Daily Prelims Notes 13 February 2022

February 13, 2022
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

13 February 2022

Table Of Contents

TOPIC: Polity

Context- The action of some pre-university colleges in Karnataka refusing entry to Muslim girl students wearing hijabs, or head-scarves, has now become a national controversy.

The Karnataka High Court, by an interim order, has directed that students should not wear attire linked to any religion until it resolves the legal questions arising from the issue.

Concept-

What is the constitutional position?

Bijoe Emmanuel vs. State of Kerala (1986) pertained to three children belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect refusing to sing the national anthem during the morning assembly.
- The Supreme Court ruled in the students’ favour, holding that their expulsion violated their freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a) as well as their right to freely practise and profess their faith under Article 25(1).
The freedom of conscience and to profess, practise and propagate religion is guaranteed by Article 25.
- This freedom is subject to ‘public order, morality and health’.
- It also makes it clear that there can be a law regulating any economic, ﬁnancial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with religious practice or to provide for social welfare and reform, including throwing open Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.
Kerala High Court Judgement judgment in 2016 allowed two Muslim students to take the All India Pre-medical Test while wearing a hijab, after holding that it was an essential part of Islam.
In a diﬀerent case, the Kerala High Court declined to intervene in favour of a Muslim student who was not allowed to wear a head-scarf by a school.

Essential Practice test to identify matters of religion and matters other than religion.

The ‘essential practice’ doctrine emerged in 1954 in the ‘Shirur Mutt’ case. This litigation involved action sought to be taken by the Madras government against a mutt over some disputes over the handling of ﬁnancial aﬀairs. It was in this context that the Supreme Court said: “In the ﬁrst place, what constitutes the essential part of a religion is primarily to be ascertained with reference to the doctrines of that religion itself.”
Hence, some acts obtained constitutional protection by being declared “essential” to the practice of that religion and some were denied protection on the ground that they were not essential to it.
In 1983, the Supreme Court upheld the police decision to disallow ‘Tandava’, a ritual dance performed with a skull and a knife, in public places as part of a procession by Ananda Margis, holding that the ‘Tandava’ was not an essential religious practice among those in the sect.
In the Sabarimala case (2018), the majority ruled that the bar on entry of women in the age-group of 10 to 50 was not an essential or integral part of the religion, and also denied the status of a separate religious denomination of devotees of Lord Ayyappa.

2. URBAN GOVERNANCE

TOPIC: Governance

Context- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a high-level committee, ﬁve centres of excellence and a rethinking of urban planning in her Budget 2022-2023 speech.

Concept-

By 2050, 50% of India’s population will be urban.
India is no longer going to be a rural economy and is moving towards an urban economy.

Role of NIUA

National Institute of Urban affairs is an institute for research, training and information dissemination in urban development and management.
It is located in New Delhi, India.
It was established in 1976 as an autonomous body under the Societies Registration Act.
The Institute is supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,Government of India, State Governments, urban and regional development authorities and other agencies concerned with urban issues.
NIUA can be an aggregator or knowledge provider to the more than 4,000 urban local bodies.

3. WFP to allot Indian wheat in Afghanistan

TOPIC: IR

Context- India signed an agreement with the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) for the distribution of 50,000 tonnes of wheat that it has committed to sending Afghanistan as part of humanitarian assistance.

Concept-

According to the MoU, the wheat will be taken through Pakistan to the Afghan border crossing and handed over to WFP oﬃcials in Kandahar beginning February 22.
The WFP runs its own logistics network inside Afghanistan, partnering with civil society groups, and has launched a global campaign for enough food and aid for the population facing malnutrition — estimated to be half the population or 22 million Afghans.

World Food Programme:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.
It was founded in 1961 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with its headquarters in Rome, Italy.
It is also a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a coalition of UN agencies and organizations aimed at fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition by 2030.
It works closely with the other two Rome-based UN agencies:
- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which helps countries draw up policy to support sustainable agriculture.
- The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which finances projects in poor rural areas.
Report Released by WFP: Global Report on Food Crisis
- The report is produced by the Global Network against Food Crises, an international alliance working to address the root causes of extreme hunger.
The WFP has been awarded with the Nobel Prize for Peace 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger, bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.

4. DARKNET

TOPIC: Science & Tech

Context- In a pan-India operation, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested 22 persons for their alleged involvement in procurement and sale of drugs via dark- net.

Concept-

The drugs were being procured from the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands and Poland via India Post parcel service.
While payments were made in cryptocurrencies, they received money via PayTM and Uniﬁed Payments Interface (UPI) accounts.
They operated on various digital platforms, including Telegram.

Darknet:

A darknet or darknet is an overlay network within the Internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configurations, or authorization, and often uses a unique customized communication protocol.
Internet consists of three layers:
- The first layer is public, consisting of sites that one uses frequently such as Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and LinkedIn. This layer makes up only 4% of the entire internet.
- The second layer, the deep web, is a network where data is stored in inaccessible databases (i.e. cannot be accessed through traditional search engines like Google). It is used to provide access to a specific group of people.
- The third layer is the darknet which is also known as a part of the ‘Deep Web’. It is a network built over the internet which is encrypted.
- It is basically a layer of the Internet accessible only by using special software like Tor (The Onion Router), or I2P, which stands for Invisible Internet Project.
Anything present on the dark web will not be pulled up in internet searches, thereby offering a high degree of anonymity.

5. UNIFORM CIVIL CODE (UCC)

TOPIC: Polity

Context- Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s announced that the BJP, if voted to power, will form a committee to prepare a draft of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the State.

Concept-

UCC in States:

UCC is one that would provide for one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc.
Goa’s Portuguese Civil Code of 1867 is an example of a common family law prevalent in a State.
The promulgation of the UCC emerges as a positive obligation and not duty of the State under Article 44 of the Constitution in the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP).
Article 44 says “the State shall endeavour to secure a UCC for the citizens throughout the territory of India”.

Does “State” in Article 44 mean the Union or the States?

Technically, Article 12 of the Constitution deﬁnes the “State” to include the Union and State governments, Parliament and State Legislatures, and even local authorities.
Besides, entry ﬁve of the Concurrent List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution empowers both the Union and States to make laws on marriage, divorce, infants, minors, adoption, wills, intestacy and succession.
The Jose Paulo Coutinho judgment of the court in 2019, in fact, found Goa a “shining example of an Indian State which has a UCC”.
However, Supreme Court advocate Kaleeswaram Raj argues that promulgation of a UCC by an individual State may clash with Central statutes governing marriage and succession.

6. RATIONALISATION OF INCOME TAX

TOPIC: Economy

Context- 11 crore ﬁle taxes via TDS but only 7 crore ﬁle returns; this needs to improve, says Tarun Bajaj Revenue Secretary.

Concept-

What Is a Tax Base?

A tax base is a total amount of assets or income that can be taxed by a taxing authority, usually by the government.
It is used to calculate tax liabilities. This can be in different forms, including income or property.

TDS/TCS:

Tax Deduction at Source: A person (deductor) who is liable to make payment of specified nature to any other person (deductee) shall deduct tax at source and remit the same into the account of the Central Government.
Tax Collection at Source: It is an additional amount collected as tax by a seller of specified goods from the buyer at the time of sale over and above the sale amount and is remitted to the government account.

7. BIOPESTICIDES

TOPIC: Agriculture

Context- As the government has changed the narrative towards a chemical-free farming, It needs to allow import of new tech in biopesticides’

Concept-

Biopesticides:

Biopesticides are biologically based agents used for the control of plant pests. They can be living organisms (nematodes or micro-organisms) or naturally occurring substances, such as plant extracts or insect pheromones.
Biopesticides are usually inherently less toxic than conventional pesticides.
Biopesticides generally affect only the target pest and closely related organisms, in contrast to broad spectrum, conventional pesticides that may affect organisms as different as birds, insects and mammals.
Biopesticides often are effective in very small quantities and often decompose quickly, resulting in lower exposures and largely avoiding the pollution problems caused by conventional pesticides.

Types of Biopesticides

Biochemical Pesticides: They are naturally occurring substances that control pests by non-toxic mechanisms.
- Biochemical pesticides include substances that interfere with mating, such as insect sex pheromones, as well as various scented plant extracts that attract insect pests to traps.
Microbial Pesticides: They consist of a microorganism (e.g. a bacterium, fungus, virus or protozoan) as the active ingredient.
- Microbial pesticides can control many different kinds of pests, although each separate active ingredient is relatively specific for its target pest(s).
- For example, there are fungi that control certain weeds and other fungi that kill specific insects.
- The most widely used microbial pesticides are subspecies and strains of Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt.
Plant Incorporated Protectants: They are pesticidal substances that plants produce from genetic material that has been added to the plant.

8. mRNA VACCINE

TOPIC: Science & Tech

Context- The Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is expected to roll out India’s ﬁrst home-grown mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccine by April.

Concept-

About mRNA:

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded RNA molecule that is complementary to one of the DNA strands of a gene.
mRNA, like most RNAs, are made in the nucleus and then exported to the cytoplasm where the translation machinery, the machinery that actually makes proteins, binds to these mRNA molecules and reads the code on the mRNA to make a specific protein.
So in general, one gene, the DNA for one gene, can be transcribed into an mRNA molecule that will end up making one specific protein.

mRNA Vaccine/ Synthetic mRNA:

Every strand of mRNA is made up of four molecular building blocks called nucleosides. But in its altered, synthetic form, one of those building blocks simply subbed it out for a slightly tweaked version, creating a hybrid mRNA that could sneak its way into cells without alerting the body’s defenses.
To produce a mRNA vaccine, scientists produce a synthetic version of the mRNA that a virus uses to build its infectious proteins.
This mRNA is delivered into the human body, whose cells read it as instructions to build that viral protein, and therefore create some of the virus’s molecules themselves.
While Other vaccines use a piece of DNA to envelope the spike protein genes. An mRNA vaccine works in similar ways in that it too is a piece of genetic code inserted into the body to stimulate an immune response.

mRNA Vaccine vs Traditional Vaccines:

Traditional vaccines are made up of small or inactivated doses of the whole disease-causing organism, or the proteins that it produces, which are introduced into the body to provoke the immune system into mounting a response.
mRNA vaccines tricks the body into producing some of the viral proteins itself.
They work by using mRNA, or messenger RNA, which is the molecule that essentially puts DNA instructions into action. Inside a cell, mRNA is used as a template to build a protein.
A major advantage of mRNA and DNA vaccines is that because they only need the genetic code, it is possible to quickly update vaccines to emerging variants and even use them for a variety of diseases.
A challenge with mRNA vaccines is that they need to be frozen from -90 degree Celsius to -50 degree Celsius.
A major reason why mRNA vaccines never made it to India was the stringent freezer conditions that made them expensive.

9. BARBELL STRATEGY

TOPIC: Economy

Context- This year’s Budget and Economic Survey used terms like Barbell Strategy, Agile Response, and Bayesian updating of information to tell how the government has improved its decision-making in response to Covid-19.

Concept-

Barbell Strategy:

The barbell strategy is an approach to uncertainty (risk) that uses two extremes – like weights on the opposite ends of a barbell – to avoid ruin and simultaneously expose yourself to a speculative upside.
On one end of the barbell is extreme risk aversion (safety). On the other end is extreme risk loving (speculation).
What you avoid is the “middle” of the barbell – a moderate risk attitude that is highly prone to error.
It is a method that consists of taking both a defensive attitude and an excessively aggressive one at the same time, by protecting assets from all sources of uncertainty while allocating a small portion for high-risk strategies.(a financial market concept)
g. A retail investor secures 80 per cent of his capital by investing in FDs and invests the remaining in speculative stocks or crypto-currencies. If Bitcoin goes to zero, investor loses just 20 per cent of the money. But a few lucky ones saw the Bitcoin returns up by hundred times. The idea is to focus on extreme ends and avoid medium-risk strategies.

Agile Framework:

Agile approach is based on feed-back loops, real-time monitoring of actual outcomes, flexible responses, safety-net buffers and so on.
It was developed in 2001 and is based on 12 principles, which include customer satisfaction, collaboration, adapting to change, feed- back loops and breaking project silos.
the “Agile framework: is particularly relevant today because of the explosion of real-time data that allows for constant monitoring.
The flexibility of Agile improves responsiveness and aids evolution, but it does not attempt to predict future outcomes. This is why the other leg of the Barbell strategy is also needed. It cushions for unpredictable negative outcomes by providing safety nets.

What was the framework that India followed earlier?

India and most countries across the world typically follow the Waterfall Approach. This involves analysis of the issue, detailed planning and meticulous implementation.
India’s earlier five-year plans were based on this.
Waterfall Framework is linear and is developed systematically from phase to phase. This approach works best for projects with concrete timelines, well-deﬁned deliverables and little uncertainties.

10. CHARAK SHAPATH

TOPIC: Art & Culture

Context- The National Medical Commission has made a suggestion that the Hippocratic oath taken by doctors during their graduation ceremony should be replaced by a CharakShapath.

Concept-

About Charaksamhita:

Charaka-samhita, also Caraka-samhita or Caraka-sahita, is a detailed text on ancient Indian medicine attributed to Charaka, a practitioner of Ayurveda, India’s traditional medical system.
Maharishi CharakShapath is mentioned in Charaka Samhita.
The Charaka-samhita, in its current form, is believed to have originated in the first century CE.
Charaka is thought to have flourished sometime between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE.
According to ancient Indian medicine studies, the original text was written by Agnivesha, one of six disciples of Ayurvedic scholar PunarvasuAtreya, many centuries ago (the other five disciples were Bhela, Jatukarna, Parashara, Harita, and Ksharapani).
It became known as the Charaka-samhita after Charaka refined and annotated it.
Although Charaka studied all aspects of medicine, including the logic and philosophy behind the Indian medicinal method, he focused on disease diagnosis and viewed Ayurveda as a holistic health-care system that addressed both preventive and curative aspects.
He also went into great detail about foetal generation and growth, human anatomy, and the role and malfunction of the body according to the tridosha (body’s three humours)—vata, pitta, and kapha.