Daily Prelims Notes 11 March 2024

March 11, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

11 March 2024

Table Of Contents

1. All about India’s indigenous fifth-gen fighter jet Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), and why it is important

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Defence

Context:

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) this week cleared a Rs 15,000 crore project to design and develop the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India’s fifth-generation fighter multirole fighter jet.

More on news:

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be the nodal agency for executing the programme and designing the aircraft.
It will be manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The aircraft will put India in a select group of nations that have their own fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

Features of AMCA

STEALTH:

The 25-tonne twin-engine aircraft, which will be bigger than other fighters in the Indian Air Force inventory, will have advanced stealth features to avoid detection by enemy radar.

FUEL & WEAPONS:

The aircraft will have a large, concealed internal fuel tank of 6.5-tonne capacity, and an internal weapons bay for a range of weapons, including indigenous weapons, to be buried in its belly.

ENGINE:

The AMCA Mk1 variant will have the US-built GE414 engine of the 90 kilonewton (kN) class, while the more advanced AMCA Mk2 will fly on the more powerful 110kN engine, which will be developed indigenously by DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in collaboration with a foreign defense major.
Other features such as a diverterless supersonic inlet for controlling air flow into the engines, and a serpentine air intake duct to shield the engines from radar emissions, are likely to be part of the AMCA.

Why AMCA is special

The initial plan was to jointly develop the aircraft with Russia under a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) programme.
India withdrew from the FGFA project in 2018.
The AMCA will be India’s indigenous fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is a 4.5-generation single-engine multirole aircraft.
Stealth features such as an internal weapons bay and a bigger internal fuel tank are part of fifth-generation aircraft like AMCA.
External fuel tanks and externally attached weapons leave a huge signature and are easy to detect for radar.
This will be aided by the inclusion of a comprehensive Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) system to keep track of multiple structural components, and to assess the condition of the aircraft in real-time.

Other fifth-generation fighters

Only a few countries have built a fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft.
The list of the aircraft currently in service includes the F-22 Raptor and F-35A Lightning II of the US, the Chinese J-20 Mighty Dragon, and the Russian Sukhoi Su-57.

2. In Gujarat, harnessing the value of dung to boost farmers’ income

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Msc

Context:

Gujarat’s dairy cooperatives are showing the way in supplementing their farmers’ income from milk by procuring dung and converting it into Bio CNG and fertilizer.

More on news:

Deesa-Tharad highway in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, catering to 90-100 vehicles daily, is India’s first and only gas-filling station based on dung from cattle and buffaloes.

Dung facts

From 40 tonnes of dung, we get 2,000 cubic meters of raw biogas containing 55-60% methane, 35-45% CO2, and 1-2% hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and moisture

About Biogas plant:

A biogas plant requires fresh dung, which contains methane along with water.
The methane is produced by bovines inside their rumen (first of four stomach compartments), where the plant material they eat gets fermented or broken down by microorganisms before further digestion.
Carbohydrate fermentation leads to production of carbon-dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen.
These are used by archaea (bacteria-like microbes in the rumen) to produce methane, which the animal expels either as gas or in the dung.
The dung left to dry in the open releases both water and methane.
To realize its fuel value, the dung has to, therefore, be collected and delivered in fresh form at the biogas plant.

Fuel plus fertilizer:

The raw dung unloaded at the BioCNG plant is mixed with an equal quantity of water. The resultant slurry is then pumped into an anaerobic digester.
Anaerobic digestion is a process by which the complex organic matter in dung is broken down in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas

The digestion involves four successive stages:

hydrolysis (break-down of organic matter into simple molecules),
acidogenesis (their conversion into volatile fatty acids),
acetogenesis (production of acetic acid, CO2 and hydrogen) and
methanogenesis (biogas generation).

What is Biogas?

It mainly comprises hydro-carbon which is combustible and can produce heat and energy when burnt.
Biogas is produced through a biochemical process in which certain types of bacteria convert the biological wastes into useful bio-gas.
Since the useful gas originates from a biological process, it has been termed as bio-gas.
Methane gas is the main constituent of biogas.

Purification of Biogas:

The raw gas is purified for removing CO2 (through vacuum pressure swing adsorption or VPSA process), H2S (using activated carbon filter) and moisture (with air dryer separator).
The end-product, purified (to 96-97% methane, 2-3% CO2 and below 0.1% H2S and moisture) and compressed, is stored in cascades.
This compressed biogas (CBG), conveyed through pipelines to the dispensers at the fuel station, is what’s being sold as BioCNG at Rs 72/kg.

3. Meet Pi, the world’s ‘friendliest’ chatbot powered by the new Inflection-2.5 LLM

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

In less than a week, two Large Language Models (LLMs) have been launched that are closer to or even better at tasks than OpenAI’s GPT-4.

More on news:

After Anthropic’s Claude 3 captured the attention of the AI community, Inflection AI launched its latest LLM, Inflection 2.5 which is an upgrade to its model that powers its friendly chatbot Pi personal assistant.
Inflection AI, a California-based AI startup founded by former co-founders of DeepMind and LinkedIn, introduced Pi, their personal AI, in May 2023.

What is Inflection 2.5?

Inflection-2.5 is an upgraded in-house model that is competitive with all the world’s leading LLMs like GPT-4 and Gemini.
The company claims that the newly upgraded LLM comes with its signature personality and uniquely empathetic fine-tuning.
The company claims that its latest model achieved GPT-4’s performance with only 40 per cent of the OpenAI model’s computation power for training.
With the new upgrade, Pi has now been endowed with world-class real-time web search capabilities to ensure that users get access to high-quality and up-to-date information in real-time.

What is the Pi chatbot?

Pi is an AI chatbot with which one can have deep and meaningful conversations.
Pi was launched at a time when the world was marveling at OpenAI’s sensational ChatGPT.
While ChatGPT offered human-like responses, Pi came with a radically different vigour.
Pi is more humane and has been promoted as a chatbot that has a personality.
Inflection AI dubbed it as a chatbot that is “supportive, smart, and there for you anytime”.
While ChatGPT and Gemini were mostly personal assistants that were useful at work, Pi is more like a companion to humans and is free to use.
The chatbot comes with a voice, in six distinct voices, to choose from adding life to conversations.
On the technical side, for training purposes, the chatbot has been shown billions of lines of text on the open web.
Incidentally, the name Pi stands for personal intelligence and it offers infinite knowledge according to a user’s need.
Upon its launch, Pi was powered by Inflection’s proprietary LLM Inflection-1 which was trained on thousands of NVIDIA H100 GPUs on a very large data set.
Based on the evaluations, Inflection-1 was ranked the best model in its compute class outdoing the likes of GPT-3.5, LLaMA, and PaLM-540B on a wide range of benchmarks. In 2022, the company launched its new model Inflection-2, which was trained on 5,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs.
Inflection-2 outclassed Google’s flagship LLM PaLM 2 on various benchmarks including MMLU (massive multitask language understanding), TriviaQA (a realistic text-based question-answering dataset), HellaSwag& GSM8k.

How is Inflection-2.5 different?

With the upgraded language model Inflection-2.5, the company has enhanced the emotional quotient of the Pi chatbot.
Inflection-2.5 also outperforms its predecessor Inflection-1 on the MMLU benchmark and performs at the 85th percentile of human test-takers on the Physics GRE.
Inflection-2.5 retains the Pi chatbot’s unique persona along with maintaining extraordinary safety standards.
The model achieves this all the while making the chatbot a more helpful model across the board.

4. Centre ensures place for Madiga member in Scheduled Caste panel

Subject: Polity

Section: National Body

Context:

The Union government has formed the latest National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), focusing on including members from underrepresented communities, particularly ensuring at least one member from the Madiga community, significantly present in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Details:

The Ministry of Social Justice announced the appointments, naming BJP Gujarat spokesperson Kishor Makwana as the NCSC Chairperson.
VadepallyRamchander from Telangana and Love Kush Kumar from Uttar Pradesh have been appointed as members.
VadepallyRamchander’s inclusion is notable following the government’s move to form an internal committee aimed at the sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes, addressing a long-standing demand from the Madiga community for equitable distribution of benefits and reservation.
The acting chairperson was Arun Halder.

About the Madiga community:

The Madiga community is a Telugu caste from southern India, primarily residing in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, with a small minority in Tamil Nadu. Historically, they were associated with tannery, leatherwork, and small handicrafts. Today, most are agricultural labourers.
The community is categorized as a Scheduled Caste by the Government of India.
Their concern:
- The Madiga community has voiced concerns over being marginalized in favour of the Mala community, despite their significant numbers within the Scheduled Castes.
- The government’s initiative to explore sub-categorisation aims to ensure fair access to benefits for the most backwards among the SCs, though the Supreme Court has yet to rule on the feasibility of SC quota sub-categorisation.

What is the sub-categorization of SC groups?

Sub-categorization involves classifying existing SC caste groups into further categories based on their historical dominance in availing government benefits meant for SCs.
It aims to ensure a more equitable distribution of benefits among SC communities by giving higher shares to historically marginalized groups and lesser shares to those that have traditionally dominated such benefits.

NCSC

NCSC is a constitutional body that works to safeguard the interests of the scheduled castes (SC) in India.
Article 338 of the constitution of India deals with this commission:
It provides for a National Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with duties to investigate and monitor all matters relating to safeguards provided for them, to inquire into specific complaints and to participate and advise on the planning process of their socio-economic development etc.

Its evolution

Special Officer:
- Initially, the constitution provided for the appointment of a Special Officer under Article 338.
- The special officer was designated as the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
65th Amendment, 1990:
- It replaced the one-member system with a multi-member National Commission for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
- The Constitution (65th Amendment) Act 1990, amended Article 338 of the Constitution.
89th Amendment, 2003:
- By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for SC and ST was replaced by two separate Commissions from the year 2004 which were: National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)- under Article 338-A.

Structure –

Chairperson.
Vice-chairperson.
Three other members.

They are appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.

Functions –

Monitoring and investigating all issues concerning the safeguards provided for the SCs under the constitution.
Enquiring into complaints relating to the deprivation of the rights and safeguards of the SCs.
Taking part in and advising the central or state governments with respect to the planning of socio-economic development of the SCs.
Regular reporting to the President of the country on the implementation of these safeguards.
Recommending steps to be taken to further the socio-economic development and other welfare activities of the SCs.
Any other function with respect to the welfare, protection, development and advancement of the SC community.

5. Meant to reduce stress on big cats, why safari parks may be a double-edged sword

Subject: Environment

Section: Env law and body

Context:

On March 6, the Supreme Court expressed its willingness to approve the creation of a Tiger Safari at Pakhrau within the buffer zone of the Corbett tiger reserve. This initiative is intended exclusively for local tigers that are injured, have been involved in conflicts, or are orphaned, explicitly excluding tigers from zoos.

What is tiger safari?

A “tiger safari” is a concept that emerged within the realm of wildlife tourism, specifically aimed at facilitating the viewing of tigers within their natural or semi-natural habitats.
Although not explicitly defined under The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the idea gained formal recognition in the Guidelines for Tourism issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2012.
These guidelines envisaged tiger safaris within the buffer areas of tiger reserves, primarily to manage the high tourist influx in the core habitats critical for tiger conservation.
By 2016, the NTCA had issued more specific guidelines for establishing Tiger Safaris in buffer and fringe areas of tiger reserves, explicitly for rehabilitating injured, conflicted, or orphaned tigers.
These guidelines emphasized that tigers for these safaris should not be sourced from zoos. However, in a notable shift in policy in 2019, the NTCA permitted the introduction of animals from zoos into tiger safaris and delegated the responsibility of selecting such animals to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
The Supreme Court, however, has criticized the idea of housing zoo tigers or other captive animals in tiger habitats, highlighting the risk it poses to wild tigers and other wildlife due to potential disease transmission. The court has suggested that the NTCA’s approach of considering tiger safaris as zoos within tiger reserves contradicts the core objectives of tiger conservation.

But why build a tiger safari in a forest?

The construction of tiger safaris within forests is primarily motivated by the intent to mitigate the adverse effects of tourism on wildlife within tiger reserves.
Safari parks offer these animals a chance to live in an environment that closely resembles their natural habitat.
The establishment of safari parks in buffer areas aligns with the dual objectives of supporting the livelihood and developmental needs of local communities while simultaneously generating revenue and fostering positive attitudes towards tiger conservation.
Challenges:
- Historical data indicates that creating new safari routes to manage tourism demand in tiger reserves often results in increased tourist influx rather than its intended reduction. The practice of showcasing “rescued” tigers in safari parks marks a departure from previous norms, which favoured non-display facilities for such animals.
- Conservationists raise ethical concerns, arguing that the concept of housing “rescued” wildlife in safari parks prioritizes the welfare of individual animals over the broader interests of the species and conservation goals.

What is the ground reality in Corbett and elsewhere?

The Pakhrau Safari Park planned on the southwestern edge of the Corbett Tiger Reserve near Uttar Pradesh, aims to avoid disrupting tiger and wildlife movements towards the Rajaji tiger reserve by utilizing an existing forest road without necessitating tree cutting.
This initiative seeks to extend the economic benefits of tiger tourism beyond the Ramnagar area, which has so far capitalized on its proximity to Corbett, aiming to promote livelihood and development opportunities on the reserve’s other side.
However, parallels drawn with the Ranthambhore safari park in Rajasthan, intended for rescued tigers to alleviate tourism pressure and boost local livelihoods, suggest caution. Since its conception in 2015-16, the project has faced repeated setbacks, with attempts to construct peripheral walls collapsing and necessitating continuous repairs.
Prior to the Supreme Court’s recent restriction on using zoo animals for such parks, various safari parks within protected forests, like the Nahargarh Biological Park inaugurated in 2016, have featured animals from zoos, including Asiatic lions and Royal Bengal tigers, among others.
This practice, however, has proven problematic for territorial species, leading to stress and aggressive behaviour, as seen with resident leopards reacting to captive ones in Nahargarh, indicating the complex dynamics and challenges involved in integrating safari parks within natural wildlife habitats.

Source: IE

6. 7396 golden langurs in India, reveals survey

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

A recent survey conducted by a collaboration of wildlife research and conservation organizations, including the Primate Research Centre NE India (PRCNE), Assam Forest Department, Bodoland Territorial Council, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), and Conservation Himalayas, has estimated the population of golden langurs in India at 7,396 individuals.

Details:

This endangered primate, Trachypithecusgeei, is found exclusively in the Manas Biosphere Reserve and fragmented forests in western Assam.
The survey was conducted in two phases, first covering the western part of the Manas Biosphere Reserve, including the newly upgraded Raimona National Park and several reserve forests, and then focusing on fragmented habitats in Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, and Dhubri districts. Utilizing the block count method for the first time for golden langurs, the habitat was divided into 51 blocks, surveyed by teams of trained enumerators and forest staff.
The survey identified 7,720 individuals in 706 groups and 31 lone or floating males, leading to an estimated minimum population of 7,396 in 707 groups, including both bisexual and male bands, along with lone males.
The population is divided into two major sub-populations: a northern extended population in the Manas Biosphere Reserve, estimated at 5,566 individuals in 534 groups, and a southern fragmented population estimated at 1,830 langurs in 173 groups.

Golden langur:

Gee’s golden langur (Trachypithecusgeei), also known as simply the golden langur, is an Old World monkey found in a small region of Western Assam, India and in the neighbouring foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan.
Long considered sacred by many Himalayan people.
Adult males have a cream to golden coat with darker flanks while the females and juveniles are lighter.
It lives in high trees and has aherbivorous diet of fruits, leaves, seeds, buds and flowers
It is one of the most endangered primate species of India and Bhutan.
In 2008-09, there were 6,000 golden langurs in India, which has grown to 7,396 in 2020-21.
IUCN Red List: Endangered
CITES: Appendix-I

Unstable situation:

The latest population estimation reveals that the Ripu Reserve Forest hosts the largest northern population of golden langurs with 2,847 individuals, while the Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary in the Kokrajhar district harbours the most in the southern fragmented range with 838 langurs.
Despite this population growth, the survey report signals an unstable situation in the golden langurs’ fragmented habitats, primarily due to the absence of non-breeding all-male bands.
To mitigate the challenges posed by this fragmentation and the ensuing anthropogenic threats, the primatologists recommend the creation of corridor linkages among these habitats.
These corridors, potentially established through plantations and canopy bridges, aim to facilitate safer movement for the langurs across their disjointed habitats.

Source: TH

7. Scientists genetically modify ‘sexual’ fruit fly to reproduce asexually

Subject: Environment

Section: Biotechnology

Context:

In a recent development, researchers from Cambridge University and the California Institute of Technology achieved a significant milestone by engineering a sexually reproducing species of fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) to reproduce asexually.
This transformation, demonstrating the extensive biological implications of minor genetic modifications, was first reported in a study published in July 2023, with a follow-up study appearing in the February 2024 issue of Heredity.

The Drosophila family:

The Drosophila family encompasses over 1,600 identified species, showcasing a broad spectrum of natural diversity. Among these, researchers have discovered a unique case of parthenogenesis, a type of reproduction where females produce offspring without male fertilization.
- Parthenogenesis is a form of reproduction in which an egg can develop into an embryo without being fertilized by a sperm.
Specifically, the species Drosophila mangebeirai consists solely of females that can lay eggs developing directly into new female progeny without sperm.
Furthermore, approximately 76% of Drosophila species, typically reproducing sexually, have shown the capability to hatch a minor fraction of eggs laid by isolated virgin females into larvae, and an even smaller fraction of these can develop into adults.
This occasional capability for parthenogenesis is termed facultative parthenogenesis, with Drosophila mercatorum being an example. However, Drosophila melanogaster, the canonical species extensively used in genetics research, engages strictly in sexual reproduction, highlighting the diverse reproductive strategies within the Drosophila family.

The genes for parthenogenesis:

The research aimed to unveil the genetic mechanisms enabling parthenogenesis in Drosophila mercatorum and to replicate these conditions in Drosophila melanogaster to induce parthenogenesis.
Through RNA sequencing,44 genes were identified in D. mercatorum eggs that exhibited differential expression during parthenogenetic development compared to their sexually reproducing counterparts.

Engineering asexual reproduction:

Researchers succeeded in engineering asexual reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster by manipulating the expression levels of specific genes identified in Drosophila mercatorum, a species that can reproduce through parthenogenesis.
By adjusting the expression of 44 genes to match those found in the parthenogenetic eggs of D. mercatorum, they achieved parthenogenesis in D. melanogaster.
Specifically, introducing two additional copies of the pologene, an extra copy of the Myc gene, and reducing the expression of the Desat2 gene resulted in 1.4% of D. melanogaster eggs developing parthenogenetically into adults.
These parthenogenetically born flies were also capable of mating with males and producing offspring, thus converting a species that reproduces strictly sexually into one that can reproduce facultatively through parthenogenesis.

The polar bodies:

In the process of sexual reproduction in flies, each offspring inherits two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent, but only transmits one chromosome from each pair to its eggs or sperm.
Following fertilization, the egg contains five sets of genomes: one in the maternal pronucleus, one in the paternal pronucleus, and three additional sets in nuclei called polar bodies located at the egg’s periphery.
Polar bodies, normally a by-product of chromosome segregation, are typically discarded as the male and female pronuclei fuse to form the progeny nucleus.
However, in unfertilized eggs lacking the male pronucleus, the female pronucleusalone cannot initiate embryonic development.
Researchers discovered that modifying the protein levels of polo, Myc, and Desat2 made the sequestration and disposal of polar bodies inefficient, allowing them to potentially substitute for the absent male pronucleus and initiate embryonic development, thus enabling parthenogenesis.

Significance:

This finding has significant implications for pest control strategies that involve releasing sterilized males or males with genetically edited genomes to suppress progeny numbers. Such approaches may inadvertently select individuals capable of facultative parthenogenesis, thereby reducing their long-term effectiveness.

Source: TH

8. Humanitarian crisis in Haiti as the Caribbean’s most populous country may have fallen to armed gangs

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country and the Caribbean’s most populous nation may have been overtaken by criminal gangs, leading to the evacuation of US embassy staff from Port-au-Prince by the United States Marine Corps, as reported by the Miami Herald.

Details:

Haitians can’t lead a decent life, and live in fear, and the capital is essentially under siege by armed groups.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that the world was ‘running out of time’ to act on Haiti’s crisis.
Armed gangs, growing stronger since the 2010 earthquake, launched an offensive on February 29 to overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s government, targeting hospitals, prisons, and transportation hubs.

A country in turmoil- Haiti:

Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea with the Dominican Republic.
Named Ayiti by its Taino natives, Haiti was the site of Columbus’s first settlement in the Americas, La Navidad, founded in 1492.
Formerly a French colony known as Saint-Domingue,Haiti became Latin America and the Caribbean’s first independent country, the world’s first free black republic, and the second republic in the Western Hemisphere after the US, following the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) led by Toussaint Louverture.
Post-independence, Haiti was forced to pay France 150 million francs as “reparations to French slaveholders,” a debt cleared over 122 years.
The 20th century saw a 19-year US occupation and political interference, including support for the Duvalier Dynasty and the ousting of Haiti’s first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Since the devastating 2010 earthquake, Haiti has struggled with political instability and leadership issues, with successive leaders using armed gangs as private militias, which have now become powerful and uncontrollable.
In 2021, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated, and his successor, Ariel Henry, faced threats of overthrow.
The ongoing unrest has led to the internal displacement of 362,000 Haitians, over half of whom are children, with more than 160,000 people displaced in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area alone, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.

Source: DTE

9. Yaounde Declaration: Health ministers of 11 African countries commit to end malaria deaths

Subject: IR

Section: Int Conventions

Context:

In a historic meeting in Yaoundé, Cameroon, African health ministers and key malaria stakeholders committed to ending malaria deaths, acknowledging the urgent need given the availability of tools and systems.

Yaounde Declaration:

Malaria cases globally rose from 233 million in 2019 to 249 million in 2022, with Africa experiencing an increase from 218 million to 233 million cases, highlighting its status as the epicentre of the malaria crisis.
The 11 participating African countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania) account for over 70% of the global malaria burden.
The Yaoundé Declaration reflects an “unwavering commitment” to fight malaria, including a pledge by African heads of state to allocate 15% of their annual budgets to health sector strengthening.
Key focuses include addressing root causes of malaria stagnation, enhancing health infrastructure and personnel capacity, fostering multi-sectoral collaboration, and holding countries accountable for their commitments.
Despite the declaration’s lack of new commitments and specific targets, it marks a significant milestone in the fight against malaria.
The African Unionaims to control and eliminate malaria by 2030, but progress has fallen short of interim goals, with significant financial gaps hindering efforts.
The continent requires $1.5 billion to sustain basic malaria services and an additional $5.2 billion annually for progress towards elimination, plus $11 billion annually for climate adaptation in the health sector.

About Malaria:

Caused by the Plasmodium parasite.
The parasite is spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. People who have malaria usually feel very sick with a high fever and shaking chills.
Once the parasites enter the human body, they travel to the liver — where some types can lie dormant for as long as a year.
When the parasites mature, they leave the liver and infect your red blood cells. This is when people typically develop malaria symptoms.
Disease-causing Microbes:
- 5 Plasmodium parasite species cause malaria in humans.
- falciparum and P. vivax pose the greatest threat.
- falciparum – deadliest malarial parasite and the most prevalent on the African continent. 95% of all cases of P. falciparum occur in the African region and are associated with severe disease and disease-associated mortality.
- P. vivax – geographically most widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. Dominant in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa
- Other 3 Plasmodium species infecting humans – P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi.

Source: DTE

10. Specialized Cylinders for Hydrogen Storage

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Msc

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) plans to convene a meeting with relevant stakeholders to discuss the development of specialized cylinders for green hydrogen storage.

Background and Challenges:

Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers Concerns: Manufacturers of commercial vehicles, including heavy-duty and long-haul trucks, have raised concerns about challenges related to high-pressure storage cylinders in adopting green hydrogen as a sustainable fuel.
Cost Challenges: High-cost factors associated with green hydrogen fuel cells

Types of Cylinders:

Categorization: Gas cylinders are categorized into four types based on the materials used.
Suitability for Hydrogen: Type 1 and Type 2 cylinders are suitable for storage, while Type 3 is preferred for storage and transportation. Type 4 cylinders are recommended for onboard storage.
Pressure Differences: Hydrogen is stored at a much higher pressure compared to compressed natural gas (CNG). Hydrogen storage pressure ranges between 5,000-10,000 psi.

Meeting Discussions and Plans:

MNRE aims to hold a meeting with industry stakeholders to develop Type 3 and Type 4 cylinders to address challenges related to high-pressure hydrogen storage.
Carbon Fiber Reinforcement: Type 3 and Type 4 cylinders are reinforced with carbon fiber, making them lightweight and suitable for use in vehicles.
Manufacturing Challenges: Manufacturing high-pressure Type 4 hydrogen cylinders involves a slightly more complex process compared to CNG cylinders, adding to production costs.
Domestic Companies’ Plans: Companies like Confidence Petroleum India Limited, Time Technoplast Limited, INOX India Limited, and Indoruss Synergy Private Limited are planning to manufacture Type 4 cylinders for hydrogen storage.
BHEL’s Initiatives: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is working on setting up a Center of Excellence for hydrogen storage cylinders and fuel cell technologies in collaboration with the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
OEM Concerns: Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as Volvo Eicher, Ashok Leyland, and Tata Motors flagged concerns about the high cost of hydrogen fuel cells.
Bosch’s Developments: Bosch, a company that started volume production of fuel cell modules in 2023, is developing hydrogen combustion engines for retrofitting diesel buses and trucks.

Conclusion:

The meeting with MNRE and stakeholders aims to address challenges related to high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinders. The development of Type 3 and Type 4 cylinders is crucial for the adoption of green hydrogen as a sustainable fuel in the transport sector. Domestic companies and OEMs are actively involved in developing technologies and manufacturing cylinders for hydrogen storage, indicating a growing interest in hydrogen-powered vehicles for the clean energy transition.

National Green Hydrogen Mission

The National Green Hydrogen Mission in India is a significant initiative aimed at positioning the country as a global leader in the production, use, and export of green hydrogen.

Objectives:

Development of Green Hydrogen Production Capacity:
- Target of producing at least 5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) per annum of green hydrogen.
Renewable Energy Capacity Addition:
- Addition of about 125 Gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity in the country by 2030.
Total Investments:
- Expectation of over 8 lakh crores in total investments.
Job Creation:
- Creation of over 6 lakh jobs by 2030.
Reduction in Fossil Fuel Import:
- Saving over 1 lakh crore in fossil fuel imports.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction:
- Reduction in about 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Components of the Mission:

SIGHT (Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme):
- Financial incentives for:
  - Domestic manufacturing of electrolysers.
  - Production of green hydrogen.

Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership (SHIP):
- Public-private partnership framework for research and development (R&D).
Green Hydrogen Hubs:
- Identification and development of regions capable of supporting large-scale hydrogen production and utilization.
Policy Framework:
- Development of an enabling policy framework to support the establishment of the green hydrogen ecosystem.
Standards and Regulations:
- Framework for developing standards and regulations.
Skill Development Programme:
- Coordinated skill development programme.
Pilot Projects:
- Support for pilot projects in emerging end-use sectors and production pathways.

India’s Current Status for Green Hydrogen:

Initiatives:
- Commissioning of India’s first 99% pure green hydrogen plant by Oil India Limited in Jorhat, Assam.
- India’s first Green Hydrogen Blending operation in the Piped Natural Gas (PNG) Network by NTPC in Kawas, Surat.
- Approval for 5% blending of green hydrogen with PNG (to be scaled to 20%) by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).
- Collaboration between Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and The Green Billions (TGBL) for the waste-to-hydrogen project.

Benefits of the Mission:

Export Opportunities:
- Creation of export opportunities for green hydrogen and its derivatives.
Decarbonization:
- Decarbonization of industrial, mobility, and energy sectors.
Reduced Dependence on Imported Fossil Fuels:
- Reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock.
Indigenous Manufacturing:
- Development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
Employment Opportunities:
- Creation of employment opportunities.
Technological Development:
- Development of cutting-edge technologies.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission represents India’s commitment to sustainable energy, innovation, and economic growth while addressing the challenges of climate change and energy security. It aims to leverage green hydrogen as a key driver for a cleaner, greener, and more self-reliant energy future.

Blue Hydrogen

Production Method:
- Natural gas is split into hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) through processes like Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) or Auto Thermal Reforming (ATR).
- The CO2 produced is captured and stored, preventing its release into the atmosphere.
Environmental Impact:
- Mitigates the environmental impact by capturing and storing CO2.
Carbon Capture Method:
- Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) technology is used to capture and store the CO2.

Green Hydrogen

Production Method:
- Hydrogen is produced by splitting water (H2O) through electrolysis.
- This process only yields hydrogen and oxygen.
Power Source:
- The electrolysis process is powered by renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power.
Environmental Impact:
- Cleanest option as it produces hydrogen from renewable energy sources without any CO2 by-product.

Grey Hydrogen

Production Method:
- Similar to blue hydrogen, natural gas is used in SMR or ATR to produce hydrogen.
- However, unlike blue hydrogen, the CO2 produced is not captured and is released into the atmosphere.
Environmental Impact:
- Leads to emissions of CO2, contributing to greenhouse gas levels.

Pink Hydrogen

Production Method:
- Produced through electrolysis, similar to green hydrogen.
- The difference is that pink hydrogen is powered by nuclear energy.
Power Source:
- Nuclear energy is used to supply the electricity needed for electrolysis.
Environmental Impact:
- Produces hydrogen without direct CO2 emissions from the electrolysis process.

Yellow Hydrogen

Production Method:
- Also produced through electrolysis like green and pink hydrogen.
- In this case, the electrolysis process is powered solely by solar energy.
Power Source:
- Exclusively uses solar power for the electricity needed for electrolysis.
Environmental Impact:
- Similar to green hydrogen, it produces hydrogen without direct CO2 emissions from the electrolysis process.

11. India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement

Subject: IR

Section: Trade

Duties Phased Out:

Duties on a substantial number of goods imported from EFTA countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) will be phased out by India under the agreement.

Offered Tariff Lines:

India is offering 82.7% of its tariff lines, covering 95.3% of EFTA exports. More than 80% of this import is gold.

Sensitivity Consideration:

Sensitivity related to Production-Linked Incentives (PLI) in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and processed food have been considered while extending offers.

Exclusion List:

Sectors such as dairy, soya, coal, and sensitive agricultural products are kept on the exclusion list.

Immediate Elimination of Tariffs:

Coal (except steam and coking coal), most medicines, dyes, most textiles and apparel, and iron and steel products will have zero tariffs immediately upon the entry into force of the FTA.

Gradual Elimination of Tariffs:

Tariffs on various products will be eliminated over different time frames:
- Cod liver oil and fish body oil: Five years
- Tuna, trout, salmon, olive oil, cocoa bean, powder, malt products, corn flakes, instant tea, roasted chicory, most machinery, bicycle parts, clocks, and watches: Seven years
- Smartphones, chocolates, medical equipment (most), chocolate, caramel, coffee, avocado, apricot, and olives: Ten years

Exclusive Duty Cut Offers:

Some duty-cut offers are exclusive to Switzerland due to its status as the largest trade partner among the EFTA countries.

Duty Cuts on Wines:

Duty cuts on wines from Switzerland will align mostly with concessions extended to Australia under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement.

Tariff Cuts in Sugar and Diamonds:

India commits to a 50% tariff reduction in sugar over ten years and a 50% tariff reduction for cut and polished diamonds to 2.5% in five years.

Industrial Products:

98% of India’s exports to Switzerland (accounting for 70% of India’s exports to EFTA) are industrial products, which will now be imported duty-free.

Agricultural Exclusions:

Switzerland has excluded most agricultural items such as dairy products, honey, various vegetables, wheat, maize flour, and cane sugar from these concessions.

Conclusion:

The India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement aims to gradually eliminate tariffs on a wide range of goods traded between India and EFTA countries. This move is expected to boost trade relations, create new market opportunities, and promote economic cooperation between the parties involved.

Highlights of the TEPA:

Scope of the Agreement:
- The TEPA covers a wide range of areas including tariff reductions, increased market access, and streamlined customs procedures.
- It includes a chapter on commitments to human rights and sustainable development, a first for an FTA involving EFTA countries.
Goal of $100 Billion Investment:
- Commerce Minister stating that it includes a “binding commitment” for EFTA countries to invest $100 billion in India.
- However, EFTA ministers clarified that this commitment is a “goal” based on current investment levels, GDP projections, and the estimated value of the TEPA.
Investment Promotion:
- The TEPA’s Chapter 7 focuses on “Investment Promotion and Cooperation,” outlining shared objectives to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) from EFTA states into India.
- Aims include $50 billion increase in FDI within 10 years and another $50 billion in the subsequent five years.
- Additionally, the agreement targets the generation of 1 million jobs in India resulting from these investments.

Negotiation and Ratification:

Extensive Negotiations:
- Talks for the India-EFTA FTA began in 2008, with a significant break before resuming in 2023.
- The 14-chapter treaty was concluded after 21 rounds of negotiations, covering crucial areas such as investment, rules of origin, intellectual property rights (IPR), and sustainable development.
Expected Ratification:
- The agreement will come into force after ratification by EFTA states through their parliamentary procedures, expected possibly by the end of the year.

Significance and Implications:

Export Boost:
- India anticipates a significant increase in exports to EFTA countries, especially in sectors such as textiles, leather, gems, and jewelry.
- Reduction of tariff disadvantages will enhance India’s competitiveness in the EFTA market.
Cheaper Raw Materials:
- Indian industries will benefit from access to cheaper raw materials from EFTA countries, particularly in sectors like steel, aluminum, and engineering.
Strengthening Indo-Pacific:
- The TEPA contributes to a stronger Indo-Pacific economic architecture, fostering cooperation and capacity-building among nations.

Controversies and Concerns:

Pharma Clause Dispute:
- The inclusion of a “data exclusivity” clause for pharmaceuticals was a point of contention.
- Indian negotiators rejected this clause, citing concerns over access to generic medicines and patient rights.
IPR Review Mechanism:
- The TEPA includes a review mechanism for intellectual property rights, which some activists fear could pressure India into adopting stricter measures.
Assessment and Monitoring:
- Continuous monitoring through the Joint EFTA-India Committee will ensure progress towards investment and job creation goals.
- India retains the option to withdraw trade concessions temporarily if targets are not met within the stipulated timeframe.

What is Data Exclusivity?

Data exclusivity is a provision within trade agreements that imposes a specific period during which the clinical trial data for a drug developed by a pharmaceutical company is protected from use by competitors. This protection means that generic drug manufacturers cannot rely on the original clinical trial data to support their own applications for market approval during this exclusivity period.

Key Features:

Duration: The duration of data exclusivity can vary but typically ranges from 5 to 10 years.
Purpose: It is intended to reward innovation by providing a period of market exclusivity to the originator company, during which they can recoup their investment in research and development without competition from generic versions of the drug.
Impact: Data exclusivity can delay the entry of generic versions of drugs into the market, which may limit competition and keep prices higher for consumers.

Impact on India’s Generic Drug Industry:

Affordability of Medicines: India’s generic drug industry is renowned for providing affordable medications, not only to its own population but also to many countries around the world. Data exclusivity could hinder the availability of these cost-effective alternatives.
Competition and Innovation: By delaying the entry of generic versions, data exclusivity may reduce competition in the pharmaceutical market. This could potentially stifle innovation and limit patients’ access to newer treatments.