Daily Prelims Notes 19 September 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

19 September 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Government bonds surge on talk of joining Indices
2. High costs may derail Global Biofuel Alliance ambitions but tech can help
3. Hanging fire for 27 years: How Women Reservation Bill kept lapsing through its tumultuous journey
4. As Parliament turns 75, the ‘backbone’ that keeps it going — its secretariat
5. Supreme Court upholds HC ban on plaster of Paris Ganesh idols
6. Ozone Day 2023: Why the South Pole has set alarm bells ringing this year
7. Curtains for old Parliament building: The Madhya Pradesh temple believed to have inspired it
8. Siberia witnesses over 150% rise in air pollution
9. Global antibiotic use in animals dip by 13% in 3 years; but regional disparities exist

1. Government bonds surge on talk of joining Indices

Subject : Economy

Section: Capital market

Context: G-Secs rally on reports of India joining JP Morgan’s emerging market bond index.

Key Points:

• Government Securities (G-Secs) rallied on Friday on reports that India is tipped to join JP Morgan’s widely tracked emerging-market bond index.
• JPMorgan is sounding out big investors on adding India to its widely tracked emerging-market bond index, setting the stage for tens of billions of dollars of inflows as the country’s domestic market opens up to foreign capital.
• The price of the benchmark 10-year G-Sec (coupon rate: 6.54 per cent) jumped almost 50 paise to close at ₹95.43 (previous close: ₹94.935).
• Yield of this paper declined sharply by about 8 basis points to close at 7.2173 per cent (7.2929 per cent). This paper is the most traded in the G-Sec market.
• Note: Bond prices and yields are inversely co-related and move in opposite directions.

2. High costs may derail Global Biofuel Alliance ambitions but tech can help

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Biotechnology

Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA):

• Established during the annual G-20 summit in New Delhi.
• Founding members include India, the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Italy, and South Africa.
• Focuses on promoting biofuel production and use, especially in the transport sector.

Defining Biofuels:

• The International Energy Agency (IEA) defines biofuels as “liquid fuels derived from biomass and used as an alternative to fossil fuel-based liquid transportation fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuels.”

Biofuels Types:

• Biofuels can be categorized into 1G (first-generation) and 2G (second-generation) types:
• 1G biofuels are produced from specific crops like sugarcane, corn, and soybean.
• 2G biofuels are derived from agricultural waste, used cooking oil, and animal residues.

High cost of biofuels:

• The world seeks to transition from fossil fuels to biofuels, but non-edible feedstock biofuels are relatively expensive.
• First-generation biofuels (corn and soya-based) cost ₹65 per litre, while non-edible feedstock biofuels cost ₹110 per litre.

The Need for 2G Biofuels:

• Agricultural land cannot be diverted from food production to produce biomass for biofuels.
• The solution lies in 2G (second-generation) biofuels.

Technology’s Role in Cost Reduction:

• Breakthrough technology is essential to lower biofuel production costs.
• Biomass consists of lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose.
• Two key technological avenues:
  • Better catalysts for increased yield
  • Other chemical production from biomass

1. Enhanced Catalysts for Higher Yields:

• Improved catalysts are essential for optimizing the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels.
• Focuses on increasing conversion efficiency, resulting in higher biofuel yields from the same amount of feedstock.

2. Diversification of Chemicals from Biomass:

• The conversion of biomass into a range of valuable chemicals.
• Hemicellulose can be transformed into valuable platform chemicals, reducing costs.
• These “platform chemicals” derived from biomass offer additional revenue streams, offsetting production costs.
• For instance, furan dicarboxylic acid (fdca) can replace petroleum-derived terephthalic acid, serving as a valuable product for industries like PET bottle manufacturing.

3. Nanoparticle Applications:

• Nanoparticles, including metallic, ceramic, and semiconductor varieties, have proven indispensable in biofuel production.
• Metallic oxide nanoparticles, facilitate electron transfer and enhance enzymatic activity, increasing biofuel yields.
• Magnetic nanoparticles, in particular, assist in making the biomass conversion process more economical.

4. Nanoarchitectonics:

• Nanoarchitectonics involves deliberate customization of nanoparticles, including modifying composition, size, shape, and properties.
• For example, structuring niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) nanoparticles into flower-like forms (florets) enhances their catalytic properties, contributing to cost reduction.

5. Research into Enzymatic Hydrolysis:

• Biofuel production often involves enzymatic hydrolysis to convert cellulose into sugar monomers and, subsequently, into biofuels.
• Nanoparticles, especially magnetic ones, can assist in optimizing enzymatic hydrolysis processes.

6. Lignin Utilization:

• Innovative technology explores applications for lignin, traditionally considered waste.
• Lignin can be mixed with bitumen for road surfacing, offering a practical way to lock in carbon and generate additional value from biomass.
• ‘Lignin-first approach’ separates lignin for industrial use.
• The remaining cellulose and hemicellulose-rich biomass becomes ideal feedstock for biorefineries.
• Start-ups like X2Fuels aim to convert industrial waste into crude oil-like fuel.

Challenges in Commercialization

• While technology exists in labs, commercialization, especially of new catalysts, remains distant.
• Mass production of catalysts presents a significant challenge.
• Scaling up nanoparticles in biofuel production requires intensive research.

Government Support

• The Ministry of External Affairs emphasizes “facilitating technology advancements” in the Global Biofuels Alliance.
• The government can mandate oil marketing companies to purchase a portion of 2G biofuels from the market.
• Similar to renewable energy and compressed biogas, biofuels need government backing to break the cost-demand cycle.

3. Hanging fire for 27 years: How Women Reservation Bill kept lapsing through its tumultuous journey

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Introduction:

• The Women’s Reservation Bill, aimed at providing 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, has been a persistent yet unattained goal for Indian politics.
• Since its inception in 1996, the bill has faced numerous hurdles, primarily stemming from political resistance and a lack of consensus.

The First Attempt: United Front Government

• In September 1996, the Bill was introduced in Parliament by the H.D. Deve Gowda-led United Front government.
• A Joint Committee was formed to assess the bill’s provisions.
• Key recommendations included changing “not less than one third” to “as nearly as may be, one-third” to eliminate ambiguity and reservations for women in the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils.
• Nitish Kumar voiced dissent, advocating for OBC women’s inclusion in the reservation.
• The bill faced strong opposition and ultimately lapsed with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

Second Attempt: NDA Government

• Between 1998 and 2004, the BJP-led NDA government, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, made multiple attempts to pass the bill.
• Despite several attempts, the bill failed to pass, and it lapsed again with the fall of the Vajpayee government in 1999.

Vajpayee Government’s Persistence

• After the reformation of the NDA government, the bill was reintroduced in 1999 but faced continued resistance from SP, BSP, and RJD members.
• Subsequent attempts in 2000, 2002, and 2003 also failed to gain traction.
• An all-party meeting in 2003 failed to build a consensus, leading to the bill’s eventual lapse.

UPA Pushes Forward

• The UPA government, led by Manmohan Singh, committed to introducing the bill, despite opposition.
• In 2008, the bill was finally introduced.
• The bill was referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee, which recommended its passage without delay in 2009.

Red-Letter Day: March 9, 2010

• After 14 years of persistence, the  Bill finally saw a breakthrough in 2010.
• The Rajya Sabha passed the bill with over a two-thirds majority,supported even by the BJP and Left, who were in the Opposition.
• Unfortunately, the UPA government didn’t demonstrate the political will to pass the bill in the Lok Sabha.

The 2010 Women’s Reservation Bill: Key Amendments

Lok Sabha Provisions:

• Proposed a new Article 330A, mirroring Article 330, to reserve seats for women in the Lok Sabha.
• Introduced a rotational system for one-seat states, reserving it for women in every third election.
• Allocating one-third of SC-ST reserved seats to women on a rotational basis.
• Reserved one of the two seats for Anglo-Indians for women in two of every three consecutive elections.

State Assemblies Provisions:

• Introduced Article 332A to reserve one-third of seats in state Legislative Assemblies for women.
• Similar to Lok Sabha, one-third of SC-ST reserved seats to be allocated to women on a rotational basis.

Special Status for Delhi:

• Amended Article 239AA to replace “Scheduled Castes” with “Scheduled Castes and women” in Delhi’s Legislative Assembly provisions.

Sunset Clause:

• Proposed an amendment to Article 334 to introduce a 15-year sunset clause for women’s reservation, aligning with existing sunset clauses for other reserved seats and special representation.

4. As Parliament turns 75, the ‘backbone’ that keeps it going — its secretariat

Subject: Polity

Section: Parliament

Introduction

• The 75-year journey of the Indian Parliament is marked by various aspects such as statistics, debates, and legislation.
• The Parliament secretariat plays a pivotal role, often in the background, supporting the functioning of the legislature.

Championing Independence: Vithalbhai Patel

• Vithalbhai Patel, the first elected Speaker of the Central Assembly in 1925, advocated for an independent secretariat for the legislature.
• He believed that the Speaker’s office needed its own staff and security establishment.
• A standoff with the British administration in 1929 resulted in the creation of a separate legislature office under the Speaker’s control.

Emergence of Parliamentary Reporters

• The first specialized individuals in the Parliament secretariat were parliamentary reporters.
• Responsible for accurately documenting legislative proceedings.
• Later, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha rulesof procedure mandated the preparation and publication of full reports of House proceedings.
• This mandate originated from an 1861 communication emphasizing the importance of sending accurate reports of proceedings to the public.

Professionalization by M.N. Kaul

• Maheshwar Nath Kaul, a lawyer, joined the legislative assembly office in 1937.
• He later became the Secretary of the Constituent Assembly.
• Kaul’s efforts influenced constitutional provisions for legislatures and supported the secretariat’s independence.
• Post-independence, he led the Lok Sabha secretariat.
• Kaul established Parliament’s research service.
• He advocated for separate office spaces, realized in 1956.

Simultaneous Interpretation Services

• Demand for simultaneous interpretation arose due to changing MP profiles.
• Hindi and English real-time interpretation started in 1964.
• Interpreters required expertise in parliamentary language, grammar, idioms, and humor.
• Today, Parliament offers interpretation in 22 languages.

Structural Changes

• In 1974, MP’s committee recommended restructuring Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats into 11 functional areas.
• This led to administrative consolidation, with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha officers grouped into eight services.
• Recruitment and service conditions are determined by rules established by the presiding officers.

Role of Secretary-Generals

• The Constitution allows Parliament to create a law regulating the recruitment and service conditions of secretarial staff. (Article 98)
• However, Parliament has not enacted such a law.
• As a result, these matters are governed by rules established by the presiding officers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
• Two Secretary-Generals, one for Lok Sabha and one for Rajya Sabha, lead the respective secretariats.
• The presiding officers appoint them, and they assist in discharging constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
• In 1990, the Secretary-General’s position was elevated in importance, equivalent to the Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India.

Contrast with State Legislature Secretariats

• Unlike the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats, state legislature secretariats do not enjoy the same degree of autonomy.

5. Supreme Court upholds HC ban on plaster of Paris Ganesh idols

Subject :Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

• There have been efforts to ban the sale of plaster of Paris (PoP) idols for Ganesh Chaturthi festival in the past, but these have proved futile.
• NGT has ordered state pollution control boards to constitute expert committees to study the impact of PoP on water bodies.

Details:

• There is no definitive and comprehensive scientific study on the impact of PoP on the environment.
• Studies have been carried out in some places like Bhopal, Jabalpur and Bengaluru. Results find the impacts including steep rise in concentration of heavy metals, dissolved solids, and acid content, and a drop in dissolved oxygen.

Plaster of Paris (POP):

• PoP is made by heating gypsum at temperatures in the range of 300°F. 
• When it comes in contact with water, the material regains the form of gypsum.
• Since gypsum is a naturally occurring substance, and is used as a soil-conditioner to reclaim saline-sodic soils, it has been argued by idol-makers’ associations that it is harmless to the environment.

Properties of Plaster of Paris:

• Usually white in color and available in powder form.
• When water is added, gypsum crystals are formed, leading it to achieve a solid state.
• The exothermic setting process can be catalyzed by sodium chloride. The plaster of Paris is retarded by alum or borax.
• Plaster of Paris forms anhydrous calcium sulfate at 473 K. This is sometimes known as the dead burnt plaster of Paris.

Impact of POP idol immersion:

• Some other activists argue that PoP idols are non-biodegradable.
• PoP’s reaction with water is exothermic—it releases heat when in contact with water. There are no studies on what kind of impact the heat thus generated has on aquatic life in water bodies.
• PoP idol immersion makes the water cloudy.
• The idol is painted with oil paint. Common pigment types in those oil paints include mineral salts such as white oxides: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and the red to yellow cadmium pigments.Paints used for colouring the idols consist of various heavy metals pigments such as white lead, lithopone, chrome yellow, cadmium sulphide, barium chromate, vermillion, red lead etc.
• Chemicals used in the idols are also harmful for the aquatic environment. They contain heavy metals like lead, mercury, copper and cadmium.
• Adding large quantities of gypsum to water will raise its hardness and reduce its life-carrying capacity.
• It flows into landfills and unused quarries around the cities.
• Many aquatic animals die because of overload of bacteria resulting from the immersed flowers and sweets given as offerings.

6. Ozone Day 2023: Why the South Pole has set alarm bells ringing this year

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate Change

Context:

• September 16 is celebrated as World Ozone day. The 2023 winter season for the Antarctica region ended with a record-low sea ice cover in August. This coincided with the early opening of the ozone hole above the continent.

Antarctica sea ice:

• This July, when the continent is in its peak winter, the sea ice extent was around 13.5 million sq km, the lowest since 1978.
• Some scientists have statistically called it a five-sigma event, which means that without changes in the climate, such low sea ice cover would have happened once in 7.5 million years.
• Sea ice forms and exists in the polar regions due to an interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere, both of which are showing changes due to global warming.
• Global warming has also altered the position of the polar vortex, a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s poles, which now has an increased southerly flow over the Antarctic sea ice, pushing more sea ice to the south.

Meridional overturning circulation:

• The meridional overturning circulation is an underwater phenomenon where warm ocean water from the Equator travels to the North Atlantic and cold water flows back towards the Equator and then to Antarctica.
• It completes the loop by travelling back to the tropics and becomes warm again. This circulation brings warmth to various parts of the globe and also carries nutrients necessary to sustain ocean life.

Ozone hole over Antarctica:

• The Antarctic ozone hole is an annual thinning of the stratosphere’s ozone layer, which has a high concentration of ozone molecules that absorb ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
• Every year, the ozone hole over Antarctica begins to form at the end of September, peaking in October before closing in November or December. This year the hole opened in August itself, triggering a fear that the world could see a larger-than-average hole.
• The ozone hole is usually smaller during El Nino years.
• The early opening up of the Antarctic ozone could be due to the eruption of the Hunga-Tonga volcano in January 2022.
  • The increased water vapour in the stratosphere can lead to an enhanced formation of polar stratospheric clouds on which chloroflorocarbons can react to speed up ozone depletion.
  • The water vapour could contribute to cooling the Antarctic stratosphere, enhancing the formation of these polar stratospheric clouds and resulting in a stronger polar vortex.

• Ozone hole recovery:
  • The hole in the ozone layer has been gradually healing since the 1987 Montreal Protocol.
  • In October 2022, the World Meteorological Organization predicted that the entire world, barring the poles, would recover from the ozone hole by 2040. The poles should bounce back by 2066.

7. Curtains for old Parliament building: The Madhya Pradesh temple believed to have inspired it

Subject: History

Section: Art and Culture

Context:

• The existing Parliament will be turned into a museum after the inauguration of the new parliament building. A similar, round and pillared structure in India pre-dates the Parliament by several centuries, and many believe it inspired the 20th century building. This structure is the Chausath Yogini temple in Mitaoli, Madhya Pradesh.

The old Parliament and its inspirations:

• Designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
• The 164-pillared building first housed the Imperial Legislative Council from January 18, 1927 to August 15, 1947.
• After Independence, it served as the Constituent Assembly of India, and once the Constitution was adopted and India became a republic, as the Parliament of India, housing the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
• There is no evidence Lutyens or Baker ever visited the Chausath yogini temples, but the locals believe that the old parliament building was inspired by this temple.

The Chausath Yogini temple and its mysteries:

• Located in: Mitaoli, about 40 kilometers from Gwalior, in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh.
• Built around 1323 by King Devapala of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty.
• Dedicated to the 64yoginis, its architecture is different from the temples dedicated to one deity.
  • The 64 yoginis are believed to be powerful warriors and sorceresses. According to mythology, a demon, Raktabija, had a boon that made him almost impossible to kill — everytime a drop of his blood fell on the floor, hundreds of offspring would be born off it. However, when Goddess Durga went to battle him, she unleashed an army of 64 yoginis who drank off his blood before it could touch the floor, and Raktabija was finally killed.
• The Mitaoli temple is circular, with 64 chambers dedicated to the 64 yoginis, and a central shrine dedicated to Shiva.
• The Mitaoli temple, like other Chausath Yogini temples, is hypaethral, which means it has no roof and no shikharas.
• The Parliament-like pillars are on the inside of the stone temple complex. The central shrine has a slab with perforations, for excess rainwater to drain off. The temple has a diameter of 125 feet.
• The idols and carvings that would have once adorned the 64 chambers are all gone, and so not much is known about the temple.

Yogini temple in India:

• The Yogini temples of India are 9th to 12th century roofless hypaethral shrines to the yoginis, female masters of yoga in Hindu tantra, broadly equated with goddesses especially Parvati, incarnating the sacred feminine force.
• The extant temples are either circular or rectangular in plan; they are scattered over central and northern India in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha.
• Lost temples, their locations identified from surviving yogini images, are still more widely distributed across the subcontinent, from Delhi in the north and the border of Rajasthan in the west to Greater Bengal in the east and Tamil Nadu in the south.
• Hirapur, Odisha: The 64 Yogini Temple in Hirapur, also known as the Chausath Yogini Temple, is located in a small village about 20 km southeast of Bhubaneswar.
• Ranipur-Jharial,Odisha: The Ranipur-Jharial temple complex is located in Balangir district of Odisha.
• Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh: The Khajuraho temple complex in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh is home to a 64 Yogini Temple.
• Mitaoli, Madhya Pradesh: Here, the temple complex is located in Morena district. The temple is also called Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple. If you visit this temple, you will find an open circular courtyard with 65 niches filled with statues of Shiva. These niches once held statues of one deity and 64 yoginis.

8. Siberia witnesses over 150% rise in air pollution

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

• Decadal data analysis has suggested that newer geographies are now experiencing high levels of fine particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) emissions.

PM 2.5 pollution:

• Quantification of PM2.5 geospatial data — Monthly Global Estimates of Fine Particulate Matter and Their Uncertainty — shows the polar regions, which are sparsely populated, are reporting much higher levels of PM2.5 when compared to a decade back as seen in the map.
• PM 2.5 is defined as particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 microns and is linked to significant health concerns.
• The Central and Eastern Siberian Taiga (CEST) region has reported the maximum decadal increase in pollution levels, percentage-wise.
• In 2010, the annual mean PM2.5 levels were a little less than six micrograms per cubic metre of air (μg/m3). By 2021, the levels had shot up to over 16 μg/m3 — a rise of over 180 per cent.
• CEST has experienced a gradual rise in PM2.5 emission since 2011.
• Causes of rise in PM 2.5 level: Influence of emissions from fires in Siberia.
  • The total area burnt annually due to wildfires in Siberia has increased over 150 per cent — from over six megahectares (Mha) of land (2005-2011 average) to a little over 16 Mha in the 2016 to 2020 average.

Central and Eastern Siberian Taiga (CEST):

• This vast ecoregion is located in the heart of Siberia, stretching over 20° of latitude and 50° of longitude.
• The climate in the CEST is subarctic (the trees growing there are coniferous and deciduous) and displays high continentality, with extremes ranging from 40 °C (104 °F) to −65 °C (−85 °F) and possibly lower.
• Winters are long and very cold, but dry, with little snowfall due to the effects of the Siberian anticyclone. Summers are short, but can be quite warm for the northerly location.
• Precipitation is low, ranging from 200 to 600 millimetres (8 to 24 in), decreasing from east to west.
• The topography of this ecoregion is varied, consisting of wide, flat plains and areas of karst topography.
• In contrast to the neighboring West Siberian taiga, large bogs and wetlands are conspicuously absent. Some trees also shed their leaves annually, a characteristic of deciduous forests.
• Protected areas in this ecoregion include:
  • Stolby Nature Sanctuary
  • Olyokma Nature Reserve
  • Tunguska Nature Reserve
  • Central Siberia Nature Reserve

For details of PM 2.5 pollution: https://optimizeias.com/particulate-matter-2-5/

9. Global antibiotic use in animals dip by 13% in 3 years; but regional disparities exist

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Health

Context:

• The global usage of antimicrobials in animals has dropped by 13 per cent in three years from 2017 to 2019, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said in its seventh report on antibiotic use released recently.

Report findings:

• The report also pointed out regional differences: While 49 countries from Asia, Far East, Oceania and Europe reported an overall reduction in antimicrobials used, the remaining 31 from African and American regions reported an overall increase.
• Approximately half of the users of antimicrobial growth promoters are in the regions of America, Asia, Far East and Oceania.
• Antimicrobial growth promoters are: flavomycin, bacitracin, avilamycin, tylosin, fosfomycin, amoxicillin, apramycin and neomycin.
  • While flavomycin and avilamycin are currently excluded from human use, bacitracin is not classified among WHO’s critically important antimicrobials (CIAs).
  • High priority- critically important antimicrobials (HP-  CIAs):Tylosin, Colistin, erythromycin, kitasamycin and spiramycin.

ANImalantiMicrobial USE (ANIMUSE):

• WOAH also introduced an interactive online platform called the Global Database for ANImalantiMicrobial USE (ANIMUSE) to expedite data accessibility and contribute towards evidence-based decision-making.
• ANIMUSE plays a key role in supporting members’ actions to achieve this target, helping veterinary workforces to understand and monitor AMU in a harmonized and comparable way.

Third Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance:

• Held in Oman in November 2022
• During the ministerial conference, 47 countries committed to reduce the total amount of antimicrobials used in animals and agriculture by at least 30-50 per cent by 2030.
• Around 107 of 157 participants (68 per cent) have discontinued the use of antimicrobials as growth promoters, with or without legislation.

For details of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR): https://optimizeias.com/tackling-antimicrobial-resistance-amr/