Daily Prelims Notes 22 April 2023

April 22, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

22 April 2023

Table Of Contents

1. UN reports ‘off the charts’ melting of glaciers

Subject: Environment

Section: climate change

Context: The last eight years have been the warmest ever recorded, while concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide hit new peaks, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization.

Findings of the report:

The world’s glaciers melted at dramatic speed last year and saving them is effectively a lost cause, the United Nations reported, as climate change indicators once again hit record highs.
The last eight years have been the warmest ever recorded, while concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide hit new peaks, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization.
Antarctic sea ice fell to its lowest extent on record and the melting of some European glaciers was, literally, off the charts
Sea levels are also at a record high, having risen by an average of 4.62 millimetres per year between 2013 and 2022 — double the rate it was between 1993 and 2002.
Record high temperatures were recorded in the oceans — where around 90% of the heat trapped on Earth by greenhouse gases ends up.
The global mean temperature in 2022 was 1.15 C above the 1850-1900 average, the WMO report
The report said greenhouse gas concentrations reached new global highs in 2021.
The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) reached 415.7 parts per million globally, or 149% of the pre-industrial (1750) level, while methane reached 262% and nitrous oxide hit 124%.
The world’s reference glaciers — those for which long-term observations exist — saw an average thickness loss of more than 1.3 metres between October 2021 and October 2022 — a loss much larger than the average over the last decade.The cumulative thickness loss since 1970 amounts to almost 30 metres.

UNESCO finds that some iconic World Heritage glaciers will disappear by 2050

Africa:
- According to available data, glaciers in all World Heritage sites in Africa will very likely be gone by 2050, incl. Kilimanjaro National Park and Mount Kenya
Asia:
- Glaciers in Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas (China) – #1 highest mass loss relative to 2000 (57.2%) and also the fastest melting glacier on the List
- Glaciers in Western Tien-Shan (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) have shrunk by 27% since 2000
Europe:
- Glaciers in Pyrenees Mont Perdu (France, Spain) – very likely to disappear by 2050
- Glaciers in The Dolomites (Italy) – very likely to disappear by 2050
Latin America:
- Glaciers in Los Alerces National Park (Argentina) – #2 highest mass loss relative to 2000 (45.6%)
- Glaciers in Huascaran National Park (Peru) have shrunk by 15% since 2000
North America:
- Glacierized patches in Yellowstone National Park (United States of America) – very likely to disappear by 2050
- Glaciers in Yosemite National Park (United States of America) – very likely to disappear by 2050
- Glaciers in Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (Canada, United States of America) have lost 26.5% of their volume in 20 years
Oceania:
- Glaciers in TeWahipounamu – South West New Zealand (New Zealand) have lost almost 20% of their volume since 2000

2. Andhra mining agency told to ‘go back’ by Nimmalapadu tribals at public hearing

Subject: Environment

Section: Environmental law

Section:

Context: First hearing since 1997 Supreme Court judgment, Kept out of mining lease decisions at least five times despite legal win, say villagers.

More on the News:

A public hearing for granting mining licences in a Fifth Schedule village in Andhra Pradesh was met with slogans to “go back” by tribal community members. Nimmalapadu had won a legal battle in 1997 against the state government and a private company to save their village from mining and has staved off several attempts to violate the ruling since then.
This public hearing was the first one in 31 years and came two months after Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) prepared an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report for obtaining environmental clearances. This is a fresh attempt by APMDC to grant mining licenses in the region.
The residents alleged the APMDC issued licences five times since 1997 to cooperatives or individuals from the state belonging to the Konda Dora community who did not belong to these villages. The state agency found new ways to keep the people out of the process and no hearings were conducted for granting these licences.

SC Direction:

The 1997 judgement was popularly called the Samata judgement after the name of the non-profit that helped the people fight the case.
- In the landmark ruling, the Supreme Court had declared that only people belonging to the Konda Dora tribe and their cooperatives could exploit minerals in Fifth Schedule areas and that private mining, even with government backing, is
Supreme Court reiterated the Constitution’s Fifth Schedule that land and resources in these areas should belong to the Scheduled Tribes. The state government should be responsible for encouraging tribal people to come forward by providing the necessary support.

Konda Dora tribe

Konda Dora is a tribal community living in the hilly regions of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. They are also known as Kondadora or Kondh, and speak the Kui language.
The Konda Dora tribe is known for their unique cultural practices, including the worship of the earth goddess, Dharani Penu. They also have a rich tradition of oral literature, which includes folk songs, myths, and legends.
The Konda Dora community is primarily involved in agriculture and forest-based livelihood activities such as hunting, fishing, and gathering of forest products. They practice shifting cultivation and grow crops such as paddy, millets, and vegetables. The tribe also has traditional knowledge about herbal medicines, which they use to treat various ailments.
The Konda Dora community has faced several challenges, including displacement from their ancestral lands due to mining and other development activities. They have also struggled with poverty, lack of access to basic amenities, and discrimination.

3. India lines up evacuation in Sudan

Subject : International Relations

Section: Places in news

Concept :

India began preparations for the evacuation of an estimated 3,000 Indian nationals presently situated in different parts of Sudan which has seen intense fighting between the army and a paramilitary force for a week now.

More Details

In Sudan, powerful rival military factions are battling for control.
The fight is between the army and the powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Both groups were allies. Together, they seized power in a 2021 coup.
But tensions increased over the proposed integration of the RSFinto the military.
The key question is who is in control and who would be the military’s commander-in-chief during an integration period.
Main players on the ground: Since the 2021 coup, Sudan has been run by a council of generals, led by the two military men at the centre of this dispute:
Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the armed forces and in effect the country’s president
And his deputy and leader of the RSF, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti.
They have disagreed on the direction the country is going in and the proposed move towards civilian rule.
The main sticking points are plans to include the 100,000-strong RSF into the army, and who would then lead the new force.

Rapid Support Forces

The RSF was formed in 2013 and has its origins in the notorious Janjaweed militia that brutally fought rebels in Darfur, where they were accused of ethnic cleansing.
Since then, Gen Dagalo has built a powerful force that has intervened in conflicts in Yemen and Libya. He has also developed economic interests including controlling some of Sudan’s gold mines.
The RSF has been accused of human rights abuses, including the massacre of more than 120 protesters in June 2019.
Such a strong force outside the army has been seen as a source of instability in the country.

About Sudan

Sudan is in north-east Africa and is one of the largest countries on the continent, covering 1.9 million square kilometres.
It is also one the poorest countries in the world, with its 46 million people living on an average annual income of $750 (£606) a head.
The population of Sudan is predominantly Muslim and the country’s official languages are Arabic and English.
Sudan borders the Red Sea, the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa.
Its strategic location and agricultural wealth have attracted regional power plays, complicating the chances of a successful transition.

4. TN assembly amends factories act 1948

Subject :Polity

Section: msc

Concept :

Tamil Nadu Assembly passed an amendment to the Factories Act, 1948, to enable exemption to industries from the present norms on maximum work hours, holidays and overtime wages as defined in the Act.
According to the amendment, the exemption can be provided by the government through a notification to “any factory or a group or class or description of factories” for certain period, subject to any conditions or restrictions mentioned in the notification.
This exemption will mean some industries can enable their workers to work longer hour.

Factories Act 1948:

The Factories Act, 1948 , as amended by the Factories (Amendment) Act, 1987, serves to assist in formulating national policies in India with respect to occupational safety and health in factories and docks in India.
It deals with various problems concerning safety, health, efficiency and well-being of the persons at work places.

Salient features of Factories Act, 1948

The word “factory” has been expanded by the Factories (Amendment) Act of 1976 to include contract labour when determining whether a factory has a maximum of 10 or 20 employees.
The Act increased the minimum age for children to work in workplaces from 12 to 14 and reduced their daily working hours from 5 to 4 and a half.
The Act forbids women and children from working in factories from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The difference between a seasonal and non-seasonal factory has been abolished by the Act.
The Act, which has provisions for factory registration and licencing.
The state government is required to make sure that all factories are registered and also have valid licencesthat are renewed from time to time.
The Act gives state governments the authority to enact rules and regulations that ask for management and employee association for the benefit of employees.
The state government has the authority to apply the Act’s requirements to any establishment, regardless of the number of employees inside and regardless of whether the establishment engages in manufacturing operations.
In Rabindra Agarwal v. State of Jharkhand (2010), the Jharkhand High Court held that the Factories Act, special legislation would prevail over the Indian Penal Code.

Application of the Factories Act,1948

The Act also applies to the whole country of India, and covers all manufacturing processes and premises that fall under the definition of a factory as defined in Section 2(m) of the Act.
It also applies to factories owned by the central or state governments, as defined in Section 116 of the Act.
The Act is applied and limited to factories that use power and employ 10 or more people on any working day in the preceding 12 months.
The Act is applied and limited to factories that do not use power and employ 20 or more people on any working day in the preceding 12 months.
The Act is also covered under Section 85 of the Factories Act by the state governments or Union Territories.

5. Supercritical carbon dioxide

Subject : Environment

Section: Climate change

Concept :

A new research by IIT Madras has suggested the use of Supercritical carbon dioxide to flush out oil from depleting oil and gas reservoirs.

About Supercritical carbon dioxide:-

Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) is a fluid state of CO2 where it is heated and held at or above its critical temperature(31∘C) and pressure(73 atm).
In this supercritical phase, CO2 exhibits properties and behaviours between that of a liquid and a gas.
Supercritical CO2 possesses liquid-like densities with gas-like diffusivity, surface tension and viscosity.

‘Surfactant-Alternating gas (SAG) injection’ approach:

In this process, carbon dioxide gas is injected into the reservoir, where it becomes supercritical, followed by injection of water or surfactant solution.

Use of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (CO2):-

It is used in the oil and gas industry for gas injections during enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques.
When supercritical CO2 reacts with water, carbonic acid (H2CO3) is formed.
Carbonic acid lowers the pH in the reserve and creates an environment that is corrosive to metal equipment.

6. EC should keep political parties in loop about defective VVPATs: Congress

Subject: Polity

Section: Elections

Context: The Congress slammed the Election Commission (EC) for not keeping political parties in loop as reports emerge that the EC has identified 6.5 lakh Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines as defective.

Concept:

The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballot less voting system.
The VVPAT is an independent printer system attached with Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) that allows the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended.
It generates a paper slip every time a voter casts his vote, recording the party to whom the vote was made. The VVPAT slip is kept in a sealed cover.
VVPAT slip counting takes place in the VVPAT counting booths under the close monitoring of the returning officer and direct oversight of the observer.

How does the VVPAT work?

The voting in India is done using the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) that is designed with two units: the control unit and the balloting unit.
The balloting unit of the machine has a list of candidate names and party symbols with a blue button next to it. The voter can press the button next to the candidate’s name they wish to vote for.
When the voter casts the vote on the EVM, printer-like VVPAT apparatus linked to the EVM generates a slip showing serial number, name and symbol of the candidate to whom the vote was made.
With this slip, the voter can verify his casted vote.
This VVPAT slip is displayed for 7 seconds before it’s automatically cut.
The slip, once viewed, is cut and dropped into the drop box in the VVPAT machine and a beep will be heard.
The VVPAT machines can only be accessed by the election officers in the rarest of rare cases.