Daily Prelims Notes 22 June 2021

June 22, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

22 June 2021

Table Of Contents

Subject : Current Events

Context : More than 50,000 people have signed online petitions urging Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos to not return to Earth after he takes his maiden flight to space on July 20.

Concept :

Earlier this month, Bezos announced he will venture into space on board New Shephard, the rocket system developed by his space company Blue Origin.
Bezos will be accompanied by his brother and the winner of the auction who will be paying $28 million to fly with Bezos.
This amount will be donated to Blue Origin’s foundation called “Club for the Future” that aims to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM.

About ‘Club for the Future’

Founded by Blue Origin in 2019, Club for the Future is a foundation whose mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and to help invent the future of life in space.
The Club and its collaborators are doing this through Postcards to Space, space-focused curriculum, and access to space on Blue Origin’s rockets.

2. Centre starts action against West Bengal ex-chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay

Subject : Governance

Context : The memorandum informs Bandyopadhyay that the Centre proposes to hold major penalty proceedings against him under Rule 8 of All-India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, read with Rule 6 of All-India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.

Concept :

The post of Chief Secretary is the senior-most position held in the civil services of the states and union territories of India.
Chief Secretary (CS) is chosen by Chief Minister from among the senior most IAS officers (Appointed by Governor of the state ) and also CS doesn’t have fixed tenure.

The chief secretary discharges vital functions which Include:

Adviser to the CM: Chief- Secretary acts as an advisor to the CM. Being head of the permanent executive branch he strives for a sound administration.
Secretary to the Cabinet: Chief-Secretary acts as a secretary to the state cabinet. Chief Secretary is the administrative head of the cabinet secretariat and attends the meeting of the cabinet and its sub-committees.
Head of State Cabinet Secretariat: State Cabinet Secretariat whose functions include Secretarial assistance, implementation of decisions, policy coordination and providing information is headed by Chief-Secretary.
Head of Civil Services: Chief- Secretary acts as the head of the state civil services. Important cases pertaining to appointments, transfers and promotion of senior state civil servants go to his/her desk.
Coordinator of Civil Service Efforts: Chief Secretary ensures inter departmental coordination. Chief Secretary advises the secretaries on inter departmental difficulties. He is the chairman of coordination committees which are set up for resolving inter-departmental disputes.
Residual Legatee: The chief secretary also acts as the residual legatee, that is, he looks after all those matters which do not fall within the purview of other secretaries.

3. Another illegal Bt Cotton gains root in Gujarat

Subject : Agriculture

Context: An indigenously developed genetically modified cotton is being cultivated in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region illegally, adding to the Centre woes arising from the planting of unauthorised HTBt cotton in various parts of the country.

Concept :

Regarded by various names these as 4Bt, Bt4 and 4G, the new cotton, also a Bt range, has been designed by crossing cotton grown locally in the Saurashtra location with cotton cultivated in Australia and the US.
According to cotton traders in Rajkot, the fibre length of the new Bt cotton is longer than other types grown in the state as nicely as the yield. It is also brighter white than other cotton.
In its to start with year of introduction, it was totally free of the pink bollworm menace that experienced affected the cotton crop in several elements of Gujarat and Maharashtra very last year.
In the circumstance of HTBt cotton, whose cultivation is illegal as it has not been authorised by the Basic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), its planting gained around the very last two several years with growers defying Point out authorities.
Previous year, HTBt cotton made up fifteen for every cent of the whole 129.fifty seven lakh hectares acreage beneath the crop, according to the seed marketplace.
The new cotton is also not authorised by the GEAC, which clears Bt seeds for cultivation.
Seed marketplace resources mentioned it is risky for farmers to improve unauthorised seeds because they are not likely to get any payment in the function of crop failure.

Pink Bollworm (PBW)

The pink bollworm (Pectinophoragossypiella), is an insect known for being a pest in cotton farming.
The pink bollworm is native to Asia, but has become an invasive species in most of the world’s cotton-growing regions.
In parts of India, the pink bollworm is now resistant to first generation transgenic Bt cotton (Bollgard cotton) that expresses a single Bt gene (Cry1Ac).

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)

GEAC is apex body under Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for regulating manufacturing, use, import, export and storage of hazardous micro-organisms or genetically engineered organisms (GMOs) and cells in the country.
It is also responsible for giving technical approval of proposals relating to release of GMOs and products including experimental field trials.
However, Environment Minister gives final approval for GMOs.

4. NSE-BSE bulk deals: IDBI Bank sells stake in Zicom Electronic

Subject : Economics

Context : IDBI Bank NSE 0.26 % today sold 500,000 shares of Zicom Electronic Security NSE 4.00 % at Rs 1.3 per share through a bulk deal on the National Stock Exchange.

Concept :

Bulk Deals

A deal which happens under a single client code in either single or multiple transactions and involves more than 0.5% of equity shares of a company is known as a bulk deal. It can be materialised at any time during the trading hours in a day.

It has the following features:

The deal should involve at least 0.5% of the equity shares of the company listed in an exchange or a scrip.
The broker is completely responsible for the transaction and about notifying the exchange about the bulk deals daily.
It happens in a single trade transaction.
The trade should materialise in delivery and cannot be reversed.
All surveillance, risk and regulation measures applicable in common trading are applied here as well.
It is mostly the mutual funds, asset management companies, insurance companies, banks etc. which participate in these deals.

5. Laurel Hubbard has become the first openly transgender athlete selected for the Olympics

Subject : Science & tech / Sports

Context :New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has become the first openly transgender athlete selected for the Olympics. Hubbard, 43, had participated in the men’s category as Gavin before coming out in 2013. She will compete in the women’s 87-kilogram class in Tokyo.

Concept :

The International Olympic Committee’s guidelines on transgender athletes allow those like Hubbard, who have made the transition from male to female, to compete if certain conditions are fulfilled.
Such athletes, to be eligible to compete in the women’s category, must keep their testosterone levels in the serum to below 10 nanomoles per litre for the preceding 12 months before a competition.
The athlete will be monitored regularly and non-compliance could result in ineligibility.

Testosterone

Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in males.
In male humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass, and the growth of body hair.
In addition, testosterone in both sexes is involved in health and well-being and in the prevention of osteoporosis.
Insufficient levels of testosterone in men may lead to abnormalities including frailty and bone loss.

6. Nipah Virus (NiV)

Subject : Science & tech

Context : Recently, a cross-sectional survey by ICMR- National Institute of Virology has picked up samples with the presence of antibodies against the Nipah virus in some bat species from a cave in Mahabaleshwar.

Concept :

The new study focussed on detection of possible Nipah virus infection in Rousettusleschenaultii and Pipistrelluspipistrellus bats in Maharashtra.
Blood, throat and rectal swab samples were collected onsite from anaesthetised bats and the throat and rectal swab specimens were collected from all the bats.
The RNA was extracted from samples and Anti-NiV IgG antibodies were detected in a number of the samples.
The cross-sectional survey was initiated to study the prevalence of NiV in bats of India by random sampling of P medius, R leschenaultii and P pipistrellus bats that have wide prevalence in India.
The exposure of R leschenaultii bats to NiV warrants further investigation as roosting and breeding habitats of the Rousettus and Pteropus vary greatly.
The NiV detection in P pipistrellus bats, an insectivorous species, and their role in virus spill-over to humans appears remote.

What is Nipah Virus?

The Pteropusmedius bats, which are large fruit-eating bats, are the incriminated reservoir for NiV in India.
It is a zoonotic virus which implies that it can spread between animals and people.
The NiV is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus.
It is on the top-10 priority list pathogens identified by the World Health Organization.
The infection with NiV is associated with encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and can cause mild to severe illness and even death.
It was first discovered in 1999 following an outbreak of disease in pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore.

Transmission of Nipah Virus

The Nipah virus (NiV) can spread to people from:
Direct contact with infected animals, such as bats or pigs, or their body fluids (such as blood, urine or saliva);
Consuming food products that have been contaminated by body fluids of infected animals (such as palm sap or fruit contaminated by an infected bat); and
Close contact with a person infected with NiV or their body fluids (including nasal or respiratory droplets, urine, or blood)
The person-to-person spread of NiV is regularly reported in Bangladesh and India which is most commonly seen in the families and caregivers of NiV-infected patients, and in healthcare settings.

Diagnosis of Nipah Virus

The laboratory testing can be conducted using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from throat and nasal swabs, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and blood.
The testing for antibodies is conducted using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

7. Traceability system a must for drugs: GS1 chief

Subject : Governance

Context : Barcoding medicines sold in the country offers immense potential in tracking the availability as well as in fighting counterfeiting, said Swaminathan

Concept :

GS1 India

GS1 India is a Standards body (registered under Societies Registration Act 1860) with founder members comprising Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, FIEO, IMC, APEDA, Spices Board, IIP and BIS. It is affiliated with GS1® a not for profit global standards organisation.
GS1 India mission is to improve the efficiency, safety and visibility of supply chains across physical and digital channels through the use of global GS1 standards.
GS1 is a not-for-profit, industry-led global organisation headquartered in Brussels and oversees operations of 115 GS1 Organisations across the world.

About Barcode:

A barcode, consisting of bars and spaces is a machine-readable representation of numerals and characters. It is also known as Universal Product Code (UPC). It is used to efficiently identify and track objects and people.
Barcode was co-developed by George Laurier and Norman Joseph Woodland in 1973.

Types of Barcode:

One-dimensional barcode: Numeric-only barcodes: barcodes consisting of only numbers.
Alpha-numeric barcodes: contain a combination of numbers and alphabetic characters.
Two-dimensional Barcode: It is in the shape of a square or rectangle and contains many small dots arranged in a unique pattern. It is also known as Quick Response (QR) code.

8. NATIONAL POPULATION REGISTER (NPR)

Subject : Governance

Context :Migrants belonging to six non-Muslim minority communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, while applying for long-term visas (LTVs), can also produce National Population Register (NPR) enrolment slips as proof of the duration of their stay in India, according to a Union Home Ministry manual.

Concept :

The NPR number is part of an illustrative list of more than 10 documents that could be provided to apply for an LTV, which is a precursor to acquiring Indian citizenship either by naturalisation or registration under Section 5 and 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, for the six communities — Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Christians and Buddhists — from the three countries.
The special provision of LTVs for Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan and Afghanistan was first made in 2011.
Ministry officials assert that the awareness drive is not related to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), which is intended to benefit undocumented migrants from the six groups who entered India before the 2014 cut-off date.
The CAA is yet to implemented.

National Population Register

It is a list of “usual residents of the country”.
A “usual resident of the country” is one who has been residing in a local area for at least the last six months, or intends to stay in a particular location for the next six months.
The NPR is being prepared under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
It is mandatory for every “usual resident of India” to register in the NPR.

Background:

The data for the NPR was first collected in 2010 along with the house listing phase of Census 2011.
In 2015, this data was further updated by conducting a door-to-door survey.
However, with the use of Aadhaar as the key vehicle for transfer of government benefits in the last few years, the NPR has taken a backseat.

Scope:

The NPR exercise is conducted at the local, sub-district, district, state and national levels.
The NPR will collect both demographic data and biometric data. Biometric data will be updated through Aadhar details.
In the 2010 exercise, the RGI had collected only demographic details.
In 2015, it updated the data further with the mobile, Aadhaar and ration card numbers of residents.
For the 2020 exercise, it has dropped the ration card number but added other categories.

9. Illegal Adoption in India

Subject : Social Issue

Context : The Supreme Court agreed to intervene after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) sounded the alarm on a spate of complaints about illegal adoption of COVID orphans through private individuals and organisations.

Concept :

Social media posts are circulating that children are up for adoption. This is plainly illegal and violates the Juvenile Justice Act.
The adoption of orphaned/abandoned/ surrendered children is lawful only after the adoption procedure as given under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 is followed and the final adoption order is passed by the prescribed authority.
Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act prohibits the disclosure of identity of children with regard to the name, school, age, address or any information which would reveal the essential details of the child.
Placing any confidential information about children in the public domain which would make them susceptible to trafficking,
NCPCR statistics shows that 3,621 children were orphaned, 26,176 children lost either parent and 274 children were abandoned between April 1, 2021 to June 5, 2021.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

NCPCR is a statutory body set up in March 2007 under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.
It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
The Commission’s mandate is to ensure that all laws, policies, programmes, and administrative mechanisms are in consonance with the child rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
It inquires into complaints relating to a child’s right to free and compulsory education under the Right to Education Act, 2009.
It monitors the implementation of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

10. INDIAN NAVY – BLUE WATER OPERATIONS WITH A GREEN FOOTPRINT

Subject : Environment / Current Events

Context : Indian Navy has adopted a comprehensive ‘Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap (INECR)’ for synergising the aim of ‘Blue Water Operations with a Green Footprint’.

Concept :

Indian Navy commissioned one of its largest solar plant with a capacity of 3MW at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala in July 2020. Another 2MW solar power plant was installed at Naval Station Karanja, Mumbai in July 2020. With this, the overall installed solar plant capacity at Naval Stations is 11 MW.
The installation of SPVs are in line with Navy’s objective of fulfilling Govt of India’s ‘Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM)’ mission.
Further, viability of setting up urban forests concepts such as Miyawaki forests is being emphasised to match the theme of World Environment Day 2021- ‘Ecosystem Restoration’

Miyawaki method of forest creation

Miyawaki is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki (born 1928), that helps build dense, native forests.
The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual.
It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area, and making them maintenance-free after the first three years.
In July 2020, Union Environment Minister inaugurated a unique urban forest at the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in New Delhi.
This would be a dense urban forest with multiple tree layers including 12000 saplings of 59 indigenous species in another year or so. The Miyawaki method of forest creation is employed.

11. PAKISTAN MAKES PROGRESS ON TERROR FINANCE RATINGS

Subject : International Relations

Context : Pakistan improved its ratings with the Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering ahead of a decision on its grey listing status later this month.

Concept :

Of the 40 parameters on anti-money laundering/combating financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures, Pakistan has made progress in about 21 and been downgraded on 1, the APG’s Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) published on June 4 said, adding that this meant Pakistan moves ‘up’ one category in its evaluation at the APG.

Asia-Pacific Group (APG) On Money Laundering

The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering is an inter-governmental organisation.
It currently consists of 41 member jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region.
To ensure that its members effectively implement the international standards against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing related to weapons of mass destruction.
It is a part of global network of similar bodies, referred to as Financial Action Task Force-Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs) and is the largest in terms of membership numbers and geographical size.
Secretariat: Sydney, Australia.
Established in: APG was founded in 1997 in Bangkok, Thailand.

12. NATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING AUTHORITY (NFRA)

Subject : National Organisations

Context :NFRA has invited suggestions from public on consultation paper on NFRA’s engagement with its stakeholders.

Concept :

NFRA is an independent regulatory body set up under Section 132 of the Companies Act.
It was established by the Central Government in October 2018.
After the Satyam scandal took place in 2009, the Standing Committee on Finance proposed the concept of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) for the first time in its 21st report.
It oversee compliance with Accounting and Auditing Standards by companies that can be described as Public Interest Entities (PIEs). This group includes all listed companies, and large unlisted companies.
To discharge this mandate, NFRA is in the process of creating a verified and accurate database of companies and auditors that come under the regulatory ambit of NFRA.
HQ: New Delhi
NFRA consists of one chairman, three full-time members and one secretary. Former IAS officer RangachariSridharan was appointed as the first chairman of the body in October 2018.

13. Indira Gandhi Canal Repair completed in record time

Subject : Economy

Context : In an engineering feat, the repair and relining of the Indira Gandhi Canal, the country’s longest canal which terminates in irrigation facilities in Thar desert, was accomplished in a record 60-day period amid the second wave of the pandemic, restoring 70 km of both the main canal and the feeder distributaries.

Concept :

About

Indira Gandhi Canal is one of the largest canal systems located in Rajasthan, India.
Previously called the Rajasthan Canal.
Conceived by KanwarSain in 1948,
It was launched on 31st March 1958.
The canal originates at Harike barrage in Punjab and runs parallel to the Pakistan border at an average distance of 40 km in Thar Desert (Marusthali) of Rajasthan.
The total planned length of the system is 9,060 km catering to the irrigation needs of a total culturable command area of 19.63 lakh hectares.
Out of the total command area, about 70 percent was envisaged to be irrigated by the flow system and the rest by the lift system.
The construction work is of two stages: Stage-I and Stage-II

STAGE-I:

The command area of Stage-I lies in Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and northern part of Bikaner districts. It has a gently undulating topography and its culturable command area is 5.53 lakh hectares.

STAGE-II:

The command area of Stage-II is spread over Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur and Churu districts covering an area of 14.10 lakh hectares. It comprises desert land dotted with shifting sand dunes and temperature soaring to 50oC in summers.
In the lift canal, the water is lifted up to make it flow against the slope of the land. All the lift canals of the Indira Gandhi Canal system originate at the left bank of the main canal while all the canals on the right bank of the main canal are flow channels.

14. Changes to the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules 2020

Subject : Governance

Context : Recently, the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India has sought comments /suggestions on proposed amendments the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.

Concept :

Proposed amendments to Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020

It proposed that every e-commerce entity which intends to operate in India must register itself with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
The new draft proposed the appointment of chief compliance officer and resident grievance officer.
The e-commerce entities are also required to provide information not later than 72 hours of the receipt of an order from a government agency for prevention, detection and investigation and prosecution of offences under any law.
The government has proposed a ban on ‘mis-selling’ of goods and services offered on such platforms.
The proposed amendment defines ‘flash sale’ as that organised by an e-commerce entity at significantly reduced prices, high discounts or any other such promotional offers for a predetermined period of time.
The e-commerce entities should ensure that such registration number and invoice of orders are displayed prominently to their users in a clear and accessible manner on their platform.
The E-commerce entities offering imported goods/services will also have to mention the name and details of the importers and the country of origin.

Present position of e-commerce entities in India

The e-commerce entities are registered under the Companies Act, Indian Partnership Act or Limited Liability Partnership Act and not separately with DPIIT.
An e-commerce entity means any person who owns, operates or manages digital or electronic facility or platform for electronic commerce, but does not include a seller offering his goods or services for sale on a marketplace e-commerce entity.