Daily Prelims Notes 21 September 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

21 September 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Three Decades After JMM Bribery Scandal, SC To Revisit Verdict On MP, MLAs’ Immunity From Prosecution For Taking Bribe To Vote
2. Before quota, delimitation: What is it, why is it needed
3. Can ISRO’s Aditya L1 mission face any danger after NASA’s Parker Solar Probe faces most powerful CMEs?
4. The study throws light on how gravitational instabilities affect the evolution of galaxies
5. How India’s lunar landing shapes the future of space exploration, geopolitics
6. Constitution Bench to examine validity of extending reservation of seats for SCs/STs in LS, Assemblies
7. Constitution Bench to hear challenge to Section 6A of Citizenship Act on October 17
8. An ancient landmass broke-up, giving us pink diamonds
9. India mulls annual audit of raw material suppliers by drugmakers
10. Oldest yet fossils of a plant-eating dinosaur found in Rajasthan
11. UN General Assembly 2023: Crucial biodiversity fund gets enough money to be operational
12. Wildlife Institute’s biodiversity study for rail project in Western Ghats raises conflict of interest concerns
13. US economy heading towards a ‘hard landing’
14. Infra needs green ratings
15. Odisha to join list of wind power States
16. IUCN takes up $15b Indian ocean habitat project as part of the Great Blue Wall Initiative

1. Three Decades After JMM Bribery Scandal, SC To Revisit Verdict On MP, MLAs’ Immunity From Prosecution For Taking Bribe To Vote

Subject: Polity

Section: Parliament

Context: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to reconsider a 25-year-old verdict by a five-judge bench to grant immunity from criminal prosecution to MPs and MLAs who take bribes to cast their votes or deliver speeches in the House in a “particular manner”

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said that a seven-judge bench will examine “the correctness” of the verdict delivered in the 1998 PV Narasimha Rao versus State case.

What is the case?

• The case deals with the interpretation of Articles 105(2) and 194(2) of the Constitution, which protect legislators from criminal or civil proceedings in any court for anything they say or any vote they cast in Parliament or in the State Legislative Assemblies.
• The 1998 case pertained to allegations that Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren and four other party MPs had accepted bribes to vote against a no-confidence motion against the PV Narasimha Rao government in 1993. The Narasimha Rao government, which was in a minority, survived the no-confidence vote with their support.
• The Supreme Court had quashed the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation, citing the immunity under Article 105 (2) of the Constitution.

Why now?

• In March 2019, a three-judge bench headed by former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had referred the appeal to a five-judge bench, noting that it involved interpreting the 1998 verdict. The three-judge bench had said that the case had “wide ramification” and was of “substantial public importance”.
• On Wednesday, the court was hearing an appeal filed by Sita Soren, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA and daughter-in-law of Shibu Soren. She has been accused of taking a bribe to vote for an Independent candidate in Rajya Sabha elections in 2012.The Jharkhand High Court had refused to accept her plea of immunity on February 17, 2014, following which she had approached the Supreme Court.

Why important?

The Supreme Court said it was an important matter that had a significant bearing on “morality of polity”

Origin of Parliamentary Privileges

• The Government of India Act, 1935 first brought this provision to India, with references to the powers and privileges enjoyed by the House of Commons in Britain.
• An initial draft of the Constitution too contained the reference to the House of Commons, but it was subsequently dropped.

Parliamentary Privileges

• Parliamentary privileges are special rights, immunities and exemptions enjoyed by the two Houses of Parliament, their committees and their members.
• These privileges are defined in Article 105 of the Indian Constitution.
• Article 105 of the Constitution expressly mentions two privileges, that is, freedom of speech in Parliament and right of publication of its proceedings.
• Apart from the privileges as specified in the Constitution, the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, provides for freedom from arrest and detention of members under civil process .
• The privileges are claimed only when the person is a member of the house.  As soon as s/he ends to be a member, the privileges are said to be called off.
• This immunity extends to certain non-members as well, such as the Attorney General of India or a Minister who may not be a member but speaks in the House.
• Parliament has not made any special law to exhaustively codify all the privileges. They are rather based on five sources:
  • Constitutional provisions
  • Various laws made by Parliament
  • Rules of both the Houses
  • Parliamentary conventions
  • Judicial interpretations.

Freedom of Speech in Parliament:

• The freedom of speech and expression guaranteed to a citizen under Article 19(2) is different from the freedom of speech and expression provided to a member of the parliament.
• It has been guaranteed under Article 105(1) of the Indian constitution. But the freedom is subject to rules and orders which regulate the proceedings of the parliament.

Limitations:

• Freedom of speech should be in accordance with the constitutional provisions and subject to rules and procedures of the parliament, as stated under Article 118 of the Constitution.
• Under Article 121 of the Constitution, the members of the parliament are restricted from discussing the conduct of the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court.

Freedom from Arrest:

• The members enjoy freedom from arrest in any civil case 40 days before and after the adjournment of the house and also when the house is in session.
• No member can be arrested from the limits of the parliament without the permission of the house to which s/he belongs so that there is no hindrance in performing their duties.
• If the detention of any members of the parliament is made, the chairman or the speaker should be informed by the concerned authority, of the reason for the arrest.
• But a member can be arrested outside the limits of the house on criminal charges against him under the Preventive Detention act, the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), the National Security Act (NSA), or any such act.

SC Observation :

• A five-judge Bench of the apex court ruled that the ordinary law would not apply to the acceptance of a bribe by an MP in case of parliamentary proceedings.
• “Broadly interpreted, as we think it should be, Article 105(2) protects a Member of Parliament against proceedings in court that relate to, or concern, or have a connection or nexus with anything said, or a vote given, by him in Parliament,” the court said, giving a wider ambit to the protection accorded under Article 105(2).
• In July 2021, the Supreme Court rejected Kerala government’s plea to withdraw criminal cases against its MLAs who were charged in the assembly.
• The Supreme court stated that Parliamentary Privileges are Not Gateways of Immunity and the legislators who indulge in vandalism and general mayhem cannot claim parliamentary privilege and immunity from criminal prosecution.

Right to Prohibit the Publication of Proceedings:

• Article 105(2) of the Constitution, no person shall be held liable for publishing any reports, discussions etc. of the house under the authority of the either house of parliament .
• For paramount and national importance, it is essential that the proceedings should be communicated to the public to aware them of what is going on in the parliament.

Collective privileges of the house:

• Various privileges such as internal autonomy, power to punish for contempt in case of breach of privileges and also external interferences by strangers, freedom of speech in the debates, and the passing of resolutions expressing the collective opinion of the members for the public interest, rule-making powers, etc. can be enjoyed collectively by the House itself.

2. Before quota, delimitation: What is it, why is it needed

Subject :Polity

Section: Constitution

Introduction

• The 128th Amendment Bill, 2023, passed by Lok Sabha, seeks 33% reservation for women in both Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. 
• Its implementation, contingent on the delimitation exercise, may face delays but will be overseen transparently by a dedicated commission.

What Does the Women’s Reservation Bill Say on the Implementation of the Quota?

• The Bill activates after a delimitation exercise following the first Census post-law commencement.
• This means the reservation’s implementation depends on two crucial processes:
  • Delimitation, which redraws constituencies using recent population data
  • The 2021 Census, forms the basis for delimitation
• The 2021 Census will increase Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies, with 33% reserved for women in future elections.
• Given the 2024 elections’ proximity, the earliest Lok Sabha’s women’s reservation might happen is in 2029, subject to timely Census, data publication, and delimitation completion.

Why is Delimitation Needed and How is it Carried Out?

• Delimitation ensures equitable representation by redrawing Lok Sabha and Assembly constituency boundaries for equal voter influence.
• It allocates Lok Sabha and state Assembly constituencies proportionally to state populations, maintaining fairness.
• Additionally, it prevents gerrymandering, ensuring equitable seat division without political bias.
• The Indian Constitution mandates delimitation after every Census through Article 82 and related articles (81, 170, 330, 332).
• An independent delimitation commission conducts the exercise to avoid election delays, with unchallengeable decisions in court.

When Was the Last Delimitation Exercise Carried Out?

• Since Independence, the Census has happened seven times, but delimitation only four times (1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002).
• Notably, the 2002 exercise focused on boundary redraws, keeping Lok Sabha constituencies unchanged since 1976.
• Constitutional amendments (42nd in 1976, 84th in 2001, and 87th in 2003) allowed delimitation deviations.
• Currently, the next delimitation should follow the first post-2026 Census, 25 years after the 84th Amendment.
• Normally, this would mean delimitation after the 2031 Census, but COVID-19 delayed the 2021 Census.
• If the house-listing phase occurs next year, population enumeration can start in 2025, and with the result publication, delimitation could use the delayed 2021 Census. 

What Makes Delimitation a Political Issue?

• Delimitation changes total Parliamentary and Assembly seats.
• Historical examples include Lok Sabha seats increasing from 489 to 494 after the 1951 Census, then to 522 after the 1961 Census, and finally to 543 after the 1971 Census.
• In the 1970s, concerns arose regarding the 1971 Census-based delimitation.
• It highlighted constitutional mandates allocating seats based on population ratios, potentially favoring states with lower population control efforts, resulting in more Lok Sabha seats.
• In 1976, to address concerns, Indira Gandhi’s government introduced the 42nd Amendment, suspending seat boundary redraws and allocation until 2001, as part of promoting family planning.
• The seat freeze was extended in 2001 by the NDA-I government via the Constitution (Eighty-Fourth Amendment) Act, 2002.

Delimitation Commission

• The Delimitation Commission is a high-level body set up by an act of the Parliament (under Article 82 of the constitution)
• It is appointed by the President.
• It works in tandem with the Election Commission of India.
• Delimitation Commission Members:
  • A retired judge of the Supreme Court
  • The Chief Election Commissioner
  • State Election Commissioners (of the respective states)

3. Can ISRO’s Aditya L1 mission face any danger after NASA’s Parker Solar Probe faces most powerful CMEs?

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Aditya L1 Mission:

• India’s first solar exploration mission aimed at studying the Sun in detail.
• Payloads: Carries seven distinct payloads.
• The latest update from ISRO indicates that the Aditya L1 Mission has successfully executed the Trans-Lagrangean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I)maneuver, positioning it on a trajectory toward the Sun-Earth L1 point.
• Aditya L1 has commenced collecting scientific data on the Sun.
• Arrival Timeline: Aditya L1 is anticipated to reach its designated L1 orbit around the Sun approximately 126 days (about 4 months) after its launch.

Understanding Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs):

• Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are massive eruptions of solar plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona.
• Space Weather Impact: CMEs influence space weather, potentially causing disruptions to satellites, communication systems, navigation technology, and even power grids on Earth.

Parker Solar Probe’s CME Encounter:

• On September 5, 2022, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe encountered one of the most powerful coronal mass ejections (CMEs) ever recorded.
• This encounter was not only an impressive engineering feat but also a significant scientific discovery.
• NASA collected valuable data about the CME and its effects during this encounter.

Potential Threats to Aditya-L1 Mission:

• Aditya L1 is on a trajectory to enter a halo orbit around Lagrange Point 1 (L1).
• Lagrange Point 1 is located approximately 1.5 million kilometers (about 1 million miles) from Earth (accounting for roughly 1 percent of the Earth-Sun distance)
• Solar Storm Expectation: Aditya L1 may potentially encounter solar storms during its journey, particularly due to the expected peak in solar activity.
• Distinct Proximity: Aditya L1’s proximity to the Sun is notably different from that of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which orbits at a much closer distance, approximately 6.9 million kilometers (about 4.3 million miles) from the Sun’s surface.
• Parker Solar Probe’s CME Encounter: To put it in perspective, the Parker Solar Probe previously faced CMEs when it was at a distance of approximately 9.2 million kilometers(about 5.7 million miles) from the solar surface, significantly closer than Aditya L1.

4. The study throws light on how gravitational instabilities affect the evolution of galaxies

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Study Overview:

• Conducted by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA)
• Investigated the connection between gravitational instabilities and galaxy evolution

Key Research Objectives:

• Explore the relationship between gravitational instabilities and various galaxy characteristics.
• Examine star formation, gas fraction, growth timescale of gravitational instabilities, and observed morphology to uncover patterns and connections within galaxies.

Data Source:

• Analyzed a sample of 175 galaxies from the Spitzer Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curves (SPARC) database, which provides comprehensive data on galaxy properties and rotation curves.

Gravitational Instabilities: 

• Physical conditions within a galaxy where gravitational forces disrupt or perturb the normal equilibrium of matter. 
• These instabilities can lead to various phenomena such as the formation of structures like stars, galaxies, and galaxy clusters.

Role of Dark Matter and Self-Regulation:

• Investigated the role in regulating galaxy stability and the influence of this mysterious component in the cosmos.
• Dark Matter: Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or interact with electromagnetic radiation (like light).
• Self-Regulation Hypothesis:
  • Whether stars and gas within galaxies can self-regulate stability levels.

Findings in Spiral Galaxies:

• Spiral galaxies, like the Milky Way, exhibit distinct characteristics:
  • Higher median star formation rate, suggesting active star-forming regions.
  • Lower stability levels indicate the presence of gravitational perturbations.
  • Reduced gas fraction, implying ongoing gas consumption in star formation (convert gas into stars).
    • Gas Fraction: The gas fraction is the proportion of a galaxy’s total mass that is composed of gas (mostly hydrogen and helium).
  • The shorter timescale for gravitational instability growth indicates a dynamic environment.
• Compared stability levels in nearby galaxies with those observed at high redshift, which are galaxies from the distant past.
• High redshift galaxies serve as precursors to galaxies in the local universe, allowing researchers to trace the evolution of galaxy stability over cosmic time.

Differences between redshift and blueshift:

5. How India’s lunar landing shapes the future of space exploration, geopolitics

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Space technology

 India’s Lunar Landing and the Artemis Accord:

• India’s successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the lunar south pole.
• Joining the Artemis Accord in June 2023 does not restrict India from advancing its space ambitions. There are no such restrictions in the accord.
• Specifics about ISRO’s engagement in Artemis and cooperation agreements are not available in the public domain yet.

The Future of Space Exploration:

• The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 governs space exploration and use, including lunar activities.
• Scientific missions aim to identify mineral resources on the Moon before considering commercial mining operations.
• Key questions include resource processing on the Moon, demand in terrestrial markets, investment requirements, and return on investment.

Artemis Accord vs. China-Russia’s ILRS Project:

• China and Russia announced the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project, which aims to establish a lunar base near the south pole of the Moon.
• There is limited information about China’s and Russia’s views on space resource utilization.

Mineral Exploration Without Appropriation:

• The Outer Space Treaty prohibits national appropriation of celestial bodies.
• Article 2 of the treatyprevents any claims of sovereignty over space bodies.
• The interpretation of Article 2 is a critical issue:
  • The US argues that space resource extraction constitutes “use” under Article 1, not appropriation under Article 2.
• The Artemis Accords align with the US interpretation of Article 2 and emphasize compliance with the Outer Space Treaty.
• The participating countries, including India, have accepted the US interpretation of Article 2 by signing the Artemis Accords.

Outer Space Treaty (1967):

• Purpose: Establishes principles for peaceful and cooperative use of outer space.
• Key Principles:
  • Peaceful use: Space for peaceful purposes, no WMDs.
  • Non-appropriation: No sovereignty claims.
  • Freedom of exploration: Open access for all.
  • International responsibility: States are liable for the damage.
  • Arms control: Ban nuclear weapons in space.
  • Registration: Requires nations to register space objects with the UN.
  • Environmental Protection: Prohibits harmful contamination.

Artemis Accords:

• Origin (2020s): NASA-led principles for lunar cooperation.
• Key Principles:
  • Peaceful purposes: Emphasizes peaceful lunar activities.
  • Transparency: Sharing of lunar activity plans.
  • Interoperability: Coordination for safety.
  • Heritage preservation: Protects lunar sites.
  • Resource utilization: Allows resource extraction.
  • Deconfliction: Minimizes interference.
• Criticism: Disputed by some nations, e.g., Russia and China, due to resource utilization and potential Outer Space Treaty conflicts.
• Commercial Involvement: Encourages private sector participation in lunar endeavors.

6. Constitution Bench to examine validity of extending reservation of seats for SCs/STs in LS, Assemblies

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context:

• A Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud decided to examine if clockwork extensions granted to reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies was constitutionally valid.

Reservation of Scheduled caste and schedule Tribes:

• 131 out of 543 seats of Lok Sabha are reserved for SC/ST communities. This is approx. 24% of all seats in Lok Sabha.
• 84 seats are reserved for SC and 47 seats (increased from 41 during 15th Lok Sabha elections) are reserved for ST.
• Article 243D provides reservation of seats for SCs and STs in every Panchayat.
• Article 233T provides reservation of seats for SCs and STs in every Municipality.
• Article 335 of the constitution says that the claims of STs and STs shall be taken into consideration constituently with the maintenance of efficacy of the administration.

Article 344 of the Part XVI of the Indian constitution:

• Article 334 of the Constitution mentions the special provision of reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the special representation of the Anglo-Indian community by nomination in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies to cease after a certain period.

What does the constitution says about reservation:

• Originally, the Constituent Assembly under Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had meant reservation for SCs/STsonly for a period of 10 years from the commencement of the Indian Constitution in 1950.
• But several amendments (from 8th amendment in 1969 to 104 amendment 2019) to Article 334of the constitution extended the reservation every time for the next  10 years.
• The 2019 Actterminated the reservation for the Anglo-Indian community and fixed 2030as the deadline to end the reservation for SCs/STs in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

What will the constitutional bench examine?

• The Constitution Bench will examine whether the Parliament can use its constituent power to repeatedly amend Article 334 merely in order to keep reservation of seats for the SC/ST communities in the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies of the States alive.
• The Constitution Bench also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna, M.M. Sundresh, J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
• The petition has argued that these periodic extensions of reservation amounted to a violation of the fundamental right to equality under Article 14 of the Constitution.

7. Constitution Bench to hear challenge to Section 6A of Citizenship Act on October 17

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context:

• A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud decided to hear from October 17 a series of petitions challenging the constitutionality of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955:

• Section 6A is a special provision inserted into the 1955 Act in furtherance of a Memorandum of Settlement called the ‘Assam Accord’ signed on August 15, 1985 by the then Rajiv Gandhi government with the leaders of the Assam Movement to preserve and protect the Assamese culture, heritage, linguistic and social identity.
• Under Section 6A, foreigners who had entered Assam before January 1, 1966, and been “ordinarily resident” in the State, would have all the rights and obligations of Indian citizens. Those who had entered the State between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 would have the same rights and obligations except that they would not be able to vote for 10 years.

Assam accord:

• The Assam Accord was signed in 1985 between the Union government and the All Assam Students’ Union at the end of a 6-year-long agitation against the influx of migrants from Bangladesh into the state.
• It determines who is a foreigner in the state of Assam.
• The plea before the Supreme Court challenges one of the core elements of the Assam Accord and the basis of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, published in 2019.
  • The final NRC in Assam which was published in 2019 was conducted with this cut-off date of 24 March 1971.
• Clause 5 of the Assam Accord states that January 1, 1966 shall serve as the base cut-off date for the detection and deletion of “foreigners”.
• But it also contains provisions for the regularization of those who arrived in the state after that date and up till March 24, 1971.

National Register of Citizens (NRC):

• National Register of Citizens, 1951 is a register prepared after the conduct of the Census of 1951 in respect of each village, showing the houses or holdings in a serial order and indicating against each house or holding the number and names of persons staying therein.
• The NRC was published only once in 1951 and since then, it has not been updated until 2019.
• It has been updated in Assam only for now and the government plans to update it nationally as well.
• The NRC of 1951 and the Electoral Roll of 1971 (up to midnight of 24 March 1971) are together called Legacy Data. Persons and their descendants whose names appeared in these documents are certified as Indian citizens.

8. An ancient landmass broke-up, giving us pink diamonds

Subject: Schemes

Section: Health

Context:

• Scientists said they have found the “missing ingredient” for pink diamonds, some of the world’s most expensive stones due their rarity and beauty, and the discovery could help find more.

Pink diamond:

• More than 90% of all the pink (and Red) diamonds ever found were discovered at the recently closed Argyle mine in the remote northwest of Australia.
• Generally diamond producing mines are located in the middle of the continent, but Argyle mine is located at the edge of Australia.
• By measuring the age of elements in the crystals, the researchers determined that Argyle was 1.3 billion years old. That lines up with the break-up of the world’s first supercontinent, known as Nuna.

Recent study findings:

• A team of Australia-based researchers said the pink diamonds were brought to the earth’s surface by the break-up of the first supercontinent around 1.3 billion years ago.
• Two of the three ingredients for forming pink diamonds had already been known.
  • The first ingredient is carbon, and it must be more than 150 km deep.
  • The second is just the right amount of pressure, to damage the otherwise clear diamonds.
  • The missing (3rd) ingredient was the event (collisions between western Australia and northern Australia 1.8 billion years ago) that sent the diamonds shooting up to the surface along with the magma.
• Old mountain belts of Canada, Russia, southern Africa and Australia are the possible locations where pink diamonds can be found.

Nuna supercontinent:

• Columbia, also known as Nuna or Hudsonland, was one of Earth’s ancient supercontinents. It was first proposed by John J.W. Rogers and M. Santosh in 2002 and is thought to have existed approximately 2,500 to 1,500 million years ago, in the Paleoproterozoic Era. The assembly of the supercontinent was likely completed during global-scale collisional events from 2100 to 1800 million years ago.
• Columbia consisted of proto-cratons that made up the cores of the continents of Laurentia, Baltica, Ukrainian Shield, Amazonian Shield, Australia, and possibly Siberia, North China, and Kalaharia as well.
• The evidence of Columbia’s existence is provided by geological and paleomagnetic data.

9. India mulls annual audit of raw material suppliers by drugmakers

Subject: Schemes

Section: Health

Context:

• India is considering making it mandatory for drugmakers to audit their raw material suppliers, at least once a year.

What is the need for mandatory auditing?

• Recently the World Health Organisation has flagged cough syrups made in India to death of several children in The Gambia and Uzbekistan.

Proposed guidelines by the CDSCO:

• The idea was mooted by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) at a meeting on revised Schedule M (GMP).
• The proposed annual audit will replace the existing self inspection, quality audits and supplier audits whose frequency is routine and on specific occasions such as product recall or inspection by the licensing authority (LA).
• The supplier’s audit will cover raw material and packaging material.
• The regulator listed excipient compatibility and stability studies, quality culture at all levels, data integrity as well as multi product manufacturing facilities and loan licensing among the concerns and challenges.
• Under the proposed provision on product recall, the drugmakers will have to inform the LA and comply with a comprehensive system specified for prompt and effective recall.

Schedule M of Good manufacturing Practices (GMP):

• Schedule M guides on Good Manufacturing Practices regarding company premises, quality control system, quality check laboratories, production, cleaning of equipment, housekeeping, cross-contamination, and other related topics.
• Schedule M-I: Deals with the requirements of factory premises for manufacturing of Homeopathic preparations.
• Schedule M-II: Deals with the requirements of premises, plant, and equipment for manufacture of cosmetics.
• Schedule M-III: Deals with the requirements of premises, plant, and equipment for manufacture of Medical devices.

About WHO- Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP):

• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP, also referred to as ‘cGMP’ or ‘current Good Manufacturing Practice’) is the aspect of quality assurance that ensures that medicinal products are consistently produced and controlled to the quality standards appropriate to their intended use and as required by the product specification.
• Complying with GMP will help avoid mix-ups, contamination, cross contamination, errors while ensuring quality of drugs, patient safety and building trust and confidence.

Details about CDSCO: https://optimizeias.com/cdsco-2/

10. Oldest yet fossils of a plant-eating dinosaur found in Rajasthan

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

• Scientists from IIT Roorkee have characterized dinosaur fossils from the Middle Jurassic period, found in the Thar desert near the Jaisalmer Basin by the Geological Survey of India.

What have the scientists found?

• They have uncovered remains of a sauropod dinosaur, which happened to be the oldest known fossils of this particular kind of sauropod.
• The fossils were found by Triparna Ghosh, Pragya Pandey, and Krishna Kumar from the Geological Survey of India.

Sauropods- Tharosaurus indicus:

• Sauropods first appeared on the earth during the Jurassic period, about 200 million years ago. They were one of the most dominant clades of dinosaurs, surviving until the late Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, when dinosaurs went extinct.
• Belonging to the family Dicraeosauridae and from the superfamily Diplodocoidea, these fossils are the firstdicraeosaurid sauropods to have been found in India.
• The scientists named the dinosaur Tharosaurus indicus, with Tharo deriving from the Thar desert;saurus from the Greek ‘sauros’, or lizard; and indicus from its Indian origin.
• At 167 million years old, they are the oldest known diplodocoid fossils in the world.
• They can grow more than a hundred feet. There are many sauropod groups that are even longer than the blue whale.
• India has also been home to a few early, more primitive sauropods, like Kotasaurus and Barapasaurus. They were both discovered in the Kota Formation, a geological rock unit in Telangana, from the Early Jurassic period.

Importance of Indian landmass:

• 167 million years ago, India was a part of a group of continents in the southern hemisphere with Africa, South America, Madagascar, and Antarctica, together called Gondwanaland.
• The scientists reasoned that these diplodocoid sauropods could have originated in India during the Middle Jurassic period and used the land connections at the time to migrate to Madagascar, Africa, and South America. After that they could have made their way to North America and the rest of the world.
• The diplodocoid fossils in other continents like Africa, the Americas, and Asia come from a younger geological interval. This increases the possibility that the Indian landmass was the site for the Tharosaurus’ early radiation.
• Together, the record from India suggests that the Indian landmass was one of the most important places for the early evolutionary history of sauropod dinosaurs.

Need of more fossils:

• In the Middle Jurassic, when Tharosaurus lived, the continents were beginning to split apart from the supercontinent Pangea, and as these dinosaurs spread, they evolved into new forms.
• More fossils of different parts of the Tharosaurus skeleton or of other related skeletons will help us better understand endemic sauropod evolution in India and global sauropod evolution and biogeography.
• In 2006, an Indo-German team found another middle Jurassic sauropod dinosaur fossil in the Kutch basin of Gujarat, named Camarasaurus supremus, which was also the oldest fossil of that group found at the time. There have been subsequent finds of extremely old sauropod fossils in the region by the same team since.

11. UN General Assembly 2023: Crucial biodiversity fund gets enough money to be operational

Subject: Environment

Section: International Convention

Context:

• At a high-level event, Nature and People: From Ambition to Action, at the ongoing 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the government of Germany pledged to contribute 40 million euros to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF).

Key outcomes of the high-level event:

• The GBFF was ratified in August at the Global Environment Facility Assembly but needed $200 million from at least three donors by December 2023 to be operational.
• At the Assembly, Canada committed 200 million Canadian dollars and the United Kingdom committed 10 million GBP and now $40 million is contributed by Germany. Thus the GBFF will become operational.
• Germany’s contribution was made through its International Climate Initiative.
  • Under Target 3, the world has to protect and conserve 30 per cent of land and ocean by 2030 (known as 30×30 target).

Contributions to fulfill 30×30 target of GBF:

• The new contributions for fulfillment of target 3 includes: the pledge by New Caledonia to strictly protect 10 percent of its maritime space by the end of the year.
• An additional 114,900 hectares of marine ecosystems across Comoros, St Lucia and Vanuatu would be restored under the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Ecosystem Restoration Flagship project announced at the high-level event.
• An indigenous-led finance mechanism, Community Land Rights and Conservation Finance Initiative (CLARIFI), received funds — 5 million euros — from German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to boost the role of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC) in decision-making on nature conservation.
  • IPLCs manage over at least 43.5 million square kilometres (32 per cent of global land) in 87 countries but less than 1 percent of funding for climate and biodiversity protection actually reaches them.

Community Land Rights and Conservation Finance Initiative (CLARIFI):

• CLARIFI is a new international funding mechanism led by RRI and Campaign for Nature.
• It aims to contribute to raising US$10 billion by 2030 and strategically deploying public and private funds to scale up the formal recognition of Indigenous Peoples’, Afro-descendant Peoples’, and local communities’ land rights, conservation, and sustainable management of their territories.
• It will contribute to raising USD $10 billion between now and 2030 to achieve the following goals:
  • Help protect at least 30% of the planet by 2030 by adding 400 million hectares to Indigenous Peoples’, Afro-descendant Peoples’, and local communities’ legally recognized territories.
  • Reduce deforestation to help reach the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
  • Increase these communities’ legal land ownership to at least 50% of all tropical forests.

For details of Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF): https://optimizeias.com/7th-gef-assembly-global-biodiversity-framework-fund-ratified/

12. Wildlife Institute’s biodiversity study for rail project in Western Ghats raises conflict of interest concerns

Subject: Environment

Section: Protected Areas

Context:

• In August 2017, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) prepared a biodiversity and environment assessment report for a project proposed by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) to double the railway track between Kulem in Goa and Castlerock in Karnataka.

Details:

• The report of IISc was peer reviewed by a group of 31 scientists who found misidentification and under-reporting of the region’s biodiversity, faulty methodology like sparse usage of camera traps and the selection of a time period when herpetofauna are relatively inactive, that is, winter, and also omissions of information.
• In May 2022, the Supreme court set aside the wildlife clearance of the project. Now the Wildlife Institute of India will assess the wildlife impact of the project.
• National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is the apex statutory body in India that is primarily responsible for wildlife conservation in the country.

What is the concern now?

• The scope of work of the study by WII is set by RVNL, the railway company which is the project proponent. So there is a clear conflict of interest.
• The second issue is that the project will be developed and tries to mitigate rather than avoid any possible impact arising due to the project, when the first rule in impact assessment is the principle of avoidance.

About the proposed project of doubling the railway track by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL):

• Location: Kulem in Goa and Castlerock in Karnataka
• The project seeks to cut through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park in the Western Ghats in Goa; and will also impact connectivity across the border with Kali Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.
• The project also includes laying of a 400-kV transmission line, which will involve the expansion of a national highway from Belagavi to Panaji from the existing two lanes to four lanes.

Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park:

• It is a 240 square kilometers (93 sq mi) protected area located in the Western Ghats of West India, in Dharbandora taluka, Goa State, along the eastern border with Karnataka.
• The area is situated near the town of Molem.
• National Highway 4A divides it into two parts and the Mormugao – Londa railway line passes through the area.
• It contains several important temples dating to the Kadambas of Goa, and home to waterfalls, such as Dudhsagar Falls and Tambdi Falls.
• Devils Canyon:
  • This is an eerie canyon of water carved crevices downstream fromDudhSagar Falls, created from solid rock by serpentine underwater currents.
• The parkland is also home to a community of nomadic buffalo herders known as the Dhangar.
• Threats to the sanctuary:
  • This protected area is threatened by extensive surface mining and transport of manganese and iron ores. A serious threat is the deposit of toxic wastes.

Amche Mollem campaign:

• The campaign was in response to the clearance of the project of doubling the railway track by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL).
• The Amche Mollem campaign won the Wildlife Service Award in 2021 for organizing Goans from all walks of life, from students and lawyers to fisherfolk, farmers and artists to send letters and petitions to the concerned officials, including the NBWL, the Goa government and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court.

13. US economy heading towards a ‘hard landing’

Subject :Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

In News: US economy likely to experience a hard landing in view of inflation and unemployment numbers.

Key Points:

• The recent inflation and employment data point to two things:
  • First, inflation continues to remain elevated vis-à-vis the US central bank’s goal of keeping the annual PCE price index increase to 2%.
  • Second, falling unemployment, is putting upward pressure on wages and, in turn, driving up inflation.

Why is a hard landing likely?

• Given the inflation scenario, the Federal Reserve has no choice but to raise interest rates further. As credit becomes more expensive, businesses and consumers will hire and spend less.
• Economic activity slowing would then reduce overall demand, help cool overheated labour markets, and eventually bring inflation under control.
• Fed has already substantially hiked its funds rate from a target range of 0-0.25% till March 16, 2022 to 4.5-4.75% in the last Federal Open Market Committee meeting on January.
• Hiking further would risk what economists term a “hard landing”. When inflation is persistent at 5% and the target is 2%, interest rates will have to be increased high and fast enough, and kept at those levels until economic activity moderates sufficiently.
• It is the opposite of subdued growth or a mild recession (“soft landing”), which follows the Fed having to raise rates only slowly and in small amounts to reduce inflation from, say, 3% and cool an economy not that overheated.

14. Infra needs green ratings

Subject :Economy

Section: National Income

In Brief: Infrastructure while growth promoting has negative effects for environmental and social (E&S) outcomes.

Key Points:

• The National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) outlines an investment of ₹111-lakh crore by 2025.
• These investments carry significant economic potential, with a rupee spent on infrastructure yielding a potent multiplier effect of 2.45 in the following year, and 3.14 in subsequent ones.
• The government is also equally committed to India’s environmental and social (E&S) goals.

What is the trade-off?

• An inherent flipside of infrastructure development is its significant negative E&S impact, creating conflict with India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and SDG goals.
• For instance, cement and steel are amongst the largest emitting sectors and could increase their carbon emissions six-fold by 2050. Large-scale infrastructure development will likely exacerbate India’s climate risks and socio-economic vulnerabilities.

Green rated projects:

• Economic growth can still be achieved without compromising on E&S goals by adopting a sustainable infrastructure development model.
• Institutions such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have their own infrastructure project assessment frameworks for determining their E&S risks.
• These, however, are adopted only by projects they fund and not by others. The current project development approach globally is compliance-led without considering the larger E&S goals.
• India presently does not have sustainable infrastructure guidelines.
• NaBFID can be made the implementing agency for a similar framework.

15. Odisha to join list of wind power States

Subject :Geography

Section: Economic Geography

In News: Odisha is all set to join the list of states that are home to the wind energy industry.

Key Points:

• At present, wind power plants are operational in eight states – Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh — with good wind speeds.
• Odisha is offering 500 MW of capacity under the ‘feed-in tariff’ mechanism and intends to provide incentives for turbines or components manufactured in the state.
• Feed-in tariff, or FiT, refers to a fixed, per kWhr price for electricity supplied, as opposed to tariffs discovered through competitive bidding. FiT is considered more remunerative for the energy companies.
• The current trend is towards the supply of round-the-clock renewable electricity, which means both wind and solar will have a complementary role to play.

Quick Facts:

• India stands 4th globally in Renewable energy installed capacity (including Large Hydro), 4th in Wind power and 4th in solar capacity.
• Total non-fossil capacity is 172.72 GW = 120 GW RE + 47 GW Large Hydro + 7 GW nuclear power.
• India has a little over 44 GW of wind power capacity today.
• Solar accounts for 40 GW.

16. IUCN takes up $15b Indian ocean habitat project as part of the Great Blue Wall Initiative

Subject : Environment

Section: Climate Change

In News: Citigroup and BNP among banks exploring $15 billion Indian Ocean project.

Key Points:

• Citigroup Inc., BNP Paribas SA and Standard Chartered Plc are among the banks looking into providing financing for a new $15 billion program to protect Indian ocean habitats.
• The private capital would feed into the Great Blue Wall initiative, which aside from the IUCN is also backed by the United Nations. The project has already raised $100 million.
• As much as a fifth of the $15 billion will be raised through debt-for-nature swaps.
• The program, which was first announced at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, is the latest to tap debt-for-nature swaps to fund ocean preservation and sustainable development.
• Debt-for-nature swaps are gaining traction, with Barclays Plc analysts estimating the market could reach $800 billion. Banks meanwhile are vying to arrange the deals, which yield lucrative fees and can bolster a firm’s ESG credentials.

Great Blue Wall Initiative At the UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow, Western Indian Ocean states and partners including International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have launched the Great Blue Wall initiative. The Great Blue Wall Initiative is a project for the western Indian Ocean countries that intends to adopt an action-driven, oriented and focused approach. The initiative sets out to help countries reach the following targets: protect 30% of the ocean by 2030; achieve net gain of critical blue ecosystems – such as mangroves, corals, seagrasses – by 2030; develop a regenerative blue economy and create millions of jobs by supporting local communities through funding, training and technical assistance. It aims to establish a network of marine and coastal conserved areas to benefit biodiversity and local livelihoods, empowering communities to become stewards of the ocean. Under the initiative countries will designate seascapes as IUCN Category VI conserved areas, which allow for sustainable use of natural resources to benefit local communities. Countries will also identify sites for conservation and restoration to achieve net gain of critical ecosystems like mangroves, seagrass meadows and coral reefs by 2030. Led by Western Indian Ocean countries, and supported by  IUCNand a coalition of partners, the Great Blue Wall initiative has called upon innovators to help enable the regeneration of the WIO while creating economic opportunities for the 70 million people currently dependent on it. Under the project, seascapes and conservation/restoration sites will be identified based on country priorities, opportunities, existing efforts, local partners’ needs, and availability of funding as well as on the already available science and knowledge.

What are we doing to protect our oceans?

• More than half of the world’s oxygen is generated by our oceans, and they absorb 50 times more CO2 than our atmosphere. So it is important to protect them against overfishing, plastic and noise pollution, coastal development, poaching and unsustainable tourism.
• Protecting our oceans is a key goal in the UN’s sustainable development goals
• And the World Economic Forum’s Ocean Action Agenda and Friends of Ocean Action recently launched an appeal – known as Ocean Action in 2023 – for continued ambitious progress to achieve ocean health through the suite of opportunities ahead.
• A healthier, more sustainable and profitable ocean may still be within reach with initiatives like the Great Blue Wall and many other efforts that aim to protect our oceans and ensure they are utilized sustainably for generations to come.