Daily Prelims Notes 13 May 2022

Daily Prelims Notes

13 May 2022

 Table Of Contents

1. Inflation in India cause and effect
2. RBI Gold Acquisition 
3. Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court
4. SC refuses interim relief in LIC IPO
5. On the question of notifying minorities
6. Shallow and deep ecologism
7. E- waste recycling
8. A monsoon-friendly Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO)wave is expected to transit the region from next week
9. Indigenous Cattles
10. SC and ST representation in Judiciary
11. The India hypertension control initiative

1. Inflation in India cause and effect

Subject: Economy 

Section: Inflation

Context: The official data revealed that retail inflation had grown by 7.8% in April- the highest rate in the last 8 years.

Details:

Retail inflation has been high since October 2019 and has, in fact, touched the 4% mark just once since then. In all other months, it has been higher than 4% and regularly breached the 6% since February 2022.

Causes:

• Ukraine War- leading rise in price of crude oil and natural gas. India importing more than 80% of its domestic need of these goods imported inflation is one of the most important causes.
• Rise in Food Inflation
• Rise in price of core items-all other items excluding food and fuel, which makeup the remaining 47% of the headline inflation- the CPI.

Impact:

• Reduces purchasing power of money- it is the ability of money to buy a particular quantity of good and service. As price rise lower amount of goods purchased with same quantity of money.
• Reduce Aggregate Demand-as more money required for purchasing initial quantities of goods.
• Reduces real rate of interest – thus reduces productive savings and investments. Reduced real interest rate benefits borrowers and helps the government meet its debt obligations in an easier manner.
• Help achieve fiscal deficit target- Fiscal Deficit limits are expressed as a percentage of the nominal GDP.As the nominal GDP rises because of inflation (without necessarily implying an increase in overall production), the same amount of fiscal deficit (borrowing)becomes a smaller percentage of the GDP.
• Corporate profitability –rises in the short run as they have a large inventory of raw material thus able to pass the rising price to the consumers. However in the long run due to fall in aggregate demand and rise in cost of production profits decline.
• Currency depreciation- as rise in prices of exports and imports become relatively cheaper. Further, due to low real interest rate capital outflows leading to the overall BOP deficit and currency depreciation as demand for foreign currency rises relative to domestic currency.
• Wage price spiral-People expect future prices to be higher and demand higher wages. But this, in turn, creates its own spiral of inflation as companies try to price goods and services even higher due to rise in the cost of production.

2. RBI Gold Acquisition

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Context:

India’s gold holdings have gone up to 760.42 tonnes, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) adding another 16.58 tonnes of the yellow metal to the country’s foreign exchange kitty during the six months ended March 2022.

Details:

RBI’s gold acquisition happened at a time when foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) were exiting India and forex reserves declined by $44.73 billion from $642.45 billion in September 2021 to $597.72 billion on April 29, 2022, as per Reserve Bank data.

In value terms (USD), the share of gold in the total foreign exchange — or forex — reserves increased from about 5.88 per cent as at end-September 2021 to about 7.01 per cent as at end-March 2022 making India the ninth-largest holder of gold reserves.

Why?

• While gold no longer plays a direct role in the international monetary system, central banks and governments still hold extensive gold reserves to preserve national wealth and protect against economic instability. 
• Reserve asset-Gold is the third largest reserve asset globally, following US dollar- and euro-denominated assets.
• Collateral in financial transactions, much like other high-quality, liquid assets like government debt.
• Stability and diversity to the forex reserves at a time when capital outflows fluctuating.

3. Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court

Subject: Polity

Section: Judiciary

Context: Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking direction to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to “open 22 sealed doors” of the Taj Mahal.

Concept:

• Petitioner’s filed PIL seeking direction for opening of sealed doors and removal of certain structures to facilitate historical study.
• Petitioner also sought direction from the court for appointing a fact-finding committee to study and publish the “real history” of the Taj Mahal. Thereby, the “controversy” around it may be put to rest.
• Court replied, “Determination of the question as to which particular methodology of research would yield correct results lies outside the scope of our jurisdiction and powers of judicial review (under Article 226)”.
• While exercising our jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, though it is said that this Court is a Court of plenary jurisdiction, however, the power of judicial review is circumscribed by certain well recognized and established legal principles; one of such principles is the doctrine of non-justiciability. Justiciability of an issue means amenability of the issue to be adjudicated upon by a judicial or quasi judicial process. The well known doctrine of non-jisticiability enunciates that if there are no judicially manageable standards available to a Court to adjudicate upon an issue, the petition of such a nature will not be maintainable.

About Taj Mahal

https://optimizeias.com/taj-mahal-unesco-world-heritage-site/

4. SC refuses interim relief in LIC IPO

Subject: Polity

Section: Parliament

Context: SC refuses interim relief in LIC IPO matter, issues notice to Centre

More about the issue:

• The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant any interim relief in a matter pertaining to the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) initial public offering (IPO) issue.
• And issued notice to the Centre on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of provisions of certain sections of Finance Act, 2021 and certain provision of LIC Act 1956.
• The petitioner in Madras High Court was filed by L Ponnammal, a LIC policyholder, challenging the passing of the Finance Act, 2021 as a money bill and as the petitioner stated that the provisions were introduced by a Money Bill despite amendment does not fall in the category of Money Bill.
• The petition sought to declare sections 128 to 146 of the Finance Act, 2021 as ultra vires Article 110 of the Constitution of India.

5..On the question of notifying minorities

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context: A public interest litigation (PIL) under the consideration of the Supreme Court of India challenges the power of the Centre to notify minority communities at a national level.

What does the PIL argue?

• The petitioner argues that the Centre’s decision was arbitrary since the SC had held, in the T. M. A. Pai Foundation vs State Of Karnataka case of 2002 that, “for the purpose of determining minority, the unit will be State and not whole India.”
• The petition seeks the SC to curtail the Centre’s power to notify national minorities or direct the Centre to notify followers of Hinduism, Bahaism and Judaism as minorities in States/UTs where they are actually fewer in numbers; or direct that only those communities that are “socially, economically and politically non-dominant” besides being numerically smaller in States/UTs be allowed the status of minorities.

Centre response:

• Centre has reiterated its power to notify communities as minorities under Central Acts.
• Centre had pointed out that it had concurrent powers with States to take measures for the welfare of minorities. States could have minorities notified as such within their jurisdiction.

Point of debate:

The PIL specifically questions the validity of Section 2(f ) of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions or NCMEI

Act 2004, terming it arbitrary and contrary to Articles 14, 15, 21, 29 and 30 of the Constitution Section 2(f ) says “minority,”for the purpose of this Act, means a community notified as such by the Central Government.” Section 2(c) of the of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act, 1992 also gives the Centre similar powers. Six communities are currently notified as minority communities at the national level — Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains.

More about Minorities: https://optimizeias.com/minorities/

6. Shallow and deep ecologism

Subject :Environment

Section : Ecosystem

Context:

• Heat waves are known to have been a reality for hundreds of years. But the long-term effects of climate change have exacerbated them, making the waves more extreme, frequent and prolonged.
• As India continues to grapple with the unrelenting waves, it becomes pertinent to unpack two strands of environmental philosophy that reinvent the relationship between nature and humans — shallow and deep ecologism.

Shallow ecologism:

• The fashionable fight against pollution and resource depletion is shallow ecologism.
• Exponents of this philosophy believe in continuing our present lifestyle, but with specific tweaks aimed at minimising the damage to the environment.

Deep ecologism:

• Deep ecologism believes that humans should radically change their relationship with nature.
• Its proponents reject shallow ecologism for prioritising humans above other forms of life, and subsequently preserving the environmentally destructive way of life in modern societies.

Two styles of ecologism:

• The concepts emerged in the 1970s, when Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess sought to look beyond the popular pollution and conservation movements of his milieu to address environmental degradation.
• In his study of ecological concerns, Næss is more preoccupied with the role of the individual in nature.
• He believes that owing to increased anthropocentrism, humans have cut themselves off from nature, viewing nature and themselves as competing entities and establishing a master-slave dynamic.

Concerns with shallow ecologism

• Deep ecologism maintains that by sustaining this lifestyle, shallow ecologism further widens the inequalities between countries. For instance, despite constituting only five per cent of the world’s population, the U.S. accounts for 17% of the world’s energy consumption and is the second largest consumer of electricity after China.
• Similarly, while low and middle-income countries have recorded lower cumulative and per capita carbon dioxide emissions over the past two centuries, it is the wealthier countries which are most responsible for a majority of carbon emissions.

Objectives of deep ecologism:

• Deep ecologism advocates that humans should radically change their relationship with nature.
• Deep ecologism aspires to sustain nature by making large-scale changes to our lifestyle.
• These may include limiting the commercial farming of meat to preserve forest areas and reduce the artificial fattening of animals, or the reshaping of transport systems which involve the use of internal combustion engines.

Policy-making must be aided by the reorientation of technical skills and inventions in new directions that are ecologically responsible

7. E- waste recycling

Subject :Environment

Section : Ecosystem

Only 22.7 per cent of the e-wasteof the total 10,14,961.21 tonnes generated in 2019-20 in India was collected, dismantled and recycled or disposed off. This e-waste is comprised of 21 types of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) notified Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016.

E-Waste Management Rules, 2016

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 in super session of the E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011.
• Over 21 products (Schedule-I) were included under the purview of the rule. It included Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and other mercury containing lamps, as well as other such equipment.
• For the first time, the rules brought the producers under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), along with targets. Producers have been made responsible for the collection of E-waste and for its exchange.
• Various producers can have a separate Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) and ensure collection of E-waste, as well as its disposal in an environmentally sound manner.
• Deposit Refund Scheme has been introduced as an additional economic instrument wherein the producer charges an additional amount as a deposit at the time of sale of the electrical and electronic equipment and returns it to the consumer along with interest when the end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment is returned.
• The role of State Governments has been also introduced to ensure safety, health and skill development of the workers involved in dismantling and recycling operations.
• A provision of penalty for violation of rules has also been introduced.
• Urban Local Bodies (Municipal Committee/Council/Corporation) have been assigned the duty to collect and channelize the orphan products to authorized dismantlers or recyclers.
• Allocation of proper space to existing and upcoming industrial units for e-waste dismantling and recycling.

Under 2016 rules, provisions have been made for the dismantling and recycling of e-waste.The dismantlers and recyclers have to obtain authorisation from concerned State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)or Pollution Control Committees (PCCs). The concerned SPCB or PCC grants authorisation after ensuring that the dismantlers and recyclers have the dismantling and recycling facilities as per the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)\

VPN vs Private browsing

Private browsing will prevent your browser from storing information on your local device or computer, it won’t necessarily stop data being shared between your computer and your internet service provider (ISP).

A VPN gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection. It masks your internet protocol address to keep your online actions private. It provides secure and encrypted connections to provide greater privacy and security for the data you send and receive. VPN is used to hide location as well as encrypt information being transferred between the sender and receiver.

8. A monsoon-friendly Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO)wave is expected to transit the region from next week

Subject : Geography

Section : Climatology

Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO)

• The MJO can be defined as an eastward moving ‘pulse’ of clouds, rainfall, winds and pressure near the equator that typically recurs every 30 to 60 days.
• It’s a traversing phenomenon and is most prominent over the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

• Phases of Madden-Julian Oscillation Enhanced rainfall (or convective) phase: winds at the surface converge, and the air is pushed up throughout the atmosphere. At the top of the atmosphere, the winds reverse (i.e., diverge). Such rising air motion in the atmosphere tends to increase condensation and rainfall.
• Suppressed rainfall phase: winds converge at the top of the atmosphere, forcing air to sink and, later, to diverge at the surface. As air sinks from high altitudes, it warms and dries, which suppresses rainfall.
• It is this entire dipole structure that moves west to east with time in the Tropics, causing more cloudiness, rainfall, and even storminess in the enhanced convective phase, and more sunshine and dryness in the suppressed convective phase.

How Does MJO Affect Indian Monsoon?

• The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), El Nino and MJO are all oceanic and atmospheric phenomena, which affect weather on a large scale. IOD only pertains to the Indian Ocean, but the other two affect weather on a global scale-up to the mid-latitudes.
• IOD and El Nino remain over their respective positions, while MJO is a traversing phenomenon.
• When it is over the Indian Ocean during the Monsoon season, it brings good rainfall over the Indian subcontinent.
• On the other hand, when it witnesses a longer cycle and stays over the Pacific Ocean, MJO brings bad news for the Indian Monsoon.

Periodicity of MJO:

• If it is nearly 30 days then it brings good rainfall during the Monsoon season.
• If it is above 40 days then MJO doesn’t give good showers and could even lead to a dry Monsoon.
• Shorter the cycle of MJO, better the Indian Monsoon. Simply because it then visits the Indian Ocean more often during the four-month-long period.
• Presence of MJO over the Pacific Ocean along with an El Nino is detrimental for Monsoon rains.

9. Indigenous Cattles

Subject: Economy

Section: Agriculture

Context: 23 breeds of indigenous cattle registered a decline in numbers – ranging from 1.08% to 93.48% – in seven years between 2012 and 2019, according to the latest breed-wise report of livestock and poultry in India.

Concept:

• The report, is based on 20^th Live stock Census conducted during 2018-19, was released by Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• According to the report, the total number of indigenous cattle declined by 6% to 14.21 crore in 2019 from 15.12 crore in 2012. Their share in the total cattle population fell to 73% from 79% during this period.
• According to the 20th Livestock Census, “Animals which belong to Descript (identified)/Non-descript (non-identified) breeds of indigenous origin are considered as indigenous animals.”
• However, the number of Exotic/Crossbred cattle grew from 3.9 crore in 2012 to 5 crore in 2019. The Census defines “Exotic” cattle as “the animals which have their origin in other countries”.
• The report has divided indigenous cattle population in two groups – 41 recognised breeds and Non-Descript. Of the indigenous cattle population, Non-Descript had the most numbers – 10.02 crore – during 2019, while the combined number of 41 breeds stood at 2.49 crore.
• Among five breeds, which have seen maximum decline in their numbers, are Khariar(-93%), Kherigarh(-75%), Kenkatha (-67%), Motu (56%) and Hariana (56%).
• Khariar, found mainly in Odisha and Chhattisgarh; Hariana breed is found mainly in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar; Motu is found in Odisha; Red Kandhari in Maharashtra; Kenkatha in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh; and Kherigarh in Uttar Pradesh.
• Other breeds which have registered a decline are: Dangi, found mainly in Maharashtra and Gujarat; Rathi (Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana); Deoni(Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana); Tharparkar(Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand); Kangayam (Tamil Nadu); Binjharpuri (Odisha); Kankrej (Gujarat and Rajasthan); Nagori (Rajasthan and Punjab); MalnadGidda (Karnataka); Mewati(Uttar Pradesh); Khillar (Karnataka and Maharashtra); Kosali (Chhattisgarh); Malvi (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan); Umbla Cherry (Tamil Nadu); Gaolao(Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra); Ghumusari (Odisha); and Hallikar(Karnataka).
• The 14 indigenous breeds, which have registered an increase between 2012-19 are: Vechur (512%), Punganur, (369%), Bargur (240%), Bachaur (181%), Krishna Valley (57%), Pulikulum, (38%), Siri (36%), Gir (34.12%), Amritmahal (31%), Sahiwal (22%), Ongole(11%), Red Sindhi (10%), Nimari(6) and Ponwar (2.46%).
• In terms of absolute number, Girhad the highest population of 68.57 lakh followed by Lakhimi (68.29 lakh) and Sahiwal (59 lakh).
• According to the 20^th Livestock Census, 04% of the livestock population belong to cattle.

10. SC and ST representation in Judiciary

Subject: Polity

Section: Judiciary

Context: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, headed by senior BJP MP Kirit Solanki, has decided to study the representation of SCs and STs in the Judiciary “with special reference to the appointment in High Courts and Supreme Court”.

Concept:

• The decision is a reflection of the demand that reservation must be followed in judicial appointments
• The panel will also study certain recent higher court verdicts against reservation, particularly those against reservation in promotions.
• The panel has also decided to look into the issue of All India Judicial Services. “Status of All India Judicial Services under Article 312 of the Constitution of India and its scope of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes”.
• Apart from that, the panel will examine annual Reports of National Commission for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and the reservation policy in public sector.
• It will also study atrocity cases against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with respect to implementation of the Prevention of Atrocities Act. The status of reservation of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in Central Public Sector Undertakings will also be examined.
• Role of autonomous bodies, Public Enterprises, educational Institutions including Central Universities, Engineering Colleges, IIMs, IITs, Medical Institutes including AIIMS in socio-economic development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is another subject along with the implementation of reservation policy in the Ministries/Departments of the Centre and the States.
• The panel will also review the functioning of National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation policy in Public Sector.

11. The India hypertension control initiative

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Health

Context: On the hypertension spectrum

Concept: High blood pressure (hypertension) is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.

Hypertension is diagnosed if, when it is measured on two different days, the systolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥90 mmHg.

Blood pressure is denoted by two numbers

1. Systolic number – the pressure in blood vessels when the heart contracts or beats.
2. Diastolic number – the pressure in the vessels when the heart rests between beats.

Hypertension ̶ or elevated blood pressure ̶ is a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risks of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases.

• An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years worldwide have hypertension, most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries
• An estimated 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have the condition.
• Less than half of adults (42%) with hypertension are diagnosed and treated.
• Approximately 1 in 5 adults (21%) with hypertension have it under control.
• Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide.
• One of the global targets for non-communicable diseases is to reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 33% between 2010 and 2030.

The risk factors for hypertension

Modifiable risk factors include

• Unhealthy diets (excessive salt consumption,
• A diet high in saturated fat and trans fats,
• Low intake of fruits and vegetables), physical inactivity,
• Consumption of tobacco and alcohol,
• Being overweight or obese.

Non-modifiable risk factors include

• A family history of hypertension,
• Age over 65 years and
• Co-existing diseases such as diabetes or kidney disease.

Common symptoms of hypertension

It is called a “silent killer”.

Most people with hypertension have no warning signs or symptoms.

• Early morning headaches,
• Nosebleeds,
• Irregular heart rhythms,
• vision changes, and Buzzing in the ears.
• Fatigue,
• Nausea,
• Vomiting,
• Confusion,
• Anxiety,
• Chest pain, and
• Muscle tremors.

Why is hypertension an important issue in low- and middle-income countries?

The prevalence of hypertension varies across regions and country income groups. The WHO African Region has the highest prevalence of hypertension (27%) while the WHO Region of the Americas has the lowest prevalence of hypertension (18%).

The number of adults with hypertension increased from 594 million in 1975 to 1.13 billion in 2015, with the increase seen largely in low- and middle-income countries. This increase is due mainly to a rise in hypertension risk factors in those populations.

In India

A project called the India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) finds that nearly 23% out of 2.1 million Indians have uncontrolled blood pressure.

The India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) is a multi-partner initiative, implementing and scaling up a public health hypertension control program across India.

About the IHCI: Recognising that hypertension is a serious, and growing, health issue in India, the Health Ministry, the Indian Council of Medical Research, State Governments, and WHO-India began a five-year initiative to monitor and treat hypertension.

India has committed to a “25 by 25” goal, which aims to reduce premature mortality due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025. One of the nine voluntary targets includes reducing the prevalence of high blood pressure by 25% by 2025.