Daily Prelims Notes 12 June 2021

June 12, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

12 June 2021

Table Of Contents

1. IIP Edged up 0.08% in April from same month in 2019

Subject : Economics

Context : India’s April industrial output edged up 0.08%, from the level recorded during the same month in 2019, index of industrial production (IIP) data released by the National Statistical Office on Friday showed.

Concept :

The IIP data was not comparable with the year-earlier figures as ‘a majority of the establishments did not operate in April 2020’ as a result of the nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, the NSO observed.
The manufacturing sector, hit hardest by last year’s national lockdown, posted a 0.9% decline when compared with April 2019. Economists said the IIP data needed to be seen in perspective, given the impact of the second wave.

Index of Industrial Production

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index that shows the growth rates in different industry groups of the economy in a fixed period of time.
It is compiled and published monthly by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
IIP is a composite indicator that measures the growth rate of industry groups classified under:

Broad sectors: Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity.

Use-based sectors: Basic Goods, Capital Goods, and Intermediate Goods.

Base Year for IIP is 2011-2012.
The eight core industries of India represent about 40% of the weight of items that are included in the IIP.

Significance of IIP:

IIP is the only measure on the physical volume of production.
It is used by government agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc, for policy-making purposes.
IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP estimates.

2. Review GST Sops timing , urges Industry

Subject : Economy

Context : While the GST Council meets on Saturday to discuss tax cuts on critical COVID-19 related material including vaccines, medicines and equipment, industry donors are urging a rethink on the timing for the applicability of the Integrated GST (IGST) exemption announced on imported relief supplies after the council’s last meeting.

Concept :

IGST meaning Integrated Goods and Service Tax, is one of the three categories under Goods and Service Tax (CGST, IGST and SGST) with a concept of one tax one nation.
IGST falls under Integrated Goods and Service Tax Act 2016.
IGST is charged when movement of goods and services from one state to another. For example, if goods are moved from Tamil Nadu to Kerala, IGST is levied on such goods.
The revenue out of IGST is shared by state government and central government as per the rates fixed by the authorities.

Under Article 269A of the Constitution,

The GST on supplies in the course of interState trade shall be levied and collected by the Government of India and
such tax shall be apportioned between the Union and the States according to the provisions of law on the recommendations of the Goods and Services Tax Council.
Under the IGST scheme, 50% of the collections will go to the Centre (as the Central Goods and Services Tax component) and the remaining 50% will be allocated to the States and Union Territories (as the State Goods and Services Tax component). And, 42% of the CGST will be devolved to the States and Union Territories.

3. Maharastra’s proposed amendment for protection of Heritage Trees

Subject : Environment

Context : Recently, the Maharashtra government has decided to make amendments to the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act of 1975, to introduce provisions for the protection of ‘heritage trees’.

Concept :

Heritage Trees

Under the proposed amendment, a tree with an estimated age of 50 years or more shall be defined as a heritage tree.
The heritage tree may belong to specific species, which will be notified from time to time.
The state climate change department should also consider a tree’s rarity, its botanical, historical, religious, mythological and cultural importance in defining a heritage tree.
The local Tree Authority will have to ensure tree census to be carried out every five years along with counting of heritage trees.

Amendments proposed by Maharashtra Government

The plan includes:

Concept of heritage tree and plan of action for conservation;

Method to define age of the tree;

Rules to be followed before hacking trees;

Formation of the Maharashtra Tree Authority;

Structure of the local tree authority and their duties; and

Tree cess and fine to be charged

The State will bring about amendments in the Maharashtra (Urban Area) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act.
A State-level Tree Authority will be formed to protect and preserve heritage trees.
The authority will hear applications seeking permission to cut 200 or more trees that are five or more years old.
The State authority will issue directions for the use of tree cess and the fine amount cannot be more than ₹1 lakh per tree in case of violations.

4. EnVision Mission to venus

Subject : Space & tech

Context : Recently, the European Space Agency (ESA) had announced that it has selected EnVision as its next orbiter that will visit Venus sometime in the 2030s.

Concept :

EnVision Mission

It is an European Space Agency (ESA) led mission with contributions from NASA.
The earliest launch opportunity for EnVision is 2031, followed by 2032 and 2033.
The spacecraft will take about 15 months to reach Venus and will take 16 more months to achieve orbit circularisation.
The spacecraft will carry a range of instruments to study the planet’s atmosphere and surface, monitor trace gases in the atmosphere and analyse its surface composition.
A radar provided by NASA will help to image and map the surface.
It will follow another ESA-led mission to Venus called ‘Venus Express’ (2005-2014) that focussed on atmospheric research and pointed to volcanic hotspots on the planet’s surface.

About Venus

It is the second-brightest object in the sky after the moon.
It appears bright because of its thick cloud cover that reflects and scatters light.
It is called the Earth’s twin because of their similar sizes.
The planet’s thick atmosphere traps heat and is the reason that it is the hottest planet in the solar system, despite coming after Mercury.
The surface temperatures on Venus can go up to 471 degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to melt lead.
It moves forward on its orbit around the Sun but spins backwards around its axis slowly which implies that on Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the East.
One day on Venus is equivalent to 243 Earth days because of its backward spinning, opposite to that of the Earth’s and most other planets.
Venus also does not have a moon and no rings.

5. Base Effect sends IIP soaring 134% in April

Subject : Economy

Context : The country’s industrial growth technically jumped 134 per cent year-on-year in April, mainly due to the base effect.

Concept :

According to National Statistical Office (NSO) data, the Index of Industrial Production surged to 126.6 in April 2021 from 54.0 in the same month last year, when the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 had brought production to halt at most units.
The IIP had expanded 24.14 per cent in March 2021 to 145.5, also mainly on base effect.
To put the IIP number in perspective, in April 2019, it had grown 4.3 per cent over the same month the previous year.

Base Effect

The base effect refers to the impact of the rise in price level (i.e. last year’s inflation) in the previous year over the corresponding rise in price levels in the current year (i.e., current inflation)
If the price index had risen at a high rate in the corresponding period of the previous year leading to a high inflation rate, some of the potential rise is already factored in, therefore a similar absolute increase in the Price index in the current year will lead to a relatively lower inflation rates.
If inflation in June 2016 was 8% and absolute increase in Price index in June 2017 was say 9%, then, inflation in June 2017 will be low i.e. 1%
On the other hand, if the inflation rate was too low in the corresponding period of the previous year, even a relatively smaller rise in the Price Index will arithmetically give a high rate of current inflation.
If inflation in June 2016 was 1% and absolute increase in Price index in June 2017 was say 4%, then, inflation in June 2017 will be low i.e. 3%

6. NANJUNDESHWARA TEMPLE

Subject : Culture

Context : After noticing that B.Y. Vijayendra, son of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, has admitted to entering Sri Nanjundeshwara temple in Nanjangud recently, the Karnataka High Court asked the State government why then even ordinary citizens are not allowed to enter temples like him despite a ban imposed in view of COVID-19 lockdown.

Concept :

The Nanjundeshwara Temple is also called Srikanteshwara Temple.
It is an ancient temple in the Hindu pilgrimage town of Nanjanagudu in the Karnataka.
it is dedicated to god Nanjundeshwara (another name for the god Shiva, also known as Nanjundeshwara).
Nanju in Kannada means poison; the name Nanjundeshwara means the “God who Drank the Poison” (halahala), a word that has its origins in the legend of the Great Churning of the Ocean of Milk; thus the town got the name ‘Nanjangudu’ which means “the abode of the god Nanjundeshwara”.

7. CHIME Collaboration have assembled the largest collection of fast radio bursts (FRBs)

Subject : Science & tech

Context : Scientists with the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) Collaboration have assembled the largest collection of fast radio bursts (FRBs) in the telescope’s first FRB catalogue.

Concept :

CHIME Telescope

CHIME is an interferometric radio telescope at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in British Columbia, Canada.
It consists of four antennas consisting of 100 x 20-meter cylindrical parabolic reflectors with 1024 dual-polarization radio receivers suspended on support above them.
The telescope receives radio signals each day from half of the sky as the Earth rotates.
While most radio astronomy is done by swiveling a large dish to focus light from different parts of the sky, CHIME stares, motionless, at the sky, and focuses incoming signals using a correlator.
This is a powerful digital signal processor that can work through huge amounts of data, at a rate of about seven terrabytes per second, equivalent to a few percent of the world’s Internet traffic.

What are FRBs?

FRBs are oddly bright flashes of light, registering in the radio band of the electromagnetic spectrum, which blaze for a few milliseconds before vanishing without a trace.
These brief and mysterious beacons have been spotted in various and distant parts of the universe, as well as in our own galaxy.
Their origins are unknown and their appearance is highly unpredictable.
But the advent of the CHIME project has nearly quadrupled the number of fast radio bursts discovered to date.
With more observations, astronomers hope soon to pin down the extreme origins of these curiously bright signals.

8. All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20 has been released

Subject : Governance

Context : Union Education Minister has announced the release of the report of All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20.

Concept :

About AISHE

AISHE was established by the Ministry of HRD for conducting an annual web-based survey, thereby portraying the status of higher education in the country.
The survey is conducted for all educational institutions in India on many categories like teachers, student enrolment, programs, examination results, education finance, and infrastructure.
This survey is used to make informed policy decisions and research for the development of the education sector.
This Report provides key performance indicators on the current status of Higher education in the country.

Key Highlights

In 2019-20 There are 1043 Universities(2%), 42343 Colleges (77%) and 11779 Stand Alone Institutions (21%) listed on AISHE web portal. 307 Universities are affiliating i.e. having Colleges.
College density, i.e. the number of colleges per lakh eligible population (population in the age-group 18-23 years) varies from 7 in Bihar to 59 in Karnataka as compared to All India average of 30.
Total enrolment in higher education has been estimated to be 38.5 million with 19.6 million boys and 18.9 million female. Female constitute 49% of the total enrolment.
Uttar Pradesh comes at number one with the highest student enrolment followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher education in India is 27.1, which is calculated for 18-23 years of age group. Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), the percentage of students belonging to the eligible age group enrolled in Higher Education, in 2019-20 is 27.1% against 26.3% in 2018-19 and 24.3% in 2014-2015.
Highest share of foreign students come from the neighboring countries of which Nepal is 28.1% of the total, followed by, Afghanistan 9.1%, Bangladesh 4.6%, Bhutan constitutes 3.8% and Sudan 3.6%.
Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) in Universities and Colleges is 28 if regular mode enrolment is considered whereas PTR for Universities and its Constituent Units is 18 for regular mode.
Gender Parity Index (GPI) in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 1.01 against 1.00 in 2018-19 indicating an improvement in the relative access to higher education for females of eligible age group compared to males.

9. Fast Tracking Freight in India

Subject : Economy

Context : NITI Aayog, RMI and RMI India’s new report, Fast Tracking Freight in India: A Roadmap for Clean and Cost-Effective Goods Transport, presents key opportunities for India to reduce its logistics costs.

Concept :

Freight transportation is a critical backbone of India’s growing economy, and now more than ever, it’s important to make this transport system more cost-effective, efficient, and cleaner.
Due to the rising demand for goods and services, freight transport demand is expected to grow rapidly in the future.
While freight transport is essential to economic development, it is plagued by high logistics costs and contributes to rising CO2 emissions and air pollution in cities.

Highlights of the Roadmap

According to the report, India has the potential to:
Reduce its logistics cost by 4% of GDP
Achieve 10 gigatonnes of cumulative CO2 emissions savings between 2020 and 2050
Reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions by 35% and 28%, respectively, until 2050
The report outlines solutions for the freight sector related to policy, technology, market, business models, and infrastructure development.

10. UK & USA to sign New Atlantic Charter

Subject : International Relations

Context : Biden, Johnson sign new Atlantic Charter on trade, defense amid Covid recovery.

Concept :

Atlantic Charter

The Atlantic Charter was a statement issued on 14 August 1941 that set out American and British goals for the world after the end of World War II.
The charter’s adherents signed the Declaration by United Nations on 1 January 1942, which was the basis for the modern United Nations.
The charter inspired several other international agreements and events that followed the end of the war.
The dismantling of the British Empire, the formation of NATO, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) all derived from the Atlantic Charter.

Why sign new charter?

At their meeting, the two leaders plan to sign what they’re calling a new Atlantic Charter, pledging to “defend the principles, values, and institutions of democracy and open societies.”
US hopes to reassure European allies that the US had shed the transactional tendencies of Donald Trump’s term and is a reliable partner again.
The US staunchly opposed the Brexit movement, the British exodus from the European Union that Mr. Johnson championed, and has expressed great concern with the future of Northern Ireland.
Biden once called the British leader a “physical and emotional clone” of Trump.

11. IRAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ON JUNE 18

Subject : International Relations

Context : On May 25, the Guardian Council in Iran announced a slate of seven candidates who would compete in the presidential election on June 18.

Concept :

Iran has a dichotomous political order whose two parts are constantly at odds with each other.
It has the institutions of a normal democratic system — a directly elected President, an elected national assembly, and a government responsible to the assembly.
The other part of the political order is devoted to safeguarding the ideology and principles of the Islamic Revolution; this has provided the country with institutions that are unique to Iran and do much to dilute, if not undermine, the country’s democratic credentials.
Placed above the popularly elected President is the Supreme Leader, who wields supreme authority in all matters of national governance — security, defence, foreign relations, the judiciary.
One of the bodies under the Supreme Leader is the 12-member Guardian Council.

12. KAKORI CONSPIRACY CASE

Subject : History

Context : Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel on Friday said it was important to inform future generations of the legacy of freedom fighter Ram Prasad Bismil, who was martyred in 1927 for his role in the Kakori conspiracy to protest against British rule

Concept :

The Kakori Conspiracy

In August 1925, an armed robbery took place on board the Kakori Express, going from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow, carrying money that had been collected at various railway stations and was to be deposited in Lucknow.
In this planned robbery, carried out to fund the activities of the HSRA, Bismil, Khan and over 10 other revolutionaries stopped the train and fled with the cash they found in it.
Within a month of the robbery, many members of the HSRA were arrested.
In September 1926, Bismil was arrested however Khan was on the run and was later arrested.
The trial for the case went on for about 1.5 years. It ended in April 1927, with Bismil, Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Roshan Singh sentenced to death, and the others given life sentences.

Ram Prasad Bismil

Ram Prasad Bismil was born to a Municipality employee Muralidhar and his wife. He learnt Hindi at home and Urdu from a Moulvi. In spite of his father’s objections, he was admitted to an English medium school.
He also joined the Arya Samaj founded by Dayananda Saraswati. This had a profound influence on him.
On reading Parmanand’s death sentence, he composed a Hindi poem titled ‘Mera Janm’ (My Birth). He also translated English and Bengali works into Hindi.
Bismil was involved in the Mainpuri Conspiracy of 1918 in which police found a few young people including Bismil selling books that were proscribed by the government. Bismil escaped arrest by jumping into the Yamuna River.
He also attended the 1921 session of the Indian National Congress at Ahmedabad.
Bismil was one of the chief founders of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) along with Sachindra Nath Sanyal and Jadugopal Mukherjee.
The organisation was founded in 1924 and its constitution was drafted chiefly by Bismil.
The HRA produced many pamphlets which sought to inspire people to fight the government through revolutionary activities.
Bismil is perhaps most remembered for the Kakori Conspiracy Case. He was the mastermind behind the plan which was to loot a train carrying government money. The incident occurred on 9th August 1925 at Kakori, near Lucknow.
While lodged in Gorakhpur Central Jail, Bismil went on a hunger strike demanding to be treated as a political prisoner.
Bismil was hanged on 19th December 1927 at Gorakhpur Jail. He was just 30 years old.