Daily Prelims Notes 6 December 2023

December 6, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

6 December 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Understanding how the Global Positioning System (GPS) works

Subject: Science and tech

Sec: Space tech

Context:

In today’s era, from civilians to the military, from precision scientific studies to urban planning and disaster risk estimation, GPS has significantly changed our expectations of where we are and our sense of place.

About GPS

The U.S. Department of Defence started the GPS programme in 1973 and launched the first satellite in 1978.
The modern GPS satellite constellation consists of 24 satellites moving around the earth in six orbits.
Each satellite completes two orbits in a single day.

Three main components of GPS:

The space segment:
- The space segment consists of the 24 satellites.
- The six orbits they occupy are all 20,200 km above the earth, and each orbit has four satellites at all times.
- In this configuration, anyone on the earth will be able to ‘see’ at least four satellites at a time, which is a crucial requirement.
The control segment:
- The control segment consists of a global network of ground-based control stations and antennae that track the 24 satellites, make sure their performance is as expected at all times, and transmit commands.
- The services provided by the GPS system are designed to meet the Standard Positioning Service (SPS) performance standard.
- The SPS standard tells application developers and users anywhere in the world what they can expect from the GPS system.
- The control segment ensures these commitments are kept.
The user segment:
- The user segment pertains to the use of GPS in various sectors and applications.
- The major sectors include:
  - agriculture, construction, surveying, logistics, telecommunications, power transmission, search and rescue, airtravel, meteorology, seismology, and military operations.

How does GPS work?

Each GPS satellite continuously broadcasts a radio signal containing information about its location in orbit, operational status, and the time at which the signal is emitted.
The signals are transmitted at the L1 and the L2 frequencies at 50 bits/second.
The signals are encoded with code-division multiple access.
This allows multiple signals to be transmitted in the same channel and for a receiver to be able to disentangle them.
There are two encoding types:
- The coarse/acquisition mode, which civilians can use to access coarse GPS data, and the precise mode, which is encrypted and is for military use.
- Being an electromagnetic signal, the radio waves travel at the speed of light.
- On your smartphone, a GPS receiver picks this signal up and uses it to calculate its precise distance from the satellite.

Other countries having GNSS

Such systems are currently operated by Australia, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the U.K. .
Of these, Russia’s GLONASS, the E.U.’s Galileo, and China’s BeiDou systems are global.

India’s satellite system:

India mooted its own Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System in 2006, later rechristened Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC).
Its space segment consists of seven satellites: Three in geostationary orbits and four in geosynchronous orbits.
As of May 2023, the minimum number of satellites (four) could facilitate ground-based navigation.
The master control facilities are located in Hassan in Karnataka and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
The NavIC satellites use rubidium atomic clocks and transmit data in the L5 and the S bands, with newer satellites also transmitting in the L1 band.
They include a messaging interface that can receive messages from control stations and transmit them to specific areas, like warning fishers about being close to international borders, etc.
India also operates the GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system, which was developed by the ISRO and the Airports Authority of India.

Current Scenario

In 2021, according to one estimate, there were 6.5 billion Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) devices installed worldwide.
The figure is expected to rise to 10 billion by 2031.

2. Study of 50000 dogs says vaccines, not culling, will stop rabies

Subject: Science and tech

Sec: Health

Context:

A 16-year study in Tanzania led by Professor Katie Hampson delves into rabies transmission dynamics among dogs.

What is Rabies?

Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system, causing brain inflammation and eventually leading to death if left untreated.
It is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, most commonly dogs.
Rabies is almost always fatal, but it can be prevented through vaccination.

Key findings of the study:

The comprehensive study spans 15 years, involving data collection on 50,000 dogs in the Serengeti district.
Rabies persists locally, with a few “super-spreader” dogs travelling long distances, contributing to virus dissemination.
Mass dog-vaccination, not culling, emerges as the most effective strategy against rabies spread.
Rabies differs from typical infectious diseases as it spreads solely through bites, allowing for localized transmission.

Implications and Vaccination Advocacy:

Traditional infectious disease models struggle to predict rabies spread due to its local nature.
Lower dog density doesn’t necessarily reduce transmission, challenging the efficacy of culling.
Large-scale dog vaccination is crucial for preventing rabies spread, contrasting with ineffective culling strategies.

Global Perspective and Vaccine Inequity:

While high-income countries have successfully used vaccination to eliminate rabies, equitable vaccine distribution remains a challenge.
The study advocates for prioritizing mass dog-vaccination globally to protect both canine and human populations from rabies.
In countries like India, where rabies is prevalent, mass sterilization efforts overshadow crucial vaccination initiatives.

Initiatives taken by Government of India

National Rabies Control Programme: This programme is being restructured as Integrated National Rabies Control Programme under ‘One Health Approach’, with a aim to provide vaccination to stray dogs and free vaccines through Government hospitals.

3. At least 85 confirmed killed by Nigerian army’s ‘mistaken’ drone attack

Subject: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context: At least 85 confirmed killed by Nigerian army’s ‘mistaken’ drone attack

More about the news:

At least 85 people were confirmed dead in northwest Nigeria after a military drone attack on a religious gathering during a Muslim holiday celebration.
The victims, including children, women, and the elderly, were attending an event in Kaduna state’s Tudun Biri village.
The drone strike, purportedly targeting terrorists and bandits, resulted in 66 injuries.
This incident adds to a series of mistakes in Nigeria’s conflict zones, prompting President Bola Tinubu to order a comprehensive investigation.
Over 400 civilians have been killed in airstrikes since 2017, aimed at armed groups in the country’s north.
Concerns are raised about the lack of collaboration among security agencies and the proliferation of drones without clear guidelines for their use.

Some facts about Nigeria:

The Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa.
It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the most populous country in Africa, and the world’s sixth-most populous country.
Nigeria borders Niger in the north, Chad in the northeast, Cameroon in the east, and Benin in the west.
Abuja is the capital of Nigeria.
The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos,
The main rivers are the Niger and the Benue, which converge and empty into the Niger Delta
It is Africa’s top oil producing country.
The three largest ethnic groups of Nigeria are;
- Hausa in the North.
- Yoruba in the West.
- Igbo in the east

4. Sec 6A of Citizenship Act

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context: Supreme court ask the government about how many availed Sec 6A of Citizenship Act

More about the news:

The Supreme Court inquired about the number of individuals who acquired citizenship under Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, implemented after the Assam accord.
This provision allows individuals who arrived in Assam between January 1, 1966, and March 25, 1971, from Bangladesh to apply for Indian citizenship.
The court, hearing challenges to the provision, highlighted the historical context, considering India’s role in the creation of Bangladesh during the war.
The Chief Justice noted that Section 6A addresses not just illegal immigration but a humanitarian aspect connected to historical events.
The petitioner argued that the provision, by not protecting those arriving after atrocities, may undermine democratic principles and the rule of law.

What is Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955:

Section 6A is a special provision inserted into the 1955 Act in furtherance of a Memorandum of Settlement called the ‘Assam Accord’ signed on August 15, 1985 by the then Rajiv Gandhi government with the leaders of the Assam Movement to preserve and protect the Assamese culture, heritage, linguistic and social identity.
Under Section 6A, foreigners who had entered Assam before January 1, 1966, and been “ordinarily resident” in the State, would have all the rights and obligations of Indian citizens. Those who had entered the State between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971 would have the same rights and obligations except that they would not be able to vote for 10 years.

What was Assam accord:

The Assam Accord was signed in 1985 between the Union government and the All Assam Students’ Union at the end of a 6-year-long agitation against the influx of migrants from Bangladesh into the state.
It determines who is a foreigner in the state of Assam.
Clause 5 of the Assam Accord states that January 1, 1966 shall serve as the base cut-off date for the detection and deletion of “foreigners”.
But it also contains provisions for the regularization of those who arrived in the state after that date and up till March 24, 1971.

Some facts about National Register of Citizens (NRC)

National Register of Citizens, 1951 is a register prepared after the conduct of the Census of 1951 in respect of each village, showing the houses or holdings in a serial order and indicating against each house or holding the number and names of persons staying therein.
The NRC was published only once in 1951 and since then, it has not been updated until 2019.
The NRC of 1951 and the Electoral Roll of 1971 (up to midnight of 24 March 1971) are together called Legacy Data. Persons and their descendants whose names appeared in these documents are certified as Indian citizens.

5. Mount Merapi eruption

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

Some facts about Mount Merapi:

Mount Merapi is a volcanic mountain peak located near the centre of the island of Java, Indonesia.
It is located on Sumatra, the westernmost and third largest of Indonesia’s 18,000 islands.
It stands 2,891m high.
Mount Marapi, which means “Mountain of Fire”, is among the most active of Indonesia’s 127 volcanoes and is also popular among hikers.
The Indonesian archipelago sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

Why do more volcanoes occur in Indonesia:

Indonesia is situated within the expansive Ring of Fire encircling the Pacific Ocean, comprising more than 17,000 islands and islets, along with nearly 130 active volcanoes.
Also known as the Circum-Pacific Belt, the Ring of Fire denotes a pathway around the Pacific Ocean marked by active volcanoes and frequent seismic activity.
The prevalence of volcanoes and earthquakes along this belt is a consequence of intense tectonic plate movements in the region.
At many points along the Ring of Fire, tectonic plates intersect at convergent boundaries known as subduction zones.
In these zones, the lower plate is forced downward, or subducted, by the upper plate.
As the rock undergoes subduction, it melts and transforms into magma.
The abundance of magma in close proximity to the Earth’s surface creates favorable conditions for volcanic activity.
A noteworthy exception occurs at the boundary between the Pacific and North American Plates.
This segment of the Ring of Fire functions as a transform boundary, where plates slide horizontally past one another.
Such boundaries give rise to a substantial number of earthquakes as tension in the Earth’s crust accumulates and is subsequently released.

Location of selected volcanoes of Indonesia:

Some facts about volcanoes:

Volcanoes are openings, or vents where lava, tephra (small rocks), and steam erupt onto the Earth’s surface.
Volcanoes can be on land and in the ocean.
They are, in part, a result of their own eruptions but also the general formation of our planet, as tectonic plates move.
Volcanoes can be classified as:
- Active: Have a recent history of eruptions
- Dormant: Have not erupted for a long time but may erupt in the future
- Extinct: Are not expected to erupt in the future
There are four main types of volcanoes: cinder cones, composite or stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes and lava domes.
Their type is determined by how the lava from an eruption flows and how that flow affects the volcano, and, as a result, how it affects its surrounding environment.

6. Global forest facility

Subject: Environment

Section: Int Conventions

Context:

Brazil has proposed the Global Forest Facility to mobilise billions from existing funds at COP28 of UNFCCC.

Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF):

Launched by- Brazil
It aims at mobilizing $250 bn to protect standing tropical forests in up to 80 countries.
The scheme would provide a guaranteed, long-term flow of resources for tropical forest conservation.
- The U.K. has committed £35 million to protect Amazon forests in Brazil.
To be eligible, the deforestation rate of a country must remain below a certain percentage and deforestation must be decreasing or less than a percentage.
Tropical forests provide an array of ecosystem services beyond carbon. The proposal recognizes the role of tropical rainforest conservation for biodiversity, carbon capture, and cooling effects, as well as its importance for social and economic development.
The Facility can be fully operational by COP30, which is to be held in Belém, State of Pará, Brazil.

Funding Mechanism:

Funds will come from sovereign wealth funds, and institutional investors among others.

Source: BI

7. Glaciers shrank 1m a year in a decade: WMO

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate Change

Context:

The 2011-2020 decade, though the warmest ever recorded in history, saw the lowest number of deaths from extreme events, said a report from the World Meteorological Organisation.

Details:

Report title- The Global Climate 2011-2020: A Decade of Acceleration
Released by- WMO
Key findings:
- Heatwaves were responsible for the highest number of human casualties, while tropical cyclones caused the most economic damage.
- The 2011-2020 decade was the first since 1950 when there was not a single short-term event with 10,000 deaths or more.
- This is due to the improvement in the “early warning system” driven by improvements in forecasting and better disaster management.
- In India, improvements in forecasting cyclone formation and the time it takes to reach land have led to greater preparedness and evacuation of those most at risk.
- This was the first decade that the depleted ozone hole visibly showed recovery.
- Glaciers that were measured around the world thinned by approximately 1 metre per year on average between 2011 and 2020.
- Greenland and Antarctica lost 38% more ice during the period than during the 2001-2010 period.
- Public and private climate finance almost doubled during the period. However, it needed to increase at least seven times by the end of this decade to achieve climate objectives.

Source: The Hindu

8. Global Stocktake draft calls for phasing out fossil fuels

Subject: Environment

Section: Int Conventions

Context:

The latest version of the Global Stocktake (GST) includes a clause committing all signatories to “an orderly and just phase out of fossil fuels”.

Details:

For the first time, a key document being negotiated at the UN’s annual climate summit has underlined the need for the world to do away with all fossil fuels, in its draft text.

Global Stocktake (GST):

GST will be a Party-driven process conducted transparently and with the participation of non-party stakeholders.
It will be done every five years, starting from 2023.
It enables countries and other stakeholders to see where they’re collectively making progress toward meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement – and where they’re not.
It’s like taking inventory. It means looking at everything related to where the world stands on climate action and support, identifying the gaps, and working together to agree on solutions pathways (to 2030 and beyond).
GST also points to a growing gap between the needs of developing countries and the support provided and mobilized for them, and calls for the unlocking and redeployment of trillions of dollars towards climate action and climate-resilient development.

Source: The Hindu

9. The journey towards a plastic-free world

Subject: Environment

Sec: Int Conventions

Context:

Under the UN Environment Assembly Resolution 5/14, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) is responsible for delivering a global plastics treaty by 2025.

Details:

It would be an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution worldwide.
The INC-3, held at Nairobi in November 2023, was a make-or-break opportunity as countries came together to negotiate the ‘zero draft’ text developed by the committee’s secretariat.

What does the ‘Zero Draft’ say?

It contains a strong option for an international legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution. But leave some high-impact elements like primary polymer production, chemicals of concern, problematic and short-lived plastics, trade, and financial mechanisms, among others.
A group of like-minded countries — including Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Iran, and some members of the Gulf Cooperation Council — argued to include the clause “while contributing to the achievement of sustainable development”, to ensure their economic interests and investments.

Does the treaty discuss finance?

The zero draft contains options such as imposing a plastic-pollution fee to be paid by plastic polymer producers, and another on reducing the financial flow into projects with a high carbon footprint.

Are there limits on plastic trade?

The draft tries to fill the gap in the plastic trade that was not included in the Basel convention, but any restrictions on trade is considered to be impinging on the freedom and sovereignty of nations.
The Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), a non-profit in Washington, D.C., has found that the bloc (of like-minded countries) misconstrued the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules to their advantage.
- The WTO rules provide for sufficient scope for trade restrictions when they are “necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health” and nothing prohibits states under international law to regulate or restrict the trade of certain products and materials.

What is the issue with the rules of procedure?

A handful of countries, including India, continued to demand consensus-based decision-making instead of a two-thirds vote majority.
Now, the INC-4 meeting will decide the rules of procedure.
The African Group of Countries and Small-Island Developing States (SIDS) advocated for strong binding provisions for the high-impact elements in the treaty. They championed the voices of waste-pickers and indigenous peoples and approached the treaty from a human rights and public health perspective.

Source: The Hindu

10. Developing countries reject GGA draft, vote of support for rechanneling Special Drawing Rights

Subject: Environment

Sec: Int Conventions

Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA):

A draft text on the GGA was made available at the COP28 meeting.
The text around the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, means of implementation, particularly finance, financial targets, accountability mechanisms and closing of the adaptation finance gap were either missing from the text or were bracketed.
About GGA:
- It was established under the Paris Agreement to enhance climate change adaptation by increasing awareness of and funding towards countries’ adaptation needs in the context of the 5/2°C goal of the Paris Agreement.
- At COP26, Parties established the 2022-2023 Glasgow-Sharm el-Sheikh (GlaSS) Work Programme on the Global Goal on Adaptation to define the key elements of the goal, including the methodologies, indicators, metrics, and data sources to support the assessment of overall adaptation progress.
- Negotiations around the GGA currently focus on what metrics and indicators can be used at both global and local levels to effectively monitor collective progress, while incorporating and addressing outstanding concerns on bridging the gap between the local- and context- specificity of adaptation and the need to track it at a global scale.

Finance:

A roundtable on Leveraging Special Drawing Rights for climate was organised at COP28.
Developed countries like Spain supported the rechanneling of SDRs from developed to developing countries.
IMF has exceeded the target for the Resilience and Sustainability Trust to $41 billion, accessible to the poorest countries.
World Bank has started the five new initiatives such as targeting 45 per cent of their financing for climate by 2025, and tackling methane from rice, livestock and waste management.
Special Drawing Rights (SDR):
- The SDR is an international reserve asset created by the IMF to supplement the official reserves of its member countries.
- The SDR is not a currency. It is a potential claim on the freely usable currencies of IMF members. As such, SDRs can provide a country with liquidity.
- A basket of currencies defines the SDR: the US dollar, Euro, Chinese Yuan (Renminbi), Japanese Yen, and the British Pound.

Equitable fossil fuel phaseout:

The Civil Society Equity Review Report released at COP28 noted that Canada, the United States, Norway, Australia and the United Kingdom must end fossil fuel extraction by the very early 2030s.

Mitigation Work Programme (MWP):

First introduced by UNFCCC at COP26 in Glosgow.
Launched at- COP27 Sharm Al-Sheikh, Egypt
It aims to ”urgently scale up mitigation ambition and implementation” to help reach the 1.5DC goal.
At COP27, Parties further fleshed out the programme to be operationalised each between 2023-2026 via at least two annual global dialogues and investment-focused events.

Source: Down To Earth

11. Secure Himalaya Project

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate change

Context: UNDP India climate chief

The ‘Secure Himalaya’ project is funded by the Global Environment Facility launched in 2017.
It supports the government’s efforts for conservation of snow leopard and its habitat by developing and implementing a landscape-based approach for Himalayan ecosystems, and addresses key issues of habitat degradation, threatened livelihoods and illegal trade in wildlife.

Components:

Conservation of key biodiversity areas and their effective management to secure long-term ecosystem resilience, habitat connectivity and conservation of snow leopard and other endangered species.
Securing sustainable community livelihoods and natural resource management in high range Himalayan ecosystems.
Enhancing enforcement, monitoring and cooperation to reduce wildlife crime and related threats.
Gender Mainstreaming, Monitoring, evaluation and knowledge management.

Project Landscapes:

Changthang, Ladakh Landscape, Jammu & Kashmir
Lahaul-Pangi and Kinnaur Landscapes
Khangchendzonga-upper Teesta Valley.
Gangotri-Govind and Darma-Byans Landscapes