Daily Prelims Notes 7 August 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

7 August 2023

Table Of Contents

1. SEBI’s new Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) System
2. FPI withdraw funds from India as US Fed, ECB hike rates
3. Baring the biodiverse heart of the Thar desert
4. 5% of birds in India are endemic, reveals Zoological Survey of India publication
5. India’s excess sugar production is guzzling groundwater
6. No scope for holding talks with Karnataka over Cauvery issue
7. Can Ukrainian grain be shipped to the world via Croatia?
8. Why green steel production will not happen in India anytime soon
9. Starlink: Why the new sovereign of low-earth orbit is bad news
10. Why did Meta block Canada’s access to news reports?
11. Subramania Bharati: Indian Poet, Writer, and Reformer
12. Supernovae – the universe’s engines

1. SEBI’s new Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) System

Subject: Economy

Section: Capital Market

In News: SEBI is set to operationalise a new online dispute resolution (ODR) system involving institutions, conciliators and arbitrators for the capital market.

Key Points:

• An investor or client should first take up the grievance with the market participant by lodging a complaint directly with the concerned market participant.
• If the grievance is not redressed satisfactorily, the investor or client may escalate the same through the SCORES (Sebi Complaints Redress System) Portal.
• The aim of the measure is to streamline the existing dispute resolution mechanism in the securities market under the aegis of stock exchanges and depositories Market Infrastructure Institutions (MII) by establishing a common ODR portal.
• The new system will harness online conciliation and online arbitration for resolution of disputes arising in the securities market.
• What are ODR institutions?
  • According to Sebi, each MII will identify and empanel one or more independent ODR institutions. These institutions will have qualified conciliators and arbitrators. MIIs will, in consultation with their empanelled ODR institutions, establish and operate a common ODR portal.
  •   All listed companies, specified intermediaries and regulated entities in the securities market (referred to as market participants) will enrol on the ODR portal.
  •    Sebi has not specified who will qualify as ODR institutions. But it is likely to outsource the investor dispute resolution process with the involvement of private ODR institutions.
• The steps for dispute resolution:
  • An investor or client should first take up the grievance with the market participant by lodging a complaint directly with the concerned market participant.
  • If the grievance is not redressed satisfactorily, the investor or client may escalate the same through the SCORES Portal.
  • After exhausting all available options, if the investor or the client is still not satisfied, he or she can initiate dispute resolution through the ODR Portal.
  • The first step is conciliation. If this fails, the next step is arbitration.

2. FPI withdraw funds from India as US Fed, ECB hike rates

Subject:Economy

Section: External sector

In News: FPIs pull out over $1 bn from India in 7 days in view of rate hike by US Fed and ECB

Key Points:

• With interest rates hike in developed markets like the US and the Euro zone, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) who were big investors have started pulling out funds from the Indian market.
• The selling started after the US Federal Reserve, hiked the interest rates by 25 per cent last week amid indications that higher inflation is likely to linger longer even though the Fed had already covered a lot of ground to bring interest rates to a two-decade high.
• The European Central Bank (ECB) also announced a new rate increase of a quarter percentage point, bringing its main rate to 3.75 per cent.
• Why do US interest rates affect the Indian stock market?
  • When interest rates rise in the US and Europe, the yield (return) on their domestic bonds (treasury bills) increases.
  • As a result foreign investors prefer to invest in their domestic markets instead of diverting funds to emerging markets like India.
  • Further there is also an overall negative outlook towards world growth when major economies increase interest rates, this is reflected in lower valuations of companies, including those of emerging markets.
• Will RBI also increase rate?
  • When the Fed increases rate, the interest rates for emerging markets tend to rise more. This is because of the currency depreciation that accompanies outflow of international money.
  • As a result the central banks of emerging market countries also have to increase the interest rate to stabilise the exchange rate.
  • It does not mean that RBI will blindly follow the Fed in hiking rates, although interest rates in India have, in fact, moved in tandem with rates in the US.
  • For the RBI, primary objective is to tame inflation, the RBI considers domestic factors, especially retail inflation, while reviewing interest rates. Thus the decision to increase rates will be taken  after considering all factors.
• Another hike by the Fed is on the cards and we will have to wait till the September policy meet before which the Fed will see how incoming data on inflation and labour market pans out

3. Baring the biodiverse heart of the Thar desert

Subject: Environment

Section: Ecosystem

Context:

• The Thar, one of the most populated deserts in the world, has long been perceived as a barren wasteland. However, a recent study by IIT-Jodhpur shows that this arid ecosystem harbours remarkable biodiversity, containing four distinct ecoregions.

Details:

• The study used community science, specifically crowdsourced bird data from the online resource eBird, to assess the biota and delineate the ecoregions.
• Crowdsourcing data through citizen science programmes is a cost-effective means of covering a wide spatial area.

Four ecoregions of Thar desert:

1. Eastern Thar, comprising nine districts, is marked by the Aravalli region and the eastern agro-industrial region.
2. Western Thar, with five districts, includes the western arid regions.
3. The ‘transitional zone’ consists of 13 districts on either side of the Aravalli range.
4. The ‘cultivated zone’, with six districts scattered across the Thar, was identified as an evolving zone due to anthropogenic activities and a higher risk of habitat fragmentation, posing a concern for near-threatened species.

Bird methodology:

• Birds have been found to be valuable indicators of ecosystem functions, making them essential to ecological research.
• A total of 492 bird species were recorded across 33 districts in Rajasthan, which collectively make up nearly 70 per cent of Thar.
• The birds serve as a representative biota for inferring shifts in ecoregions, the effect of anthropogenic activities, and the need for ecoregion-based conservation strategies to protect endangered habitats and species.
• Birds also helped in identifying invasive species and the ecological changes due to climate change or human activities.

Thar desert:

• The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of3.85 lakh sq km (82,000 sq mi) in India and Pakistan.
• The roughly 3.85 lakh sq km Thar Desert accounts for about 9 per cent of India’s land area and 2.12 per cent of its fauna — 682 species of flora and 1,195 species of fauna.
• It is the world’s 20th-largest desert, and the world’s 9th-largest hot subtropical desert.
• About 85% of the Thar Desert is in India, and about 15% is in Pakistan.
• The Thar Desert is about 4.56% of the total geographical area of India.
• More than 60% of the desert lies in the Indian state of Rajasthan; the portion in India also extends into Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana.
• The portion in Pakistan extends into the provinces of Sindh and Punjab (the portion in the latter province is referred to as the Cholistan Desert).
• The Indo-Gangetic Plain lies to the north,west and northeast of the Thar desert,the Rann of Kutch lies to its south, and the Aravali Range borders the desert to the east.
• Climate:
  • The climate is arid and subtropical. Average temperature varies with season, and extremes can range from near-freezing in the winter to more than 50º C in the summer months.

History of desertification of Thar:

1. Ice-age desertification:
   • During the Last Glacial Maximum 20,000 before present, an approximately 2,400,000 square kilometers (930,000 sq mi) ice sheet covered the Tibetan Plateau, causing excessive radiative forcinge. the ice in Tibet reflected at least four times more radiation energy per unit area into space than ice at higher latitudes, which further cooled overlying atmosphere at that time.
   • This impacted the regional climate. Without the thermal low pressure caused by the heating, there was no monsoon over the Indian subcontinent.
   • This lack of monsoon caused extensive rainfall over the Sahara, expansion of the Thar Desert, more dust deposited into the Arabian Sea, a lowering of the biotic life zones on the Indian subcontinent, and animals responded to this shift in climate with the Javan rusa deer migrating into India.

2. Desertification due to drying up of Sarasvati river:
   • 10,000-8,000 years ago a paleo channel of Ghaggar-Hakra River – identified with the paleo Sarasvati River, after confluence with Sutlej flowed into the Nara river – a delta channel of the Indus River, changed its course, leaving the Ghaggar-Hakra as a system of monsoon-fed rivers which did not reach the sea and now ends in the Thar desert.
   • Around 5,000 years ago when the monsoons that fed the rivers diminished further, the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) prospered in this area, with the rise of numerous IVC urban sites at Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Banawaliand Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Dholavira and Lothal (Gujarat) along this course.
   • 4,000 years agowhen monsoons diminished even further, the dried-up Harkra become an intermittent river, and the urban Harappan civilisation declined, becoming localized in smaller agricultural communities.

eBird:

• Launched in: 2002
• Created by: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• eBird is an online database of bird observations providing scientists, researchers and amateur naturalists with real-time data about bird distribution and abundance.
• Originally restricted to sightings from the Western Hemisphere, the project expanded to include New Zealand in 2008, and again expanded to cover the whole world in June 2010.
• eBird has been described as an ambitious example of enlisting amateurs to gather data on biodiversity for use in science.
• eBird is an example of crowdsourcing, and has been hailed as an example of democratizing science, treating citizens as scientists, allowing the public to access and use their own data and the collective data generated by others.

4. 5% of birds in India are endemic, reveals Zoological Survey of India publication

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

In the news:

• A recent publication by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) points out that about 5% of birds found in the country are endemic and are not reported in other parts of the world.

Details of the report:

• The publication, titled 75 Endemic Birds of India, was recently released on the 108th foundation day of the ZSI.
• The 75 bird species belong to 11 different orders, 31 families, and 55 genera, and exhibit remarkable distribution patterns across various regions in India.
• The highest number of endemic species have been recorded in the Western Ghats, with 28 bird species.
• Some of the interesting species recorded in the country’s bio-geographic hotspot are the:
  • Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus);
  • Malabar Parakeet (Psittaculacolumboides);
  • Ashambu Laughing Thrush (Montecinclameridionalis); and
  • White-bellied Sholakili (Sholicolaalbiventris).
• 25 bird species are endemic to theAndaman and Nicobar Islands:
  • Endemism in the Andaman group of islands must have developed because of the geographical isolation of the region.
  • Some interesting bird species which are only found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are:
    • Nicobar Megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis);
    • Nicobar Serpent Eagle (Spilornisklossi);
    • Andaman Crake (Rallinacanningi); and
    • Andaman Barn Owl (Tyto deroepstorffi).
• Four species of birds are endemic to the Eastern Himalayas, and one each to the Southern Deccan plateau and central Indian forest.

Bird diversity in India:

• India is home to 1,353 bird species, which represents approximately 12.40% of global bird diversity. Of these 1,353 bird species, 78 (5%) are endemic to the country.
• Of the 78 species,three species have not been recorded in the last few decades.
• They are the:
  • Manipur Bush Quail (Perdiculamanipurensis), listed as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species with its last recorded sighting in 1907;
  • Himalayan Quail (Ophrysiasuperciliosa), listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ with its last recorded sighting in 1876; and
  • Jerdon’s Courser (Rhinoptilusbitorquatus), listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ with its last confirmed sighting in 2009.

The publication also throws light on the conservation status of these endemic species:

• Of the 78 endemic species,25 are classified as ‘Threatened’ by the IUCN.
• Three species (BugunLiocichla or Liocichlabugunorum; Himalayan Quail or Ophrysiasuperciliosa; Jerdon’s Courser or Rhinoptilusbitorquatus) are listed as ‘Critically Endangered’.
• Five of the endemic birds in India are categorised as ‘Endangered’, and 17 as ‘Vulnerable’, while 11 are categorised as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List.

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI):

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), a subordinate organization of the Ministry of Environment and Forests was established in 1916.
• It is a national centre for faunistic survey and exploration of the resources leading to the advancement of knowledge on the exceptionally rich faunal diversity of the country.
• It has its headquarters at Kolkata and 16 regional stations located in different geographic locations of the country.

5. India’s excess sugar production is guzzling groundwater

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic geography

Context:

• In 2021-2022, India surpassed Brazil to become the largest sugar producer in the world, producing 359 lakh tonnes – an all-time high. But this isn’t sweet news: with the resources that go into making all that sugar dwindling at an alarming rate, India’s sugar market might slip into its biggest crisis ever in the coming decades.

What is the issue with sugarcane production?

• The impact of high sugarcane production on the country’s groundwater is disastrous – and it has also been overlooked. If we don’t address the chronic overuse of groundwater in the sugar industry soon and effectively, India’s agricultural sector will be at risk of collapse.

Reasons for excess sugar production in India:

• High consumption (India is the world’s largest sugar consumer) and demand.
• Government policies and measures:
  • Central Government’s Fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane
  • Mandatory payment of a minimum price to sugarcane farmers by the sugar mills.
  • Heavy subsidies and incentives by the state governments.
• The resulting sugar surplus has led to higher exports, with a record 110 lakh tonnes exported in 2021-2022.
• In fact, Brazil, Australia, and Guatemala filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisationagainst India for violating international trade rules by offering excessive export subsidies and domestic support to farmers to outcompete other countries in the global sugar market. The Organisation ruled against India and India also lost its appeal.

Ethanol production as a solution to the surplus production:

• To deal with the sugar surplus, the Indian government considered diverting it to the production of ethanol.
  • Ethanol is the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages and is also used in the chemicals and cosmetics industries.
• The government launched the ethanol-blended petrol (EBP) programme in 2003 to reduce crude oil imports and curtail greenhouse gas emissions from petrol-based vehicles; it has been fairly successful.
  • It started with the modest goal of achieving a blending rate of 5%, but the target set for 2025 is 20%.
  • The government also reduced the Goods and Services Tax on ethanol from 18% to 5% in 2021.
  • In the same year, of the 394 lakh tonnes of total sugar produced, about 350 lakh tonnes were diverted to produce ethanol, while India achieved a blending rate of 10% months ahead of target.

How does excessive sugarcane cultivation impact groundwater?

• Sugarcane is a highly resource-intensive cash crop: it needs a large swath of land and guzzles groundwater.
• Experts recommend that installing solar panels would be a better use of land than sugarcane cultivation, to reduce net emissions.
• India’s top sugarcane-growing states are Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.
  • The first three account for 85-90% of the sugar produced in the country.
  • If sugarcane were a purely rainfed crop, it would need around 3,000 mm of rainfall a year to be irrigated.
  • But these three states receive around 1,000-1,200 mm a year.
  • The remaining water requirement is met by groundwater.
  • Most of this groundwater resides in confined aquifers so it is a limited resource.
• The 110 lakh tonnes of sugar that India exported in 2021-2022 ‘includes’26 lakh crore litres of groundwater.
• The top sugarcane growing states are already drought-prone as well as groundwater-stressed.
  • In a 2022 report, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) noted that a third of all its groundwater assessment units in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka were ‘semi-critical’, ‘critical’ or ‘over-exploited’.

What are the solutions to this problem?

• Assess and then correct incentives that do not favor sugarcane over other crops.
• Introducing fair and comprehensive subsidy schemes for a variety of crops.
• Prevent monoculture and ensure an equitable income.
• Use of drip irrigation (reduces water consumption by upto 70%) in sugarcane cultivation practices.
• Adopt the practices like: Rainwater harvesting, watershed management, wastewater treatment, and canal irrigation networks.

For more details on Sugarcane crop: https://optimizeias.com/sugarcane/

6. No scope for holding talks with Karnataka over Cauvery issue

Subject: Polity

Section: Federalism

Context:

• There is no scope for talks with Karnataka over Tamil Nadu’s demand for its rightful share of Cauvery water.

Details:

• The Centre constituted the Tribunal only because no decision could be taken even after talks from 1967 until 1990.

What is Cauvery Water Dispute?

• The river Cauvery originates in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, flows into Tamil Nadu and reaches the Bay of Bengal.
• In 1892: The dispute started between the Madras Presidency (under British rule) and the Princely state of Mysore.
  • Madras disagrees with the Mysore administration’s proposal to build irrigation systems, arguing that it would impede water flow into Tamil Nadu.
• 1924: The dispute comes close to being resolved when Mysore and Madras reach an agreement under which Mysore is allowed to build a dam at Kannambadi village.
  • The agreement is to be valid for 50 years and reviewed thereafter. Based on this agreement, Karnataka builds the Krishnaraja Sagar dam.

• 1974:  The 1924 water-sharing agreement between the then Madras Presidency and Princely State of Mysore (now Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) lapses after the expiration of its term of 50 years.
• In 1990,Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was set up to adjudicate upon the water dispute regarding the Inter-State river Cauvery and the river valley thereof among the States of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Union territory of Puducherry.
• In 2007, the tribunal declared its final award, in which it said Tamil Nadu should receive 419 tmcft(thousand million cubic feet) of water more than double the amount mentioned in the interim order of 1991.
• In 2016, the Tamil Nadu government said that there was a deficit of 50.0052 tmcftof water released from Karnataka. The Karnataka government said it wouldn’t be able to release any more Cauvery water due to low rainfall.
  • Tamil Nadu then sought the Supreme Court’s intervention.
• In 2017 the SC ordered the Karnataka government to release 15,000 cusecs of watera day for 10 days, to Tamil Nadu. This led to widespread protests and bandhs in Karnataka.
  • After several modifications of the order, the Karnataka government has been directed by SC to release 2,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu till further orders.
• In 2018, The apex court gave its final verdict saying that Karnataka will get an additional 14.75 TMC of the river water and Tamil Nadu will get 177.25 instead of 192 TMC water.
  • The court considered the water scarcity in Bengaluru while delivering the final judgment and also said no deviance shall be shown by any state to the order.

Constitutional Provisions related to Interstate water dispute 

• Article 262 of the Constitution deals with the adjudication of water disputes. The provisions in this regard are:
  • Article 262 (1) Parliament may, by law, provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State river or river valley.
  • Article 262 (2) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, Parliament may, by law, provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court shall exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint as is referred to in clause (1).

Kaveri (Cauvery ):

• The Cauvery (also spelt as ‘Kaveri’), known as ‘Ponni’ in Tamil.
• It rises in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats and it reaches the Bay of Bengal in the south of Cuddalore, in Tamil Nadu. Its main tributaries are Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini. 
• The Cauvery basin is spread in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

7. Can Ukrainian grain be shipped to the world via Croatia?

Subject: International Relations

Section: Places in news

Context:

• Ukraine announced that Croatia had agreed to allow Ukrainian grain to be exported via its ports on the Danube and the Adriatic Sea.

Huge logistical challenges:

• Ukrainian grain can be shipped via two Ukrainian ports on the Danube: Izmail and Reni.
• Another option would be to ship the grain via the Black Sea to the Romanian port of Constanta and from there to the River Danube.
  • The grain would then have to be transported 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) upstream to the Croatian Danube river port of Vukovar.

Does Vukovar have the capacity?

• The port in Vukovar is small. It is currently capable of handling a maximum 1.2 million tons of freight per annum.
• This capacity does not relate to bulk freight (such as grain) alone but to all freight, including containers.
• Moreover, Vukovar currently has only one silo that could be used to store grain and it has a capacity of just 10,000 tons.
• According to the European Union, Ukraine exported over 30 million tons of grain and other foodstuffs as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative between August 2022 and May 2023.
• It took over 1,080 ships to transport this volume of freight.

How would Croatia transport this huge volume of grain to the Adriatic ports of Rijeka, Zadar or Split?

• Even large trucks can transport no more than 45 tons of freight at a time.
• More than 22,000 such trucks would be needed to transport one million tons of grain.
• Rail transport is another option but Crotia has not a well developed railways system.

Does it really solve the wheat crisis?

• Wheat is currently selling for about €350 ($385) per ton on the world market and maize for €260.
• Even if Croatia did manage to ship one million tons of grain, this would bring a profit of just €300 million.
• Much of this would not go to Ukrainian farmers.

Croatia:

• Croatia shares borders with Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east, Montenegro to the south, and it also shares a sea border with Italy on the west.

Black Sea:

• There are six countries with coastlines on the Black Sea (clockwise), Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey (Türkiye), Bulgaria, and Romania.

8. Why green steel production will not happen in India anytime soon

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate change

Context:

• Green steel production in India is unlikely to happen anytime soon, perhaps never.

Green steel:

• ‘Green steel’, or the steel produced through processes that do not emit carbon dioxide, essentially means using hydrogen as the ‘reducing agent’ (remover of oxygen) in steel production.
• In other words, iron ore is basically iron oxide and hydrogen is used to pull oxygen away from iron oxide, leaving pure iron behind—to which a little carbon is added to make steel. Right now, carbon, in the form of coke, has been used for pulling away oxygen; when carbon joins hands with oxygen it becomes carbon dioxide, which is a Greenhouse gas.
• Hydrogen can do the job of coke just as well.

India iron ore is not suitable for making green steel:

• According to Australia’s Commonwealth Industrial and Scientific Research Organization (CSIRO), which is the country’s publicly funded research organisation and an expert in mines and minerals,66 per cent of India’s (and Australia’s) iron ore is not suitable for being made into green steel.
• This is because Indian iron ore is low-grade. Low-grade iron ore can only be made into steel in blast furnaces—huge cooking pots in which iron ore is melted and made to combine with coke, before being poured into moulds for making steel slabs.
• For technical reasons, green steel making requires the ‘electric arc furnace’ route;EAFs need high-grade ores, in which iron content is over 60 per cent.

Why can’t hydrogen be injected into a blast furnace to do the same job as coke?

• This is theoretically possible, but there are two major problems.
  • First, blast furnaces need to operate at high temperatures, or the order of 1,000-1,200 degrees C. Combustion of hydrogen releases a lot less heat compared with the combustion of coke.
    • Hydrogen must be pre-heated to high temperatures to provide sufficient heat for the blast furnaces.
    • Pre-heating hydrogen means using more energy, which must again come from renewable sources so that the steel qualifies for the ‘green’ label.
  • Second, use of hydrogen results in ‘embrittlement’ of iron, leading to cracks and fractures in the metal.
    • To avoid this, you again need special alloys to resist hydrogen embrittlement.
• Therefore, producing green steel in blast furnaces by injecting hydrogen as a replacement of coke is technically challenging and economically infeasible.
• Blast furnaces are big emitters of carbon dioxide. A blast furnace capable of producing 2 million tons of steel annually will emit at least 2.5 million tons of CO2 a year.
• In 2022, India produced 124.5 million tonnes of steel.

Alternative technologies:

• It is possible to reduce CO2 in electric arc furnaces to some extent by replacing a part of the coke with used automotive tyres.
• Apart from reducing dependence on coking coal, which India imports, these tyres contain about 7 per cent hydrogen, which helps.
• The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, is toying with the idea of replacing some of the coke with biochar.

HIsarna: a new technology developed by Tata Steel:

• It is capable of slashing CO2 emissions by 80 per cent compared with the blast furnace route.
• In a conventional blast furnace, a mixture of iron ore, coke and limestone – is put into the furnace and a blast of oxygen is sent in through a lance. The mixture melts and collects at the bottom. In HIsarna, the ore is liquefied in a high-temperature cyclone at the top and the molten ore drips to the bottom of the reactor, where powder coal is injected.
• The technology removes a number of pre-processing steps and requires less stringent conditions on the quality of the raw materials used.
• Since it is highly concentrated carbon dioxide that leaves the reactor, the system is “ideally suited for carbon capture and either storage (CCS) or use (CCU), without the need for a costly gas separation stage.

India-Australia Green Steel Initiative:

• In June 2021, the Indian and Australian governments formed an India-Australia Green Steel Partnership to work on a range of research, technology and commercialisation projects over a three-and-a-half year period to accelerate the steel making value chain in both the countries.
• CSIRO of Australia is working with the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubhaneshwar, on a plasma technology for “very rapid melting of iron oxide using hydrogen”.

Promotion of Green Steel by Indian government:

• The Ministry of Steel is committed to the Net-Zero target by 2070.
• Steps taken for promoting decarbonization in steel industry include:-

1. Steel Scrap Recycling Policy, 2019 enhances the availability of domestically generated scrap to reduce the consumption of coal in steel making.
2. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced the National Green Hydrogen Mission for green hydrogen production and usage. The steel sector has also been made a stakeholder in the Mission.
3. Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicles Scrapping Facility) Rules September 2021, shall increase availability of scrap in the steel sector.
4. National Solar Mission launched by MNRE in January 2010 promotes the use of solar energy and also helps reduce the emission of steel industry.
5. Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, under National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, incentivizes steel industry to reduce energy consumption.
6. The steel sector has adopted the Best Available Technologies (BAT) available globally, in the modernization & expansions projects.
7. Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Model Projects for Energy Efficiency Improvement have been implemented in steel plants.

9. Starlink: Why the new sovereign of low-earth orbit is bad news

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

In January 2023, images circulated on Russian Telegram channels revealed a Ukrainian drone equipped with a modified Starlink dish, enabling remote control for tasks like surveillance and military coordination.

Space-Based Internet

• Space-based internet involves deploying constellations of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) to provide high-speed internet access to remote and underserved regions.

Role of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in Space-Based Internet

• Low Earth orbit, typically located between 180 to 2,000 kilometers above Earth’s surface, plays a crucial role in the viability of space-based internet projects.
• LEO satellites have significantly lower latency compared to traditional geostationary satellites located much higher above the Earth.

Starlink: A Game-Changing Project

• Starlink, initiated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is a leading player in the space-based internet arena.
• SpaceX aims to deploy a mega-constellation of satellites, numbering in the thousands, to offer global internet coverage.
• These satellites operate in LEO, allowing for reduced latency and enhanced connectivity compared to traditional geostationary satellites.

Starlink’s Significance in Ukraine’s Communication

• Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, conventional infrastructure like fiber lines and cell towers were destroyed.
• Starlink emerged as a lifeline for communication, underscoring its strategic importance in war-affected regions.
• Ukrainian reliance on Starlink highlighted the control a tech CEO could exert over a nation’s connectivity.

Control Over Starlink Operations and Implications

• Ukrainian government had to coordinate with Starlink for enabling/disabling access in specific regions.
• This reliance on a third party raised concerns about accessibility during emergencies and external control over national communication.
• Similar control dynamics were observed in Taiwan, leading to discussions about a joint venture for local control.

Pentagon’s Intervention and Challenges to Autonomy

• Pentagon approved a deal for 500 new Starlink terminals for Ukraine in June 2023.
  • Aimed to reduce SpaceX’s interference in Ukraine’s communication operations.
• This move reflected the need to mitigate external influence on sovereign nations’ connectivity.
• Traditional infrastructure operates under public utility principles, whereas satellite internet companies exercise considerable control due to technology and regulatory gaps.

Activism in Iran and Global Influence

• Starlink provided connectivity to activists and protestors during Iran’s internet shutdowns.
• Over 100 Starlink terminals were active, enabling communication despite the government’s opposition.
• This highlighted Starlink’s global influence beyond the boundaries of traditional geopolitical power plays.

Monopoly Factors and Competing Initiatives

• Starlink’s monopoly resulted from Musk’s vision, advantageous regulations, and SpaceX’s reusable rockets.
• Competitors faced challenges due to geopolitical considerations and technological limitations.

Competing Technologies and Initiatives

• OneWeb, backed by Bharti Airtel and the U.K. government, faced setbacks due to geopolitical concerns.
• European Union earmarked funds for a sovereign satellite constellation by 2027.
• China plans a massive LEO constellation as an alternative to Starlink’s dominance.
• A diverse range of initiatives indicates the growing recognition of the need for connectivity sovereignty and reduced dependency on one individual’s decisions.

10. Why did Meta block Canada’s access to news reports?

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

On August 1st, Meta announced it would block Canadians from posting news on Facebook and Instagram, in response to Canada’s Online News Act that came into effect on July 22nd.

Why did Meta block Canadian news access?

• Meta blocked Canadian news due to the Online News Act, enacted on July 22, 2023.
• The law mandates compensation from tech giants like Meta and Google to authorized Canadian news publishers for content on their platforms.
• Meta found compliance unfeasible, leading to the news availability termination on August 1, 2023.

What is the Online News Act’s purpose?

• The Online News Act requires digital platforms with strategic market dominance, as outlined by the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission, to negotiate and compensate news publishers fairly for content usage.
• The government also has the authority to influence how platforms treat news topics.

Why was the Act enacted?

• The Act responds to the unequal influence tech giants like Meta and Google have on online ad revenue and content distribution.
• Modeled after Australia’s News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code, it aims to establish a balanced relationship between platforms and news publishers.

Why is revenue-sharing being emphasized?

• The existing model allows tech platforms to aggregate and distribute news content without adequately compensating the original creators.
• The goal is to rectify the imbalance and ensure news publishers receive their rightful share of revenue.

How did platforms respond elsewhere?

• In Australia, Facebook and Google temporarily blocked news links in February 2021 as a response to the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code.
• Both companies eventually made revenue-sharing deals with Australian publishers, contributing around 200 million Australian dollars annually.
• France’s Competition Authority (FCA) negotiated deals with Google for fair revenue-sharing with news platforms.

What steps has India taken towards fair revenue-sharing?

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is examining unfair conduct and revenue-sharing agreements between tech platforms and news publishers.
• The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA), and the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) have approached CCI to address these concerns.

Why is fair revenue-sharing crucial for India’s digital ecosystem?

• India’s digital market is rapidly expanding, and both tech giants and news publishers play vital roles in this growth.
• Ensuring a fair split of revenue encourages sustainable growth of the internet economy and supports the news industry’s credibility and sustainability.

11. Subramania Bharati: Indian Poet, Writer, and Reformer

Subject: History

Section: Modern India

Context:

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday unveiled a portrait of nationalist Tamil poet-journalist Subramania Bharathi at the Raj Bhavan here. She also renamed the Durbar Hall on the campus as ‘Bharathiar Mandapam’.

Introduction:

• Subramania Bharati, a prominent Indian literary figure, was celebrated for his multifaceted contributions as a poet, writer, journalist, and social reformer.
• He is often referred to by the honorifics “Mahakavi Bharati” or “Bharathiyar,” which signify his esteemed status in the literary realm.

Life and Timeline:

• Bharati was born on December 11, 1882, in Ettayapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
• He passed away at the age of 38 on September 11, 1921, leaving behind a profound legacy.

Literary Contributions:

• Bharati’s literary works encompassed a wide range of themes, reflecting his deep insights into Indian society and its challenges.
• In the late 19th century, Bharati began his literary journey, contributing to various Tamil newspapers and magazines.
• During 1900-1907, he composed stirring nationalist poetry, including “Vande Mataram” (originally composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay) in 1907, which became an anthem for India’s struggle for freedom.
• He published the sensational “Sudesa Geethangal” in 1908.
• In 1912, “Panchali Sabatham” emerged as a significant work, criticizing social injustices and advocating for reform.
  • an epic poem based on the Mahabharata
• His collection “Kuyil Pattu” (1912) and “Kannan Pattu” (1912) portrayed nature’s beauty and human emotions.
  • “Kannan Pattu” explored spirituality and devotion through Lord Krishna’s life, composed in 1912.
• The iconic “PuthiyaAathichudi” was penned in 1910, emphasizing human values and unity.
• “Desa Matrikai” (1910) celebrated India’s diverse culture while promoting a united identity.
• During 1910-1911, Bharati contributed to newspapers like “India,” passionately critiquing colonial rule.
• “Pudhumai Penn” (1912) empowered women, while “Nindru Kol” (1910) urged the youth to be socially responsible.
• During his association with newspapers like “India,” he coined slogans like “சுதந்திரம்விடுதலைவன்” (Freedom Fighter).
• Bharati’s writings, while deeply rooted in India, resonated globally, inspiring freedom movements.
• In 1949, he became the first poet whose works were nationalised by the state government.

Role in Indian Independence Movement:

• Bharati played an active role in India’s fight for independence from British colonial rule.
• His powerful translation and adaptation of “Vande Mataram,” originally composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, transformed the song into a potent rallying cry for the nation’s freedom fighters.

Advocacy for Social Reform:

• Recognizing the entrenched caste-based discrimination prevalent in society, Bharati employed his writings to champion the cause of social reform.
• His fervent appeals for equality among different social groups struck a chord with many, encouraging a more inclusive and just society.

Empowerment of Women:

• A progressive thinker ahead of his time, Bharati staunchly advocated for the rights and empowerment of women.
• His writings challenged prevailing gender norms and encouraged the participation of women in various aspects of society.

Nationalism and United India:

• Bharati’s deep-seated nationalism found expression in his impassioned writings that celebrated the spirit of India and its diverse cultural heritage.
• He ardently believed in the idea of a united India, advocating for the dissolution of regional and linguistic barriers to foster a stronger national identity.

Impact and Legacy:

• Bharati’s contributions have had a lasting impact on Tamil literature, with his works continuing to inspire generations of readers.
• His writings not only ignited a sense of patriotism but also awakened social consciousness and political awareness among the masses.

12. Supernovae – the universe’s engines

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Space science

What is a supernova, and how does it occur?

• A supernova is a cataclysmic explosion of a massive star, releasing an enormous amount of energy and radiation.
• It occurs when a star exhausts its nuclear fuel, leading to a sudden gravitational collapse and a violent explosion.

What are the main types of supernovae?

• Core-collapse supernovae (Type II):
  • Result from the core collapse of massive stars with hydrogen-rich outer layers.
  • Sub-types:
    • Type IIP: Shows a plateau in its light curve due to recombination of hydrogen in the expanding envelope.
    • Type IIL: Exhibits a linear light curve decline instead of a plateau.
  • Thermonuclear supernovae (Type I):
    • Involve the explosion of a white dwarf in a binary star system.
    • Sub-types:
      • Type Ia: Lacks hydrogen and helium in its outer layers, resulting from a white dwarf accreting mass from a companion star.
      • Type Ib: Lacks hydrogen but has helium in its outer layers.
      • Type Ic: Lacks both hydrogen and helium in its outer layers.
    • Other sub-types:
      • Type IIb: A transitional type between Type II and Type Ib, displaying hydrogen lines at early stages but losing them later.
      • Type IIn: Features narrow hydrogen lines in its spectrum due to interaction with a dense circumstellar material.

How do core-collapse supernovae differ from thermonuclear supernovae?

• Core-collapse supernovae occur in massive stars with hydrogen-rich outer layers, leading to a more complex explosion.
• Thermonuclear supernovae involve white dwarfs and lack hydrogen and helium in their outer layers, causing a more uniform explosion.

What is a neutron star, and how does it relate to supernovae?

• Neutron Star: A dense remnant of a massive star, mainly composed of tightly packed neutrons.
• Relation to Supernovae: Neutron stars form from the collapsed core of a massive star during a supernova explosion.
• Formation Process: Core-collapse supernovae occur when a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel, leading to a gravitational collapse. The resulting shockwave expels the outer layers, leaving behind a dense neutron star.
• Properties: Neutron stars are small yet incredibly dense, with strong gravitational fields. They can spin rapidly and emit radiation, observed as pulsars.

How do supernovae influence the universe?

• Supernovae disperse heavy elements, like gold and uranium, enriching the interstellar medium and aiding in the formation of new stars and planets.
• Shockwaves from supernovae trigger the collapse of nearby molecular clouds, leading to the formation of new stars.

Can supernovae be harmful to Earth?

• For Earth to be significantly affected, a supernova must be relatively close, which is currently not the case.
• In the past, supernovae might have influenced Earth’s climate, but direct harm is unlikely due to the vast distances.

What is the significance of studying supernovae?

• Studying supernovae helps us understand the life cycles of stars,
  • the universe’s chemical evolution, and
  • the formation of heavy elements.
• Supernovae serve as “standard candles” ,allowing us to measure cosmic distances and study the expansion of the universe.

Can we observe supernovae from Earth?

• Yes, astronomers regularly observe supernovae in distant galaxies using ground-based and space telescopes.
• Observations of supernovae provide valuable data on stellar evolution and the properties of exploding stars.

What are some historical supernova observations, and what were their contributions?

• SN 1006 (1006 A.D.): One of the brightest supernovae ever recorded, observed by multiple civilizations.
• SN 1054 (1054 A.D.): Gave rise to the Crab Nebula and was visible for years.
• Tycho’s Supernova (SN 1572): Discovered by Tycho Brahe in 1572, challenged the notion of a static universe.
• Kepler’s Supernova (SN 1604): Observed by Johannes Kepler in 1604, contributed to the shift from geocentrism to heliocentrism.
• SN 1987A (1987): Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, observed in 1987, and offered insights into neutrinos and supernova theories.

How often do supernovae occur?

• Supernovae are relatively rare events, with only a few occurring in our galaxy every century.
• However, they are more frequent in other galaxies, with thousands of supernovae observed each year in the observable universe.

What role do supernovae play in the evolution of galaxies?

• Supernovae regulate star formation rates and
  • inject energy, heavy elements, and momentum into the interstellar medium.
• The enrichment of the interstellar medium by supernovae influences the formation of subsequent generations of stars and planets.

What are some major supernovae observed recently?

• SN 2011fe (2011): Type Ia supernova in galaxy M101.
• SN 2014J (2014): Type Ia supernova in galaxy M82.
• iPTF14hls (2014): Unusual supernova in galaxy UGC 9379.
• ASASSN-15lh (2015): One of the most luminous supernovae in galaxy PGC 1000170.
• SN 2016aps (2016): Superluminous supernova in galaxy CGCG 137-068.

Prelims Tibits

Daily Mapping

• 49th Parallel line