Daily Prelims Notes 29 April 2021

April 29, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

29 April 2021

Table Of Contents

Subject: Geography

Context: Recently, several houses and buildings were damaged after an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Assam.

The preliminary analysis shows that the events are located near to Kopili Fault closer to Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT).

Concept:

Himalayan Front Thrust (HFT)

It is also known as the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT).
It is a geological fault along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
It demarcates a sharp physiographic and tectonic boundary between the Himalayan foothills and the Indo-Gangetic Alluvial Plains.
It represents a discontinuous zone of active faulting between the Sub-Himalaya and the alluvial plain.

About Kopili Fault

The Kopili is the main river of the Kopili Valley.
Geologically, Kopili Valley area comprises Neogene-Quaternary sediments which were deposited directly over the Archean basement.
The Kopili Fault is a 300-km northwest-southeast trending fault from the Bhutan Himalaya to the Burmese arc.
The Kopili Fault is a NW–SE trending strike-slip fault where intense seismic activity occurs down to a depth of about 50 km beneath the Kopili Fault, and the activity continues to the Main Central Thrust (MCT) in the Bhutan Himalaya.

What is a Fault?

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines a fault as a fracture along which the blocks of crust on either side have moved relative to one another parallel to the fracture.
According to the USGS, when an earthquake occurs on one of these faults, the rock on one side of the fault slips with respect to the other.
The fault surface can be vertical, horizontal, or at some angle to the surface of the earth.

Types of Fault

Normal fault: It is a dip-slip fault in which the block above the fault has moved downward relative to the block below.
Thrust fault: It is a dip-slip fault in which the upper block, above the fault plane, moves up and over the lower block.
Strike-slip fault: It is a fault on which the two blocks slide past one another.

2. REFORM LINKED BORROWING

Subject: Economy

Context: States implementing key institutional reforms can borrow Rs 1.06 lakh crore more.

Concept:

The Finance Ministry has permitted additional borrowings of Rs 1.06 lakh crore as at March-end to those states which have carried out some key institutional reforms. Last October, the Central government had linked permission for additional borrowing of 1 per cent of their GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) to implementation of four critical reforms.
Sources said additional borrowing limit of Rs 37,600 crore has been given to states for implementing the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ system, while another Rs 39,521 of borrowing has been allowed to 20 states that implemented Ease of Doing Business reforms.
Eleven states that have implemented urban local body and utility reforms have been given additional borrowing limits of Rs 15,957 crore. Another 17 states received borrowing limit of Rs 13,201 crore in lieu of power sector reforms.
In providing leeway for extra borrowings, the Centre had stressed on the need to push reforms in citizen-centric areas and processes.

3. LEGISALTIONS REGARDING VACCINE PRICING

Subject: Legislations

Context : SC has noted that ‘different manufacturers are quoting different prices’ for Covid-19 vaccines, and told govt it has ‘powers under the Drugs Control Act and Patents Act’ that it can employ.

Concept :

Indian patent act 1970

The Patents Act, 1970 is the legislation that till date governs patents in India. It first came into force in 1972.
The Patents Act has been repeatedly amended: 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006. These amendments were required to make the Patents Act TRIPS-compliant
The major amendment was in 2005, when product patent was extended to all fields of technology like food, drugs, chemicals and micro organism
The Indian Patent Act, 1970 strikes a balance between the rights of the applicant and his obligation to the society granting the rights.
Some salient features of the Act include, product and process patent, term of patent as 20 years, patent examination conducted on request, fast track mechanism for quick disposal of appeals, pre-grant and post-grant opposition allowed, protection of biodiversity and traditional knowledge, and, publication of applications after 18 months of date of filing of patent application.
One of the most important aspects of Indian Patents Act, 1970, is compulsory licensing of the patent subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions.
Section 3(d) stipulates that the mere discovery of a new form of a known substance which does not result in the enhancement of the known efficacy of that substance or the mere discovery of any new property or new use for a known substance or of the mere use of a known process, machine or apparatus unless such known process results in a new product or employs at least one new reactant, is not patentable.

Essential Commodities Act

The ECA is an act which was established to ensure the delivery of certain commodities or products, the supply of which if obstructed owing to hoarding or black-marketing would affect the normal life of the people.
The ECA was enacted in 1955. This includes foodstuff, drugs, fuel (petroleum products) etc.
It has since been used by the Government to regulate the production, supply and distribution of a whole host of commodities it declares ‘essential’ in order to make them available to consumers at fair prices.
Additionally, the government can also fix the maximum retail price (MRP) of any packaged product that it declares an “essential commodity”.
The list of items under the Act includes drugs, fertilizers,Food items, pulses and edible oils, and petroleum and petroleum products.
The Centre can include new commodities as and when the need arises, and takes them off the list once the situation improves.

Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897

The Epidemic Diseases Act aims to provide for the better prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases.
The colonial-era Act empowers the state governments to take special measures and prescribe regulations in an epidemic.
It also defines penalties for disobedience of these regulations, and provides for immunity for actions taken under the Act “in good faith”.
The Epidemic Diseases Act (EDA) was enacted by the colonial government in India to curb the spread of the bubonic plague in erstwhile Bombay.

Provisions of the 1897 Epidemic Diseases Act:

The Act, which consists of four sections, aims to provide “for the better prevention of the spread of Dangerous Epidemic Diseases.”
Section 2 empowers state governments/UTs to take special measures and formulate regulations for containing the outbreak.
The state may determine in what manner and by whom any expenses incurred (including compensation if any) shall be defrayed.
It also provides penalties for disobeying any regulation or order made under the Act.
It also gives legal protection to the implementing officers acting under the Act.

4. ANTI MICROBIAL RESISTANCE

Subject : Science & tech

Context : Antimicrobial resistance: the silent threat . Tackling the problem would mean engaging the health, agricultural, trade and environment sectors.

Concept :

Anti microbial resistance is the resistance acquired by any microorganism (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasite, etc.) against antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics) that are used to treat infections.
As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others.
Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs”.
Antimicrobial resistance is now regarded as a major threat to public health across the globe.

How it Happens?

Some bacteria due to the presence of resistance genes are intrinsically resistant and therefore survive on being exposed to antibiotics.
Bacteria can also acquire resistance. This can happen in two ways:
by sharing and transferring resistance genes present in the rest of the population or
by genetic mutations that help the bacteria survive antibiotic exposure.
Once the resistance has been acquired, it can spread in the rest of the population of bacteria through reproduction or gene transfer.

Reasons for Spread of AMR

Antibiotic consumption in humans

Unnecessary and injudicious use of antibiotic fixed dose combinations could lead to emergence of bacterial strains resistant to multiple antibiotics.

Social factors

Include self-medication.
Access to antibiotics without prescription.
Lack of knowledge about when to use antibiotics.

Cultural Activities

Mass bathing in rivers as part of religious mass gathering occasions.
Antibiotic Consumption in Food Animals
Antibiotics which are critical to human health are commonly used for growth promotion in poultry.

Pharmaceutical Industry Pollution

The wastewater effluents from the antibiotic manufacturing units contain a substantial amount of antibiotics, leading to contamination of rivers and lakes.

Environmental Sanitation

Untreated disposal of sewage water bodies – leading to contamination of rivers with antibiotic residues and antibiotic-resistant organisms.
Infection Control Practices in Healthcare Settings
A report on hand-washing practices of nurses and doctors found that only 31.8% of them washed hands after contact with patients.

5. SCRI

Subject : International Relations

Context : In a move to counter China’s dominance of supply chain in the Indo-Pacific region, trade ministers of India, Japan and Australia on Tuesday formally launched the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) in a virtual trilateral ministerial meeting.

Concept :

What is it?

The SCRI aims to create a virtuous cycle of enhancing supply chain resilience with a view to eventually attaining strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth in the region.
Initially, SCRI will focus on sharing best practices on supply chain resilience and holding investment promotion events and buyer-seller matching events to provide opportunities for stakeholders to explore the possibility of diversification of their supply chains.
Possible policy measures under the initiative may include:

(i) supporting the enhanced utilization of digital technology.

(ii) supporting trade and investment diversification.

Significance:

The SCRI aims to reduce dependence on China amid a likelihood of rechurning of supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
It seeks to build upon the existing bilateral frameworks like the Asean-Japan Economic Resilience Action Plan and India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership and attract foreign direct investment in the region.

6. VEHICLE SCRAPPAGE POLICY

Subject : Economy

Context : Limited incentives and poor cost economics for trucks in the Vehicle Scrappage Policy, coupled with lack of addressable volumes for other segments is unlikely to drive freight transporters to replace their old vehicles with new ones, a report said on Wednesday.

Concept :

It was first announced in the Union Budget for 2021-22.
The policy is estimated to cover 51 lakh Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) that are above 20 years of age and another 34 lakh LMVs above 15 years of age.
India will also implement a Global Positioning System (GPS)-based toll collection system and do away with all toll booths within a year.
Aim: Reducing the population of old and defective vehicles, bringing down vehicular air pollutants, improving road and vehicular safety.

Provisions:

Fitness Test:
Old vehicles will have to pass a fitness test before re-registration and as per the policy government commercial vehicles more than 15 years old and private vehicles which are over 20 years old will be scrapped.
Old vehicles will be tested at the Automated Fitness Center and the fitness test of the vehicles will be conducted according to international standards.
Emission test, braking system, safety components will be tested and the vehicles which fail in the fitness test will be scraped.
The Ministry has also issued rules for registration procedure for scrapping facilities, their powers, and scrapping procedure to be followed.
Road Tax Rebate:
The state governments may be advised to offer a road-tax rebate of up to 25% for personal vehicles and up to 15% for commercial vehicles to provide incentive to owners of old vehicles to scrap old and unfit vehicles
Vehicle Discount:
Vehicle manufacturers will also give a discount of 5% to people who will produce the ‘Scrapping Certificate’ and registration fees will be waived off on the purchase of a new vehicle.
Disincentive:
As a disincentive, increased re-registration fees would be applicable for vehicles 15 years or older from the initial date registration.

7. VACCINE WASTAGE

Subject: Science & tech

Context: In the days ahead, Indian adults below 45 will begin registering for a COVID vaccine that on paper will be available from May 1. Amid a crisis of vaccine supply, the Health Ministry had said that a little over one crore vaccines remain in stock with States.

Concept:

Among large States, Tamil Nadu reported a high percentage of vaccine wastage, nearly 8.83%. Only Lakshadweep had a higher 9.76%. Assam, Manipur and Haryana ranked after Tamil Nadu in percentage wastage of vaccines, at 7.7%, 7.4% and 5.72%
That a certain number of vaccines will be wasted is built into the Centre’s planning process.
In its operational guidelines on COVID-19 vaccination, the Wastage Multiplier Factor has been calculated at 1.11, assuming an allowable programmatic wastage of 10%

Vaccine wastage

Vaccine wastage is directly linked to vaccine usage, which is the proportion of vaccines administered against vaccines issued to a vaccination site.
The vaccine wastage rate is defined as 100 minus the vaccine usage rate.
And the wastage rate directly determines the “wastage factor” that needs to be established for each vaccine in the immunisation schedule to accurately plan vaccine needs.
It is broadly divided into two categories: wastage in unopened vials, and in opened vials.
Wastage in unopened vials can occur due to six broad reasons: if the expiry date has been reached; if the vaccine is exposed to heat; if the vaccine has been frozen; breakage; missing inventory and theft; and while discarding unused vials returned from the vaccination site.
Wastage in opened vials can occur due to five broad reasons: while discarding remaining doses at the end of the session; not being able to draw the number of doses in a vial; submergence of opened vials in the water; suspected contamination; and poor vaccine administration practices.

8. GENERIC MEDICINE

Subject: Science & tech

Context: Hyderabad-based MSN Laboratories launched its branded generic, Favilow (Favipiravir) 800 mg. The higher strength Favilow 800 mg is priced at Rs 144 per tablet and will be available across pharmacies.

Concept:

A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by patents.
Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire.
Because the active chemical substance is the same, the medical profile of generics is believed to be equivalent in performance.
A generic drug has the same active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) as the original, but it may differ in some characteristics such as the manufacturing process, formulation, excipients, color, taste, and packaging.

API

An active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), is the key ingredient of a drug or medicine, which lends it the desired therapeutic effect or produces the intended pharmacological activity. For example, paracetamol is a bulk drug, which acts against pain.
API , also called as Bulk Drugs are mixed with binding agents or solvents to prepare the finished pharmaceutical product, ie a paracetamol tablet, capsule or syrup, which is consumed by the patient.

9. NCT AMENDMENT BILL 2021

Subject: Polity

Context: The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette notification stating that the provisions of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, would be deemed to have come into effect from April 27.

Concept:

The Bill amends the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991. The Act provides a framework for the functioning of the Legislative Assembly and the government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
The Bill amends certain powers and responsibilities of the Legislative Assembly and the Lieutenant Governor.
Restriction on laws passed by the Assembly: The Bill provides that the term “government” referred to in any law made by the Legislative Assembly will imply Lieutenant Governor (LG).
Rules of Procedure of the Assembly: The Act allows the Legislative Assembly to make Rules to regulate the procedure and conduct of business in the Assembly. The Bill provides that such Rules must be consistent with the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha.
Inquiry by the Assembly into administrative decisions: The Bill prohibits the Legislative Assembly from making any rule to enable itself or its Committees to:

consider the matters of day-to-day administration of the NCT of Delhi and

conduct any inquiry in relation to administrative decisions.

Assent to Bills:

The Act requires the LG to reserve certain Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly for the consideration of the President.
The Bill requires the LG to also reserve those Bills for the President which incidentally cover any of the matters outside the purview of the powers of the Legislative Assembly.

LG’s opinion for executive actions:

The Act specifies that all executive action by the government, whether taken on the advice of the Ministers or otherwise, must be taken in the name of the LG.
The Bill adds that on certain matters, as specified by the LG, his opinion must be obtained before taking any executive action on the decisions of the Minister/ Council of Ministers.