Daily Prelims Notes 22 August 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

22 August 2023

Table Of Contents

1. What extreme heat means for the Mediterranean Sea
2. India and ASEAN agree to review goods trade pact by 2025 to fix ‘asymmetry’
3. ISRO releases images of the far side area of the moon
4. Overnight call money rate hardens beyond MSF rate
5. The debate over India’s smartphone manufacturing dreams
6. Drilling in the North Sea — history and environmental concerns
7. Activists seek dialogue on controlled Human infection trials policy
8. Ecuadorians reject oil drilling project in historic decision
9. Digging ice-capped Arctic depths to understand climate change
10. Why ISRO’s Aditya L-1 mission is unique in many ways
11. Lack of Internet Access in Kerala’s Tribal Colonies
12. No Governor’s assent; Manipur Assembly session a non-starter
13. ICSSR’s Study on Socio-Economic Impact of Centre’s Schemes
14. The Story of How the Deadliest Virus to Humans Was Revived
15. What are Acoustic Side Channel Attacks and how is AI used to increase its accuracy?
16. The harsh realities of space that Chandrayaan 3 is built to brave

1. What extreme heat means for the Mediterranean Sea

Subject: Geography

Section: Places in news

What are the solutions to heat stress:

• Weeks of scorching heat have tormented the Mediterranean.
• Wildfires blazed across nine nations, spanning Algeria to Greece.
• Beyond threatening land and ecosystems, these surging temperatures also imperil marine life. By July’s end, the sea surface shattered records at 28.7°C (83.66°F), exceeding 30°C in the east. With August’s heat looming, further escalation is likely.

Some facts about the Mediterranean Sea:

• It is an intercontinental sea that is bordered by the continent of Europe in the north, by Asia in the east, and by Africa in the south.
• In the west, the Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the narrow Strait of Gibraltar.
• In the extreme northeast, it is connected to the Black Sea via the Dardanelles Strait, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus Strait.
• The Mediterranean Sea is also connected to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal in the southeast.
• 22 countries and one territory (Gibraltar – a British Overseas Territory) have coasts on the Mediterranean Sea.
• The European Countries are Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece.
• The West Asian (Middle Eastern) countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestine Gaza Strip and the divided island of Cyprus.
• Five North African nations have coasts on the Mediterranean Sea: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.
• The Mediterranean Sea offers a staggering 46,000 km (28,600 mi) long coastline and includes 15 marginal seas, such as the Balearic Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Levantine Sea and the Ionian Sea.

What is Marine Heat Waves:

• A marine heatwave is defined as when seawater temperatures exceed a seasonally-varying threshold (usually the 90th percentile) for at least 5 consecutive days. Successive heatwaves with gaps of 2 days or less are considered part of the same event.
• Due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, extended periods of extreme warming in seas and oceans have increased in frequency by 50% in the past 10 years and are becoming more severe.

What are the causes of Marine Heat Waves:

• The main cause of marine heat waves is the increase in ocean temperature due to the absorption of greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere, which leads to global warming.
• Natural climate variability can also contribute to marine heat waves, including changes in ocean currents, weather patterns, and atmospheric circulation.
• El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) can contribute to the occurrence of marine heat waves.
• The other common drivers of marine heatwaves include ocean currents which can build up areas of warm water and air-sea heat flux, or warming through the ocean surface from the atmosphere.
• Winds can enhance or suppress the warming in a marine heatwave, and climate modes like El Niño can change the likelihood of events occurring in certain regions.

What species and ecosystems are worst hit by marine heat waves:

• Rising water temperatures prove most detrimental to benthic species residing at the ocean, lake, or river bottoms. These organisms, such as corals, mussels, and seagrasses, are unable to migrate and are critical for ecosystem health.
• Benthic creatures play roles in water filtration, food chains, and habitat provision. Notably, the Neptune grass is severely impacted, hindering its role as a carbon sink.

What is the Impacts of Marine Heatwaves:

• Coral bleaching: Marine heatwaves can lead to coral bleaching, which is the loss of photosynthetic algae, called zooxanthellae, from the coral. This can ultimately lead to the death of coral.
• Ocean acidification: Marine heatwaves can exacerbate ocean acidification, which is the increase in acidity of seawater due to the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This can have negative impacts on marine organisms that build shells or skeletons out of calcium carbonate, such as corals and some types of plankton.
• Harmful algal blooms: Marine heatwaves can cause harmful algal blooms, which can produce toxins that are harmful to humans and marine life.
• Ocean circulation: Marine heatwaves can also affect ocean circulation by altering the temperature and density of ocean water, which can have implications for ocean currents and the transport of nutrients and heat around the globe.
• Marine biodiversity: Marine heatwaves can affect the composition and abundance of marine species, leading to changes in marine biodiversity.

2. India and ASEAN agree to review goods trade pact by 2025 to fix ‘asymmetry’

Subject :IR

Section: International Groupings

Context:

• India and a 10-member bloc of South-East Asian nations have agreed to review their free trade agreement, signed in 2009.

More about the news:

• India and ASEAN nations have agreed to review their free trade pact for goods by 2025.
• The focus of the review is on addressing trade imbalances.
• The Joint Committee of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement has finalized terms for negotiations.
• The review’s progress will be discussed at the India-ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in September.

More about ASEAN:

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional organization which was established to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states.
• ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration i.e Bangkok Declaration
• The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
• The ASEAN Secretariat is located in Jakarta.

Some facts about ASEAN:

• It is the 3rd largest market in the world, larger than the EU and North America.
• It is the 6th largest economy in the world, 3rd in Asia.
• The Fourth most popular investment destination globally
• It is the 4th largest trading partner of India.
• India and ASEAN registered a bilateral trade of US$ 131.5 billion in 2022-2023.

ASEAN-INDIA FTA:

• India had signed an FTA in goods with the regional bloc in 2009, known as the Asean–India Free Trade Agreement (AIFTA). The trade in goods pact came into force from January 2010.
• In 2014, an FTA in services was also included.

What is FTA:

• It is a pact between two or more nations to reduce barriers to imports and exports among them.
• Under a free trade policy, goods and services can be bought and sold across international borders with little or no government tariffs, quotas, subsidies, or prohibitions to inhibit their exchange.
• FTAs can be categorized as Preferential Trade Agreements, Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA).
• India has signed 13 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with its trading partners, including the 3 agreements, namely India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA), India-UAE Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) along with 6 limited coverage Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs).

3. ISRO releases images of the far side area of the moon

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Context:

• The images were captured on August 19 by the Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC) which is onboard the Lander.

Details:

• ISRO has already released three videos of the moon captured by its third moon mission Chandrayaan-3.
• One of them was taken by the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) on August 15, 2023.
• Another one taken by the Lander Imager (LI) Camera-1 just after the separation of the Lander Module from the Propulsion Module.

Far side of the moon:

• The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth, opposite to the near side, because of synchronous rotation in the Moon’s orbit.
• Compared to the near side, the far side’s terrain is rugged, with a multitude of impact craters and relatively few flat and dark lunar maria (“seas”), giving it an appearance closer to other barren places in the Solar System such as Mercury and Callisto.
• It has one of the largest craters in the Solar System, the South Pole–Aitken basin.
• The hemisphere has sometimes been called the “dark side of the Moon”, where “dark” means “unknown” instead of “lacking sunlight” – each side of the Moon experiences two weeks of sunlight while the opposite side experiences two weeks of night.
• About 18 percent of the far side is occasionally visible from Earth due to libration.
• The remaining 82 percent remained unobserved until 1959, when it was photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 space probe.
• The Soviet Academy of Sciences published the first atlasof the far side in 1960.
• The Apollo 8 astronauts were the first humans to see the far side in person when they orbited the Moon in 1968.
• All crewed and uncrewed soft landings had taken place on the near side of the Moon, until 3 January 2019 when the Chang’e 4 spacecraft made the first landing on the far side.
• Astronomers have suggested installing a large radio telescope on the far side, where the Moon would shield it from possible radio interference from Earth.

Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC):

• This camera that assists in locating a safe landing area — without boulders or deep trenches — during the descent is developed by ISRO at SAC.
• LHDAC enables terrain mapping, hazard detection and safe sites designation in real time during landing maneuvers.

About Chandrayaan-3:

• Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
• It consists of Lander and Rover configuration.
• It will be launched by LVM3 from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.
• The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration till 100 km lunar orbit.
• The propulsion module has Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload to study the spectral and Polari metric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.

The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are:

• To demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on Lunar Surface
• To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon and
• To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

To achieve the mission objectives, several advanced technologies are present in Lander such as:

1. Altimeters: Laser & RF based Altimeters
2. Velocimeters: Laser Doppler Velocimeter & Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera
3. Inertial Measurement: Laser Gyro based Inertial referencing and Accelerometer package
4. Propulsion System: 800N Throttleable Liquid Engines, 58N attitude thrusters & Throttleable Engine Control Electronics
5. Navigation, Guidance & Control (NGC): Powered Descent Trajectory design and associate software elements
6. Hazard Detection and Avoidance: Lander Hazard Detection & Avoidance Camera and Processing Algorithm
7. Landing Leg Mechanism.

4. Overnight call money rate hardens beyond MSF rate

Subject :Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

In News: Liquidity shortfall in the banking system on account of the incremental cash reserve ratio (ICRR) and other factors results in call money rate going beyond the marginal standing facility of 6.75 %

Key Points:

• Overnight call money market rates have hardened, going beyond the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate of 6.75 per cent, indicating liquidity tightness in the banking system.
• The liquidity shortfall from all the above has been estimated to be about ₹2-lakh crore.
• Generally the interest rate for longer duration is higher as the longer the period for which money is lent, higher is the risk.
• The several reasons for this liquidity squeeze are:
  • Reserve Bank of India decision requiring banks to temporarily maintain incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) of 10 %
  • Outflow on account of companies making payment towards GST
  • RBI’s intervention in the forex market to support a falling Rupee
• What does RBI do when the call money rate crosses the upper end of LAF corridor?
  • Usually, when call money rate touches the upper-end of the LAF corridor, RBI conducts variable rate repo auction to inject  liquidity and bring the rate closer to the repo rate (of 6.50 per cent).
• Decision to mandate temporary ICRR?
  • With effect from the fortnight beginning August 12, 2023, RBI asked scheduled banks to maintain an incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) of 10 per cent on the increase in their deposits between May 19, 2023 and July 28, 2023.
  • This measure is intended to absorb the surplus liquidity generated by various factors such as return of ₹2000 banknotes to the banking system, RBI’s surplus transfer to the government, pick up in government spending and capital inflows
  • The existing cash reserve ratio (CRR) remains unchanged at 4.5 per cent

5. The debate over India’s smartphone manufacturing dreams

Subject :Economy

Section: External sector

Context:

• Over the last few months, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan and the Minister of State for Electronics Rajeev Chandrasekhar have sparred over how well a Central government scheme to boost electronics manufacturing has been faring.

Details:

• Mr. Rajan, along with two other economists, released a brief discussion paper arguing that the programme isn’t really pushing India towards becoming a self-sufficient manufacturing powerhouse. Instead, the government is using taxpayer money to create an ecosystem of low-level assembly jobs that will still depend heavily on imports.

What is the PLI scheme?

• Production Linked Incentive, or PLI, scheme of the Government of India is a form of performance-linked incentive to give companies incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in domestic units.
• It is aimed at boosting the manufacturing sector and to reduce imports.
• Objective of these schemes entail Make in India, incentivising foreign manufacturers to start production in India and incentivise domestic manufacturers to expand their production and exports.
• The Government of India (GoI) has introduced Rs 1.97 lakh cr (US$ 28 b) PLI schemes for 14 sectors.
• The 14 sectors are:

1. Mobile Manufacturing and Specified Electronic Components,
2. Critical Key Starting Materials/Drug Intermediaries & Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients,
3. Manufacturing of Medical Devices
4. Automobiles and Auto Components,
5. Pharmaceuticals Drugs,
6. Specialty Steel,
7. Telecom & Networking Products,
8. Electronic/Technology Products,
9. White Goods (ACs and LEDs),
10. Food Products,
11. Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles,
12. High efficiency solar PV modules,
13. Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery, and
14. Drones and Drone Components.

• Advantage of PLI scheme:
• The industry that has shown the most enthusiasm for the scheme is smartphone manufacturing. Companies like Micromax, Samsung, and Foxconn (which makes phones for Apple) can get up to 6% of their incremental sales income through the PLI programme.
• And with the scheme, mobile phone exports jumped from $300 million in FY2018 to an astounding $11 billion in FY23.
• And while India imported mobile phones worth $3.6 billion in FY2018,it dropped to $1.6 billion in FY23.

What was Mr. Rajan arguing?

• While imports of fully put-together mobile phones have come down, the imports of mobile phone components — including display screens, cameras, batteries, printed circuit boards — shot up between FY21 and FY23.
• In effect the companies are importing all of the necessary parts and assembling them in India to create a ‘Made in India’ product.
• This is important as low-level assembly work doesn’t produce well-paying jobs and doesn’t nearly have anywhere the same multiplier effect that actual manufacturing might provide.

What the Minister has to say?

• All imports of screens, batteries, etc. are not used to make mobile phones, some of them are used also for computer monitors, DSLR cameras, electric vehicles etc.
• Not all mobile phone production in India is supported by the PLI scheme, only around 22% so far.

Who is right?

• Even if only 60% of screens, batteries, etc. are used to make mobile phones, the final import tally would still beat the final export tally.
• Mr. Rajan believes that without proof of PLI’s success, there is an opportunity cost.
  • After all, every rupee spent in PLI payments is money that could have gone into improving, say, the education system, an investment that would also help the Indian economy.

6. Drilling in the North Sea — history and environmental concerns

Subject :Geography

Section: Places in news

Context:

• U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently backed plans for new fossil fuel drilling off Britain’s coast, worrying environment experts even as the world continues its stride towards irreversible climate change.

Details:

• The move will help Britain become more energy independent.
• The North Sea Transition Authority (NTSA), responsible for regulating oil, gas and carbon storage industries, is currently running its 33rd offshore oil and gas licensing round.
• The U.K. has set a goal to reach Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2050.

A short history of drilling in the U.K. North Sea:

• In 1964 the U.K. Parliament passed the Continental Shelf Act.
• The Act provides for exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf based on the 1958 Geneva convention.
  • It delineated the jurisdiction the U.K. had over oil and gas resources (excluding coal) under the seabed near its shores.
  • 1964: British Petroleum (BP) was awarded a license for exploration in the North Sea.
  • 1965: BP discovered the natural gas reserve in the North Sea, off the east Anglican coast.
  • Sea Gem, the BP-operated drilling rig, collapsed in December 1965.
  • 1970: BP made its first discovery of commercial oil in the large Forties Field east of Aberdeen, Scotland.
  • 1975: Hamilton, an American oil company, was the first to bring North Sea oil to the shore.
  • In the next 15 years, BP started more than 15 fields in the U.K. North Sea (and four in the Norwegian North Sea).
  • 1988 disaster at the Piper Alpha oil platform where more than 165 people were killed.
  • 1990s: The Foinaven and Schiehallion fields were discovered, opening up the West of Shetland area for exploration and exploitation.
• According to the U.K. government, production from the North Sea peaked in 1999 to 1,37,099 thousand tonnes of crude oil and natural gas liquids. By 2022, the total production declined to 38,037 thousand tonnes.
• The 1958 Geneva Conventionon the Continental Shelf was the first international legislation to establish the rights of countries over the continental shelves adjacent to their coastlines and paved the way for exploration in the North Sea. The treaty came into force in 1964.

Why is offshore drilling problematic?

• The offshore drilling puts “workers, waters, and wildlife” at risk.
• Threat to climate change
• Warms oceans and raises sea levels.
• A direct risk to marine biodiversity.
• An indirect risk to coral reefs and shellfishes from acidic waters.
• Carbon pollution due to acidification of oceans

Is the U.K. honouring its climate commitments?

• According to the 2023 Progress Report to the U.K. Parliament, the U.K. has not adequately prepared for climate change under the second National Adaptation Programme.
• In the U.K. National Adaptation Programmes are statutory programmes that the government must follow to help prepare the country for climate change, as required under the Climate Change Act.
• The second National Adaptation Programme covered the period of 2018 – 2023.
• According to Climate Action Tracker, U.K.’s climate action is not consistent with the Paris Agreement.

About the North Sea:

• Geographically, the North Sea lies between England and Scotland on its west, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France on its south, and Norway, Denmark, and Germany on its west.
• An epeiric sea (an inland sea either completely surrounded by dry land or connected to an ocean by a river, strait or “arm of the sea”) on the European continental shelf.
• It connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north.
• It hosts key north European shipping lanes and is a major fishery. The coast is a popular destination for recreation and tourism in bordering countries, and a rich source of energy resources, including wind and wave power.

7. Activists seek dialogue on controlled Human infection trials policy

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Health

Context:

• The group, including an advocate, researcher, journalist and others, have submitted a 15-page document calling for more transparency, clear definitions of ‘deliberate infection’ and ‘deliberate harm’ and specific assurances on compensation for adverse events.

Details:

• The group has sought to know how CHIS can take place when laws such as the Madras Public Health (Amendment) Act 1958, state that any act performed with a deliberate intention to cause an infection, is illegal.
• A CHIS may be in direct contravention of Acts such as this one.
• It calls for information on the capacity, effectiveness and efficiency of current regulatory mechanisms for clinical trials.
• It has also called for the publication of all results of CHIS – including of failed CHIS, and negative results.
• These publications must include a clear estimation of adverse events and harms.

Adverse events:

• The group demands for:
• Assurance of compensations in case a person is adversely injured.
• All those involved should be accountable for adverse events.
• The drug control regulators’ ethical obligations must be specified
• Creation of a separate section for complete details of safety requirements.
• ICMR statement should describe a “knowledge threshold” so that healthy participants in the drug trial are not exposed to something about which the researchers do not have adequate knowledge.
• The terms “Deliberate infection” and “Deliberate harm” must be defined and the conceptual difference between the two explained.

For details of Controlled Human Infection Studies (CHIS): https://optimizeias.com/are-human-challenge-studies-effective/

8. Ecuadorians reject oil drilling project in historic decision

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic Geography

Context:

• In a historic decision, Ecuadorians voted on Sunday against the oil drilling of a protected area in the Amazon that’s home to two uncontacted tribes and serves as a biodiversity hotspot.

Oil-drilling project in Yasuni National Park:

• Oil drilling company: Petroecuador
• The oil-drilling project is in the area of Yasuni National Park, one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.
• The area is inhabited by the Tagaeri and Taromenani, who live in self-isolation.
• In 1989, Yasuni was designated a world biosphere reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
• Encompassing a surface area of over 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres), it boasts 610 species of birds, 139 species of amphibians, and 121 species of reptiles.
• At least three species are endemic.
• This biodiverse region is a convergence point for three unique regions, the Equator,Andes Mountains, and the Amazon rainforest.

Ecuador:

• Bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west.
• Ecuador also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometers (621 mi) west of the mainland.
• The country’s capital and largest city is Quito.
• The Equator passes through Ecuador.

9. Digging ice-capped Arctic depths to understand climate change

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate change

Context:

• The heat content of the Arctic Ocean is crucial globally, affecting climate, weather, sea levels, and ecosystems.

Details:

• It serves as an indicator of broader climate change effects worldwide, connecting ecosystems, economies, and societies globally.

Arctic study model by IIT Madras:

• Researchers from IIT Madras have created an artificial neural network (ANN) model to estimate Ocean Heat Content (OHC) in ice-covered Arctic regions.
• They have linked satellite-based sea ice data to in-situ CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) profiles to estimate OHC up to 700 metres deep.
• This model accurately predicts OHC changes and tracks spatio-temporal variations, offering insights into historical trends and regional patterns.

About the Study:

• The study uses satellite data products like sea ice concentration, sea ice thickness, surface temperature, ambient air temperatures, and snow depth.
• Daily sea ice thickness and surface temperature products from the APP-x product suite were used in the study.
• Surface and 2m air temperatures from satellite observations over the Arctic region were utilized.
• Snow depth data were collected from the TOPAZ4 reanalysis products.
• In combination with the satellite data products, the researchers used data from instruments like the WHOI-ITP, which measures temperature and other properties of the ocean under the ice.
• The model is based on theoretical considerations about various factors affecting heat transfer in the region, including:
  • Heat advection by Atlantic and Pacific waters,
  • Heat exchange at different boundaries (ocean-atmosphere, ocean-continent, ocean-seabed) and
  • Sea ice state (thickness, extent, properties).
• The model also provides a promising tool for estimating spatial and temporal OHC changes in the ice-covered Arctic and has the potential to be further refined for deeper layers.

Artificial Neural Network (ANN):

• ANN is a machine learning technique that learns patterns from data and establishes relationships between inputs and outputs.
• They experimented with different configurations of the ANN architecture, including the number of hidden layers, number of neurons, activation functions, and scaling techniques.
• The ANN model takes these inputs, processes them through multiple layers, and produces an estimate of OHC change.
• A comparison is made between the model-derived OHC values and the OHC values obtained from the Multi Observation Global Ocean ARMOR3D L4 analysis system.

Working of Artificial Neural Network (ANN):

For details of Arctic sea and Arctic council:

• https://optimizeias.com/what-is-happening-to-arctic-sea-ice/
• https://optimizeias.com/arctic-council/

10. Why ISRO’s Aditya L-1 mission is unique in many ways

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Context:

• ISRO’s Aditya L-1 mission, the Indian space agency’s most complex mission ever, is scheduled to launch by the end of August or early September.

Why is it unique?

• For the first time,India is building a ‘space observatory’ — the spacecraft that will be peering at the Sun all the time, checking out the ball of fire 24×7.
• India hasnever put a spacecraft at a Lagrange point.
  • Lagrange point is a point between two or more massive objects (like the Sun and the Earth) where the massive objects exert equal pull over the spacecraft so that it “stays” right there.
  • There are five Lagrange points in the Sun-Earth system;Aditya is going to be positioned at Lagrange-1.
• There are 7 instruments onboard Aditya L-1. The two principal instruments are completely designed and built by Indian scientists at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune.

1. SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope)
   • The Sun is not solid like the Earth is, but a huge ball of gas with different layers, all surrounded by the corona.
   • Each layer spins at a different speed.
   • SUIT will simultaneously map different parts of the Sun — photosphere and chromosphere of the Sun using 11 filterssensitive to different wavelengths and covering different heights in the solar atmosphere.
   • This will help in the understanding of the processes involved in the transfer from mass and energy from one layer to the other.
2. VELC (Visible Emission Line Coronagraph):
   • The VELC will study the corona.
   • It will do both photography (optical imaging) and spectrograph, which is splitting of light into its constituent wavelengths — a study of the spectrographic lines can tell a lot about the sun.
   • This is a unique experiment, because this has never been done by anybody from space.
   • The VELC can investigate the red and green spectroscopic lines, which give a peek into the temperature of the region of the Sun from where the light has come.
   • The VELC will do ‘spectropolarimetric measurements’ to study the magnetic field of the Sun — for the first time by any country from space.

• The other five instruments pick up and analyse X-rays and particles from the Sun.

Broad comparison of SUIT and VELC:

• The SUIT will be looking at the disc of the Sun, which comprises the inner photosphere and the outer chromosphere, while the VELC will peer into the rim (corona).
• The SUIT will capture the near-ultraviolet rays (200-400 nm wavelength) coming from the Sun; VELC will pick up the near-Infra red radiation from the Sun.

Payloads along with their major capability of scientific investigation

Why the interest in the Sun? 

• The Aditya L-1 spacecraft is essentially a space telescope.
• The Aditya L-1 mission has two purposes — long term (scientific quest) and short term (protecting our satellites).
• The genesis of this project was in 2006, when scientists from Indian Institute of Astrophysics and the Astronomical Society of India showed concern about protecting the satellites from harmful effects of the sun’s emissions.
• Prof U. R. Rao, a former Chairman of ISRO, suggested that an spacecraft can be placed at Lagrange-1 point fro observation of the sun.
• Main idea behind it was:
  • To provide an early warning against solar storms that can damage satellites and electric grids
  • Coronal mass ejections (billions of tons of matter flung out of the Sun)
  • Solar flares (Sudden burst of energy from sun contains X-rays, electromagnetic waves or high-energy particles) that can disrupt radio communications and harm astronauts.
• Long term goals include monitoring the UV-rays.
  • Ultraviolet rays (UV rays) from the Sun can impact climate on the Earth and the ozone layer in the atmosphere.
  • UV radiation of wavelengths between 200 and 310 nanometres is absorbed by the oxygen and ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere.
  • UV radiation above 310 nm pierces through the atmosphere.
  • We need to know what kind of UV the Sun is likely to emit.
  • Changes in UV radiation can influence cloud formation, water vapor content and temperature patterns in the Earth’s lower atmosphere.

Why Lagrange point 1 (L1)?

• The L-1 point lies between the Sun and the Earth, affording a spacecraft placed there an excellent view of the Sun.
• L-1 (along with L-2 and L-3) are ‘halo orbits’, where a spacecraft placed there keeps going round an invisible center.
• An object kept there is very unstable, because the spacecraft is subject to constant pulls and pushes in space.
• Placing a satellite at L-1 is tough and keeping it there is even tougher, but L-1 has a vantage point for excellent observation of the Sun’s activity.

11. Lack of Internet Access in Kerala’s Tribal Colonies

Subject :Schemes

Context:

• Kerala declared the right to the Internet as a basic right.
• However, 189 Adivasi ooru (tribal colonies) across 12 districts lack access to Internet and mobile connection.
• Over 5,000 tribal students in these colonies are affected.

The initiative by Scheduled Tribes Development Department:

• The department seeks permission from the Forest department to set up towers in tribal colonies within forests.
• Forest Rights Act provisions are used for tower installation.
• Tower setup is planned to begin post permission.
• Expected Outcome and Timeline: The goal is to address the digital divide in tribal colonies by December.
• Use of Community Study Rooms:
  • The government provides community study rooms in various locations.
  • These facilities offer Internet access.
  • However, students from disconnected tribal colonies rarely use these facilities.

Kerala High Court’s stance on Internet access (Faheema Shirin v. State of Kerala, 2019):

• Internet access is part of the fundamental right to education.
• Also protected under the right to privacy (Article 21 of the Constitution).

KFON: Kerala’s Scheme for Universal Internet Connectivity

• Kerala Vision Broadband, an initiative of cable TV operators, provides internet service in many districts.
• Kerala Fibre Optical Network (KFON) infrastructure benefits private service providers through its cable network.

Internet Speed and Mobile Connectivity:

• KFON promises speeds from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps.
• KFON’s connection to mobile towers accelerates the 4G and 5G transition.

Stakeholders and Implementation:

• Rs 1,611-crore project by Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and Kerala State IIT Infrastructure Limited.
• Started in 2019, to be functional by 2021.
• Implementation led by a consortium including Central PSU Bharat Electronics Limited.
• BEL manages optical fiber networks, network locations, and government institution connectivity.
• Project funded by Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).

Services Provided by KFON:

• Aims to create a non-discriminatory core network infrastructure.
• Connects government offices, offers leased lines, fiber to the home, wifi hotspots, colocation services, IPTV, OTT, and cloud hosting.

Holds Infrastructure Provider and Internet Service Provider licenses.

12. No Governor’s assent; Manipur Assembly session a non-starter

Subject :Polity

Section: Parliament and Legislation

Context:

• The 60-member Manipur Assembly fails to convene a Special Session to address ethnic violence.
• State Cabinet recommends the session, but the Governor doesn’t issue the required notification.
• Notification should be given 15 days before a session.

Constitutional Crisis and Political Reactions

• Failure to hold the “Monsoon Session” raises constitutional crisis concerns.
• Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh highlights the severity of the Assembly’s inaction.
• Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticizes Governor’s non-action, suggesting constitutional breakdown.

Calls for Special Session and Territorial Integrity Concerns

• COCOMI (Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity), the apex body of Meities demands a Special Session and sets August 5 as the deadline.
• Demand for a resolution against compromising Manipur’s territorial integrity.
• Kuki-Zomi organizations seek separate tribal administration, similar to an Assembly setup.

Article 174: State Legislature Sessions, Prorogation, and Dissolution

• Clause (1): Summoning Sessions: The Governor shall summon the House or each House of the State Legislature to meet as deemed appropriate. However, there should not be a gap of more than six months between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next session.
• Clause (2a): Prorogation: The Governor holds the authority to prorogue (suspend) the House or either House at intervals as necessary.
• Clause (2b): Dissolution: The Governor has the power to dissolve the Legislative Assembly when the need arises.

Governor’s Role – Article 163:

• The Governor’s actions follow Article 163, which mandates their decisions based on the “aid and advice” of the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister.

Supreme Court’s Ruling (2016):

• In the 2016 case of Nabam Rebia and Bamang Felix vs Deputy Speaker, the Supreme Court clarified that the Governor’s summoning power isn’t exclusive; it must involve the advice of the Council of Ministers, not the Governor’s sole discretion.

Article 85: Sessions of Parliament, Prorogation, and Dissolution

• Clause (1): Summoning Sessions: The President shall summon each House of Parliament to meet as deemed appropriate. However, there should not be a gap of more than six months between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next session.
• Clause (2a): Prorogation: The President holds the authority to prorogue (suspend) the Houses or either House when necessary.
• Clause (2b): Dissolution: The President has the power to dissolve the House of the People (Lok Sabha) when required.

13. ICSSR’s Study on Socio-Economic Impact of Centre’s Schemes

Subject :Polity

Section: National Body

Context

• The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) is set to announce research award results for the study of the Union government’s schemes and policies.
• Approximately 500 researchers will receive funding for fieldwork focused on specific geographical regions.
• ICSSR aims to develop “Indianised research methodology tools” to analyze social and economic changes in the country.

Project Details:

• ICSSR conducts primary data-driven empirical research on the social and economic impact of government policies.
• 31 schemes and initiatives were chosen for study, with nearly 4,000 proposals received.
  • Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
  • Make-in-India
  • PM Gati Shakti
  • New Education Policy 2020 etc.
• Two types of studies:
  • Collaborative studies (₹30 lakh for six months) and
  • individual studies (₹6 lakh for six months).
• Expert committee to select around 500 proposals.
• Involvement of 24 research institutes and six regional centers in the research process.
• ICSSR leaves methodology decisions to researchers but provides a basic framework.
• The pool of senior social scientists to develop general guidelines for research studies.

Indianising Social Science Methodology:

• Paradigms originated from the U.S. or Europe not applicable to diverse Indian regions.
• Intellectual and philosophical traditions in India have relevant social concepts and analytical frameworks.
• Aim to develop and use Indian methodologies to study social realities.
• Comparisons with Africa’s approach to using African methodologies for societal study.
• Emphasis on decolonizing social science methodology.
• Need to study tribal communities and different castes using appropriate frameworks.

Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR)

• Establishment: Founded in 1969 by the Indian Government to promote social science research. (under Societies Registration Act, 1860)
• Functions: Provides grants for projects, fellowships, collaborations, surveys, and more to support social science research in India.
• NASSDOC: Operates the National Social Science Documentation Centre, offering library resources and information services to social science researchers.
• ICSSR Data Service: Facilitates data sharing and reuse among Indian social science researchers, fostering a robust research environment.

14. The Story of How the Deadliest Virus to Humans Was Revived

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Health

Introduction

• From a two-part story on the virus that caused the Great Influenza epidemic (1918 Spanish flu).
• Johan Hultin‘s request to exhume a mass grave in Brevig Mission, Alaska.
• Objective: To retrieve preserved genetic material of the deadliest virus for revival.

Recreating Viruses in the Lab

• Scientists engineer viruses by altering the genetic material (DNA/RNA) of existing viruses.
• Purpose: Understand virus properties, effects of mutations, and implications.
• Viruses cannot be created from scratch; reliance on natural samples.

The Hunt for the Deadliest Strain

• Jeffery Taubenberger’s work on the influenza virus.
• Goal: Understand why some influenza strains cause pandemics.
• Focus on the genetic makeup of the 1918 influenza virus (Spanish flu).
• The 1918 virus (RNA Virus) infected 500 million people, causing severe disease and 50 million deaths.
• After 1920, the virus vanished; subsequent outbreaks were less deadly.
• Designation using “H” (haemagglutinin) and “N” (neuraminidase) genes (e.g., H1N1).

Importance of ‘H’ and ‘N’

• Influenza strains are classified by haemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) subtypes.
• 18 subtypes of H (H1-H18) and 11 subtypes of N (N1-N11).
• Strains are determined by the combination of H and N subtypes.
• Different sub-variations influence virus properties and severity.

Genetic Sequence Unveiled

• Hultin’s samples allowed sequencing of the virus’s full genetic code.
• Virus’s origins were traced to avian ancestors with adaptation to mammals.
• Evolution of virus from avian to human/swine infection.
• Recurrence as a deadly pathogen after circulating and evolving.

Recreating Influenza Viruses

• Influenza viruses exhibit annual genetic changes, leading to the need for updated vaccines.
• Vaccination effectiveness depends on predicting viral mutations.
• Influenza viruses can infect various animals like birds, pigs, and horses.
• Inter-species infections can create new viral variants, complicating vaccine strategies.
• The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the apex organization in the U.S. on matters of public health and safety.
• In 2005, the CDC received an application to study a very old infectious agent.

Investigating Virulence

• Terrence Tumpey‘s approach involved creating “recombinant” viruses.
• Recombinant viruses contain H1 and N1 gene segments from the 1918 strain.
• The remaining genetic material originated from a laboratory strain that caused mild disease.
• The experiment aimed to identify which gene segments contributed to the 1918 virus’s severity.
• Initial tests indicated increased disease severity in mice with the 1918 H1N1 genes.

Uncovering Viral Impact

• Autopsy results revealed extensive lung damage in mice infected with the 1918 virus.
• Focus on understanding the role of specific genes, particularly haemagglutinin (access to cells) and RNA polymerase (making copies).
• Both genes played a significant role in virulence, especially when interacting with other segments.

Recreation of the Full Virus

• Tumpey’s research required recreating the entire 1918 H1N1 influenza virus.
• The process involved mixing the genetic material of all eight virus gene segments.
• The revived virus was successfully brought back from extinction after nearly a century.
• The recreated virus demonstrated an unparalleled level of pathogenicity compared to other influenza variants.
• The research paved the way for developing improved therapeutics and preventive measures.

15. What are Acoustic Side Channel Attacks and how is AI used to increase its accuracy?

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Awareness in IT and Computers

Introduction

• Research paper: “A Practical Deep Learning-Based Acoustic Side Channel Attack on Keyboards”
• Published and supported by the ethics committee of Durham University, U.K.
• AI used to decode passwords by analyzing sound from keystrokes
• Highlighted accuracy of Acoustic Side Channel Attacks (ASCA) using deep learning models for laptop keystrokes classification and mitigation

Understanding ASCA

• Side Channel Attacks (SCAs) method for hacking cryptographic algorithms
  • Analyzing auxiliary systems
  • Collecting signals: electromagnetic waves, power consumption, mobile sensors, sound from keyboards, printers
• ASCA: using keyboard sound to analyze keystrokes and leak sensitive information
• Users underestimate the misuse of keyboard sound, not hiding keystroke sounds

Impact of AI on ASCAs

• AI and deep learning increase the risk of side channel attacks
• Laptop models with same keyboard increase ASCA scope
• More microphones near keyboards due to modern technology
• AI-enabled deep learning models can interpret acoustics

Accuracy of ASCA Attacks

• Research by Cornell University, Durham University, University of Surrey, Royal Holloway University of London
• Used audio recordings from Zoom calls, smartphone mics, off-the-shelf equipment
• ASCA attack accuracy: 95% with nearby phone keystrokes
• Deep learning model achieved state-of-the-art accuracy on MacBook Pro keyboard
• Smartphone microphone data achieved 95% accuracy, dropped to 93% with Zoom calls

Historical Context of ASCA Attacks

• ASCA attacks date back to 1950, using acoustic emanations to crack encryption
• 1982: United States NSA declassified documents listing acoustic emanations as compromise source

16. The harsh realities of space that Chandrayaan 3 is built to brave

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

The Solar Wind and Spaceflight Challenges

Solar Wind and Earth’s Magnetic Field

• The sun’s scorching hot surface emits a constant stream of charged particles known as the solar wind.
• Solar wind includes protons and electrons moving at high speeds.
• Earth’s magnetic field deflects and guides solar wind particles toward the magnetic poles.
• Interaction of solar wind particles with oxygen and nitrogen in Earth’s upper atmosphere leads to collisions.
• Oxygen and nitrogen atoms absorb electrons, releasing excess energy as photons (light) of different frequencies.
• Oxygen contributes to green and orange hues, while nitrogen contributes to blues.
• These interactions create the mesmerizing phenomenon of the northern lights.

Vulnerability of Spacecraft

• Unlike on Earth, spacecraft lack natural protection from solar wind and other space hazards.
• Spacecraft equipment must withstand impacts from solar wind particles to avoid catastrophic failure.
• Example: Canada’s Anik E2 satellite experienced complete malfunction due to solar wind impact in 1982.

Solar Wind Effects on Electronics

• Displacement Damage
  • Result of charged particles displacing atoms in electronic chips.
  • Leads to permanent chip performance decay.
  • Caused by strong impacts from solar wind particles.
• Single-Event Transients (SET)
  • Temporary signal fluctuations due to solar wind particles.
  • Corrupts transmitted messages momentarily.
  • Example: Belgium’s 2003 election – a bit flip in a voting machine led to miscounted votes.

Radiation-Hardened Electronics

• Engineers develop radiation-hardened electronics to safeguard spacecraft electronics from radiation effects.
• Radiation-hardened design considers radiation levels during chip design, manufacturing, and packaging.
• Multiple layers of protective measures are integrated into software and hardware components.
• Triple modular redundancy (TMR) involves transmitting three identical signal copies.
• In signal corruption (single-event transients), other uncorrupted signals can outvote the corrupted one.

Other Challenges and Safeguards

• Instruments onboard spacecraft must withstand vibrations during launch from the launchpad.
• Severe vibrations experienced during the launch process can affect instrument functionality.

Temperature Fluctuations and Material Challenges

• Spacecraft in space face extreme temperature fluctuations.
• Chandrayaan 3’s operational temperature range is -200°C to 200°C, depending on its position relative to the Moon and the Sun.
• Extreme temperatures can lead to wire breakage, solder failure, and chip cracking.
• Copper materials in solar panels can become more ‘active’ and seep through solar cells, affecting efficiency.
• Outgassing occurs when some materials release trapped air molecules in a vacuum.
• Example: Outgassed air molecules can deposit on a camera lens, affecting image quality.

Metal Coatings and Unexplained Problems

• Some metal coatings form electrically conductive protrusions called whiskers.
• Whiskers can short circuits and lead to satellite failures.
• Whisker growth is attributed to built-up stress in the metal during vacuum conditions.
• Expert selection and application of metal coatings are essential to prevent whisker-related issues.