Daily Prelims Notes 18 January 2023

January 18, 2023
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Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

18 January 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in Pune helps detect atomic hydrogen from far-away galaxy

Subject :Science and Technology

Section :Space

Context:

A radio signal originating from atomic hydrogen in an extremely distant galaxy was detected by the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) located in Pune. This is the largest astronomical distance over which such a signal has been picked up.

Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT):

GMRT is a low-frequency radio telescope that helps investigate various radio astrophysical problems ranging from nearby solar systems to the edge of the observable universe.
GMRT is an array of thirty fully steerable parabolic radio telescopes of 45-meter diameter.
It is operated by the National Center for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR).
GMRT is an indigenous project. Its design is based on the `SMART’ concept – for Stretch Mesh Attached to Rope Trusses.
It functions at the meter wavelength part of the radio spectrum because man-made radio interference is considerably lower in this part of the spectrum in India and there are many outstanding astrophysics problems which are best studied at metre wavelengths.
The location for GMRT, Pune meets several important criteria such as low man-made radio noise, availability of good communication, vicinity of industrial, educational and other infrastructure and, a geographical latitude sufficiently north of the geomagnetic equator in order to have a reasonable quiet ionosphere and yet be able to observe a good part of the southern sky as well.

Atomic Hydrogen:

Atomic hydrogen is the basic fuel required for star formation in a galaxy.
When hot ionised gas from the surrounding medium of a galaxy falls onto the universe, the gas cools and forms atomic hydrogen.
This then becomes molecular hydrogen and eventually leads to the formation of stars.

What information does atomic hydrogen hold about the source region?

Information about atomic gas content in nearby and distant galaxies.
Age of the universe, tracing the past events (events as old as 8.8 billion years old.)
Mass of the galaxies, mass of atomic hydrogen present in those galaxies.

Significance of this discovery:

These results demonstrate the feasibility of observing atomic gas from galaxies at cosmological distances in similar lensed systems with a modest amount of observing time.

What is Redshift?

Redshift represents the signal’s wavelength change depending on the object’s location and movement; a greater value of z indicates a farther object.

2. Ants can’t alter behaviour to deal with warmer climate: Report

Subject :Environment

Section :Climate Change

Context:

Ants may be unable to adapt to global warming, a new study looking at their behavioural flexibility has warned. This leaves them highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as the insects could not move away from warmer sites despite costs to their well-being.

Climate change impact on insects:

Insects are cold-blooded creatures, also called ectotherms.
Their body temperatures depend on external sources like sunlight.
Humans (endotherms), on the other hand, maintain their body temperature without relying on the environment.
As ants’ body temperature varies with the environment, they are thought to be highly vulnerable to climate change.
If ants warm up due to climate change, they will have a higher metabolism and food demands.
A previous study on 38 insect species found that 19 would suffer population decline in response to warming. Of them, 17 could escape this fate by altering their behaviour.

Significance of ants to the ecosystem:

Ants are often called “ecosystem’s engineers”.
These insects move the soil during nest-building and foraging, affecting the level of nutrients in it.
Some species of ants cultivate fungi. Insects cultivate fungi for food or structure. Diverse lineages of fungi belonging to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are cultivated.

3. Davos 2023: Can AI make wildfire mitigation efficient? WEF’s FireAId initiative shows how

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Computer Awareness

Context:

The FireAId initiative of using artificial intelligence to effectively manage wildfire had a successful pilot run since it was launched in January 2022 by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

FireAId initiative:

World Economic Forum’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Platform, in collaboration with the C4IR Network, Koç Holding and the Turkish Ministry of Forestry (TMF), has launched a joint initiative to mitigate wildfire risks using AI systems, which includes:
- A dynamic wildfire risk map that ranks the likelihood of forest fires based on seasonal variables
- Resource allocation that is optimal based on many data sources and the wildfire risk map
- A first-response proposal using pre-optimized resources and maps in the event of a forest fire
By linking data, technology and fire-fighting resources, this effort attempts to create a habitat for advanced analytics. It is also scalable to a wide range of climates and environments.

As per the WEF’s Report:The Next Frontier in Fighting Wildfires: FireAId Pilot and Scaling, published on Jan 2023:

The project was made operational in the South Aegean and West Mediterranean region of Turkey.
Here, scientists used static and meteorological data to map areas where fires can start, predicted the intensity and planned the logistics required for efficient response.

Wildfires:

Wildfires are a natural phenomenon that has always occurred and in a controlled manner, is even helpful for the ecosystems.
But climate change has increased the severity and frequency of forest fires over the last few years, causing unprecedented biodiversity loss, carbon dioxide emissions and financial losses worldwide.
- The average annual global cost of wildfires is around $50 billion, while in 2021, global wildfires released an estimated 6,450 megatonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Incidences of extreme fires across the globe are projected to increase by 30 per cent by 2050 and double by the end of the century.

Use of technology in reducing wildfire risks:

Sensors with inbuilt AI can collect acoustic information or operate as smoke detectors in forests and alert authorities within the first hour of a wildfire starting.
Unmanned aerial vehicles can be flown over fires to provide live images and help firefighters plan their response.

4. Row over CoP28 president

Subject: Environment/Environmental conferences

Section: Climate Change

Context:

The UAE, the host of CoP28, has announced its industry Minister Sultan Al Jaber will be the president of the conference.

So, what is the controversy?

Sultan Al Jaber besides being the minister for Industry and Advanced Technology also happens to be the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, the world’s 12th largest oil company by production.
This shows a clear case of conflict of interest.

Post of CoP president: Their role and responsibilities:

The government of the host country holds the presidency for one year.
It usually names one of its ministers as the president.
The role of the CoP president is to facilitate and guide the negotiations.
The President does not have any special powers but does play a key role in prioritising the agenda of discussions and helping forge a consensus on important issues.
They are usually extremely active behind the scenes, brokering deals and compromises, mediating conflicts, and acting as crisis managers.
However, the final decisions are always taken by consensus.
Extended role of COP presidents:
- For the past few years, COP presidents have engaged in pre-conference diplomacy, travelling all over the world to hold discussions with governments in order to understand their priorities and to get a sense of the kind of agreement that could be realistically achieved at the conference.
There have been several instances when a single country– and not one from among the most powerful- has stood up and disagreed with the rest of the world, and the conference had to accommodate its concerns.

5. China’s population drops for first time in 60 years

Subject :Geography

Section : Human Geography

Concept :

China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported a drop of roughly 850,000 people for a population of 1.41175 billion in 2022, the first dip since 1961.

Chinese Policies related to declining population

One-Child Policy :
- One cause behind the fall in numbers in China is the one-child policy imposed between 1980 and 2015.
- This policy limited the number of children couples could have to one.
- But as the proportion of those in the working-age population began reducing, the policy became a matter of concern.
- Hence, from 2016, all married couples were allowed to have a second child. Again, in 2021, China allowed couples to have three children.
High cost of living :
- High education costs and costs of living have put many people off having children, even as a number of incentives have been announced by the government.
Zero-Covid policies :
- China’s stringent zero-Covid policies that were in place for three years have caused further damage to the country’s demographic outlook.

Where does India stand?

Population :
- India has not conducted an official headcount Census after 2011.
- But going by the United Nations’ projections, its population stood at 1,417.2 million in 2022 (more than China’s) and is expected to reach 1,428.6 million in 2023.
Mortality and fertility :
- The crude death rate (CDR) — the number of persons dying per year per 1,000 population – has fell down to 7.3-7.4 for India in 2020.
- The total fertility rate (TFR) — the number of babies an average woman bears over her lifetime — came down to 2 during 2019-21.
- A TFR of 2.1 is considered as replacement-level fertility.
- Eg., a woman having two children replaces herself and her partner with two new lives.
- Since all infants may not survive, the replacement TFR is taken at slightly above two.

Reason for increasing populations amidst declining TFR

The TFR is the average number of births by women aged 15-49 based on surveys for a particular period/year.
Populations can keep growing even with TFRs falling. De-growth requires TFRs to remain below replacement levels for extended periods.
Hence, the effects of declining TFRs may reflect only after a couple of generations.
China’s TFR dipped below replacement first in 1991 and its population peaked in 2021 (2022 saw the decline in China’s population).
It took over 30 years for below-replacement fertility rates to translate into negative population growth.

6. UNSC Sanction committee blacklist lashkar’s makki

Subject : International Relations

Section: International Organisation

Concept :

Pakistan-based leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Abdul Rehman Makki was designated a global terrorist by the UN Security Council.
This came after China dropped its technical hold over a proposal to list him under the UNSC’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al Qaida Sanctions Committee.
India and the US had jointly proposed in June, 2022 to list Makki as a global terrorist under UNSC 1267 Committee.
However, China had blocked the move by placing a technical hold on the proposal.
Placing a technical hold effectively blocks the proposal until it is withdrawn.
This measure (Technical hold) can last for up to six months at a time under the Security Council’s procedures.
Makki was a fundraiser and key planner of the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

UNSC Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee

The ISIL (Da-esh) and Al Qaida sanctions committee is also known as the 1267 sanctions committee.
It is one of the most important UN subsidiary bodies working to combat terrorism, particularly in relation to ISIL (Da’esh), Al‑Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities.
This committee oversees the implementation of sanctions pursuant to UNSC resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015).

Sanctions regime of UNSC

Under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the UN Security Council can take action to maintain or restore international peace and security.
The application of sanctions is one of the possibilities the Council has in this respect.
Sanctions measures, under Article 41 of the UN Charter, encompass a broad range of enforcement options that do not involve the use of armed force.
The measures can range from economic and trade embargoes to more targeted measures against specific individuals, companies or entities, such as the freezing of funds and travel bans.
Currently, the UNSC has 14 active sanctions regimes.
Sanctions regimes are enacted via a UNSC
The sanctions regimes focus on supporting political processes in armed conflicts, nuclear non-proliferation and counter-terrorism.

Sanctions committee of UNSC

Each sanctions regime is administered by a sanctions committee that consists of all 15 members of the Security Council.
15 members include – 5 permanent member and 10 non-permanent members of UNSC.
These sanctions committees ensure the implementation of the sanctions and can decide by consensus to adopt targeted sanctions against specific individuals, enterprises or entities.
UNSC Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee or 1267 sanctions committee is one of such committee.

Functions of UNSC sanctions committee

Once an entity or an individual is included in the list it gets designated as the “Global Terrorist”.
The member states are required to:
- freeze funds and financial assets of that individual/entity,
- enforce a travel ban, and
- cut off access to arms and related materials.

7. A case for reassigning GST to States

Subject : Economy

Section :Fiscal Policy

Concept :

The vertical fiscal imbalance (VFI) arises between the Union and State governments when the Union has more tax powers than the States and the State governments are assigned with more expenditure responsibilities.
It is the responsibility of the Finance Commission to correct this imbalance.
In the context of Goods and Service Tax (GST), the Union and State governments concurrently levy GST on commodities with 50% as Central GST (CGST) and 50% as State GST (SGST).
There is also an Integrated GST (IGST) on inter-State trade so that 50% of it goes to the final destination state.
States do not have the power to unilaterally change the tax.

Vertical Fiscal Imbalance:

In simple terms, VFI equals ‘one minus the ratio of the State’s own revenue to own expenditure’.
If the VFI ratio is zero, it implies that States have enough revenue to meet their own expenditure. In this case, there is no need for financial transfers.
VFI for all the States together can also be calculated.

Some of the findings are:

VFI showed an increasing trend in the last three Finance Commissions (2005-06 to 2020-21).
The ratio was 0.530 from 2015-16 to 2020-21. This implies that only 47% of the States’ own expenditure was financed by their own revenue.
State revenue structure was transformed and they became more dependent on the Union Government.

The four major changes that took place in this period were:

The divisible taxes of the Union government increased from two to all the Union taxes. It enlarged the revenue base to be shared with the States.
Fiscal responsibility law was implemented to limit the fiscal deficits of the States.
The planning commission was dissolved which led to the withdrawal of Plan grants.
GST was introduced in 2017.

8. India, Russia begin manufacturing of AK-203 assault rifles in U.P.’s Amethi

Subject : International Relations

Section : India ‘s Relations

Concept :

Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) which is a joint venture between India and Russia, has started producing AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.
The IRRPL was established in 2019 jointly by the erstwhile OFB [now Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL)] of India and Rosoboronexport and Kalashnikov of Russia.
The IRRPL venture aims to ensure 100% localisation of the production of AK-203 rifles in India.
The Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi has produced the first batch of 7.62 mm Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles and it will be delivered soon to the Indian Army.
The use of Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles marks the entry of high-quality, convenient and modern small arms into India’s defence and law enforcement agencies.
The AK-203 assault rifles will replace the India-made INSAS assault rifles and the older AK-47.

9. India plans ‘buffers’ in proposed Arunachal hydropower project to counter ‘China threat’

Subject :Geography

Section : Hydrology

Concept :

The design of a hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district is being influenced by the concerns over China’s proposed 60,000 MW hydropower in Medog in Tibet.
The concerns are that the 60,000 MW dam in Medog might reduce the natural flow of the Brahmaputra, which might impact India during lean patches, or could also trigger “artificial floods” in India.
The proposed hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district is an 11,000 MW project and is said to be five times the size of the largest such projects in India.
The key objective of the construction of the project is to manage flooding in the Brahmaputra, however, there are also strategic aspects attached to the project.
Furthermore, the National HydroPower Corporation (NHPC) is expected to commission the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydro Electric Project which is the largest of its kind in terms of installed capacity in India.

Brahmaputra:

The Brahmaputra riverwhich is known as YarlungTsangpo in China is a transborder river that originates in the Mansarovar lake near Mount Kailash in Tibet.
It enters India west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.
Tributaries: Dibang, Lohit, Siang, BurhiDihing, Tista, and Dhansari.
It is a perennial river and has several peculiar characteristics due to its geography and prevailing climatic conditions.
It is flooded twice annually. One flood is caused by the melting of the Himalayan snow in summer and the other due to the monsoon flows.
The river is in itself dynamic as frequent landslides and geological activity force it to change course very often.
Brahmaputra river accounts for close to 30% of freshwater resources and 40% of India’s hydropower potential and diverting its flow can impact agriculture in states such as Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

10. SC Questions utility of living will – Passive euthanasia

Subject : Polity

Section: Constitutional framework

Concept :

More than four years after its landmark order on passive euthanasia, the Supreme Court said that it is for the legislature to enact a law for terminally ill patients choosing to stop treatment but agreed to modify its 2018 guidelines on “Living Will”, an advance medical directive on end of life treatment.
The apex court’s order notwithstanding, people wanting to get a “living will” registered have been facing problems due to cumbersome guidelines.
It said the advance medical directive can be applied only in the narrow area where patients become so terminally ill that they are not in a position to say that the treatment must stop.
The apex court indicated it might set a time limit on the procedure involved as protracted delay will defeat the whole purpose of writing a Living Will.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is a practice under which a person intentionally ends their life with active assistance from others.
Several European nations, some states in Australia and Colombia in South America allow assisted suicide and euthanasia under certain circumstances.
Active:
- Active euthanasia, which is legal in only a few countries, entails the use of substances to end the life of the patient.
Passive:
- It involves simply stopping lifesaving treatment or medical intervention with the consent of the patient or a family member or a close friend representing the patient.

SC judgement on Passive Euthanasia

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India legalised passive euthanasia in 2018, stating that it was a matter of ‘living will’.
According to the judgment, an adult in his conscious mind is permitted to refuse medical treatment or voluntarily decide not to take medical treatment to embrace death in a natural way, under certain conditions.
The court laid down a set of guidelines for ‘living will’ and defined passive euthanasia and euthanasia as well.
It also laid down guidelines for ‘living will’ made by terminally ill patients who beforehand know about their chances of slipping into a permanent vegetative state.
The court specifically stated that the rights of a patient, in such cases, would not fall out of the purview of Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Indian Constitution.
The SC’s judgment was in accordance with its verdict in March 2011 on a separate plea.
- While ruling on a petition on behalf of Aruna Shanbaug, the court had allowed passive euthanasia for the nurse who had spent decades in a vegetative state. Shanbaug had become central to debates on the legality of right to die and euthanasia in India.
- A vegetative state is when a person is awake but is showing no signs of awareness.
However, another bench of the Supreme Court, in 2014, cited inconsistencies in earlier verdicts on passive euthanasia, including the one given in the Shanbaug case, and referred the matter to a Constitution bench.

11. Backing Sri Lanka, India sends financing assurance to IMF

Subject : International Relations

Section :International Organisation

Concept :

India sent financing assurances to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday, becoming the first of Sri Lanka’s creditors to officially back the crisis hit island nation’s debt restructuring programme.
This takes Sri Lanka one step closer to getting a crucial $2.9billion package from the IMF, made contingent on “receiving financing assurances from Sri Lanka’s official creditors and making a good faith effort to reach a collaborative agreement with private creditors.”
China, Japan, and India are Sri Lanka’s three largest bilateral lenders. With India getting on board, Sri Lanka’s chances of swiftly tapping IMF assistance now depend on similar assurances from Japan and China.

Sri Lanka Debt Crisis

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948, and policymakers have been grappling with multiple challenges over the past year including a shortage of dollars, runaway inflation and a steep recession.
Sri Lanka owes India around $1 billion that will come under the debt restructuring plan.
New Delhi also separately provided Sri Lanka with about $4 billion in rapid assistance between January and July last year, including credit lines, a currency swap arrangement and deferred import payments.

Need of The Assurances:

New Delhi’s backing comes at a critical time for Sri Lanka as it has to put its massively indebted public finances in order to unlock a $2.9 billion IMF loan that was agreed in September.
Sri Lanka has to secure prior financing assurances from creditors, put its heavy debt burden on a sustainable path and increase public revenue before the global lender will disburse the funds.
The IMF has stressed the importance of joint talks involving three of Sri Lanka’s main bilateral creditors – China, Japan and India.

12. Shukrayaan Mission

Subject :Science and Technology

Section : Space and Technology

Concept :

An advisor to the space science programme recently said that the Indian Space Research Organisation is yet to receive approval from the Indian government for the Venus mission and that the mission could as a result be postponed to 2031.

About Shukrayaan-1

It is also called the Venus Mission.
The Shukrayaan I mission will be an orbiter mission.
Its scientific payloads currently include a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar and a ground-penetrating radar.
The mission is expected to study Venus’s geological and volcanic activity, emissions on the ground, wind speed, cloud cover, and other planetary characteristics from an elliptical orbit.
Optimal launch windows from Earth to Venus occur once every 19 months.

Key facts about Venus

Venus is often called “Earth’s twin” because they’re similar in size and structure, but Venus has extreme surface heat and a dense, toxic atmosphere.
It rotates very slowly on its axis – one day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days.
The thick atmosphere of Venus traps heat creating a runaway greenhouse effect – making it the hottest planet in our solar system.
Phosphine, a possible indicator of microbial life, has been observed in the clouds of Venus.
Unlike the other planets in our solar system, Venus spins clockwise on its axis.

Other Venus Mission

VERITAS:

NASA’s VERITAS, or Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy, will be the first NASA spacecraft to explore Venus since the 1990s. The spacecraft will launch no earlier than December 2027. It will orbit Venus, gathering data to reveal how the paths of Venus and Earth diverged, and how Venus lost its potential to be a habitable world.VERITAS will be the first NASA spacecraft to explore Earth’s sister planet Venus since the 1990s. The spacecraft will discover the secrets of a lost habitable world on Venus, gathering data to reveal how the paths of Venus and Earth diverged.

DAVINCI:

NASA’s DAVINCI mission will launch in the late 2020s. After exploring the top of Venus’s atmosphere, DAVINCI will drop a probe to the surface. On its hour-long descent, the probe will take thousands of measurements and snap up-close images of the surface. The probe may not survive the landing, but if it does, it could provide several minutes of bonus science.

EnVision:

The European Space Agencyhas selected EnVision to make detailed observations of Venus. As a key partner in the mission, NASA is providing the Synthetic Aperture Radar, called VenSAR, to make high-resolution measurements of the planet’s surface features.

Previous missions to Venus

Magellan – NASAmission , 1994.
Venus Express– European mission
Akatsuki– Japanese mission

13. Will India face a recession in June?

Subject : Economy

Section: National Income

Concept :

While it is true that the economic momentum is slowing — going by the First Advance Estimates for 2022-23, GDP is likely to grow at about 4% in the January_March quarter—a recession is largely ruled out because GDP is expected to continue to grow at around 7% (according to the latest RBI projections).
Thus, far from contracting, India’s economy is likely to grow,albeit at a slightly muted rate,right through 2023 and 2024.

Recession

Recession refers to a phase of the downturn in the economic cycle when there is a fall in the country’s GDP for some quarters.
It begins after the economy reaches a peak of activity and ends as the economy reaches its trough.
A common rule of thumb for recessions is two quarters of negative GDP growth.
A recession is a period of decline in total output, income, employment and trade, usually lasting six months to a year.’

14. Russian newsprint on its way to Chennai via Iran port

Subject : International Relations

Section : Msc

Concept :

The multi-modal transport route will involve train movement through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to reach Iran’s Bandar Abbas port from where it will be take the sea route to reach Chennai.
The cargo handled by RZD Logistics (Russian Railways) left Russia a few days ago taking the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
In the first leg, the cargo took the rail mode from Russia to Bandar Abbas port in Iran through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
From the Iranian port, the cargo will move by sea to Chennai in the second leg.

About INSTC

The INSTC is a key trade corridor project, wherein India is partnering with 12 countries to establish an economic corridor.
7,200-km multi-mode transport (Rail, sea, Road) project to move freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
Aim is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali, etc.
Dry runs of two routes were conducted in 2014, the first was Mumbai to Baku via Bandar Abbas and the second was Mumbai to Astrakhan via Bandar Abbas, Tehran and Bandar Anzali.