Daily Prelims Notes 3 August 2021

Daily Prelims Notes

3 August 2021

Table Of Contents

1. Krishna River Water Dispute
2. Concept of Welfare State
3. Virtual Reality
4. National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme
5. Covaxin against Delta
6. Gilgit-Baltistan
7. High-altitude Tigers
8. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) scheme
9. AYUSH-64
10. Creating awareness among farmers for Nutri Cereals (Millets)

1. Krishna River Water Dispute

Subject: Polity

Context: The Supreme Court on Monday suggested to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to settle their Krishna river water dispute through mediation.

• A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana was hearing Andhra Pradesh’s plea alleging that Telangana has deprived it of its legitimate share of drinking and irrigation water.
• In July, Andhra Pradesh government had moved the top court claiming that the Telangana government refused to follow the decisions taken by the Apex Council constituted under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, the directions of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) formed under this Act, and the Centre’s directives.

About Krishna River Water Dispute:

• Telangana and Andhra Pradesh share stretches of the Krishna and the Godavari and own their tributaries.
• Both states have proposed several new projects without getting clearance from the river boards, the Central Water Commission and the Apex Council, as mandated by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
• Andhra Pradesh alleges that Telangana has been drawing Krishna water from four projects — Jurala, Srisailam, NagarjunaSagar, and Pulichintala — for hydropower generation without approvals from the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), an autonomous body that was set up after the bifurcation of the state, to manage and regulate the waters in the Krishna basin.
• Telangana made it clear that it would not recognize Pothireddypadu project, which it alleges is being illegally constructed by the Andhra Pradesh government on Krishna river without any environmental clearances or allocation of even a drop of water to the project or any permission from the Green Tribunal.

Latest development which stirred this dispute

• Telangana government ordered in late June 2021 notifying to generate hydel power up to 100% installed capacity.
• The order directed the Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited (TSGENCO) to hence generate the hydel power up to 100% installed capacity in the State.
• This resulted in the citizens of Andhra Pradesh being deprived of their legitimate share of water for drinking and irrigation purposes
• The Ministry of Jal Shakti in communication with the Director (Hydel), TSGENCO, had urged the latter to stop further release of water immediately through Srisailam Left Power House and follow the water release orders issued by the KRMB, except in case of extreme grid urgency.

How is the water split between the states currently?

• After the bifurcation of the erstwhile State of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 into the States of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, arrangements were changed.
• It was agreed between the two states that the 811 TMC allocation made by the KWDT-I would be apportioned in a manner wherein the State of Telangana will have 299 TMC while the State of Andhra Pradesh will get 512 TMC.
• This agreement (2015 Agreement) was entered before and is monitored by KRMB.
• The two states agreed to split the water share 66:34 on an ad hoc basis until the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2 decided the final allocation.

Krishna River Management Board:

• In exercise of the powers conferred under section 85 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, the Central Government constituted an autonomous KRMB for
  • the administration,
  • regulation,
  • maintenance and
  • operation of such projects,

Apex Council

• Section 84(1) of the ANDHRA PRADESH REORGANISATION ACT, the Central Government shall, on and from the appointed day, constitute an Apex Council for the supervision of the functioning of the Krishna River Management Board.
• The Apex Council shall consist of-
  • Minister of Water Resources, Government of India-Chairperson;
  • Chief Minister of State of Andhra Pradesh-Member;
  • Chief Minister of State of Telangana-Member.

Inter-State Water Disputes

• Article 262 of the Constitution provides for the adjudication of inter-state water disputes.
  • Under this, Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution and control of waters of any inter-state river and river valley.
  • Parliament may also provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court is to exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint.
• The Parliament has enacted the two laws, the River Boards Act (1956) and the Inter-State Water Disputes Act (1956).
  
  • The River Boards Act provides for the establishment of river boards by the Central government for the regulation and development of inter-state river and river valleys.
  • A River Board is established on the request of state governments concerned to advise them.
  • The Inter-State Water Disputes Act empowers the Central government to set up an ad hoc tribunal for the adjudication of a dispute between two or more states in relation to the waters of an inter-state river or river valley.
  • The decision of the tribunal is final and binding on the parties to the dispute.
  • Neither the Supreme Court nor any other court is to have jurisdiction in respect of any water dispute which may be referred to such a tribunal under this Act.

Krishna River

• The Krishna is an east-flowing river.
• The Krishna River is the second biggest river in peninsular India.
• Originates at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and merges with the Bay of Bengal
• Flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• Together with its tributaries, it forms a vast basin that covers 33% of the total area of the four states.
• The principal tributaries joining Krishna are the Ghataprabha, the Malaprabha, the Bhima, the Tungabhadra and the Musi (Hyderabad located on it). 
• Most of this basin comprises rolling and undulating country, except for the western border, which is formed by an unbroken line of the Western Ghats.
• The important soil types found in the basin are black soils, red soils, laterite and lateritic soils, alluvium, mixed soils, red and black soils and saline and alkaline soils

2. Concept of Welfare State

Subject: Polity

Context: Hailing the rich contributions made by the Tamil Nadu legislature over the past century, President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday observed that the [erstwhile] Madras legislature had sown the seeds of a fully representative democratic form of governance, which were realised after Independence.

• The concept of the welfare State has taken deep roots in this legislature irrespective of who rules at Fort St. George, Chennai.
• The abolition of the Devadasi system, widow remarriage, mid-day meals in schools and distribution of agricultural land to the landless were some of the revolutionary ideas that transformed society.

Welfare State:

• It is a concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens.
• A welfare state is based on the principles of equality of opportunity and equitable distribution of wealth.
• It also focuses on the governmental responsibility for those who are unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions of a good life.
• It provides a social security net which may include education, housing, sustenance, healthcare etc. Without ensuring equality of opportunity and equitable distribution of wealth, the welfare of the marginalised and deprived sections of society cannot be ensured.
• India is described as a “sovereign socialist secular democratic republic” in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. Accordingly, the Constitution has extensive provisions to ensure the social and economic welfare of the people of India.
• In this regard two specific provisions have been made, one in the form of Fundamental Rights and the other as Directive Principles of State Policy. 
• Welfare state is also guided by the philosophy of Gandhijilike “Sarvodaya through Antyodaya” (welfare of all, through welfare of the weakest); Gandhiji’s Talisman; Trusteeship principle etc.
• Welfare state and compassion towards the weaker section is necessary for development of human and social capital for “Sab KaSaathAur Sab KaVikas” for one united and robust India.
• The aim of governance cannot be met without having the concept of welfare state and developing compassion towards the weaker sections.

Provisions in Indian constitution for weaker sections:

• Article 15 (3) allows the State to make unique enactment to secure Women and Children.
• Article 15(4) and Article 16(4) enable the state to make unique arrangement for the reservation of arrangement of posts for any Backward Class of residents of the State
• Article 38 authorizes the state to secure a social order for the promotion of the welfare of people.
• Article 39A : Equal justice and free legal aid.
• Article 40 : Organization of village panchayats.
• Article 41 : Right to work, to education and to public assistance in certain cases.
• Article 42 : Provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity leaves.
• Article 43 : Living wage etc. for workers.
• Article 43-A : Participation of workers in management of industries.
• Article 43-B : Promotion of cooperative societies.
• Article 45 : Provision for early childhood care and education to children below the age of six years.
• Article 46 : Promotion of education and economic interests of SC, ST, and other weaker sections.
• Article 47 : Duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health.
• Article 48 : Organization of agriculture and animal husbandry.

3. Virtual Reality

Subject: Science and Technology

In news: Indian Institute of Technology Madras has launched the country’s first consortium for Virtual Reality called ‘Consortium for VR/AR/MR Engineering Mission in India’ (CAVE).

About CAVE:

• It aims to become a resource for industry, academia, consumers, and policy makers interested in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality.
• The key outcomes envisaged from CAVE include developing indigenous VR/AR/MR and ‘haptics’ hardware and software; set up ‘VR Superhighway’ or ‘VR Corridor’ where many start-ups and industries work together for a bigger mission to make India the choice for future XR and ‘haptics’ needs.
• Centre of Excellence on Virtual Reality and Haptics at IIT Madras has been set up under the ‘Institute of Eminence’ Initiative.

Extended reality

• Extended Reality (XR) is an umbrella term encapsulating Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and everything in between.

Augmented Reality (AR)

• An enhanced version of reality where live direct or indirect views of physical real-world environments are augmented with superimposed computer-generated images over a user’s view of the real-world, thus enhancing one’s current perception of reality.
• Various filters on Snapchat and Instagram are an example of Augmented Reality.
• Gaming –Pokemon is one of the most famous games to hit a big chord with the public.

Virtual Reality (VR):

•  It can be referred to as immersive multimedia or computer-simulated reality which replicates an environment that simulates a physical presence in places in the real world or an imagined world, allowing the user to interact in that world.
• Images created by a computer that appear to surround the person looking at them and seem almost real are said to be virtual reality.
  • On the other hand Augmented reality is the real-time use of information in the form of text, graphics, audio, and other virtual enhancements integrated with real-world objects.

Mixed reality (MR):

• It can be referred to as hybrid reality that is the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualisations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time.
• Microsoft’s Hololens is a well-known example of an existing, commercially available Mixed Reality device.

4. National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme

Subject: Government Schemes

Context: In 2020-21, over 58,000 children were rescued across India from work, rehabilitated and mainstreamed under the National Child Labour Project, according to figures tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday by Minister of State for Labour and Employment RameshwarTeli.

Concept:

National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme

• The Ministry of Labour and Employmentis also implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme since 1988 for rehabilitation of child labourers.
• Under the NCLP, the children in the age group of 9-14 years are rescued / withdrawn from work and enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health care, etc. before being mainstreamed into formal education system.  The children in the age group of 5-8 years are directly linked to the formal educationsystem through a close coordination with the SarvaShikshaAbhiyan.

To ensure the effective enforcement of the provisions of the Child Labour Act and smooth implementation of NCLP Scheme, a dedicated online portal named PENCIL (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) is developed in order to make the NCLP successful through better monitoring and implementation.  The Portal connects Central Government to State Government(s), District(s), all Project Societies and the general public

Government measures:

• India is committed for eradication of child labour from the country. The Government has amended the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 and enacted the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016.
• It provides for complete prohibition of work or employment of children below 14 years of agein any occupation and process and prohibition of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes.

5. Covaxin against Delta

Subject: Science and Technology

Context: While the Delta variant mutated into ‘Delta Plus’, first detected in India in April 2021, researchers decided to study the efficacy of the Covaxin vaccine.

Concept:

• Covaxin has been developed by Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
• The research study showed that Covaxin vaccine could still neutralise Delta, AY.1 and B.1.617.3 variants
• In a previous study, Covaxin had demonstrated 77.8% effectiveness against symptomatic Covid-19 and 65.2% protection against the Delta variant, according to Bharat Biotech.
• In this new study, despite the sera of vaccinated Covid-recovered cases and those of breakthrough cases showing considerable reduction in the neutralisation antibody titre.

Antibody titre

An antibody titer is a type of blood test that determines the presence and level (titer) of antibodies in the blood. This test is carried out to investigate if there is an immune reaction triggered by foreign invaders (antigens) in the body.

About Delta Plus variant

• So far, no information was available on the efficacy of currently available vaccines against the Delta Plus variant.
• The possibility of the variant escaping the immune response has been a major concern during the ongoing vaccination programme.
• This variant contains an additional mutation (K417N ) in the spike protein and emerging evidence suggests that this mutation could lead to resistance against monoclonal antibodies called casirivimab and imdevimab.

6. Gilgit-Baltistan

Subject: Geography

Context: Pakistan’s Law and Justice Ministry has finalised draft legislation to incorporate Gilgit-Baltistan, the region known before 2009 as Northern Areas, as a province of the country, according to a report in Dawn newspaper.

Concept:

• Gilgit-Baltistan is an integral part of India “by virtue of the legal, complete and irrevocable accession of Jammu & Kashmir to the Union of India in 1947
• The area’s strategic importance for India has increased in light of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement, under which Beijing is investing hugely to develop the area as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, and the concerns of a two-front war after the standoff in Eastern Ladakh last year.

History of the region

• Gilgit was part of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir, but was ruled directly by the British, who had taken it on lease from Hari Singh, the Hindu ruler of the Muslim-majority state. When Hari Singh acceded to India on October 26, 1947, the Gilgit Scouts rose in rebellion, led by their British commander Major William Alexander Brown.
• In November 1, 1947, a political outfit called the Revolutionary Council of Gilgit-Baltistan had proclaimed the independent state of Gilgit-Baltistan., it declared it was acceding to Pakistan, which accepted the accession only to the extent of full administrative control, choosing to govern it directly under the Frontier Crimes Regulation, a law devised by the British to keep control of the restive tribal areas of the northwest.
• The Gilgit Scouts also moved to take over Baltistan, which was then part of Ladakh, and captured Skardu, Kargil and Dras. In battles thereafter, Indian forces retook Kargil and Dras in August 1948
• Following the India-Pakistan ceasefire of January 1, 1949, Pakistan in April that year entered into an agreement with the “provisional government” of “Azad Jammu & Kashmir” parts that had been occupied by Pakistani troops and irregulars to take over its defence and foreign affairs. Under this agreement, the “Azad Jammu & Kashmir” government also ceded administration of Gilgit-Baltistan to Pakistan.
• In 1974, Pakistan adopted its first full-fledged civilian Constitution, which lists four provinces —Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakthunkhwa. Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan were not incorporated as provinces.
• In 1975, PoK got its own Constitution, making it an ostensibly self-governed autonomous territory.
• PoK too remained under the control of Pakistani federal administration and the security establishment, through the Kashmir Council.
• Provincial status, on November 1, 2020, observed in Gilgit-Baltistan as “Independence Day”, Imran Khan announced that his government would give the region “provisional provincial status”.

7. High-altitude Tigers

Subject: Environment

Context: To celebrate International Tiger Day last week, the Uttarakhand government highlighted the expanse of the Uttrakhand state’s tiger map from Corbett National Park to Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary.

Concept:

High-altitude Tigers

• The habitat of tiger is varied, encompassing several biomes and ecological conditions, viz. mangrove swamps, highlands, plains, rainforests, arid or semi-arid areas and mountainous regions. However, most of the high-altitude habitats, within the tiger range have not been surveyed for an appraisal of tiger presence, prey and habitat status
• Between the terai and the mountains, state’s tiger map flaunted the tiger range from an elevation of 1,181 ft (360 m) to 12,073 ft (3680 m) is a testimony of Uttarakhand’s success in tiger conservation.
• The tiger’s usual range is under 6,000 ft (below 1,800 ft, think Kasauli). That makes its presence above 12,000 ft the elevation of the Kedarnath temple   But tigers have shown up before a strategically placed motion-triggered camera at higher altitudes..
• There can be no trade-off between traditional tiger habitat and these new heights of feline interest.

High-altitude Habitat

• The tiger has left its tracks in the winter snows of the Himalayas at an altitude of 10,000 ft. Few places are :
• Uttarakhand– Pithoragarh district
• Sikkim -Jelep Laa mountain pass
• Arunachal Pradesh -Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh at (1,765 m). Mishmi Hills (Dibang Valley)
• Rudraprayag’s Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary at (3,400m)
• Bhutan -Phrumsengla national park (2,965m) ,Jigme Dorji National Park at (4,200 m)
• Nepal- Dadeldhura ,Kangchenjunga Landscape region.

Causes for concern

• Records of high-altitude tigers getting somewhat routine have alarmed a section of conservationists. Warming induced by climate change, they argue, is making the higher mountains tolerable for tigers.
• But the fact that tigers are found roaming the snow indicates that their upward movement is not deterred by the cold.
• The fact that there are enough tigers in certain pockets to wander around is certainly good news. But that should not prompt hasty proposals, such as declaring a high-altitude area as tiger reserve, or even shifting a conservation area upward.

Jim Corbett National Park  

• Corbett National Park, also called Jim Corbett National Park is located in southern Uttarakhand state, northern India.
• It was established as Hailey National Park in 1936 and is India’s oldest national park.
• The park is located in the foothills of the Himalayas—about 35 miles (50 km) northwest of Ramnagar.
• It mainly occupies the broad Patlidoon Valley, through which the Ramganga River flows in a westerly direction.
• The forest cover includes species of sal (Shorea), teak, oak, silver fir, spruce, cypress, birch, and bamboo. A reed forest was planted to afford natural cover for the park’s animals.
• The park was established mainly for the protection of the Bengal tiger (Pantheratigristigris).
• It is here that India’s Project Tiger was established in 1973 to provide havens for tigers in the country’s national parks.

Kedarnath Wild Life Sanctuary,

• It is also called the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary
• It is a wildlife sanctuary declared under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and located in Uttarakhand, India.
• Its alternate name comes from its primary purpose of protecting the endangered Himalayan musk deer.
• Consisting of an area of 975 km² (376 sq mi), it is the largest protected area in the western Himalayas.
• It is famous for alpine musk deer, Himalayan Thar, Himalayan Griffon, Himalayan Black bear, Snow Leopard and other flora park and fauna. It is internationally important for the diversity of its flora and fauna (particularly of ungulate species).

8. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) scheme

Subject: Government Schemes

• It is a scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens belonging to BPL category.
• This is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Central Government. The expenditure for implementation of the scheme will be met from the “Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund”. The Scheme will be implemented through the sole implementing agency – Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), a PSU under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Under the scheme, the physical aids will be provided only to the senior citizens of the nation. This implies those who are aged above 60 years will get free assisted living aids and physical devices which are required for their sustainability.
• Also the govt. has selected the list of cities where the scheme will be implemented. The main criteria for the senior citizens to get full benefits of Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)scheme is that they must belong to BPL family and should hold valid BPL card issued by the concerned authority.

Eligibility:

• Senior Citizens, belonging to BPL category and suffering from any of the age related disability/infirmity viz. Low vision, Hearing impairment, Loss of teeth and Locomotor disability will be provided with such assisted-living devices which can restore near normalcy in their bodily functions, overcoming the disability/infirmity manifested. The Scheme is expected to benefit all Senior Citizens across the country.

DEVICES SUPPORTED

• Walking sticks
• Elbow crutches
• Walkers/Crutches
• Tripods/Quadpods
• Hearing Aids
• Wheelchair
• Artificial Dentures
• Spectacles

9. AYUSH-64

Subject: Science and Technology

Context: Government of India has released “National Clinical Management Protocol based on Ayurveda and Yoga for management of COVID-19” prepared by the National Task force in consensus from various expert committees.

The Ministry of AYUSH has formed an Inter-disciplinary AYUSH R&D Task Force having representation from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and AYUSH Institutions. The Inter-disciplinary AYUSH R&D Task Force has formulated and designed clinical research protocols for prophylactic studies and add-on interventions in COVID-19 positive cases for studying four different interventions viz. Ashwagandha, Yashtimadhu, Guduchi + Pippali and a poly herbal formulation (AYUSH-64).

Concept:

Ayush-64 is an Ayurvedic formulation, developed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), the apex body for research in Ayurveda under the Ministry of Ayush. Originally developed in 1980 for the management of Malaria, this drug has now been repurposed for Covid 19 as its ingredients showed notable antiviral, immune-modulator and antipyretic properties.

10. Creating awareness among farmers for Nutri Cereals (Millets)

Subject: Agriculture

Context: The Government, under the Sub Mission on National Food Security Mission (NFSM)- Nutri Cereals is creating awareness among farmers for Nutri Cereals (Millets) such as ragi, sorghum, bajra and small millets through demonstration and training.

Concept:

National Food Security Mission (NFSM) – Nutri Cereals

Under NFSM–Nutri Cereals, incentives are provided to the farmers, through the state governments, on crop production and protection technologies, cropping system based demonstrations, production & distribution of seeds of  newly released varieties/ hybrids, Integrated Nutrient and Pest Management techniques, improved farm implements/tools/ resource conservation machineries, water saving devices, capacity building of farmers through trainings during cropping season, organizing events / workshops, distribution of seed minikits, publicity through print and electronic media etc. The interventions such as formation of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) for Nutri Cereals, setting up Centers of Excellence (CoE) and seed hubs for Nutri Cereals have also been supported under NFSM.

Nutri-Cereals:

• India is one of the important consumer and producer of Nutri-cereals in the world. Group of crops comprising sorghum (Jowar), pearl millet (Bajra), finger millet (Ragi/Mandua) and small millets viz; little millet (Kutki), kodo millet (Kodo), barnyard millet (Sawa/Jhangora), foxtail millet (Kangni/Kakun), proso millet (Cheena) all together comes under Millets which is now called as ‘Nutri-Cereals’ due to their high nutritive value.
• Nutri-cereals were important crops in the country with higher area coverage as compared to wheat and rice before green revolution period.
• After launching green revolution, the area of Nutri-cereals drastically reduced due to shifting of irrigated area from Nutri-cereals to more remunerative crops like rice, wheat and sugarcane.
• At present, Nutri-cereals are grown in resource poor agro-climatic regions, hilly & tribal areas of the country in rainfed conditions.
• Nutri-cereals are known for nutri-rich content and having characteristics like drought tolerance, photo-insensitivity and resilient to climate change etc. Nutri-cereals are grown in arid and semi-arid tracts under low rainfall (200-600 mm) conditions, where fine cereals like wheat and rice cannot be grown profitably.