Daily Prelims Notes 13 July 2020

July 13, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Table Of Contents

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

Apart from discovered symptoms of respiratory troubles, Coronavirus has now known to cause blood clots, kidney damage etc.

Concept:

Pulmonary disease

It is type of disease that affects the lungs and other parts of the respiratory system.
Pulmonary diseases may be caused by infection, by smoking tobacco, or by breathing in secondhand tobacco smoke, radon, asbestos, or other forms of air pollution.
Pulmonary diseases include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, and lung cancer. Also called lung disorder and respiratory disease.

Vascular disease

Vascular disease is any abnormal condition of the blood vessels (arteries and veins).
The body uses blood vessels to circulate blood through itself. Problems along this vast network can cause severe disability and death.
Vascular diseases outside the heart can “present” themselves anywhere.
The most common vascular diseases are stroke, peripheral artery disease (PAD), pulmonary embolism (blood clots), deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Systemic disease

A systemic disease is one that affects a number of organs and tissues, or affects the body as a whole
Examples: Rheumatoid arthritis, Sickle cell disease

2. Atoll Nation and Air bubble

Subject: IR

Context:

Maldives has asked Indian government to establish an air bubble or air travel bridge with India as it goes to reopen tourism sector from July 15

Concept:

Maldives is located to the southwest of India in the Indian Ocean
The economy of the Maldives is almost entirely driven by tourism, which makes up 70 per cent of its GDP.
The air bubble would be a special gesture to a country with which India has had traditionally warm ties, but where in recent years, it has had to contend with growing Chinese influence.

Air bubble

Air bubbles” or “air bridges” are joining jurisdictions that have largely eliminated the cornovirus, and trust in each other’s testing and case numbers.
Australia and New Zealand have leaded the way with a proposed “Covid-safe travel zone”, or the trans-Tasman bubble.

3. NHRC and SHRC

Subject: Polity

Context:

Recent Custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu and encounter in Uttar Pradesh has brought into focus the role of human rights watchdogs.

Concept:

NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was established on 12 October, 1993. The statute under which it is established is the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993
It is in conformity with the Paris Principles.
The NHRC is an embodiment of India’s concern for the promotion and protection of human rights.
The Commission consists of a Chairperson, full-time Members and seven deemed Members. The statute lays down qualifications for the appointment of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission. Constitution of NHRC
Judge of the Supreme Court is eligible to be appointed as Chairperson of the Commission in addition to the person who has been the Chief Justice of India;
Term of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission is three years or 70 years whichever is earlier and shall be eligible for re-appointment.
The chairman and members are appointed by the president on the recommendations of a six-member committee consisting of the prime minister as its head, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, leaders of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliament and the Central home minister.
The president can remove the chairman or any member from the office under the following circumstances:

(a) If he is adjudged an insolvent; or

(b) If he engages, during his term of office, in any paid employment outside the duties of his office; or

(d) If he is of unsound mind and stand so declared by a competent court; or

(e) If he is convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for an offence.

In addition to these, the president can also remove the chairman or any member on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. However, in these cases, the president has to refer the matter to the Supreme Court for an inquiry. If the Supreme Court, after the inquiry, upholds the cause of removal and advises so, then the president can remove the chairman or a member.
The salaries, allowances and other conditions of service of the chairman or a member are determined by the Central government.

SHRC

SHRC derives its mandate from Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993
The Commission consists of a Chairperson and two Members. The statute lays down qualifications for the appointment of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission. Constitution of NHRC
Person who has been Chief Justice or Judge of a High Court will be chairperson of a SHRC.
Term of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission is three years or 70 years whichever is earlier and shall be eligible for re-appointment.
The chairperson and members are appointed by the Governor on the recommendations of a committee consisting of the chief minister as its head, the speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the state home minister and the leader of the opposition in the Legislative Assembly.
Although the chairperson and members of a State Human Rights Commission are appointed by the governor, they can be removed only by the President (and not by the governor). The President can remove them on the same grounds and in the same manner as he can remove the chairperson or a member of the National Human Rights Commission.

4. Malabar exercise

Subject:IR

Context:

India plans to invite Australia to join the annual Malabar naval exercise that has so far included Japan and the U.S.

Concept:

The Malabar exercise started in 1992 as a bi-lateral one between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in the Indian Ocean.
However, this joint naval exercise was suspended from 1998 to 2001 as the US imposed military and economic sanctions on India amid tensions after India conducted nuclear weapon tests in Pokhran in 1998.
It was revived by the two countries in 2002, and Japan became a permanent member of the Malabar exercise in 2015.
This maritime exercise has grown in scope and complexity and aims at increasing the level of mutual understanding, interoperability and sharing of the best practices among the three navies.

5. Itolizumab

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

Biocon has gotten approval of DGCI nod to market Itolizumab for Covid treatment

Concept:

It is a drug used to cure skin ailment psoriasis
It is approved for restricted emergency use for the treatment of cytokine’ release syndrome in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome patients due to Covid-19

6. NATGRID

Subject: Government bodies

Context:

National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has signed a MOU with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to access the centralized online database on FIRs and stolen vehicles.

Concept:

National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) is an attached office of Ministry of Home Affairs
It has been created as an IT platform to assist the intelligence and law enforcement agencies in ensuring national and internal security, with the ultimate aim to counter terror.
NATGRID, an integrated intelligence grid which will connect databases of core security agencies, gathered pace in 2016
NATGRID will have data related to all immigration entry and exit, banking and financial transactions, credit card purchases, telecom, individual taxpayers, air flyers, train travellers besides others to generate intelligence inputs.
The 10 agencies which will be able to access the NATGRID data on real-time basis are: Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Directorate General of Central Excise and Intelligence (DGCEI) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
Initially, no state agencies will be given direct access to the NATGRID data. However, whenever any relevant information is required, they can approach the NATGRID through any of the 10 user agencies.

7. Socially backward

Subject: Polity

Context:

The Supreme Court, in a significant decision, confirmed that persons suffering from disabilities are also socially backward and entitled to the same benefits of relaxation as Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe candidates in public employment and education.

Concept:

Article 15 (4) of Indian states that nothing in article 15 or in article 29(2) shall prevent the state from making any provisions for the advancement of any socially and economically backward classes of citizens or for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
This clause started the era of reservations in India. talks
Caste is not the only criterion for backwardness and other criteria must also be considered.