Daily Prelims Notes 15 January 2021
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN
Daily Prelims Notes 15 January 2021
By
Santosh Sir
All 6 Prelims qualified
4 CSE Mains qualified
If I can do it, you can too
Table Of Contents
- USTAAD scheme
- Indian Council of cultural relations (ICCR)
- Pig painting may be world’s oldest cave art: archaeologists
- Clinical Trial Liability Insurance
- Entomophagy
- Bird flu and Bird migratory pattern
- Article 33
- Transhumance
- Demand for tourism in concurrent list
- Fin Min say no anti-dumping duty Black Carbon
Subject: Welfare schemes and policies
Context: The ministry of Minority affairs has invited proposals for empanelment of project implementing agencies for year 2020-21.
Concept:
- It is a scheme of Ministry of Minority affairs since 2015 for welfare of minorities by upgrading the skills and training in Traditional Arts/Crafts and to preserve the rich heritage of traditional arts/crafts of minorities.
- HunarHaat is also being organised under this Scheme from 2016-17 to further promote traditional crafts/arts, employment generation and strengthen their market linkages.
- These market linkages will also be extended to global markets.
- The HunarHaat is an effective platform wherein opportunity is given to artisans/craftsmen and culinary experts from across the country to showcase and market their handmade, rare, exquisite indigenous products.
- Other schemes of Ministry of Minority Affairs: NaiManzil is a scheme for formal school education & skilling of school dropouts; HamariDharohar scheme is done to preserve rich heritage of minority communities under the overall concept of Indian Culture; Gharib Nawaz Skill Development Training for Minorities – A scheme to provide short-term job oriented skill development courses to youths belonging to 06 Centrally notified minority communities, namely, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains {implemented through Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF); Bridge Course for madarsa students & school dropouts; NaiRoshni for minority women; NaiUdaan – Support for Students clearing Prelims Conducted by UPSC/SSC,State Public Service Commission(PSC) etc.; JiyoParsi
2. Indian Council of cultural relations (ICCR)
Subject: Art and Culture
Context: The Department of Indian Studies at the university in South Korea had been considering phasing out the teaching of Hindi language at the university saying that knowledge of English would be sufficient for Korean nationals interested in working, studying and travelling in India.
Concept:
- The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was founded in 1950 by MaulanaAbulKalam Azad. It completed 70 years in 2020.
- It is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India’s external cultural relations i.e., cultural diplomacy.
- Its objectives are:
- to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations.
- to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries,
- to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people, and to develop relations with nations.
- It is running 36 cultural centres in different countries with the promotion of Indian culture and projecting India as a hub for higher education.
- It instituted several awards for foreign nationals as a way to promote India’s culture abroad:
- Distinguished Indologist Award
- World Sanskrit Award
- Distinguished Alumni Award – Citation and Plaque
- Gisela Bonn Award
3. Pig painting may be world oldest cave art: archaeologists
Subject: Art and Culture
Context: Archaeologists of the Griffith university have discovered the world’s oldest known cave art — a life-sized picture of a wild pig that was painted at least 45,500 years ago in Indonesia
Concept:
- It was found in South Sulawesi and consists of a figurative depiction of a warty pig, a wild boar that is endemic to this Indonesian island.
- It was found in limestone cave of LeangTedongnge and is now the earliest known representational work of art in the world.
- It shows a pig with a short crest of upright hairs and a pair of horn-like facial warts in front of the eyes, a characteristic feature of adult male Sulawesi warty pigs.
- These pigs were the most commonly portrayed animal in the ice age rock art of the island, suggesting they have long been valued both as food and a focus of creative thinking and artistic expression
- Archaeologists claim that isolated Bugis community living in this hidden valley have never been visited by Western countries even during colonial times.
- The team sampled the art for Uranium-series dating, a technique to determine the age of calcium carbonate materials.
4. Clinical Trial Liability Insurance
Subject: Economy
Context: Pharma companies have opted to buy insurance covers from domestic general insurers for their clinical trials to develop vaccines in the country as the vaccine demand is set rise and it is a highly risk activity.
Concept:
- It offers protection against legal liabilities which result from clinical trials.
- Clinical trials refer to scientific tests and treatments experimented on people to understand the efficacy of a medicine or medication.
- A clinical trial insurance covers physical injury, loss of data or property which occurs during the trial.
- Clinical Trial offers protection in two ways:
- Negligent Harm: This is a special policy which offers compensation in case a research subject is harmed due to negligence from the researcher or institute.
- Non- negligent Harm: This is the general insurance policy which covers unintentional physical damage caused to the research subject.
- These cover mainly: Personal damage; Material damage; Data breach; Extended period offering: This refers to the time period after the policy period has expired; Cross liability (coverage of more than one insured candidate; the total liability amount remains the same)
5. Entomophagy
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: The EU food safety agency has certified the yellow mealworm (not actually a nematode, but the larva of a species of darkling beetle)as being i.e., safe to be part of meal.
Concept:
- Entomophagy is the technical term for eating insects. It is a sustainable, cheap diet that can help the cause of nutrition security around the world.
- It is a source of protein and fibre, and said to taste like peanuts, mealworms are however not recommended for those with certain allergies.
- Insect as food industry is seen as alternative as current protein source is largely the meat and poultry industry and have been tied to significant greenhouse gas emissions and serious public health risks.
- low-income nations, especially those struggling with nutrition-sufficiency, could benefit greatly from insect-consumption
- Mealworms are the larval form of the mealworm beetle. These are holometabolic insects (Describing insect development in which there is complete metamorphosis and the immature stages, called larvae, are markedly different from the adults)
6. Bird flu and Bird migratory pattern
Subject: Environment and health
Context:
Subject: Rising bid flu cases in India has impacted mainly poultry but many states like Kerala, Himachal Pradesh forests have reported bird flu in migratory birds raising concern about many endangered species.
Concept:
- forest and protected areas of Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Kerala Reported bird flu from migratory duck species mainly.
- Advisory for strict vigil on the wintering habitats of migratory birds including wetlands for any mortality or outbreak signs.
- Most migratory waterfowl species are known to be carriers of the H5N1 virus (it can jump from birds to mammals and also spreads through fomites or infected surfaces). Ex- Reports of red junglefowl (considered rugged species) being infected is a dangerous sign.
- The avian influenza virus normally does not jump over to humans is easily transmitted from migratory species to domestic birds and has great potential to completely damage our poultryand even pigs.
- It also threatens many endangered species like vultures as they come in contact with the migratory birds.
- Affected birds have symptoms such as tremors, diarrhoea, head tilt, and paralysis.
- Most domestic birds are kept away from wild birds but as domesticated ducks feed in the same paddy fields where wild ducks also feed and sometimes poultry fields are also near to areas near poultry farm there is chances of growing bird flu if care is not taken.
- Care has to be taken in protected areas, wetlands and wildlife areas attracting migratory birds.
About migratory birds:
- Migratory birds are those birds moving from one habitat to another during different times of the year, due to various factors such as food, sunlight, temperature, climate, etc.
- The movement between habitats, can sometimes exceed thousands of miles/kilometres for some migratory birds. A migratory route can involve nesting and also requires the availability of habitats before and after each migration.
- Every year September and October sees huge migration of birds to India from Northern hemisphere.
- Like our highways, we have nine flyways in the world that the waterbirds use for migration,” says S Sivakumar, scientist at Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
- For Asia, it is the Central Asian Flyway that covers 30 countries including India at the tail end with huge landmass and habitat variations, especially the wetlands.
- When daylight shrinks and there is shortage of food supply at the breeding sites, the birds take the cue and start migrating towards wintering sites in the South. The return journey begins in March or April.
- India receives birds from 29 countries during migration.
About Bird Flu:
AVIAN INFLUENZA – Optimize IAS
7. Article 33
Subject: Polity
Context: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice on Centre’s application for clarification that its 2018 judgment decriminalising adultery under IPC should not apply to the Armed Forces where personnel can be cashiered from service on grounds of “unbecoming conduct” for committing adultery with a colleague’s wife.
Concept:
- The Court decriminalised adultery, striking down Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) in Joseph Sine judgement in 2018.
- On the other hand, The Armed Forces Act, there is provision of ‘unbecoming conduct’ under which one can be court martialled and adultery falls under ‘unbecoming conduct’.
- The centre says it may create instability in armed forces as defence forces are mostly separated from families due to nature of duty.
- The Centre pointed to the court that the application of fundamental rights to members of armed forces is restricted as per Article 33 of the Constitution.
- Matter has been referred to a constitutional bench with two main question:
- Whether the persons subject to Army Act, by virtue of Article 33 of Constitution of India being a distinct class should continue to be subject to the section 497 by making an exception.
- If Adulterous acts by persons subject to Army Act should be allowed to be governed by the provisions of Army Act Section 45 or Army Act Section 63 and under corresponding provisions of Navy Act and Air Force Act by treating it as an abrogation of Fundamental Rights provided by law in terms of Article 33 of the Constitution of India.
About Article 33:
- It empowers the Parliament to restrict or abrogate the fundamental rights of the members of armed forces, para-military forces, police forces, intelligence agencies (include employees who are non-combatants), for proper discharge of their duties and the maintenance of discipline.
- Under the law, only Parliament can make laws to give the effect to them(and not states), it cannot be challenged on violation of any of the fundamental rights.
- A parliamentary law enacted under Article 33 can also exclude the court martial from the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the high courts, so far as the enforcement of Fundamental Rights is concerned.
8. Transhumance
Subject: Geography /Art and culture
Context: Ladakh’s nomads have been forced to migrate due to climate change and other reasons with impact on future of pashmina wool.
Concept:
- Pashmina is considered the finest craftsmanship in the world which transforms the exceptionally warm and delicate Cashmere threads to opulent accessories.
- The fleece of Changthangi Goat is known as Pashm. This goat is exotic and is only found there, 15000 feet above sea level in Ladakh – Jammu and Kashmir, making the art of Pashmina even rarer and revered all over the world.
- Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published an Indian Standard for identification last year for marking and labelling of Pashmina products to certify its purity
About Pashmina Goat
- It is a breed of goat indigenous to the high-altitude regions of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, also found in Nepal, Tibet and Central Asia
- They are raised for ultra-fine cashmere wool, known as Pashmina once woven.
- These goats are generally domesticated and reared by nomadic communities called the Changpa in the Changthang region of Greater Ladakh.
Pashmina goats and climate change
- Pashmina wools of such quality needs exceptionally warm, light and fine fibre, the animals need the particular climatic conditions of the Changpa’s homeland.
- Northern India is at the forefront of the ravages of climate change, suffering more droughts, floods and cyclones.
- Social, cultural and environmental impacts such as the loss of culture, loss of language, loss of territory and loss of biodiversity due to climate change is leading to migration of these nomads.
About Transhumance
- Transhumance is a form of pastoralism or nomadism organized around the migration of livestock between mountain pastures in warm seasons and lower altitudes the rest of the year.
- Most people who practice transhumance also practice some form of crop cultivation and some kind of permanent settlement seasonally.
- These are practiced mostly in mountains, highlands, or other areas that are too cold to be inhabited and utilized for grazing except in summer.
9. Demand for tourism in concurrent list
Subject: Indian economy
Context: The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has urged the Union government to bring tourism under the concurrent list and to grant the ”industry” status to the hospitality sector in the wake of sector being the biggest causality in Covid-19 led slowdown in economy.
Concept:
- Currently tourism is not specifically mentioned in any of the list provided for by the constitution.
- However, currently it is found in state list as “Pilgrimages, other than pilgrimages to places outside India” is mentioned in the state list. Pilgrimage outside India comes under union list.
- Thus, currently tourism falls in the sphere of states. Earlier also demand for it to be in concurrent list was made (Both centre and state able to make laws with overriding power with the Union), but opposition by many states did not let it happen.
- The demand currently is to ensure recovery of sector by aligning tourism to national agenda.
- States does not want it as tourism has emerged as source of high revenue and employment generation.
Why “Industry” status is demanded?
- Conferring industry status basically entails an inclusion in the State/Central industrial policy.
- Ensure loans at lower interest rates
- Enabling large investors to be financing partners
- Allowing developers refinance their existing debts
10. Fin Min say no anti-dumping duty Black Carbon
Context: Finance Ministry has turned down DGTR recommendation to continue the anti-dumping duty of black carbon from China.
Concept:
Black Carbon:
Carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as FCC tar, coal tar, or ethylene cracking tar.
- Carbon black is a form of paracrystalline carbon that has a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, albeit lower than that of activated carbon.
- It is dissimilar to soot in its much higher surface-area-to-volume ratio and significantly lower (negligible and non-bioavailable) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content. However, carbon black is widely used as a model compound for diesel soot for diesel oxidation experiments.
Application:
Carbon black is mainly used as a reinforcing filler in tires and other rubber products.
In plastics, paints, and inks, carbon black is used as a color pigment
Why Black carbon is used in tyres?
Rubber in its ‘natural’ state is white, soft and has poor resistance to abrasion.
Use of black carbon significantly increases the stiffness, tensile strength and abrasion resistance of rubber compounds. So carbon black is critical to the strength, handling, wear and durability of any rubber tyre
Anti-Dumping:
- An anti-dumping duty is a protectionist tariff that a domestic government imposes on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair market value.
- Dumping is a process where a company exports a product at a price lower than the price it normally charges in its own home market.
- The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters.
- The duty is imposed only after a thorough investigation by a quasi-judicial body, such as Directorate General of Trade Remedies, in India.
- The imposition of anti-dumping duty is permissible under the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime.