Daily Prelims Notes 13 April 2024
- April 13, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN
Daily Prelims Notes
13 April 2024
Table Of Contents
- IISc researchers design novel hydrogel to remove microplastics from water
- The blurry lines between wildlife ‘capture’ and ‘rescue’
- As Lok Sabha race heats up, a ‘critically endangered’ turtle revered as god becomes poll mascot in Bengal
- What is CDP-SURAKSHA, the government’s new digital platform to disburse subsidies to horticulture farmers?
- Sicilian volcano is blowing smoke rings in the sky. What are volcanic vortex rings?
- India explores Congo for copper and cobalt access
- ‘Wise to assume bird flu pandemic will cause more severe disease in humans than COVID-19’
1. IISc researchers design novel hydrogel to remove microplastics from water
Subject: Environment
Section: Pollution
Context:
- Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a sustainable hydrogel specifically designed to remove microplastics from water.
- Microplastics, which are small plastic fragments that can contaminate water sources, pose significant health risks to humans and are harmful to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, even reaching remote locations like polar ice caps and deep-sea trenches.
Hydrogel- Three-layer polymer:
- Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a novel three-layer hydrogel that effectively removes microplastics from water.
- Hydrogel is created from chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyaniline, forming an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN).
- This structure is enhanced with copper substitute polyoxometalate (Cu-POM) nanoclusters, which act as catalysts under UV light to degrade microplastics.
- To monitor the effectiveness of the hydrogel, the researchers used a fluorescent dye to track the absorption and degradation of microplastics under various conditions, achieving removal rates of about 95% and 93% for two different types of microplastics at a near-neutral pH.
- The study, which aimed also to address the challenge of microplastic detection, confirmed the hydrogel’s durability and stability across different temperatures, making it a promising solution for microplastic pollution.
Source: TH
2. The blurry lines between wildlife ‘capture’ and ‘rescue’
Subject: Environment
Section: Env legislation
Context:
- In India, the increasing frequency of human-wildlife encounters highlights the need for effective management strategies beyond reactive capture and relocation, which often result in unsustainable outcomes or harm to the animals.
“Rescue” vs “Capture”:
- The distinction between genuine “wildlife rescue” and mere “capture” is complex.
- True rescues may involve skilled teams and specialized techniques to handle scenarios like leopards in wells or elephants in irrigation tanks.
- However, not all wildlife encounters in human spaces require intervention, such as when leopards prey on livestock or elephants damage crops.
- Effective conflict management should aim to resolve these situations without resorting to capturing or relocating the animals, focusing instead on preventive measures and coexistence.
Advice on ‘capture’ that is ignored:
- Guidelines from the central government in India discourage capturing leopards and elephants merely based on sightings and recommend preventative measures, with capture as a last resort.
- However, these guidelines are often overlooked in practice. A case in south India involved an elephant being captured under the guise of a rescue from a coffee plantation, only to be released 200 km away in unfamiliar territory, which led to its death after further misguided rescue attempts.
- Similarly, a leopard in Uttar Pradesh died shortly after being ‘rescued’ from an agricultural field. These incidents highlight the problematic practice of mislabeling captures as rescues.
- Similarly, high interaction rates with snakes result in frequent, poorly executed removals from their habitats, often followed by relocation to unfamiliar areas and even exploitation for social media.
- Evidence suggests that relocated snakes have low survival rates and that relocating them does not resolve human-snake conflict but may increase it by creating vacancies that other snakes then fill.
The Karnataka example:
- In Karnataka, a realistic and ethical approach to human-wildlife conflicts involves assessing the situation carefully, minimizing stressors for the animals, and exhausting proactive measures before intervening.
- The Karnataka Forest Department is testing strategies such as early warning systems, regular monitoring, fencing, improved lighting, public education, and better waste management to prevent conflicts.
- These initiatives aim to prepare communities for potential wildlife interactions and promote coexistence.
Subject: Environment
Section: Species in news
Context:
- The Election Commission has adopted “Mohan Babu”, an endangered black softshell turtle, as its mascot and plastered photos of the smiling turtle across the constituency.
More on news:
- In the village of Baneswar in north Bengal, about 10 km from the city of Cooch Behar, lies a Shiva temple that Koch dynasty king Pran Narayan is said to have built during his reign in the 17th Century.
- Devotees believe the temple came up on the ruins of a temple built by Asura king Banasura.
- Shiva is not the sole resident deity in the temple.
- The temple pond is home to “Mohan”, the name locals have given to endangered black softshell turtles.
- These softshell turtles are considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
About Black Softshell Turtles:
- The black softshell turtle or Bostami turtle (Nilssonia nigricans), previously placed in genus Aspideretes, is a species of freshwater turtle found in India (Assam and Tripura) and Bangladesh (Chittagong and Sylhet).
- It was long believed to consist of inbred individuals of the Indian softshell turtle .
- Protection Status:
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
- But it does not enjoy legal protection under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, although it has traditionally been hunted for its meat and cartilage, traded in regional and international markets.
- The black softshell turtle is being bred in the pond of Hayagriva Madhab Temple at Hajo in Guwahati, Assam.
- Locals regard the turtles in the pond as Kurma avatar of Lord Vishnu to whom the Hajo temple is dedicated.
- India hosts 28 species of turtles, of which 20 are found in Assam.
- Threats to turtles include hunting for meat and eggs, silt mining, encroachment of wetlands and changes in flooding patterns have had a disastrous impact on the turtle population.
- Until sightings along the Brahmaputra’s drainage in Assam, the black softshell turtle was thought to be “extinct in the wild” and confined only to ponds of temples in northeastern India and Bangladesh.
Subject: Schemes
Section: Agri
Context:
- The BJP-led government has come up with a new platform i.e. CDP-SURAKSHA to disburse subsidies to horticulture farmers under the Cluster Development Programme (CDP) — the Centre’s initiative to promote horticulture crops.
More on news:
- The move seeks to push the growth of India’s horticulture sector, which contributes nearly one-third to the agriculture gross value addition (GVA), making a substantial contribution to the Indian economy.
- The total production of horticulture crops has also spiked in recent years.
- While in 2010-11, it stood at 240.53 million tonnes, the number rose to 334.60 million tonnes in 2020-21.
What is the CDP-SURAKSHA?
- The CDP-SURAKSHA is essentially a digital platform.
- SURAKSHA stands for System for Unified Resource Allocation, Knowledge, and Secure Horticulture Assistance.
- The platform will allow an instant disbursal of subsidies to farmers in their bank account by utilizing the e-RUPI voucher from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
- The CDP-SURAKSHA has features such as database integration with PM-KISAN, cloud-based server space from NIC, UIDAI validation, eRUPI integration, local government directory (LGD), content management system, geotagging, and geo-fencing.
How does the CDP-SURAKSHA work?
- The platform allows access to farmers, vendors, implementing agencies (IA), and cluster development agencies (CDAs), and officials of the National Horticulture Board (NHB).
- A farmer can login using their mobile number and place an order for planting material such as seeds, seedlings, and plants based on their requirement.
- Once the demand has been raised by the farmer, the system will ask them to contribute their share of the cost of planting material.
- The subsidy amount paid by the government will appear on the screen automatically.
- After the farmer pays their contribution, an e-RUPI voucher will be generated.
- This voucher will then be received by a vendor, who will provide the required planting material to the farmer.
- It is only after the verification that the IA will release the money to the vendor for the e-RUPI voucher.
- The vendor will be required to upload an invoice of the payment on the portal.
- However, the farmer, who raised the demand for the plant material using the platform, can avail of the subsidy at the first stage only.
What is e-RUPI?
- The CDP-SURAKSHA platform uses e-RUPI vouchers from the NPCI.
- The voucher is a one-time payment mechanism that can be redeemed without a card, digital payments app or internet banking access, at the merchants accepting e-RUPI.
- According to the NPCI, the e-RUPI can be shared with the beneficiaries for a specific purpose or activity by organizations or government via SMS or QR code.
How is the new system different from the old one?
- In the old system, a farmer had to buy planting materials on their own.
- They would then have to approach the officials concerned for the release of the subsidy.
- The CDP-SURAKSHA platform, however, will provide subsidies to farmers upfront, at the time of purchasing the planting material.
- Vendors, who will supply planting materials to farmers, will receive their payment only after farmers verify the delivery of their orders.
How many farmers and banks have come on board?
- While the platform is yet to be unveiled at the national level, around 8,400 farmers’ details have been uploaded on the CDP-SURAKSHA platform so far.
- These included 8,000 farmers of Sahyadri Farms Private Ltd, which is implementing the grape cluster in Nasik, Maharashtra.
- Besides this, four banks namely HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of Baroda , have been onboarded on the platform.
- These banks will generate e-RUPI vouchers for fund disbursement.
What is the Cluster Development Program (CDP)?
The CDP is a component of the central sector scheme of NHB.
It is aimed at leveraging the geographical specialization of horticulture clusters and promoting integrated and market-led development of pre-production, production, post-harvest, logistics, branding, and marketing activities.
So far, 55 horticulture clusters have been identified, out of which 12 have been selected for the pilot.
Each cluster will have an implementing agency and a cluster development agency (CDA).
5. Sicilian volcano is blowing smoke rings in the sky. What are volcanic vortex rings?
Subject: Geography
Section: Physical geography
Context:
- Since last week, Mount Etna, the largest volcano in Europe, and among the world’s most active and iconic volcanoes, has been sending up almost perfect rings of smoke into the air.
More on news:
- The rings are a rare phenomenon that scientists refer to as volcanic vortex rings, which are produced roughly in the same way as the smoke rings that some cigarette smokers are able to blow out of their mouths.
- Etna is in almost constant activity, and has seen, since the year 1600, at least 60 flank eruptions and many more summit eruptions.
- In recent years, summit eruptions have occurred in 2006, 2007-08, on two occasions in 2012, in 2018, and 2021; flank eruptions have taken place in 2001, 2002-03, 2004-05, and 2008-09.
About Mount Etna:
- Mount Etna, which is sometimes referred to simply as Etna, is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, lying just off the toe of the Italian “boot”.
- Etna’s peak is the highest in Italy south of the Alps, and it is Europe’s largest and one of the most active volcanoes.
- Etna’s summit has five craters, which are responsible for most of the volcano’s eruptions.
- There are also “flank” eruptions that occur out of 300-odd vents of varying sizes along the slopes of the mountain.
- Etna has been a World Heritage Site since 2013.
- According to UNESCO, the volcano’s eruptive history can be traced back 500,000 years. At least 2,700 years of this activity has been documented.
What are volcanic vortex rings?
- Vortex rings are generated when gas, predominantly water vapor, is released rapidly through a vent in the crater.
- The rings are produced by the explosion of gas bubbles within a narrow conduit, which shoots the gas at high speed toward the surface.
- The vent that has opened up in Etna’s crater is almost perfectly circular, so the rings that have been seen above the mountain since April 2 are also circular.
- The phenomenon was first observed at Etna and Vesuvius in Italy in 1724, and has been documented in an engraved plate from 1755.
- In more recent times, volcanic vortex rings have been observed at volcanoes such as Redoubt in Alaska, Tungurahua in Ecuador, Pacaya in Guatemala, Eyjafjallajökull and Hekla in Iceland, Stromboli in Italy, Aso and Sakurajima in Japan, Yasur in Vanuatu, Whakaari in New Zealand, and Momotombo in Nicaragua.
- The volcanic smoke rings were produced in the same way as dolphins blow bubble rings.
- They compress the water in their mouths, and using their tongue they push it out of their mouths and create such a pressure that it forms a ring.
- The rings can remain in the air for up to 10 minutes, but tend to disintegrate quickly if conditions are windy and turbulent.
6. India explores Congo for copper and cobalt access
Subject: Geography
Section: Economy geography
Context:
- India is set to finalize a government-to-government (G2G) memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Democratic Republic of Congo for access to critical minerals, particularly copper and cobalt.
- The international mining conference is going to be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Details:
- This collaboration aims to allow India to explore and potentially commercially extract these minerals, essential for industries like electric vehicles and renewable energy.
- Congo is a leading global supplier of cobalt and a significant copper producer, enhancing the strategic importance of this partnership.
- Indian officials have also highlighted similar successful agreements, such as the acquisition of lithium blocks in Argentina, indicating a continued strategy to secure critical mineral resources through partnerships and investments.
- Copper use:
- Copper, a base metal, is used in power cables, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and solar panels, and it is the key material for energy transition.
- Cobalt use:
- Cobalt is a key car battery-making metal (used to make lithium-ion batteries).
Lithium in Chile:
- India is actively pursuing opportunities to secure lithium resources from Chile, known for being part of the Lithium Triangle along with Argentina and Bolivia, which holds the majority of the world’s lithium supply.
- Lithium is critical for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), mobile phones, and other energy storage solutions.
- The Mines Ministry previously signed a non-disclosure agreement with ENAMI, a Chilean state-owned company, for information exchange and data-sharing.
- A significant delegation, including representatives from the Mines and Coal ministries, CSIR Labs, Hindalco, Coal India, and private mining firms, will visit Chile to attend a mining conference and engage in government-to-government meetings, with Coal India playing a central role in these discussions.
Copper:
- Copper is a good conductor of electricity and is ductile [able to be drawn out into a thin wire].
- It is an important metal used by the automobile and defence industries.
- Alloyed with iron and nickel to make stainless steel.
- Alloyed with nickel to make ‘morel metal’.
- Alloyed with aluminium to make ‘duralumin’.
- When alloyed with zinc it is known as ‘brass’ and with tin as ‘bronze’.
- Iron + Nickel + Copper + Chromite +…..== Stainless Steel.
- Copper + Nickel == Morel Metal.
- Copper + Aluminium == Duralumin.
- Copper + Zinc == Brass.
- Copper + Tin == Bronze.
- Copper ore is found in ancient as well as in younger rock formations and occurs as veins and as bedded deposits.
- Mining for copper is costly and tedious affair because most of the copper ores contain a small percentage of the metal.
- India has low-grade copper ore [less than 1% metal content] [international average 2.5%]
- The major part of supply comes from the USA, Canada, Zimbabwe, Japan and Mexico.
- Copper Reserves in India
- 46 million tonnes.
- Rajasthan (50%)
- Madhya Pradesh (24%)
- Jharkhand (19%)
- The rest 7 per cent in AP, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka etc.
- Madhya Pradesh
- 1st in production [59.85 %].
- Malanjkhand copper mines of Balaghat district are the most important ones.
- Reserves of moderate size are also found in the Betul district.
- Rajasthan
- 2nd in production [28%]
- Found along the Aravali range.
- Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Chittaurgarh, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, Pali, Sikar, Sirohi and Udaipur districts.
- Khetri-Singhana belt in Jhunjhunu district is the most important copper-producing area.
- Jharkhand
- 3rd in production [11%].
- Singhbhum is the most important copper-producing district.
- Found in Hazaribagh district, Santhal Parganas and Palamu districts.
Cobalt Reserves in India:
- Cobalt is a silvery-white metal that is used in a wide range of industrial applications, including the production of batteries, magnets, and alloys. It is also used in some catalysts and pigments.
- Cobalt is often found in association with other metals, such as copper and nickel. It is extracted as a by-product of mining and processing these metals.
- India has significant cobalt resources, with the majority of them located in the state of Odisha. However, there is currently no production of cobalt in India.
- The cobalt resources in India are estimated to be around 44.91 million tonnes.
- The majority of these resources are located in Odisha (Kendujhar, Jajpur), Nagaland (Tuensang), Jharkhand (Singhbhum), Rajasthan (Jhunjhunu), Madhya Pradesh (Jhabua, Hoshangabad).
- Cobalt is a key component of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in electric vehicles and other renewable energy technologies.
India’s lithium reserves:
- According to the Indian Mines Ministry, the government agencies made the small discovery of lithium resources at a site in Mandya, Karnataka. It is the country’s first lithium reserve.
- Now, Lithium inferred resources have been found in the Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir (UT).
Lithium Production in the World:
- According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), global lithium production in 2019 stood at 77,000 tonnes.
- Australia, Chile, China and Argentina are the world’s top four lithium-producing countries.
- Australia is by far the world’s top producer of lithium, with an output of 42,000 tonnes in 2019.
Source: TH BL
7. ‘Wise to assume bird flu pandemic will cause more severe disease in humans than COVID-19’
Subject: Science and tech
Section: Health
Context:
- H5N1, also known as bird flu, has been recognized as a potential public health threat for two decades, highlighted by recent cases in the United States.
Details:
- In 2022, the first human infection in the U.S. occurred, and in April, a man in Texas contracted the virus from cows, raising global health concerns.
- Although primarily affecting birds, H5N1’s ability to infect mammals indicates its increasing adaptability, with growing concerns about the potential for human-to-human transmission.
Origin of Bird Flue (Avian Influenza or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza):
- The H5N1 strain of bird flu viruses, first identified in a goose in China in 1996, has undergone significant evolution, spreading globally and generating multiple subtypes.
- The latest subtype, known as H5N1 virus clade 2.3.4.4b, emerged in Europe in late 2020 and has since caused widespread outbreaks across multiple continents, affecting both avian and mammalian species, including minks and sea mammals.
- A notable recent development is the transmission of this clade to cattle in the United States, which has led to a confirmed case of cow-to-human infection.
- At present, no case of human-to-human transmission of bird flu has been found.
Issue with the new subtype:
- The current subtype of the bird flu virus has demonstrated a concerning capability to infect a broader range of wild birds and mammals.
- As the virus spreads among various hosts, it increases the chances of genetic mutations, thereby heightening the risk of viral evolution and its potential adaptation to mammals.
- The global distribution of H5N1 viruses primarily affects poultry, making them panzootic among birds. However, the concern arises from their potential to transition into a human virus, potentially triggering a human pandemic.
Avian influenza (AI)
- Avian influenza (AI) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting several species of food-producing birds (chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.), as well as pet birds and wild birds.
- Occasionally mammals, including humans, may contract avian influenza.
- Influenza A viruses are classified into subtypes based on two surface proteins, Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA). For example, a virus that has an HA 7 protein and NA 9 protein is designated as subtype H7N9.
- Avian influenza virus subtypes include A(H5N1), A(H7N9), and A(H9N2).
- HPAI A(H5N1) virus occurs mainly in birds and is highly contagious among them.
- HPAI Asian H5N1 is especially deadly for poultry.
- Prevention: Strict biosecurity measures and good hygiene are essential in protecting against disease outbreaks.
- Eradication: If the infection is detected in animals, a policy of culling infected and contact animals is normally used in an effort to rapidly contain, control and eradicate the disease.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI):
- The two virus types identified so far in the outbreaks — H5N1 and H5N8come under the category of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which is of major concern to those keeping birds, because it leads to disease and death of fowl and causes economic havoc. H5N1 is a known threat to humans as well
- Out of the three types of influenza viruses (A, B, and C), influenza A virus is a zoonotic infection with a natural reservoir almost entirely in birds. Avian influenza, for most purposes, refers to the influenza A virus.
- Though influenza A is adapted to birds, it can also stably adapt and sustain person-to-person transmission.
Mode of transmission:
- Avian influenza is most often spread by contact between infected and healthy birds, though can also be spread indirectly through contaminated equipment.
- The virus is found in secretions from the nostrils, mouth, and eyes of infected birds as well as their droppings.
- HPAI infection is spread to people often through direct contact with infected poultry, such as during slaughter or plucking.
Is this influenza airborne?
- Though the virus can spread through airborne secretions, the disease itself is not an airborne disease.
Human to human transmission:
- In its present form, human-to-human infection is not known — human infections have been reported only among people who have handled infected birds or carcasse
Source: DTE