Daily Prelims Notes 11 January 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

11 January 2024

Table Of Contents

1. IISc Bengaluru comes up with warm vaccine against current strains of SARS-CoV-2
2. Why did North India fog so heavily last week?
3. Kuki­Zo tribal bodies against review of ST status of certain tribes
4. The laws around remission policy
5. How a super ­energetic particle from outer space could help physics
6. Maiden embarkation of scientists from Indian Ocean Countries onboard Antarctic expedition – Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)
7. Darjeeling zoo scripts a success story: With a count of 14, it now has world’s largest number of snow leopards in captivity
8. South Africa’s genocide case against Israel: How will the ICJ decide?

1. IISc Bengaluru comes up with warm vaccine against current strains of SARS-CoV-2

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Health

In the news:

• A heat-tolerant vaccine developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers is said to be effective against all current strains of SARS-CoV-2 besides having the potential to be quickly adapted for future variants as well.

Details:

• Researchers from IISc report the design of a synthetic antigen (RS2 antigen) that can be manufactured as a potential COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
• the RS2 antigen can be stored at room temperature unlike other vaccines which require cold storage. This makes the new vaccine much more economical.
• Since 2000, IISc team has been working on designing several viral vaccines, including those against AIDS and influenza. They have leveraged this expertise to design their current RS2-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate in collaboration with the startup Mynvax, which was, until recently, incubated at IISc.

Development of the new vaccine:

• While current vaccines are proven to be effective against most SARS-CoV-2 strains, their efficacy has declined due to rapid mutation by the virus.
• After analysing various proteins found in the virus, the researchers selected two parts of SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein – the S2 subunit and the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) – for designing their vaccine candidate.
  • The S2 subunit is highly conserved. It mutates much less than the S1 subunit, which is the target of most current vaccines.
  • The RBD can provoke a strong immune response in the host.
• Therefore, the team created a hybrid protein called RS2 by combining these two components.
• The testing shows that the hybrid protein triggered a strong immune response and provided better protection when compared to vaccines containing the whole spike protein.

Advantage of the new vaccine:

• The vaccine candidate can be tailored to incorporate the RBD region of any new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that might emerge.
• Its high levels of expression and stability at room temperature can greatly reduce production and distribution costs, making it well suited for combating COVID-19.

Source: The Hindu

2. Why did North India fog so heavily last week?

Subject: Geography

Section: Climatology

Context:

• In late December 2023 and early 2024, northern India faced severe winter conditions characterized by low temperatures and dense fog.
• Affected regions are: Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

What is fog?

• Fog is the result of small water droplets forming when evaporated water cools and condenses.
• Fog is a thick cloud near the earth’s surface, dependent on lower temperatures and abundant surface moisture.
• Fog forms when there’s a temperature difference between the ground and the air, common during Indian winters.
• High humidity, along with ample moisture, contributes to the creation of foggy conditions.
• Mechanisms:
  • Infrared Cooling: Occurs during the transition from summer to winter, with warm, moist air coming into contact with cooling processes, leading to rapid condensation and fog formation.
• Types of fog:
  • Radiation Fog: Prevails after an unseasonably warm day with high humidity, followed by a rapid temperature drop.
  • Advectional fog: Fogs formed by condensation of warm air when it moves horizontally over a cold surface, are known as advectional fog. These fogs are thick and persistent. Occurs over warm and cold water mixing zones in oceans.
  • Frontal or precipitation fog: It is produced due to convergence of warm and cold air masses where warm air mass is pushed under by the heavier cold air mass.
    • Precipitation in the warm air mass condenses to produce fog at the boundary of the two air masses. These are called frontal or precipitation fog.
• Various environmental conditions determine the specific type, duration, and effects of fog, including its impact on snow melting.

Why is northern India prone to fogging?

• The entire Indo-Gangetic plains are prone to formation of fog during winter season, as all the conditions — low temperatures, low wind speed, moisture availability and plenty of aerosols — are present in this region.
• Moisture incursion into this region can happen due to Western Disturbance and sometimes Arabian sea.

Other forms of condensation:

3. Kuki­Zo tribal bodies against review of ST status of certain tribes

Subject: Geography

Section: Human geography

Context:

• Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and Zomi Council Steering Committee (ZCSC) condemn the move to review ST status of Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur during ethnic conflict.
• Manipur government forms a committee to examine delisting representation, including all 34 recognized STs.

More about News

• ITLF accuses Manipur government of attempting to change ST criteria, depriving Kuki-Zo tribals of rights and land, warns of escalating conflict.
• Zomi body opposes removal of Free Movement Regime along Myanmar border, criticizes Manipur government’s efforts to shift focus from the root cause of ethnic violence.
•  ZCSC demands a separate administration for the Zo people,seeking a Union Territory with a legislature under the Indian Constitution.

About Kuki Tribe:

• Resides in the northeastern regions of India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.Primarily located in Manipur and Mizoram (India), Chin State (Myanmar), and Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh).Also referred to as Chin or Mizo people, sharing common ancestry and culture.
• Part of the broader Zo people, including the Chin and Mizo tribes.Boasts a diverse history, culture, and traditions, shaped by their environment in hilly and forested terrain.
• Communicates through various dialects of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo language family, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman branch of SinoTibetan languages.

Process of Amendment in the ST List

• Any tribe or tribal community can be included or excluded from the list only by law made by the Parliament of India.
• A notification issued under clause (1) of Article 342, specifying Scheduled Tribes, is used to amend the list.
• As per the SC verdict, it is not open to State governments or courts or tribunals or any other authority to modify, amend or alter the list of Scheduled Tribes specified in the notification issued under clause (1) of Article 342.
• However, the center has stated that the process of inclusion or exclusion from ST list requires the proposal to originate from the concerned State government, which is then acted upon by the Parliament. 
• The criteria used by the government to declare communities as STs were decided upon by the Lokur Committee in 1965 and continue to be in use today.
• Criteria includes primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the community at large, and backwardness. 

4. The laws around remission policy

Subject: Polity

Section: Judiciary

Context:

• The Supreme Court on January 8 set aside the remission of 11 convicts  sentenced to life imprisonment for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and murder of her family, during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat.
• The remission order was passed by the Gujarat government in August 2022.

Legal and Constitutional Provisions:

• The constitutional provisions under Article 72 and 161 empower the President and Governor, respectively, to grant pardon, commutation, remission, respite, or reprieve to a convict.
• Additionally, Section 432 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) allows the appropriate State government to remit a convict’s punishment, subject to certain conditions.
• Notably, life imprisonment convicts can only be considered for remission after serving 14 years, as per Section 433A of the CrPC.
• “Remission” in this context refers to the reduction or mitigation of the sentence or penalty imposed on a person.
• It allows the executive authorities to use their discretion in considering factors such as the nature of the offense, the conduct of the convict, and other relevant circumstances to decide whether a reduction in the punishment is warranted.

Supreme Court guidelines on pardoning power:

• Mandatory Central government advice: In Maru Ram v Union of India, the Constitutional Bench of Supreme Court held that the power under Article 72 is to be exercised on the advice of the Central Government and not by the President on his own, and that the advice of the Government binds the head of the Republic.
• No reason required: The Supreme Court in Ranga Billa case observed that the term pardon itself signifies that it is entirely a discretionary remedy and grant or rejection of it need not to be reasoned.
• Not a matter of right: Supreme Court in Kehar Singh v Union of India held that the grant of pardon by the President is an act of grace and, therefore, cannot be claimed as a matter of right. The power exercised by the President being exclusively of administrative nature, is not justiciable.
• Limited Judicial review: Pardoning powers under Articles 72 and 161 is subject to judicial review. In Epuru Sudhakar vs Govt. Of A.P., the Supreme Court held that it is a well-set principle that a limited judicial review of exercise of clemency powers is available to the Supreme Court and High Courts. Granting of clemency by the President or Governor can be challenged on the following grounds:
  • The order has been passed without application of mind.
  • The order is malafide.
  • The order has been passed on wholly irrelevant considerations.
  • Relevant material has been kept out of consideration.
  • The order is arbitrary.
• The pardoning power is founded on consideration of public good and is to be exercised on the ground of public welfare. Pardon may substantially help in saving an innocent person from being punished due to miscarriage of justice or in cases of doubtful conviction. The hope of being pardoned itself serves as an incentive for the convict to behave himself in the prison institution and thus, helps considerably in solving the issue of prison discipline.

Bilkis Bano Case:

• The crimes in question occurred in Gujarat in 2002 but were later shifted to Maharashtra for a fair trial. In 2008, a CBI trial court in Mumbai sentenced the 11 convicts to life imprisonment.
• In 2022, Radheshyam Shah, one of the convicts, sought remission under Gujarat’s ‘Remission policy’ of 1992.
• Despite legal discrepancies, the Gujarat government granted premature release to the convicts in August 2022, leading to a legal and moral quandary.

5. How a super ­energetic particle from outer space could help physics

Subject: IR

Section: International Conventions

Context:

• A cosmic ray that has been dubbed ‘Amaterasu’ appears to have reached the earth from an empty part of the universe.

More About News

• In May 2021, Japanese scientist Toshihiro Fujii discovered a remarkably high-energy cosmic-ray event, which he named ‘Amaterasu,’ after the Japanese sun goddess.
• This cosmic ray, Amaterasu, is the second-highest-energy cosmic ray ever detected and was found by analyzing data collected between May 2008 and November 2021 by the Telescope Array Project in the U.S.
• Cosmic rays are energetic particles from space, including protons and alpha particles, and understanding them is crucial as they influence life on Earth.
• The energy of Amaterasu was measured at an astonishing 240 exaelectron-volt (EeV), making it about 40 million times more energetic than particles accelerated in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
• Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) like Amaterasu, with energies greater than 1 EeV, are of particular interest. Cosmic microwave background radiation limits their propagation beyond certain distances in space.
• Amaterasu’s origin remains a mystery as it appears to come from an empty part of the universe, defying existing astronomical explanations.
• This discovery challenges the Standard Model of particle physics and suggests the possibility of unknown phenomena.
• In 1991, another high-energy cosmic ray, known as the “Oh My God” particle, with an energy of 320 EeV, was detected, and it remains the most energetic cosmic ray ever recorded.

6. Maiden embarkation of scientists from Indian Ocean Countries onboard Antarctic expedition – Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)

Subject: IR

Section: International Conventions

Context:

• Two scientists from Mauritius and one scientist from Bangladesh boarded the vessel at Cape town on 20 Dec 2023 to participate in the 43rd Antarctic expedition of India led by National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa.

More on news:

• This participation of scientists from neighboring countries is an outcome of the CSC Oceanographers and Hydrographers conference held at Goa and Hyderabad in November 2022.
• The scientists from CSC nations had embarked onboard ‘Sagar Nidhi’ for a month-long scientific expedition in the Indian Ocean Region in June 2023.
• These scientists will participate in the Antarctic expedition for a period of 3-4 months.
• They will undertake collaborative research in various disciplines pertaining to polar science and understand the nuances of Polar logistics as well as challenges of the Polar environment.

About Colombo Security Conclave:

• The Colombo Security Conclave was formed in 2011 as a trilateral maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
• Later Mauritius joining as the fourth member and Bangladesh & Seychelles participating as observer countries
• The Conclave underlines regional cooperation and shared security objectives concerning all littoral nations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• It aims to make maritime security, marine pollution response and maritime search & rescue priorities for the region.
• The 5th National Security Adviser level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave was held in Maldives on 09-10 March 2022. 
• In the meeting, key areas of cooperation to enhance and strengthen regional security were identified in the following five pillars:
  •  Maritime Safety and Security
  • Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation
  • Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime
  • Cyber Security, Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology
  • Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
• Its 6th NSA level meet was convened at Mauritius in December 2023.
•  In November 2021, India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives conducted Exercise Dosti XV in Maldives, with Bangladesh and the Seychelles as observers. 

About SAGAR:

SAGAR is an acronym  for Security and Growth for All in the Region, is a term used by the Prime Minister and Government of India for India’s vision and geopolitical framework of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. 

SAGAR was launched in 2015. It is India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) and neighborhood first policy are the prime initiatives for IOR .

7. Darjeeling zoo scripts a success story: With a count of 14, it now has world’s largest number of snow leopards in captivity

Subject : Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: 

• Nearly four decades after Darjeeling zoo began a conservation breeding programme, it now has the world’s largest number of snow leopards in captivity.
• There are 14 snow leopards in total with 7 males and 7 females.

More on news:

• This announcement was made by the World Association for Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
• There are six cubs from three mothers, the highest since the launch of the breeding programme at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP), also commonly known as Darjeeling zoo.
• The conservation breeding programme for snow leopards, the first and the only in the country, was launched at Darjeeling zoo in 1985.
• The Darjeeling zoo has been the coordinating zoo for snow leopards in the country since 2007.
• Biosecurity protocols for all captive animals include:
  • blow flaming of shelters twice a month,
  • using virucidal spray twice a month,
  • daily use of UV lights,
  • daily cleaning of shelters with disinfectants,
  • burning of turmeric,
  • use of potassium permanganate as foot baths
• WAZA is the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world.

About Snow Leopard:

• The snow leopard’s habitat range extends across the mountainous regions of 12 countries across Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 
• In India,the population of snow leopards  is estimated to be between 400-600 and is distributed across the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. 
• Snow leopards live in high altitudes ranging from 3,000-4,500 meters.
• They generally prey upon species such as the Himalayan Blue Sheep, Ibex and Tahr.

• Vulnerability status of Snow Leopard:
  • Vulnerable: IUCN LIST
  • Appendix 1: CITES
  • Schedule1: Wildlife Protection Act 1972

Conservation programmes:

• WWF had launched Third Pole GeoLab, an interactive web-based tool and database for snow leopard conservation, climate change, and water security issues in Asia’s high mountains, as part of our USAID-funded project, Conservation and Adaptation in Asia’s High Mountain Communities and Landscapes.
• The USAID-funded, $7.3 million Conservation and Adaptation in Asia’s High Mountain Landscapes and Communities project will conduct field activities in and build alliances among six of the snow leopard’s 12 range countries: Bhutan, India, Nepal, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan.
• India has been part of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme since 2013.
• Project Snow Leopard:
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change launched Project Snow Leopard in 2009 to promote an inclusive, participatory, and landscape-based approach to conserve Snow Leopards and their habitat in India.
• The project aims to protect and conserve the high-altitude of the Himalayan and trans-Himalayan regions to improve wildlife conservation and adopt a participatory approach that involves the local communities and other stakeholders in safeguarding the snow leopard and its habitat.
• Project Snow Leopard is being implemented in the four Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, and the two UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh

About Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park:

• This zoo was established in August 1958.
• It is the largest high-altitude zoo in the country. 
• It is located in Darjeeling district of  West Bengal
• It has been successful in conservation breeding of 10 animals including Red Pandas, Snow Leopards and Blue Sheep.
• The Red Panda project was started in 1990.
• The zoo has been a pioneer for conservation breeding of endangered Eastern Himalayan Species in India.
• In the year 2022, the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA) ranked PNHZ Park First in all categories among all zoos in the country.

8. South Africa’s genocide case against Israel: How will the ICJ decide?

Subject: IR

Section: International Conventions

Context:

• Israel has promised to defend itself as the World Court is set to hold public hearings in the case brought by South Africa.

More on news:

• Pretoria accuses Israel of committing genocide in contravention of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which both South Africa and Israel are party to.
• Countries party to the treaty have the collective right to prevent and stop the crime.
• What constitutes genocide: The killing of civilians in large numbers, especially children; the expulsion and displacement of Palestinians en masse and the destruction of their homes; the inciting statements by several Israel officials portraying Palestinians as sub-humans to be collectively punished, all constitute genocide.
• The suit also lists the blockade on food and the destruction of essential health services for pregnant women and babies as measures by Tel Aviv.
• A separate case is continuing at the International Criminal Court, a different body.
• The  ICC tries individuals in criminal cases, the ICJ focuses on legal disputes between states.
• A 2019 case that The Gambia brought against Myanmar for its military crackdown on Rohingya refugees is still in trial.
• President Joan E Donoghue of the United States leads the ICJ presently alongside Vice President Kirill Gevorgian of Russia.

About International Court of Justice:

• The Court is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
•  It was established by the United Nations Charter, which was signed in 1945 in San Francisco (United States).
• It started its functioning in April,1946.
•  The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).
• The Court’s official languages are English and French.

Composition and working of ICJ: 

• The International Court of Justice is composed of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms of office by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.
• Any country can propose candidates but no two judges must come from one country.
• Presently, the bench includes judges from all parts of the world including France, Slovakia, Somalia and India.
• To appoint a president and vice president, the judges hold a secret ballot.
• ICJ judges ought to be impartial and not act as extensions of their countries.
• At the preliminaries, the ICJ will determine if it has jurisdiction in the case at all. 
• Jurisdiction is established when the states involved affirm that they recognise the court’s power, or if the countries are party to a treaty.
• South Africa and Israel are parties to the Genocide Convention1948.

Who may submit cases to the Court?

• Only States are eligible to appear before the Court in contentious cases.
• At present, this essentially means the 193 Member States of the United Nations.
• The Court has no jurisdiction to deal with applications from individuals, non-governmental organizations, corporations or any other private entity.
•  It cannot provide them with legal advice or help them in their dealings with national authorities.

States representation to the court:

• Countries appoint teams of “Special Agents” which usually include top legal counsel or reputed law professors.
•  The two teams will present their arguments to the full bench.
• All 17 judges will sit at the head of the Great Hall of Justice in the ICJ to hear the arguments on both sides.

Will other countries intervene?

• If a state intervenes because they want to show solidarity, it doesn’t add anything from a legal perspective
• This can only  slow down the process and cause logistical challenges for the ICJ..
• Cases filed by multiple countries would have slowed down the case as the court would have to attend to them all.

What could a final judgment look like?

• ICJ judgements are legally binding and cannot be appealed.
• Article 94 of the United Nations Charter provides that “each Member of the United Nations undertakes to comply with the decision of [the Court] in any case to which it is a party”.
• If there is a dispute about the meaning or scope of a judgment, the only possibility is for one of the parties to make a request to the Court for an interpretation.
• If Israel does not comply, South Africa can approach the UN Security Council for enforcement.
• US being a permanent member possesses a veto power.
• The US could shield Israel from punishment, as it has done multiple times in this war.
• Since 1945, the US has vetoed 34 out of 36 UNSC draft resolutions related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

About  International Criminal Court (ICC):

• It is governed by an International treaty called ‘The Rome Statute’.
•  The ICC is the world’s first permanent international criminal court.
• It investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
• The ICC’s 18 judges are elected by the Assembly of States Parties for their qualifications, impartiality and integrity, and serve 9-year, non-renewable terms.
• India along with US , Russia , Israel , Myanmar and China is not a party to the Rome Statute.
• India is not a member of ICC.

Difference between ICJ and ICC:

GENOCIDE AT THE ICJ VERSUS GENOCIDE AT THE ICC:

ICJ:

• The ICJ can consider whether a State has committed genocide under the Genocide Convention.
• Under that Convention, genocide is defined as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group:
  • Killing members of the group;
  • Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
  • Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
  • Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
  • Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

ICC:

• The ICC, on the other hand, prosecutes genocide as a crime committed by individuals, and it also has jurisdiction over other crimes that the ICJ cannot consider, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• While the definition of genocide is the same at both the ICC and ICJ, the difference is that at the ICC an atrocity does not need to meet the threshold of ‘genocide’ to be prosecuted.
• The ICC can therefore investigate a much wider array of crimes than the ICJ. However, it can only do so in situations arising in States that are party to the Rome Statute.
• Prosecutors are only permitted to open investigations into situations arising in countries that have ratified the Rome Statute.