Daily Prelims Notes 24 September 2020

September 24, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Table Of Contents

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test fired a laser guided Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) from the indigenous Arjun main battle tank.

Concept:

The missile employs a tandem High-Explosive Anti-Tank [HEAT] warhead to neutralisearmoured vehicles which have reactive armours, which are specially-designed protective armours used in military vehicles.
While the missile is currently being tested from the MBT Arjun, it has been designed so that it can be fired from other platforms too.
The missile has the capability of engaging with the target even if it is not in the line of sight.
Laser-guided ATGMs lock and track the targets with the help of laser designation to ensure precision-hit accuracy.
Pune-based DRDO facilities – Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) and the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) have developed the missile in collaboration with another DRDO laboratory, Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE) in Dehradun.
Over the last three years, the DRDO has successfully conducted tests of Man Portable ATGM and also a ATGM system named Nag. The indigenously developed low-weight, ‘fire and forget’ Man Portable Anti Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) in September last year. In February 2018, ATGM Nag was successfully tested in desert conditions.

2. Central Pollution Control Board

Subject: Environment

Context:

Central Pollution Control Board has celebrated its 46th Foundation Day and pledged to provide technical leadership for more science-based environmental management.

Concept:

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), statutory organisation, was constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Functions of the Central Board at the National Level

Advise the Central Government on any matter concerning prevention and control of water and air pollution and improvement of the quality of air. Plan and cause to be executed a nation-wide programme for the prevention, control or abatement of water and air pollution;
Co-ordinate the activities of the State Board and resolve disputes among them;
Provide technical assistance and guidance to the State Boards, carry out and sponsor investigation and research relating to problems of water and air pollution, and for their prevention, control or abatement;
Plan and organise training of persons engaged in programme on the prevention, control or abatement of water and air pollution;
Organise through mass media, a comprehensive mass awareness programme on the prevention, control or abatement of water and air pollution;
Collect, compile and publish technical and statistical data relating to water and air pollution and the measures devised for their effective prevention, control or abatement;
Prepare manuals, codes and guidelines relating to treatment and disposal of sewage and trade effluents as well as for stack gas cleaning devices, stacks and ducts;
Disseminate information in respect of matters relating to water and air pollution and their prevention and control;
Lay down, modify or annul, in consultation with the State Governments concerned, the standards for stream or well, and lay down standards for the quality of air; and Perform such other function as may be prescribed by the Government of India.

3. National Rural Health Mission

Subject: Schemes

Context:

As per Rural Health Statistics-2019, as on 31.03.2019, a total of 1,57,411 Sub-centres, 24,855 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and 5,335 Community Health Centres (CHCs) have been functional in the rural areas of the country.

Concept:

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched on 12th April 2005, to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to the rural population, especially the vulnerable groups.
NRHM seeks to provide equitable, affordable and quality health care to the rural population, especially the vulnerable groups.
The thrust of the mission is on establishing a fully functional, community owned, decentralized health delivery system with inter-sectoral convergence at all levels, to ensure simultaneous action on a wide range of determinants of health such as water, sanitation, education, nutrition, social and gender equality.
NRHM focuses on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Adolescent (RMNCH+A) Services. The emphasis here is on strategies for improving maternal and child health through a continuum of care and the life cycle approach. It recognises the inextricable linkages between adolescent health, family planning, maternal health and child survival.
Moreover, the linking of community and facility-based care and strengthening referrals between various levels of health care system to create a continuous care pathway is also to be focussed.
The key features in order to achieve the goals of the Mission include making the public health delivery system fully functional and accountable to the community, human resources management, community involvement, decentralization, rigorous monitoring & evaluation against standards, convergence of health and related programmes form village level upwards, innovations and flexible financing and also interventions for improving the health indicators.
At the National level, the NHM has a Mission Steering Group (MSG) headed by the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare and an Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) headed by the Union Secretary for Health & FW. The EPC will implement the Mission under the overall guidance of the MSG.
At the State level, the Mission would function under the overall guidance of the State Health Mission headed by the Chief Minister of the State. The functions under the Mission would be carried out through the State Health & Family Welfare Society

4. Plastic Parks

Subject: Environment

Context:

To consolidate and synergize the plastic processing industry Government is setting up Plastic Parks with state-of-the-art infrastructure informed by minister in Rajya sabha

Concept:

Under the scheme, Central Government provides grant funding up to 50% of the project cost, subject to a ceiling of Rs. 40 crore per project. The remaining project cost is to be funded by the State Government, beneficiary industries and by loan from financial institutions.
Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has approved setting up of 10 Plastic Parks in the country, out of which 6 parks have been given final approval in the States of Assam, Madhya Pradesh (two parks),Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand. These 6 Plastic Parks are under various stages of implementation.
Centre is also providing technical/consultancy services to the plastic industries in the field of plastics processing, testing, composites and mould manufacturing, design etc.

5. National GIS-Enabled Land Bank System

Subject: Economy

Context:

Government has integrated Industrial Information System (IIS) portal with the GIS System

Concept:

It will provide updates on land availability and plot level information to investors anywhere in the world on real time basis and help them make informed decisions.
For the development of National Land Bank, Government intends to solicit the details of industrial land with plot level information, connectivity thereto, basic facilities, other facilities available and contact details of authorities/developer of the park.
More than 3,300 industrial parks across 31 states/UTs covering about 4,75,000 hectare land have been mapped on the system. The information available includes forest, drainage; raw material heat maps (agricultural, horticulture, mineral layers); multiple layers of connectivity,

6. Hallmarking of precious metals

Subject: Economy

Context:

In view of the Mandatory Hallmarking, the number of jewellers and hallmarking centres applying for Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certificate will increase manifold and to deal with increasing number of applications, an online system for issuing BIS certificate has been developed by BIS and launched by the Government

Concept:

Hallmarking is the accurate determination and official recording of the proportionate content of precious metal in precious metal articles.
Hallmarks are thus official marks used in many countries as a guarantee of purity or fineness of precious metal articles.
The principle objectives of the Hallmarking Scheme are to protect the public against adulteration and to obligate manufacturers to maintain legal standards of fineness
In India, at present two precious metals namely gold and silver have been brought under the purview of Hallmarking.
The BIS Hallmarking Scheme has been aligned with International criteria on hallmarking
As per this scheme, Registered is granted to the jewellers by BIS under Hallmarking Scheme. The BIS certified jewellers can get their jewellery hallmarked from any of the BIS recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centres.
Hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts will be made mandatory across the country from January 15, 2021 to ensure purity of the precious metal.

7. Carbon neutral

Subject: Environment

Context:

China will aim to hit peak emissions before 2030 and for carbon neutrality by 2060, President Xi Jinping has announced.

Concept:

Carbon neutrality means every ton of anthropogenic CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed, according to World Resources Institute.
In order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, carbon neutrality by mid-21st century is essential. This target is also laid down in the Paris agreement signed by 195 countries, including the EU.
Carbon sink is any system that absorbs more carbon than it emits.
The main natural carbon sinks are soil, forests and oceans.
To date, no artificial carbon sinks are able to remove carbon from the atmosphere on the necessary scale to fight global warming.
The carbon stored in natural sinks such as forests is released into the atmosphere through forest fires, changes in land use or logging.
Another way to reduce emissions and to pursue carbon neutrality is to offset emissions made in one sector by reducing them somewhere else. This can be done through investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency or other clean, low-carbon technologies.

8. G4

Subject: IR

Context:

G4 countries call for urgent steps for reform of UN and Security Council

Concept:

The G4 nations comprising Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan are four countries which support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.
G4’s primary aim is the permanent member seats on the Security Council.
Each of these four countries have figured among the elected non-permanent members of the council since the UN’s establishment.
Their economic and political influence has grown significantly in the last decades, reaching a scope comparable to the permanent members (P5).
However, the G4’s bids are often opposed by the Uniting for Consensus movement, and particularly their economic competitors or political rivals

9. Cess

Subject: Economy

Context:

Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) told Parliament that the Centre has only transferred Rs 1.64 lakh crore or 60% of the proceeds from cess / levies in FY19 to the relevant reserve funds and retained the balance in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI).

Concept:

A cess is a form of tax levied by the government on tax with specific purposes till the time the government gets enough money for that purpose.
Different from the usual taxes and duties like excise and personal income tax, a cess is imposed as an additional tax besides the existing tax (tax on tax). For example, the Swachh Bharat cess is levied by the government for cleanliness activities that it is undertaking across India.
A cess, generally paid by everyday public, is added to their basic tax liability paid as part of total tax paid.
Centre collected over ₹2.74-lakh crore through 35 types of cesses during FY19.
Under the rules, the collection first needs to be transferred to Reserve Funds and then used for the specific purposes as approved by Parliament.
Funds collected through Central taxes along with cesses and other levies go to the CFI.
Here, taxes and surcharges are parked in a divisible pool and 42 per cent of the total is given to States as devolution.
The money collected via cesses is used by the Centre for specific purposes through dedicated funds of the administrative ministries.
A ‘Social Welfare Surcharge’ on Customs Duty, amounting to over ₹8,800 crore, was levied but a dedicated fund for the same was not envisaged.
Non-creation, non-operation of Reserve Funds makes it difficult to ensure that cesses and levies are utilised for the specific purposes intended by Parliament.
The report highlighted that over ₹40,000 crore of GST Compensation Cess (levied on some goods falling under the 28 per cent rate bracket) was not credited to the related Reserve Fund.
Similarly, ₹10,157 crore of the Road and Infrastructure Cess collected during FY19 was neither transferred to the related Reserve Fund nor used for the specific purpose.

10. Renewable energy

Subject: Environment

Context:

The share of clean energy in India’s total power generation has risen rapidly to 30 per cent already this fiscal compared to 24.9 per cent in FY20.

Concept:

The share of generation from thermal plants in the country has been coming down and that of non-fossil power (which includes renewables, hydro and nuclear) has been increasing gradually over the last five years due to a major policy thrust on the renewables sector.
The share of clean energy in overall generation in India increased from 19.6 per cent in 2015-16 to 24.9 per cent in 2019-20, according to official data.

The growth in share (of green energy) is the result of a gradual increase that has been taking place in the last few years as there has been higher capacity addition in the renewable sector.
Secondly, the cost of renewable energy has seen a progressive decline over the years.
The third reason is the ‘must run status’ to procure power from this segment. The ‘must run status’ of renewable and hydro power plants, which mandates uninterrupted power procurement by utilities, has supported the higher generation by these power sources despite the fall in consumption during the lockdown.
Three States — Karnataka (15,262 MW), Tamil Nadu (14,647 MW) and Gujarat (11,114 MW) — together account for about 46 per cent of India’s installed renewable capacity of 88,793 MW.