Daily Prelims Notes 5 February 2023

February 5, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

No Comments

Daily Prelims Notes

5 February 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Demand for JPC

Subject: Polity

Section: Parliament

Context: Demand for JPC

A structured committee system was introduced in 1993 to provide for greater scrutiny of government functioning by Parliament. Most committees of Parliament include MPs from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is an ad-hoc body. It is set up for a specific object and duration. Joint committees are set up by a motion passed in one house of Parliament and agreed to by the other. The details regarding membership and subjects are also decided by Parliament. For example, the motion to constitute a JPC on the stock market scam (2001) and pesticide residues in soft drinks (2003) was moved by the government in the Lok Sabha. The motion on the stock market scam constituted a JPC of 30 members of which 20 were from the Lok Sabha and 10 were from the Rajya Sabha. The motion to constitute the JPC on pesticides included 10 members from the Lok Sabha and 5 from the Rajya Sabha. The terms of reference for the JPC on the stock market scam asked the committee to look into financial irregularities, to fix responsibility on persons and institutions for the scam, to identify regulatory loopholes and also to make suitable recommendations.
The mandate of a JPC depends on the motion constituting it. This need not be limited to the scrutiny of government finances.
Although a number of joint committees have been formed since Independence, four major JPCs have been formed to investigate significant issues that have caused controversy. These are

(1) Joint Committee on Bofors Contracts

(2) Joint Committee to enquire into irregularities in securities and banking transactions

(3) Joint Committee on stock-market scam

(4) Joint Committee on pesticide residues in and safety standards for soft drinks.

JPC recommendations have persuasive value but the committee cannot force the government to take any action on the basis of its report. The government may decide to launch fresh investigations on the basis of a JPC report. However, the discretion to do so rests entirely with the government. The government is required to report on the follow-up action taken on the basis of the recommendations of the JPC and other committees. The committees then submit ‘Action Taken Reports’ in Parliament on the basis of the government’s reply. These reports can be discussed in Parliament and the government can be questioned on the basis of the same

Can Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) summon ministers?

According to a direction of the speaker, a Minister cannot be summoned by a financial committee. There are no specific procedures for the Joint Parliamentary Committees mentioned in the rules. However, according to the Directions by the Speaker general rules applicable to Committees shall apply to all Committees, though specific directions can be given for some committees (read here). In other words, the general directions for all committees would be the same, unless a specific direction was given relating to a particular committee. In the Joint Committee of Stock Market Scam and Matters relating there to, a specific request was made to the Speaker, Lok Sabha by the Chairman, JPC on 20th May, 2002 for permitting the Committee to call for written information on certain points from the Minister of Finance and Minister of External Affairs. The Speaker accorded the necessary permission on 1st June, 2002. Consequently, the Minister of Finance (Shri Jaswant Singh), the Minister of External Affairs (Shri Yashwant Sinha) and the former Finance and External Affairs ministers (Shri P. Chidambaram and Dr. Manmohan Singh respectively) testified before the Committee

Role of Committees

Parliament has 24 standing committees organised on the lines of ministries and departments. Parliamentary Committees are of two kinds:

Standing Committees

They are permanent and regular committees which are constituted from time to time in pursuance of the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
The work of these Committees is of continuous nature.
The Financial Committees, DRSCs and some other Committees come under the category of Standing Committees.

Ad hoc Committees

They are appointed for a specific purpose and they cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submit a report.
The principal Ad hoc Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills. Railway Convention Committee, Joint Committee on Food Management in Parliament House Complex etc also come under the category of ad hoc Committees.
The Constitution of India makes a mention of these committees at different places, but without making any specific provisions regarding their composition, tenure, functions, etc. All these matters are dealt by the rules of two Houses.

Accordingly, a parliamentary committee means a committee that:

Is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker / Chairman
Works under the direction of the Speaker / Chairman
Presents its report to the House or to the Speaker / Chairman
Has a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha
The introduction of 17 department-related standing committees (DRSCs) on March 31, 1993 was a significant innovation that increased parliamentary scrutiny and gave MPs a larger role in examining legislation and important decisions of the day.
There are 24 DRSCs — 16 from Lok Sabha and 8 from Rajya Sabha. Each committee has 21 MPs from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
The role: Given the volume of legislative business and the time constraints it is not possible for MPs to discuss and scrutinise all bills in the House.
Parliamentary committees, either formed for a specific bill (select committee) or permanent (standing committees that are reconstituted annually) allow for a scrutiny with the possibility of tapping subject experts from outside and other stakeholders in an environment where MPs are not bound by party positions or whips.

2. CDSCO bars Global Pharma Healthcare from making eye lubricant

Subject: Polity

Concept: National Body

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has instructed Tamil Nadu-based Global Pharma Healthcare to stop manufacturing all the products under the category of ophthalmic preparation till the completion of an investigation.
The move came soon after the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked the company’s eye drops to 55 adverse events in the U.S.
CDC have warned that the eye drops supplied by the company to distributors Aru Pharma/EzriCare and Delsam Pharma in the U.S. had been linked to adverse events, including eye infections, permanent loss of vision, and a death with a bloodstream infection.
Raw material called carboxymethylcellulose sodium was used for manufacturing the eye lubricant.
The company, which has recalled the eye drops from the market, has been placed on the FDA’s import alert list for allegedly providing an inadequate response to a records request.

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO):

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) – under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
It is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India.
CDSCO is the Central Drug Authority for discharging functions assigned to the Central Government under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
It regulates the safety, efficacy and quality of notified medical devices under the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
Headquarters – New Delhi.

Major functions of CDSCO:

Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, CDSCO is responsible for
approval of drugs,
conduct of clinical trials,
laying down the standards for drugs,
control over the quality of imported drugs in the country and
Coordination of the activities of State drug control organizations.

3. Budget push for Mangroves

Subject: Environment

Section: Ecosystem

Concept:

The Union Budget for 2023-24 has proposed Mangrove plantation along the coastline and on saltpan lands under MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes).

Background

According to the ‘State of World Mangroves 2022’ report by the Global Mangrove Alliance, the total mangrove cover of the world is around 147000 sq km (14.7 million hectares).
As per the Indian State of Forest Report (IFSR) 2021, India has nearly 4992 sq km (0.49 million hectares) of mangroves.
In India, Mangroves are distributed across 9 States and 3 Union Territories with West Bengal having the highest mangrove cover of 2114 sq km.
The IFSR report also showed that the mangrove cover in India has increased from 4046 sq km in 1987 to 4992 sq km in 2021.

Mangrove plantation initiative:

MISHTI will be implemented through the convergence of various schemes like MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) Fund, and other sources.
It would further require extensive cooperation from local communities.
It is found that the survival rate of mangrove seed plantation and saplings is 50% and 60% respectively.
Moreover, it takes three years for a new plant to stabilize.
Thus a contract-based one-time plantation under MGNREGS and CAMPA might not work efficiently without the local communities taking ownership of the forests.
Moreover, MISHTI is in line with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions of creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent by 2030.
Additionally, India also joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate at COP27.

Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)

It includes UAE, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Japan, and Spain.
It seeks to educate and spread awareness worldwide on the role of mangroves in curbing global warming and its potential as a solution for climate change.
However, the intergovernmental alliance works on a voluntary basis which means that there are no real checks and balances to hold members accountable.
Instead, the parties will decide their own commitments and deadlines regarding planting and restoring mangroves.
The members will also share expertise and support each other in researching, managing and protecting coastal areas.

Mangroves

Mangroves are defined as assemblages of salt tolerant trees and shrubs that grow in the intertidal regions of the tropical and subtropical coastlines.
They grow luxuriantly in the places where freshwater mixes with seawater and where sediment is composed of accumulated deposits of mud.
Tree species in mangrove forests/ecosystems are categorized into:
True mangroves: They display morphological adaptations like pneumatophores, vivipary or crypto vivipary germination, and salt-secreting cell There are 42 true mangrove species in India.
Mangroves associates: The species that exist side by side with the true mangroves. There are 68 mangrove associate species in India.

Features:

Saline Environment: They can survive under extreme hostile environments such as high salt and low oxygen conditions.
Low oxygen: Underground tissue of any plant needs oxygen for respiration. But in a mangrove environment, the oxygen in soil is limited or nil.
For the purpose of breathing, they develop special roots called pneumatophores.
Survival in Extreme Conditions: With their roots submerged in water, mangrove trees thrive in hot, muddy, salty conditions that would quickly kill most plants.
Viviparous: Their seeds germinate while still attached to the parent tree. Once germinated, the seedling grows into a propagule.
A propagule is a vegetative structure that can become detached from a plant and give rise to a new plant. Examples include a bud, sucker, or spore.

Significance:

Mangroves trap and cycle various organic materials, chemical elements, and important nutrients in the coastal ecosystem.
They provide one of the basic food chain resources for marine organisms.
They provide physical habitat and nursery grounds for a wide variety of marine organisms, many of which have important recreational or commercial value.
Mangroves also serve as storm buffers by reducing wind and wave action in shallow shoreline areas.

Indian Mangrove Cover:

India’s contribution is 45.8% total mangrove cover in South Asia.
According to the Indian State Forest Report 2021, Mangrove cover in India is 4992 sq. Km which is 0.15% of the country’s total geographical area.
Largest Mangrove Forest: Sundarbans in West Bengal are the largest mangrove forest regions in the world. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is followed by Gujarat and Andaman, and Nicobar Islands.

4. Cooperation in Trilateral Framework

Subject: International Relations

Concept : Groupings

India, France and the United Arab Emirates declared their common intent to formalise a “trilateral cooperation initiative” to collaborate on nuclear energy and explore opportunities in the Indian Ocean region.
Three countries also discussed cooperation in a trilateral framework, to promote compatibility and co-production in the defence sector and in countering infectious diseases.
A range of trilateral events will be held in the backdrop of the Indian Presidency of the G-20 and UNFCCC COP28 to be held in UAE in November-December 2023.
The trilateral was first discussed when the three Ministers — Dr. Jaishankar, France’s Catherine Colonna and the UAE’s Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan — had met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2022.

Cooperation to fight Climate Change:

This trilateral cooperation initiative is with a focus on solar and nuclear energy, the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity.
The initiative is expected to act as a platform to bolster cooperation on sustainable projects between the development agencies of the three countries, which will also work to align their economic, technological and social policies with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
The three countries also agreed to expand their cooperation through initiatives such as the Mangrove Alliance for Climate led by the UAE and the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership led by India and France.
It was agreed that the three countries should seek to focus on key issues such as single-use plastic pollution, desertification, and food security in the context of the International Year of Millets-2023.
The three countries also underlined their keen desire to cooperate in the field of the circular economy under the aegis of India’s Mission LiFE.

Towards ‘One Health’:

Separately, France, India and the UAE also agreed to increase cooperation in the field of combating diseases and pandemics and joining forces in the field of vaccination.
In this regard, cooperation in multilateral organisations such as World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi-the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund, and Unitaid will be encouraged.
Further, the three countries are planning to attempt to identify tangible cooperation on implementing the “One Health” approach, and support the development of local capacities in biomedical innovation and production within developing countries.

One Health is an approach that recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment

Collaboration in Defense Sector:

Foreign Ministers of three countries also discussed cooperation in a trilateral framework to promote compatibility, joint development and co-production while seeking out avenues for further collaboration and training defence forces of the three countries.
The development of trilateral cooperation between relevant academic and research institutions and efforts to promote co-innovation projects, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship will be encouraged.

5. Goldilocks Balance

Subject : Economy

Concept :

Goldilocks rate/balance are characterized by an economy which is neither too heated (inflationary) nor in recessionary state. i.e. the currency is not too strong or weak in global markets.
It means that economy is in stable state with steady growth rates, low interest rates, low unemployment.
The Goldilock State of economy is said to be ideal for investing as interest rates are lower and if steadily growth is witnessed, bonds and stocks would hold their value in long term and hence provide good returns.
However, too fast pace of growth could lead to inflationary situation and affect investors adversely.
Goldilocks economies are temporary in nature, as seen by the boom and bust cycles.

6. Magnetite in roadside dust reveals source of pollution

Subject : Science and technology

Section :Pollution

Concept :

Geologists at Jadavpur University have found that they can get a preliminary sense of the pollution in an area by collecting roadside dust and testing it with magnetic fields.
The technique reveals the presence of different magnetic elements, and by tracing them back to specific sources of pollution, the researchers could tell which sources were dominating in different places.
Their study is in the area of environmental magnetism, which uses magnetism to depict the impact of climate change, pollution and environmental footprints on magnetic minerals present in environmental samples such as soil, dust and sediments.

Environmental Magnetism

Environmental magnetism is the study of magnetism as it relates to the effects of climate, sediment transport, pollution and other environmental influences on magnetic minerals.
It makes use of techniques from rock magnetism and magnetic mineralogy.
The magnetic properties of minerals are used as proxies for environmental change in applications such as paleoclimate, paleoceanography, studies of the provenance of sediments, pollution and archeology.
The main advantages of using magnetic measurements are that magnetic minerals are almost ubiquitous and magnetic measurements are quick and non-invasive.

Magnetite

Magnetite is an oxide of iron.
Magnetite is the most magnetic of all the naturally occurring minerals on earth. It is a natural magnet.
It contains about 72% metallic iron in it. It is found in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Kerala.

7. Great Indian Bustard

Subject : Environment

Section : Species in news

Concept :

A Supreme Court appointed committee has recommended that to protect the endangered great Indian bustard, close to 800 km of proposed power lines in the Thar and Kutch deserts of Rajasthan and Gujarat should be rerouted or made to go underground.
This makes up about 10% of the length of the lines. However, no significant steps appear to have been taken by power companies and State governments to comply with them.
The 7,200 km of over_headlines are meant to transfer solar power into the grid, but existing lines have been harming the birds, which have been dying in collision with the lines or from electrocution.
Only some 150 of these birds are still left, most of them in Jaisalmer of Rajasthan.

Great Indian Bustard

One of the heaviest flying birds endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
State Bird of Rajasthan.

Habitat:

Untamed, Arid grasslands.
Among the heaviest birds with flight, GIBs prefer grasslands as their habitats
A Maximum number of GIBs were found in Jaisalmer and the Indian Army-controlled field firing range near Pokhran, Rajasthan.
Other areas: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Population:

As per the studies conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India, there are around 150 Great Indian Bustards left across the country which includes about 128 birds in Rajasthan and less than 10 birds each in the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
While the GIBs’ historic range included much of the Indian sub-continent, it has now shrunk to just 10 per cent of that.

Protection Status:

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
Listed in Wildlife Protection Act’s Schedule 1.
Significance of GIBs in the ecosystem-
Terrestrial birds spend most of their time on the ground, feeding on insects, lizards, grass seeds, etc. GIBs are considered the flagship bird species of grassland and hence barometers of the health of grassland ecosystems.

Why is the Great Indian Bustard endangered?

Among the biggest threats to the GIBs are overhead power transmission lines.
Due to their poor frontal vision, the birds can’t spot the power lines from a distance, and are too heavy to change course when close. Thus, they collide with the cables and die.
According to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), in Rajasthan, 18 GIBs die every year after colliding with overhead power lines.

Great Indian Bustard: Conservation efforts

The Supreme Court in April 2021 ordered that all overhead power transmission lines in core and potential GIB habitats in Rajasthan and Gujarat should be made underground.
Supreme court has suggested the installation of bird diverters (reflector-like structures strung on power cables) in priority areas.
It also asked them to assess the total length of transmission lines that need to go underground in the two states.
In 2015, the Centre launched the GIB species recovery programme. Under this, the WII and Rajasthan forest department jointly set up breeding centres where GIB eggs harvested from the wild were incubated artificially.

8. IBC boosted ‘ease of doing business’ rank

Subject : Economy

Section : Msc

Ease of Doing Business:

The Doing Business Report is the flagship publication of the World Bank Group that benchmarks business regulations in 191 economies.
- The Doing Business Report measures regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it.
The Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) index is a ranking system established by the World Bank Group wherein the ‘higher rankings’ (a lower numerical value) indicate better, usually simpler, regulations for businesses and stronger protections of property rights.
The Ease of doing business ranking is an indication of an economy’s position relative to that of other economies.
In India, these indicators relate to business regulations for small and medium sized firms located in Delhi and Mumbai based on standardized case scenarios.
The indicators are from 11 areas of business regulation such as: Starting a Business, Dealing with Construction Permits, Getting Electricity, Registering Property, Getting Credit, Protecting Minority Investors, Paying Taxes, Trading across Borders, Enforcing Contracts, and Resolving Insolvency.

IBC

It is a reform enacted in 2016. It amalgamates various laws relating to the insolvency resolution of business firms.
It lays down clear-cut and faster insolvency proceedings to help creditors, such as banks, recover dues and prevent bad loans, a key drag on the economy.
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) 2016 was implemented through an act of Parliament. It got Presidential assent in May 2016.
Centre introduced the IBC in 2016 to resolve claims involving insolvent companies.
The bankruptcy code is a one stop solution for resolving insolvencies, which previously was a long process that did not offer an economically viable arrangement. The code aims to protect the interests of small investors and make the process of doing business less cumbersome. The IBC has 255 sections and 11 Schedules.
IBC was intended to tackle the bad loan problems that were affecting the banking system.
The IBC process has changed the debtor-creditor relationship. A number of major cases have been resolved in two years, while some others are in advanced stages of resolution.
It provides for a time-bound process to resolve insolvency. When a default in repayment occurs, creditors gain control over debtor’s assets and must take decisions to resolve insolvency. Under IBC, debtor and creditor both can start ‘recovery’ proceedings against each other.
Companies have to complete the entire insolvency exercise within 180 days under IBC. The deadline may be extended if the creditors do not raise objections on the extension. For smaller companies, including startups with an annual turnover of Rs 1 crore, the whole exercise of insolvency must be completed in 90 days and the deadline can be extended by 45 days. If debt resolution doesn’t happen the company goes for liquidation.

Under IBC, either the creditor (banks) or the loaner (defaulter) can initiate insolvency proceedings.
It is done by submitting a plea to the adjudicating authority, the National Companies Law Tribunal (NCLT).
According to IBC, a financial creditor holds an important role in the corporate insolvency process.
The Committee of Creditors (CoC) under IBC includes all financial creditors of a corporate debtor.
The CoC will appoint and supervise the Insolvency Professional.
It has the power to either approve or reject the resolution plan to revive the debtor, or to proceed to liquidate the debtor.

9. Climate change will increase hydropower generation in India

Subject: Environment

Section : Climate change

Context:

A two-member team from IIT Gandhinagar studied the hydroclimatic changes in the catchment areas and their implications for hydropower generation in 46 major dams located in north, central and south India.

Details:

The team looked at the increase in rainfall in the catchment areas and the resultant inflow into all 46 major reservoirs and found that they are characterised by high radiative forcing by the end of the 21st century.

Projected increase:

Under a warmer climate, the hydropower production will increase across the country due to a substantial increase in precipitation leading to increased inflow to the reservoirs.
The projected increase in hydropower potential in India is 10-23%.

Affected regions:

Compared with central and south India, north India is projected to experience higher warming in the future.
- As per the study, the highest warming (about 5 degree C) is projected for north India, while the warming is projected to be around 3-4 degree C for central and south India.
- The study found that inflow to a few dams in Ganga, Mahanadi, Brahmani, and west-coast river basins is projected to decline in the future. This reduction in inflow is due to increase in atmospheric water demands in response to the considerable warming compared to increase in precipitation.
The potential hydropower generation is projected to rise by more than 50% in Tehri, Ramganga, Kadana, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, and Sriramsagar dams.
In the case of south India, eight out of eleven dams are projected to experience a decline in hydropower potential.
Dams in central India are projected to experience a more substantial increase in hydropower generation than north and central India.

Reasons include:

Global warming led the rise in extreme inflow and high reservoir storage conditions.
Increased precipitation and increased rate of glacier melting.

Significance of hydropower for India:

Unlike coal-powered power plants, hydropower, which is the second highest power-producing source at 13%, is a significant contributor to clean global electricity generation.
Hydropower generation will play a crucial role in achieving the target of Net-zero by 2070, and goals under the Global diversity framework.
Hydropower generation is crucial to carbon emission reduction in India.
HPP is crucial for the ‘phase down’ of thermal power plants.

10. Origin of Earth’s volatile chemicals liked to meteorites: Research

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Solar system

Context:

Researchers at Imperial College, London have uncovered the likely far-flung origin of Earth’s volatile chemicals, some of which form the building block of life.

Details:

Researchers took 18 meteorites of different origins, 11 from inner solar sytem known as non-carbonaceous meteorites, and 7 from outer solar systems known as carbonaceous meteorites.

Research findings:

Researchers found that half of the Earth’s inventory of volatile element zinc came from the asteroid originating in the outer solar system– the part beyond the asteroid belt.
This material is also expected to have supplied other important volatiles such as water.
Volatiles: are elements or compounds that change from solid or liquid state into vapour at relatively low temperatures.
- They include the six most common elements found in living organisms as well as water.
- The addition of these materials is important for the emergence of life on earth.
Earlier scientists have thought that most of the volatiles come from the asteroids near earth.
Significance of the findings:
- The finding is important in understanding the clues about how earth came to harbour the special conditions needed to sustain life.
- Our solar system plays a bigger role than previously thought, without the contribution of our solar systems earth would have a much lower amount of volatiles, which would have made the earth drier and unable to sustain lifeform.

Asteroid belt:

The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, centred on the Sun and roughly spanning the space between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars.
It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets.
The identified objects are of many sizes, but much smaller than planets, and on average are about one million kilometres (or six hundred thousand miles) apart.
This asteroid belt is also called the main asteroid belt or main belt to distinguish it from other asteroid populations in the Solar System.