Daily Prelims Notes 22 January 2023

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

Daily Prelims Notes

22 January 2023

Table Of Contents

Subject: Economy

Section: capital Market

Context: The Bombay High Court Friday quashed the write-off of additional Tier-1 (AT1) bonds worth Rs 8,400 crore issued by Yes Bank Ltd, giving a big relief to investors who invested in these bonds

What are AT1bonds?

AT1 Bonds are unsecured bonds that have perpetual tenor. In other words, these bonds, issued by banks, have no maturity date. They have a call option, which can be used by the banks to buy these bonds back from investors. These bonds are typically used by banks to bolster their core or tier-1 capital.

AT1bonds are subordinate to all other debt and only senior to common equity.

Mutual funds(MFs)were among the largest investors in perpetual debt instruments.

AT-1 bonds are a type of unsecured, perpetual bonds that banks issue to shore up their core capital base to meet the Basel-III norms.

There are two routes through which these bonds can be acquired:

Initial private placement offers of AT-1 bonds by banks seeking to raise money.
Secondary market buys of already-traded AT-1 bonds.

AT-1 bonds are like any other bonds issued by banks and companies, but pay a slightly higher rate of interest compared to other bonds.
These bonds are also listed and traded on the exchanges. So, if an AT-1 bondholder needs money, he can sell it in the secondary market.
Investors cannot return these bonds to the issuing bank and get the money. i.e there is no put option available to its holders.
However, the issuing banks have the option to recall AT-1 bonds issued by them (termed call options that allow banks to redeem them after 5 or 10 years).
Banks issuing AT-1 bonds can skip interest payouts for a particular year or even reduce the bonds’ face value.
AT-1 bonds are regulated by RBI. If the RBI feels that a bank needs a rescue, it can simply ask the bank to write off its outstanding AT-1 bonds without consulting its investors.

2. Lost interview of George Lemaitre rediscovered

Subject: Physical geography

Theory of Origin of universe

Context:

In February 1964, a broadcaster in Belgium aired an interview with a Catholic priest named Georges Lemaître (1894-1966). The footage was subsequently thought lost after it went missing from the broadcaster’s archives.

Who was George Lemaitre?

Lemaître was the originator of the Big Bang theory of the universe’s origin and derived an important law that cosmologists still use to understand the motion of galaxies away from each other.
The Big Bang theory (BBT) replaced steady-state theory (SST), under which Fred Hoyle and others claimed that the universe was static and that the galaxies that were there had always just been there.

What is Big Bang Theory?

Big Bang Theory is about the origin of the Universe.
It suggests that about 1370 crore (13.7 billion) years ago, all matter and energy in the universe was concentrated in an area smaller than an atom. At this instant, matter, energy, space and time were not existent. Then suddenly with a bang, the Universe began to expand at an incredible rate and matter, energy, space and time came into being.
As the Universe expanded, matter began to coalesce into gas clouds and stars and planets.
Some scientists believe that this expansion is finite and will one day cease.
After this point in time, the Universe will begin to collapse until a Big Crunch occurs.

Why Steady State Theory is being replaced by the Big Bnag Theory?

Hoyle (Originator of SST) had difficulty explaining the presence of hydrogen in the early universe.
Hydrogen was required to form the first stars and galaxies and had to come from somewhere, but the steady state theory couldn’t say where.

3. Genes that made whales grow to giant sizes identified

Subject: Science & tech

Section : Biotech

Context:

A new study explored the genetic underpinnings of gigantism in whales, identifying four genes that appear to have played crucial roles.

Details:

These genes helped in fostering great size but also in mitigating related disadvantageous consequences including higher cancer risk and lower reproductive output.
The four genes – named GHSR, IGFBP7, NCAPG and PLAG1 – appear to have gained prominence during the evolution of large whales.

About the growth genes:

GHSR is a gene involved in releasing growth hormone through the pituitary gland, body weight, energy metabolism, appetite and fat accumulation. It also is associated with controlling cell proliferation and programmed cell death. Tumors essentially are formed by runaway cell growth.
IGFBP7 is a gene involved in promoting cell growth and division. There is evidence it acts as a cancer suppressor in prostate, breast, lung and colorectal tumors.
NCAPG, a gene associated with growth in people, horses, donkeys, cattle, pigs and chickens, is linked to increased body size, weight gain, cell proliferation and cell life cycles.
PLAG1, a gene associated with body growth in cattle, pigs, and sheep, is involved in embryo growth and cell survival.

About Cetaceans:

Cetaceans, the marine mammal group encompassing whales, dolphins and porpoises, evolved around 50 million years ago from vaguely wolf-like land-based ancestors that belonged to a mammalian assemblage called artiodactyls that includes today’s cows, pigs, sheep and many others.
The blue, fin, bowhead, grey, humpback, right and sperm whales are the largest animals alive today. In fact, the blue whale is the largest-known creature ever on Earth, topping even the biggest of the dinosaurs.
- Blue whales can reach about 100 feet (30 meters) long, fin whales about 80 feet (24 meters), sperm and bowhead whales about 60 feet (18 meters), humpback and right whales about 50 feet (15 meters) and grey whales about 45 feet (13.5 meters).
Gigantism in the current cetacean lineage is recent, estimated at approximately 5 million years ago. Before that, there were animals with large sizes, like Basilosaurus, but these were exceptions, and most cetaceans did not exceed 10 meters in length.
- Basilosaurus, a toothed apex predator from about 40 million years ago, was the largest-known early whale. The baleen whale lineage dates to roughly 36 million years ago, starting modestly in size.

4. A powerful laser in the sky helps divert lightning strike

Subject: Science &Tech

Section: Solar energy

Context:

A powerful laser can grab hold of a lightning bolt and reroute its path through the sky.

How does it work?

A powerful laser aimed at the sky can create a virtual lightning rod and divert the path of lightning strikes.
Acting as a virtual, movable rod, a laser beam directed at the sky could offer an alternative. The idea of using intense laser pulses to guide lightning strikes has been previously explored in laboratory conditions. However, no field result previously exists that experimentally demonstrates lightning guiding by lasers.
The researchers’ observations were corroborated using high-frequency electromagnetic waves generated by lightning to locate the strikes. Increased detection of X-ray bursts at the time of the strikes also confirmed successful guiding.
- One of the strikes was directly recorded by high-speed cameras and shown to follow the laser path for over 50 metres.
The findings may pave the way for better lightning protection methods for critical infrastructure, such as power stations, airports and launchpads.

5. What led to unusually low temperature at Ooty’s fingerpost?

Subject : Geography

Section: Climatology

Context:

The day before Pongal dawned on Udhagamandalam, a local temperature gauge measured a frigid ground temperature of –6.3 degree celsius in the Fingerpost locality.

What had caused the mercury to dip so low in Fingerpost?

The subzero temperature is caused due to the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
The La Niña winter plus a very strong Siberian High conspired to create a cooler-than-normal winter in South India.
- In La Niña years, the winds mostly tend to come from the north and bring down the pressure trough far into peninsular India.

La-Nina winter:

This is the La-Nina winter which means heady winds blow warm water on the sea surface away from the South American mainland, roughly off the coast of Ecuador.
This heat movement across the Pacific has global consequences. Over India, the La Niña can intensify summer monsoons, bring excess rainfall, and cause colder winters.
La Niña is the opposite of El Niño, in which equatorial waters off the South American coast become unusually warmer.
- One effect is that in winter, the subtropical westerly jet over North India is pushed southward, allowing the western disturbance to create cold winters in the north.
But in La Niña years, there is a ‘highway’ of chill wind coming southward from the Siberian High, “a cold, high-pressure block of air that is occupying the central Asian region and affecting winds coming into India.

Strong Siberian High:

The Siberian High is responsible for the bitter cold of the tundra and has been known to affect the weather from Italy to the Philippines.
But this time it is “anomalously strong”.
The temperature further dropped in Tamil Nadu’s interior areas, due to the withdrawal of the northeast monsoons, which allowed the cooler dry-land winds to strengthen.

Low-pressure trough:

Unlike the El Niño-driven cold air that sweeps India between the southeast and the northwest, in La Niña years, the winds mostly tend to come from the north and bring down the pressure trough far into peninsular India.
So they cover more area and affect more people.

6. India’s plan to eradicate measles, rubella

Subject : Science and Technology

Section: Health/ Diseases/Health related initiatives

India’s target of eradicating Measles and Rubella:

India had set a target to eliminate measles and rubella (MR) by 2023, having missed the earlier deadline of 2020, due to a variety of reasons, exacerbated by disruptions due to the pandemic.
An earlier target that was set for 2015 was also missed.
It was in 2019 that India adopted the goal of measles and rubella elimination by 2023, anticipating that the 2020 goal could not be reached.

The severity of Measles and Rubella virus:

As per the WHO, the measles virus is one of the world’s most contagious human viruses that kills more than 1,00,000 children every year globally, and rubella is a leading vaccine-preventable cause of birth defects.
Both measles and rubella can be prevented by just two doses of a safe and effective vaccine.
- Over the past two decades, the measles vaccine is estimated to have averted more than 30 million deaths globally.
Symptoms are a rash and fever.
- While measles has a high fatality rate, rubella infection in a pregnant woman will have an impact on the foetus, resulting in birth defects.

Measles outbreak in Maharashtra:

There was an outbreak of measles in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai in October 2022.

Steps taken to eradicate the MR virus:

During 2010–2013, India conducted a phased measles catch-up immunisation for children aged 9 months–10 years in 14 States, vaccinating approximately 119 million children.
Mission Indradhanush was launched in 2014 to ramp up vaccinating the unvaccinated population.
During 2017–2021, India adopted a national strategic plan for measles and rubella elimination, and introduced rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) into the routine immunisation programme, besides launching a nationwide measles-rubella supplementary immunisation activity (SIA) catch-up campaign.
- It also transitioned from outbreak-based surveillance to case-based acute fever and rash surveillance, and more than doubled the number of laboratories in the measles-rubella network.

Is the target achievable?

Targets will be easier to achieve in States such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, due to the robust immunisation infrastructure.
In the other States, additional efforts should be taken to work towards achieving the target.

7. Ahom Charaideo Maidams to vie for UNESCO tag

Subject : Art and Culture

Section : Medieval India

Concept :

Assam Chief Minister recently said that the Central Government has decided to send a proposal to UNESCO nominating Charaideo Maidam of Ahom Kingdom as a World Heritage Site.
Currently, there is no World heritage Site in the category of cultural heritage in the Northeast.

Moidams/Maidams

The Moidams (also Maidams) are the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty (13th century-19th century).
The mound-burial system of the royals of the Ahom dynasty in Assam’s Charaideo district can be likened to the royal tombs of ancient China and the Pyramids of the Egyptians Pharaohs (kings of ancient Egypt).
Charaideo, more than 400 km east of Guwahati, was the first capital of the Ahom dynasty founded by Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha in 1253.
Previously, those of the deceased with their paraphernalia (apparatus/ equipment) were buried.
However, after the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation, entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Moidam at Charaideo.
The Moidams enshrine the mortal remains of Ahom royalty and are highly venerated.
With the shift of Ahom capital south and eastwards, Moidams have been seen in different parts of Northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Northern Burma, Southern China and Northeast India – together defining the region where Tai-Ahom culture prevailed.

Why is Charaideo known as ‘Pyramids of Assam’?

It contains sacred burial grounds of Ahom kings and queens and is also the place of the ancestral Gods of the Ahoms.
Some 42 tombs (Maidams) of Ahom kings and queens are present at Charaideo hillocks.
Architecture: It comprises a massive underground vault with one or more chambers having domical superstructure and covered by a heap of earthen mound and externally it appears a hemispherical mound.

Ahom Dynasty:

It was founded by Chaolung Sukapha , who entered the Brahmaputra valley in 1228.
They ruled Assam for six centuries, until the British annexed Assam.
The Ahoms created a new state by taking over the older political system of the bhuiyans (landlords).
The Ahom administration was a monarchial government with democratic and aristocratic values as well.
Ahom society was divided into clans and with the expansion of the kingdom, the clans moved and took charge of the designated territory.
The Ahoms followed stringent travel policies to protect their motherland against the foreign invaders for inward travel.
In the 17th century, the Ahom rule got weakened due to multiple Burmese invasions and internal conflicts.
Ahom Kingdom was annexed by the British East India Company after the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826.

8. China building dam close to India border

Subject : International Relations /Geography

Concept :

The development comes in the wake of China unveiling plans to build a “super” dam close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Tibet on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo river.
The images depict the obstruction of the river’s path, the formation of a reservoir, and an embankment-type dam.
The dam could also be used to store water, whose release could create floods downstream, the people said.

About Yarlung Zangbo

The Yarlung Zangbo River (YZR) is the highest river in the world.
The trans-border Yarlung Zangbo originates from the Majieyangzom glacier in the southwest of the Tibetan Plateau.
It flows into Arunachal Pradesh where it is called the Siang and then to Assam as the Brahmaputra before flowing into Bangladesh.

Embankment Dams

An embankment dam is a large artificial dam.
It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay, or rock.
It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface and a dense, impervious core.
An embankment dam is a type of dam in which more than 50 % of the total volume is formed of compacted earth material generally smaller than 3-inch size.

9. Odisha cabinet nod for inclusion of 22 castes in SEBC list

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Concept:

Odisha cabinet on Saturday cleared the inclusion of 22 castes in the list of Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC).
The Cabinet has approved the proposed Amendment of the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC) Act, to include such Backward Classes in the State list of SEBCs.
Presently, there are 22 no’s of castes/communities along with their synonyms, which have already been notified by the Govt. of India as OBCs for the State of Odisha, but they have not yet been included in the State list of SEBCs for Odisha.

List of socially and educationally backward classes:

The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was established under the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Second Amendment) Act, 2018 gave constitutional status to the NCBC, and empowered the President to notify the list of socially and educationally backward classes for any state or union territory for all purposes.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Act, 2021 amends this to provide that the President may notify the list of socially and educationally backward classes only for purposes of the central government.
This central list will be prepared and maintained by the central government.
Further, it enables states and union territories to prepare their own list of socially and educationally backward classes.
This list must be made by law, and may differ from the central list.

Background

Article 15(4) of the Constitution of India enables the State to make any special provisions for the advancement of any Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of citizens.
Further, Article 46 of the Constitution of India provides that, the State shall promote, with special care, the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.

10. Excavations reveal Buddhist monastery complex at Bharatpur of Bengal

Subject: Art and Culture

Section: Jainism and Buddhism

Concept:

Recent excavations at Bharatpur in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district have revealed the presence of a Buddhist monastery.
The Kolkata Circle of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) started excavating the site in the second week of January and a structural complex of a monastery has now been partially exposed.
The site was initially excavated almost fifty years ago between 1972 and 1975 when archeologists from ASI and from Burdwan University found a Buddhist stupa at the site.
A Buddhist stupa cannot exist in isolation, and the recent excavations have revealed the presence of an extended monastery complex, according to ASI officials.

Significance of the excavation

This site is an early village settlement on the bank of the river Damodar which could date to around 2000 BCE; and also, a Buddhist monastery complex.
This site is unique in terms of Buddhist sites in the State, because of the presence of a large stupa along with a monastery complex and black and red ware pottery from the Chalcolithic or Copper Age.
In other sites across West Bengal, such as Karnasubarna in Murshidabad, Moghalamari in Paschim Medinipur and Jagjivanpur in Malda, archeologists have found only smaller votive stupas.

Buddhist Monastery

A monastery is a community of men or women (monks or nuns), who have chosen to withdraw from society, forming a new community devoted to religious practice. The word monk comes from the Greek word monos, which means alone.
Buddhism, the first Indian religion to require large communal and monastic spaces, inspired three types of architecture.
Stupa, vihara and chaitya are part of Buddhist and Jaina monastic complexes but the largest number belongs to the Buddhist religion

Stupas

The older stupas were enlarged during the time period between Mauryas and Guptas
The famous amongst these are- Sanchi, Bharhut and Amaravati.
Stupa has a cylindrical drum or a circular anda over which one can see harmika and chhatra. The circumambulatory path, Pradakshina path, is enclosed by railings called vedika.

Viharas

It was the ancient Indian term for a Buddhist monastery.
Originally, viharas were dwelling places used by wandering monks during the rainy season but eventually they evolved into centers of learning and Buddhist architecture through the donations of wealthy lay Buddhists.
Life in “Viharas” was codified early on. It is the object of a part of the Pali canon, the Vinaya Pitaka or “basket of monastic discipline.”
Typical large sites such as the Ajanta Caves, Aurangabad Caves, Karli Caves, and Kanheri Caves contain several viharas.
A rock-cut viharas at Ellora

Chaityas

It refers to a shrine, sanctuary, temple or prayer hall in Indian religions.
Most early examples of chaitya that survive are Indian rock-cut architecture
Chaityas have a gigantic hall with high vaulted roof, with a lot of sculpture work on the pillars and the entrance
The largest Chaitya-Griha among all Buddhist monuments in India is the Karle caves.
Many Chaityas show a stupa at the back. Chaityas were carved either as rectangular halls or apsidal vault-roof or apsidal vault pillarless halls.

11. Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Programme

Subject: Government Schemes

Concept:

It has been nearly three years since the School Health and Wellness Programme was launched under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, and so far only 15 of India’s States – less than half – have started weekly 40-minute classroom sessions with student

About the Programme:

The School Health Programme (SHP) under Ayushman Bharat was launched by the Prime Minister in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh.
It is a joint collaborative programme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education).
Vision:
- The initiative targets both Education and Health and intends to facilitate an integrated approach to health programming and more effective learning at the school level.
Major Roles:
- Under the programme teachers act as “Health and Wellness Ambassadors” and disseminate various key information by organising culturally sensitive activity based sessions for one hour per week for 24 weeks in a year to promote joyful learning.
- Further, the students act as Health and Wellness Messengers in the society. And every Tuesday is dedicated as Health and Wellness Day in the schools.
Themes:
- The Programme is based on the 11 identified themes.
- Some of them are emotional wellbeing, interpersonal relationships, responsible citizenship, gender equality, reproductive health, HIV prevention, safety and security against violence and promotion of safe use of the internet.
Linked with SDGs:
- The Ministry of Human Resource Development (Ministry of education) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) along with National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) have also developed curriculum framework and training material for training of nodal teachers, in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG- 3).
- SDG 3 aspires to ensure health and well-being for all.

12. PIB fact-check unit’s ambit will be limited to content about Centre

Subject : Governance

Concept:

The mandate of the Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit is to examine the veracity of only the contents related to the Central government ministries and organisations, and will remain so even when it is empowered to get any fake content removed from the social media platforms, according to government officials.

Background

A draft amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, provides that the platforms will have to remove the content “identified as fake or false” by the fact-check unit or other agency authorised by the Central government for fact checking.

PIB Fact Checking Unit

PIB Fact Checking Unit was established under Press Information Bureau in November 2019.
It takes cognizance of fake news both suo motu and by way of queries sent by citizens on its portal or through e-mail and social media.
The unit responds to the relevant queries with correct and updated information.

Press Information Bureau

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) is the nodal agency of the Government of India to disseminate information to the print and electronic media on government policies, programmes, initiatives and achievements.
It functions as an interface between the Government and the media and also serves to provide feedback to the Government on people’s reaction as reflected in the media.
PIB disseminates information through different modes of communication press releases, press notes, feature articles, backgrounders, photographs, database available on Bureau’s website.
Information disseminated is released in English, Hindi and Urdu and subsequently translated in other Indian languages.