Daily Prelims Notes 3 May 2023

May 3, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

3 May 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Tropical ‘runaway greenhouse’ provides insight to Venus

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate change

Runaway Greenhouse:

A region in the Western Tropical Pacific Ocean may help scientists understand how Venus lost all of its water and became a 900-degree inferno. The study of this local phenomenon by NASA scientists also should help researchers understand what conditions on Earth might lead to a similar fate here.
The phenomenon, called the ‘runaway greenhouse’ effect, occurs when a planet absorbs more energy from the sun than it can radiate back to space.
Under these circumstances, the hotter the surface temperature gets, the faster it warms up. Scientists detect the signature of a runaway greenhouse when planetary heat loss begins to drop as surface temperature rises.
Only one area on Earth – the western Pacific ‘warm pool’ just northeast of Australia – exhibits this signature. Because the warm pool covers only a small fraction of the Earth’s surface, the Earth as a whole never actually ‘runs away.’ However, scientists believe Venus did experience a global runaway greenhouse effect about 3 billion to 4 billion years ago.
Scientist used atmospheric conditions above the Pacific Ocean, including data recorded by NASA’s Earth Observing System of satellites, to create a computer model of the runaway greenhouse effect. They determined that water vapor high in the atmosphere produced the local signature of a runaway greenhouse.
At sea surface temperatures above 80 F (27 C), evaporation loads the atmosphere with a critical amount of water vapor, one of the most efficient greenhouse gases. Water vapor allows solar radiation from the sun to pass through, but it absorbs a large portion of the infrared radiation coming from the Earth. If enough water vapor enters the troposphere, the weather layer of the atmosphere, it will trap thermal energy coming from the Earth, increasing the sea surface temperature even further.
The effect should result in a chain reaction loop where sea surface temperature increases, leading to increased atmospheric water vapor that leads to more trapped thermal energy. This would cause the temperature increase to ‘run away,’ causing more and more water loss through evaporation from the ocean.
Luckily for Earth, sea surface temperatures never reach more than about 87 F (30.5 C), and so the runaway phenomenon does not occur.
What is limiting this effect over the warm pool of the Pacific?. Cloud cover may affect how much energy reaches or escapes Earth, or that the ocean and atmosphere may transport trapped energy away from the local hotspot.
Water vapor above 5 kilometers (3 miles) altitude in the atmosphere contributes significantly to the runaway greenhouse signature. Scientist found that at 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) above the Pacific warm pool, the relative humidity in the atmosphere can be greater than 70 percent – more than three times the normal range.
In nearby regions of the Pacific where the sea surface temperature is just a few degrees cooler, the atmospheric relative humidity is only 20 percent. These drier regions of the neighboring atmosphere may contribute to stabilizing the local runaway greenhouse effect.
The model may help researchers uncover why Venus experienced a complete runaway greenhouse and lost its water over a period of several hundred million to a billion years. The research may also help determine which planets in the so-called ‘habitable zone’ of a solar system might lack water, an essential ingredient for life as we know it.

2. Tipping Point

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate change

Tipping Point

The sixth report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in 2021, defines a tipping point as a “critical threshold beyond which a system reorganizes, often abruptly and/or irreversibly”.
It can be brought about by a small disturbance causing a disproportionately large change in the system. It can also be associated with self-reinforcing feedbacks, which could lead to changes in the climate system irreversible on a human timescale.
For any particular climate component, the shift from one state to a new stable state may take many decades or centuries.
A danger is that if the tipping point in one system is crossed, this could cause a cascade of other tipping points, leading to severe, potentially catastrophic, impacts.
In ecosystems and in social systems, a tipping point can trigger a regime shift, a major systems reorganization into a new stable state.Such regime shifts need not be harmful.
In the context of the climate crisis, the tipping point metaphor is sometimes used in a positive sense, such as to refer to shifts in public opinion in favour of action to mitigate climate change, or the potential for minor policy changes to rapidly accelerate the transition to a green economy.

Tipping points of global warming: https://optimizeias.com/tipping-points-of-global-warming/

3. Black Tiger

Subject :Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: Death of rare black tiger in Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve will have big impact on population.

More on the News:

The death of a rare black tiger reported after three decades in the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district could have a big impact on the population of the animals.
The carcass of the melanistic male big cat was found in the core areas of the reserve. Forest officials said it died due to a territorial fight with another male.

Black Tiger:

They are a rare colour variant of the tiger and are not a distinct species or geographic subspecies.
The abnormally dark or black coat in such tigers is termed pseudomelanistic or false coloured.
The only other black tigers outside of Similipal in India exist at the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, Ranchi Zoo and Chennai’s Arignar Anna Zoological Park.
Simlipal has the world’s highest rate of black tiger sightings in the world. The reserve had last reported eight tigers, according to the Tiger Status Report 2018.
The tigers in the Similipal Tiger Reserve are an isolated population in eastern India and gene flow between them and other tiger populations is very restricted.

Simplipal Tiger Reserve

Similipal National Park is a national park and a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Odisha covering 2,750 km2 (1,060 sq mi).
It is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three protected areas — Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary.
Simlipal National Park derives its name from the abundance of red silk cotton trees growing in the area.
This protected area is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009.
Simlipal Elephant Reserve is an ecosystem complete with forest vegetation (mainly sal trees), fauna and the adjoining Ho / Santhal tribal settlements.
Two tribes, the Erenga Kharias and the Mankirdias, inhabit the reserve’s forests and practise traditional agricultural activities (the collection of seeds and timber).

4. Birth rate of large, migratory birds declined due to climate change

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate change

Context: Study shows declines in offspring production were observed in relatively large birds & migratory birds.

More on the News:

Climate change has reduced the overall birth rate of bird species across the world, a new study has found.
Researchers analysed 201 wild bird populations from all continents between 1970 and 2019 and found birth rate has declined during recent decades, with great variation among species and populations.
Declines in offspring production were observed in relatively large birds and migratory birds, whereas species whose production increased were small-bodied and sedentary.
The research suggested that larger species were more vulnerable to declines in offspring production. Body mass exceeding one kilogram for sedentary species and 50 grams for migratory species is associated with adverse trends in offspring production.
Larger-bodied species may respond slower to changing environmental and climatic conditions due to their lower fecundity (ability to produce young) and extended maturation period.
Thus, climate variability is an important factor when coupled with migratory habits and the number of broods raised in the breeding season.
The researchers found that non-migratory species, especially smaller ones, can usually adjust to changes in local conditions and may benefit from climate warming. While migratory species, except the smallest, may suffer.
The study aimed to look at the temporal changes in annual offspring production by female breeders in relation to changes in local temperatures and species’ life history traits.

5. De-dollarisation: the race to attain the status of global reserve currency

Subject : Economy

Section: External Sector

Concept :

De-dollarisation

De-dollarisation refers to the replacement of the U.S. dollar by other currencies as the global reserve currency.
A reserve currency refers to any currency that is widely used in cross-border transactions and is commonly held as reserves by central banks.
China and Russia are among the nations that have supported de-dollarisation.
Iran and Russia will jointly issue a new cryptocurrency backed by gold, to serve as a payment method in foreign trade.

Need for de-dollarisation:

The U.S. imposed several sanctions that restricted the use of the U.S. dollar to purchase oil and other goods from Russia.
This has been seen by many countries as an attempt to weaponise the dollar.
Since international transactions carried out in the U.S. dollar are cleared by American banks, this gives the U.S. government significant power to oversee and control these transactions.
Currently, the Chinese yuan is seen as the primary alternative to the U.S. dollar owing to China’s rising economic power.

Advantage of a reserve currency advantage

A reserve corruncy is the foreign currency held by central banks (in India’s case, RBI) to:
facilitate international transactions,
stabilise exchange rates and
bolster financial confidence
Other currencies such as the British pound and the French franc have served as international reserve currencies in the past.
It is the currencies of economic superpowers that have usually ended up being used as the global reserve currency.
Critics of the U.S. dollar believe that the global reserve currency status gives the dollar unfair privileges over other countries, thus justifying de-dollarisation attempts by many countries.
It should be noted that when a country’s fiat currency enjoys reserve currency status, it gives the country the power to purchase goods and other assets from the rest of the world by simply creating fresh currency out of thin air.
However, such irresponsible expansion of the money supply can cause the debasement of the currency and eventually threaten its status as a reserve currency.

Why dollar is so popular?

The U.S. dollar is widely used in international transactions because people actually prefer to use the American currency over others for various economic reasons.
A recent attempt by India and Russia to carry out trade between the two countries in Indian rupees rather than in U.S. dollars has hit a roadblock because the value of India’s imports from Russia far outweighs its exports.
This left Russia with excess rupees in hand which it was unwilling to spend on Indian goods or assets, and led to Russian demands for the settlement of bilateral trade in U.S. dollars.
The high level of trust that global investors have in the U.S. financial markets, perhaps owing to the ‘rule of law’ in the U.S., is considered to be a major reason why investors prefer to invest in U.S. assets.

6. A good divorce : SC Ruling

Subject : Polity

Section: Constitution

Concept :

The Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling on divorce matters on 1st May 2023 is seen as a good move to opt out of a bad marriage.
The Supreme Court of India has invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant divorce by mutual consent to couples trapped in bitter marriages, without making them wait for the mandatory cooling-off period of six to 18 months prescribed by law.
It should be noted that according to Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, a couple has to wait for 6 to 18 months for a local court to annul the marriage.

Highlights of the Supreme Court Observation

The court observed that there is no point in compelling the parties to go through the futile exercise of filing a petition under Section 13B(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 or under Section 28 of the Special Marriage Act, 1954, as the case may be, and then wait for another six months if they have already taken a conscious decision to part ways.
The court said that such a situation may lead to mental cruelty and cause more harm than good to the parties involved.
The court also clarified that this power will be exercised only in exceptional cases where there is no chance of reconciliation and both parties have mutually agreed to end their marriage.
The court said that it will examine each case on its facts and circumstances and not lay down any general guidelines or criteria for granting divorce by mutual consent under Article 142.

Consensual Divorce

Consensual divorce is a type of divorce that is based on the mutual agreement of both spouses to end their marriage legally and peacefully.
It is the shortest, least expensive and least harmful way of a divorce, as it avoids prolonged litigation, bitter disputes and emotional trauma.
It also benefits the children of the divorcing couple, as it reduces their exposure to parental conflict and helps them cope with the transition.

Consensual divorce law in India

In India, consensual divorce can be obtained under two laws: the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Special Marriage Act 1954.
Both these laws provide for a mutual consent divorce, where the spouses have to file a joint petition in the court and satisfy the following conditions:
They have been living separately for at least one year.
They have not been able to live together and have mutually agreed to dissolve their marriage.
They have settled all their issues regarding alimony, custody, maintenance, etc.
They have given their consent voluntarily and without any coercion or undue influence.
The court will verify the consent of the parties and try to reconcile them. If the court is satisfied that the conditions are met and there is no possibility of reconciliation, it will grant a decree of divorce by mutual consent.

Article 142 of the Constitution

Article 142 of the Constitution empowers the Supreme Court’s verdicts and rulings to be enforced.
It prescribes that in the performance of its jurisdiction, the top court may issue any verdict or order necessary to provide “complete justice” in just about any case before it.
This power is meant to supplement the existing legal work and not supplant it.
It is conceived to meet situations which cannot be effectively and appropriately tackled by the existing provisions of law.

7. Alternative To Death by Hanging

Subject : Polity

Section: Judiciary

Concept :

In the Supreme Court, the Union Government stated that it is considering the formation of a committee to investigate the need for a painless and more dignified alternative to death by hanging.
This move could potentially end the barbaric and inhuman practice of executing death row convicts by hanging them by the neck until they are dead.
Hanging is not only cruel and painful, but also violates the fundamental right to life and dignity of the condemned prisoners.
Hanging as a mode of execution has been challenged several times in the past because it is inconsistent with Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty.

Background of the Present Context

A petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking to abolish hanging and adopt other methods such as lethal injection or electrocution, which he claimed are comparatively less painful and more humane.
The Supreme Court, in March 2023, directed the Centre to gather information on the less painful modes of execution than hanging by the neck in death sentence cases in the country.
The court also suggested that the Centre could set up an expert panel to examine the issue from the standpoint of science and technology and find an approach that is both humane and socially acceptable.

Alternatives for death by hanging

Alternatives for death by hanging are lethal injection, firing squad and electrocution. These methods are used in some other countries that still retain capital punishmen However, each of these methods has its drawbacks and controversies.
A lethal injection may cause severe pain and suffering if the drugs are not administered properly or if the prisoner has a medical condition that affects the effectiveness of the drugs.
A firing squad may result in a prolonged and bloody death if the shooters miss the vital organs or if there are multiple rounds of firing.
Electrocution may cause severe burns, mutilation and disfigurement of the body.
Therefore, there is no clear consensus on which method of execution is the most humane and dignified.

For further notes on Death Penalty, refer – https://optimizeias.com/death-penalty/

8. Karnataka ranked the most ‘innovative’ State in manufacturing

Subject : Schemes

Concept :

The National Manufacturing Innovation Survey (NMIS) 2021-22 has ranked Karnataka as the most “innovative” State.

About National Manufacturing Innovation Survey (NMIS):

It is a joint study by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Aim of the survey: To evaluate the innovation performance of manufacturing firms in India.
It had two specific components:
Firm-level survey: It captured data related to types of innovations and innovative measures taken by firms, including the process of innovation, access to finance, resources, and information for innovation etc.
Sectorial System of Innovation (SSI) survey: It mapped the manufacturing innovation system and its enabling role in achieving innovations in firms.
The SSI study measured the convergence or divergence of current policy instruments in select five key manufacturing sectors important to the Indian economy – textiles; food & beverage; automotive; pharma; and ICT.
The first National Innovation Survey was held in 2011.

Key Highlights of the Survey

Karnataka was followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.
The survey evaluated the innovation performance of manufacturing firms and the degree of innovation among manufacturing firms in India.
As per the survey, Telangana (46.18%), Karnataka (39.1%), and Tamil Nadu (31.9%) had the highest share of innovative firms, whereas Odisha (12.78%), Bihar (13.47%) and Jharkhand (13.71%) reported the lowest share of such firm.
The survey also notes that the most frequent “barriers to innovation” were the lack of internal funds, high innovation costs, and lack of financing from external sources.
Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu reported the highest frequencies of barriers to innovation.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization

It is a specialized agency of the United Nations with a unique mandate to promote dynamize and accelerate industrial development.
It provides support to its 171 Member States through four mandated functions:
Technical cooperation
Action-oriented research and policy-advisory services.
Normative standards-related activities
Fostering partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer.
India is a member of this organization.

9. Why Indian start-ups have accused IAMAI of spreading ‘Big Tech propaganda’?

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Computers

Context: There is a widening rift between some Indian start-ups and the industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (lAMAI). Growing divide between Indian start-ups and the Big Tech, the former increasingly framing the debate as a foreign versus local issue.

What is IAMAI?

Established in 2004, the IAMAI is a not-for-profit industry body and the country’s only organization representing the digital services industry with over 500 Indian and multinational corporations as its members, which include established companies in diverse sectors of the digital ecosystem and start-ups. It represents varied sectors – digital advertising, digital entertainment, traveltech, online gaming, digital payments, fintech, digital commerce, edtech, healthtech, agritech, big data, ML, AI & IoT, AR/ VR, logistics-tech and so on.

What are Big Tech Companies (BTCs)?

BTCs refer to the most dominant, prolific and largest technology companies in their respective sectors. Their products and services are used globally and have become heavily relied upon by businesses and individuals alike, bringing up privacy, safety and Antitrust concerns about their influence and operations. It typically includes GAFA (Google, Amazon, Facebook(Meta), Apple), Microsoft. May also include Alibaba, Tencent, Tesla, etc.

Systematically Important Digital Intermediaries

The PSC on Finance recommended that India must identify the leading players in digital markets that can negatively influence competitive conduct. They should be categorised as Systemically Important Digital Intermediaries (SIDIs) based on their revenue, market capitalisation, and the number of active businesses and end users. SIDIs should annually submit a report to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) detailing the measures taken to comply with various mandatory obligations.

New Law to tackle Anti-competitive practices of BTCs

The Committee recommended that the government should introduce a Digital Competition Act to ensure a fair, transparent, and contestable digital ecosystem.

Asia Internet Coalition (AIC)

Established in 2010 as an industry association that promotes the understanding and resolution of Internet policy issues in the Asia Pacific region. Co-founded by eBay, Google, Nokia, Skype, and Yahoo! AIC lobbies government agencies to address public policy issues and facilitate the development of the internet economy in the Asia Pacific region.

Anti-Competitive Practices by Big Tech Companies

Self-preferencing: An entity may have the dual role of providing the platform and competing on the same platform. Self-preferencing is a practice wherein a platform favours its own services or the services of its subsidiaries.
Anti-steering: Such provisions are clauses wherein a platform prevents its business users from steering its customers to offers other than those provided by the platform.
Deep Discounting, refers to a practice wherein an e-commerce company offers a heavy discount on a good or service that is sold in high quantities. This is possible due to high discounts got on bulk purchases by the e-commerce company from manufacturers.
Search and Ranking Preferences: If any product or service takes precedence in a list displayed, while searching in a platform, it indicates preference or search-bias in favour of those sponsored product or service or orders fulfilled by the platform itself.

10. Godfather of Artificial Intelligence (AI) cautions against its impact: How Geoffrey Hinton helped the development of AI

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Computers

Context:

Geoffrey Hinton, 75, announced his resignation from Google in a statement to the New York Times, saying he now regretted his work.

Hinton is not alone in voicing fears regarding AI. More than 1,000 technology leaders and researchers, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Tesla founder Elon Musk, signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause on the developing AI systems further, saying they “profound risks to society and humanity.”

Machine Learning

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science that provides machines with the capacity to automatically learn from data and previous experiences by identifying patterns to generate predictions for new processes with minimal human intervention.

Applications – social media (Facebook), Transportation (Uber), Language Translation (Google Translate), Image or Speech Recognition (a machine can be fed thousands of images and then trained to identify what different animals or plants look like), Predicting Traffic Patterns, E-commerce Product recommendations, stock market and day trading, online fraud recognition, etc.

Neural Network

A neural network is a method in artificial intelligence that teaches computers to process data in a way that is inspired by working of the human brain with its networks of neurons. It is a mathematical system that learns skills by analyzing data. It is a subset of machine learning, aiming to solve practical problems through novel learning algorithms.

The term ‘neural networks’ refers to “systems composed of layers of relatively simple computing elements called ‘neurons’ that are simulated in a computer.” These “neurons” only loosely resemble the neurons in the human brain, and influence one another – Association for Computing Machinery.

Applications – Speech Recognition, classify objects in images, machine translation, Chatbots answering a wide variety of questions, etc.

Three Concerns with AI

Tools like ChatGPT may flood the internet with false photos, videos and text so that true data cannot be identified by the average internet user – Concerns of Misinformation.
Over time machines may take over human jobs
AI are digital systems that have more capacity to instantaneously process large amounts of data, than the humans who are biological systems. In future such data can be used can be used by “bad actors” for negative uses.

Solutions Proposed

Companies must develop a set of shared safety protocols for advanced AI design and development, which can be overseen by independent outside experts.
A proper framework with a legal structure and fool proofing, including watermarking systems to help distinguish real from synthetic should be created.

Facts

Bard – Google’s AI Chatbot

11. Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

Subject: Polity

Section: Elections

Why in News?

Taking note of the plummeting levels of discourse in the Kamataka Assembly election campaign, the Election Commission (EC) issued an advisory to all recognized national and state parties to maintain “the expected level of dignity”, particularly with respect to their designated star campaigners.

What is MCC?

The MCC is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission (EC) to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. Basically, the code spells out the do’s and don’ts for elections.
This is in keeping with Article 324 of the Constitution, which mandates EC to conduct free and fair elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures.
It is not statutory but Political Parties, Candidates and Polling Agents are expected to observe the norms, on matters ranging from the content of election manifestos, speeches and processions, to general conduct etc.
The code comes into force on the announcement of the poll schedule and remains operational till the process is concluded.
The EC has devised several mechanisms to take note of the violation of the code, which include joint task forces of enforcement agencies and flying squads.

Legal Enforcement

Though MCC does not have any statutory backing, but the Code has come to acquire teeth in the past decade because of its strict enforcement by the EC.
Certain provisions of the MCC may be enforced through invoking corresponding provisions in other statutes such as the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Representation of the People Act, 1951.
In 2013, the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, recommended making the model code of conduct legally binding. It recommended that the MCC be made a part of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The EC argues against making it legally binding. According to it, elections must be completed within a relatively short time or close to 45 days, and judicial proceedings typically take longer, therefore it is not feasible to make it enforceable by law.

Some of the Provisions of MCC

Prohibitions

Criticism of political parties must be limited to their policies and programmes, past record, and work.
Activities such as using caste and communal feelings to secure votes, criticizing candidates on the basis of unverified reports, bribing or intimidation of voters, etc. are prohibited.

Star Campaigners

A star campaigner is a celebrity vote seeker in an election for a party. This person can be anyone, a politician or even a film star. A ‘recognised’ National or State party declared as such by the ECI can nominate a maximum of 40 star campaigners. An unrecognised political party can nominate a maximum of 20 star campaigners.
The ECI keeps a tab on expenditure incurred by individual candidates during campaign – Rs. 70 lakh for most states in one constituency by each candidate. Expenditure incurred on electioneering by the star campaigner is not added to a candidate’s poll expenditure giving him/her more scope for expenditure. According to the Representation of People’s Act, 1951 these expenses will be borne by the political parties.
However, for an individual candidate to get relief from campaign expenditure, the star campaigner has to limit oneself to general campaigning for the party. EC also advised the parties and their candidates to exercise caution and restraint in their utterances.

IPC Provisions

Section 499 – Against Defamation

Section 191 – Giving False Statement or evidence

Section 300 and 352 – Provocation

Section 504 – breaking public peace