Daily Prelims Notes 15 October 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

15 October 2024

Table Of Contents

1. Nobel Prize in Economics 2024: Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson Recognized for Work on Wealth Inequality
2. White Goods PLI Scheme: 38 Companies, Including Voltas and Blue Star, Apply in Third Round
3. Nile nations agree on water-sharing without Egypt’s nod
4. India will soon get a clear picture of its Ganges and Indus river dolphins: Centre
5. Why SpaceX ‘catching’ Starship booster with robotic arms is significant
6. Most ICCs in entertainment industry not legal: women’s commission to HC
7. India and Russia Collaborate on Northern Sea Route and Polar Navigation
8. China holds military drills near Taiwan: all about the shared history, current tensions
9. On Samsung workers’ right to unionise
10. The Haber-Bosch Process: A Revolution in Agriculture with Environmental Concerns
11. Unravelling Tuberculosis: How Mycobacterium tuberculosis Evades the Immune System

1. Nobel Prize in Economics 2024: Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson Recognized for Work on Wealth Inequality

Sub : Eco

Sec :National Income

• Award and Recipients:
  • The Nobel Prize in Economics for 2024 was awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson.
  • Daron Acemoglu is a Turkish-American economist, while Simon Johnson and James Robinson are British-Americans.
  • Acemoglu and Johnson are professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Robinson is a professor at the University of Chicago.
• Research Focus:
  • The trio was recognized for their research on wealth inequality between nations.
  • Their work examined how political and economic systems introduced by European colonizers affected the development of societies.
  • The research emphasized the relationship between societal institutions and prosperity, showing how the nature of institutions can lead to differences in wealth and economic outcomes.
• Importance of Societal Institutions:
  • The Nobel committee highlighted the importance of inclusive institutions in driving economic growth and prosperity.
  • The chair of the Nobel committee, Jakob Svensson, stated that reducing income differences between countries remains one of the biggest challenges today, and the laureates’ work demonstrates the critical role of institutions in achieving this goal.
• Key Insights from the Research:
• Political and Economic Institutions:
  • The laureates’ research illuminated how differences in political and economic institutions explain why some nations prosper while others lag behind.
  • For instance, countries with inclusive political systems tend to provide better opportunities for economic participation and wealth creation.
  • By contrast, extractive institutions often limit growth and trap countries in cycles of low economic development.
• Example of Nogales:
  • The Nobel jury cited the example of Nogales, a city divided by the U.S.-Mexican border.
  • Residents on the U.S. side of Nogales have access to better economic opportunities, education, and political rights than those on the Mexican side.
  • This example illustrates how institutions, not geography or culture, create significant differences in prosperity.
• Impact on Democratic Systems:
  • According to Daron Acemoglu, their research favors democracy.
  • He emphasized that democracies tend to grow faster than non-democratic regimes, especially when a country transitions from a non-democratic to a democratic system.
  • Acemoglu stated, “Countries that democratize grow faster, and it’s a substantial gain.“
• Books and Publications:
  • Acemoglu is also known for his bestselling book, “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,” co-authored with James Robinson.
  • The book explores why some nations succeed economically while others remain poor, linking success to inclusive institutions that encourage innovation, education, and participation.
• Broader Implications:
  • The laureates’ research has contributed to understanding why poorer countries struggle to close the income gap with wealthier nations.
  • Jan Teorell, a professor of political science and a member of the award committee, noted that much of the income gap is due to differences in economic and political institutions.
  • Their work also explains why some nations become trapped in low economic growth, and how institutional reforms can help nations escape such traps.

2. White Goods PLI Scheme: 38 Companies, Including Voltas and Blue Star, Apply in Third Round

Sub : Eco

Sec: External sector

• Overview:
  • A total of 38 companies have applied under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for white goods, focusing on air-conditioners (ACs) and LED lights.
  • Major companies like Daikin, Voltas, and Blue Star are among the applicants, with a proposed investment of ₹4,121 crore.
• Scheme Reopened:
  • The government reopened the application window for the ₹6,238-crore PLI scheme in July 2024 to accommodate more players due to increased interest from companies.
  • This is the third round of applications for the scheme, indicating the growing demand and participation in the initiative.
• Investment Breakdown:
  • 21 companies have applied for the manufacture of AC components, committing to an investment of ₹3,679 crore.
  • 18 applicants have committed to manufacturing components for LED lights, with an investment of ₹442 crore.
  • The investments aim to boost local production, reduce imports, and enhance the competitiveness of the Indian manufacturing sector.
• Impact on the Sector:
  • Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), stated that the PLI scheme is significantly benefitting the white goods sector.
  • The value addition in the sector has improved from 25% to about 50%, showing the positive impact of the scheme on domestic manufacturing.
• Expected Outcomes:
  • Over the next three years, the 38 companies are projected to achieve a production value of around ₹55,877 crore for AC components and LED lights.
  • The initiative is expected to generate direct employment for 47,851 individuals, contributing to economic growth and job creation.
• Purpose of the PLI Scheme:
  • The PLI scheme for white goods aims to promote local manufacturing by offering financial incentives based on incremental production.
  • It encourages investment in domestic production of ACs and LED components, aiming to reduce dependency on imports and strengthen the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

This initiative is part of India’s broader strategy to boost local manufacturing, reduce import dependence, and promote self-reliance in critical sectors.

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme

• Introduction:
  • The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme is an initiative by the Government of India aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing and reducing dependency on imports.
  • It provides financial incentives to companies on their incremental sales of products manufactured in India, thus encouraging them to set up or expand production facilities.
• Objectives:
  • Boost Manufacturing: The scheme aims to enhance domestic production capacity across various key sectors.
  • Reduce Imports: By encouraging local manufacturing, the scheme seeks to reduce dependency on imports, thereby improving the trade balance.
  • Employment Generation: Increased production capacity is expected to create more job opportunities, benefiting the Indian economy.
  • Economic Growth: Enhanced manufacturing output can contribute to overall economic growth, with an estimated impact over the next five years.
• Incentive Structure:
  • Companies are rewarded based on their performance and the incremental sales of domestically manufactured goods.
  • The scheme is sector-specific, with each sector having its own set of eligibility criteria and incentive structures.

Important: The schemes are being implemented in various stages by the respective Ministries/ Departments.

3. Nile nations agree on water-sharing without Egypt’s nod

Sub :IR

Sec: Places in news

Nile Basin Initiative (NBI):

• The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), a regional partnership of 10 countries, announced that a cooperative framework for the equitable use of Nile River resources has come into effect.
• The legal status of the “cooperative framework” was confirmed by the African Union after South Sudan joined the treaty.
• Signatory nations:
  • South Sudan joined the agreement.
  • Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania have already ratified the accord.
  • Egypt and Sudan declined to sign, Congo abstained, and Kenya has not yet deposited its ratification documents.
• The agreement aims to ensure sustainable and equitable usage of the Nile’s water.
• The Treaty envisages the establishment of a permanent institutional mechanism, the Nile River Basin Commission (NRBC).
  • The Commission would serve to promote and facilitate the implementation of the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) and to facilitate cooperation among the Nile Basin States in the conservation, management and development of the Nile River Basin and its waters.
• Concerns:
  • However, its lack of ratification by Egypt and Sudan, which rely heavily on the Nile’s water resources, raises concerns.
  • Both nations fear that the accord could diminish their water shares.
  • Tensions have heightened due to Ethiopia’s $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, which Egypt worries could reduce water supplies vital for irrigation and drinking water downstream unless Ethiopia addresses its concerns.

About the Nile River Basin:

• The Nile River basin is one of the most significant and historically important river systems in the world.

1. Geography:

• The Nile is the world’s longest river, stretching approximately 6,650 kilometers (4,132 miles).
• It flows northward through northeastern Africa, eventually emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.

2. Major tributaries:

• Blue Nile: Originates from Lake Tana in Ethiopia
• White Nile: Begins in the Great Lakes region of central Africa
• The White and Blue Niles merge at Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

3. Countries involved: The Nile basin includes 11 countries: Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Eritrea.
4. Historical importance:

• Ancient Egyptian civilization developed along the Nile’s banks.
• The river has been crucial for agriculture, transportation, and development for thousands of years.

5. Environmental concerns:

• Climate change impacts on water availability
• Pollution and ecosystem degradation

Source: TH

4. India will soon get a clear picture of its Ganges and Indus river dolphins: Centre

Sub :Env

Sec: Species  in news

Context:

• India is set to get a clearer understanding of its freshwater dolphins—the Ganges and Indus dolphins—through an 8,000-kilometre aquatic survey.
• The survey is the world’s first comprehensive assessment of dolphin populations in the region.

Key Highlights:

• Species Assessed: Ganges dolphin (Platanista gangetica) and Indus dolphin (Platanista minor).
• It will establish a baseline for dolphin populations, aiding future conservation efforts.
• Significance: River dolphins are indicators of a healthy river ecosystem. However, their populations have been in sharp decline due to pollution, habitat loss, and illegal hunting.
• Agencies Involved: Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, WII, and state forest departments from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab.
• Conservation Goals:
  • Formulate a detailed strategy for conserving river and marine dolphins.
  • Implement year-round monitoring of key dolphin habitats.

Decline of Dolphin Populations:

• Historical Decline: Populations of Ganges and Indus dolphins in India’s rivers have dropped by 50-60% over the last century.
• Reasons: Pollution, habitat destruction, reduced river flows, and illegal hunting (particularly for dolphin oil).
• Local Extinctions: Dolphins have disappeared from parts of the Yamuna, Ken, Betwa, and Barak rivers.

Conservation Priority:

• Project Dolphin: A key initiative, launched on August 15, 2020, aimed at securing the future of India’s river dolphins.
• Challenges: Dolphins have a slow reproductive rate, typically producing one calf every 2-3 years, making their populations highly vulnerable to environmental threats and human activities.

About the Indus Dolphin and Ganges Dolphin:

Source: DTE

5. Why SpaceX ‘catching’ Starship booster with robotic arms is significant

Sub: Sci

Sec: Space sector

Context:

• A pair of giant robotic arms caught the more than 70-metre-long first-stage booster of SpaceX’s Starship, bringing SpaceX a step closer to its goal of building a fully and rapidly reusable rocket system.

About the Mission:

• Launch: The fifth test launch took place at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, at 7:25 AM local time.
• Super Heavy Booster: Equipped with 33 methane-burning Raptor engines, it propelled the Starship spacecraft into orbit.
  • After detaching, the booster returned to Earth and was caught mid-air by the “Mechazilla” gantry arms, marking a significant step toward reusability.
  • Instead of splashing into the ocean like most rockets, the booster was safely recovered at the launch site.
• Starship Spacecraft: Powered by six Raptor engines, it continued to space, completing one Earth orbit before a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

Why Was This Mission Significant?

• Reusability: Most rockets are expendable, used only once, making space travel expensive and time-consuming. SpaceX aims to create a fully reusable system.
  • The successful catch of the Super Heavy booster demonstrates progress toward this goal.
  • Vision: Elon Musk envisions a system where Starship could be rapidly reused, with the rocket restacked and ready for another launch in as little as 30 minutes.
• Innovation: SpaceX has already mastered landing its Falcon 9 rockets, but catching the massive Super Heavy booster in mid-air is a new technological feat.

What is Starship?

• Starship is SpaceX’s two-stage heavy lift vehicle designed for crewed and cargo missions to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
  • Two stages: The Super Heavy booster (first stage) and the Starship spacecraft (upper section).
  • Size: Nearly 120 meters tall, it is the largest rocket ever built, surpassing the Saturn V (111 meters), which took humans to the Moon.
  • Goal: To create a fully and rapidly reusable rocket system, revolutionizing space travel by drastically reducing costs.

Importance of Starship for Space Travel:

• Future missions: Starship is crucial for SpaceX’s plans to transport astronauts and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
  • NASA has contracted SpaceX to use Starship HLS (Human Landing System) for the Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2026.
  • Mars ambitions: SpaceX hopes that Starship will eventually be the vehicle to put the first humans on Mars.
• Challenges: While reusable systems lower costs, ensuring that Starship is safe and reliable is a critical challenge, as shown by past experiences like NASA’s Space Shuttle program, which struggled with high maintenance costs despite being partially reusable.

Source: IE

6. Most ICCs in entertainment industry not legal: women’s commission to HC

Sub :Polity

Sec: Legislation in news

Context:

• The Kerala Women’s Commission informed the High Court that many Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) formed within the entertainment industry are not legally constituted as per Section 4 of the POSH Act.
• The matter came up during hearings of public interest litigations following the Hema Committee report, which highlighted issues related to women’s safety and workplace harassment.

Legal provision:

• Section 26(1)(a) of the POSH Act makes it an offense to fail in constituting an ICC as mandated in Section 4(1).

Need for amendment:

• The women’s commission pointed out that the current POSH Rules do not specify who is authorized to file complaints regarding violations under Section 26(1).
• It also urged the Centre to amend the POSH Rules to align with the POSH Act for effective implementation.

Suggestions to celebrities:

• The High Court Bench advised actors and celebrities to avoid roles that portray women derogatorily, emphasizing their social responsibility.
• The suggestion stemmed from concerns that negative portrayals could influence public perception and behaviour regarding women’s conduct.

POSH Act:

• The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, often known as the PoSH Act, was passed in 2013.
• The Act defines sexual harassment as any unwelcome act or behaviour (whether directly or by implication) such as;
  • Physical contact and advances
  • A demand or request for sexual favours
  • Making sexually coloured remarks
  • Showing pornography
  • Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.
• The Act provides a mechanism for the prevention, prohibition, and redressal of complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Key Provisions:

• The Act covers both organised and unorganised sectors, and applies to all women, irrespective of their age or employment status.
• Domestic workers, students, research scholars, patients, customers, clients, and tourists are also included.
• Offices, factories, stores, hotels, restaurants, educational institutions, hospitals, sports facilities, transportation services, entertainment venues, and houses are all covered by the Act.

Internal Complaints Committee (ICC)

• Every employer is required to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at each office or branch with 10 or more employees.
• At least one-half of the members of the ICC should be women.
• The ICC is made up of a presiding officer (a senior woman employee), two other workers (ideally committed to women’s rights), and one external member (from an NGO or legal background).
• The ICC is in charge of receiving and investigating complaints of sexual harassment from female employees and proposing appropriate action to the employer.

Local Complaints Committee (LCC):

• The Act also provides for the constitution of a Local Complaints Committee (LCC) by the District Officer for cases where the complaint is against the employer or where the workplace has less than 10 workers.
• According to law, a Company having more than 10 employees is mandated to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).
• For a company having less than 10 employees, it is not mandatory to have ICC.
• Any woman who has been subjected to sexual harassment at the workplace can file a complaint within 3 months of the incident or series of incidents to the ICC or LCC, as applicable.
• The LCC has the same powers and functions as the ICC.

Investigation and Action:

• The ICC or LCC is required to complete the inquiry into the complaint within 90 days and submit a report with its recommendations to the employer or district officer.
• The employer or district officer is required to take action on the recommendations of the ICC or LCC within 60 days and inform the complainant and respondent about it.

Protection against false Complaints:

• The Act provides for penalties for false or malicious complaints, non-compliance with the provisions of the Act by the employer or ICC or LCC members, and victimization or retaliation against the complainant or witness.

7. India and Russia Collaborate on Northern Sea Route and Polar Navigation

Sub :IR

Sec :Places in news

Why in News

India and Russia are deepening their cooperation on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) through joint projects in Arctic shipbuilding, training Indian sailors for polar navigation, and cargo transit. The discussions come at a time when India is enhancing its investments in Russia’s Far East region and working on major transport corridors like the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

What is Northern Sea Route (NSR)?

The Northern Sea Route (NSR), the shortest shipping route for freight transportation between Europe and countries of the Asia-Pacific region, straddles four seas of the Arctic Ocean.

Running to 5,600 km, the Route begins at the boundary between the Barents and the Kara seas (Kara Strait) and ends in the Bering Strait (Provideniya Bay).

The distance savings along the NSR can be as high as 50% compared to the currently used shipping lanes via Suez or Panama.

Federal Project: Russia is working on the “Great Northern Sea Route” project to create a seamless transport corridor from St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad to Vladivostok.

Arctic Infrastructure: Russia is investing in nuclear icebreakers and updating the NSR’s infrastructure to make it an efficient shipping artery linking Europe, Russia, and the Asia-Pacific region.

How is Russia making the NSR navigable?

• As the seas of the Arctic Ocean remain icebound during most of the year, the icebreaking assistance is organized to ensure safe navigation along the NSR.
• Russia is the only country in the world with a nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet.
• In December 1959, the world’s first nuclear icebreaker, “Lenin,” was put into operation. It was decommissioned 30 years later.
• Today, FSUE Atomflot, a subsidiary of Rosatom, acts as the fleet operator of nuclear-powered icebreakers.

India-Russia Cooperation on the Northern Sea Route (NSR):

• Cargo Transit: Identifying targets for Indian-Russian cargo movement along the NSR.
• Training of Indian Sailors: The potential for training Indian sailors in polar navigation techniques.
• Arctic Shipbuilding: Collaborative development of projects focused on Arctic shipbuilding technology.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU):A draft MoU between India and Russia was proposed to enhance cooperation in cargo shipping along the NSR.
• Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, acts as the infrastructure operator for the NSR since 2018.

About Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor:

• The Vladivostok – Chennai route passes through the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea and Malacca Strait.
• The route will bring down transport time to 12 days, almost a third of what is taken under the existing popular route that covers St Petersburg to Mumbai.
  • The current maritime route, St Petersburg to Mumbai, is said to be an 8,675 nautical mile (16,000 km) one.
  • Against this, the proposed Vladivostok – Chennai route is said to be 5647 nautical miles (10,500 km) long.
• Costs are expected to reduce by 30%.
• Significance of the new route: The new route would also give India access to the Far East, including countries like Mongolia, and the largest presence in the South East Asian region.

About International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC):

• Proposed in 2000, the INSTC was designed as a transport route from India to Russia via Iran, offering an alternative to the conventional Suez Canal route.
• The corridor spans 7,200 km incorporating sea, rail, and road components, crossing multiple countries and aimed at enhancing India’s access to Central Asian and Eurasian markets.
• Planned route: The INSTC envisages the movement of goods from Mumbai to Bandar Abbas in Iran by sea; from Bandar Abbas to Bandar-e-Anzali, an Iranian port on the Caspian Sea, by road; from Bandar-e-Anzali to Astrakhan, a Caspian port in the Russian Federation by ship across the Caspian Sea; and onward to other parts of the Russian Federation and Europe by rail.
• Participating Countries: Besides India, Russia, and Iran, countries such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Oman, and Syria have signed onto the project. Bulgaria has joined as an observer state.

8. China holds military drills near Taiwan: all about the shared history, current tensions

Sub :IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

• On October 14, 2023, China initiated military exercises near Taiwan, termed ‘Operation Joint Sword 24B’, shortly after Taiwan’s 113th National Day.
• The military exercises are a continuation of longstanding tensions.

Background:

• Since the 1949 Chinese Civil War, Taiwan has operated as a sovereign, self-administered entity, officially known as the Republic of China (RoC).
• The PRC views Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunified with the mainland under its One China policy.

Chinese Position:

• China claims the exercises are a response to Taiwan President’s remarks during his National Day address on October 10, where he affirmed Taiwan’s sovereignty and stated that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) cannot represent Taiwan.
• The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has characterized these actions as a stern warning against what it perceives as separatist tendencies of Taiwan.

Taiwan’s Position:

• Taiwan’s government has committed to addressing the perceived threats from China and urged China to halt military provocations that undermine regional stability, calling for peaceful relations and mutual respect for democracy.

Taiwan’s Global Significance:

• Taiwan’s strategic location in the East China Sea makes it critical for regional stability, especially concerning Southeast Asia.
• Tensions in the Taiwan Strait could disrupt trade and escalate conflicts in neighbouring areas, such as the South China Sea.

International recognition:

• Only 11 countries officially recognize Taiwan, primarily small island nations.
• Most nations adhere to the One China policy, recognizing the PRC’s claim over Taiwan, despite informal relations with the RoC.

Historical relations between China and Taiwan:

• The Chinese Communist Party’s victory in the 1949 Chinese civil war resulted in its rival, the Kuomintang (KMT), relocating to Taiwan where its leader, Chiang Kai Shek, ruled as President until his death in 1975.
• Since then, the island became a non-communist bastion against the PRC.
• In the 1990s, relations improved, leading to increased trade, despite ongoing tensions.
• As the British prepared to exit Hong Kong in 1999, the One China, Two Systems solution was offered to Taiwan as well, but it was rejected by the Taiwanese.
• Taiwan’s current political landscape features the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) advocating for independence and the KMT, which supports closer ties with China.
• The DPP and KMT are primarily the political parties representing the Hakka population of the island and the mainland Chinese minority, respectively.
• Recent years have seen a shift towards pro-independence sentiments, particularly under President Tsai Ing-wen since 2016.

9. On Samsung workers’ right to unionise

Sub : Polity

Sec: Constitution

Context:

• The protests by Samsung India workers in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, centre around their fundamental right to form a registered trade union for collective bargaining to improve their employment conditions.

State Government’s Response:

• In response to the protests that began on September 9, the Tamil Nadu government established a workmen committee to address the situation and employed police force to suppress the strike.
• Legal experts criticize this action, arguing it should have prioritized the registration of the Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU) as per the Trade Unions Act, 1926.

Implications:

• Vaigai, a labour law expert, emphasized that the registration of the SIWU should have come before the formation of the workmen committee.
• The police intervention, instead of facilitating a democratic process for collective bargaining, gives the impression of government bias towards Samsung management.
• Samsung has contested SIWU’s registration, alleging CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) backing.

Right to Form Associations:

• The Supreme Court upheld the right to form unions as a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(c) of the Indian Constitution.
• Any restrictions on this right must be reasonable and not arbitrary, primarily focusing on public order and morality.
• The obligation lies with the state to register trade unions and ensure workers can voice their demands.

Collective Bargaining:

• Collective bargaining is recognized in the Industrial Disputes Act and involves negotiations between employers and employees regarding working conditions.
• Historically rooted in struggles for basic worker rights, collective bargaining evolved post-World War II, contributing significantly to workers’ rights and social justice.
• Refusal by employers to engage in good faith bargaining is classified as unfair labour practice under Indian law.
• International Perspectives: The ILO defines collective bargaining as negotiations aimed at determining employment terms.

Right to Strike:

• Strikes are recognized as a legal right within certain constraints under the Industrial Disputes Act.
• The Supreme Court considers strikes an essential form of demonstration for workers.
• While the right to strike is acknowledged globally, it is not absolute and is subject to regulations, including advance notice requirements.

Criticism of the Workmen Committee:

• Workers criticized the government’s workmen committee for allegedly favouring the company, highlighting that such committees should consist of equal representation from both workers and employers.
• The Industrial Disputes Act mandates that workers in the committee be chosen in consultation with any registered trade union.

Trademark Issues:

• Samsung has raised concerns about the use of its name in the SIWU, claiming it violates the Trade Marks Act, 1999.
• However, trade unions are defined differently under the Trade Unions Act, 1926, focusing on worker-employer relations, thus exempting them from being classified as business entities under trademark laws.

10. The Haber-Bosch Process: A Revolution in Agriculture with Environmental Concerns

Sub :Sci

Sec :Chemistry

Why in News

The Haber-Bosch process, responsible for the mass production of ammonia used in fertilizers, has drastically impacted global food production. However, its environmental consequences and long-term sustainability have raised concerns among scientists and environmentalists.

The Chemistry Behind Nitrogen

Nitrogen in the air is mostly in the form of N₂, a molecule with a triple bond that is very difficult to break. Breaking this bond requires significant energy (946 kJ/mol).

Once the bond is broken, nitrogen can form ammonia (NH₃) or nitrates, which plants need to produce proteins, enzymes, and amino acids.

Nitrogen Cycle and Nitrogen Fixation

Nitrogen is an essential element found in amino acids, proteins, hormones, chlorophyll, and vitamins. It is a limiting nutrient in both natural and agricultural ecosystems, as plants and microbes compete for the nitrogen available in the soil.

Nitrogen exists in the atmosphere as N₂, held by a strong triple bond (N≡N). The conversion of nitrogen gas (N₂) to ammonia (NH₃) is called nitrogen fixation. In nature, nitrogen can be fixed by lightning or ultraviolet (UV) radiation, forming nitrogen oxides (NO, NO₂, N₂O).

Industrial combustion, forest fires, automobile exhaust, and power plants are major sources of nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere.

Ammonification: The decomposition of organic matter (dead plants and animals) releases ammonia, a process known as ammonification. Some of this ammonia returns to the atmosphere, while most undergoes nitrification in the soil.

Nitrification: In this process, Nitrosomonas and Nitrococcus bacteria first convert ammonia into nitrite, and Nitrobacter bacteria further oxidize it into nitrate. These bacteria are chemoautotrophs.

Denitrification: Nitrate in the soil can be converted back to nitrogen gas (N₂) through denitrification, performed by bacteria like Pseudomonas and Thiobacillus.

Lightning and Bacteria: In nature, nitrogen fixation is primarily carried out by lightning or microorganisms like Azotobacter and Rhizobia. These processes, however, contribute only around 10 kg of nitrogen per acre per year.

Azolla and Symbiosis: The aquatic fern Azolla forms a symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria, converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form that can be used by plants.

Biological Nitrogen Fixation: Certain prokaryotes possess the enzyme nitrogenase, enabling them to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Nitrogen-fixing microbes can be free-living (e.g., Azotobacter, Beijerinckia, Rhodospirillum, Anabaena, Nostoc) or symbiotic (e.g., Rhizobium, Frankia).

Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation: In leguminous plants (e.g., peas, beans, clover), Rhizobium bacteria form nodules on roots, where nitrogen is fixed. Frankia bacteria can also form nodules on non-leguminous plants like Alnus.

About Haber-Bosch Process:

The Haber-Bosch process is an industrial method for synthesizing ammonia (NH₃) from atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) and hydrogen (H₂). It plays a crucial role in the production of fertilizers, supporting global agriculture.

The process was developed by Fritz Haber (1909) and industrialized by Carl Bosch (1913).

Catalyst and Conditions: The reaction uses an iron catalyst, high temperatures (400-500°C), and high pressure (150-300 atm) to optimize ammonia production.

Raw Materials:

Nitrogen (N₂) is sourced from the air.

Hydrogen (H₂) is typically obtained from natural gas (methane, CH₄) through steam reforming.

The Haber-Bosch process is critical for producing nitrogen-based fertilizers, which have significantly boosted food production globally. It is credited with supporting nearly half of the world’s population by increasing agricultural yields.

The process is energy-intensive, consuming about 1-2% of the world’s energy supply, and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂) during hydrogen production.

Apart from fertilizers, ammonia produced via this process is used in explosives, cleaning products, and other chemical industries.

Efforts are ongoing to develop greener alternatives, such as using renewable energy sources or improving process efficiency to reduce carbon emissions.

About Ammonia:

• Ammonia is a colourless gas and is used as an industrial chemical in the production of fertilisers, plastics, synthetic fibres, dyes and other products.
• It consists of hydrogen and nitrogen. In its aqueous form, it is called ammonium hydroxide.
• This inorganic compound has a pungent smell.
• Occurrence: Ammonia occurs naturally in the environment from the breakdown of organic waste matter.
• It is lighter than air.

Uses of Ammonia

• About 80% of the ammonia produced by industry is used in agriculture as fertilizer.
• Ammonia is also used as a refrigerant gas, for purification of water supplies, and in the manufacture of plastics, explosives, textiles, pesticides, dyes and other chemicals.
• It is found in many household and industrial-strength cleaning solutions. Household ammonia cleaning solutions are manufactured by adding ammonia gas to water and can be between 5 and 10% ammonia.
• Ammonia solutions for industrial use may be concentrations of 25% or higher and are corrosive.

Environmental Concerns:

• Overuse of Fertilizers: Modern farming practices often lead to the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers, with percapita usage exceeding 50 kg in some countries.
• Global Average: The global average nitrogen fertilizer usage is around 13 kg per capita.
• Environmental Impact: Excess nitrogen leads to:
  • Soil Acidification: Nitrogen fertilizers increase soil acidity, damaging ecosystems.
  • Water Pollution: Nitrogen runoff leads to eutrophication in water bodies, causing oxygen depletion and algal blooms.
  • Air Pollution: Reactive nitrogen released into the atmosphere can acidify rain and contribute to the destruction of natural landscapes.

Food Insecurity Paradox: Despite the technological breakthrough, food insecurity persists due to political, economic, and social challenges.

11. Unravelling Tuberculosis: How Mycobacterium tuberculosis Evades the Immune System

Sub :Sci

Sec :Health

Why in News

Researchers from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad have made significant strides in understanding how Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis (TB), evades the immune response. A recent study published in the journal eLife highlights key enzymes that help Mtb survive in hostile environments, providing potential targets for new drugs.

Tuberculosis in India:

TB is a major public health concern in India, one of the highest TB burden countries globally. The Indian government has made TB elimination a key healthcare goal, with enhanced focus on diagnostics, patient management, and tracking.

What is Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious airborne bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

TB commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect other parts (extrapulmonary TB)

Tuberculosis spreads from person to person through the air, when people who are infected with TB infection cough, sneeze or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air.

Genome Size: Mtb’s genome consists of 4.4 million base pairs, far larger than other respiratory bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus (2.8 million) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (1.9-2.7 million). This extensive genome enables Mtb to produce a wide variety of proteins to evade immune defenses.

What is Multidrug-Resistant TB (MDR-TB):

• In MDR-TB, the bacteria that cause TB develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs used to cure the disease.
• MDR-TB does not respond to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful anti-TB drugs.
• Treatment options for MDR-TB are limited and expensive.

About Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR):

• Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Mtb is undermining the effectiveness of existing treatments. Researchers are urgently working to develop new antibiotics that can combat resistant strains.
• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication previously used to treat them. It is also known as antibiotic resistance.
• As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body.
• The WHO defines antimicrobial resistance as a microorganism’s resistance to an antimicrobial drug that was once able to treat an infection by that microorganism.
• The resistance to antimicrobials is a natural biological phenomenon. However, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics accelerates the development of AMR.
• Microbial resistance to antibiotics has made it harder to treat infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), blood poisoning (septicaemia) and several food-borne diseases.

Coevolution of Mtb and Humans

The Mtb pathogen has coexisted with humans for millennia. Evidence suggests that the Mtb complex has been present for over 70,000 years, giving the bacteria ample time to adapt to human biology.

Macrophage Invasion: Mtb primarily infects macrophages, the body’s first line of defense against invading pathogens. Macrophages usually destroy microbes through oxidative stress, but Mtb has evolved to survive and multiply inside them.

About Macrophage:

• Macrophages are a type of white blood cell (phagocyte) crucial for the innate immune response.
• Phagocytosis: They engulf and digest foreign particles, bacteria, and dead or damaged cells through phagocytosis.
• Found in nearly all tissues, they are especially abundant in areas like the lungs, liver (Kupffer cells), brain (microglia), and spleen.
• Derived from monocytes, a type of white blood cell, which transform into macrophages when they migrate from the blood into tissues.
• They initiate oxidative stress reactions involving peroxides and free radicals to destroy pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
• Macrophages present antigens to T-cells, helping trigger the adaptive immune response.
• TB Survival Mechanism: In tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis can evade macrophage defense, surviving and multiplying within the cells by forming protective clusters.
• Macrophages can survive for weeks to months in tissues, continuing their protective and regulatory roles.

About Cysteine Synthase Enzymes:

• Researchers at CCMB identified that two enzymes, CysK2 and CysM, are crucial for Mtb’s survival during nutrient deficiency and oxidative stress. When these enzymes were disabled, Mtb’s ability to produce antioxidants was impaired, reducing its survival.
• Cysteine and Antioxidant Defense: One group of proteins of particular interest is cysteine synthase enzymes. These enzymes are responsible for synthesizing cysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid crucial for producing antioxidants. Antioxidants disrupt oxidative stress, allowing Mtb to survive in macrophages.
• Cysteine is essential for producing antioxidants like glutathione, which help protect cells from oxidative stress.
• In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, cysteine synthases aid in surviving hostile environments by countering oxidative damage.
• Common types include CysK and CysM, which are involved in different pathways for cysteine biosynthesis.
• These enzymes are potential targets for antibiotics, as humans lack cysteine synthase, making bacterial inhibitors promising for TB treatment.