Daily Prelims Notes 5 September 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

5 September 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Article 370 case: SC asks petitioner MP to file affidavit pledging allegiance to Constitution
2. Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan 2023-37
3. Laïcité: the French principle of secularism
4. Basic structure and Art 370
5. CBDCs can make payments across borders efficient: Das
6. State Bank of India allows CBDC users to link to UPI
7. CCI to spell out norms on significant business operation
8. Vikram Lander does a hop, goes to sleep; goodnight till Sept. 22
9. Indian group proposes radical new way to settle universe expansion dispute
10. Government proposes in SC tech panel to evaluate carrying capacity of 13 Himalayan States
11. Aditya-L1: its functioning and purpose
12. India needs a single and comprehensive policy to tackle invasive species: Ankila Hiremath
13. Toyota’s flex-fuel prototype: How it will work, what advantages it offers
14. Amazon to invest $15 million in nature-based projects in Asia-Pacific region
15. Chandrayaan-3 findings show moon is habitable

1. Article 370 case: SC asks petitioner MP to file affidavit pledging allegiance to Constitution

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context: Supreme Court asks Article 370 Case Petitioner to file affidavit accepting India’s Sovereignty & affirming allegiance to Indian Constitution

More about the news:

•  The five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, Bhushan R Gavai and Surya Kant asks Article 370 Case Petitioner Akbar Lone to file affidavit accepting India’s Sovereignty & affirming allegiance to Indian Constitution within 24 hours.
• A complaint was filed against Lone by Roots in Kashmir, an organization of Kashmiri Pandit youth,
• It was contended in the application that Lone is known as a prominent advocate for secessionist forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

What is the Constitutional Principles involved:

• The core legal arguments in these challenges revolve around the principles of constitutional interpretation, separation of powers, and the procedure for amending or altering the Constitution.
• The petitioners assert that the use of Article 367 to effect substantive changes to Article 370 goes beyond the scope of interpretative powers and violates the constitutional procedure for amending the Constitution.

What was Article 370 and its features:

• Article 370 was a provision in the Indian Constitution that granted special autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It was intended to provide temporary provisions for the governance of Jammu and Kashmir following its accession to India in 1947.
• The provision allowed Jammu and Kashmir to have their own constitution, a separate flag, and a high degree of autonomy in matters of governance.
• However, defense, communication, and foreign affairs were not under the purview of the state and were controlled by the Indian government.

2. Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan 2023-37

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Defence

Context: Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan 2023-37 was released in the Naval Commanders Conference.

More details about Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan 2023-37 

• The Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan 2023-37, aims to create sustainable architecture in sync with the broader policy directive of the PM Gati Shakti project.
• The Navy is planning its infrastructure needs for the next 15 years using a comprehensive perspective plan model.
• The plan is in line with the Indian government’s vision for sustainable infrastructure and complies with broader policy directives, including PM Gati Shakti Project, Disaster Resilience, and Net Zero transition.
• The Navy received a revised set of “IRS Rules and Regulations Handbook for Construction and Classification of Naval Combatants” to accommodate technological advancements and promote self-reliance in naval shipbuilding.
• This rule book represents the self-reliance of the naval shipbuilding industry and aims to keep pace with modern technology.
• Two new initiatives were launched: the “Family Logbook for Defence Civilian Personnel of the Indian Navy” for personal records and the “Electronic Service Document Project” to enhance HR records within the Navy.

Few of Indian Navy Warships Projects

• Project 17 – Shivalik class Frigate.
  • The Shivalik class or Project 17 class is a class of multi-role frigates in service with the Indian Navy.
• Project 15 – Delhi Class destroyers.
  • Delhi-class destroyers are guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy
• Project 15A – Kolkata Class Destroyer
  • The Kolkata class (Project 15A) are a class of stealth guided missile destroyers
• Project 15B – Visakhapatnam Class Destroyer
  • The Visakhapatnam class (Project 15B) is a class of stealth guided missile destroyers currently being built for the Indian Navy.
• Project 17A
  • The Project 17A-class frigate is follow-on of the Project 17 Shivalik-class frigate for the Indian Navy.
• Project 75
  • Project 75 (P75) involves the acquisition of six ships of the Kalvari-class diesel-electric attack submarines.
• Project 75I
  • 6 Diesel submarines with Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP) technology for Indian Navy.

3. Laïcité: the French principle of secularism

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context: Recently, the French government announced that the practice of wearing abaya would be banned in state-run schools as it violated the principle of Laïcité, which is the French idea of secularism.

What is the meaning of Laïcité:

• Laïcité, which refers to the French idea of secularism, is a complex and politically charged concept with a history dating back to the 19th century.
• It involves the formal separation of the State and Church, with the goal of removing religious values from the public sphere and replacing them with secular values such as liberty, equality, and fraternity.
• The underlying goal of Laïcité is to implant tolerance and assimilate people.
• As per the principle,religion is to be confined to the private sphere
• The state plays a crucial role in ensuring that affairs are conducted in accordance with the principle of Laïcité.

Evolution of French Secularism:

• The French model of secularism was developed during the French Revolution in 1905, when a French law was enacted to separate the church and the state, thus marking the beginnings of French secularism (laïcité) in modern times.
• The term “Laïcité” derives from the French term for laity—non-clergy or lay people. Broadly, the idea refers to the freedom of citizens and public institutions from the influence of organized religion.
• Three essential principles were defined by the new Act: Freedom of conscience, equality in law for spiritual and religious belief, and neutrality of political power.
• This secular outlook was further bolstered by another constitutional right—the right to freedom of expression.
• This French secular tradition was further fortified in the face of new challenges posed by immigration, largely from former French colonies.
• In 2004, another law was promulgated, which banned schoolchildren from wearing any overt signs or clothes that would betray their religious affiliation. This effort aimed to create a unique school space where everyone would appear equal and “religiously anonymous”—with no crosses, headscarves, burqas, turbans, or Jewish kippahs (skullcaps).

Difference Between Western Secularism and Indian Secularism:

4. Basic structure and Art 370

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context: Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on September 4 said petitioners were placing Article 370 on a pedestal loftier than the Basic Structure Doctrine of the Constitution and even beyond the reach of the amending powers of Parliament.

Details:

• Senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued before the Constitutional Bench hearting the petition challenging revoking of Art 370 that Article 370 (1) had assumed a permanent character as soon as the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assemblywas dissolved in 1957 after the framing of the State Constitution.
• Sibal argued that clause (3) of Article 370, which empowered the President to abrogate the Article as done on August 5, 2019, had ceased to exist.
• Sibal said Article 368 (Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution) did not apply to Article 370 as the special procedure for repealing or modifying the Article was only available under clause (3) of Article 370 and none other.
• Under Article 370(3) and its proviso, the constitutional provision can be declared inoperative by the President through a notification, provided the Constituent Assembly of J&K recommends the move.

Basic structure

• A 13-judge Bench was set up by the Supreme Court, the biggest so far, and the case was heard over 68 working days spread over six months.
• The case was primarily about the extent of Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution.
• First, the court was reviewing a 1967 decision in Golaknath v State of Punjab which, had ruled that Parliament cannot amend fundamental rights.
• Second, the court was deciding the constitutional validity of several other amendments.
• The executive vs judiciary manoeuvres displayed in the amendments ended with the KesavanandaBharati case, in which the court had to settle these issues conclusively.
• In its majority ruling, the court held that fundamental rights cannot be taken away by amending them. While the court said that Parliament had vast powers to amend the Constitution, it drew the line by observing that certain parts are so inherent and intrinsic to the Constitution that even Parliament cannot touch it.
• The origins of the basic structure doctrine are found in the German Constitution which, after the Nazi regime, was amended to protect some basic laws. The original Weimar Constitution, which gave Parliament to amend the Constitution with a two-thirds majority, was in fact used by Hitler to his advantage to made radical changes. Learning from that experience, the new German Constitution introduced substantive limits on Parliament’s powers to amend certain parts of the Constitution which it considered ‘basic law’.
• In India, the basic structure doctrine has formed the bedrock of judicial review of all laws passed by Parliament.
• The present position is that the Parliament under Article 368 can amend any part of the Constitution including the Fundamental Rights but without affecting the basic structure of the Constitution.
• However, the Supreme Court is yet to define or clarify as to what constitutes the basic structure of the Constitution. From the various judgments, the following have emerged as basic features of the Constitution or elements / components / ingredients of the ‘basic structure’ of the constitution:
  • Supremacy of the Constitution
  • Sovereign, democratic and republican nature of the Indian polity
  • Secular character of the Constitution
  • Separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary
  • Federal character of the Constitution
  • Unity and integrity of the nation
  • Welfare state (socio-economic justice)
  • Judicial review
  • Freedom and dignity of the individual
  • Parliamentary system
  • Rule of law
  • Harmony and balance between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles
  • Principle of equality
  • Free and fair elections
  • Independence of Judiciary
  • Limited power of Parliament to amend the Constitution
  • Effective access to justice
  • Principle of reasonableness
  • Powers of the Supreme Court under Articles 32, 136, 141 and 142

5. CBDCs can make payments across borders efficient: Das

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

In News: RBI Governor highlights the benefits to cross border payments from adoption of the Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

Key Points:

• RBI Governor said that the adoption of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), or digital currency, can help in making cross border payments more efficient.
•  The key challenges to existing cross-border payments continued to be high cost, low speed, limited access and insufficient transparency.
•  And adoption of the Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) can make cross-border payments efficient.
• Faster, cheaper, more transparent, and more inclusive cross-border payment services would deliver widespread benefits to people and economies worldwide. It would also support economic growth, international trade and financial inclusion.
• Instant settlement feature, I believe, CBDCs can play an important role in making cross-border payments cheaper, faster and more secure.
• They can help in reducing illicit finance risk; forex and technology solutions for currency settlement; and technology solutions for multilateral cross-border CBDC platforms.
• India is one of the few countries which have launched CBDC pilots in both wholesale and retail segments
• Way ahead:
  • Developing solutions and technologies for multilateral cross-border CBDC platforms which could contribute to interoperability across multi-CBDC platforms or domestic payment systems;
  • Reduce operational cost; and increase efficiency, while ensuring consistency in standards across multiple jurisdictions

What is CBDC?

• The term central bank digital currency (CBDC) refers to the virtual form of a fiat currency.
• A CBDC is an electronic record or digital token of a country’s official currency.
• As such, it is issued and regulated by the nation’s monetary authority or central bank. As such, they are backed by the full faith and credit of the issuing government.
• CBDCs can simplify the implementation of monetary and fiscal policy and promote financial inclusion in an economy by bringing the unbanked into the financial system.
• Because they are a centralized form of currency, they may erode the privacy of citizens.
• Although they aren’t formally being used, many countries are exploring the introduction and use of CBDCs in their economy.

6. State Bank of India allows CBDC users to link to UPI

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

In News: SBI has introduces UPI interoperability in its Digital Rupee (e rupee).

Key Points:

• SBI has introduced UPI interoperability in its Digital Rupee (e rupee), also known as the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
• This feature is accessible through the ‘e rupee by SBI’ application and allows SBI CBDC users to scan merchant UPI QR codes for transactions.
• SBI believes this integration will have a significant impact on the digital currency ecosystem. The bank strives to provide secure and efficient transaction solutions.
• SBI was among the first few banks to participate in the RBI’s retail digital e-rupee project in December 2022.
• SBI said the seamless integration of CBDC with UPI will enhance the acceptance and utilization of digital currencies in everyday transactions.
• A few banks, including State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and IDFC First Bank, have introduced UPI interoperability on their digital rupee application.

7. CCI to spell out norms on significant business operation

Subject: Economy

Section: National Income

In News: Competition Commission of India is likely to issue draft proposals this month on the calculation of deal value threshold (DVT) and what constitutes significant business operations (SBO).

Key Points:

• After the amendment of the Competition Act, 2002, in April this year, CCI’s nod is needed for Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is needed if
  • the transaction is valued at over Rs 2,000 crore, and
  • if the target entity being acquired or merged has substantial business operations in India.
• Why was the change brought?
  • In the past, several transactions, especially in the digital space, were concluded without the CCI’s review, despite the potential impact on competition.
  • With so many companies being multinational, there is a need to have objective criteria for jurisdiction in competition matters.
• What is the SBO test ?
  • Tests for significant business operations to be similar to that applied in Germany, Austria.
  • For digital companies, the determinants could include monthly subscribers, unique visitors.
  • Turnover from India, market share, location and access to data of Indian customers are other factors.
  • For pharma firms an R&D centre or a contract manufacturing unit in India could determine SBO.

8. Vikram Lander does a hop, goes to sleep; goodnight till Sept. 22

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Successful Hop Experiment and Significance

• The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander, Vikram, recently accomplished a significant feat by executing a successful hop experiment.
• On command, Vikram fired its engines and ascended approximately 40 cm before landing safely about 30–40 cm away.
• This achievement holds substantial importance for future moon missions, including sample return and human missions.

Vikram and Pragyan’s Soft Landing and Lunar Activities

• The lander module, carrying the rover Pragyan, made a soft landing on August 23.
• Pragyan was deployed on the lunar surface shortly after.
• In-situ measurements conducted by one of Vikram’s payloads confirmed the presence of plasma near the moon’s surface.
• Additionally, two payloads detected and verified the presence of sulfur in the moon’s south-polar region.
• Pragyan traversed over 100 meters on the moon’s surface.

Vikram and Pragyan in Sleep Mode and Hope for Awakening

• ISRO announced that Vikram had been placed in sleep mode, following Pragyan’s earlier transition.
• ISRO plans to awaken both Vikram and Pragyan around September 22, 2023, with the expectation of successful reactivation.
• Vikram and Pragyan have a mission life of one lunar day (approximately 14 Earth days) due to concerns about electronics’ extreme cold tolerance during lunar nights.
• The lunar night can reach temperatures below minus 200°C.

• The lander and rover will be in power-saving mode until the lunar night ends, similar to putting a phone in power-saving mode until a charging source becomes available.

Study spots ‘bottleneck’ in human evolution

Introduction:

• The human population nearly faced extinction due to a bottleneck event.
• A novel genomic analysis technique (FitCoal)sheds light on this critical period in human history.

The Bottleneck Crisis:

• Around 930,000 years ago, the ancestors of modern humans experienced a severe population crash.
• Drastic climate change triggered this bottleneck, leading to a population of fewer than 1,280 breeding individuals.
• Approximately 98.7% of human ancestors were lost at the start of this bottleneck, posing a threat of extinction.
• This population constraint persisted for over 100,000 years before recovery.
• The bottleneck possibly contributed to the divergence of early humans into two evolutionary lineages, including Neanderthals and modern humans.

Fit Coal (Fast Infinitesimal Time Coalescent):

• Researchers in China developed FitCoal, a cutting-edge method for reconstructing human evolution.
• FitCoal divides history into fine time slices, enabling a detailed model of evolution.
• The study analyzed genomes of 3,154 individuals from 50 global populations.
• The pre-bottleneck population consisted of approximately 98,000 breeding individuals.
• Researchers speculate that the fusion of chromosomes (forming Chromosome 2 in modern humans) may have occurred after the bottleneck, influencing modern human genetics.

Bottleneck Event in Evolution:

• Population Contraction: Bottleneck events involve a sharp reduction in a population’s size.
• Genetic Diversity Loss: These events lead to a significant decrease in genetic diversity within the population.
• Genetic Drift Impact: Genetic drift, or random allele frequency changes, becomes influential during bottlenecks.
• Founder Effect: Sometimes, a small group becomes isolated, leading to a founder effect and distinct genetic characteristics.
• Vulnerability Increase: Reduced genetic diversity can make populations more vulnerable to environmental changes, diseases, or threats.
• Causes: Bottlenecks can result from natural disasters, habitat changes, overhunting, or disease outbreaks.
• Long-term Impact: Bottleneck consequences shape a species’ future evolution and adaptation.

9. Indian group proposes radical new way to settle universe expansion dispute

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Introduction to Universe Expansion

• The Big Bang marked the universe’s origin as a hot, dense point beyond spacetime.
• It initiated a rapid expansion, leading to the creation of matter, galaxies, stars, and cosmic structures.
• This expansion process has been ongoing for approximately 13.8 billion years.

Hubble’s Law and the Hubble Constant

• Hubble’s Law, introduced by Edwin Hubble in 1929, is a fundamental concept in cosmology.
• It quantifies the relationship between the velocity at which galaxies are moving away from us and their distance.
• The Hubble constant, represented by ‘H₀’, reflects the current rate of the universe’s expansion.

Methods for Measuring the Hubble Constant

1. The supernova method involves comparing the observed brightness of Type Ia supernovae with their expected brightness to determine their distance.
   1. The redshift of light from these supernovae due to the universe’s expansion is used to calculate their velocity.
2. The cosmic microwave background (CMB) method leverages radiation remnants from the Big Bang to estimate the Hubble constant.
3. Gravitational wave detectors, such as LIGO and Virgo, measure spacetime distortions created during astronomical collisions to infer distance and velocity.

Discrepancies in Hubble Constant Measurements

• The supernova method has yielded a Hubble constant estimate about two units higher than the value derived from the CMB method.
• Gravitational wave measurements, while promising, are still evolving and have not provided precise results.

Lensed Gravitational Waves

• Gravitational lensing, first observed by Arthur Eddington in 1919 during a solar eclipse, involves the bending of light due to massive objects.
• Researchers are actively searching for lensed gravitational waves, which could offer a unique perspective on the universe.
• Future gravitational wave detectors are expected to significantly enhance our ability to detect lensed gravitational waves.

The Study’s Approach

• The proposed method involves analyzing lensed gravitational waves to estimate the Hubble constant.
• Researchers aim to use the characteristics and time delays of these waves to gauge the rate of the universe’s expansion.
• This approach offers a novel and potentially independent means of measuring cosmological parameters.
• It can offer insights into the universe’s expansion at different stages, potentially reconciling existing discrepancies.
• Concerns about signal-to-noise ratio underscore the need for robust data analysis.

Future Applications

• Beyond Hubble constant estimation, the method’s versatility may extend to other cosmological inquiries, including the nature of dark matter particles.

Key terms:

• Gravitational Waves: Ripples in spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive astronomical objects, such as black holes or neutron stars colliding.
• Gravitational Lensing: The bending of light or gravitational waves as they pass near massive objects, a phenomenon predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
• Dark Matter: A mysterious, unseen form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or interact with electromagnetic radiation, yet exerts gravitational influence on galaxies and the universe.

10. Government proposes in SC tech panel to evaluate carrying capacity of 13 Himalayan States

Subject: Environment

Section: Ecosystem

Context:

• The Centre has proposed forming a 13-member technical committee to evaluate the “carrying capacity” of 13 Himalayan States.

What is the need of a committee?

• Frequent landslides leading to deaths and destruction had led to a re-evaluation of the load-carrying capacity of hill towns and cities.
• Earlier, the Centre had asked the 13 hill States  to assess the carrying capacity of their hill stations and submit the report.
• Committee is headed by: Director of the GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment.

Carrying capacity:

• The carrying capacity is the maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustain without getting degraded.
• In the broader sense, carrying capacity also means that all plants and animals which an area of the Earth can support at once.

Assessing carrying capacity is important because:

• It helps in identifying the upper limit of development that the region can sustain without exceeding the carrying capacity.
• Knowing the carrying capacity of an ecosystem helps in identifying the optimal level of resource use that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem.
  • It helps in planning for resource management and allocation in a way that is environmentally sound and economically viable.
• To prevent environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and long-term economic loss.
• To determine the maximum population a region can sustain. It helps in planning for Population growth and developing policies that ensure the sustainable use of resources for future generations.
• To maintain ecosystem services such as water, air and soil quality.

11. Aditya-L1: its functioning and purpose

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Context:

• Launched on 2 September 2023, the observations from Adtiya L1 will help in understanding the dynamics of the Sun and how solar variability impacts the climate on Earth and affects the space weather.

Lagrange point:

• Lagrange point 1 or L1 is one of the five points located approximately 1.5 million kilometres away, where the gravitational forces of the Sun and the Earth are in equilibrium.
• Hence, a spacecraft placed at L1 orbits the Sun at the same rate as Earth and affords an uninterrupted view of the Sun, making it an ideal observation post for space-based solar observatories.
• Discovered by: Mathematician Joseph Louis Lagrange.
• Currently the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA- Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) have placed their satellites at L1.

To understand climate variability:

• Solar activity is measured in terms of the number of sunspots.
• Sunspots are cooler regions on the Sun’s surface which increase and decrease in a cycle of 11 years.
• When the Sun is active, the number of sunspots is in the hundreds, and at solar minimum, the numbers are nearly zero.
• Whatever changes we observe in the solar radiation, nearly 80% occur in the ultraviolet range.
• The Earth’s upper atmosphere absorbs most of the solar UV rays.
• The absorbed energy affects the atmosphere’s composition, temperature and other parameters.

SUIT instrument:

• The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) developed by the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics, in close collaboration with the ISRO, the Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India, Mohanpur, the Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
• It will observe the UV radiation from different zones of the solar atmosphere.
• The onboard intelligence system will detect any sudden appearance of bright spots, such as solar flares (a sudden burst of high energy visible light, UV rays, X rays and Gamma rays) on the disc.
• The automated system will trigger the rapid imaging of different layers, and thus, we will obtain a 3D tomographic view of the Sun.
• Combining the data from the Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) and the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) developed by ISRO’s Bengaluru based U. R. Rao Satellite Centre with SUIT can help us gain insights into the emergence, progression and energetics of transient events on the surface of the Sun in the UV region.
• The data from SUIT and other papers of Aditya L1 will help us resolve the contribution of natural and anthropogenic factors driving climate change.

Coronal Mass Ejection (CME):

• A chunk of the corona suddenly accelerates and leaps into interplanetary space called the CME.
• This cloud consisting of billion tonnes of energetic plasma mixed with a solar magnetic field is hurled at 250 kilometers per second to 3,000 km/s.
• The corona is visible only during the solar eclipses, and a chronograph can create artificial eclipses in the solar telescope to observe the corona.
• VELC instrument:
  • The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) developed by the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics in close collaboration with the ISRO can peek as close as 1.05 solar radii, a region never imaged by any solar telescope.
  • From 1.05, it can scan upto three solar radii. With this unique capability of VELC, we can get crucial information about the mechanism responsible for CME acceleration.

When a solar storm brews:

• The Sun emits a constant stream of charged particles and a mixture of solar magnetic fields that travel throughout interplanetary space called a solar wind.
• The average speed of the flow near the Earth is about 300 kilometers per second.
• Solar winds impact the Earth’s magnetosphere. These solar winds sneak through the weak region of the magnetosphere (at poles) to create aurora.
• When solar storms disrupt the earth’s magnetosphere, geomagnetic storms occur, which result in disruption of GPS systems, short-wave communication, and power grids, forest fires.
• The energy from the charged particles heats the upper atmosphere, increasing the density and causing extra drag on satellites in low-earth orbit.

Space Weather:

• The changes in the solar wind’s density, speed and direction is called space weather.
• Solar storms result in inclement space weather.
• Aditya L1 will function as a space weather station.
• The Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) developed by the ISRO’s Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory, the Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA) developed by the Thiruvananthapuram based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the advanced Tri-axial High-Resolution Digital Magnetometers developed by the Bengaluru based ISRO’s Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems keep a constant watch over the parameters of space weather near Aditya L1.
• Using the data from these instruments, scientists can predict probable geomagnetic storms and better understand space weather dynamics.

12. India needs a single and comprehensive policy to tackle invasive species: Ankila Hiremath

Subject: Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context:

• Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is all set to release its landmark report on invasive species.

Report title:

• The status of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) and ways to control them.

Invasive Alien Species (IAS):

• Alien species are animals, plants and microbes that have been introduced by humans to new regions. Of these, invasive alien species have negative impacts on nature.
• Of the more than 37,000 alien species identified across the world, around 3,500 are invasive.
• Of the 37,000, six per cent of the plants, 22 per cent of the invertebrates, 14 per cent of the vertebrates and 11 per cent of microbes are invasive.
• For example:
  • Diseases such as malaria, Zika and West Nile Fever are spread by invasive alien mosquito species like Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegyptii.

Invasive Alien Species as a threat to biodiversity:

• Invasive alien species are one of the five major direct drivers of biodiversity loss globally, alongside land and sea-use change, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, and pollution.
• Example: The arrival of avian malaria, for instance, in Hawaii, wiped out a very large proportion of their bird species.
• These species are more fire prone leading to more frequent forest fires.
• Invasive alien species have been a major factor in 60% and the only driver in 16% of global animal and plant extinctions that we have recorded, and at least 218 invasive alien species have been responsible for more than 1,200 local extinctions .
• In fact, 85% of the impacts of biological invasions on native species are negative.
• IAS costs the global economy $423 billion per year.
• Birds in some islands (eg. New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania) are not familiar with invasive rats, as these birds make their nests on ground. Many of them are flightless birds like: kiwi.
• Some prominent invasive alien species:
  • African catfish
  • Prosopis juliflora
  • Parthenon hysterophorus
  • Lantana camara
  • Kappaphycus alvarezii
  • Water hyacinth
  • Black rat
  • European shore crab
  • Caribbean false mussel
  • Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegyptii
  • Zebra mussel (a small freshwater mussel)
  • Brown tree snake

Steps taken:

• Target 6 of the recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is to “eliminate, minimize, reduce and or mitigate the impacts of invasive alien species on biodiversity and ecosystem services”.
• Target 4 of India’s National Biodiversity Action Plan is specifically focused on the prevention and management of invasive species.
• The Environment Protection Act,
• The Livestock Importation Act, 1898
  • The Act regulates the import of Livestock in India.
  • Section 1 (Short title and local extent);
  • Section 2 (Definitions);
  • Section 3 (Power to regulate importation of live-stock),
    • Section 3A (Power to regulate Importation of live-stock products);
  • Section 4 (Power of State Government to make rules); and
  • Section 5 (Protection to persons acting under Act).
• The Plant Quarantine Rules.
  • Plant quarantine is the legal enforcement of measures to prevent further spread or proliferation of pests that have already invaded and settled in new restricted areas.
  • Objectives of plant quarantine 
    • New strains of pathogens have been developed to control the spread of harmful diseases and pests.
    • With the application of the DIP Act 1914 and the Plant Quarantine (Import Control to India) Order 2003, imported agricultural products are controlled to prevent the invasion of foreign pests and diseases harmful to Indian flora and fauna.
    • As required by FAO’s 1951 International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), plants and plant materials for export are controlled to ensure pest-free trade.
  • The Plant Protection, Storage, and Storage Bureau, which is part of the Ministry of Agriculture, is primarily responsible for implementing the quarantine restrictions issued under the DIP Act. This agency is responsible for the import and export of seeds and seedlings from ethnic minorities for commercial purposes.

For details of Invasive Alien Species: https://optimizeias.com/invasive-alien-species/

13. Toyota’s flex-fuel prototype: How it will work, what advantages it offers

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

• Toyota unveiled a prototype of the Innova Hycross with a flex-fuel hybrid powertrain, its first car in India with this option, and one that the Japanese carmaker claims is the world’s first BS6 Stage II-compliant flex-fuel vehicle.

Details:

• Toyota had displayed an imported Corolla flex-fuel hybrid sedan as a pilot project late last year.
• It was part of a government-led push to commercially deploy this technology, which is already in use in markets such as Brazil, Canada, and the United States.

Hycross prototype

• The Hycross flex-fuel prototype has a 2-litre Atkinson Cycle petrol engine coupled with an electric motor.
• Toyota claims the prototype
  • Can run on petrol with more than 20% ethanol blending that is currently mandated in India
  • Its performance would be at par with the standard Hycross hybrid, even with ethanol-blended petrol.
  • It will achieve low carbon emissions on a comprehensive well-to-wheel basis.
• The Hycross flex-fuel prototype would run 60% of the time in the electric vehicle mode using energy stored in the battery pack.
• The next steps include:
  • Further finer calibration,
  • Homologation (process of certifying that a vehicle is roadworthy), and
  • certification.

Flex-fuel technology

• A flex-fuel vehicle typically has an internal combustion engine (ICE) but it can run on more than one type of fuel, or a mixture of these fuels.
• The most common versions use a blend of petrol and ethanol or methanol.
• This is made possible by equipping the engine with a fuel mix sensor and an engine control module (ECM) programming that senses and automatically adjusts for any ratio of designated fuels.

How these cars work

• Most components in a flex fuel vehicle are the same as those in petrol-only cars. But some special ethanol-compatible components are required to adjust to the different chemical properties and energy content in ethanol/ methanol, such as modifications to the fuel pump and fuel injection system.
• The ECM is calibrated to accommodate the higher oxygen content of ethanol.
• The hybrid engine would have separate spark plugs, piston ring tops, and valves to render them more corrosion-resistant, and a modified catalyst in the exhaust system to lower hydrocarbon emissions.
• The vehicle’s fuel filter and fuel lines have also been tweaked.
• According to IHS Markit, as of 2018, there were more than 21 million flex-fuel vehicles in the US, but Brazil was the biggest market and leader in this segment.

Flex pros and cons

• Pros:
  • Sharply lowers harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur, and carbon and nitrogen oxides.
  • Help cut oil imports to fuel vehicles.
  • However, flex-fuel cars typically take a 4-8% hit on fuel efficiency when using ethanol for motive power.
  • Improved acceleration performance.
• Cons:
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Source crops such as sugarcane are usually very water-intensive.
  • According to a NITI Aayog report, in 2019-20, more than 90% of the ethanol produced in the country came from sugarcane, which is also a politically important crop in states such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Blending advantages

• The ethanol mix in petrol in India went up from 1.53% in 2013-14 to 11.5% in March 2023.
• This has helped cut the oil import bill by an estimated Rs 41,500 crore in the last eight years.
• In 2020-21, ethanol blending enabled a reduction of 26 million barrels of petrol, resulting in savings of Rs 10,000 crore.
• The expected implementation of E20 by April 2025 is estimated to result in annual savings of Rs 35,000 crore in India’s oil import bill.
• To overcome the challenges of lower fuel efficiency of flex-fuel vehicles, electrified flex-fuel vehicles are being introduced, which offer the advantages of both a flex-fuel engine and an electric powertrain, as in the case with the Hycross prototype.

14. Amazon to invest $15 million in nature-based projects in Asia-Pacific region

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Context:

• Amazon has announced a $15-million allocation for nature-based solutions in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Right Now Climate Fund:

• The allocation draws from Amazon’s $100-million Right Now Climate Fund for Nature-based Solutions.
• created in 2019 to support nature conservation and restoration projects that enhance climate resilience and biodiversity while driving social and environmental benefits in communities where they operate.
• The fund will invest an initial $3 million into projects in India, beginning with a first project in the Western Ghats to plant 300,000 trees.
• The Right Now Climate Fund’s allocation for India and APAC complements its broader sustainability and decarbonization efforts in the region.

Wildlife studies:

• The first $3-million will support nature-based projects in India.
• For its first project, Amazon will be working with the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) to support communities and conservation efforts in the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is home to more than 30 per cent of all of India’s wildlife species, including the world’s largest population of wild Asiatic elephants and tigers.

“Wild Carbon” Program:

• Establish by: Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS)
• Financing: $1 million from Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund
• The “Wild Carbon” program will support 10,000 farmers in planting and maintaining one million fruit-bearing, timber and medicinal trees.
• It will enable CWS to partner with 2,000 family farms and plant 300,000 trees over three years.
• The trees will help to expand land area for animals and reduce human-wildlife conflict through the creation of natural buffer zones, while also bringing in higher-value trees for the farmers compared to other subsistence crops.
• Monitoring systems:
  • CWS will develop monitoring systems using drone and remote sensing technology and on-the-ground surveys to verify program outcomes, advancing research on the potential positive impact of farmers on reforestation opportunities.

The Climate Pledge:

• In 2019, Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge, committing to reach net-zero carbon by 2040 – 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.
• The Pledge now has more than 400 signatories across 55 industries and 38 countries, which work together on initiatives that preserve the natural world and enable decarbonizing technologies.
• Nine Indian companies have joined the Pledge: BluPine Energy, CSM Technologies India, Godi, Greenko, HCL, Infosys, Mahindra Logistics, Tech Mahindra, and UPL.
• Signatories agree to:
  • Regular reporting
  • Carbon elimination
  • Credible offsets

About CWS:

• The Centre for Wildlife Studies is an internationally recognized centre-of-excellence in the arenas of wildlife research, in situ conservation, policy and education.
• Founded in 1984.
• Aim: To save India’s wildlife and wildlands through science, conservation, policy and education.
• Vision:
  • To mitigate anthropogenic impacts on wildlife and wild places by implementing programs to empower communities near protected areas through conflict mitigation, agriculture, education, healthcare, finance and job skills training, and alternative livelihood options.
  • To partner with and assist the Government and civil society institutions in improving the scientific management of wildlife and habitats.
  • To build individual and institutional capacity in wildlife research and conservation through education and training.
  • To engage the public to care for wildlife and wild places through citizen science, storytelling, media and social-media platforms.

15. Chandrayaan-3 findings show moon is habitable

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Context:

• Ever since the Vikram lander touched down on the lunar surface, there has been a steady flow of data and information from the instruments onboard the lander and the rover.

Habitability of Moon:

• The information indicates that the moon is more habitable than thought earlier.
• The lander probed 10cm into the lunar surface and measured temperature there, and found that the lunar temperature is -10 degree C just 8 cm below the surface.
• Scientists have known that the lunar subsurface is cold. Vikram has only provided proof that the lunar topsoil is a super-insulator.
• Significance of this discovery:
  • The moon, which has no atmosphere, is directly exposed to the sun.
  • It gets extremely hot (123o C) during daytime and incredibly cold during night (-233o C).
  • The lunar topsoil soil can be used as a super insulator for building a habitat there.
  • It is possible to set up MW-scale solar or nuclear power plants and use the energy to “thermally process” construction material (with lunar regolith), making large, permanent human presence on the moon more easily realizable.

Presence of Oxygen:

• The Pragyan rover has helped confirm the presence of oxygen in the lunar soil. The ‘Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy’ (LIBS) instrument on the rover, has shown the presence of sulphur, calcium and many metals such as iron, chromium, titanium, manganese and aluminium and oxygen.
• It’s significance:
  • The presence of oxygen in the soil, in the form of ilmenite (FeTiO3), means you have an alternative to ice for oxygen production.
  • Ilmenite can be reduced to make oxygen for breathing.
• The findings from the lander and the rover go to strengthen a growing branch of science called In-situ resource utilisation (ISRU), alternatively known as ‘space resource utilisation’ (SRU).

For details of Chandrayaan-3: https://optimizeias.com/isro-releases-images-of-the-far-side-area-of-the-moon/