Daily Prelims Notes 27 April 2021

April 27, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

27 April 2021

Table Of Contents

Subject: Economics

Context: To support the economy battered by sporadic state specific lockdowns, the government is currently focussed on effective implementation of the Budget proposals as they have a lot stimulus already built into them, two senior government officials said.

Concept:

While the Central government has announced steps to ease imports of oxygen as well as related medical equipment, and extended the emergency credit line facility to stressed companies, another round of economic package is yet to be discussed.
Sources said the idea is to get the capital expenditure going and explore the possibility of any fresh economic package later on, depending upon how the economic situation evolves.
In the 2021-22 Budget Estimates (BE), capital expenditure has been pegged atRs 5.54 lakh crore, a rise of 34.5 per cent over the 2020-21 BE of Rs 4.12 lakh crore and 26.2 per cent increase over FY21 Revised Estimates (RE) of Rs 4.39 lakh crore.

Capital Expenditure

There are the expenditures of the government that result in the creation of physical or financial assets, or depletion in financial liabilities.
This incorporates expenditure on the investment of building, land, equipment, machinery, investment in shares, and loans and advances by the central government to state and union territory governments, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and other parties.
They are irregular, non-recurring and long term expenditure.

2. HERD IMMUNITY

Subject: Science & tech

Context: Despite serosurveys indicating many metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune having reached high levels of immunity, the same cities are seeing an explosive surge.

Concept:

Herd immunity happens when so many people in a community become immune to an infectious disease that it stops the disease from spreading.

This can happen in two ways:

Many people contract the disease and in time build up an immune response to it (natural immunity).
Many people are vaccinated against the disease to achieve immunity.
When a large percentage of the population becomes immune to a disease, the spread of that disease slows down or stops.
Many viral and bacterial infections spread from person to person. This chain is broken when most people don’t get or transmit the infection.
This helps protect people who aren’t vaccinated or who have low functioning immune systems and may develop an infection more easily.

3. ZHURONG

Subject : Science & tech

Context: Recently, the China National Space Administration has announced that it will name its first Mars rover as ‘Zhurong’.

Concept :

It is China’s first Mars rover aboard the Tianwen-1 probe that arrived in Mars orbit in February 2020.
It is named after a traditional fire god.
The rover is part of Chinese space plans that include launching a crewed orbital station and landing a human on the moon.
The rover’s title fits with the Chinese name for Mars i.e. “Huo Xing” or fire star.
The top candidate for the landing site is Utopia Planitia, a rock-strewn plain where the U.S. lander Viking 2 touched down in 1976.

About Tianwen-1

Its goals include analysing and mapping the Martian surface and geology, looking for water ice and studying the climate and surface environment.
It is named after the ancient Chinese poem ‘Questions to Heaven’.
It is an all-in-one orbiter, lander and rover which will search the Martian surface for water, ice, investigate soil characteristics, and study the atmosphere, among completing other objectives.
It lifted off on a Long March 5 rocket, a launch system developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), from the Wenchang launch centre.
It will be the first to place a ground-penetrating radar on the Martian surface, which will be able to study local geology, as well as rock, ice, and dirt distribution.

4. CRISIS IN CHAD

Subject : International Relations

Context: Recently, Chad’s longest serving president IdrissDeby died of injuries sustained during clashes with the rebel group FACT (Front for Change and Concord in Chad) on the frontlines.

Concept:

The motive behind military operations in the Sahel countries is to fight Islamist groups, monitor political ambitions, and train future African leaders.
Chad has been France’s most effective and stable Sahel ally in achieving these goals.
France has nearly 5,100 French soldiers in the Sahel region for France’s Operation Barkhane which began in 2014 to lead counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel region.
France says its objective is to help Sahel nations maintain territorial integrity and prevent rise of Islamist groups that threaten France and the West.

About Chad

It is a landlocked state in north-central Africa.
It is bounded on the north by Libya, on the east by Sudan, on the south by the Central African Republic, and on the west by Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger.
It is the fifth largest country on the African continent.

What is Sahel region of Africa?

It is a semi-arid region of western and north-central Africa extending from Senegal eastward to Sudan.
It forms a transitional zone between the arid Sahara (desert) to the north and the belt of humid savannas to the south.
The Sahel stretches from Senegal on the Atlantic coast, through parts of Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Sudan to Eritrea on the Red Sea coast .

5. PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS

Subject : Economics

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) fixed the tenure of MD, CEO and whole-time director (WTD) in a private sector bank at 15 years and prescribed the maximum age of 70 years for such functionaries.

Concept :

These directives form part of the instructions issued by the RBI with regard to the chair and meetings of the board, composition of certain committees of the board, age, tenure and remuneration of directors, and appointment of the WTDs.
The RBI said it would come out with a Master Direction on Corporate Governance in banks in due course.
The post of the MD & CEO or WTD cannot be held by the same incumbent for more than 15 years.
Thereafter, the individual will be eligible for re-appointment as MD & CEO or WTD in the same bank, if considered necessary and desirable by the board, after a minimum gap of three years, subject to meeting other conditions.
It added that during this three-year cooling period, the individual shall not be appointed or associated with the bank or its group entities in any capacity, either directly or indirectly.
With regard to upper age limit for MD & CEO and WTDs in the private sector banks, the RBI said that no person can continue in such positions beyond the age of 70. The maximum age limit for chairman and non-executive directors has been fixed at 75 years.

6. SOMALIA

Subject : Geography / IR

Context: Somalia, already fragile after decades of civil war and an Islamist insurgency, is facing its worst political crisis in recent years after the failure to hold planned elections in February.

Concept:

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, best known by his nickname Farmajo, has faced harsh criticism from foreign allies after signing a law approved by parliament which extended his mandate by two years.
The clashes — mainly in the northern neighbourhoods of Sanca and Marinaya and the busy KM4 crossroads in the centre — began after dozens of opposition supporters marched in protest against Mr. Farmajo’s term extension.

About Somalia

Somalia is a country in the Horn of Africa.
It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the Northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest.
Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa’s mainland.
Its Capital is Mogadishu.

7. CGGI

Subject : Important Reports

Context: India ranked 49th in CGGI.

Concept:

Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) is an annual Index, built by government practitioners, for government practitioners, measuring the capabilities and effectiveness of 104 governments around the world.
India has been ranked 49th in the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI). Finland topped the CGGI list.
The index focuses on seven pillars: leadership and foresight; robust laws and policies; strong institutions; financial stewardship; attractive marketplace; global influence and reputation; and helping people rise.

8. COVID TRIAGE CHALLENGE

Subject: Science & tech

Context: The second COVID-19 wave has hit India with great ferocity. A time-tested, effective strategy could help tackle COVID-19 but poses unique challenges in India.

Concept:

A time-tested, effective strategy to face the challenge of a sudden large load on the healthcare system is the concept of ‘triage’.
This means that when there are a large number of people needing urgent care and there are limited resources, the victims are divided into multiple categories based on severity of disease.
The most severe are treated first as any delay will cost lives. The rest are treated later as per their level of severity.
This idea was first introduced by Napoleon’s military surgeons to treat battlefield injuries and showed immediate impact. It is now standard practice in many countries when treating mass casualties. It has also been used effectively during COVID-19.
But triage is not a sterile, mechanical protocol insulated from its surroundings. Its wide acceptance and implementation are based on the powerful but complex principles of justice and solidarity.
It is where the interests of everyone are put above the interest of an individual; where those who need care first are prioritised over those who can wait, irrespective of who they are.

9. CRYSTAL BLADE TECHNOLOGY

Subject : Defence

Context: DRDO develops crystal blades for aero engines.

Concept:

India-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has received 60 single-crystal blades for helicopter engines from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the technology had been developed as part of a programme taken up by the DRDO’s Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL).
A total of 300 single-crystal high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades will be developed and delivered in five 60-blade sets. The remaining four sets are expected to be delivered at a later point.

Crystal Blades

Helicopters need compact and powerful aero-engines for operating at extreme conditions and to achieve this, state-of-the-art single crystal blades are used.
Made using a nickel-based superalloy, the blades feature a complex geometrical design and can withstand high temperatures.
The blades are used in the development of engines to allow helicopters to operate reliably in complex conditions.
The US, UK, Russia and France are among the few countries that can design and produce single-crystal components.