Daily Prelims Notes 23 September 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

23 September 2024

Table Of Contents

1. Plant treaty: Another step towards fairer benefit sharing at 12th meeting of Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group
2. Pitfalls of Estimating GDP: A Cautionary Tale
3. Vancomycin Resistance in MRSA: A Growing Threat
4. Slow Progress in Legacy Waste Management under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0
5. GST Council’s Tax Rate Rationalization Efforts
6. How Earth may once have had a Saturn-like ring, how it likely impacted the planet
7. Kerala’s everyday heritage heroes
8. Rains may cool surge in coal shipments to India
9. What is task force 150?

1. Plant treaty: Another step towards fairer benefit sharing at 12th meeting of Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group

Sub :Env

Sec: Int conventions

Meeting on Plant Genetic Resources Treaty Concludes in Rome:

• The 12th Meeting of the Working Group on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) wrapped up in Rome on September 19, 2024.
• This meeting is crucial for global food security and sustainable farming.

Details:

1. Purpose: The meeting aimed to improve the system for sharing plant genetic resources internationally.
2. Participants: Delegates from around the world, including farmers, civil society, and seed industry representatives.
3. Main Discussion Topics:
   • Digital Sequence Information (DSI): How to share plant genetic data fairly
   • Expanding Annex I: Potentially adding more crops to the list of 64 important food and forage crops
   • Benefit-sharing payments: Determining fair compensation for resource providers
4. New Ideas:
   • A subscription mechanism to ensure communities benefit from providing access to genetic resources, even if products don’t reach the market.
   • Two payment options: upon registration or upon product commercialization

About the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA):

• It is a legally binding comprehensive agreement adopted in November, 2001 at Rome during the 31st session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which entered into force on June 29, 2004, and currently has 149 Contracting Parties, including India.
• The treaty provides solutions to achieve food and nutritional security as well as climate-resilient agriculture. Countries are interdependent for PGRFA and consequently, a global order is essential to facilitate access and benefit sharing.
• It formally acknowledges the enormous contribution of indigenous people and small-holder farmers as traditional custodians of the world’s food crops.
• The treaty was aimed at:
  • recognizing the significant contribution of farmers to the diversity of crops that feed the world;
  • establishing a global system to provide farmers, plant breeders and scientists with access to plant genetic materials; and
  • ensuring that recipients share the benefits they derive from the use of these genetic materials with the countries where they have originated.

Digital Sequencing Information (DSI):

• DSI is essentially genetic information in digital form. It can be thought of as the “genetic code” of a plant, stored as data in computers.
• Importance in agriculture:
  • DSI allows scientists to study plant genetics without needing physical plant samples.
  • It’s crucial for developing new crop varieties, understanding plant diseases, and improving crop yields.
  • DSI can help in breeding plants that are more resistant to pests, diseases, or climate change.

Source: DTE

2. Pitfalls of Estimating GDP: A Cautionary Tale

Sub :Eco

Sec: National Income/ economy

• Significance of GDP:
  • Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the most important measure of a country’s economic size.
  • It serves as a universal denominator for comparing economic indicators like tax burdens or welfare expenditures across countries.
• Base Year Revisions:
  • Every 5-10 years, GDP is revised to account for changes in relative prices and output composition.
  • The current GDP series with the base year 2011-12 is due for revision, with 2020-21 proposed as the new base year.
• Data Sources for GDP:
  • The National Statistical Office (NSO) uses a variety of datasets, including output, prices, and employment, to estimate real GDP.
  • Currently, the MCA-21 database from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs is used to estimate the Private Corporate Sector (PCS) output, which accounts for 38% of GDP.
• Proposed Changes:
  • The NSO is considering using GST data for GDP estimation instead of the MCA-21 database for the Private Corporate Sector (PCS).
  • This change is intended to improve accuracy and reflect current economic realities.
• Concerns with MCA-21 Database:
  • The MCA-21 database was introduced during the last GDP revision (2011-12 base year).
  • Previous methods, such as the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) and Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) sample, were replaced because they were inadequate for capturing the full picture of value addition outside of factory premises and for accounting for the rapidly growing PCS.
• Divergence in Estimates:
  • The new GDP series (2011-12) showed a sharp divergence in estimates. For instance:
    • Manufacturing sector growth in 2013-14 was revised to +5.4% (from -1.9% in the older series), raising concerns about overestimation.
    • These discrepancies were surprising and led to skepticism, as they did not align with macroeconomic indicators like bank credit growth or industrial capacity utilization.
• Overestimation Evidence:
  • Comparing the Gross Value Added (GVA) and Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) between the National Accounts Statistics (NAS) and ASI data revealed systematic overestimation in NAS estimates:
    • GVA growth rate: 6.2% in NAS vs. 3.2% in ASI.
    • GFCF growth rate: 4.5% in NAS vs. 0.3% in ASI.
• Caution Against Unverified Data:
  • The proposed use of GST data for GDP estimation could introduce similar overestimation risks.
  • The NSO must conduct pilot studies to ensure the suitability of GST data for estimating value addition across industries, sectors, and states.
• Validation is Key:
  • Systematic validation and cross-verification of the GST dataset are crucial to maintaining the integrity of GDP estimates.
  • The NSO should consider reverting to the ASI database for manufacturing if GST data proves unreliable.
• Conclusion:
  • While the GST database holds potential as a game-changer for GDP estimation, its validity must be established through detailed analysis and independent scrutiny.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

GDP measures the total monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific period, usually annually or quarterly.

Calculation of GDP:

India calculates GDP using three main approaches:

• Production Approach (GVA):
  

GDP = GVA + Taxes on Products − Subsidies on Products

It aggregates the Gross Value Added (GVA) by each sector: agriculture, industry, and services.

• Expenditure Approach:

 GDP = C + I + G + (X−M)

Where:

C = Consumption expenditure (households)

I = Investment

G = Government spending

(X – M) = Net exports (Exports – Imports)

• Income Approach:

It sums all incomes (wages, profits, interest, and rents) earned by individuals and businesses in an economy.

India primarily uses the production and expenditure approaches to calculate GDP, published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). GDP is often calculated in real terms (adjusted for inflation) and nominal terms (current market prices).

Gross Value Added (GVA)

• GVA measures the value of goods and services produced in an economy, minus the cost of inputs and raw materials.
• It shows the economic contribution of each sector to the GDP.
• Example: If a company produces cars worth ₹500 crore, but uses raw materials worth ₹300 crore, its GVA would be ₹200 crore.

Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF)

• GFCF refers to investment in fixed assets like infrastructure, machinery, and equipment. It’s a key indicator of economic growth and development.
• Example: Building new factories or buying heavy machinery.

MCA-21 Database

• MCA-21 is the Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ e-governance initiative in India, containing extensive data on corporate filings, financial statements, and regulatory compliance for companies in India. It’s widely used for research, policy formulation, and investment analysis.

3. Vancomycin Resistance in MRSA: A Growing Threat

Sub : Sci

Sec: Health

Why in News

Recent research indicates that vancomycin, a long-standing treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), may soon lose its efficacy. The study published in PLoS Pathogens on August 29 highlights that MRSA is developing the ability to resist vancomycin while overcoming the associated fitness costs.

About methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): MRSA is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body, known for its resistance to methicillin and other antibiotics used to treat Staphylococcus aureus infections​

Strains:

Hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA): Occurs in healthcare settings, especially in people with weakened immune systems​.

Community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA): Found outside hospitals, often affecting healthy individuals through skin-to-skin contact, and is linked to factors like crowded places​

Transmission and Risk Factors: About 30% of the population carries S. aureus bacteria on their skin or in their nostrils without showing symptoms​

Environmental Presence: MRSA can survive on surfaces and in environments like gyms, hospitals, prisons, and beaches​.

Antibiotic Resistance Mechanism:

Mutation: Resistance in S. aureus occurs due to a mutation in the penicillin-binding protein, making it resistant to β-lactam antibiotics​.

Transfer of Resistance: The resistance gene is transferred between bacteria through bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria).

Implications and Treatment: MRSA is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections, contributing to significant morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospital stays.

Treatment Challenges: Due to its resistance to multiple antibiotics, MRSA requires alternative treatments like vancomycin and other newer antibiotics.

Vancomycin: A Reliable Treatment for MRSA

Type: Glycopeptide antibiotic.

Uses: Primarily treats severe bacterial infections, including MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), by inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis.

Spectrum: Effective against Gram-positive bacteria.

Resistance: Increasing cases of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) threaten its long-term effectiveness.

Vancomycin has been the first-line treatment for MRSA infections for over 40 years. Despite the growing antimicrobial resistance crisis, vancomycin has remained effective, with S. aureus rarely developing resistance.

Mechanism of Vancomycin Resistance

Vancomycin resistance in MRSA occurs through the transfer of the vanA operon from another bacterium during a simultaneous infection.

Even after growing VRSA in vancomycin-free media for 10 life cycles, many strains retained their resistance, unlike the original strains, which lost it in the absence of the antibiotic.

About Gram-Positive Bacteria: Gram-positive bacteria have thick peptidoglycan cell walls that retain the crystal violet stain in the Gram staining process.

Examples: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Bacillus, Clostridium.

Characteristics: They lack an outer membrane and often possess teichoic acids in their cell walls.

Medical Importance: Many are pathogenic, causing diseases like pneumonia, sepsis, and skin infections. They are also susceptible to antibiotics like penicillin, though antimicrobial resistance is rising (e.g., MRSA).

About Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR):

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication previously used to treat them. It is also known as antibiotic resistance.

As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body.

The WHO defines antimicrobial resistance as a microorganism’s resistance to an antimicrobial drug that was once able to treat an infection by that microorganism.

The resistance to antimicrobials is a natural biological phenomenon. However, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics accelerates the development of AMR.

Microbial resistance to antibiotics has made it harder to treat infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), blood poisoning (septicaemia) and several food-borne diseases.

4. Slow Progress in Legacy Waste Management under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0

Sub : Schemes

Sec: Env

Why in News

The Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, launched to manage legacy waste in urban areas, has shown sluggish progress, with only 16% of identified dumpsites remediated. This raises concerns about effective waste management strategies and environmental impact across India.

About Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U)

Launch Date: October 2, 2014

Initiated By: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Objective: To enhance cleanliness, sanitation, and waste management in urban areas, aiming for open defecation-free cities.

Phases of SBM-U

SBM-U 1.0

Focus: Achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in urban India.

Success: 100% of urban areas declared ODF, providing access to toilets and promoting behavioural change.

SBM-U 2.0 (2021-2026)

Announcement: Included in Budget 2021-22 as a continuation of the first phase.

Launch: October 2021

Goals:   Move beyond ODF to ODF+ and ODF++ status.

Promote garbage-free urban environments.

Emphasize sustainable sanitation practices and circular economy principles.

Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free Cities

Introduced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in 2018.

It aims to institutionalize a mechanism for cities to achieve Garbage Free status and encourage higher standards of sustainable cleanliness.

Recent Certification Exercise: Nearly 50% of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), totalling 2,238 cities, participated.

Total Certified Cities: 299

Star Ratings:

SMART Framework: The protocol is based on 12 parameters, ensuring:

Single Metric: Focused assessment.

Measurable: Clear indicators of progress.

Achievable: Realistic targets for cities.

Rigorous Verification: Ensuring compliance through strict assessments.

Targeted Outcomes: Focused on achieving tangible results.

Model City Progression: Designed for cities to evolve towards a 7-star model, with progressive improvements in cleanliness.

Current Status of Legacy Waste Management

There are 2,424 identified dumpsites across the country with over 1,000 tonnes of legacy waste.

Area Covered: Of the total 28,460.33 acres, only 16% (4,552.34 acres) has been reclaimed.

What are legacy waste?

Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) that has been collected and kept for years on some barren land or landfill for long periods of time is called Legacy waste. One often notices large mountains of waste outside city limits. These are typically stock piles of Legacy Waste.

Financial Aspects: An amount of ₹3,226 crore has been approved for the remediation of legacy waste dumpsites.

State Performance:

Tamil Nadu: Highest area reclaimed at 837 acres (42% of total reclaimed).

Gujarat: Best performing state with 75% area (698 of 938 acres) of landfills reclaimed.

5. GST Council’s Tax Rate Rationalization Efforts

Sub : Economy

Sec: Fiscal Policy

Why in News

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is currently reassessing tax rates for various items to ensure rationalization. This initiative has gained attention due to its delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and state elections. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the urgency of addressing this long-standing issue during a recent media interaction.

Current Focus: The GST Council is reviewing tax rates on a case-by-case basis for rationalization.

ABOUT GST COUNCIL

It is a constitutional body under Article 279A. It makes recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax and was introduced by the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016.

The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.

It is considered as a federal body where both the centre and the states get due representation.

Every decision of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be taken at a meeting by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes of the members present and voting, in accordance with the following principles, namely:

the vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of one third of the total votes cast, and

the votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast, in that meeting

GST Council – is hailed for its cooperative federalism technology which brings together the Center and States and can be applied to many other policy reforms.

GST Compensation and Cess: The GST compensation scheme, which provided financial support to states, ceased on June 30, 2022, as mandated by law.

Continuing Cess: Discussions are ongoing regarding the necessity and conditions under which the compensation cess will remain in effect.

About Compensation cess

Compensation cess was introduced as relief for States for the loss of revenues arising from the implementation of GST.

States, in lieu of giving up their powers to collect taxes on goods and services after local levies were subsumed under the GST, were guaranteed a 14 per cent tax revenue growth in the first five years after GST implementation by the Central government.

States’ tax revenue as of FY16 is considered as the base year for the calculation of this 14 per cent growth.

Any shortfall against it is supposed to be compensated by the Centre using the funds specifically collected as compensation cess.

Compensation cess is levied on five products considered to be ‘sin’ or luxury goods like SUV, pan masala, cigarettes.

The collected compensation cess flows into the Consolidated Fund of India, and then transferred to the Public Account of India, where a GST compensation cess account has been created.

States are compensated bi-monthly from the accumulated funds in this account.

Constitutional Legitimacy

Union Government’s Authority: The Constitution empowers the Union government to levy cesses, which fund critical infrastructure projects, even though these funds are not shared directly with states.

Role of Cesses: The collected cesses are allocated for public goods such as roads, schools, ports, and hospitals, emphasizing their importance in national development.

What is Cess?

A cess is a tax on tax imposed by the central government for a specific purpose. It is levied until the required funds for that specific purpose are collected. For example, the education cess is used only for financing primary education.

Cess is an additional tax on the existing tax (e.g., 3% education cess on 30% personal income tax raises the total tax to 30.9%). Some cess, like the Swachh Bharat Cess, is imposed as a percentage of the total value (e.g., 0.5% on services).

The revenue collected from cess is credited to the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI) and used only for the specified purpose (e.g., fuel cess is used for the Central Road Fund).

Cess is not shared with state governments.

6. How Earth may once have had a Saturn-like ring, how it likely impacted the planet

Sub :Sci

Sec: Space sector

Context:

• A study published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters has found that earth may once have had rings similar to Saturn, made up of lots of smaller asteroids.

Formation of the ring:        

• The ring around Earth formed around 466 million years ago.
• It was likely created when an asteroid passed too close to Earth, breaking apart due to Earth’s gravity.
• The resulting debris gradually formed a ring orbiting the Earth’s equator.
• Over time, gravity pulled the ring’s material towards Earth, with smaller pieces burning up in the atmosphere and larger pieces creating impact craters.

Impact craters:

• Scientists discovered the existence of the ring through analysis of impact craters.
• 21 craters dating between 488 million and 443 million years ago (Ordovician period) were found near the equator.
• This clustering is unusual, as impacts typically occur randomly at any latitude.
• The evidence suggests a connection between the ring and the equatorial craters.

Implications of a ring:

• The ring would have influenced Earth’s climate, acting like a
• Due to Earth’s axial tilt, the ring may have shaded the winter hemispheres and slightly increased solar energy in the summer hemispheres.
• This could result in global cooling, with more pronounced winters and mildly warmer summers.
• The cooling aligns with the dramatic global temperature drop that occurred around 460-465 million years ago, peaking during the Hirnantian Ice Age (445 million years ago).

Unresolved Questions:

• While the ring’s existence and cooling effects are plausible, further research is needed.
• Scientists plan to create mathematical models to understand asteroid breakups and ring evolution, as well as climate models to explore the cooling effects.

7. Kerala’s everyday heritage heroes

Sub : History

Sec: Art and Culture

Context:

• Kerala’s rich heritage faces threats from modernization, migration, and natural disasters.
• Citizen-led movements are emerging to preserve cultural legacies.
• Kannur City Heritage Foundation, Preserve Alleppey Society (PAS), Kochi Heritage Project and Vayali Collective of Thrissur are among the many grassroots movements working to preserve Kerala’s unique cultural landscape.
• Tourism forms 10% of Kerala’s GDP and such initiatives

Moideen Palli Mosque:

• An 18th-century mosque in Kannur, near the Arakkal Palace and the Angelo Fort built by the Portuguese.
• Inclusivity: Changes made to allow all visitors, breaking traditional restrictions on women and. Also, people from other religions are allowed to visit.
• The change was brought about by voluntary activists who want to cherish Kannur’s historical significance as a major medieval trade centre, the seat of the ancient Mushaka kings, and a military hub for Europeans.
• Architecture: Dutch-inspired arched doors, French floor tiles, Arabic hexagonal cone-topped minarets, and slanted roofs typical of the state.

Vayali Collective (Thrissur):

• Vayali began as a group of folk musicians passionate about preserving the oral traditions of the Bharathapuzha region.
• Over time, their mission expanded to include the revival of local crafts.

Killimangalam pulppaya:

• It is a traditional mat woven from kora grass that grows wild along the Bharathapuzha.
• The mat had won the UNESCO Seal of Excellence in 2006
• However, artisans at Kora Grass Weaving Society were struggling and on the verge of shutting down. Only one woman, Prabhavathi, in her late 60s, was still weaving.
• The Vayali collective produced a documentary, Magic Weavers of Killimangalam, which garnered national and international attention, and pushed for the central government to include the craft under its ‘Vanishing Traditions of India’
• Vayali is currently working towards securing a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the mat.

Pokkali rice:

• A traditional saltwater-tolerant variety of rice grown organically in the coastal regions of Kerala, especially in the Alleppey district.
• Pokkali is a system in which the farming alternates between rice and prawn (the fields are used alternately for rice farming and prawn and shrimp cultivation).

Alappuzha (Alleppey):

• Alappuzha is a port town founded by the Travancore kingdom in the 18th century.
• Celebrated as the ‘Venice of the East’ for its scenic beauty and intricate canal network.
• The town was once a thriving commercial and industrial hub, renowned for coir and spices.
• Preserve Alleppey Society (PAS), an all-women group has spearheaded the heritage conservation of the town.

8. Rains may cool surge in coal shipments to India

Sub: Geo

Sec: Eco geo

Context:

• Coal shipments to India rose 10 percent year-on-year (YoY) between January and August 2024, outpacing the 8 per cent YoY increase in domestic coal mining.
• However, experts suggest that the growth in shipments may slow during the rest of the year, as demand cools.

India’s coal import:

• India, the second largest coal importer globally.
• Indonesia is the source for 45 percent of India’s seaborne coal imports, mostly thermal coal.
• Power generation from coal rose 13 percent in 2024, compensating for the decrease in hydropower generation due to low water levels.

Regulations on coal import:

• Coal Blending Requirement: Since 2022, all power plants in India must blend a minimum ratio of imported coal, to maintain coal stockpiles and avoid blackouts.
• Current requirement: From June 27 to October 15, 2024 period, the blending ratio was lowered from 6% to 4%.

Coal Blending Ratio:

• The coal blending ratio refers to the required percentage of imported coal that must be mixed with domestic coal in power plants.
• The blending ratio influences the balance between domestic production and reliance on imports.

Why a slowdown is expected? 

• Monsoon rains: Coal demand and shipments to India are expected to reduce with an increase in hydropower generation as the monsoon rains have pushed up reservoir levels.
• Coal Inventories: Generally healthy across most power plants, with only 22 plants facing issues.

9. What is task force 150?

Sub : IR

Sec: Int groupings

Context:

• During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to US, Leaders from both countries reaffirmed their support for the freedom of navigation and the protection of commerce, including critical maritime routes in the Middle East where India will assume co-lead in 2025 of the Combined Task Force 150 to work with Combined Maritime Forces to secure sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.

About Task Force 150:

• The Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is a multinational naval task force that monitors, boards, inspects, and stops suspicious shipping.
• The CTF-150 is based in Bahrain and works under the Combined Maritime Forces, a coalition of nations.
• It is part of the international coalition’s efforts to maintain maritime security and stability in the Middle East and surrounding waters, specifically in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea.

Focus areas:

• Counterterrorism: Prevent the movement of terrorists and their materials, as well as disrupt illicit activities that could support terrorism.
• Anti-Piracy: Help deter and prevent acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea, especially in the high-risk waters of the Horn of Africa.
• Combating Smuggling and Trafficking: Interdict illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, and people, often used to fund criminal and terrorist activities.
• Maritime Security: Protect global maritime commerce by securing key shipping routes from the threat of terrorist and criminal actions.

Command Structure:

• CTF-150 is a rotational command, with various nations contributing ships, aircraft, and personnel.
• The leadership of the task force rotates among participating countries.

Combined Maritime Forces:

• The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a multinational naval partnership comprising 34 nations.
• It is headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, and works to promote maritime security and stability in some of the world’s most important shipping routes.
• CMF operates across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf.