron microscopy is a specific type of electron microscopy that is based on the principle of forming a 3D image by collection and combination of thousands of projections of bio-molecules.
With the help of this, the researchers can now visualize the processes never seen before by freezing the mid-movement of the bio-molecules.
Cryo-electron microscopy makes it possible to freeze the bio-molecules at the cryogenic temperature ie, at -150°C, preserving their natural shape. By this, the structure of molecules is revealed in exquisite detail.
It is significant for better understanding of basic Chemistry and for the development of pharmaceuticals as it simplifies and improves the imaging of bio-molecules.
It facilitates the study of fine viruses, protein complexes and cellular structures at a molecular resolution as it gives the scientists an opportunity to have a look at the machinery of life in a 3D form.
The earlier forms of electron microscopes made it impossible to study the bio-molecules in 3D form as the powerful beams often destroyed the biological matter.
The resolution now has improved from shapeless blobs to imaging the proteins at atomic resolution. The Cryo-Electron Microscopy has broken several limitations, moving biochemistry into a new Era.

2. PATHALGADI MOVEMENT

Subject : Social Issue

Concept :

Pathalgadi Movement:

Pathalgadi’ literally means carving a stone — it is an ancient tradition in the tribal communities of Jharkhand.
Adivasis usually erected engraved stones to mark the birth or death of a person.
The practice took on a new meaning after tribal activists, former IAS officer B.D. Sharma (now deceased) and IPS officer Bandi Oraon, initiated the practice of erecting stones outside villages after the Panchayat (Extension of Scheduled Area) Act came into existence in 1996.
That Act empowered the gram sabhas or panchayats to safeguard and preserve their traditions, community spaces and culture, and gave them the right to mandatory consultation in land acquisition.
The two civil servants got stones engraved with the provisions of the PESA Act to spread awareness among the tribals about their rights.
These green-painted stones are usually 15-feet long and 4-feet wide, and are found in four districts of Jharkhand, including Khunti, the birthplace of Adivasi icon Birsa Munda.
The stones include excerpts from the PESA Act and the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which deals with the administration and control of ‘scheduled areas’ as well as of Scheduled Tribes residing in that area.
The stones signify self-rule by the local gram panchayat, declaring the village as sovereign territory and prohibiting the entry of outsiders into the village.
The supporters of the movement also declare the gram sabha as the highest authority, and refuse to obey the state and central governments.
The current movement was against the proposed amendments to the Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act in Jharkhand which were impairing tribal rights over their land.

3. GURU TEGH BAHADUR

Subject : History

Context :Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in New Delhi. The Prime Minister paid his respects at the gurdwara a day after the death anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Concept :

Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621 – 1675) was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion.
He was born as Tyaga Mal. He came to be known by the name Teg Bahadur (Mighty of The Sword), given to him by Guru Hargobind after he shown his valour in a battle against the Mughals.
His father was the Sixth guru, Guru Hargobind. His son Guru Gobind Singh, became the tenth Sikh guru.

Life and works:

He built the city of Anandpur Sahib (in Rupnagar/Ropar district, on the edge of Shivalik Hills, near the Sutlej River, in Punjab). Here the last two Sikh Gurus lived and where Guru Gobind Singh Ji founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699.
He contributed more than 100 poetic hymns to Granth Sahib which cover various topics, such as the nature of God, human attachments, body, mind, dignity service etc.
He resisted the forced conversions of Kashmiri Pandits and non-Muslims to Islam.

Martyrdom:

He was publicly beheaded in 1675 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for himself refusing to convert to Islam. He is remembered for giving up his life for freedom of religion.
His martyrdom is remembered as the Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur every year on 24 November, according to the Nanakshahi calendar released by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in 2003.

Memorials in Delhi:

Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib mark the place of his execution.
Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib mark the places of cremation of his body.

4. SUPPLEMENTARY GRANTS

Subject : Polity

Context : With the Winter Session of Parliament standing cancelled, Central ministries, departments lose access to supplementary demands for grants.

Concept :

Article 115: Supplementary, additional or excess grants.
Supplementary grants are the additional grant required to meet the required expenditure of the government.
When grants, authorised by the Parliament, fall short of the required expenditure, an estimate is presented before the Parliament for Supplementary or Additional grants. These grants are presented and passed by the Parliament before the end of the financial year.
When actual expenditure incurred exceeds the approved grants of the Parliament, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Railways presents a Demand for Excess Grant. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India bring such excesses to the notice of the Parliament.
The Public Accounts Committee examines these excesses and gives recommendations to the Parliament. The Demand for Excess Grants is made after the actual expenditure is incurred and is presented to the Parliament after the end of the financial year in which the expenses were made.

Other grants:

Additional Grant: It is granted when a need has arisen during the current financial year for supplementary or additional expenditure upon some new service not contemplated in the Budget for that year.
Excess Grant: It is granted when money has been spent on any service during a financial year in excess of the amount granted for that year. The demands for excess grants are made after the expenditure has actually been incurred and after the financial year to which it relates, has expired.
Exceptional Grants: It is granted for an exceptional purpose which forms no part of the current service of any financial year
Token Grant: It is granted when funds to meet proposed expenditure on a new service can be made available by re-appropriation, a demand for the grant of a token sum may be submitted to the vote of the House and, if the House assents to the demand, funds may be so made available.

5. REHABILITATION CENTRE FOR MONKEYS

Subject : Environment

Context :The first rescue and rehabilitation centre for monkeys in Telangana was inaugurated at Gandi Ramanna Haritavanam near Chincholi village in Nirmal district.

Concept :

Monkeys that venture into human habitations would be caught in a phased manner, brought to the centre where they would be operated on for birth control and would be released into the forests again after the rehabilitation period.
To make the rehabilitation centre a sustainable habitat for the primates, several fruit and flowering plants, a variety of trees that provide shade, and medicinal plants would be grown.
It is the second such facility for the primates in the country. The rehabilitation centre for the monkeys was also the first such facility in south India.
The other facility in the country was in Himachal Pradesh.

6. COASTAL RADAR CHAIN NETWORK

Subject : Defence

Context : As part of India’s efforts to further expand the coastal radar chain network meant to enable real-time monitoring of the high seas for threats, efforts are in advanced stages to set up coastal radar stations in the Indian Ocean littoral states of Maldives, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Concept :

Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka have already been integrated into the country’s coastal radar chain network. Similar plans are in the pipeline with Maldives and Myanmar and discussions are ongoing with Bangladesh and Thailand.
Under Phase-I of the coastal radar chain network, 46 coastal radar stations have been set up across the country’s coastline.
Under Phase-II of the project, which is currently under way, 38 static radar stations and four mobile radar stations are being set up by the Coast Guard and is in advanced stage of completion.

Other developments:

The Indian Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) located in Gurugram, which was set up after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is the nodal agency for maritime data fusion.
As part of information exchange regarding traffic on the high seas, the Navy has been authorised by the government to conclude white shipping agreements with 36 countries and three multilateral constructs. So far agreements have been concluded with 22 countries and one multilateral construct.
At the Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) which is meant to promote Maritime Domain Awareness, three more International Liaison Officers (ILO) are expected to join soon. The ILOs from France, Japan and the U.S. have joined the centre.

7. INDIGENOUS GAMES

Subject : Culture

Context : The Sports Ministry has approved the inclusion of four Indigenous Games to be a part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, scheduled to take place in Haryana. The games include: Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba.

Concept :

Kalaripayattu has its origin from Kerala and has practitioners all over the world; Bollywood actor Vidyut Jammwal being one.
Mallakhamba, meanwhile, has been well-known across India and Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been the hotspots of this sport.
Gatka originates from the State of Punjab and this traditional fighting style of the Nihang Sikh Warriors is used both as self-defense as well as a sport.
Thang-Ta, a Manipur marital art has passed into oblivion in the recent decades, but the sport will get national recognition again with the help of the Khelo India Youth Games 2021.

8. LANCET CITIZENS COMMISSION

Subject : Current Events

Context : The Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System, a cross-sector initiative to develop a citizens’ roadmap to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in India over a period of ten years, was launched online.

Concept :

It was a first-of-its-kind participatory, countrywide initiative, in collaboration with world’s leading health journal The Lancet and the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University.
The mission of the Commission is to lay out the path to achieving UHC in India in the coming decade, working with all stakeholders.
The Commission will be guided by four principles:

UHC covers all health concerns;

Prevention and long-term care are key;

Concern is financial protection for all health costs, and

Aspiring for a health system that can be accessed by all who enjoy the same quality.