Daily Prelims Notes 10 October 2020

October 10, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Table Of Contents

Subject: International Organisation

Context: 2020 Nobel Peace Prize to the UN agency World Food Programme (WFP) for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.

Concept:

The World Food Programme is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization focused on hunger and food security.

WFP is headquartered in Rome, Italy. It is governed by an Executive Board, which consists of 36 member states.

It is headed by an Executive Director, who is appointed jointly by the UN Secretary-General and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The Executive Director is appointed for fixed five-year terms.

The WFP operations are funded by voluntary donations from world governments, corporations and private donors.

WFP food aid is also directed to fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat disease, including HIV and AIDS.

Objectives of the World Food Programme:

Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies.
Support food security and nutrition and (re)build livelihoods in fragile settings and following emergencies.
Reduce risk and enable people, communities and countries to meet their own food and nutrition needs.
Reduce under-nutrition and break the inter-generational cycle of hunger.
Zero Hunger in 2030.

WFP initiatives in India:

WFP has proposed some unique initiatives like Automatic Grain Dispensing Machine (Annapurti) and Mobile Storage Units for the effective implementation of TPDS.

It has completed a pilot on rice fortification used in the government’s Mid-day Meals scheme in Varanasi.

WFP will provide technical assistance for setting up supplementary nutrition production units in 18 districts for supply of quality food to about 33 lakh beneficiaries of the Anganwadi scheme (Integrated Child Development Services).

2. RBI MEASURES

Subject: Economy

Context: RBI has introduced on-tap targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) of Rs 1,00,000 crore for providing additional liquidity and extended SLR holding limits till March 2022 and announced open market operations (OMOs) for state development loans (SDLs) for the first time to compress the rising spreads.

Concept:

On-tap TLTRO:

The LTRO is a tool under which the RBI provides one-year to three-year money to banks at the prevailing repo rate, accepting government securities with matching or higher tenure as the collateral. On-tap means it is available all around the year.
RBI has announced injection of Rs. 1 Lakh Crore into the system through LTRO auctions.
Therefore, LTRO supplies Banking system with liquidity for their 1- to 3-year needs.

Open market operations:

Open Market Operations (OMOs) are market operations conducted by RBI by way of sale/purchase of government securities to/from the market with an objective to adjust the rupee liquidity conditions in the market on a durable basis.
If there is excess liquidity, RBI resorts to sale of securities and sucks out the rupee liquidity.
Similarly, when the liquidity conditions are tight, RBI buys securities from the market, thereby releasing liquidity into the market.
It is one of the quantitative (to regulate or control the total volume of money) monetary policy tools which is employed by the central bank of a country to control the money supply in the economy.

Bond Yield:

The yield of a bond is the effective rate of return that it earns. But the rate of return is not fixed — it changes with the price of the bond.

Bond Yield curve:

A yield curve is a graphical representation of yields for bonds (with an equal credit rating) over different time horizons.
If bond investors expect the economy to grow normally, then they would expect to be rewarded more (that is, get more yield) when they lend for a longer period. This gives rise to a normal — upward sloping — yield curve.
The steepness of this yield curve is determined by how fast an economy is expected to grow. When the economy is expected to grow only marginally, the yield curve is “flat”.
Yield inversion happens when the yield on a longer tenure bond becomes less than the yield for a shorter tenure bond. A yield inversion typically portends a recession. An inverted yield curve shows that investors expect the future growth to fall sharply.

3. PROCTORING

Subject: Science and tech

Context: Proctored exams are viewed as a technological solution to curb malpractises exercised during online exams.

Concept:

Proctoring enables students to write a test online in a remote location, while maintaining the integrity of the test. Students must confirm their identity and they may be monitored through video. That video is then used to flag any irregular student behaviour.

Types:

Auto proctoring : Highly Supported by AI ,which flags suspicious events and provide a vast ability to continuously track a large number of candidates.
Live proctoring: It incorporates real human with technology. An invigilator sits and controls the video feeds with live proctoring.
Image proctoring: It provides flexibility to the invigilator to monitor the images of students captured during exams.

Additional Information: The Ministry of HRD conducted the first-ever Indian Scholastic Assessment (IND-SAT) Test 2020 under its ‘Study in India’ programme.

The exam is conducted in the proctored internet mode by the National Testing Agency.

4. COVAX

Subject: Science and tech

Context: China announced that it is joining the coronavirus vaccine alliance known as COVAX.

Concept:

COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO. Its aim is to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.
The COVAX facility, launched in April 2020, is stitching together agreements with developers and manufacturers of vaccine candidates it thinks are most likely to succeed.
The facility is trying to raise funds to support the rapid development of promising candidates, and the quick expansion of manufacturing capacities, so that the vaccines once approved, could be produced on mass scale.
The facility aims to procure at least two billion doses of a novel Coronavirus vaccine by the end of next year, for deployment and distribution mainly in the low and middle income countries.
The countries who join the initiative are also assured supply of vaccines whenever they become successful. The countries will get assured supplies to protect at least 20 per cent of their populations.

5. ANTI- RADIATION MISSILE

Subject: Defence technology

Context: A New Generation Anti Radiation Missile (NGARM), Rudra M-I, was successfully flight-tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Concept:

RudraM-I is an anti-radiation missile can locate and target any radiation-emitting source like enemy radars, communication sites and other Radio Frequency (RF) emitting targets.
This is the first indigenous anti-radiation missile of the country. It has a range of up to 200 km depending upon the launch conditions.
It can be launched from altitudes of 500 m to 15 km and speeds of 0.6 to 2.

How does it work?

Anti-radiation missiles are designed to detect, track and neutralize the adversary’s radar, communication assets and other radio frequency sources, which are generally part of their air defence systems.
Such a missile’s navigation mechanism comprises an inertial navigation system — a computerised mechanism that uses changes in the object’s own position — coupled with GPS, which is satellite-based.
For guidance, it has a “passive homing head” — a system that can detect, classify and engage targets (radio frequency sources in this case) over a wide band of frequencies as programmed.
Once the RudraM missile locks on the target, it is capable of striking accurately even if the radiation source switches off in between.

6. SCIENTIFIC SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (SSR)

Subject: Science and tech

Context: Central government may soon announce a national policy on SSR.

Concept:

Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) is the confluence of scientific knowledge with visionary leadership and social conscience.
It is about building synergies among all stakeholders in scientific knowledge community and also about developing linkages between science and society.
It will include a range of activities like delivering lectures in educational institutes, writing an article in a magazine or doing something beyond the curriculum.
However, this initiative may not be mandatory like the Corporate Social Responsibility (where large companies have to spend 2 per cent of the average profit of the previous three years on specified CSR activities) in legal perspective.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), which is part of the government.

SERB:

It is a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology.
It is chaired by the Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Science and Technology.
It was set up for promoting basic research in science and engineering and to provide financial assistance to scientists, academic institutions, Research and Development laboratories, industrial concerns and other agencies for such research.

7. SATHI SCHEME

The Department of Science & Technology has launched a unique scheme called “Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institutes (SATHI)”.

Aim: To address the need for building shared, professionally managed and strong S&T infrastructure in the country which is readily accessible to academia, start-ups, manufacturing, industry and R&D labs etc.

Implementation:

These Centres are expected to house major analytical instruments to provide common services of high-end analytical testing, thus avoiding duplication and reduced dependency on foreign sources.
These would be operated with a transparent, open access policy. About 80% of the time should be devoted to non host institutes.
DST has already set up three such centres in the country, one each at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi and BHU.

Objectives of the Scheme:

To address the problems of accessibility, maintenance, redundancy and duplication of expensive equipment in the institutions.

This will also foster a strong culture of collaboration between institutions and across disciplines to take advantage of developments, innovations and expertise in diverse areas.

Other Similar schemes:

1) SAATHI (Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help Small Industries) Initiative

It is an initiative of the Ministry of Textiles.

To sustain and accelerate the adoption of energy efficient textile technologies in the powerloom sector and cost savings due to use of such technology.

2) SATH(Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital) Program

It is a program of NITI Aayog.

To initiate transformation in the education and health sectors and build 3 future ‘role model’ states.

The program addresses the need expressed by many states for technical support.

8. CYBER PHYSICAL SYSTEMS MISSION

Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) are a new class of engineered systems that integrate computation and physical processes in a dynamic environment. CPS encompasses technology areas of Cybernetics, Mechatronics, Design and Embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) among others.

National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS):

To harness the potential of this new wave of technology and make India a leading player in CPS.It had a total outlay of INR 3,660 crores for a period of five years.

The mission implementation would develop and bring:

Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and associated technologies within reach in the country, adoption of CPS technologies to address India specific National / Regional issues, produce Next Generation skilled manpower in CPS, catalyze Translational Research, accelerate entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem development in CPS,
give impetus to advanced research in CPS, Technology development and higher education in Science, Technology and Engineering disciplines, and
place India at par with other advanced countries and derive several direct and indirect benefits.

Implementation:

The Mission aims at establishment of 15 numbers of Technology Innovation Hubs (TIH), six numbers of Application Innovation Hubs (AIH) and four numbers of Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRP).
These Hubs & TTRPs will connect to Academics, Industry, Central Ministries and State Government in developing solutions at reputed academic, R&D and other organizations across the country in a hub and spoke model.

9. LABOUR BUREAU

Subject: National Organisation

Context: The Labour Bureau would conduct three surveys on migration, domestic workers and professional bodies for evaluating the employment situation in the country especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

Concept:

Labour Bureau, an attached office under Ministry of Labour and Employment, was set up on 1st October 1946.
It is entrusted with the work of compilation, collection, analysis and dissemination of statistics on different aspects of labour.
Labour Bureau has two main wings stationed in Shimla and Chandigarh.
The functions/activities of Labour Bureau can be classified under the following major heads:
Compilation and maintenance of Consumer Price Index Numbers for Industrial Workers, Agricultural/Rural Labourers, Retail Price Index of Selected Essential Commodities in Urban Areas etc.
Quick Employment Survey and Employment-Unemployment survey are also being conducted by Labour Bureau.

10. RTGS vs NEFT

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that the money transfer facility, RTGS, will be available round the clock, 24 hours a day. The announcement comes after the RBI made the NEFT facility available 24X7 from 2019.

Concept:

National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) is an online system used for transferring small to large amounts of money from one financial entity to another within India.

Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) is a funds transfer system where funds of high quantity are transferred from one bank to another in ‘real-time’ and on a gross basis.

Differences between NEFT and RTGS

National Electronics Funds Transfer, transactions of any amount can be sent to the recipient’s account without any maximum limit to the funds that can be sent in a day. Large amounts of funds can be used to transfer instantly with Real-Time Gross Settlement. The transaction speed is faster than any other form of online payment.
The National Electronic Funds Transfer method does not have a minimum transfer limit ceiling. The minimum amount needed to be transferred has to be of Rs. 2 Lakhs and above for RTGS
The settlement of funds happens on a half-hourly basis The settlement of funds is instantaneous and happens in real-time
The NEFT mode is used when the transactions are of smaller values. RTGS is used in high-value transactions.