Daily Prelims Notes 17 September 2023

September 17, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

No Comments

Daily Prelims Notes

17 September 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Why the NGT banned cruise boats in Madhya Pradesh

Subject: Environment

Section: pollution

Context:

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Bhopal recently ruled that operating cruise boats in various water bodies of Madhya Pradesh was illegal and cannot be allowed to continue in violation of various environmental laws.

Impact of the cruise ban:

Hampers the cruise ship tourism industry
It will impact the upcoming joint project of M.P, Maharashtra and Gujarat introducing the luxury cruise on Narmada river from Barwani to Statue of Unity in Gujarat..

Upper lake of Bhopal:

Created by constructing an earthen dam on the perennial River Kolans, a tributary of the Halali River.
Accounts for more than 40% of the city’s water supply.
About 45 hectare of the lake area on the southern bank of the lake falls in the Van Vihar National Park, a Wildlife Conservation Park notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
Lake diversity: more than 15 kinds of fishes and several vulnerable animals like turtles, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates and more than 2,500 migratory birds.

In which areas of Madhya Pradesh does a cruise ship operate and are the conditions the same as in Bhopal?

The MP State Tourism Policy 2016 was formulated to enable socio-economic development, to generate employment opportunities.
Rivers in M.P.: Narmada (longest river of M.P.), Son, Shipra, Tapti, Mahanadi, and Chambal. Godavari basin also forms a small part of the state.
Cruise ships in M.P. operates in: Indira Sagar Dam (Hanuwantiya island) and Omkareshwar Dam areas (Sailani island) in the Khandwa region and Bargi Dam in Jabalpur, Tawa Dam in Hoshangabad and in Gwalior’s Tigra Dam.

How did the NGT bring cruise ships under the ambit of environmental laws?

The state argued that the cruise ship operating in the Bhopal Upper Lake was smaller in size than those which were marine operated and was not governed by the Water Act, 1974, Air Act, 1981 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. However, the argument was dismissed, the NGT ruled that cruise ships with more than 12 passenger capacity were “clearly within the ambit of the statute”.
Inland water cruises have been governed by the Inland Vessels (IV) Act, 1917 later superseded by the IV Act, 2021, which also had provisions related to environmental protection.

Cruise ship tourism:

According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the largest river cruise in India is the MV Ganga Vilas cruise, a 51-day river cruise that passes through major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam.
The global river cruise market has grown at 5 per cent over the last few years and is expected to constitute 37 per cent of the cruise market by 2027.
Most of the river cruises in India are located in the Ganges river, Brahmaputra river cruise in the northeast, and the backwaters of Kerala.
Cruise ship services which mostly operate in the maritime area are available in the ports of Mumbai, Cochin, Chennai, Goa and Visakhapatnam.

2. Over 75% of European bumblebee species threatened in the next 40-60 years

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

More than 75% of European bumblebee species may be threatened in the next 40-60 years according to worst-case-scenario projections of bumblebee populations.

Study findings:

Key drivers for declining population: Degradation of habitats and alterations of climate due to human activity.
Suggestion of the report: Adhere to the global climate change mitigation policies.
Around 90% of all wild plants and most crop plants benefit from pollination by animals.
Observational data cover the periods 1901-1970 (past) and 2000-2014 (‘present day’), and projections are made up to 2080. Around 38-76% of European bumblebee species currently considered as non-threatened are projected to see their ecologically suitable territory shrink by at least 30% by 2061-2080.
Species from Arctic and alpine environments may be at the verge of extinction in Europe, with an expected loss of at least 90% of their territory in the same period.
Parts of Scandinavia may potentially become refuges for displaced or threatened species.

Bumblebee:

The bumblebee (Bombus) is a genus of bees considered to be especially important for the pollination of crops in the cold and temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.
Found primarily in higher altitudes or latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, although they are also found in South America, where a few lowland tropical species have been identified.
European bumblebees have also been introduced to New Zealand and Tasmania.Female bumblebees can sting repeatedly, but generally ignore humans and other animals.
Most bumblebees are social insects that form colonies with a single queen.

3. Mercedes-Benz clears 46,000 kg of waste, 85 lakh litres of pooled water from Nandi Hills as part of five-year project

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India Pvt. Ltd. (MBRDI) said it cleared 46,000 kg of waste, collected 85 lakh litres of pooled water, and constructed 11 check dams at Nandi Hills in the last five years.

Clean-Green Nandi project:

A 5 year project, initiated by Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India Pvt. Ltd. (MBRDI) in 2018.
Aimed at restoring the natural splendor of Nandi Hills, Karnataka.
These efforts have resulted in a 3% reduction in plastic generation at Nandi Hills.
The project was in response to the heightened tourist footfall at the hills, which led to pressing issues of pollution, soil erosion, and deforestation, resulting in the drying up of life-sustaining rivers and the accumulation of plastic waste in the area.
The project cleared 60 acres of lantana, an invasive weed that poses a critical threat to biodiversity, and empowered women to earn sustainable livelihoods through a self-help group.

Nandi hills:

Nandi Hills is an ancient hill station built by the Ganga Dynasty in the Chikkaballapurdistrict of Karnataka state.
The hills are near the town Nandi.
In traditional belief, the hills are the origin of the Arkavathy river,Ponnaiyar River, Palar River,Papagni River and Penna River.
The first ever SAARC summit hosted by India was held at Nandi Hills in 1986.
It was also used by Tipu Sultan as a summer retreat.
The hill is notable for the peculiarity of Hypericum mysorense: a species of flowering & medicinal plant found at high elevations in the Western Ghats of India and the mountains of Sri Lanka.

4. India-Middle East-EU corridor to have multiple routes, but hurdles remain

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

India, U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE and other countries launched the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

Ports that will be connected through the corridor are:

India:Mundra (Gujarat), Kandla (Gujarat), and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai).
Middle East: Fujairah, Jebel Ali, and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Dammam and Ras Al Khair ports in Saudi Arabia. Haifa port (privately controlled port) of Israel is also proposed.
- Railway line will connect: Fujairah port (UAE) to Haifa port (Israel) via: Saudi Arabia (Ghuwaifat and Haradh) and Jordan.
Europe: Piraeus port in Greece, Messina in South Italy, and Marseille in France.

5. Maharashtra Unveils ₹45000 Crore Development Package For Marathwada Region

Subject: Geography

Section: Indian Geography

Context:

Maharashtra unveiled a development package amounting to ₹45,000 crore for the Marathwada region within the state. Additionally, the CM announced revised administrative approvals for irrigation projects valued at ₹14,000 crore.

Marathwada region:

Historically, Marathwada was a part of the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad kingdom.
September 17: Marathwada Liberation Day, or Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din.
The Marathwada region encompasses eight districts, including Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (formerly known as Aurangabad), Dharashiv (formerly known as Osmanabad), Jalna, Beed, Latur, Nanded, Hingoli, and Parbhani.
It borders the states of Karnataka and Telangana.
The region is a water scarce region and sees high instances of farmer suicides.

6. Why Nipah virus outbreaks are occurring only in Kerala

Subject :Science and technology

Section: Health

Introduction

Kerala experienced four Nipah outbreaks since May 2018: three in Kozhikode and one in Ernakulam in 2019.

Presence of Nipah Virus in Fruit Bats

A 2021 study confirmed Nipah virus in Pteropusfruit bats across Kerala districts.
NIV Pune found Nipah virus antibodies in Pteropusmediusbats in nine states, including Kerala.

Kerala’s Proactive Healthcare System

Kerala’s virologist-led teams quickly identified the Nipah virus in undiagnosed fever cases.
Advanced healthcare infrastructure and suspicion enhance rapid diagnosis.

Nipah Virus Infectivity

Nipah has lower infectivity than SARS-CoV-2 (R₀ of 0.2-0.3 compared with R₀ of over 1.5 in the case of SARS-CoV-2 virus), with index cases posing higher transmission risk.
Not all index cases become superspreaders, and secondary cases may be limited, depending on symptoms.
Basic Reproduction Number:
- R₀ (pronounced “R naught”) is a basic reproduction number used in epidemiology to measure the contagiousness or transmission potential of an infectious disease.
- It represents the average number of secondary infections that one infected individual can produce in a completely susceptible population.

About Nipah Virus

Nipah virus is a highly contagious and often deadly virus that can infect both humans and animals.
It belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae, genusHenipavirus.
Nipah virus was first identified in Malaysia in 1998 when it caused an outbreak of severe respiratory and neurological illness in pigs and a subsequent outbreak in humans.
Transmission: It spreads through contact with infected animals, contaminated food, or direct human-to-human contact.
Symptoms: It causes fever, headache, and vomiting, and can lead to severe encephalitis with a high mortality rate.
Geographic Distribution: Nipah virus outbreaks have occurred in South and Southeast Asia, primarily in Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, and India.
Animal Reservoir: Fruit bats, especially flying foxes, are natural carriers of the virus.

7. Why Google’s latest antitrust trial in the US may be most consequential of the internet era

Subject :Economy

Section: Msc

Context

The US Department of Justice and 37 states claim Google illegally stifles competition by paying companies like Apple and Mozilla to remain the default search provider on mobile devices and browsers.

US Government’s Case Against Google

Alleges Google unlawfully stifles competition.
Google pays about $10 billion annually to Apple and Mozilla to secure default search provider status.
Accuses Google of exclusionary practices, denying competitors access to search queries and clicks.
Google holds a 90% market share in US search engines.
These agreements drive billions of queries to Google, limiting consumer choices and harming competition.

Google’s Response

Google denies illegal use of agreements and claims to provide a superior product.
Argues its “browser agreements” support legitimate competition.
Highlights evolving search habits, such as shopping on Amazon or finding entertainment on Instagram, reducing monopoly concerns.

Legal Position

The Sherman Act of 1890 governs competition law in US:
- Prohibits contracts, combinations, or conspiracies in restraint of trade.
- Violations can lead to fines and imprisonment.
Exclusive deals are generally legal but scrutinized if they harm competition.
The case tests the adaptability of antitrust laws to 21st-century markets.

What Happens Next

The trial is expected to last 10 weeks, featuring key testimonies from industry leaders.
Possible outcomes of the trial include the issuance of an injunction against Google, suggestions for the company’s breakup, and broader implications for other ongoing antitrust cases.

Google in India

CCI (Competition Commission of India) ordered Google to change anti-competitive practices in the Android ecosystem.
Imposes a fine of Rs 1,338 crore ($161.95 million) for abuse of dominance.
Google appeals to the NCLAT (National Company Law Appellate Tribunal), which upholds the penalty.
Google petitions the Indian Supreme Court; the case remains pending.

NCLAT (National Company Law Appellate Tribunal):

NCLAT was established under the Companies Act, 2013, to hear appeals against orders of the National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT).
It serves as the Appellate Tribunal for appeals against orders of NCLT(s) related to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
NCLAT is also the Appellate Tribunal for appeals against orders issued by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India.
It functions as the Appellate Tribunal for appeals against directions, decisions, or orders of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
NCLAT additionally handles appeals against orders of the National Financial Reporting Authority.

CCI (Competition Commission of India):

CCI enforces competition laws under the Competition Act, 2002, promoting fair competition.
It covers anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominance, and Mergers and Acquisitions proposals’ anti-competitive effects, investigating practices harming competition or consumers.

CCI conducts investigations and can impose fines.