Daily Prelims Notes 24 January 2023
- January 24, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN
Daily Prelims Notes
24 January 2023
Table Of Contents
- World Economic Forum agrees to make changes in criteria for gender gap reports
- Organic Farming
- ‘Revamp accreditation process for organic certification companies’
- India’s remittance lifeline
- 21 Andaman Islands named after Param Vir Chakra awardees
- 21 Andaman Islands named after Param Vir Chakra awardees
- G20 task force on digital public infrastructure
- Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha (DBHPS)
- Journalists not exempt from disclosing sources
- INS Vagir, fifth Scorpene submarine, commissioned
- Two students in Kerala infected with Novovirus
- Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
- No foreign investment cap on sovereign green bonds (SGrBs)
- Karnataka to get leopard rehabilitation centre
- Immune Imprinting
- Save Africa’s forest elephants if you want the Congo rainforest to continue capturing carbon
- All is not well with Ladakh’s glaciers
- 5 billion people globally exposed to toxic trans-fat linked to heart disease: WHO
1. World Economic Forum agrees to make changes in criteria for gender gap reports
Subject: Governance
Section: Reports and Indices
Context: World Economic Forum (WEF) will take into account the participation of women at panchayat level to rank countries in its future Global Gender Gap reports, which will better India’s position at the global level.
Concerns in Report ranking:
- For women’s political participation, the WEF looks at the number of women in the Union Cabinet and members in both houses of Parliament.
- It did not even consider Ministers of State, women MLAs and state ministers.
- To completely ignore political participation at the panchayat level in India is bringing about a flawed and unjust view on women empowerment.
- There are 4-million women in the Indian panchayat system.
Global Gender Gap Report
- The Global Gender Gap Report is an index designed to measure gender equality.
- It was first published in 2006 by the World Economic Forum
- It assesses countries on how well they are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities.
- The Global Gender Gap Index benchmarks gender parity across four key dimensions or sub-indices:
- Economic participation and opportunity – outcomes on salaries, participation levels and access to high-skilled employment
- Educational attainment – outcomes on access to basic and higher level education
- Political empowerment – outcomes on representation in decision-making structures
- Health and survival – outcomes on life expectancy and sex ratio.
- World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked India at 135 out of 146 countries in its Global Gender Gap (GGG) Index for 2022.
- Now, women in the Indian panchayat system whose political contribution will be enumerated.
Subject: Economic Geography
Section: Agriculture
Context: The total increase in lands in India under organic cultivation was 3,59,000 hectares, according to IFOAM -Organics International data.
More about the News:
- India among top 3 nations in expanding organic farming in 2020
- Of the world’s total 74.9 mh under organic farming, Australia has the highest at 35.7 mh. Whereas India has 2.8 mh.
- In contrast, out of total 34 lakh organic producers in the world, 16 lakh farmers in India are into certified organic farming.
Organic Farming:
- Organic farming is a type of agriculture or farming which avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, & livestock feed additives.
- Organic farming systems rely on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manure, off-farm organic wastes & biofertilizers, mineral bearing rocks to maintain soil productivity, etc.
Organic farming in India
- Sikkim became the first State in the world to become fully organic.
- North East India has traditionally been organic, & the consumption of chemicals is far less than rest of the country.
- Madhya Pradesh tops the list with 0.76 million ha of area under organic cultivation — that is over 27 per cent of India’s total organic cultivation area.
- The top three states, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, & Maharashtra — account for about half the area under organic cultivation.
- Major organic exports from India are flax seeds, sesame, soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice & pulses.
- Major exporting states: Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, & Nagaland.
3. ‘Revamp accreditation process for organic certification companies’
Subject :
Context: The Indian government should revamp the process of providing accreditation to new organic certification companies and carry out a thorough probe of these firms, a Chennai-based public interest and service trust has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Organic Farming: Products and Certification
- India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) handles the regulation of organic food.
- In November 2017, the FSSAI announced organic food laws that govern the production, marketing, distribution, and import of organic foods into India.
- Any food that wants to be labeled as “organic” in India must be certified under one of the two systems-
- National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)
- Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India)
PGS- India
- PGS India is a self-certification system meant for the domestic market only which comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- This organic regulation was created to address the issue of fraud and mislabeling in foods marketed as “organic”.
- It permits the import of organic food into India without re-certification in India if the organic standards of the exporting nation have been recognized as being similar to NPOP.
NPOP
- National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) is a third-party certification program run under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry since 2001. This program laid down the norms and guidelines governing the production of organic food.
- Farmers and enterprises involved in producing organic fruits, vegetables, grains, and processed foods must follow these standards.
- The certification under the NPOP program is mainly done by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Organic Farming Certification Mechanism:
- In India the certifying agencies and acts have been set up and are being governed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
- The National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) notified under the Foreign Trade and Development Act (FTDR) aims to encourage farmers for the production of organic substances, issues certificates in accordance to the standards outlined by the agency, evaluates the certification programs for organic farming as per the rules of the agency and to accredit the programs undertaken by the agencies.
- The Ministry of commerce and industry is at the apex level and a steering committee is formed from among the members of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.
- This steering committee formulates the national policy of accreditation and standards for organic products. The committee also designs the rules and regulations for the use of the organic certification mark.
- The procedure for obtaining organic farming certification in India has several guidelines.
- Initially the person with a farmland has to submit an application in a prescribed format to the agency. A certain amount of fee is paid to carry out the procedures and field verification.
- Prior to this the person applying for the organic certification has to make sure that his farm meets the required standards outlined by the NPOP.
- These sets of principles are: To convert the farm to organic farming, provide natural inputs to the farm, complete boycott of irradiation technology, maintaining integrity of farming techniques, external contamination of the farm should not be present and the procedures used for farming should be of sustainable standards.
- There are some additional requirements which the applicant must adhere to before getting an organic certification:
- Updating his annual production plan
- Allow the certification inspectors to carry out on-site inspections with access to production material, land and operations.
- Records of the farm and its operations for a period of 5 years are maintained such that the representatives of the agency can review the records before certification of the land.
- The fee has to be paid to the accreditation agency during the specified time limit.
- The authorities have to be informed if there are any changes made during the production such as use of prohibited substances, etc. that are against the standards set up by the NPOP.
Standards Specified For Organic Farming Certification
- The first principle is conversion of the farm. Conversion period is defined as the time gap between the start of organic procedure and certification of crops. Within three years the entire farm including livestock has to be converted as per the defined standards.
- The maintenance of organic structure has to be done such that the converted farm and livestock do not switch back to conventional methods.
- The seeds used for farming have to be organic and are specified by the certification authority. Upon non availability of organic seeds, untreated material can be used, but the use of genetically modified seeds is prohibited.
- The conversion period is minimum three years, but can be extended by the certification program based on the environment and other past factors.
- It is recommended that diversity is maintained to improve the soil quality, organic matter, microbial activity etc.
- Synthesized fertilizers shall not be permitted to be used in the farms. Only biodegradable animal and plant origin can be used.
- Pesticides and disease control products manufactured from local plants and micro organism are allowed. Thermal and physical weed control methods are allowed. The use of chemicals is prohibited.
- Items used for covering the farm can be products made from polyethylene and polypropylene. The polychloride products are restricted.
- Soil erosion has to be prevented, water depletion controlled, cleaning the land by burning organic matter should be minimized and primary forest area should not be cleared.
- Harvests from wild farms will be certified only if found stable and sustainable. The collection of produce has to be done away from polluted area and contamination.
4. India’s remittance lifeline
Subject: Economy
Section :External sector
Context: Remittances were a source of comfort for India’s BoP during the pandemic. But a shift in share of sources is worrisome.
Balance of payments data from the RBI
- Balance of payments data from the RBI suggest that remittance inflows have been relatively strong through the pandemic. Having fallen by 3 per cent, from $76 billion in pre-pandemic year 2019-20 to $73 billion in 2020-21, these flows bounced back to touch $80 billion in 2021-22
- However, according to figures recently released by the RBI, the pandemic did change the source countries from which these remittances originated.
- Ever since the oil price increases of the 1970s set off a construction and business boom in the Gulf, those countries have been the destination for a migration trail of workers from India, varying from the unskilled to the semi- and highly skilled. These workers had to repatriate money to finance household consumption at home and transfer sums for any investments undertaken.
- United States and the United Kingdom were temporary workers employed to provide software and business services on location, often sent by firms in India taking on offshored contracts to provide onsite support services. These workers too sent money home to support consumption needs and finance investments out of savings.
- The share of the Gulf countries in private transfer inflows rose from 29.2 per cent in 2006-07 to 30.6 per cent in 2009-10 and 36.9 per cent in 2012-13. On the other hand, the North American share in these three years was 32.5 per cent, 29.7 per cent and 34.3 per cent, and the European share 17, 19.5 and 12.2 per cent
- However, the most recent data relating to pandemic year 2020-21 suggests that the collapse in oil prices and trade volumes hugely affected remittances from the Gulf. In that year the share of the GCC nearly halved to just 28.6 per cent (from 53.5) whereas the share of the US edged up marginally to 23.4 per cent (from 22.9) and that of the UK more than doubled to 6.8 per cent.
The relative resilience of overall flows and those from the US and UK is possibly explained by the fact that in a crisis period when short-term migrants lose their jobs and return home, they make lump sum transfers of the savings held abroad.
- The figures do suggest that remittances resulting from migration of the type characteristic of the GCC countries are far more volatile than those from the advanced economies. Given the importance of remittances for India’s balance of payments, this is a source of instability that needs to be taken account of.
About BOP https://optimizeias.com/current-account-deficit/
About Migration and Development Report https://optimizeias.com/migration-and-development-report/#:~:text=World%20remittances%20are%20expected%20to,middle%2Dincome%20countries%20(LMICs)
5. 21 Andaman Islands named after Param Vir Chakra awardees
Subject: Geography
Section: Mapping
Concept:
- The Prime Minister of India named the 21 largest unnamed islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees.
- In 2018, Ross Island was named after Netaji, Neil Island was renamed as Shaheed Island and Havelock Island was renamed as Swaraj Island.
- The Prime Minister further said that the 126th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is being celebrated as “Parakram Divas” across the country.
- According to the Prime Minister, naming the 21 islands after Param Vir Chakra awardees propagates the message of “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat”.
- The Prime Minister further added that the move would also ignite the spirit of “Bharat Mata” and “India First”.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- The Andaman Islands are the extension of the submerged ArakanYoma Tertiary Mountain range of Myanmar and the Nicobars are the continuation of the Mentawai Islands to the south and southeast of Sumatra.
- The main rocks of these islands are sandstone, limestone and shale.
- These two island groups situated in the Bay of Bengal span 6°45′ N to 13°41′ N (740 km) and 92°12′ E to 93°57′ E (190 km).
- These islands are separated from one another by very narrow straits.
- Andamans are separated from Nicobar by 10-degree channel (10-degree latitude).
- South Andaman and Little Andaman are separated by Duncan Passage.
- The Grand Channel is between the Great Nicobar islands and the Sumatra islands of Indonesia.
- The Coco Strait is between the North Andaman islands and the Coco Islands of Myanmar.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands group is a Union Territory administered by the President through a Lt. Governor.
- Port Blair, located in South Andaman is the administrative capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- The southernmost point of India is The Indira Point, (formerly known as Pygmalion Point and Parsons Point) which is the southern point of the Great Nicobar Islands.
- The highest peak of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Saddle Peak, located in the North Andaman.
- The Andaman and Nicobar Island has a tropical marine climate influenced by the seasonal flow of monsoon winds.
- The region is under dense tropical rain forests. The coastal regions have mangrove forests.
- Coconut fruit is the staple food of the people. Fisheries, piggery is also followed.
- The Islands are also famous for the largest and rarest species of crab, the Giant Robber Crab. It can climb the coconut trees and break the hard shell of the fruit.
- The entire region is vulnerable to earthquakes as it is in the major earthquake zone.
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also known as the Emerald Islands.
- Barren Island, located in the east of Middle Andaman is India s only active volcano.
- The Narcondam Island, located in the north-east of North Andaman is also a volcanic island.
Important Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andamanese – Strait island
- Jarawas – Middle and south Andaman
- Nicobarese – Great Nicobar
- Onges – Little Nicobar
- Sentinelese – Sentinel island
- Shom Pens – Great Nicobar
6. 21 Andaman Islands named after Param Vir Chakra awardees
Subject : Polity
Section : Msc
About Param Vir Chakra:
- It is India’s highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy.
- The Param Vir Chakra was introduced on January 26, 1950, on the first Republic Day with retrospective effect from 15 August 1947.
- Literally, Param Vir Chakra means ‘Wheel (or Cross) of the Ultimate Brave’.
- It can be awarded posthumously.
- It is similar to the British Victoria Cross, US Medal of Honor, or French Legion of Honor or Russian Cross of St. George.
Design:
- The medal was designed by Mrs. Savitri Khanolkar.
- The medal is cast in bronze and circular in shape.
- In the centre, on a raised circle, is the state emblem, surrounded by four replicas of Indra’s Vajra, flanked by the sword of Shivaji.
- On its reverse, it shall have embossed Param Vir Chakra both in Hindi and English with two lotus flowers between Hindi and English. The fitting will be swivel mounting.
- The decoration is suspended from a straight swiveling suspension bar, and is held by a 32 mm purple ribbon.
- First winner: Major Somanth Sharma, from the Kumaon regiment.
- Till now, only 21 people had been given the Param Vir Chakra award of which 14 are posthumous.
Gallantry Awards:
- They have been instituted by the Government of India to honour the acts of bravery and sacrifice of the officers/personnel of the Armed Forces, other lawfully constituted Forces and civilians.
- They are announced twice in a year – first on the occasion of the Republic Day and then on the occasion of the Independence Day.
- India’s Gallantry Awards in the order of precedence:
- Param Vir Chakra
- Ashoka Chakra
- Mahavir Chakra
- Kirti Chakra
- Vir Chakra
- Shaurya Chakra.
7. G20 task force on digital public infrastructure
Subject: Governance
Concept:
- The Union government has set up India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Transformation, Financial Inclusion and Development.
- The task force will be co-chaired by India’s G20 sherpa Amitabh Kant and Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani.
- Objective – The task force will oversee and facilitate achieving India’s G20 Presidency agenda and priorities on digital public infrastructure, financial inclusion, promoting digital identity, improved and innovative technology-based services including digital payments system like UPI along with the governance frameworks.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
- It refers to an open-source identity platform that can be used to access a wide variety of government and private services by building applications and products.
- It includes digital forms of ID and verification, civil registration, payment (digital transactions and money transfers), data exchange, and information systems.
- These public digital platforms are customisable, localizable, interoperable and leverage public data for open innovation models.
- For example, Unified Payment Interface (UPI) architecture’s interoperability is resonated in over 300 banks offering linkages to bank accounts through UPI which is accessed by consumers via 50-plus third-party apps.
- The platforms in DPI are based on core principles of consent-based data sharing protocols, openness, equity, inclusivity, fairness, transparency and trust hence reducing the digital divide.
Significance:
- Because of DPI’s low-cost and inclusive platforms, India has been able to push the boundary of public service delivery and digitally leapfrog, with the public sector defining regulatory limits and the private sector innovating and competing in the marketplace.
- DPI also allows nations to retain strategic control over their digitalisation processes, ensure digital cooperation and strengthen long-term capacity.
- A recent study by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has highlighted that on account of the DPI, India has delivered in 10 years what would have taken 50 years to achieve.
- The analysis by the Centre for Digital Economy Policy Research (C-DEP) estimates that national digital ecosystems could add over 5% to India’s GDP.
- In 2022, UN Development Programme and the Digital Public Goods Alliance, countries from around the world committed to sharing DPGs and best practices for the implementation of DP
- Funders also committed US$295 million to advance inclusive digital public infrastructure with DPGs.
Applications:
- India is seen as a global trendsetter in the DPI movement, having set up following multiple large-scale DPIs in contrast to the tech innovations that earlier emerged from the developed world:
- JAM trinity which links Aadhaar, mobiles and bank accounts
- Digi Locker for digital storage and documents
- Bharat Bill Pay, a one stop solution for multiple payments
- UPI, Aadhaar Enabled Payment Systems (AePs) and Immediate Payment Service (IMPS)
- CoWin for vaccination
8. Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha (DBHPS)
Subject: Art and Culture
Section :Literature and Language
Concept:
- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday registered an FIR of cheating and criminal conspiracy against the former president of Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha (DBHPS), Shivayogi R Niralkatti, and other unidentified persons for alleged misappropriation of funds.
Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha (DBHPS)
- DBHPS is an autonomous body functioning under the grant from Ministry of Education, Government of India.
- DBHPS is national organisation that aims to improve Hindi literacy among non-Hindi speaking people of South India.
- It is headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- Union Government had recognised it as one of the Institutes of National Importance in 1964.
- It is divided into four divisions one each for south states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
History:
- DBHPS was established by Annie Besant with support from Mahatma Gandhi in 1918 with sole aim of prorogating Hindi in South India to unite the northern and southern states of the country in greatest interest of integration of the nation.
- Gandhiji was founder president of DBHPS till his death.
9. Journalists not exempt from disclosing sources
Subject: Polity
Section :Constitution
Concept:
- While rejecting a closure report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, a Delhi court on January 19 said there is “no statutory exemption in India to journalists from disclosing their sources to investigating agencies”.
What is the law on protection of journalistic sources in India?
- In India, there is no specific legislation that protects journalists from being asked to disclose their sources.
- Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression to all citizens which journalists.
Judicial Precedence
- While the Supreme Court broadly recognises the freedom of the press, including the right of journalists to ensure protection of their sources, various courts have ruled differently on this issue.
- On Pegasus Spyware Issue, the Supreme Court in October 2021 said that one of the fundamental conditions for the media to exercise its right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 is the protection of ‘journalistic sources.’
- Without such protection, sources may be deterred from assisting the press in informing the public on matters of public interest, the SC added.
- Supreme Court has taken a similar stand on various cases commencing from Romesh Thappar vs. State of Madras and Brij Bhushan vs. The State of Delhi, including the recent Rafale case.
- However, the absence of a specific law, it is often the discretion of a Court. Courts have in “public interest asked journalists to disclose their sources.
- The Law Commission of India in its 93rd Report in 1983 recommended recognising journalistic privilege by amending the Indian Evidence Act.
Powers of Press Council of India regarding protection of journalistic sources
- Press Council of India, under PCI Act 1978 has powers of a civil court to deal with complaints when a newspaper has “offended against the standards of journalistic ethics or public taste or that an editor or working journalist has committed any professional misconduct.”
- However, the Council cannot force a newspaper, news agency, journalist, or editor to reveal their sources during the proceedings.
10. INS Vagir, fifth Scorpene submarine, commissioned
Subject : Science and Technology
Defence
Concept :
- INS Vagir, which is the fifth Scorpene-class conventional submarine, was commissioned into the Indian Navy.
- Also, INS Kalvari, the first Scorpene-class submarine built for the Indian Navy, will be fitted with an indigenous Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said in a statement.
- Six conventional diesel-electric Scorpene-class submarines are being built at the Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai under Project 75.
- With the inclusion of INS Vagir, the Indian Navy now has 16 conventional and one nuclear submarine in service which includes:
- Seven Russian Kilo-class submarines
- Four German HDW submarines
- Five Scorpene class submarines
- INS Arihant which is indigenous nuclear ballistic missile submarine
- Further the sixth and the last of the French-origin Scorpene-class submarines, INS Vagsheer, being built in India under technology transfer is currently undergoing sea trials and will be delivered to the Navy in 2024.
Kalvari-class submarine
- Vagir is a Kalvari-class submarine, which includes vessels, such as the INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela, INS Vagir and INS Vagsheer.
- In April, 2022 INS Vagsheer was launched and would be commissioned by 2023.
- In maritime parlance, a class of ships is a group of vessels which have the same make, purpose and displacement.
- The class is generally named after the first vessel in the category.
- This class of submarines have Diesel Electric transmission systems and these are primarily attack submarines or ‘hunter-killer’ types.
- This means they are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels.
- These submarines are around 220 feet long and have a height of 40 feet.
- It can reach the highest speeds of 11 knots (20 km/h) when surfaced and 20 knots (37 km/h) when submerged.
Technical features
- Vagir is capable of undertaking diverse missions including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and surveillance missions.
- It has advanced stealth features and is also equipped with both long-range guided torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.
Air Independence Propulsion Systems (AIP)
- AIP system gives a submarine the ability to remain submerged underwater, away from enemy sensors, for a long time without surfacing.
- A diesel-electric boat not equipped with an AIP has to snorkel frequently to recharge its batteries which power its propellers and other equipment.
- The process of snorkeling involves travelling just below the surface of the water with the submarine’s periscope and generator exhaust pipe above the surface.
- Submarines have to rise to periscope depth and extend the snort mast above the water line — every day or two in some cases — so as to ingest air needed for running noisy diesel generators (which require atmospheric air) to charge their batteries.
- This significantly increases the risk of detection.
Significance of AIP
- Radars on modern anti-submarine warfare platforms can easily detect periscope and exhaust pipes, taking away the element of surprise critical for submarines.
- An AIP system reduces the need for snorkeling by enabling it to generate electricity for charging its batteries while completely submerged.
- As a result, it improves a submarine’s ability to remain undetected.
- Most AIP systems installed on submarines use liquid or compressed oxygen or hydrogen fuel cells to reduce the need for external sources.
- DRDO’s AIP is based on Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell technology, which offers relatively longer life and more efficiency, which makes it cost-effective.
11. Two students in Kerala infected with Novovirus
Subject : Science
Section : Diseases
Concept :
- Norovirus infection was confirmed in two schoolchildren in Ernakulam district of Kerala.
About Norovirus
- Norovirus is a contagious virus that is also called the “winter vomiting bug”.
- Norovirus is an RNA virus belonging to the family Caliciviridae.
- It is a human enteric pathogen that causes acute gastroenteritis.
- The most common symptoms caused due to Norovirus include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.
- Norovirus mainly spreads through faecal-oral routes such as:
- Direct contact with an infected person
- Consuming contaminated water or food
- Touching contaminated surfaces and using unwashed hands
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), norovirus can infect anyone.
- Since the Norovirus genus comprises viruses that infect humans, pigs, cattle, and mice, the possibility of zoonotic transmission of infection exists.
12. Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
Subject: Polity
Section: Msc
Concept:
- The President of India will confer the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2023 to 11 children at an Award ceremony in Delhi on 23 January 2023.
About Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar:
- It is given under two categories.
Bal Shakti Puraskar:
- This award is given by the Government of India every year to recognize exceptional achievements of children in various fields namely innovation, scholastic achievements, social service, arts & culture, sports and bravery.
- Eligibility criteria: A child who is an Indian Citizen and residing in India and is between 5-18 years of age.
- Award: The award consists of a medal, a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000, book vouchers worth Rs.10,000, a certificate and a citation.
- It was started in 1996 as the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement, and renamed in 2018 as Bal Shakti Puraskar.
Bal Kalyan Puraskar:
- This is given as recognition to Individuals and Institutions, who have made an outstanding contribution towards service for children in the field of child development, child protection and child welfare.
- Eligibility criteria: An individual who is an Indian Citizen residing in India and should have attained the age of 18 years or above (as of 31st August of the respective year). S/he should have worked for the cause of children for not less than 7 years.
- The institution should not be entirely funded by the government and should have been in the field of child welfare for 10 years and performing consistently in the field.
- Award: The awards are given in each of the two categories – Individual and Institution – along with cash prizes (Rs. 1,00, 000 and Rs. 5,00, 000 respectively).
- It was started in 1979 as the National Child Welfare Awards and in 2018 renamed it as Bal Kalyan Puraskar.
13. No foreign investment cap on sovereign green bonds (SGrBs)
Subject: Environment
Section:
Concept:
- The sovereign green bonds issued by the Indian government will not have any restrictions on foreign investment, the Reserve Bank of India said on Monday.
- Such securities will be counted as specified securities under the fully accessible route, the central bank said in a notification.
- The RBI had earlier this month announced an auction of 160 billion rupees ($1.93 billion) of sovereign green bonds in two tranches, half of is set to be issued on Wednesday.
- The proceeds will be used to fund solar, wind and small hydro power projects, including other public sector projects which help in reducing the carbon intensity of the economy.
Fully accessible route
- The fully accessible route (FAR) introduced by RBI wherein certain specified categories of Central Government securities are opened fully for non-resident investors without any restrictions, apart from being available to domestic investors as well.
- Now, the central bank has added sovereign green bonds to the list too.
Significance of this move:
- SGrBs will be issued through Uniform Price Auction.
- 5% of the notified amount for sale will be reserved for retail investors.
- SGrBs will be eligible for trading in the secondary market.
- SGrBs will be reckoned as eligible investment for SLR purpose.
Sovereign green bond
- A sovereign green bond is a debt instrument issued by the central or state government to borrow money from investors.
- It is based on the commitment that the mobilized fund will be spent on climate or eco-system related activities.
Sovereign Green Bonds Framework
- Recently, the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs has approved the final Sovereign Green Bonds Framework of India.
- The Framework comes close on the footsteps of India’s commitments under “Panchamrit” as elucidated by the Prime Minister at Conference of Parties (COP) 26 at Glasgow in November 2021.
- It will further strengthen India’s commitment towards its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) targets, adopted under the Paris Agreement.
- Green Finance Working Committee (GFWC) was constituted to validate key decisions on issuance of Sovereign Green Bonds.
- The framework has been rated ‘Medium Green’, with a “Good” governance score by a Norway-based independent second opinion provider CICERO.
- The ‘Medium Green’ rating is assigned ‘to projects and solutions that represent significant steps towards the long-term vision, but are not quite there yet.
- All fossil fuel-related projects have been kept out of the framework, along with biomass-based renewable energy projects that rely on feedstock from ‘protected areas’
14. Karnataka to get leopard rehabilitation centre
Subject: Environment
Section : Species in news
Concept:
- The current practice of translocating leopards from conflict area, in vogue since many years, will be disbanded in due course as Karnataka is set to establish multiple rehabilitation centres to house leopards and tigers captured from conflict zones.
- At least 100 to 150 leopards are being captured in the State every year and hence rehabilitation centres – each with a capacity to house 200 to 250 leopards – have to be built every alternate year till the problem subsides in conflict zones, said Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife).
About Indian Leopard
- The Indian leopard (Pantherapardusfusca) is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.
- It is one of the big cats occurring on the Indian subcontinent, apart from the Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard.
- It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule 1
- Habitat – India, Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Pakistan.
Subject : Science & Tech
Section: Biotechnology
Context:
- Studies find ‘immune imprinting’ might be making bivalent boosters less effective.
What is immune imprinting?
- Immune imprinting is a tendency of the body to repeat its immune response based on the first variant it encountered- through infection or vaccination- when it comes across a newer or slightly different variant of the same pathogen.
- Background:
- The phenomenon was first observed in 1947, when scientists noted that “people who had previously had flu and were then vaccinated against the current circulating strain, produced antibodies against the first strain they had encountered.
- At the time, it was termed the ‘original antigenic sin’ but today, it’s commonly known as
- Over the years, scientists have realised that imprinting acts as a database for the immune system, helping it put up a better response to repeat infections.
- After our body is exposed to a virus for the first time, it produces memory B cells that circulate in the bloodstream and quickly produce antibodies whenever the same strain of the virus infects again.
Problems in immune imprinting:
- When a similar, not identical, variant of virus is encountered by the body, the immune system rather than generating new B cells, activates memory B cells which in turn produce antibodies that bind to features found in both the old and new strains, known as cross-reactive antibodies.
- These cross-reactive antibodies do offer some protection against the new strain, they aren’t as effective as the ones produced by the B cells when the body first came across the original virus.
How to circumvent immune imprinting?
- Currently, there is no proven way of circumventing it, though scientists believe nasal vaccines can escape from immune imprinting.
16. Save Africa’s forest elephants if you want the Congo rainforest to continue capturing carbon
Subject: Environment
Section: Biodiversity/forests
Study findings:
- The African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) plays a key role in creating forests which store more atmospheric carbon and maintain the biodiversity of forests in Africa.
- If it becomes extinct, the Congo rainforest of central and west Africa would lose between six and nine per cent of its ability to capture atmospheric carbon, amplifying planetary warming.
How do forest elephants enhance carbon capture?
- Each forest has low carbon density and high carbon density trees. The former has light wood while the latter has heavy wood.
- Low-carbon density trees grow quickly, rising above other plants and trees to get to the sunlight. Meanwhile, high carbon density trees grow slowly, needing 2/5 less sunlight and able to grow in shade.
- The African forest elephant strips away the low carbon density trees. This means that it removes the competitors of high carbon-density trees. This also enables the sunlight to reach more high-carbon-density trees.
- The elephants also spread the seeds of the high carbon-density trees across the forest through their droppings.
Congo elephants:
- Forest elephants of the Congo are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “Critically Endangered”.
Congo rainforests:
- Span through six countries: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
- Of these six countries, DRC contains the largest area of rainforest.
- The Congo rainforest is known for its high levels of biodiversity, including more than 600 tree species and 10,000 animal species.
- Some of its most famous residents include forest elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, okapi, leopards, hippos, and lions.
- Some of these species have a significant role in shaping the character of their forest home.
Threats to the Congo rainforests:
- Deforestation
- Small-scale subsistence agriculture
- Clearing for charcoal and fuelwood
- Urban expansion
- Mining
- Industrial logging
- Hunting and poaching
17. All is not well with Ladakh’s glaciers
Subject: Environment
Section: Climate change impact
Context: Climate impact is visible in the Himalayas, with 25 glacial lakes and water bodies witnessing an increase in water spread area since 2009.
Details:
- There has been a 40 per cent increase in water spread area in India, China and Nepal, posing a huge threat to seven Indian states and Union Territories.
- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have seen the highest increase in water spread area from 2009-2020 at 388 per cent.
- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh are the other states/UTs at risk.
ICE STUPAS — Artificial glacier of Ladakh
- Ice stupas are artificial glaciers built to store winter water for use in the arid months of late spring and early summer when meltwater is scarce.
- The tower of ice was invented in 2013 by engineer Sonam Wangchuk in Ladakh with the goal of preserving it for as long as possible so that it can feed the fields as it melts until the real glacial meltwaters start flowing again later in the summer.
- It is a low-cost, simple technology that may be used in any place with similar geo-climatic and topographical conditions.
- It’s a way of preserving water at high altitudes and thereby decreasing glacier melt, bringing life to freezing deserts and continuing the tradition of sustainability.
18. 5 billion people globally exposed to toxic trans-fat linked to heart disease: WHO
Subject: Science and Technology
Section : Health
Context:
The global health body, in 2018, had advocated some best-practice policies for the global eradication of industrially generated trans-fat by 2023. Coverage of these policies has expanded about six-fold since its inception.
Details:
- Report title: Countdown to 2023 – WHO report on global trans-fat elimination
- Released by: World Health Organisation (WHO)
- Report findings:
- 43 countries have put best-practice regulations against trans-fat in food, covering 2.8 billion people worldwide.
- However, despite significant progress, this still exposes five billion people to the devasting health effects of trans fat, making the 2023 target unattainable.
- Transfat: Trans fatty acids (TFAs) or Trans fats are the most harmful type of fats which can have much more adverse effects on a human body than any other dietary constituent.
- These fats are largely produced artificially but a small amount also occurs naturally. Thus in our diet, these may be present as Artificial TFAs and/ or Natural TFAs.
- Artificial TFAs are formed when hydrogen is made to react with the oil to produce fats resembling pure ghee/butter.
- In our diet, the major sources of artificial TFAs are partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVO)/vanaspati/ margarine while the natural TFAs are present in meats and dairy products, though in small amounts.
- Usage:
- TFA-containing oils can be preserved longer, they give the food the desired shape and texture and can easily substitute ‘Pure ghee’. These are comparatively far lower in cost and thus add to profit/savings.
- Industrially produced trans fat is usually found in packaged foods, baked items, cooking oils and spreads.
Harmful effects of trans fats:
- Trans fat has no known benefit
- Accountable for up to 500,000 early deaths from coronary heart disease annually.
- Raises the level of bad LDL cholesterol, an accepted biomarker of cardiovascular diseases.
- Increase the risk of heart disease by 21 per cent and deaths by 28 per cent.
Status of trans fat regulation across globe:
- WHO launched a REPLACE campaign in 2018 for the global-level elimination of trans-fats in industrially produced edible oils by 2023.
- Nine countries — Australia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan and the Republic of Korea — of the 16 nations with the highest estimated percentage of coronary heart disease fatalities attributed to trans-fat consumption do not currently have a best-practices strategy.
- Although most trans-fat elimination regulations have been implemented in higher-income countries, many middle-income nations — including Argentina, Bangladesh, India, Paraguay, the Philippines and Ukraine — are now adopting these regulations.
Policy measures:
- Two best-practice policy options:
- mandatory national limit of two grams of industrially produced trans-fat per 100 grams of total fat in all foods;
- mandatory national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils (a major source of trans fat) as an ingredient in all foods.