Daily Prelims Notes 21 April 2023

April 21, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

21 April 2023

Table Of Contents

1. White Tiger

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: White tiger cubs Avani & Vyom released for public viewing at Delhi Zoo.

White Tiger:

The white tiger or bleached tiger is a leucistic pigmentation variant of the Bengal tigers, Siberian Tiger and man-made hybrids between the two
They are reported in the wild from time to time in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha in the Sundarbans region and especially in the former State of Rewa.
Such a tiger has the black stripes typical of the Bengal tiger, but carries a white or near-white coat.
The first white tiger was spotted in Madhya Pradesh’s Vindhya region, in which the Satna district falls, in 1915.
The rare breed of the big cat, which was caught for the first time, died in 1920.

2. Wind, solar cleaner for energy transitions than other renewables

Subject: Environment

Section: International convention and Organization

Context: Clean energy coalition of WWF, IRENA says shift to renewable energy must protect nature; all forms of renewable power are better than fossil fuels.

Findings:

A transition to Net Zero by scaling up wind and solar energy projects would be significantly less damaging than other renewable pathways, stated a new report by non-profit World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and intergovernmental organisation International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Adopting the right mix of low-carbon technologies to meet energy demand can help stabilise global temperatures and protect ecosystems, noted the document by Coalition Linking Energy and Nature for action (CLEANaction).
Construction of other renewable energy projects, such as hydropower dams and associated reservoirs, often leads to the inundation of vast swathes of natural habitat and alters natural flow regimes and downstream habitats, the document added.
Bioenergy, for instance, in all its forms, including biomass, biofuel and biogas, has a larger biodiversity impact per unit of energy than that of wind and solar.

Coalition Linking Energy And Nature for action:

Coalition Linking Energy and Nature for action (CLEAN) is a global initiative that aims to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy by promoting the sustainable production and use of bioenergy.
It was launched in 2019 by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and other international organizations.
CLEAN action aims to highlight the need for new renewable energy generation projects to be carefully assessed for their impacts on biodiversity, allowing the options that are the least damaging to nature to be prioritised.
Today, many renewable energy developers have little awareness or consideration for the impact on nature, be it on land, the ocean, or freshwater ecosystems.
CLEAN action hopes to change this, so that the effect on biodiversity is a required element of any new proposed energy initiative.

3. Hakki Pikkis caught in Sudan conflict

Subject :International Relations

Section: Paces in News

Context:

More than 181 members of the Hakki Pikki tribal community from Karnataka are stuck in violence-hit Sudan,

Who are the Hakki Pikki:

The Hakki Pikki is a tribe that lives in several states in west and south India, especially near forest areas.
Hakki Pikkis (Hakki in Kannada means ‘bird’ and Pikki means ‘catchers’) are a semi-nomadic tribe, traditionally of bird catchers and hunters.
According to the 2011 census, the Hakki Pikki population in Karnataka is 11,892.
They live majorly in Davangere, Mysuru, Kolar, Hassan and Shivmogga districts.
In different regions, they are known by different names, such as Mel-Shikari in northern Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The Hakki Pikki move in groups from place to place in search of livelihood.
They are divided into four clans, called Gujaratia, Panwar, Kaliwala and Mewaras.
These clans can be equated with castes in the traditional Hindu society.
In the olden days, there was a hierarchy among the clans, with the Gujaratia at the top and the Mewaras at the bottom.
Despite being surrounded by Dravidian languages and living in southern India, the community speaks an Indo-Aryan language.
Their mother tongue was designated ‘Vaagri’ by scholars. They communicate in ‘Vaagri’ at home but speak in Kannada when conducting daily business.
UNESCO has listed ‘Vaagri’ as one of the endangered languages.

What were their traditional jobs, and what do they do now:

Traditionally, Hakki Pikkis lived in forest areas, leading a nomadic life for nine months a year and coming back to their permanent camps for three.
Earlier, men of the tribe would hunt while women begged in villages. But as the wildlife protection laws became stricter, the Hakki Pikkis in Karnataka started selling spices, herbal oils, and plastic flowers in local temple fairs.
Later, they started selling their products in Africa.
Education levels among the Hakki Pikkis are still low.

What are their rituals and customs:

Hakki Pikkis in Karnataka follow Hindu traditions and celebrate all Hindu festivals.
They are non-vegetarians. The eldest son in a family is not supposed to cut his hair so that he can be identified easily.
The tribe prefers cross-cousin marriages. According to locals, the usual age of marriage is 18 for women and 22 for men.
The society is matriarchal, where the groom gives dowry to the bride’s family.

4. C+C5 groups

Subject :International Relations

Section: Groupings

Context:

This week, China convened an online meeting of trade ministers of the grouping known as C+C5 ‘

What is C+C5 groupings:

It is a group comprising China and the five Central Asian republics, namely Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
The first C+C5 summit was held in virtual format on January 25 last year, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Diplomatic relations between China and Central Asian Countries were established in January 1992, and China’s relationship with the region was institutionalized as the Shanghai Five, the forerunner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

5. Critical Minerals

Subject : International Relations

Section: Groupings

Concept :

A recent working paper from Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) extends the earlier minerals assessment for 23 minerals by assessing the criticality levels of 43 select minerals for India based on their economic importance (demand-side factors) and supply risks (supply-side factors) which are determined through the evaluation of specific indicators.

Critical minerals

Critical minerals refer to mineral resources, both primary and processed, which are essential inputs in the production process of an economy, and whose supplies are likely to be disrupted due to the risks of non-availability or unaffordable price spikes.
To tackle such supply risks, major global economies periodically evaluate which minerals are critical for their jurisdiction through a quantitative assessment.

Examples:

Minerals such as antimony, cobalt, gallium, graphite, lithium, nickel, niobium, and strontium are among the 22 assessed to be critical for India.

Significance for India:

Many of these are required to meet the manufacturing needs of green technologies, high-tech equipment, aviation, and national defence.
However, while India has a significant mineral geological potential, many minerals are not readily available domestically.
Hence, India needs to develop a national strategy to ensure resilient critical minerals supply chains, which focuses on minerals found to be critical.

Applications:

Electric vehicles: cobalt, lanthanum, lithium
Fuel cells: platinum, palladium, rhodium
Wind energy technologies: neodymium, dysprosium, terbium
Aviation sector: titanium
Photovoltaic solar technologies: cadmium, indium, gallium

Categorization:

Traditional — titanium, vanadium
Sunrise — lithium
Mixed use — cobalt, nickel, graphite, light rare earth elements (LREEs), heavy rare earth elements (HREEs).

Minerals Security Partnership (MSP)

In 2022, the US and 10 other nations — Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission — came together in a bid to break China’s dominance in the global marketof rare earth minerals and formed the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP).
Objective:
- The goal of the MSP is to ensure that critical minerals are produced, processed, and recycled in a manner that supports the ability of countries to realize the full economic development benefit of their geological endowments.
- Focus would be on the supply chains of minerals such as Cobalt, Nickel, Lithium and also the 17 “rare earth” minerals.

G7’s Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance

Canada, along with Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, launched the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance to drive the global uptake of environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive and responsible mining, processing and recycling practices and responsible critical minerals supply chains.

6. Key SC verdicts that moved the needle on LGBTQ rights

Subject : Polity

Section :Constitution

Concept :

Recently, the Supreme Court started to hear a batch of pleas seeking legal recognition for same-sex marriages.
On the second day of the hearing, the court heard arguments on the changing legal landscape on LGBTQ rights and the evolution of the right to choose one’s partner..

Key SC Verdicts

NALSA v Union of India

In ‘NALSA’, the Court agreed with virtually the same arguments it rejected in Suresh Koushal case.
The Supreme Court in ‘Suresh Koushal v Union of India’ upheld the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
The Section 377 of the IPC was an act that criminalised homosexuality.
In this case, the court upheld the right of transgender persons to decide their gender.
It directed the Centre and state governments to grant legal recognition to their gender identity, such as male, female or the third gender.

KS Puttaswamy v Union of India

In this case, in 2017, a nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right under the Constitution.
In this judgement, the apex court observed that the rights of LGBT population are real rights founded on sound constitutional doctrine.
They inhere in the right to life. They dwell in privacy and dignity. They constitute the essence of liberty and freedom.

Shafin Jahan v Union of India

The SC in March 2018 set aside a Kerala High Court judgment that annulled the marriage of a 24-year-old woman who converted to Islam and married a man of her choice.
The ruling recognised the right to choose one’s partner as a facet of the fundamental right to liberty and dignity.

Shakti Vahini v Union of India

A three-judge Bench on the SC in March 2018 issued directives to prevent honour killings at the behest of khap panchayats.
It also issued directives to protect persons who marry without the approval of the panchayats.
In the ruling, the Apex Court recognised the right to choose a life partner as a fundamental right.
SC observed that – when two adults consensually choose each other as life partners, it is a manifestation of their choice which is recognized under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

Navtej Johar v Union of India

In August 2018, the SC heard a curative petition against the ‘Koushal’ ruling.
A five-judge Constitution Bench struck down IPC Section 377 to the extent that it criminalised homosexuality.
The Navtej ruling essentially said that the LGBTQ community are equal citizens and underlined that there cannot be discrimination in law based on sexual orientation and gender.

Deepika Singh vs Central Administrative Tribunal

The SC in August last year decided in favour of a woman who was denied maternity leave for her first biological child on the ground that she had already availed the benefit for her two non-biological children.
The ruling recognised atypical families, including queer marriages, which could not be confined in the traditional parenting roles.

7. Beijing Accord

Subject : International Relations

Section :Msc

Concept :

Iran and Saudi Arabia, who have been in conflict directly and indirectly since the rise of the Arab Spring in 2011 have agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies within two months.
The agreement came after Chinese-brokered talks in Beijing.

More Details

On March 10, 2023, Iran, Saudi Arabia and China announced an agreement had been reached covering a resumption of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The three countries also announced a re-opening of their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months.
The announcement was significant and surprised the US and Israel who had been attempting to build a regional coalition against Iran.
The agreement affirmed their respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.
The deal, brokered by China, also included the implementation of a security cooperation agreement signed in 2001 and a 1998 pact to enhance cooperation on trade, investment, technology, and culture.

8. SC Slams sections of Special Marriage Act

Subject : Polity

Section: Constitution

Concept :

The Supreme Court said provisions of the Special Marriage Act which mandate a 30 day notice of intent to marry is steeped in patriarchy and expose vulnerable couples to an “invasion” by society.

Sections of the act

Section 5 of the SMA requires couples getting married under it to give a notice to the Marriage Officer 30 days before the date of marriage.
Section 6 requires such a notice to be then entered into the Marriage Notice Book maintained by the Marriage Officer, which can be inspected by “any person desirous of inspecting the same.
Section 7 provides the process for making an objection.
Section 8 specifies the inquiry procedure to be followed after an objection has been submitted.
These provisions seriously damage one’s right to have control over her/his personal information and its accessibility.
By making the personal details of the couple accessible to everyone, the very right of the couple to be the decision makers of their marriage is being hampered by the state.
These public notices have been used by anti-social elements to harass couples getting married.
There have been instances where marriage officers have gone over and beyond the law and sent such notices to the parents of the couple leading to the girl being confined to her house by her parents.

Special Marriage Act (SMA), 1954

Marriages in India can be registered under the respective personal laws Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Muslim Marriage Act, 1954, or under the Special Marriage Act, 1954.
It is the duty of the Judiciary to ensure that the rights of both the husband and wife are protected.
The Special Marriage Act, 1954 is an Act of the Parliament of India with provision for civil marriage for people of India and all Indian nationals in foreign countries, irrespective of religion or faith followed by either party.
When a person solemnises marriage under this law, then the marriage is not governed by personal laws but by the Special Marriage Act.

Features:

Allows people from two different religious backgrounds to come together in the bond of marriage.
Lays down the procedure for both solemnization and registration of marriage, where either of the husband or wife or both are not Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs.
Being a secular Act, it plays a key role in liberating individuals from traditional requirements of marriage.

Provisions:

Prior notice:
As per Section 5 of the Act Couples have to serve a notice with the relevant documents to the Marriage Officer 30 days before the intended date of marriage.
Registration:
Both parties are required to be present after the submission of documents for issuance of public notice inviting objections.
Registration is done 30 days after the date of notice after deciding any objection that may have been received during that period by the SDM.
Both parties along with three witnesses are required to be present on the date of registration.

9. Faith in children’s vaccines has gone up in India, says UNICEF

Subject : International Relations

Section: International Organizations

Concept :

According to the data collected by The Vaccine Confidence Project and published by UNICEF, out of the 55 countries studied, only China, India, and Mexico showed improvement in the popular perception of the importance of vaccines for children.
As per the data, vaccine confidence has been on a decline in countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Papua New Guinea, Ghana, and Senegal.
The report also noted that the growing threat of vaccine hesitancy was mainly due to factors such as misleading information and declining trust in vaccine efficacy.
Further, UNICEF India has released its global flagship report titled “The State of the World’s Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination” which underlines the importance of childhood immunisation.
The report pointed out that about 67 million children missed out on vaccinations between 2019 and 2021 and the vaccination coverage levels decreased in 112 countries.
The decline in vaccine coverage has been mainly attributed to intense demands on health systems, the diversion of immunisation resources to COVID-19 vaccination, health worker shortages and stay-at-home measures.

About UNICEF

UNICEF is a special program of the United Nations (UN) devoted to aiding national efforts to improve the health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children.
UNICEF was created in 1946as International Children’s Emergency Fund (ICEF) by UN relief Rehabilitation Administration to help children affected by World War II.
UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations in 1953.
The name was shortened to United Nations Children Fund but it is still referred to as UNICEF.
It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.
UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989.
It strives to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children.
Awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1965 for “promotion of brotherhood among the nations”.
Headquarters: New York City
It works in over 190 countries and territories with 7 regional offices.
UNICEF is governed by an Executive Board consisting of 36 members that are elected to terms of three years by the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council.

10. How AI can help the environment

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Awareness in IT

Context: AI has also been touted as a powerful tool to help tackle global crises, such as climate change.

Details:

A study commissioned by tech giant Microsoft estimated that AI applications in the sectors of agriculture, water, energy and transport could lead to a 4% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 — equivalent to the annual emissions of Australia, Canada and Japan combined.

six ways it’s being put to use to help the environment:

Saving trees with AI ‘guardians’

Planting acoustic monitoring sensors in forests to detect and track illegal logging and land clearing.

Shrinking the carbon footprint of steel

In mining of raw materials for steel production, AI can be used to optimised and reduce the amount of mined ingredients-or alloys- by upto one third.

Cutting energy waste in buildings

By collecting the data from commercial buildings and aanlysisng them via machine learning, the heating and cooling systems of commercial buildings can be optimised. These tweaks can save 10-30% of the energy used in a typical commercial building.

Fighting poaching with algorithms

AI based bracelets can be fitted to the animals to track their movement and illegal poaching of vulnerable animals.

Smart farming

AI system can draw on data from solar-powered sensors monitoring the microclimate around crops.
These insights can be used to make precise recommendations about plant health and exactly how much water and fertilizer to use. This can both boost yields and reduce wasted resources.

Using computers to plot clouds

The technology can be useful in the field of agriculture, solar energy generation among others.

11. WMO

Subject : Environment

Section: International convention and organisation

Context:

Around 15,000 deaths caused in Europe in 2022 due to heat: What the new World Meteorological Organisation report says

2022 Heatwaves in Europe

The United Kingdom experienced 40-plus degree Celsius heat for the first time ever.
Ireland had its highest temperature since 1887. Hamburg, in Germany, became the most northern part of the country to ever record 40 degree Celsius temperature. Even Sweden, one of the coldest countries, recorded temperatures in excess of 37 degree Celsius last year.
During the summer, around 4,600 deaths in Spain, 4,500 in Germany, 2,800 in the United Kingdom (among those aged 65 and older), 2,800 in France and 1,000 in Portugal were associated with the unusual heat.

Heatwave:

A heatwave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, a common phenomenon in India during the months of May-June and in some rare cases even extends till July.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies heat waves according to regions and their temperature ranges.As per IMD, the number of heatwave days in India has increased from 413 over 1981-1990 to 600 over 2011-2020.
Criteria for declaring the heatwave:
The Heatwave is considered when the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C for Plains and at least 30°C for Hilly regions.
If the normal maximum temperature of a station is less than or equal to 40°C, then an increase of 5°C to 6°C from the normal temperature is considered to be heat wave condition.
- Further, an increase of 7°C or more from the normal temperature is considered a severe heat wave condition.
If the normal maximum temperature of a station is more than 40°C, then an increase of 4°C to 5°C from the normal temperature is considered to be heat wave condition. Further, an increase of 6°C or more is considered a severe heat wave condition.
Additionally, if the actual maximum temperature remains 45°C or more irrespective of normal maximum temperature, a heat wave is declared.

WMO observations:

On average, global temperature in 2022 was 1.15 degree Celsius higher than pre-industrial times, which is the average of the 1850-1900 period.
This happened despite the prevalence of a strong La Nina event which is known to have an overall cooling impact on the planet.
Rise in GHG emissions and concentrations:
The three main greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – responsible for global warming, were all at record high in 2021.
Carbon dioxide concentrations in atmosphere now exceed 415 parts per million.
The concentrations of methane, less prevalent but more damaging than carbon dioxide, increased to 1908 parts per billion in 2021. The increase of 18 ppb between 2020 and 2021 was the highest annual rise ever.
Displacement due to climate change:
About 95 million people across the world had already suffered displacement because of climate change reasons.
Most people displaced in climate- or weather-related events remained within the territories where they resided, while in some situations people were forced to flee across international borders in search of safety and assistance.

Status of heatwaves in previous years:

The warmest year on record so far has been 2016 when average global temperatures were measured to be 1.28 degree Celsius higher than pre-industrial times, not very far away from the 1.5 degree Celsius milestone, which is the world is aiming to avoid.
The years 2015 to 2022 have been the eight warmest years in the 173 years of direct record keeping.
The year 2022 would be fifth or sixth on that list of warmest years.

12. A SpaceX rocket exploded soon after launch, but why did Elon Musk and his employees celebrate?

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Context: After a flight test of its new reusable Starship rocket ended with the craft exploding into smoke and flames.

Details:

The test was the first for the spacecraft manufacturer’s Starship spacecraft (the carrier) and Super Heavy rocket (the booster), collectively referred to as Starship.
The Starship represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.
The flight test failed due to the malfunction where the upper-stage Starship failed to separate from the lower-stage Super Heavy rocket.
The celebration is due to the fact that one of the major objective of getting the vehicle off the ground was achieved with a successful lift-off.

About SpaceX Starship:

Starship is a fully reusable spacecraft designed and built by SpaceX with the primary goal of sending humans to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Key objectives

SpaceX aims to use Starship to establish a self-sustaining human settlement on Mars.
The ultimate goal is to enable humans to become a multi-planetary species.
It also aims to make Starship reusable, reducing the cost of spaceflight and bringing down the price to a few million dollars per flight.
In the long run, the company aims to achieve full and rapid reusability of the spacecraft.