Daily Prelims Notes 20 August 2020

August 20, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Table Of Contents

Subject: Arts and culture

Context:

Prime Minister has greeted the people on the auspicious occasion of the first Parkash Purab of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Concept:

The Guru Granth Sahib is a collation of many hymns, poems, shabadsand other writings from many different scholars, including the Gurus and Hindu and Muslim writers.
The Guru Granth Sahib is not just the holy scripture of Sikhism. It is also considered as the living Guru.
Before Guru Gobind Singh died, he declared that there would be no more human Gurus and that the Guru Granth Sahib would be the Eternal Guru

Significance of the Guru Granth Sahib

It contains the words spoken by the Gurus. This is known as Gurbani, which means ‘from the Guru’s mouth’.
It is believed to be the word of God and is therefore infallible.
It is written in Gurmukhi. This is the script the Punjabi language is written in.
Many of Guru Nanak’s hymns and prayers were preserved and complied by Guru Angad and Guru Arjan. This collection became known as the Adi Granth.
The Adi Granth also included writings from Hindu and Muslim writers who believed in the oneness of God. Some of these writers were from lower castes, which show the inclusiveness of Sikhism.
The Guru Granth Sahib was completed in 1604 and installed in the Golden Temple. This original copy is written in many different languages, reflecting its many different authors.

2. National Recruitment Agency

Subject: Government organization

Context:

Union Cabinet has decided to set up a National Recruitment Agency (NRA).

Concept:

The proposed NRA will conduct a common preliminary examination for various recruitments in the central government.
As of now, aspirants have to take different exams that are conducted by various agencies for central government jobs.
Initially, NRA will organize a CET to screen/shortlist candidates for the Group B and C (non -technical) posts, which are now being conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railways Recruitment Board (SSC) and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). Later on, more exams may be brought under it.
The agency will have representatives from SSC, IBPS and RRB.
The test will be conducted for three levels: graduate, higher secondary (12th pass) and the matriculate (10th pass) candidates.
However, the present recruitment agencies– IBPS, RRB and SCC will remain in place.
Based on the screening done at the CET score level, final selection for recruitment shall be made through separate specialized Tiers (II, III, etc.) of examination which shall be conducted by the respective recruitment agencies. The curriculum for CET would be common.
The CET score of a candidate shall be valid for a period of three years from the date of declaration of the result.

3. Fair and Remunerative Price and MSP

Subject: Agriculture

Context:

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane payable by sugar mills for 2020-21sugar season (October-September)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister urges Centre to hike minimum support price for milling copra to ₹125 a kg

Concept:

Minimum support price

MSP is the minimum price paid to the farmer for procuring food crops.
It offers an assurance to farmers that their realisation for the agricultural produce will not fall below the stated price.
The government uses the MSP as a market intervention tool to incentivise production of a specific food crop which is in short supply.
It also protects farmers from any sharp fall in the market price of a commodity.
MSPs are usually announced at the beginning of the sowing season and this helps farmers make informed decisions on the crops they must plant.
MSP is computed on the basis of the recommendations made by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
It considers factors such as the cost of production, change in input prices, market price trends, demand and supply, and a reasonable margin for farmers.
The Centre has increased the MSP of kharif crops for 2020-21 crop year in line with the principle of fixing MSPs at a level which is at 1.5 times the cost of production that was announced in Union Budget 2018-19.
Concerted efforts were made over the last few years to realign the MSPs in favour of oilseeds, pulses and coarse cereals to encourage farmers shift to larger area under these crops and adopt best technologies and farm practices, to correct demand – supply imbalance.
The added focus on nutri-rich nutri-cereals is to incentivize its production in the areas where rice-wheat cannot be grown without long term adverse implications for groundwater table.
Crops covered under MSP: Paddy, Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, Maize, Tur, Moong, Urad, groundnut, sunflower seed, soyabean, nigerseed, Cotton and sesamum
Besides, the Umbrella Scheme “PradhanMantriAnnadataAaySanraksHanAbhiyan” (PM-AASHA) announced by the government in 2018 will aid in providing remunerative return to farmers for their produce.
The Umbrella Scheme consists of three sub-schemes i.e.
- Price Support Scheme (PSS)
- Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS)
- Private Procurement &Stockist Scheme (PPSS) on a pilot basis.

Fair and remunerative price (FRP)

Fair and remunerative price (FRP) is the minimum price at which rate sugarcane is to be purchased by sugar mills from farmers.
The FRP is fixed by Union government on the basis of recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). The ‘FRP’ of sugarcane is determined under Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966.
Recommended FRP is arrived at by taking into account various factors such as cost of production, demand-supply situation, domestic & international prices, inter-crop price parity etc.
This will be uniformly applicable all over the country.
Besides FRP, some states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, UP and TN announce a State Advised Price, which is generally higher than the FRP.
The price fixed by the central government is the ‘minimum price’ and the one fixed by state government is the ‘advised price’ which is always higher than the ‘minimum price’ fixed by the center

4. CAMPA

Subject: Environment

Context:

Aiming to maximize forest carbon stock by more tree plantation, Union Environment Minister urged the states to use CAMPA funds exclusively for afforestation and not for payment of salaries.

Concept:

Whenever forest land is diverted for non-forest purposes, it is mandatory under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 that an equivalent area of non-forest land has to be taken up for compensatory afforestation.
In addition to this, funds for raising the forest are also to be imposed on whomsoever is undertaking the diversion. The land chosen for afforestation, if viable, must be in close proximity of reserved or protected forest for ease of management by forest department.
In 2002, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered that a Compensatory Afforestation Fund had to be created in which all the contributions towards compensatory afforestation and net present value of land had to be deposited.
In April 2004, Ministry of Environment and Forests constituted Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to overlook and manage the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) as directed by the SC. The authority was termed as the ‘custodian’ of the fund.
Further in 2009, the government ordered that State CAMPAs had to be set up to boost compensatory afforestation at state level and also manage Green India Fund.
Despite all these efforts, CAG report in 2013 revealed that the CAMPA funds remained unutilised. The report stated that between 2006 and 2012, CAF with ad hoc CAMPA grew from ₹ 1,200 crores to ₹ 23,607 crores.

Statutory backing

Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 came into force from 2018. The Act established a National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state.
The payments made for compensatory afforestation, net present value and others related to the project will be deposited in the fund.
The State Funds will receive 90% of the payments while National Fund will receive remaining 10%. These funds will be regulated by State and National CAMPA.
The Ministry also stressed that the fund had to be used for important needs such as Compensatory Afforestation, Catchment Area Treatment, Wildlife Management, Assisted Natural Regeneration, Forest Fire Prevention and Control Operations, Soil and Moisture Conservation Works in the forest, Improvement of Wildlife Habitat, Management of Biological Diversity and Biological Resources, Research in Forestry and Monitoring of CAMPA works and others.

5. Vaccine nationalism

Subject: IR

Context:

Even before the end of final stage human trials or regulatory approval, several wealthier countries like Britain, France, Germany and the US have entered into pre-purchase agreements with Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers

Concept:

When a country manages to secure doses of vaccines for its own citizens or residents and prioritises its own domestic markets before they are made available in other countries it is known as ‘vaccine nationalism’.
This is done through pre-purchase agreements between a government and a vaccine manufacturer.
In order to bring about equitable and broad access, WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Gavi have come up with an initiative known as “Covax Facility”.
The facility aims to procure at least two billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of next year for deployment and distribution mainly in the low- and middle-income countries

6. Constitution bench

Subject: Polity

Context:

Retired SC judge says Constitution Bench should hear contempt cases against advocate PrashantBhushan

Concept:

Article 145(3)says at least five judges need to hear cases that involve “a substantial question of law as to the interpretation” of the Constitution, or any reference under Article 143, which deals with the power of the President of India to consult the Supreme Court.
Constitution benches of the Supreme Court have declared privacy a fundamental right, outlawed instant triple talaq, upheld the Aadhaar scheme and thrown open Kerala’s Sabarimala temple to women of all ages.

7. Carbon neutrality

Subject: Environment

Context:

Ladakh, Leh and Kargil region will be developed and declared to be a carbon neutral region

Concept:

Carbon neutrality means every ton of anthropogenic CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed, according to World Resources Institute.
In order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, carbon neutrality by mid-21st century is essential. This target is also laid down in the Paris agreement signed by 195 countries, including the EU.
Carbon sink is any system that absorbs more carbon than it emits.
The main natural carbon sinks are soil, forests and oceans.
To date, no artificial carbon sinks are able to remove carbon from the atmosphere on the necessary scale to fight global warming.
The carbon stored in natural sinks such as forests is released into the atmosphere through forest fires, changes in land use or logging.
Another way to reduce emissions and to pursue carbon neutrality is to offset emissions made in one sector by reducing them somewhere else. This can be done through investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency or other clean, low-carbon technologies.

8. Saliva test

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new method of testing for Covid-19 by processing saliva samples

Concept:

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

Significance:

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

Testing methods:

Broadly, there are two types of tests for Covid-19.
One type, which detects the virus itself, includes the RT-PCR test and the antigen test.
The second is the serological test, which looks for antibodies developed by the body against the virus. This determines if a person has been exposed to the infection, and is used for surveillance of infection in a community.
In the first category of tests, nose and throat swabs are used as the sampling technique .
After the swab is removed, the sample is placed in a viral transport media and is preserved for analysis.
Researchers have developed the saliva test as a low-cost alternative; the suspected patient has only to spit into a sterile tube and the sample is then sent it to the laboratory.

9. National River Conservation Plan

Subject: Environment

Context:

There is inordinate delay in completion of projects to control pollution in two riversTapi and Sabarmathi in Gujarat, which is part of the National River Conservation Plan.

Concept:

The river cleaning programme in the country initiated with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in 1985.
The Ganga Action Plan was expanded to cover other rivers under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in the year 1995.
The pollution abatement works are implemented on a cost sharing basis between the Centre and State Governments.
The works include; collection, transportation and treatment of municipal sewage, River Front Development (RFD), Low Cost Sanitation (LCS), Electric Crematoria, Improved Wood Based Crematoria etc.
Prevention and control of industrial pollution is being addressed by the Central and State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committee.
The objective of NRCP is to improve the water quality of the rivers, which are the major water sources in the country, through the implementation of pollution abatement works.