Daily Prelims Notes 17 August 2020

August 17, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Table Of Contents

Subject: Schemes

Context

Under the Centre’s flagship, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) more than a lakh rural households are being provided with fresh water taps each day since the beginning of the unlock period starting on 1 June.

Concept:

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024.
It comes under Ministry of Jal Shakti.
JJM focuses on integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level.
Creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse, would be undertaken in convergence with other government programmes/schemes.
The Mission is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission.
JJM looks to create a janandolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority.
Funding Pattern: The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states,and 100% for Union Territories.
For the implementation of JJM, following institutional arrangement has been proposed:
- National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) at the Central level
- State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) at the State level
- District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) at the District level
- Village Water Sanitation Committee (VWSC) at Village level

2. Navroz festival

Subject: Arts and culture

Context:

Parsi New Year called ‘Navroz’ or ‘Nowruz’ was celebrated.

Concept :

It is believed that king Jamshed introduced the Parsi calendar and hence the Parsi New Year is also known as Jamshed-i-Nouroz.
The holy festival is marked by grand celebrations and the atmosphere is full of positivity and prayers. This year, Navroz is being celebrated on August 16.
It is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.

About Parsis in India:

Parsi community follow Zoroastrianism, which is one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions. It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Iran around the 6th-7th century.
Zoroastrians believe in one God called Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord) who created the world. Their holy scripture is called the Avesta.
Zoroastrians worship communally in a Fire Temple or Agiary. Zoroastrians are not fire-worshippers but believe that the elements are pure and that fire represents God’s light or wisdom.

3. Saliva Direct

Subject: Science and tech

Context :

A new, rapid diagnostic test for the novel coronavirus that uses saliva samples was granted an emergency use authorisation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Concept :

The inexpensive test called SalivaDirecthas high sensitivity and can detect the virus even when the number of virus copies in the saliva sample is as low as 6-12 copies per microlitre.
Collecting and testing saliva samples involves three steps — collecting saliva without preservative buffers, proteinase K treatment and heat inactivation, and dualplex RT-qPCR virus detection.

Significance:

The new saliva test would increase efficiency and avoid shortage of crucial test components such as reagents.
The new test makes sample collection non-invasive and reduces the need for trained healthcare workers to collect the samples, reducing the risk of infection during collection.
In contrast, tests using nasopharyngeal swabs lead to false negative results due to errors at the time of sample collection.

4. Generation of biofuel and ethanol blending

Subject: Environment

Context:

The government has set targets of 10 per cent bioethanol blending of petrol by 2022 and to raise it to 20 per cent by 2030 under the ethanol blending programme

Concept:

Biofuels are liquid or gaseous fuels primarily produced from biomass, and can be used to replace or can be used in addition to diesel, petrol or other fossil fuels for transport, stationary, portable and other applications.
Crops used to make biofuels are generally high in sugar (such as sugarcane, sugarbeet, and sweet sorghum), starch (such as maize and tapioca) or oils (such as soybean, rapeseed, coconut, sunflower).

Generations of biofuels

First generation biofuels – First-generation biofuels are made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats using conventional technology. Common first-generation biofuels include Bio-alcohols, Biodiesel, Vegetable oil, Bio-ethers, Biogas.
Second generation biofuels – These are produced from non-food crops, such as cellulosic biofuels and waste biomass (stalks of wheat and corn, and wood). Examples include advanced biofuels like bio-hydrogen, bio-methanol.
Third generation biofuels – These are produced from micro-organisms like algae.
Four Generation Bio-fuels are aimed at not only producing sustainable energy but also a way of capturing and storing co2. Biomass materials, which have absorbed co2 while growing, are converted into fuel using the same processes as second generation biofuels. This process differs from second and third generation production as at all stages of production the carbon dioxide is captured using processes such as oxy-fuel combustion

National Policy on Biofuels

The new National Policy on Biofuels had a target of 20 per cent blending of ethanol in petrol and 5 per cent blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030.
This was to be achieved by increasing production using second generation bio-refineries and developing new feedstock for biofuels. It allowed the production of ethanol from damaged food grains like wheat and broken rice, which are unfit for human consumption.

The new policy allowed the use of excess food grain for ethanol in a bounty crop year, so long as the surplus is endorsed by the Union Ministry of Agriculture.
The approval for this is to be given by the National Biofuel Coordination Committee, chaired by the Union Minister Petroleum and Natural Gas.
It includes representatives from 14 other central departments.

Ethanol blending Programme

The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) vide its notification dated 20th September, 2006 directed the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to sell 5% Ethanol Blended Petrol subject to commercial viability as per Bureau of Indian Standards specifications in notified 20 States and 4 UTs with effect from 1st November, 2006.
At present, this programme has been extended to whole of India except Union Territories of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands with effect from 01st April, 2019 wherein OMCs sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10%.

5. Elected autocracy vs Democracy

Subject: Polity

Context:

India is moving towards a form of elected autocracy says justice A.P. Shah

Concept:

Democracy

Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives.
Democracy allows people to participate equally—either directly or through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. It encompasses social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination.
A democratic government contrasts to forms of government where power is either held by one, as in a monarchy, or where power is held by a small number of individuals, as in an oligarchy or aristocracy.
Direct democracy is a form of democracy in which people vote on policy initiatives directly. This is different from a representative democracy, in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives.
Representative democracy is a variety of democracy founded on the principle of elected people representing a group of people. For example, three countries which use representative democracy are the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Poland.

Elected autocracy

An autocracy is a system of government in which a supreme political power is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control.
If government is elected and is devoid of any control it may lead to Elected autocracy

6. FPO, NABARD and AIF

Subject: Agriculture

Context:

Centre has launched the Rs 1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) to be used over the next four years. This fund will be used to build post-harvest storage and processing facilities, largely anchored at the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), but can also be availed by individual entrepreneurs.

Concept:

FPO

A Producer Organisation (PO) is a legal entity formed by primary producers, viz. farmers, milk producers, fishermen, weavers, rural artisans, craftsmen.
A PO can be a producer company, a cooperative society or any other legal form which provides for sharing of profits/benefits among the members.
The main aim of PO is to ensure better income for the producers through an organization of their own.
Small producers do not have the volume individually (both inputs and produce) to get the benefit of economies of scale.
Besides, in agricultural marketing, there is a long chain of intermediaries who very often work non-transparently leading to the situation where the producer receives only a small part of the value that the ultimate consumer pays.
Through aggregation, the primary producers can avail the benefit of economies of scale. They will also have better bargaining power vis-à-vis the bulk buyers of produce and bulk suppliers of inputs.
FPO is one type of PO where the members are farmers. Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is providing support for promotion of FPOs. PO is a generic name for an organization of producers of any produce, e.g., agricultural, non-farm products, artisan products, etc.

NABARD

NABARD came into existence on 12 July 1982 by transferring the agricultural credit functions of RBI and refinance functions of the then Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC).
It is set up with an initial capital of Rs.100 crore, its’ paid up capital stood at Rs.14,080 crore as on 31 March 2020.
Consequent to the revision in the composition of share capital between Government of India and RBI, NABARD today is fully owned by Government of India.
It is a statutory body established under Parliamentary act-National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981.
Functions of NABARD:
- Building an empowered and financially inclusive rural India through specific goal oriented departments which can be categorized broadly into three heads: Financial, Developmental and Supervision.
- It provides refinance support for building rural infrastructure.
- It prepares district level credit plans to guiding and motivating the banking industry in achieving these targets.
- It supervises Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and helping them develop sound banking practices and integrate them to the CBS (Core Banking Solution) platform.
- It provides training to handicraft artisans and helps them in developing a marketing platform for selling these articles.
- NABARD has various international partnerships including leading global organizations and World Bank-affiliated institutions that are breaking new ground in the fields of rural development as well as agriculture.

AIF

The scheme shall provide a medium – long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support.
This new agri-infra fund has duration of 10 years till 2029.
Under the scheme, Rs. One Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, Marketing Cooperative Societies, Farmer Producers Organizations, Self Help Group, Farmers, Joint Liability Groups, Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, Aggregation Infrastructure Providers and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public Private Partnership Project
All loans under this financing facility will have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2 crore. This subvention will be available for a maximum period of seven years.
Further, credit guarantee coverage will be available for eligible borrowers from this financing facility under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to Rs. 2 crore.
Agri Infra fund will be managed and monitored through an online Management Information System (MIS) platform. It will enable all the qualified entities to apply for loan under the fund.
The National, State and District level Monitoring Committees will be set up to ensure real-time monitoring and effective feed-back.

7. Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan

Subject: Schemes

Context:

Indian Railways said that it has generated more than 5.5 lakhs mandays of work under Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan in 6 States

Concept:

The livelihood opportunities will come up in 116 districts spread over six states namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha who have received substantial numbers of migrants through the Common Service Centres and Krishi Vigyan Kendras
This campaign of 125 days, which will work in mission mode, will involve intensified and focused implementation of 25 different types of works to provide employment to the migrant workers on one hand and create infrastructure in the rural regions of the country on the other hand, with a resource envelope of Rs. 50,000 crore.
The Abhiyaan will be a coordinated effort between 12 different Ministries/Departments, namely, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Road Transport & Highways, Mines, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Environment, Railways, Petroleum & Natural Gas, New & Renewable Energy, Border Roads, Telecom and Agriculture.