Daily Prelims Notes 31 March 2023

March 31, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

31 March 2023

Table Of Contents

1. India to tap new coking coal markets in Mongolia, ramp up production in Mozambique

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic geography

Context: As per Steel Ministry India is exploring coking coal sourcing options beyond Australia, its largest supplier, as it taps into new markets like Mongolia; while it firms up plans to ramp up production at its own mines in Mozambique in Africa.

Coal is a type of sedimentary rock that is combustible. It appears in black or brownish-black colour.

Mostly, coal contains carbon and variable amounts of other chemical elements such as hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
There are different types of coal, such as peat, lignite, sub-bituminous coal, bituminous coal, etc. depending on the composition.
Also, we can categorize coal into different types according to the application; thermal coal and coking coal are two such categories.
- The key difference between coking coal and thermal coal is that coking coal is mainly used to produce high quality coke, whereas thermal coke is important in producing electricity.

What is Coking Coal?

Coking coal is a type of coal that is important in making high-quality coke. It is also called metallurgical coal.
This substance is an essential fuel and is useful as a reactant in the blast furnace process of primary steelmaking. Therefore, the demand for this type of coal is parallel to that of steel.
Coking coal has a low ash content, low moisture content and low sulfur and phosphorous contents.
We can categorize coking coal as a type of bituminous coal depending on the chemical composition.
During the process of coking (production of coke from coking coal), the material tends to swell and its volume increases.
- The ability of coking coal to form coke relates to its physical properties such as the rank of coal. In contrast to coking coal, thermal coal cannot produce coke when the material is heated.

Why India needs to import it?

India, the world’s second largest producer of crude steel, is also the largest importer of coking coal, which is a key steel making raw material. The domestic requirement is 57 million tonnes (mt), majority of which is imported.

Thermal Coal

Thermal coal is a type of coal that is mainly used for the generation of power. This type of coal can produce electricity upon heating.
Thermal coal is also named as steam coal.
However, due to various environmental considerations, the use of thermal coal is limited now.

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a nonprofit organization that works to reduce global catastrophic and existential risks facing humanity, particularly existential risk from advanced artificial intelligence (AI). The Institute’s work is made up of three main strands: grantmaking for risk reduction, educational outreach, and advocacy within the United Nations, US government and European Union institutions. Its founders include MIT cosmologist Max Tegmark and Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn, and its advisors include entrepreneur Elon Musk.

2. Top 5 large conglomerate must be dismantled

Subject :Economy

Section :Msc

Context: Former Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India Viral Acharya has suggested that the top five Indian conglomerates, including Mukesh Ambani backed Reliance group, Tata Group, Aditya Birla Group, Adani Group, and Bharti Telecom be dismantled as their market dominance could be responsible for keeping core inflation persistently at a high level

What is crony capitalism?

Crony capitalism is a term describing an economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, or other forms of state interventionism.

What is core inflation?

Core Inflation:

Inflation excluding ‘food and beverages’ and ‘fuel and light’ – the transitory components of the consumer price index.

Conventionally, core inflation is calculated by excluding ‘food and beverages’ and ‘fuel and light’ groups from overall inflation (CPI-C).

3. RBI’s timely move to ring-fence banks

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary policy

Context: Amid the rising spill over risks due to the recent spate of US bank failures and stress building up in Credit Suisse, the RBI rightly began specific actions to further strengthen banks. A forward outlook of RBI indicates that banks will be able to maintain capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) much beyond the minimum threshold even in severe stress scenario

CRAR

Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) is the ratio of a bank’s capital in relation to its risk weighted assets and current liabilities.
It is decided by central banks and bank regulators to prevent commercial banks from taking excess leverage and becoming insolvent in the process.
The Basel III norms stipulated a capital to risk weighted assets of 8%.
However, as per RBI norms, Indian scheduled commercial banks are required to maintain a CAR of 9% while Indian public sector banks are emphasized to maintain a CAR of 12%.

Recapitalization

Bank recapitalization, means infusing more capital in state-run banks so that they meet the capital adequacy norms.
The government, using different instruments, infuses capital into banks facing shortage of capital.
In compliance with RBI guidelines which are based on Basel norms requiring banks to maintain certain amount of capital reserves, the government, which is also the biggest shareholder, infuses capital in banks by either buying new shares or by issuing bonds.
As the state-run banks were struggling to deal with burgeoning NPAs, the government from time-to-time kept on announcing recapitalization to keep the banks afloat.

4. Orphaned Tiger Cubs Shifted to Pench Reserve For “Rewilding”

Subject :Environment

Section: Places in news

Section:

Context: Two orphaned tiger cubs rescued from the Pandharkawada forest range in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district have been moved to Pench Tiger Reserve for “rewilding”.

More on the News:

Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), Maharashtra, has launched the rewilding experiment of two orphaned tiger cubs at Titralmangi in a bigger enclosure in the reserve.
The two eight-month-old cubs, one male and one female, of tigress PKT-7, were rescued on March 14, 2023, from Mandwa in the Ghatanji forest range adjoining Tipeshwar wildlife sanctuary near Pandharkawda.
The tigress died under mysterious circumstances on January 28.Belatedly, the two cubs were shifted to a bigger enclosure in Pench on Wednesday after a gap of 15 days.
Rewilding process will be carried as per the NTCA SOPs and all precautions will be taken.
In December 2018, PKT-1 aka Avni’s one-year-old cub was rescued from Pandharkawda and shifted to Pench where it was trained for two years. On March 5, 2021, the three-year-old Avni’s offspring PTRF84 was released in the wild in Pench itself. However, three days after its release it was attacked by another tiger in which the feline suffered serious injuries and died four days later.
Prior to this experiment, in June 2015, a tigress TF2 that was rewilded in the Pench enclosure was captured after 24 days post its release. The villagers from Khapa threatened to attack the tigress after it came close to the village.

Rewilding of Wild animals:

Rewilding is a conservation approach that involves reintroducing or restoring wild animals and their habitats to areas where they have been previously extirpated or degraded.
As per the Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under Section 38(O) of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, there are three ways to deal with orphaned or abandoned tiger cubs.
- The first is to make an effort to reunite the abandoned cubs with their mother.
- Second, if a reunion of the cub with its mother is not possible, then shift the cub to a suitable zoo.
- Third, reintroduction of the cub into the wild after a certain time when it appears that the cub is capable of surviving in the wild independently. This is what is known as ‘re-wilding’.
- NTCA stresses that the tiger cub should be reared in an in situ enclosure for a minimum of two years, and during this time, each cub should have a successful record of at least 50 ‘kills’.

Pench Tiger Reserve:

Pench Tiger Reserve or Pench National Park is one of the premier tiger reserves of India and the first one to straddle across two states – Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The portion of the reserve that is in Madhya Pradesh is nestled in the southern slopes of the Satpura range of Central India.
Pench Tiger Reserve was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling’s famous novel, “The Jungle Book”. The area was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1977, and later a national park and tiger reserve in 1983 and 1992 respectively.
The vegetation in the Pench Tiger Reserve is predominantly southern tropical dry deciduous forest. It is home to a variety of tree species, such as teak, sal, saja, achar, and dhawada. There are also bamboo forests and grasslands in the reserve.
River pench flows into reserve cutting it into two from North to South before going on to join the Kanhan River, The Pench River which emerges from Mahadeo Hills of Satpura Ranges.
Apart from tigers and Indian bison, the Pench Tiger Reserve is also home to other large carnivores such as leopards, wild dogs, and hyenas. Other wildlife species found in the reserve include jackals, foxes, sloth bears, sambar deer, chital, and wild boars. The reserve is also a birdwatcher’s paradise with over 285 species of birds.

5. More than 90% of the world’s salt marshes may soon succumb to sea level rise

Subject :Environment

Context: Salt marshes have been playing an outsized role in stabilising the environment. But more than 90 per cent of these biologically productive ecosystems may soon succumb to sea level rise by the turn of the century, according to a new research.

More on the News:

Scientists from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) have been tracking vegetative cover in Great Sippewissett Marsh in Falmouth, Massachusetts, for the last 50 years to analyse the implications of higher nitrogen levels on marsh grass species.
Increased nitrogen favoured higher levels of vegetation and accretion of the marsh surface. However, these ecosystems won’t be able to outpace submergence from global sea level rise, noted the study.
The only choice for salt marshes then would be to migrate landward. But even this choice can be impacted by anthropogenic activities and other factors.
Marshes all over the globe experience ‘coastal squeeze,’ where their movement is obstructed by sea level rise, anthropogenic activities and geographical factors. For instance, a seawall that protects a home from inundation will prevent a wetland from naturally migrating to higher ground.
These barriers, whether they be geographic like a hill or a cliff, or people building along the edges of the ecosystem, constrain the potential for landward marsh migration.

Salt marshes

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides. They are marshy because the soil may be composed of deep mud and peat.
Because salt marshes are frequently submerged by the tides and contain a lot of decomposing plant material, oxygen levels in the peat can be extremely low—a condition called hypoxia. Hypoxia is caused by the growth of bacteria which produce the sulfurous rotten-egg smell that is often associated with marshes and mud flats.
Salt marshes occur worldwide, particularly in middle to high latitudes. Thriving along protected shorelines, they are a common habitat in estuaries.
These intertidal habitats are essential for healthy fisheries, coastlines, and communities—and they are an integral part of our economy and culture.
Ecological Function of Salt Marshes
- Habitat: Salt marshes provide important habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species. They serve as nurseries for commercially important fish and shellfish species, as well as a variety of birds, reptiles, and mammals.
- Nutrient cycling: Salt marshes are highly productive ecosystems that play an important role in nutrient cycling. They absorb excess nutrients from the water, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, and convert them into organic matter, which can be used by other organisms.
- Water quality: Salt marshes are natural filters that help improve water quality. They absorb pollutants and excess nutrients from the water, which can help reduce the risk of harmful algal blooms and other water quality problems.
- Carbon storage: Salt marshes are important carbon sinks that store large amounts of carbon in their soils and plant biomass. This can help mitigate climate change by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Coastal protection: Salt marshes serve as natural buffers against storms and floods. They help reduce the impact of waves and storm surge, which can help prevent erosion and protect coastal communities.
Threats: Salt marshes are under threat from a variety of human activities, including coastal development, dredging, and pollution. Climate change is also a major threat to salt marshes, as rising sea levels and increased storm activity can lead to erosion and inundation of the marsh.

6. European Commission grants GI tag for Himachal’s Kangra tea

Subject: Geography

Section: Places in news

Context: European Commission (EC) has granted protected geographical indication (PGI) for India’s unique Kangra tea, which is grown in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district.

Kangra Tea:

It is a type of tea produced in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.
It is a high-quality tea that is known for its unique flavour, aroma, and colour.
It is made from the leaves, buds, and tender stems of the Camellia sinensis species cultivated in the Kangra valley.
Black tea and green tea have both been cultivated in the Kangra Valley.
In India, Kangra tea received the Geographical Indication (GI) designation in 2005.
Features:
- Kangra tea leaves are narrow and have a multi-stemmed frame.
- Green tea has a subtle woody aroma, while black tea has a sweet, lasting aftertaste.
- It has a light colour and a high body in liquor.
The climate, the characteristic terrain and soil conditions, and the coolness of the snow-clad mountains in the Kangra region all play a role in crafting a delightfully distinct cup of quality tea.
Being one of India’s smallest tea regions makes Kangra green and black teas all the more exclusive.
Kangra tea is not only popular among tea lovers in India but is also exported to countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States. The tea has also been recognized for its health benefits, including its antioxidant properties and potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

European Commission’s Protected Geographical Indication:

The European Commission’s Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) is a system of geographical indications used throughout the European Union (EU) to protect the names of quality agricultural products and foodstuffs.
PGI is one of three main categories of geographical indications recognized by the European Union, alongside Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (TSG).
The main difference between PGI and PDO is that PGI requires that only one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the defined geographic area, while PDO requires all stages of production to take place in the defined geographic area.
The PGI system was established to protect and promote the reputation of specific regional products, and to support the economic development of rural areas by encouraging the production of high-quality, distinctive products.
Objectives of the protection
- the promotion of products with specific characteristics, particularly those coming from less-favoured or rural areas;
- the improvement of the income of farmers, in return for a “genuine effort to improve quality”;
- the retention of population in rural areas;
- the provision of clear and succinct information to consumers regarding product origin.

7. Exemption for Rare Diseases drugs

Subject : Science and tech / Governance

Concept :

The Union government declared that all the drugs and food for special medical purposes imported for personal use for the treatment of all rare diseases listed under the National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021 will be fully exempted from basic customs duty.
The Union government has further fully exempted pembrolizumab (Keytruda), used for treating various types of cancers, from basic customs duty.
Drugs or medicines usually attract basic customs duty of 10%, while some categories of life-saving drugs/vaccines attract a concessional rate of 5% or nil.
As per the announcements by the government, exemptions are already available for certain drugs for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy or Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Since the drugs or special foods used for treating a few diseases are expensive and often need to be imported, the exemption will help reduce the cost and provide much-needed relief to the patients.

What are ‘rare diseases?

These are often serious, chronic, and life-threatening conditions.
WHO defines a rare disease as an often-debilitating lifelong disease or disorder with a prevalence of 1 or less, per 1000 population.
However, different countries have their own definitions.
A disease or disorder is defined as rare in India when it affects fewer than 1 in 2500 individuals.
There may be as many as 7,000 rare diseases, individual diseases may be rare, and the total number of people with a rare disease is large.
Examples: Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD), Gaucher disease, Pompe disease, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, haemophilia, MPS 1 and 2, and Fabry disease.

Treatment:

About 95% of rare diseases have no approved treatment even when a correct diagnosis is made.
Rare diseases are also called ‘orphan diseases’ and drugs to treat them are called “orphan drugs” because of the expensive nature of available drugs.

About National Policy of Rare Diseases (NPRD):

The National Policy of Rare Diseases (NPRD) was notified in March 2021.
Aim:
- To increase focus on indigenous research and local production of medicines.
- To lower the cost of treatment of rare diseases.
- To screen and detect rare diseases early at early stages, which will in turn help in their prevention.
Categorization: The policy has categorized rare diseases into three groups:
- Group 1: Disorders amenable to one-time curative treatment.
- Group 2: Those requiring long-term or lifelong treatment.
- Group 3: Diseases for which definitive treatment is available but challenges are to make an optimal patient selection for benefit, very high cost, and lifelong therapy.
Financial Support:
Provision for financial support of up to Rs.50 lakhs to the patients suffering from any category of Rare Diseases and for treatment in any of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) mentioned in NPRD-2021, outside the Umbrella Scheme of RashtriyaArogaya Nidhi.

Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi

The Scheme provides financial assistance to patients, living below the poverty line (BPL) and who are suffering from major life-threatening diseases, to receive medical treatment at any of the super speciality Government hospitals/institutes.

8. Vaikom Satyagraha

Subject : History

Section: Modern INDIA

Concept :

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announced that the government was planning year-long events to commemorate the Vaikom Satyagraha that was launched to end caste discrimination in a local temple a century ago.

Vaikom Award

The award would be given to eminent personalities or organisations that worked for the welfare of oppressed sections beyond the State borders.
It would be awarded on Periyar E.V. Ramasamy’s birth anniversary on September 17, which is also being observed as Day of Social Justice by Tamil Nadu.
Periyar was among the leaders who took part in the movement and went on to earn the title ‘VaikomVeerar’.

About Vaikom Satyagraha

Vaikom Satyagraha, from 30 March 1924 to 23 November 1925, was a non violent agitation for access to the prohibited public environs of the Vaikom Temple in the Kingdom of Travancore.

Causes

Kingdom of Travancore was known for its rigid and oppressive caste system and hence Swami Vivekananda called Travancore a “lunatic asylum”.
The campaign, led by Congress leaders T. K. Madhavan, K. Kelappan and K. P. Kesava Menon, was noted for the active support and participation offered by different communities and a variety of activists.
Most of the great temples in the princely state of Travancore had for years forbidden lower castes (untouchables) not just from entering, but also from walking on the surrounding roads.

The movement

The agitation was conceived by the Ezhava Congress leader and a follower of Sri Narayana Guru, T. K. Madhavan.
It demanded the right of the Ezhavas and ‘untouchables’ to use roads around the Vaikom Temple.
Mahatma Gandhi himself visited Vaikom in March, 1925.

Reach of the movement

The movement was backed by Gandhiji, ChatampiSwamikal, and Sree Narayana Guru.
Prominent Leaders in Kerala such as T. Madhavan, K.P. Kesava Menon and George Joseph launched the movement.
Periyar and KovaiAyyamuthu from Tamil Nadu worked in tandem with leaders in Kerala despite facing repressive action.
The campaign gained popularity throughout India, and supporters arrived from around the country.
Punjab’s Akalis helped by establishing kitchens to feed the Satyagrahis.
Even Muslim and Christian authorities backed the initiative.

Impact

Travancore government eventually constructed new roads near the temple for the use of lower castes.
The roads, however, kept the lower castes adequately away from the near environs of the Vaikom Temple and the temple remained closed to the lower castes.
After the intervention of Mahatma Gandhi, the agitation was given up and a compromise reached with Regent Sethu Lakshmi Bayi who released all those arrested and opened the north, south and west public roads leading to Vaikom Mahadeva Temple to all castes.
Only in 1936, after the Temple Entry Proclamation, was access to the eastern road and entry into the temple allowed to the lower castes.
Vaikom Satyagraha markedly brought the method of nonviolent public protest to Kerala.
This was the first time in Kerala that an organised effort for the fundamental rights of untouchables and other backward castes was carried out on such a large scale.
It became India’s principal human rights campaign.
The Satyagraha movement became a trial ground for significant methodologies such as Satyagraha.
It instilled reason in the people.

9. ISRO releases images of Earth captured by its EOS-06 satellite

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Concept :

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released images of Earth captured by the EOS-06 satellite.

Details

The images are a mosaic generated by the ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).
NRSC/ISRO has generated a global False Colour Composite (FCC) mosaic from the images captured by the Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM) payload on board EOS-06.
Mosaic with 1 km spatial resolution is generated by combining 2939 individual images, after processing 300 GB data to show the Earth as seen during February 1 and 15.

About EOS-06 satellite:

The EOS-06 third generation satellite in the Oceansat series was launched by ISRO on board the PSLV-C54 along with eight Nano-satellites on November 26, 2022.
EOS-06 provides continued services of Oceansat-2 with enhanced payload capability and carries four payloads OCM-, Sea Surface Temperature Monitor, Ku-Band Scatterometer, and ARGOS.
The EOS-06 is envisaged to observe ocean colour data, sea surface temperature and wind vector data to use in Oceanography, climatic and meteorological applications.
The satellite also supports value added products such as potential fishing zone using chlorophyll, SST and wind speed and land based geophysical parameters.

Earth Observation satellite

Earth Observation (EO) satellites are designed for earth observation from space, which includes military use like spying and civilian use like, meteorology and cartography.
These satellites make essential information available on a vast number of areas, including; ocean salinity, ice thickness, crop health, and air quality.
The data from these satellites are used for several applications like agriculture, urban planning, rural development, mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, ocean resources and disaster management.

10. New Quality Control Orders for fibers

Subject :Polity

Section: National bodies

Concept :

Quality Control Orders (QCO) have been issued for fibers – cotton, polyester and viscose– that constitute the basic raw materials for the majority of the Indian textile and clothing industry.

Quality Control Orders (QCOs)

For ensuring the availability of quality products to consumers, Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are issued by various Ministries/Departments of the Government of India in the exercise of the powers conferred by section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 stipulating conformity of the products to Indian Standards.
While the standards were available earlier too, these are now revised and made mandatory for a few, and yet to be finalised for others.
International manufacturers of these fibres, who supply to India, are also mandated to get a certificate from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is the certifying authority for the QCOs.

Reason for fibres

The Indian textile and clothing industry consumes both indigenous and imported fibres and filaments.
The imports are for different reasons — cost competitiveness, non-availability in the domestic market, or to meet a specified demand of the overseas buyer.
The main aim of the QCO is to control import of sub-quality and cheaper items and to ensure that customers get quality products.
The entire supply chain, from the textile manufacturers to exporters, has so far focused on quality standards prescribed by the buyers.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the national standard body of India, is responsible for the harmonious development of activities of standardisation, marking and quality certification of goods.
The BIS was established under the BIS Act, 2016 for the harmonious development of the activities of standardisation, marking and quality certification of goods.
The standards are likely to include specifications on size, connectors, specification and minimum quality of the products.

The following schemes of certification are covered under BIS:

ISI :
- ISI Mark is a certification mark used for industrial products in India.
- This mark assures that the product conforms to Indian Standards and is issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
- This mark is both mandatory and voluntary.
- Mandatory ISI certification products consist of electrical appliances, medical equipment, steel products, stainless steel, chemicals, fertilizers, cement, LPG cylinder, batteries, and packed drinking water.
BIS Hallmark :
- The BIS Hallmark is a marking system, set up to certify the purity of gold jewelry and gold.
- This mark was introduced for gold in the year 2000 and for silver jewelry in 2005.
- It verifies that the jewellery conforms to the standards which are set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
- BIS certified gold jewelry comes with a BIS stamp.
AGMARK :
- AGMARK is a certification mark used for agricultural products in India.
- This mark assures that the product conforms to a set of standards approved by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection of the Government of India.
- Currently, AGMARK standards cover quality guidelines for various products like essential oils, vegetable oils, pulses, cereals, fruits, vegetable and semi-processed products like Vermicelli.
FPO Mark :
- It is compulsory to have an FPO Mark on all processed fruit products sold in India.
- The example of processed fruit products are fruit jams, packaged fruit beverages, crushes, squashes, pickles, dehydrated fruit products, and fruit extracts.
- The FPO mark confirms that the product was manufactured in a hygienic ‘food-safe’ environment and is fit for consumption.
Green and brown dot :
- The green or brown dot is a common mark, printed on almost all food products.
- The brown dot on the packed food item indicates that the food is non-vegetarian.
- On the other hand, the green dot indicates that the food in the package is vegetarian. These symbols should be placed at a prominent place on the package.
India Organic Certification :
- The India Organic Certification is a label provided to farm products processed in India.
- The certification mark guarantees that an organic food product adheres to the National Standards for Organic Products.
- The certification is issued by testing centres accredited by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the National Program for Organic Production of the Government of India.
- It assures that the product or the raw materials used in the product, were grown through organic farming, without using any chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or induced hormones.
Ecomark :
- This mark is issued by the BIS to those products which conform to a set of standards aimed at causing the least impact on the ecosystem.
The Non-Polluting Vehicle Mark :
- The Non-Polluting Vehicle mark is a mandatory certification mark required on all new motor vehicles sold in India.
- The mark certifies that the motor vehicle conforms to the relevant version of the Bharat Stage emission standards.
- But then the validity of this mark is only valid for six months and after that, a fresh check is needed.

11. Sisupalgarh: ancient city in odisha

Subject : History

Section: Ancient India

Concept :

The nationally protected 2,700yearold Sisupalgarh, a fort city on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, is being bulldozed by the land mafia, even as official notifications are ignored, and the State government and ASI point a lazy finger at each other.

About Sisupalgarh:

This is the only fortified site in India having eight gateways. The ASI archaeologist lamented that people were not aware of further land acquisition for the protection of
The excavation of the Sisupalgarh site was first taken up in 1948, when it was declared a Centrally Protected Monument under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904, involving an area measuring 562.681 acres and covering five villages, including Sisupalgarh, BadadhanpuLingipur, Raghunathpur and Mahabhoisasan, in 1950.
Sisupalgarh, believed to have been built around the 7th to 6th century BCE, served as the capital of the Kalinga kingdom, and was an important centre of trade and commerce during ancient times.
The fortification was carried out in the 4th to 3rd century BCE, when King Kharavela took up the repair of the city 2,100 years ago.
It is identified with Kalinganagara of Kharavela and Tosali of Ashoka.

Features of the City

It was designed and constructed in a complete square shape that was surrounded by defensive walls.
Each side spreads for over half a mile, and the interior is full of stone ruins and
The walls of the fortification are a little over nine meters (30 feet) tall.
The urban centre had an area of 1.2 km by 1 km, and it was surrounded by a moat.
The gateways were connected by streets in a grid-like arrangement with the palace in the center.
The gates were elaborate structures made of brick and stone.
There is evidence of stone-lined reservoirs that were likely used for harvesting rainwater.
Intelligent traffic management, pedestrian-friendly pathways, grand gateways with guard houses, wide roads, and a vast open space were some of the key features of this ancient city.
The water management system of the city was unique.

About Kalinga:

Kalinga is a historical region of India.
It is generally defined as the eastern coastal region between the Mahanadi and the Godavari rivers, although its boundaries have fluctuated with the territory of its rulers.
The core territory of Kalinga now encompasses a large part of Odisha and northeastern part of Andhra Pradesh.
At its widest extent, the Kalinga region also included parts of present-day Chhattisgarh, extending up to Amarkantak in the west.
The Kalingas have been mentioned as a major tribe in the legendary text Mahabharata.
In the 3rd century BCE, the region came under Mauryan control as a result of the Kalinga War.
It was subsequently ruled by several regional dynasties whose rulers bore the title Kalingādhipati (“Lord of Kalinga”); these dynasties included Mahameghavahana, Vasishtha, Mathara, Pitrbhakta, Shailodbhava, Somavamshi, and Eastern Ganga.
The medieval era rulers to rule over the Kalinga region were the SuryavamsaGajapatis, Bhoi dynasty, ParalakhemundiGangas and the zamindaris of Ganjam and Vizagapatam

12. Piezoelectric Effect

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Msc

Concept :

Researchers have reported evidence of the piezoelectric effect in liquids for the first time.

Piezoelectric effect

The piezoelectric effect refers to an instance when a body develops an electric current when it is subjected to mechanical stress.
When piezoelectric material is placed under mechanical stress, a shifting of the positive and negative charge centres in the material takes place, which then results in an external electrical field.
Example: Quartz is one of the most famous piezoelectric crystal substances or materials.
Quartz is a material that is extensively used in analogue wristwatches and clocks.
Quartz is silicon dioxide (SiO2) i.e. it consists of silicon and oxygen atoms at the four vertices of three-sided pyramids which repeat themselves to form the crystal.
The effective charge of each pyramid is located slightly away from the centre and when mechanical stress is applied the position of the charge is pushed further from the centre, giving rise to a small voltage which is the source of the effect.

Piezoelectric effect in liquid

The piezoelectric effect was so far expected only in solids as the body/object which is being squeezed must have an organised structure such as the pyramids of quartz.
However, liquids don’t have a definite structure and they only take up the shape of the container.
Physicists have explained the effect using Hooke’s law.
According to Hooke’s law, the force required to squeeze an object is linearly proportional to the amount of squeezing and the properties of dielectric materials. These are materials that don’t conduct electricity but whose electrons are still mildly affected by an electric field.
The piezoelectric effect was observed in ionic liquids and the liquids also displayed the inverse piezoelectric effect i.e. they became distorted when an electric charge was applied.
This observation of the piezoelectric effect in liquid has opened the door for a wide range of applications as solid-state material and room-temperature ionic liquids are more readily recyclable and are associated with fewer environmental risks than most of the currently used piezoelectric substances.

13. Indian Council of Historical Research

Subject :History

Section: Art and Culture

Concept :

The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is looking to tap rolls of leather-bound record books with details such as place of origin, names, births, deaths, reason of death, place of residence, grants made to temples, caste and clan to fill “gaps” in Indian history.
These books are available with genealogy priests called “Panda” in Haridwar.
According to ICHR, these books and records are invaluable sources of the social and economic conditions of the times and have remained untapped because they could not reach the respective archives of States.
Historians believe that these records can have important information on past famines, epidemics, migration, movement of people, and social history on how clans and communities were organised.
Apart from Haridwar, similar records are also available in religious centres like Ujjain, Nasik, Gaya, Gangotri, and Rameshwaram.
According to historians, the records can be a rich source for the history of migration and the ICHR will systematise the process of integrating the data from these records.

Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR):

ICHR is an autonomous body of the Union Ministry of Education.
It was established under Societies Registration Act (Act XXI of 1860) in 1972 by an Administrative Order of the then Union Ministry of Education and Social Welfare.
It is based in New Delhi with regional centersin Pune, Bengaluru and Guwahati.
ICHR disburses funds for carrying out research to Indian as well as foreign scholars on their applications for fellowships, grants, and symposia made to ICHR or through HRD Ministry.
It has provided financial assistance to the historians and direction to the research scholars in their multifarious topics of historical research.

Composition of the ICHR:

The composition of the Council is as follows:
An eminent historian nominated by the Government of India who shall be Chairman of the Council;
Eighteen historians nominated by the Government of India;
A Representative of the U.G.C;
Director-General of Archaeology;
Director, National Archives;
Four persons to represent the Government who shall be nominated by the Government of India and which shall include one representative each of the Ministry of Education, the Department of Culture and the Ministry of Finance; and Member Secretary.

14. Karnataka notifies 10% EWS Quota

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Concept:

Days after scrapping the 2B Category for Muslims under the OBC quota and on the eve of the announcement of the Assembly elections, the Karnataka government notified the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category to provide 10% reservation in education and employment.
Muslims have been included under this category as per the Cabinet decision taken last week.
The five communities of Brahmins, Arya Vysyas, Mudaliars, Jains, and Naga_rathas have been identified to benefit from the EWS reservation in Karnataka.
Muslims are the new addition to the list.

Economically Weaker Section (EWS) Quota

The 10% EWS quota was introduced under the 103rd Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2019 by amending Articles 15 and 16.
It inserted Article 15 (6) and Article 16 (6).
It is for economic reservation in jobs and admissions in educational institutes for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
It was enacted to promote the welfare of the poor not covered by the 50% reservation policy for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC).
It enables both the Centre and the States to provide reservations to the EWS of society.

Related provisions in the Constitution

Article 16(1) and 16(2) assure citizens equality of opportunity in employment or appointment to any government office.
Articles 15(4) and 16(4) state that the equality provisions do not prevent the government from making special provisions in matters of admission to educational institutions or jobs in favour of backward classes, particularly the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Article 16(4A) allows reservations to SCs and STs in promotions, as long as the government believes that they are not adequately represented in government services.
Article 15(6): Up to 10% of seats may be reserved for EWS for admission in educational institutions. Such reservations will not apply to minority educational institutions.
Article 16(6): It permits the government to reserve up to 10% of all government posts for the EWS.