Daily Prelims Notes 22 October 2023

October 22, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

No Comments

Daily Prelims Notes

22 October 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Avian influenza viruses undergo major evolutionary changes

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Health

Context:

A recent study published in Nature reveals major changes in the ecology and evolution of highly pathogenic avian H5 influenza viruses, including a shift in global distribution.

About Avian Influenza:

Avian influenza or bird flu refers to the disease caused by infection with avian influenza Type A viruses.
Infrequently, the virus can infect mammals from birds, a phenomenon called spillover, and rarely can spread between mammals.
H5N1, a subtype of avian influenza, has the potential to infect other mammals such as minks, ferrets, seals, domestic cats, and others through contact with infected birds, their faeces, or infected bird carcasses.

Avian Influenza in India:

In 2019, India has been declared free from Avian Influenza (H5N1), which has also been notified to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
However, in December 2020 and early 2021, outbreaks of avian influenza H5N1 and H5N8 were reported in poultry in 15 states in India.

Treatment:

Evidence suggests that some antiviral drugs can reduce the duration of viral replication and improve prospects of survival, however ongoing clinical studies are needed.

Evolution of avian influenza viruses

Although influenza viruses can infect a wide variety of birds and mammals, the natural host of the virus is wild waterfowl, shorebirds, and gulls. When other species of animals, including chickens, turkeys, swine, horses, and humans, are infected with influenza viruses, they are considered aberrant hosts.
The distinction between the normal and aberrant host is important when describing virus evolution in the different host groups.
The evolutionary rate of influenza virus in the natural host reservoirs is believed to be slow, while in mammals the rate is much higher.
The higher rate of evolution in mammals is thought to be a result of selective pressure on the virus to adapt to an aberrant host species. Chickens and turkey influenza virus isolates have previously and incorrectly been lumped together with wild waterfowl, gull, and shorebird influenza viruses when determining rates of evolutionary change.
To determine mutational and evolutionary rates of a virus in any host species, two primary assumptions must be met: first, all isolates included in the analysis must have descended from a single introduction of the virus, and second, the outbreak must continue long enough to determine a trend.
For poultry, three recent outbreaks of avian influenza meet these criteria, and the sequences of the hemagglutinin and nonstructural genes were compared. Sequences from all three outbreaks were compared to an avian influenza virus consensus sequence, which at the amino acid level is highly conserved for all the internal viral proteins.
The consensus sequence also provides a common point of origin to compare all influenza viruses.
The evolutionary rates determined for all three outbreaks were similar to what is observed in mammals, providing strong evidence of adaptation of influenza to the new host species, chickens and turkeys.

2. Dogra architecture gets a revival at J&K’s Maharaj Gunj

Subject :History

Section: Art and culture

Context:

Now, Srinagar Smart City Ltd. and the Kashmir chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have joined hands to conserve vernacular elements of Kashmiri architecture, including colonnaded walkways, decorative pilasters, and exposed moulded brickwork, in an effort to bring that past to life again.

History of Dogra Architecture:

Architecture of a place is always tandem with climate, economy, ruler, and primarily climate. Jammu plain lies in sub-tropical region and hilly regions enjoy temperate climate. These factors played a prominent role in Jammu architecture.
Jammu was established by Raja Jambulochan, and Bahu fort of Jammu was made by Bahulochan, about 3000 year ago according to jammu historians. When maharaja gulab Singh made the Raja of jammu, by Sikh ruler, jammu witnessed a new phase of urbanization and increase in trade, the movement of capital and people between Punjab and Jammu foothills, that gave a new blend of architecture, between Hindu form ofarchitecture and Islamic form of architecture.
The Raja had seen Sikh form of architecture prevalent in Punjab area, and these three distinct architectural forms were mingled and new form of dogra architecture formed, climate wise jammu plains enjoy a nexus with Punjab Sialkot Which share the same type of geographical conditions .
The houses formed in Jammu plains and shiwalik doons are same as Punjab house are build, these houses were made by “Nanakshahi” bricks and one thick timber was used as “ latain” and then “ballay” were used for making “Barghay” gypsum mortarwas used, houses having courtyard “Pasaar” , with one courtyard in middle of rooms, and with one entrance door to house.
These were very logical for two reasons, one because at that time, joint family was the prominent culture and sharing one courtyard was common , secondly, this form of house, was very helpful against scorching heat of summer. Still, can find such houses in Jammu and hilly tracts, where people still share one entrance door.

About Dogra Architecture:

The fine example of jammu architects are mubarak mandi, bahu fort, jasrota palace, billawar palace, these all buildings were made by kings, the dogra rulers of jammu, these palaces have, “mehraab” type of door and arch shaped terraces, and with doomson the top, but Mubarak mandi domes are clear example of blend of shikhara and dome style, the sand stones and pebbles, which are found in bulk in Jammu kandi belt, are used very benevolently used for beatification.
The mubark mandi remained a hub of Dogra culture till 1947, that shows jharokha style of balcony, which is Rajasthan architecture, the Rajput king of Jammu, studied and executed in Jammu buildings.
Purmandal, a sacred place for Hindus as haridwar, the gulab Singh had developed and that is a place full of jammu architecture and old houses, the building made by king along the river, resembles kashi architecture along ganga.
Krimchi temples of Udhampura blend of Jammu local architecture and Hellenistic (Greek) school of architecture, made in the 12th century, this building complex gives us a wide perception regarding the prosperity and their knowledge about the world famous architectural form.

Decline :

The tragedy with jammu architecture started by the same dynasty which earlier boosted Jammu architecture.
Dogra rulers, did little to spread even, didn’t tried to save Jammu architecture, the king had spent lavishly on making modern “Amar Mehal” which is a completely a foreign architectural form, later with signing of instrument of accession with India in 1948, the royal palaces and grants for them shrinked.
The grandeur of Mubarak Mandi palace diminished, Jasrotra palace is now in ruins, its buildings are now in pathetic cum sympathetic condition. Buildings are a testimony of a culture but these buildings are now sunk to dirt.
The earlier form of houses are transformed into big mansions, and with flat terraces, and suitable for small and nuclear families.

Jammu and its Dogriat is subjugated by the bully Punjabi culture, and the lack of belongingness to its own glorious heritage, lead to this condition, where have very little to conserve and a lot to memories and enduring hope of reviving Dogra architect .

3. Kerala to create microsite tracing the roots of Islam in State to attract. tourists

Subject :History

Section: Medieval India

Context:

The Kerala government has decided to create a microsite on ‘Islam in Kerala’, a promotional digital production tracing the roots of Islam in Kerala.

More about news:

Kerala Tourism has sanctioned a sum of ₹93.8 lakh for this project, which will showcase the sociocultural evolution of the religion in the State.
The digital production will shed light on the early years of Islam in the State, and the places of worship, architecture, lifestyle, culture, art forms, and festivals associated with the religion.
The microsite will feature the saga of Islam in Kerala through six chapters with the aim of showcasing it to international and domestic travelers.
The first chapter, ‘History of Islam in Kerala’, will have details of how the religion took root in the State through traders, and their first settlement along the Malabar coast.
Chapter two will be on the Islamic pilgrimage centers in Kerala, right from Beemapally in Thiruvananthapuram to Juma Masjid in Kasaragod.
Chapter three will shed light on the culinary skills of Muslims, the Mappila cuisine, which is a blend of traditional Kerala, Persian, Yemeni, and Arab food cultures.
The chapter on lifestyle will mainly deal with the vibrant costumes of the community, including those worn at weddings, and pre wedding and post wedding ceremonies, which are expected to be an attraction for tourists.
The chapter on architecture will have details on the blend of the Arabic tradition with indigenous construction techniques.
The final chapter will deal with art forms and festivals of Muslims in Kerala, including the influence of Mappila songs, a popular folklore that emerged in the 16th century.
Kerala Tourism had earlier created microsites on Christianity, Judaism, and temples in the State.

4. Butterfly makes a rare call in Himachal

Subject :Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

A butterfly that is rare in the western Himalayas, the paintbrush swift, has been photographed and documented for the first time in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district.

Details:

This butterfly species is sighted at lower hills of the Dhauladhar mountain range.
Himachal Pradesh is home to about 25% of the total number of butterfly species found in India.
The butterfly species was photographed during a field survey conducted under the Wild Bhattiyat Project initiated by the Bhattiyat Forest Range of the Dalhousie Forest Division of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department.
The species was discovered in 1878 in the Eastern Himalayas, but never photographed in H.P. earlier.
Other butterfly species sighted in H.P. are: Anomalous nawab, blank swift, tailed jay, siren, etc.

Paintbrush swift (Baoris farri):

A butterfly species of the Hesperiidae family.
It is identified based on two separated spots in the upper forewing cell.
Other closely related species like the blank swift have no cell spot while the figure-of-eight swift has two conjoined cell spots.
The species’ larvae feed on bamboo and some other grass species.
Paintbrush swift’s habitat distribution is common in northeast, central and south India, and rare in Uttarakhand.

Source: TH

5. All four quakes were in the same fault system

Subject :Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

In a short span of about a week, a region about 40 km from Herat, Afghanistan was struck by four shallow focus earthquakes of 6.3 magnitude.

Details:

All four earthquakes occurred on east-west striking fault planes that dip to either the north or south.
The earthquakes occurred within the Eurasia plate in an intracontinental mountain belt.
They did not occur in the exact same spot; rather, they ruptured different portions of the same fault along its length.
It is rare for an earthquake to rupture the entire length of the fault that the earthquake occurred on, so it requires multiple earthquakes, spread out over some unknown amount of time, to fully rupture a geologic fault.
Because these two earthquakes [on October 7] and the two subsequent earthquakes [on October 11 and October 15] are all approximately the same magnitude, we would call them ‘multiplets’ rather than mainshocks, foreshocks, or aftershocks.
Probable cause of ‘multiplets’:
- The release of stress in one fault [in Herat] can result in the loading of stress at another fault. The loading of stress can result in another earthquake which can be of similar magnitude or even higher magnitude.
Consequence:
- Each earthquake causes both uplift and subsidence, with the primary deformation being uplift. The earthquake sequence has led to an accumulation of uplift along the fault that is rupturing.
- Since all the four earthquakes occurred due to thrust faulting, where one block moves up relative to the other, the area where the earthquakes had occurred would experience upliftment.

Faults

A fault is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock. Faults allow the blocks to move relative to each other. This movement may occur rapidly, in the form of an earthquake – or may occur slowly, in the form of creep. Faults may range in length from a few millimeters to thousands of kilometers. Most faults produce repeated displacements over geologic time. During an earthquake, the rock on one side of the fault suddenly slips with respect to the other. The fault surface can be horizontal or vertical or some arbitrary angle in between.

Earth scientists use the angle of the fault with respect to the surface (known as the dip) and the direction of slip along the fault to classify faults. Faults which move along the direction of the dip plane are dip-slip faults and described as either normal or reverse (thrust), depending on their motion. Faults which move horizontally are known as strike-slip faults and are classified as either right-lateral or left-lateral. Faults which show both dip-slip and strike-slip motion are known as oblique-slip faults.

Based on Movement:

Normal Fault: In a normal fault, the hanging wall moves downward relative to the footwall. This type of fault is associated with extensional tectonic forces, typically found at divergent plate boundaries.
Reverse Fault (Thrust Fault):In a reverse fault, the hanging wall moves upward relative to the footwall. Reverse faults are associated with compressional tectonic forces and are commonly found at convergent plate boundaries.
Strike-Slip Fault: In a strike-slip fault, the movement is primarily horizontal, with minimal vertical displacement. The rocks on either side of the fault slide past each other horizontally. Examples include the San Andreas Fault in California and the North Anatolian Fault in Turkey.

Based on Geological Setting:

Plate Boundary Faults: These faults are located at the boundaries of tectonic plates and play a significant role in plate tectonics. Examples include the San Andreas Fault (a transform fault) at the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates and the Himalayan Thrust Fault at the convergent boundary of the Indian and Eurasian plates.
Intraplate Faults: Intraplate faults occur within the interior of tectonic plates, away from plate boundaries. They are less common but can still generate significant seismic activity. An example is the New Madrid Seismic Zone in the central United States.
Importance of Studying Faults: Understanding faults and their characteristics is vital for various geological and societal reasons:
Earthquake Hazard Assessment: Faults are often associated with seismic activity. Monitoring and studying faults help in assessing earthquake hazards. Knowledge of fault location, slip rates, and past seismic events can inform earthquake preparedness and building construction practices in earthquake-prone regions.
Resource Exploration: Faults can act as conduits for the movement of fluids, such as oil, gas, and groundwater. They can trap and concentrate valuable mineral resources. Geologists study faults to locate and exploit these resources effectively.
Plate Tectonics: Faults are essential components of plate boundaries, which are central to the theory of plate tectonics. Understanding the behavior of faults helps scientists comprehend the movement of tectonic plates, which, in turn, explains the creation of mountain ranges, ocean basins, and continental drift.
Geological History: Faults provide a record of the Earth’s geological history. By examining the rocks and structures associated with faults, geologists can reconstruct past tectonic events, changes in stress regimes, and the evolution of landscapes.
Environmental and Engineering Considerations: Knowledge of fault locations is critical for infrastructure planning and environmental protection. Avoiding building structures on or near active fault lines can reduce the risk of damage during earthquakes and other ground movements.

In conclusion, faults are integral to the field of geology and have far-reaching implications for understanding the Earth’s dynamics, natural hazards, and resource distribution. Studying faults is essential for both scientific advancement and practical applications in areas like earthquake mitigation and resource exploration.

Source: TH

6. Does India need to relook the Dam Safety Act?

Subject :Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in North Sikkim’s South Lhonak Lake washed away one of the biggest hydropower projects in India, the Teesta III dam at Chungthang.

Dam Safety Act:

A new Dam Safety Act (DSA) was passed in late 2021, in response to deficient surveillance and maintenance causing dam failure-related disasters.
The Act provides for the surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of all specified dams across the country.
India has almost 6,000 large dams and about 80% of them are more than 25 years old and carry safety risks.
These are dams with height more than 15 metres, or height between 10 m -15 m with certain design and structural conditions.

Provisions of the Dam Safety Act:

The Act listed key responsibilities and mandated that national and State-level bodies be established for implementation.
A National Committee on Dam Safety would oversee dam safety policies and regulations;
A National Dam Safety Authority would be charged with implementation and resolving State-level disputes;
The Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) would head dam safety protocols at the national level;
A State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS) and State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO) would be set up.
- Sikkim formed an SCDS on August 17 with nine members and experts in hydrology and dam design.

State’s responsibility:

Provisions require States to classify dams based on hazard risk, conduct regular inspections, create emergency action plans, institute emergency flood warning systems, and undertake safety reviews and period risk assessment studies.
Hazard profiling and regular assessment are also mandated by the Act.
States were asked to report and record incidents of dam failures.
Until now, no statutory provision required systemic reporting of failures and no single agency was tasked with tracking this data.
The CWC keeps a record but the list is not updated regularly.

Is any action taken for failing to comply?

Failure to comply is punishable with imprisonment and/or fines, and “if such obstruction or refusal to comply with directions results in loss of lives or imminent danger thereof, [entity] shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years.

What are the challenges?

DSA does not promote risk-based decision-making and fails to incentivise transparency.
periodic reviews are often not conducted or if they are, their findings are not not easily available in the public domain.
The Act requires dam builders to conduct comprehensive dam safety evaluations, but there is no standardization of how the failure is analyzed and reported.

How is dam safety undertaken?

Dam safety is a function of many parts: designing and constructing dams that adhere to safety margins, maintaining and operating them per guidelines, recording data in real-time in an accessible format, forecasting hazardous events and instituting emergency plans.
Periodic reviews are expected to bring forth fresh inundation maps and new rule curves (which determine the capacity of dam reservoirs), all of which contribute towards the safety of the downstream areas.

Important facts:

Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand is the highest dam in India built on Bhagirathi River.
Hirakud Dam in Odisha built on river Mahanadi is the longest dam of India.
Kallanai Dam in Tamil Nadu is the oldest dam of India. It is built on the Kaveri river and is about 2000 years old.

Source: TH

7. Deforestation surges in hotspot of critically endangered Bornean orangutans

Subject :Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

Deforestation within a pulpwood concession that overlaps with key orangutan habitat in Indonesian Borneo has escalated in recent months.

Details:

Concession holder PT Mayawana Persada cleared 14,000 hectares (34,600 acres) of forest between January and August, or 40 times the size of New York’s Central Park, of which 13,000 hectares (32,100 acres) were areas identified as orangutan habitat (Pongo pygmaeus).
In July alone, the company cleared 4,970 hectares (12,300 acres), the highest monthly deforestation figure recorded. The palm oil plantation will lead to further deforestation.
Other species found there are: Bornean white-bearded gibbon (Hylobates albibarbis), the sight of helmeted hornbills (Rhinoplax vigil), and the claw marks of the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), all threatened species.
Indigenous Dayak community of Kualan Hilir resides in those forests.

Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus):

The Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is a species of orangutan endemic to the island of Borneo.
Together with the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) and Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), it belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia.
Like the other great apes, orangutans are highly intelligent, displaying tool use and distinct cultural patterns in the wild.
Orangutans share approximately 97% of their DNA with humans. Also called mias by the local population, the Bornean orangutan is a critically endangered species, with deforestation, palm oil plantations, and hunting posing a serious threat to its continued existence.
The Bornean orangutan population has declined rapidly in the past few decades, with nearly 150,000 individuals lost between 1999 and 2015. By 2016, it was estimated that only 57,350 Bornean orangutans remained in the wild.

Peat forests:

Sungai Paduan protected peat forest. The 6,788-hectare (16,774-acre) area consists mostly of peat swamp rainforest and has been identified as one of the pockets of orangutan populations.
Tropical peat ecosystems play a critical climate role because of the carbon they store: double the CO2 found in all of Earth’s temperate and tropical forests.
Peatlands also play a crucial role in water regulation by acting as a sponge, absorbing and retaining excess water and reducing the risk of downstream flooding.

Source: Mongabay

8. Myanmar’s junta orders air strikes to recover lost outposts

Subject :IR

Section: Conflict

Context: Myanmar junta orders airstrikes to recover lost outposts

More about the news:

Myanmar’s ruling junta ordered air strikes and troop reinforcements in an attempt to reclaim lost outposts near the Chinese border from rebels, specifically the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
The KIA attacked military positions in northern Shan state and Kachin state, prompting the junta to respond with air strikes and artillery.
The KIA has a history of conflict with Myanmar’s military and controls parts of Kachin state.
The region has seen increased fighting since the 2021 coup, with the junta also accused of carrying out attacks on civilians in its bid to quell resistance.

What is the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

The Kachin Independence Army is a non-state armed group and the military wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), a political group of ethnic Kachins in Northern Myanmar
The Kachins are a coalition of six tribes whose homeland encompasses territory in China’s Yunnan, Northeast India and Kachin State in Myanmar.

9. EU, U.S. envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue

Subject :IR

Section: PLACES IN NEWS

Context: The envoys of the European Union and the United States urged Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue as the only way to de-escalate the soaring tension between the two nations

More about the news:

The European Union and the United States’ envoys have called on Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue to de-escalate the rising tension between the two nations.
This visit comes after a recent violent incident in which nearly 30 Serb gunmen crossed into northern Kosovo, resulting in a police officer’s death and a confrontation with Kosovo police.
The envoys emphasized the urgency of de-escalation and normalization to resolve their differences, with the goal of eventual EU membership for both countries.
Western powers support the implementation of a 10-point plan proposed by the EU in February to address political crises.

Some facts about the Kosovo:

Kosovo is a small landlocked region that lies to Serbia’s southwest, sharing borders with North Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro.
Pristina is the capital of Kosovo.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s statehood and still considers it to be an integral part of Serbian territory.
Countries such as India, China, and Russia do not recognise Kosovo as a separate country, while the US, the majority of EU countries, Japan and Australia do so.

Some facts about Serbia:

Serbia, officially the Republic of Serbia, is a landlocked country in South-eastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans.
Countries bordering it are Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
Belgrade is the capital of Serbia.
The Rivers flowing through it are the Danube, Sava and Tisa etc

10. TRIFED

Subject :Polity

Section: National body

Context: TRIFEED Chief suspend MD, Ministry declare order null and void

More about the news:

TRIFED chairman Ramsinh Rathwa suspended managing director Gitanjali Gupta over administrative decisions, prompting the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to declare the suspension order “null and void.”
Gupta’s suspension was related to an order denying an official’s extension and appointing an official in the chairman’s office, which Rathwa canceled.
An administrative feud between the politically appointed Rathwa and bureaucrat Gupta had been ongoing since March, sparked by a letter identifying two RSS-affiliated organizations as “political bodies.”
The ministry has indicated that the managing director’s appointment was done by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

More about TRIFED:

TRIFED stands for The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India
TRIFED was established in 1987 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984 as a National level Cooperative body under the administrative control of the then Ministry of Tribal Affairs of India.
It has its headquarters located in New Delhi with a network of 13 Regional Offices.
It is mandated to bring about socio-economic development of tribals of the country by institutionalizing the trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) & Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) collected by them.
It also involves capacity building of the tribal people through sensitization, the formation of Self Help Groups and imparting training to them for undertaking a particular activity.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs shall announce Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the selected MFPs with the technical support from TRIFED.
TRIFED’s MSP for MFP & VanDhan program is in line with the “The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers ( Forest Rights Act, 2006 )”, a key forest legislation passed for securing protection & livelihood of poor tribals and concerns with the rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and other natural resources

Some initiatives by TRIFED:

‘Van Dhan Yojana’: Trifed’s ‘Van Dhan Yojana’ seeks to shift tribal economy from supply of raw materials to value-added processing of these materials.
Tech for Tribals: It aims at the holistic development of tribals with a focus on entrepreneurship development, soft skills, IT, and business development through self help groups (SHGs) operating through Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs).
Sankalp Se Siddhi – Mission Van Dhan: TRIFED plans to expand its operations through convergence of various schemes of different Ministries and Departments and launch the various tribal development programs.

11. At Cairo summit Arab leader seek fresh peace push

Subject : IR

Section: International Summits

Context: Arab leaders at a Cairo summit condemned Israeli bombardment of Gaza

More about the news:

Egypt and Jordan, both Western allies with historic peace agreements with Israel, have voiced strong criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza during a recent summit.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi firmly rejected any proposal of forcibly displacing Gaza’s Palestinian population to the Sinai Peninsula, emphasizing that this would not occur at Egypt’s expense.
King Abdullah II of Jordan denounced Israel’s Gaza siege and bombardment as a “war crime” and expressed unwavering rejection of any Palestinian displacement.
The summit also expressed anger over civilian casualties and criticized Israel for collective punishment, reflecting broader regional concerns about the ongoing conflict.

Some details about the Cairo Summit:

The summit was hosted by Egypt to discuss the escalating war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.