Daily Prelims Notes 19 June 2021

June 19, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

19 June 2021

Table Of Contents

1. Election Petition filed by West Bengal CM

Subject : Polity

Context : Recently, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has filed an election petition in the Calcutta High Court challenging the Assembly election result of Nandigram constituency.

Concept :

Election Petition

The Election Commission’s role ends with the declaration of results i.e. once the Returning Officer has signed the final result sheet.
An election petition is the only legal remedy available to a voter or a candidate who believes there has been malpractice in an election.
The voter or the candidate can challenge the result through an election petition submitted to the High Court of the state in which the constituency is located.
The election petition has to be filed within 45 days from the date of the poll results and nothing is entertained by courts after that.
The Representative of the People Act of 1951 suggests that the High Court should try to conclude the trial within six months but it usually drags on for much longer.
The acts of the candidate along with his election agent or by any other person with the consent of the candidate or his election agent is covered for filing an Election Petition.

Grounds on which election petition can be filed

Under Section 100 of the RP Act, an election petition can be filed on the grounds that:
On the day of the election, the winning candidate was not qualified to contest.
The winning candidate, his poll agent or any other person with the consent of the winning candidate has indulged in a corrupt practice.
Section 123 of the RP Act has a detailed list of what amounts to corrupt practice, including bribery, use of force or coercion, appeal to vote or refrain from voting on grounds of religion, race, community, and language.
Improper acceptance of the nomination of the winning candidate or improper rejection of a nomination.
Malpractice in the counting process, which includes improper reception, refusal or rejection of any vote, or the reception of any vote which is void.
Non-compliance with the provisions of the Constitution or the RP Act or any rules or orders made under the RP Act.

2. Maharashtra govt may reject RBI guidelines

Subject : Economics

Context : Maharashtra govt may reject RBI’s plan on merger of DCCBs with State co-operative banks

Concept :

Cooperative banks were set up to supplant indigenous sources of rural credit, particularly money lenders, today they mostly serve the needs of agriculture and allied activities, rural-based industries and to a lesser extent, trade and industry in urban centers.

Co-operative banks have a three tier structure —

Primary (agriculture or urban) credit societies,
District central co-operative banks and at the apex level,
State co-operative banks.

Functions and Regulations

Primary (urban) credit societies that meet certain specified criteria can apply to RBI for a banking license to operate as urban co-operative banks.
Primary (urban) co-operative banks are registered and governed by state governments under the respective co-operative societies acts of the concerned states.
This is because as per our Constitution “Cooperation” is defined under the State list.
Since they are also covered by the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, they come under the control of the RBI as well.
While the managerial aspects of these banks are controlled by the state governments, matters related to banking are governed by RBI directives.
Traditionally, the area of operation of primary (urban) co-operative banks is confined to metropolitan, urban or semi-urban centres and caters to the needs of small borrowers.
However, there is no formal restriction as such and today UCBs can conduct business in the entire district in which they are registered, including rural areas. Well managed primary UCBs with deposits of over Rs 50 crore are also allowed to operate in more than one state subject to certain norms. These banks are also included in the Second Schedule of the RBI Act 1934.
They are registered under the Central Registrar of Cooperatives and become Multi State scheduled banks.

District central co-operative banks and State co-operative banks (SCBs)

Primary Agriculture credit societies operate at village level and are affiliated to DCCB’s. DCCB operate at district level and are affiliated to SCB.
Earlier these two tiers were also under the supervision of the RBI. However, following the establishment of the National Bank of Agriculture and Development (NABARD) in 1982, the supervisory function of these banks has been passed on to NABARD.

3. Summer rain stocks dams

Subject : Geography

Context : Although the monsoon has not covered the whole country yet, summer cyclones and thunderstorms have left reservoirs with more water than their average at this stage.

Concept :

The summer of 2021 saw unusually cool day temperatures over most regions. This could have led to below-average evaporation from surface water stocks across the core heat zones, where heatwaves and high day temperatures are common during March-June.
The cooler summer was also due to frequent thunderstorms that brought rainfall spells at many places between March and May.
During the second and third weeks of May, Cyclones Tauktae and Yaas caused widespread rainfall over two-thirds of the country.
The all-India weekly rainfall during May 12-19 and May 20-26 was, respectively, 127% and 94% above the Long Period Average.

Long Period Average (LPA):

It is the average rainfall recorded during the months from June to September, calculated during the 50-year period, and is kept as a benchmark while forecasting the quantitative rainfall for the monsoon season every year.
IMD maintains an independent LPA for every homogeneous region of the country, which ranges from 71.6 cm to 143.83 cm.

Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms and tornadoes are severe local storms. They are of short duration, occurring over a small area but are violent.
Thunderstorm is a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail.
Thunderstorms mostly occur on ground where the temperature is high. Thunderstorms are less frequent on water bodies due to low temperature.

Motion of a thunderstorm

Path of a thunderstorm is erratic. Motion is primarily due to interactions of its updrafts and downdrafts.
The speed of isolated storms is typically about 20 km (12 miles) per hour, but some storms move much faster.
In extreme circumstances, a supercell storm may move 65 to 80 km (about 40 to 50 miles) per hour.

Downbursts

Downdrafts are referred to as macrobursts or microbursts.
Macroburst is more than 4 km in diameter and can produce winds as high as 60 metres per second, or 215 km per hour.
A microburst is smaller in dimension but produces winds as high as 75 metres per second, or 270 km per hour
They are seriously hazardous to aircrafts, especially during takeoffs and landings.

4. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Subject : International Conventions

Context : India’s new information technology (IT) rules do not conform with global human rights norms, experts from the United Nations have said

Concept :

The letter says that India’s new IT Rules are in violation of rules laid down in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a key international human rights treaty.

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

The ICCPR is a key international human rights treaty, providing a range of protections for civil and political rights.
The ICCPR, together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, are considered the International Bill of Human Rights.
The Bill influences the decisions and actions of Government, State and Non-State actors to make economic, social and cultural rights a top-priority in the formation and implementation of national, regional and international policy and law.
The ICCPR obligates countries that have ratified the treaty to protect and preserve basic human rights, such as: the right to life and human dignity; equality before the law; freedom of speech, assembly, and association; religious freedom and privacy; freedom from torture, ill-treatment, and arbitrary detention; gender equality; the right to a fair trial; right family life and family unity; and minority rights.
The Covenant compels governments to take administrative, judicial, and legislative measures in order to protect the rights enshrined in the treaty and to provide an effective remedy.
The Covenant was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1966 and came into force in 1976. 173 countries including India have ratified the Covenant.

5. UN re-elects Antonio Guterres as Secretary -general

Subject : International Organisations

Context : UN Secretary Basic Antonio Guterres is all set to be re-elected as chief of the world physique after the highly effective Safety Council adopted by acclamation a decision recommending his title to the Basic Meeting for a second five-year time period starting January 1, 2022..

Concept :

The UN Secretary-General is appointed by the UN General Assembly on the recommendation of the UN Security Council.
To be selected as a UN Secretary-General, a candidate must receive the votes of at least 9 members of the United Nations Security Council, with no vetoes from permanent members.
Therefore, the Secretary-General’s selection is subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members (France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) of the UN Security Council.
The US used this power to deny Egypt’s Boutros-Ghali a second term in 1997 and China did the same in 1981 for denying Austria’s Waldheim a third term.
The other 10 elected non-permanent members of the UN Security Council do not have veto powers. But their backing is crucial, as a candidate requires at least 9 out of 15 votes to be recommended for the top job.
Moreover, for any candidate to have a real chance at being considered for the top post, a recommendation by any UN member state is essential.
In the current race, Guterres was endorsed by Portugal for a second term, and none of his seven other challengers received backing from a member state.

Functions of UN Secretary-General:

The UN Charter refers to the Secretary-General as the UN chief administrative officer.
Mandate: UN Secretary-General shall act and perform such functions as given to him by the UN Security Council, General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and other United Nations organs.
Functions:
attendance at sessions of United Nations bodies;
consultations with world leaders, government officials and
worldwide travel intended to keep the Secretary-General in touch with the peoples of the UN member states.

6. Test using graphene shown to detect coronavirus in lab

Subject : Science & tech

Context : Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago (IUIC) have successfully used graphene to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in laboratory experiments.

Concept :

In experiments, researchers combined sheets of graphene, which are more than 1,000 times thinner than a postage stamp, with an antibody designed to target the spike protein on the coronavirus.
They then measured the atomic-level vibrations of these graphene sheets when exposed to Covid-positive and Covid-negative samples in artificial saliva. These sheets were also tested in the presence of other coronaviruses, like MERS-CoV.
The researchers found that the vibrations of the antibody-coupled graphene sheet changed when treated with a Covid-positive sample, but not when treated with a Covid-negative sample or with other coronaviruses.

About Graphene:

Graphene has been touted in the global electronics industry as a “miracle material” given its strength, electrical conductivity and elasticity, and has been seen as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries since its discovery in 2004.
It is a form of carbon that can be used to develop smaller, slimmer batteries but with higher capacity.
Graphene is a carbon material that is one atom thick.
Its thin composition and high conductivity means it is used in applications ranging from miniaturised electronics to biomedical devices.
These properties also enable thinner wire connections; providing extensive benefits for computers, solar panels, batteries, sensors and other devices.

Applications:

Graphene is widely used in making solar cells, light-emitting diodes, touch panels and smart windows. Graphene supercapacitors serve as energy storage devices with a capacity for faster charging and longer life span than traditional electrolytic batteries.
Other potential applications of graphene include water filtration and purification, renewable energy, sensors, personalised healthcare and medicine, to name a few.

7. IN-EUNAVFOR Exercise

Subject : Defence

Context : Recently, the first edition of IN-EUNAVFOR Exercise was commenced in Gulf of Aden.

Concept :

About IN-EUNAVFOR Exercise

It is a joint naval exercise between Indian Navy and European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR).
The participants of IN-EUNAVFOR Exercise are Indian Naval Ship Trikand, Italian Navy Ship ITS Carabinere, Spanish Navy Ship ESPS Navarra, and two French Navy Ship FS Tonnerre and FS Surcouf.
It will see high tempo-naval operations at sea, including:

Advanced air defence and anti-submarine exercises;

Cross deck helicopter operations;

Tactical manoeuvres, boarding operations and underway replenishment;

Search & Rescue Operations;

Man Overboard drills and other maritime security operations

It will endeavour to enhance and hone their war-fighting skills and their ability as an integrated force to promote, peace, security and stability in the maritime domain.
It showcases increased levels of synergy, coordination and inter-operability between IN and EUNAVFOR.
It underscores the shared values as partner navies, in ensuring freedom of seas and commitment to an open, inclusive and a rules-based international order.

Gulf of Aden

It is a deep-water basin that forms a natural sea link between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
It is situated between the coasts of Arabia and the Horn of Africa.
It connects to the Red Sea in the West and the Arabian Sea in the East.
The Gulf of Aden and Red Sea are connected through Bab-al-Mandeb Strait.
It is majorly shared between 3 neighbouring nations i.e. Djibouti to the East, Somalia to the South, and Yemen to the North.

8. Surge in illegal HTBt cotton acreage worries seed industry

Subject : Science / Agriculture

Context : The illegal cultivation of herbicide tolerant (HT) Bt cotton has seen a huge jump this year, with seed manufacturers claiming that the sale of illegal seed packets has more than doubled from 30 lakh last year to 75 lakh this year.

Concept :

Bt cotton remains the only GM crop allowed to be cultivated in the country.
It was developed by US giant Bayer-Monsanto.
It involves insertion of two genes viz ‘Cry1Ab’ and ‘Cry2Bc’ from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into cotton seeds.
This modification codes the plant to produce protein toxic to Heliothis bollworm (pink bollworm) thus making it resistant to their attack.
The commercial release of this hybrid was sanctioned by the government in 2002.

About HT Bt Cotton

The farmers planted an herbicide-tolerant variety of Bt cotton.
This variety (HtBt) involves the addition of another gene, ‘Cp4-Epsps’ from another soil bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
It is not cleared by GEAC.
The farmers claim that the HtBt variety can withstand the spray of glyphosate, an herbicide that is used to remove weeds, and thus it substantially saves them de-weeding costs.

What is the procedure involved?

In India, it is the responsibility of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Environment Ministry to assess the safety of a genetically modified plant, and decide whether it is fit for cultivation.
The GEAC comprises experts and government representatives, and a decision it takes has to be approved by the Environment Minister before any crop is allowed for cultivation.
Besides Bt cotton, the GEAC has cleared two other genetically modified crops,brinjal and mustard.
But these have not received the consent of the Environment Minister.
Legally, sale, storage, transportation and usage of unapproved GM seeds is a punishable offence under the Rules of Environmental Protection Act 1986.
Also, sale of unapproved seeds can attract action under the Seed Act of 1966 and the Cotton Act of 1957.
The Environmental Protection Act provides for a jail term of five years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for violation of its provisions, and cases can be filed under the other two Acts.
The culprit can also be charged under various sections of the Essential Commodities Act and the Indian Penal Code.

9. Inland Vessel Bill 2021

Subject : Economy / Legislations

Context : The Union Cabinet has given the nod to the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, which will replace the Inland Vessels Act, 1917. The Bill will regulate safety, security and registration of inland vessels.

Concept :

Key features of the Bill:

It provides for a unified law for the entire country, instead of separate rules framed by the States.
The certificate of registration granted under the proposed law will be deemed to be valid in all States and Union Territories, and there will be no need to seek separate permissions from the States.
The Bill provides for a central data base for recording the details of vessel, vessel registration, crew on an electronic portal.
It requires all mechanically propelled vessels to be mandatorily registered. All non-mechanically propelled vessels will also have to be enrolled at district, taluk or panchayat or village level.

Inland Water Transport (IWT) in India:

India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways which comprise of rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks, etc.
IWT is a fuel-efficient and environment-friendly mode.
As per the National Waterways Act 2016, 111 waterways have been declared as National Waterways (NWs).
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is implementing the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) at an estimated cost of ₹5369.18 crores for capacity augmentation of navigation on the Haldia-Varanasi stretch of Ganga (part of NW-1) with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank.

10. UDYOG AADHAAR MEMORANDUM (UAM)

Subject : Governance

Context : Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Extends Validity of Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum from 31st March, 2021 to 31st December, 2021.

Concept :

The Ministry for MSME in September 2015 notified Udyog Aadhaar to ensure ease of registration and wider coverage of MSMEs to avail the benefits under various Schemes of Central/ State governments.
Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum (UAM) can be filled online on the portal created by Ministry of MSME.
UAM is a one-page registration form which constitutes a self-declaration format under which the MSME will self-certify its existence, bank account details, promoter/owner’s Aadhaar details and other minimum information required.
There shall be no fee for filing the Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum.
On submission of the form, Udyog Aadhaar Acknowledgement shall be generated and mailed to the email address provided in the Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum which shall contain unique Udyog Aadhaar Number (UAN).

11. Indian Certification of Medical Devices (ICMED) Plus Scheme

Subject : Governance

Context : Recently, the Quality Council of India (QCI), and the Association of Indian Manufacturers of Medical Devices (AiMeD) have added further features to the ICMED.

Concept :

Indian Certification of Medical Devices (ICMED) Plus Scheme

It had been launched for Certification of Medical Devices in 2016.
It will undertake verification of the quality, safety and efficacy of medical devices.
It has been designed to integrate the Quality Management System components and product related quality validation processes through witness testing of products.

The eligibility under ICMED scheme:

Indian medical device manufactures/ exporters; and
Local authorized representatives of medical device manufactures/ distributors

Importance of Indian Certification of Medical Devices (ICMED) Plus Scheme

It is the first scheme around the world in which quality management systems along with product certification standards are integrated with regulatory requirements.
It will be an end to end quality assurance scheme for the medical devices sector in India.
It provides the much-needed institutional mechanism for assuring the product quality and safety.
It will go a long way in assisting the procurement agencies to tackle the challenges relating to the menace of counterfeit products and fake certification.
It will also help in eliminating the circulation and use of sub-standard medical products or devices of doubtful origin that could prove to be serious health hazards.

12. Coating carbon on lithium metal oxide electrode can double battery life

Subject : Science & tech

Context : Researchers have developed a non-expensive way to coat carbon on lithium metal oxide electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. The life of the lithium-ion cells prepared using these electrode materials is expected to be doubled due to protective carbon coating.

Concept :

About Lithium Ion Battery

Lithium-ion batteries are the most commonly used power source for electric vehicles. However, its penetration to the daily usage against gasoline-based vehicles require drastic improvement in the lifetime and cost as well as mileage per charge.
The active components of lithium-ion batteries are cathode, anode, and electrolyte. While commercial graphite is used as anode, lithium metal oxides or lithium metal phosphates are used as a cathode in Li ion battery.
The electrolyte is a lithium salt dissolved in organic solvents. The capacity of the lithium-ion battery determines the mileage of the electric vehicle.
Before the capacity reduces to 80%, the number of charging cycles determines the life of the battery.

Carbon Coating Technique

Carbon being inert to most chemicals and stable under the operating window is the best choice of coating material to improve the cyclic stability of the active materials.
Carbon coating on the active materials can double the lifetime of the lithium-ion cells.
However, coating carbon on lithium metal oxide is very challenging, because of the difficulty involved in coating carbon during the synthesis of lithium metal oxide material in a single step.
The electrochemical performance of the lithium-ion cells constructed using carbon-coated NMC111 is at par with that of the commercial lithium-layered oxide cathodes.
Superior cyclic stability of the carbon coated product with capacity retention of more than 80% after 1000 cycles of charging/discharging is demonstrated with an optimum carbon thickness matching commercial samples