Daily Prelims Notes 23 June 2021

June 23, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

23 June 2021

Table Of Contents

1. In a first- Rubber Board starts field trials in Assam

Subject: Agriculture

Context: In a major experiment in rubber farming, Rubber Board has started field trial of world’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber in Assam.

Concept:

GM Rubber was developed in biotechnology laboratory at Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) in Puthuppally, Kottayam.
It was planted at Rubber board’s Sarutari research farm in Guwahati.
Rubber Board launched field trial of GM Rubber in Assam a decade after Kerala Government denied permission for the same because of its adverse impact on environment.

Background

GM Rubber is the second genetically modified crop for which field trial has started after Bt. Cotton. Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) had allowed to open field trials of GM rubber in 2010 at Chetchackal, Thombikandom, in Kottayam.

Significance of GM Rubber

GM variant rubber has the capacity to withstand adverse climatic conditions. It will give a big boost to rubber production in India.
It will greatly benefit farmers after trials are over. The crop is resistant to reduced moisture or drought, low & high temperatures as well as high light intensity. It will also cut short the maturity period of rubber. It will result into early yielding.

Issue with the growth of rubber

Growth of young rubber gets slower in winter season in North East because plants do not get enough light during monsoon. Lack of adequate water during summer season also creates stress to plants. Thus, GM rubber can overcome these issues and result into faster growth.

2. International Tea Day auction sets price record

Subject : Current Events

Context : The first International Tea Day special auction, held on a digital platform, in eastern Assam’s Jorhat, considered the tea capital of the region, fetched record prices.

Concept :

The auction was conducted on June 21 — a month after the best leaves were plucked to mark International Tea Day on May 21 — by Mjunction Services Ltd., a B2B e-com firm.

About International Tea Day

International Tea Day was observed on 21st May after it was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2019.
The UN General Assembly called on the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO is an agency of the United Nations) to lead the observance of the day.
May 21 was chosen because the season of tea production begins in May in most of the tea producing countries.

Key Points

Tea is a beverage made from the Camellia sinesis plant. It is the world’s most consumed drink, after water.
It is believed that tea originated in northeast India, north Myanmar and southwest China, but the exact place where the plant first grew is not known. There is evidence that tea was consumed in China 5,000 years ago.

Economy:

Tea production and processing constitutes a main source of livelihoods and subsistence for millions in developing and least developed countries.
It is a labour-intensive sector, providing jobs, especially in remote and economically disadvantaged areas.
Tea can play a significant role in rural development, poverty reduction and food security in developing countries, being one of the most important cash crops.

Plantation condition:

Tea is a tropical and sub-tropical plant and grows well in moderately hot and humid climates.
The ideal temperature for its growth is 20°-30°C and temperatures above 35°C and below 10°C are harmful for the bush.
It requires 150-300 cm annual rainfall which should be well distributed throughout the year.
The most suitable soil for tea cultivation is slightly acidic soil (without calcium) with porous sub-soil which permits a free percolation of water.

3. International Olympic Day

Subject : Current Events

Context : The Prime Minister International Olympic Day 2021 has conveyed the pride that nation feels for those who have represented India in various Olympics over the years.

Concept :

The day was chosen by the International Olympic Committee in 1948.
It aims to promote the Olympic idea and the importance of organising mass sports competitions all around the world.
As a result of the effort many nations adopted it to empower youth and represent nations in the global sports competitiop.
Besides a number of school from various countries adopted Olympics/Sports as a part of their curriculum.

What is special about this Year ?

Summer Olympics in Tokyo, scheduled to be held between July 23 and August 8.
Infact this was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The event will be referred to as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
A total of 339 events across 33 sports are lined up at the Games from different countries.

International Olympic Committee

Non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, authority responsible for organising the Summer and Winter Olympic Games
It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss Civil Code (articles 60-79).
IOC is the governing body of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs)
NOC is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement.
Current president of the IOC is Thomas Bach of Germany.
In 2009 the UN General Assembly granted the IOC Permanent Observer status.

4. First Reactor in Kudankulam sopped for fuel replacement

Subject : Science & tech

Context :The first reactor of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) was stopped at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday for the scheduled and mandatory annual fuel replacement.

Concept :

The exercise, which was done last time from May 31, 2020, is expected to last 45 to 60 days for replacing 33% of the spent fuel with enriched uranium fuel bundles. The process is done by fully automated refuelling equipment.

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant

KKNPP is the single largest nuclear power station in India.
It is situated in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
It is scheduled to have six VVER-1000 reactors with an installed capacity of 6,000 MW of electricity.
It has been built in collaboration with Atomstroyexport, the Russian state company and NPCIL.
Unit 1 and 2 have started generating electricity
Unit 3 and 4 are under construction.

PRESSURIZED HEAVY WATER REACTORS (PHWR)

Natural Uranium is used as a fuel and heavy water as a coolant and moderator
The 0.7% U-235 undergoes fission to release energy. As the remaining 99% U-238 is not fissionable, it undergoes transmutation and forms Plutonium-239(Pu-239).

Working of the reactor –

The heat is removed from the reactor by water flowing in a closed pressurised loop
The heat is transferred to a second water loop through a heat exchanger.
The second loop is kept at a low pressure allowing the water to boil and create steam, that is used to turn the turbine-generator
Then the steam is condensed into water and returned to the heat exchanger

VVER – Reactors

The water-water energetic reactor (WWER) or VVER is a series of pressurized water reactor designs originally developed in the Soviet Union, and now Russia, by OKB Gidropress.
Two Russian-built VVER-1000 reactors have been in commercial operation in Kudankulam, southern India, since 2014 and 2017 respectively.

5. Taliban capture Afghanistan’s main Tajikistan border crossing

Subject : International Relations

Context : The seizure of Shir Khan Bandar, in the far north of Afghanistan, about 50 km from Kunduz city, is the most significant gain for the Taliban since the United States began the final stage of its troop withdrawal in May.

Concept :

Kunduz is a city in northern Afghanistan, which serves as the capital of Kunduz Province.
Kunduz is located near the confluence of the Kunduz River with the Khanabad River.

6. Summit on Green Hydrogen Initiatives

Subject : Science & tech / IR

Context : India is hosting a summit on Green Hydrogen initiatives involving the BRICS nations. The event offers a platform to share their respective Green Hydrogen initiatives and views on how to take it to the next level in their own countries.

The event will be anchored by NTPC Ltd , a Maharatna CPSU under the Ministry of Power.

Concept :

Hydrogen when produced by electrolysis using renewable energy is known as Green Hydrogen which has no carbon

Significance of Green Hydrogen:

Green hydrogen energy is vital for India to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) Targets and ensure regional and national energy security, access and availability.
Green Hydrogen can act as an energy storage option, which would be essential to meet intermittencies (of renewable energy) in the future.
In terms of mobility, for long distance mobilisations for either urban freight movement within cities and states or for passengers, Green Hydrogen can be used in railways, large ships, buses or trucks, etc.

Applications of green hydrogen:

Green Chemicals like ammonia and methanol can directly be utilized in existing applications like fertilizers, mobility, power, chemicals, shipping etc.
Green Hydrogen blending up to 10% may be adopted in CGD networks to gain widespread acceptance.
Benefits:
It is a clean-burning molecule, which can decarbonize a range of sectors including iron and steel, chemicals, and transportation.
Renewable energy that cannot be stored or used by the grid can be channelled to produce hydrogen.

7. Delta Variant Greatest Threat To US Pandemic Response

Subject : Science & tech

Context :The Delta variant of the novel coronavirus that was first found in India is the greatest threat to the United States’ effort to eradicate COVID-19 in its borders, said US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci .

Concept :

The transmissibility is unquestionably greater in the Delta variant than the original variant of COVID-19 and also it is associated with an increased disease severity.
The Delta variant is becoming the globally dominant version of the disease, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist said.

Delta Variant

The World Health Organization (WHO) has named B.1.617.1 variant as ‘Kappa‘ and B.1.617.2 variant as ‘Delta‘
These variants are sub-lineages of B.1.617 which was detected in India in 2021.
This new nomenclature for the various variants of the coronavirus using Greek alphabets was introduced to simplify public discussions and also help remove the stigma from the names.
Moreover, WHO has also categorized the Delta variant as a Variant of Concern (VOC).

Variant of Concern (VOC)

WHO classifies a variant as a VOC when it is associated with
An increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in Covid-19 epidemiology or
Increase in virulence (Ability to cause severe/life-threatening disease)
Decrease in the effectiveness of public health measures or available diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics.

Why is Delta Variant more dangerous than other variants?

This variant has multiple mutations that appear to give it an advantage over other strains.
The most important advantage is that the mutations may make the strain more transmissible. This will make the delta variant the most dangerous variant yet.
One study indicated that the Delta variant may be up to 50% more transmissible than the B.1.1.7 (U.K./Alpha) variant.

What is a mutation?

A mutation means a change in the genetic sequence of the virus.
In the case of Covid-19, which is a Ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus, a mutation means a change in the sequence in which its molecules are arranged.
A mutation in an RNA virus often happens when the virus makes a mistake while it is making copies of itself.