Daily Prelims Notes 29 September 2020

September 29, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Table Of Contents

1. Bhagat Singh

Subject: History

Context:

Prime Minister and Union Home Minister paid tributes to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on his 113th birth anniversary.

Concept:

Bhagat Singh was born in Punjab, India (now Pakistan), on September 27, 1907, to a Sikh family deeply involved in political activities. He quit school at thirteen to devote his life to Indian independence.
He became involved in several violent demonstrations of political defiance and was arrested several times.
By the time Bhagat Singh was 13, he was well familiar with this family’s revolutionary activities. His father was a supporter of Mahatma Gandhi, and after Gandhi called for boycotting government-aided institutions, Singh left school and enrolled in the National College at Lahore, where he studied European revolutionary movements.
In time, he would become disenchanted with Gandhi’s non-violent crusade, believing that armed conflict was the only way to political freedom.
In 1926, Bhagat Singh founded the ‘Naujavan Bharat Sabha (Youth Society of India) and joined the Hindustan Republican Association (later known as Hindustan Socialist Republican Association), where he met several prominent revolutionaries.
In 1928, the British government held the Simon Commission to discuss autonomy for the Indian people. Several Indian political organizations boycotted the event because the Commission had no Indian representatives. In October, Bhagat Singh’s comrade, Lala Lajpat Rai led a march in protest against the Commission.
To avenge death, Bhagat Singh and two others plotted to kill the police superintendent, but instead shot and killed police officer John P. Saunders. Singh and his fellow conspirators escaped arrest despite a massive search to apprehend them.
In April 1929, Bhagat Singh and an associate bombed the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi to protest implementation of the Public Safety Bill. The bombs they carried allegedly were not intended to kill but to scare (no one was killed, though there were some injuries). The bombers planned to get arrested and stand trial so they could further promote their cause.
The actions of the young revolutionaries were soundly condemned by followers of Gandhi, but Bhagat Singh was delighted to have a stage on which to promote his cause. He offered no defense during the trial but disrupted the proceedings with rants of political dogma. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
Through further investigation, the police discovered the connection between Bhagat Singh and the murder of Officer Saunders and he was rearrested. While awaiting trial, he led a hunger strike in prison. Eventually, Singh and his co-conspirators were tried and sentenced to hang. He was executed on March 23, 1931

2. India Denmark green strategic partnership

Subject:IR

Context:

India and Denmark elevated their relations to a “green strategic partnership” that will focus on expanding economic ties, green growth and cooperation on global challenges such as climate change.

Concept:

The new “green strategic partnership” will build on an existing Joint Commission for Cooperation, created in 2009, for cooperation in politics, economics and commerce, science and technology, energy, environment and education.
It will also complement existing joint working groups on renewable energy, urban development, agriculture, innovation, shipping, labour mobility and digitisation.
A time-bound action plan would be drawn up with specific targets for the next few years. Danish companies with niche technologies and expertise have offered to help India in meeting its air pollution control targets, including in the key area of tackling the problem of burning crop stubble
Two sides also agreed to hold regular consultations on climate change and renewable energy and to cooperate in water efficiency and water loss, with the Jal Shakti ministry and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and Danish environment ministry being tasked to develop a work plan for 2021-23.

3. Defence procurement plan 2020

Subject: Schemes

Context:

Union Defense minister has unveiled the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) – 2020 in New Delhi.
The government has decided not to have an offset clause in procurement of defence equipment if the deal is done through inter-government agreement (IGA)

Concept:

The first Defense Procurement Procedure (DPP) was promulgated in the year 2002 and has since been revised periodically to provide impetus to the growing domestic industry and achieve enhanced self-reliance in defense manufacturing.
DAP 2020 has been aligned with the vision of the Government of Atmanirbhar Bharat and empowering Indian domestic industry through Make in India initiative with the ultimate aim of turning India into a global manufacturing hub.
With the new Foreign Direct Investment policy announced, DAP 2020 has adequately included provisions to encourage FDI to establish manufacturing hubs both for import substitution and exports while protecting interests of Indian domestic industry. Specific reforms enunciated in Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, have been incorporated as under:-
- Notify a List of Weapons/Platforms for Ban on Import. Relevant incorporation has been done in the DAP to ensure that NO equipment as mentioned in the list is procured ex import post timelines notified.
- Indigenisation of Imported Spares.
FDI in Defence Manufacturing: With the announcement of new FDI Policy, suitable provisions have been incorporated like new category ‘Buy (Global – Manufacture in India)’ done to encourage foreign OEMs to setup ‘manufacturing/maintenance entities’ through its subsidiary in India while enabling requisite protections to domestic industry.
Time Bound Defence Procurement Process and Faster Decision Making. As part of the Defence Reforms announced in the AtmanirbharAbhiyan, setting up of a PMU has been mandated to support contract management. The PMU will facilitate obtaining advisory and consultancy support in specified areas to streamline Acquisition process.

Offset clause

Offset, in literary sense, is a factor that counterbalances or compensates an act.
In the defence procurement context, it is an element of ‘compensation’ made by the manufacturer that mostly takes place in the form of placing a minimum per cent of value addition in the ordering country.
Defence offset means “a supplier places work to an agreed value with firms in the buying country, over and above what it would have brought in the absence of the offset.”
Hence under defence offset, a foreign supplier of equipment agrees to manufacture a given percent of his product (in terms of value) in the buying country. Sometimes this may take place with technology transfer

4. Chandra telescope

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

Himalayan Chandra Telescope celebrates 20th birthday

Concept:

The 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), Saraswati, Digpa-ratsaRi, Hanle at an altitude of 4500 m (15000 ft) above msl is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore.
It is remotely operated using a dedicated satellite communication link from the Centre for Research & Education in Science & Technology (CREST), Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Hosakote, about 35 km northeast of Bangalore.
The area of research covers a wide range of topics, from solar system objects to cosmology.
Some of the thrust research areas are the study of solar system bodies like; comets, asteroids, the study of star formation processes and young stellar objects, the study of open and globular clusters and variable stars in them, abundance analysis of elements in the atmosphere of evolved stars, star formation in external galaxies, Active Galactic Nuclei, stellar explosions like novae, supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and so on.
The telescope has been used in many coordinated international campaigns to monitor stellar explosions, comets, and exo-planets, and has contributed significantly to these studies.

5. NIA

Subject: Government organisation

Context:

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned three additional branches of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to be located at Imphal, Chennai and Ranchi.

Concept:

NIA was constituted under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 as the aftermath of the Mumbai Terror attack of 2008.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) acts as the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency. The agency is authorised to investigate any terror-related matter across the country without special permission of the states.
The National Investigation Agency aims to be a thoroughly professional investigative agency matching the best international standards.
The NIA aims to set the standards of excellence in counter terrorism and other national security related investigations at the national level by developing into a highly trained, partnership oriented workforce.
NIA aims at creating deterrence for existing and potential terrorist groups/individuals. It aims to develop as a storehouse of all terrorist related information.

6. Arogyapath

Subject: Initiative

Context:

Union minister unveils ICMR’s History Timeline and launches Vaccine Web portal, National Clinical Registry of COVID-19 and Mobile Stroke Unit

Concept:

Aarogyapath, an integrated public platform that provides single-point availability of key healthcare goods can be helpful to customers in tackling a number of routinely experienced issues like dependence on limited suppliers, time-consuming processes to identify good quality products, limited access to suppliers who can supply standardized products at reasonable prices within desired timelines, lack of awareness about the latest product launches, etc.
It also helps manufacturers and suppliers to reach a wide network of customers efficiently, overcoming gaps in connectivity between them and potential demand centers like nearby pathological laboratories, medical stores, hospitals, etc. It will also create opportunities for business expansion due to an expanded slate of buyers and visibility of new requirements for products.
Over time, analytics from this platform is expected to generate early signals to manufacturers on over capacity as well as on looming shortages.
This would help to reduce wastage of resources due to inefficient forecasting and excess manufacturing, generate awareness about the demand for new technologies.

7. MPC quorum

Subject: Economy

Context:

Lack of quorum forced the Reserve Bank to postpone the 3-day MPC meeting that was scheduled to start on September 29

Concept:

Monetary policy refers to the use of monetary instruments under the control of the central bank to regulate magnitudes such as interest rates, money supply and availability of credit with a view to achieving the ultimate objective of economic policy
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) constituted by the Central Government under Section 45ZB of RBI Act determines the policy interest rate required to achieve the inflation target.
Accordingly, the Central Government in September 2016 constituted the MPC as under Governor of the Reserve Bank of India – Chairperson, ex officio;
The primary objective of monetary policy is to maintain price stability while keeping in mind the objective of growth. Price stability is a necessary precondition to sustainable growth.
In May 2016, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934 was amended to provide a statutory basis for the implementation of the flexible inflation targeting framework.
The amended RBI Act also provides for the inflation target to be set by the Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank, once in every five years.
Accordingly, the Central Government has notified in the Official Gazette 4 per cent Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation as the target for the period from August 5, 2016 to March 31, 2021 with the upper tolerance limit of 6 per cent and the lower tolerance limit of 2 per cent.
The MPC is required to meet at least four times in a year.
The composition of the MPC is as follows;
- Governor of the Reserve Bank of India – Chairperson, ex officio;
- Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, in charge of Monetary Policy –
  (Member, ex officio)
- One officer of the Reserve Bank of India to be nominated by the Central Board – Member, ex officio;
- Except ex-officio members, three independent members will hold the office for a period of 4 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The proceedings of MPC are confidential and the quorum for a meeting shall be four Members, at least one of whom shall be the Governor and in his absence, the Deputy Governor who is the Member of the MPC.

8. Marginal standing facility (MSF)

Subject: Economy

Context:

The RBI, as a temporary measure, had increased the borrowing limit for scheduled banks under the marginal standing facility scheme from 2 per cent to 3 percent of their Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL)

Concept:

Marginal standing facility (MSF) is a window for banks to borrow from the Reserve Bank of India in an emergency situation when inter-bank liquidity dries up completely.
Banks borrow from the central bank by pledging government securities at a rate higher than the repo rate under liquidity adjustment facility or LAF in short.
The MSF rate is pegged 100 basis points or a percentage point above the repo rate.
Under MSF, banks can borrow funds up to one percentage of their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).

9. Offer for sale

Subject: Economy

Context:

With the stock market bouncing back in the latter part of 2020, promoters of companies have used this period to offload shares of their companies to the public in droves.

Concept:

Offer for sale (OFS) is a simpler method of share sale through the exchange platform for listed companies.
The mechanism was first introduced by India’s securities market regulator SEBI, in 2012, to make it easier for promoters of publicly-traded companies to cut their holdings and comply with the minimum public shareholding norms by June 2013.
The method was largely adopted by listed companies, both state-run and private, to adhere to the SEBI order. Later, the government started using this route to divest its shareholding in public sector enterprises.
Unlike a follow-on public offering (FPO), where companies can raise funds by issuing fresh shares or promoters can sell their existing stakes, or both, the OFS mechanism is used only when existing shares are put on the block. Only promoters or shareholders holding more than 10 per cent of the share capital in a company can come up with such an issue.

10. 3D printing

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

Amid a potential shortage of nasal swabs to collect samples for coronavirus testing, researchers have come up with an alternative: 3D-printed nasal swabs.

Concept:

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model
The term “3D printing” can refer to a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer control to create a three-dimensional object,with material being added together (such as liquid molecules or powder grains being fused together), typically layer by layer.
3D printing starts by making a virtual design of the object to be created. Virtual design can be made using a 3D modelling program such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) or 3D scanners.
The 3D digital copy is then put into a 3D modelling program. The model is then sliced into hundreds or thousands of horizontal layers in preparation for printing.
This prepared file is thus uploaded in the 3D printer which reads each slices in 2D format and then proceeds to create the object layer by layer and the resulting object has no sign of layering visible, but a 3 dimensional structure.

11. Farm bills and federalism

Subject:Polity

Context:

President gave assent to the farm Bills passed by Parliament last week. Amid protests by farmers’ organisations across the country, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Punjab have said they might not implement the new laws, Kerala and Punjab have declared their intention to challenge them in the Supreme Court.

Concept:

Federalism essentially means both the Centre and states have the freedom to operate in their allotted spheres of power, in coordination with each other.
The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution contains three lists that distribute power between the Centre and states.
There are 97 subjects in the Union List, on which Parliament has exclusive power to legislate (Article 246); the State List has 66 items on which states alone can legislate; the Concurrent List has 47 subjects on which both the Centre and states can legislate, but in case of a conflict, the law made by Parliament prevails (Article 254).
Parliament can legislate on an item in the State List under certain specific circumstances laid down in the Constitution.
As per Union of India v H.S.Dhillon (1972),constitutionality of parliamentary laws can be challenged only on two grounds — that the subject is in the State List, or that it violates fundamental rights.
Terms relating to agriculture occur at 15 places in the Seventh Schedule.
Entries 82, 86, 87, and 88 in the Union List mention taxes and duties on income and assets, specifically excluding those in respect of agriculture.
In the State List, eight entries contain terms relating to agriculture: Entry 14 (agricultural education and research, pests, plant diseases); 18 (rights in or over land, land tenures, rents, transfer agricultural land, agricultural loans, etc.); 28 (markets and fairs); 30 (agricultural indebtedness); 45 (land revenue, land records, etc.); 46 (taxes on agricultural income); 47 (succession of agricultural land); and 48 (estate duty in respect of agricultural land).
In the Concurrent List, Entry 6 mentions transfer of property other than agricultural land; 7 is about various contracts not relating to agricultural land; and 41 deals with evacuee property, including agricultural land.
It is clear that the Union List and Concurrent List put matters relating to agriculture outside Parliament’s jurisdiction, and give state legislatures exclusive power. No entry in respect of agriculture in the State List is subject to any entry in the Union or Concurrent Lists.
Entry 33 of the Concurrent List mentions trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution of domestic and imported products of an industry over which Parliament has control in the public interest; foodstuffs, including oilseeds and oils; cattle fodder; raw cotton and jute.
The Centre could, therefore, argue that it is within its powers to pass laws on contract farming and intra- and inter-state trade, and prohibit states from imposing fees/cesses outside APMC areas.