Daily Prelims Notes 30 November 2023

November 30, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

30 November 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Center and manipur ink deal with banned meitei insurgent body

Subject : Polity

Section: Msc

Context:

In a historic move towards peace and stability, the Union and Manipur governments have successfully negotiated a peace agreement with the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the oldest armed group operating in the Manipur valley. Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his welcome to the UNLF for renouncing violence and embracing democratic processes.

Historical Significance of the Agreement:

The signing of the peace agreement reflects efforts to address historical grievances and find a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in Manipur.
Manipur has witnessed prolonged unrest, and this agreement signifies a commitment to sustainable peace in the region.

About UNLF:

UNLF, formed in 1964, is the oldest armed group in Manipur and has been operating both within and outside Indian territory.
It is one of eight Meitei extremist organizations declared unlawful under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Peace Agreement Details:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the agreement, highlighting UNLF’s commitment to renouncing violence and embracing mainstream democratic processes.
This move is expected to contribute to the region’s overall peace and progress.
Extension of Ban on Unlawful Associations:
Last week, the MHA extended the ban on eight Meitei extremist organizations, including UNLF, for another five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
These groups have been advocating for Manipur’s secession from India.

2. Do dead stars crash with the light of 500 million suns?

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Space tech

Context:

Recent findings propose an extraordinary connection between these enigmatic bursts and the collision of two neutron stars, a cosmic event that unleashes gravitational waves and a luminosity rivaling the brilliance of 500 million suns.
In the cosmic theater of astrophysics, a captivating revelation has emerged as scientists delve into the origins and characteristics of fast radio bursts (FRBs) — powerful radio frequency emissions originating from distant galaxies that endure for just milliseconds.

What are the Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs)?

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are astrophysical phenomena characterized by brief and intense bursts of radio waves originating from deep space.
These bursts, highly energetic in nature, last for only a few milliseconds, making them one of the most intriguing and enigmatic phenomena in astrophysics.
Key Characteristics of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs):
FRBs manifest as short-lived episodes of intense radio frequency emissions, lasting only a few milliseconds.
The exact sources of FRBs are located in distant galaxies, making them challenging to study and understand due to their considerable distance from Earth.

Significance of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs):

Host Galaxies’ Intense Radio Light: The study of FRBs has revealed intense radio light within the host galaxies where these bursts originate. Understanding this phenomenon provides crucial insights into the aftermath and environment of the sources of FRBs.
Implications for Gravitational-Wave Astronomy: The correlation between FRBs and gravitational-wave events has profound implications for gravitational-wave astronomy. The study suggests a potential connection between FRBs and cosmic events, such as neutron star collisions, which release both gravitational waves and FRBs.
Future Observatories and Technologies: The findings suggest that future advancements in radio telescope technology, combined with gravitational-wave observatories like the Square Kilometer Array and the upcoming Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), could unlock further insights into these high-energy cosmic events.
Understanding the Structure of the Universe: The study of FRBs contributes to our understanding of the structure of the universe by providing a unique lens into the energetic processes and cataclysmic events occurring in the vast cosmic expanse.

What are Radio waves and their significance in astronomy?

Radio waves, characterized by long wavelengths and low frequencies, constitute a category of electromagnetic radiation.
Within the realm of astronomy, these waves hold paramount importance, enabling the observation of celestial entities and occurrences that remain invisible in alternative light wavelengths.
The utility of radio waves extends to the examination of diverse cosmic elements, including galaxies, pulsars, quasars, and the radiation from the cosmic microwave background.

3. A Centralised website to track, recover your lost mobile faster

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Awareness in Computers &IT

Context:

The Indian government has recently launched a groundbreaking nationwide mobile phone tracking system known as the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR).

This initiative is poised to play a pivotal role in bolstering national security, curbing phone theft, and ensuring the authenticity of mobile devices in the market.

Background:

The Centre for Department of Telematics (CDoT), after successful piloting in Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and the North East, officially launched the CEIR system.
This innovative system is designed not only for tracking lost or stolen mobile phones but also to render such devices unusable, serving as a deterrent to theft.

Functionality of CEIR:

IMEI Registration: Users are required to disclose the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, a 15-digit unique identifier associated with their mobile device, before its sale in India.
Reporting Lost or Stolen Mobile Phones: In the event of a lost or stolen phone, users report the IMEI number to the authorities.
Blocking IMEI Across Networks: The CEIR system processes the reported IMEI number and ensures its blocking across all networks in the country, rendering the device unusable.
Preventing Unauthorized Use: By blocking the IMEI number, the system prevents unauthorized individuals from using the lost or stolen device on any network in India, acting as a deterrent to theft.
Tracking and Recovery: Authorities, including the police, can leverage the CEIR system to track and locate stolen or lost mobile phones based on their blocked IMEI numbers, involving advanced technologies and collaborations with telecom operators.
Retrieval by Authorities: Upon locating a stolen or lost mobile phone, authorities take necessary actions to verify ownership and facilitate the return of recovered devices to their rightful owners.
National Security and Counterfeit Prevention: CEIR addresses national security concerns by preventing the use of cloned or counterfeit mobile phones. Authorities can identify unauthorized or cloned devices based on IMEI numbers and take appropriate actions.
Consumer Awareness and Protection: The system contributes to consumer protection by raising awareness about counterfeit or cloned mobile phones in the market. Users can verify IMEI numbers before purchasing, ensuring authenticity and preventing potential issues.

About IMEI:

IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, plays a pivotal role in the realm of mobile technology, serving as a 15-digit unique identifier for mobile devices worldwide.
IMEI serves as a crucial tool for identifying the hardware of a specific mobile device, aiding in its differentiation from other devices.
Device manufacturers assign IMEI numbers during the production process, ensuring a unique identifier for each device manufactured.
In India, mobile device sellers are mandated to disclose the IMEI numbers of devices before their sale, aligning with regulatory standards.

4. No progress at WTO agri talks

Subject: IR

Section: International Organisation

Context: No progress at WTO agri talks

More about the news:

The recent mini-ministerial meeting on agriculture at the World Trade Organization (WTO) encountered challenges, primarily centered around divisive issues like public stockholding for food security and domestic support for farmers.
Notable disagreements persist between developed and developing nations, with India, part of the G-33 grouping and African nations, seeking a permanent solution for domestic food security.
India’s public stockholding program, particularly for rice, faced opposition from major food grain exporters like the US and Canada, accusing it of distortion in the global foodgrain market.
India, however, argues for flexibility in farm support.
The WTO Director-General acknowledged the lack of progress in agriculture negotiations, emphasizing the need for political guidance.
The upcoming 13th Ministerial Conference in February 2024 is anticipated to address these issues, with the United Arab Emirates urging ministers to provide political guidance to break the deadlock.
The farm sector, facing challenges such as food insecurity, climate change impacts, and the COVID-19 pandemic, requires comprehensive structural solutions to sustainably address a growing world population.

Some facts about W.T.O

W.T.O is an international institution that oversees the rules for global trade among nations.
It officially began operations on January 1, 1995, in accordance with the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement, thus replacing the 1948 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
WTO has 164 member countries and 25 observer countries and governments.

What is the Structure of Governance of WTO

Ministerial Conference
- The highest authority within the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which typically convenes every two years. This gathering includes all WTO members, which consist of countries or customs unions. The Ministerial Conference holds the authority to make decisions concerning any aspect of the multilateral trade agreements.
General Council
- Situated in Geneva, the General Council serves as the WTO’s primary decision-making body, convening regularly to execute the WTO’s functions.
- It comprises representatives, often ambassadors or equivalent officials, from all member governments and possesses the mandate to act on behalf of the Ministerial Conference, which holds infrequent sessions every two years.
- The General Council also convenes, following different procedures, as the General Council, the Trade Policy Review Body, and the Dispute Settlement Body (DSU).
Three councils, each with jurisdiction over distinct areas of trade, report to the General Council:
- The Council for Trade in Goods (Goods Council)
- The Council for Trade in Services (Services Council)
- The Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Council)
These councils are responsible for overseeing the implementation of WTO agreements pertaining to their respective trade domains and encompass all WTO members.
Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB)
- The General Council, in its capacity as the TPRB, conducts trade policy reviews of WTO Members as part of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism) and considers regular reports on trade policy development submitted by the Director-General.
- This forum is open to all WTO Members.
Dispute Settlement Body (DSB)
- The General Council assumes the role of the Dispute Settlement Body in handling disputes among WTO members. Such disputes may arise concerning any agreement outlined in the Final Act of the Uruguay Round, which is subject to the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes .
- The DSB holds the authority to:
  - Establish dispute settlement panels
  - Refer matters to arbitration
  - Adopt reports from panels, the Appellate Body, and arbitration
  - Monitor the implementation of recommendations and rulings outlined in these reports
  - Authorize the suspension of trade concessions in cases of non-compliance with these recommendations and rulings.
Appellate Body
Established in 1995 under Article 17 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, the Appellate Body comprises seven individuals and serves a four-year term.
This standing body hears appeals from panel reports in disputes initiated by WTO Members.
The Appellate Body may affirm, amend, or overturn the legal findings and conclusions presented by a panel.
Once the Appellate Body Reports are approved by the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), they must be accepted by the involved parties.
The Appellate Body is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

What are the stages in WTO Dispute Settlement:

Once a complaint has been filed with the WTO, there are two main ways to resolve a dispute:
- Mutually Acceptable Solution: The parties reach a mutually acceptable solution, particularly during the phase of bilateral consultations;
- Adjudication: It includes the subsequent implementation of the panel and Appellate Body reports, which are binding on the parties once adopted by the DSB.
The WTO dispute settlement process is divided into three stages:
- Parties’ discussions;
- Adjudication by panels and, if relevant, by the Appellate Body.
- Ruling implementation includes the potential of countermeasures if the losing party fails to implement the ruling.

5. Government clears Terms of Reference of 16th Finance Commission

Subject: Polity

Section: National body

Context: Government clears Terms of Reference of 16th Finance Commission

More about the news:

The Union Cabinet approved the terms of reference (ToR) for the Sixteenth Finance Commission, which will recommend the formula for sharing revenues between the Centre and the States for the five-year period beginning on April 1, 2026.
The government has set a deadline of October 31, 2025, for the panel to submit its recommendations

Terms of Reference for the Sixteenth Finance Commission:

The Finance Commission shall make recommendations as to the following matters, namely:
- The distribution between the Union and the States of the net proceeds of taxes which are to be, or may be, divided between them under Chapter I, Part XII of the Constitution and the allocation between the States of the respective shares of such proceeds;
- The principles which should govern the grants-in-aid of the revenues of the States out of the Consolidated Fund of India and the sums to be paid to the States by way of grants-in-aid of their revenues under article 275 of the Constitution for the purposes other than those specified in the provisos to clause (1) of that article;
- The measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement the resources of the Panchayats and Municipalities in the State on the basis of the recommendations made by the Finance Commission of the State.
- The Commission may review the present arrangements on financing Disaster Management initiatives, with reference to the funds constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (53 of 2005), and make appropriate recommendations thereon.
The Commission shall make its report available by 31st day of October, 2025 covering a period of five years commencing on the 1st day of April, 2026.

What is Finance Commission:

The Finance Commission is a constitutional body for the purpose of allocation of certain revenue resources between the Union and the State Governments.
It was established under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution by the Indian President.
It was created to define the financial relations between the Centre and the states.
It shall be the duty of the Commission to make recommendations to the President in relation to the:
- the distribution between the Union and the States of the net proceeds of taxes which are to be, or maybe, divided between them and the allocation between the States of the respective shares of such proceeds;
- the principles which should govern the grants in aid of the revenues of the States out of the Consolidated Fund of India;
- any other matter referred to the Commission by the President in the interests of sound finance
The Commission shall determine their procedure and shall have such powers in the performance of their functions as Parliament may by law confer on them.
The recommendations made by the Finance Commission are of an advisory nature only and therefore, not binding upon the government.
The first Finance Commission was set up in 1951
The Fifteenth Finance Commission was constituted on 27 November 2017 under N.K.Singh

What is the Composition of Finance Commission:

The President shall constitute a Finance Commission which shall consist of a Chairman and four other members to be appointed by the President.
Qualifications for members of the Finance commission as per Finance commission act,1951:
- Chairperson – Individual with experience of public affairs
- Member 1 – High court judge or qualified to be one.
- Member 2 – special knowledge of finance and accounts of government.
- Member 3 – special knowledge of economics.
- Member 4 – wide experience in financial matters and administration.

6. Scheme to provide drones to 15000 self help groups gets Cabinet nod

Subject: Schemes

Section: Women

Context: The Union Cabinet has approved a central sector scheme to provide drones to women self help groups (SHGs).

More about the news:

The Union Cabinet has sanctioned a central sector scheme worth Rs 1,261 crore to supply drones to women self-help groups (SHGs).
The initiative, spanning from 2023-24 to 2025-26, aims to empower 15,000 selected women SHGs to offer drone rental services to farmers for agricultural purposes.
Under the scheme, women SHGs will receive 80% of the drone cost, including accessories, up to Rs 8 lakh as Central Financial Assistance.
The program integrates efforts from various departments and entities, including Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Rural Development, Fertilizers, Women SHGs, and lead fertilizer companies.
Identified clusters where drone use is economically viable will be chosen for SHG selection.
The SHGs will receive training, and the scheme envisions providing sustainable business opportunities, additional income, and technological advancements in agriculture.

7. Pakistan beat India to bag UNESCO Vice chair

Subject: IR

Section: International Organisation

Context: Pakistan beats India in vote to bag Unesco vice chair role

More about the news:

Pakistan secured a significant victory over India in the recent UNESCO executive board election for the post of vice-chair.
The Pakistani candidate received 38 votes, while the Indian candidate received only 18.
This outcome is considered a major setback for Indian diplomats at the UN, prompting the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Human Resource Development ministry to assess the reasons behind the defeat and its potential impact.
The elected Pakistani vice chair expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from the executive board members and all UNESCO member states, emphasizing Pakistan’s commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities with credibility, honest dialogue, and mutual respect.
The defeat is seen as a rare failure for Indian diplomats who have previously celebrated victories in various UN and international organizations.

Some facts about UNESCO:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) operates as a specialized agency within the United Nations (UN), striving to foster global peace through collaborative efforts in the fields of Education, Sciences, and Culture.
UNESCO was founded in 1945 as the successor to the League of Nations’ International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation
It has194 member states and 12 associate members, as well as partners in the non-governmental, intergovernmental, and private sector
Membership of UNESCO is governed by Articles II and XV of the Constitution and by rules 98 to 101 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference.
Membership of the United Nations carries with it the right to membership of UNESCO.
States that are not members of the United Nations may be admitted to UNESCO, upon recommendation of the Executive Board, by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Conference.
Three UNESCO member states are not UN members: Cook Islands, Niue, and Palestine.
Two UN member states Israel and Liechtenstein are not UNESCO members
UNESCO is governed by the General Conference, composed of member states and associate members, which meets biannually to set the agency’s programmes and the budget.
It also elects members of the Executive Board, which manages UNESCO’s work, and appoints every four years a Director-General, who serves as UNESCO’s chief administrator

What are key reports published by UNESCO

Global Education Monitoring Report
The United Nations World Water Development Report
World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development
Global Ocean Science Report

8. Major oil and gas firms have pledged to go carbon neutral by 2050: COP28 chief

Subject: Environmnt

Section: Climate change

Context:

Several oil and gas companies have committed to becoming net zero — or carbon neutral — by 2050, the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) President-designate Sultan Al Jaber said.

Net Zero Target:

It is a state in which a country’s emissions are compensated by the absorption and removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
- Further, absorption of the emissions can be increased by creating more carbon sinks such as forests.
- While the removal of gases from the atmosphere requires futuristic technologies such as carbon capture and storage.
A significant number of oil and gas companies are aligned towards net zero targets by 2050 and net zero methane targets by 2030.
The oil and gas operations account for around 15% of total energy-related emissions globally or about 5.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
85% of the world’s economies were “behind” the COP28 target of tripling renewable energy.

Steps taken by India to achieve Net Zero Target by 2070:

India’s renewable energy targets have steadily become more ambitious, from 175 GW by 2022 declared at Paris, to 450 GW by 2030 at the UN Climate Summit, and now 500 GW by 2030, announced at COP26.
India has also announced the target of 50% installed power generation capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030, raising the existing target of 40%, which has already been almost achieved.
India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs):
- To reduce the Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, from the 2005 level.
- To achieve about 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030,
- To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) will help address cooling requirements and reduce the cooling demand in the country.
Green Hydrogen Mission to shift from fossil fuel to clean energy sources.
Zero Emission Vehicle- Emerging Market Initiative (ZEV- EMI), launched jointly by WBCSD and the U.S., U.K. and governments under the ZEVTC, aims to elevate cooperation between governments and businesses in EMDEs to accelerate the transition to ZEVs

Source: The Hindu

9. COP-28 aims at bottling the fossil fuel genie for good

Subject: Environment

Section: Environment conventions

Context:

The COP-28 to the UNFCCC climate summit is scheduled to begin in Dubai on November 30.

Six major issues to be discussed are:

Global Stocktake:
- It is a periodic review by countries to contain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and transition their fossil-fuel-dependent energy systems to renewable energy sources.
UN Food System Coordination Hub:
- The vision is to stimulate and support action for SDGs-based food systems transformations towards the acceleration of the 2030 Agenda.
- The mission is to serve countries through systemic, country-driven, customized support in translating their commitments into effective actions to reach sustainable food systems by 2030, leveraging the wider UN system’s capacities.
Loss and Damage Fund (L&D):
- The L&D fund was one of the key outcomes at the 2022 edition of the COP in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
- It committed rich developed countries, held historically responsible for the climate crisis, to compensate countries most vulnerable and already bearing the brunt of climate change.
- There is an agreement to host the L&D fund at the World Bank but no other details on the corpus and contributors are known.
Climate Finance:
- In 2009, at the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC in Copenhagen (COP15), developed country Parties committed, in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation, to a goal of mobilising jointly US$100 billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries.
- The climate finance goal was then formally recognized by the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties at COP16 in Cancun.
- At COP21 in Paris, Parties extended the US$100 billion goal through 2025.
Phase-out of fossil fuels
- The European Union (EU) is expected to push for a phase-out that, if accepted, will be a
- Many countries favour continuing the use of oil, gas, and coal together with technologies to ‘capture’ their emissions, instead of avoiding the use of such fuels altogether.
Increasing the renewable energy capacity:
- To help countries shift from the unabated use of fossil fuels. Countries are supposed to triple the RE capacity from the existing 500 gigawatts (GW) installed globally to 1,500 GW by 2030.

Source: The Hindu

10. Understanding rat-hole mining

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

Two scientific methods of mining — vertical drilling and auger or horizontal drilling — were employed to rescue 41 workers on November 28 after 17 days of being trapped in the partially collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand. The last leg of the rescue involved rat-hole mining once used extensively in Meghalaya.

Coal in Meghalaya:

The State has an estimated reserve of 576.48 million tonnes of low-ash, high-sulphur coal belonging to the Eocene age (33-56 million years ago).
Unlike in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, coal seams in Meghalaya are very thin. This makes rat-hole mining more economically viable than opencast mining.

Auger mining:

Auger mining is a relatively low-cost method of coal mining and is practical in areas where the overburden (material covering the coal seam) is too thick to be removed economically or where the coal seam is too thin for underground mining.
Auger mining uses large-diameter drills mounted on mobile equipment to bore into a coal seam. Holes are horizontally drilled at regular intervals to depths of as much as 1,000 feet. As the cutting head of the auger bites into the coalface, the cut coal is carried out by the screw portion of the bit. Once the hole is mined to its required depth, the auger machine is moved a few feet and another hole is drilled.

Rat hole mining:

Rat-hole mining involves digging tunnels 3-4 feet deep, barely allowing workers to crawl in and out. They have to squat while extracting coal with pickaxes.
Two types:
- The side-cutting type of mining is usually done on hill slopes by following a coal seam — dark brown or black-banded coal deposited within layers of rock— visible from the outside.
- The second type called box-cutting entails digging a circular or squarish pit at least 5 sq. metre in width up to a depth of 400 feet.
Miners who drop down in makeshift cranes or using rope-and-bamboo ladders dig horizontally after finding the coal seam. The tunnels are dug in every direction from the edge of the pit, resembling the tentacles of an octopus.
It was banned by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in April 2014.

The negative impact of Rat-hole mining:

Asphyxiation because of poor ventilation, collapse of mines due to lack of structural support, flooding, land degradation, deforestation, and water with high concentrations of sulphates, iron, and toxic heavy metals, low dissolved oxygen, and high biochemical oxygen demand.
At least two rivers, Lukha and Myntdu, became too acidic to sustain aquatic life.

Why is such mining banned?

The Coal Mines Nationalisation Act of 1973 is not applicable in Meghalaya, due to being a sixth schedule state. The landowners are thus also the owners of the minerals beneath.
There is a widespread issue of human trafficking and child labour in these mines and at least 17 miners were drowned in an illegal mine in the East Jaintia Hills district’s Ksan in December 2018 after water gushed in from a river.

Source: The Hindu

11. The ECI must act independently as the arbiter of election code breaches

Subject : Polity

Section: Elections

Election Commission

Permanent and an independent body established by the Constitution to supervise elections.
Article 324 provides that the power of superintendence, direction and control of elections to parliament, state legislatures, the office of President of India and the office of Vice-President of India
In Mohinder Singh Gill vs Chief Election Commissioner, Supreme Court held that Article 324 contains plenary powers to ensure free and fair elections, and ECI can take all necessary steps to achieve this constitutional objective.

Provisions ensuring Independence of Commission

Security of tenure: The chief election commissioner is provided with the security of tenure. He cannot be removed from his office except in same manner and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Service conditions: The service conditions of the chief election commissioner cannot be varied to his disadvantage after his appointment.
Removal of other election commissioners: Any other election commissioner or a regional commissioner cannot be removed from office except on the recommendation of the chief election commissioner
Powers of EC
Determination of territorial areas: To determine territorial areas of electoral constituencies throughout the country on the basis of the Delimitation Commission
To prepare and revise electoral rolls
Recognition: To grant recognition to political parties and allot symbols
Advise to President: To advise the president on matters relating to disqualifications of the members of Parliament
President’s rule: To advise President whether elections can be held in a state under president’s rule in order to extend the period of emergency after one year