Daily Prelims Notes 21 July 2020

July 21, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Table Of Contents

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

According to Lancet journal, avaccine AZD1222 developed at the University of Oxford has shown encouraging results in early human testing and appears to be “safe well-tolerated, and immunogenic”.

Concept:

The AZD1222 vaccine is based on a chimpanzee adenovirus called ChAdOx1 which elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses in human body.
It is made from a genetically engineered virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees. However, the virus has been modified so that it doesn’t cause infection in people and also to mimic the coronavirus.
The vaccine is already undergoing combined Phase II/III trials in the UK, Brazil and South Africa.

Working Mechanism

The vaccine belongs to a category called non-replicating viral vector vaccines which tries to build the body’s immunity against spike proteins (allow the virus to penetrate cells and, thereafter, multiply).
The idea is to create antibodies to fight this spiked surface so that the virus does not even have the chance to penetrate the cells.
The adenovirus, genetically modified so that it cannot replicate in humans, will enter the cell and release the code to make only the spike protein. The body’s immune system is expected to recognise the spike protein as a potentially harmful foreign substance, and starts building antibodies against it.
Once immunity is built, the antibodies will attack the real virus if it tries to infect the body.

Vaccine types:

Inactivated: It is made using particles of the Covid-19 virus that were killed, making them unable to infect or replicate. Injecting particular doses of these particles serves to build immunity by helping the body create antibodies against the dead virus.
Non-replicating viral vector: It uses a weakened, genetically modified version of a different virus to carry the Covid-19 spike protein.
Protein subunit: This vaccine uses a part of the virus to build an immune response in a targeted fashion. In this case, the part of the virus being targeted would be the spike protein.
RNA: Such vaccines use the messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules that tell cells what proteins to build. The mRNA, in this case, is coded to tell the cells to recreate the spike protein. Once it is injected, the cells will use the mRNA’s instructions, creating copies of the spike protein, which in turn is expected to prompt the immune cells to create antibodies to fight it.
DNA: These vaccines use genetically engineered DNA molecules that, again, are coded with the antigen against which the immune response is to be built.

2. Case Fatality Rate

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

Union Health Ministry said India’s COVID-19 case fatality rate is “progressively falling” and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world.

Concept:

The death rate, also referred to as the case fatality ratio, is the ratio of number of people who have died against those who have tested positive.
This is an indicator of how well the country is doing in averting deaths.

3. National Financial Reporting Authority

Subject: Government organization

Context:

Concept:

The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) was constituted in 2018 under Companies Act, 2013.
The Companies Act requires the NFRA to have a chairperson who will be appointed by the Central Government and a maximum of 15 members
The duties of the NFRA are to:

1. Recommend accounting and auditing policies and standards to be adopted by companies for approval by the Central Government;

2. Monitor and enforce compliance with accounting standards and auditing standards;

3. Oversee the quality of service of the professions associated with ensuring compliance with such standards and suggest measures for improvement in the quality of service;

4. Perform such other functions and duties as may be necessary or incidental to the aforesaid functions and duties.

Prior to the constitution of this authority, the Central Government would prescribe accounting standards on the recommendation of ICAI.
The Authority shall have power to monitor and enforce compliance with accounting standards, oversee the quality of service or undertake investigation of the auditors of the following class of companies and bodies corporate, namely:-
Companies whose securities are listed on any stock exchange in India or outside India;
Unlisted public companies having paid-up capital of not less than rupees five hundred crores or having annual turnover of not less than rupees one thousand crores or having, in aggregate, outstanding loans, debentures and deposits of not less than rupees five hundred crores as on the 31st March of immediately preceding financial year;
Insurance companies, banking companies, companies engaged in the generation or supply of electricity
Anybody corporate or company or person, or any class of bodies corporate or companies or persons, on a reference made to the Authority by the Central Government in public interest;

4. PASSEX

Subject:IR

Context:

USS Nimitz, US Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier exercised with the Indian Navy near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Concept:

Usually, PASSEX drills happen whenever there is an opportunity. This means that such exercises happen spontaneously and there is nothing pre-planned.
Very recently, the Indian Navy had similar drills with the Japanese Navy as well as the French Navy.
It is opportunity to improve interoperability on the high seas and promote free and open Indo- Pacific, and an international rules-based order wherein each country can reach its potential without sacrificing national sovereignty.

5. Postal ballots

Subject:Polity

Context:

Election Commission of India (ECI) has ruled out the feasibility of extending postal ballots to 70 lakh electors above 65 years of age in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

Concept:

By postal ballot, a voter can cast her vote remotely by recording her preference on the ballot paper and sending it back to the election officer before counting.
Members of the armed forces like the Army, Navy and Air Force, members of the armed police force of a state (serving outside the state), government employees posted outside India and their spouses are entitled to vote only by post.
Voters under preventive detention can also vote only by post.
The Returning Officer is supposed to print ballot papers within 24 hours of the last date of nomination withdrawal and dispatch them within a day.
After receiving it, the voter can mark her preference with a tick mark or cross mark against the candidate’s name. They also have to fill up a duly attested declaration to the effect that they have marked the ballot paper. The ballot paper and the declaration are then placed in a sealed cover and sent back to the Returning Officer before the time fixed for the commencement of counting of votes.

6. Cyberattacks

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has written to all web portals and websites within its ambit to conduct a security audit and submit a compliance certificate.

Concept:

Most of these attacks are in the nature of DDOS (distributed denial of service), phishing, data exfiltration, remote access tool malware and keylogging.

Phishing

It is the practice of sending fraudulent communications that appear to come from a reputable source, usually through email.
The goal is to steal sensitive data like credit card and login information or to install malware on the victim’s machine.

DDOS (distributed denial of service)

A denial-of-service attack floods systems, servers, or networks with traffic to exhaust resources and bandwidth.
As a result, the system is unable to fulfill legitimate requests.
Attackers can also use multiple compromised devices to launch this attack.

Data exfiltration

Data exfiltration is the unauthorized transfer of data from a computer.
The transfer of data can be manual by someone with physical access to the computer or automated, carried out through malware over a network.

Key logging

Keyloggers are a type of monitoring software designed to record keystrokes made by a user.
One of the oldest forms of cyber threat, these keystroke loggers record the information type into a website or application and send to back to a third party.

7. Direct monetization

Subject: Economy

Context:

A report by the State Bank of India has recommended direct monetisation as a possible way of funding the Centre’s deficit at lower rates, without increasing inflation and affecting debt sustainability.

Concept:

Monetising fiscal deficit means the RBI purchases government debt directly rather than the government borrowing from the markets by selling bonds.
In turn, the central bank prints more currency to finance this debt.
Government deals with the RBI directly bypassing the financial system and asks it to print new currency in return for new bonds that the government gives to the RBI.
In lieu of printing this cash, which is a liability for the RBI , it gets government bonds, which are an asset for the RBI since such bonds carry the government’s promise to pay back the designated sum at a specified date.
Until 1997, the government used to sell securities — ad hoc Treasury-Bills — directly to the RBI, and not to financial market participants.
This allowed the government to technically print equivalent amounts of currency to meet its budget deficit. This practice was stopped over its inflationary impact and in favour of fiscal prudence.

8. PM Matsya SampadaYojana

Subject:Schemes

Concept:

Status:

Fisheries and aquaculture are an important source of food, nutrition, employment and income in India.
The sector provides livelihood to more than 20 million fishers and fish farmers at the primary level and twice the number along the value chain.
The Gross Value Added (GVA) of fisheries sector in the national economy is 1.24% of the total National GVA and 7.28% share of Agricultural GVA.
Fisheries sector in India has shown impressive growth with an average annual growth rate of 10.88% during the year from 2014-15 to 2018-19. The fish production in India has registered an average annual growth of 7.53% during last 5 years and stood at an all-time high of 137.58 lakh metric tons during 2018-19.

Features:

The PMMSY will be implemented as an umbrella scheme with two separate Components namely Central Sector Scheme (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
Under the Central Sector Scheme Component an amount of Rs. 1720 crores has been earmarked. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) Component, an investment of Rs. 18330 crores has been envisaged, which in turn is segregated into Non-beneficiary oriented and Beneficiary orientated sub-components/activities under the following three broad heads:

1. Enhancement of Production and Productivity

2. Infrastructure and Post-harvest Management

3. Fisheries Management and Regulatory Framework

Cluster or area-based approach would be followed with requisite forward and backward linkages and end to end solutions.
Thrust will be given for infusing new and emerging technologies like Re-circulatory Aquaculture Systems, Biofloc, Aquaponics, Cage Cultivation to enhance production and productivity, quality, productive utilization of waste lands and water for Aquaculture.
Special focus on Coldwater fisheries development and expansion of Aquaculture in Brackish Water and Saline Areas.
Activities like Mariculture, Seaweed cultivation and Ornamental Fisheries having potential to generate huge employment will be promoted.
Focused attention would be given for fisheries development in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Islands, Northeast, and Aspirational Districts through area specific development plans.
PMMSY envisages promotion of high value species, establishing a national network of Brood Banks for all commercially important species, Genetic improvement and establishing Nucleus Breeding Center for self-reliance in Shrimp Brood stock, organic aquaculture promotion and certification, good aquaculture practices, end to end traceability from ‘catch to consumer’, use of Block Chain Technology, Global Standards and Certification, Accreditation of Brood banks, Hatcheries, Farms, residues issues and aquatic health management supported by a modern laboratory network.
Collectivization of fishers and fish farmers through Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs) to increase bargaining power of fishers and fish farmers is a key feature of PMMSY.
Aquaparks as hub of fisheries and aquaculture activities with assured, affordable, quality inputs under one roof, post-harvest infrastructure facilities, business enterprise zones, logistic support, business incubation centers, marketing facilities etc.
Youth would be engaged in fisheries extension by creation of 3347 SagarMitras in coastal fisher villages.
Major investments in construction and modernization of Fishing Harbours and Landing centers for hygienic handling of fish, urban marketing infrastructure to deliver quality and affordable fish, development of state of the art whole sale fish markets, retail markets, E-marketing and E-trading of Fish etc.