Daily Prelims Notes 24 December 2022

Daily Prelims Notes

24 December 2022

Table Of Contents

1. Restore by use: Regenerative agriculture can help save water; here is how
2. ITC looking to scale  up interventions in  climate­ smart agriculture
3. Smart Farming
4. Adjournment Sine Die
5. All is well for moa makers this winter
6. GSAT communication satellite costing Rs 508 crore unused for half its lifetime: CAG report
7. Cuetlaxochitl: The story of America’s Christmas Eve shrub has lessons for free trade, and patents
8. Centrally Protected Monuments
9. What is China’s One Country Two Systems policy?
10. HDFC secures $400 mn IFC loan for financing ‘green’ affordable housing units
11. Amid VHP row over song in school, recalling Muhammad Iqbal, also the poet of Saare Jahan Se Achcha
12. Covid pill molnupiravir does not cut hospitalisation, the death rate in many vaccinated adults

1. Restore by use: Regenerative agriculture can help save water; here is how

Subject : Environment

Context:

• According to the UN’s World Water Development Report, 2022, the country extracts 251 cubic km or more than a quarter of the world’s groundwater withdrawal each year; 90 per cent of this water is used for agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture:

• Farmers, activists and agricultural research organisations across the world are developing methods of chemical-less farming which use natural inputs and cultivation practices such as crop rotation and diversification, which fall under the wider umbrella of regenerative agriculture.
• In India, the Union government is promoting regenerative agriculture with an aim to reduce the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and to lower input costs. States like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Gujarat too have introduced schemes to promote it.

Concept:

• Regenerative agriculture is a holistic farming system that focuses on soil health, food quality, biodiversity improvement, water quality, and air quality.
• It is a method of farming that improves the resources it uses, rather than destroying or depleting them.
• It is often also referred to as — agroecological farming, alternative agriculture, biodynamic agriculture, carbon farming, inclusive nature farming, conservation agriculture, green agriculture, organic regenerative agriculture and sustainable agriculture.
• Regenerative agriculture adheres to the following principles:
  • Minimise soil distribution through conservation tillage, mulching
  • Diversify crops to replenish nutrients and disrupt pest and disease lifecycles
  • Retain soil cover using cover crops, and multi-cropping.
  • Integrate livestock, which adds manure to the soil and serves as a source of carbon sinks.

Benefits:

• Improves soil health through practices that increase soil organic matter, biota and biodiversity.
• Enhance water holding capacity and carbon sequestration.
• Reduces erosion, and facilitates retention and nutrient cycling.
• Provides a habitat for diverse species and is beyond sustainability.
• Builds resilience and mitigates the effects of extreme weather caused by a changing climate.
• ICAR-IARI and other agricultural institutes have conducted multiple studies to show that these and other practices like systematic rice intensification — a method in which seeds are spaced at wider distances and organic manure is applied to improve yields — changing crop system patterns, leaving residue on the field and micro-irrigation lead to better water conservation.

2. ITC looking to scale  up interventions in  climate­ smart agriculture

Subject : Environment

Context:

• climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach for transforming and reorienting agricultural production systems and food value chains so that they support sustainable development and can ensure food security under climate change.
• Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an integrated approach to managing landscapes—cropland, livestock, forests and fisheries—that addresses the interlinked challenges of food security and accelerating climate change.
• CSA aims to simultaneously achieve three outcomes:
  • Increased productivity
  • Enhanced resilience
  • Reduced emissions
• The principal goal of CSA is identified as food security and development, while productivity, adaptation, and mitigation are identified as the three interlinked pillars necessary for achieving this goal.
• Since the introduction of the concept in 2010 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a number of technologies have been developed and applied in India.
• CSA supports the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 based on the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.

India and Climate Smart Agriculture:

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India has launched a flagship network project “National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)” aiming at strategic research on adaptation and mitigation, demonstration of technologies on farmers’ fields and creating awareness among farmers and other stakeholders. The following steps have been taken in the field of climate smart agriculture:

(i) Developed climate resilient varieties for different abiotic and biotic stresses in major crops. So far 8 climate resilient varieties have been released in rice, green gram, maize and lentil;

(ii) Developed and popularized 65 location-specific climate resilient/smart technologies for wider adoption among the farming communities;

(iii) Prepared 650 district agricultural contingency plans and sensitized State officials for preparedness through 54 State-level interface meetings;

(iv) Developed, evaluated and commercialized implements (raised bed planter-cum-herbicide applicator, maize harvester, zero till planter, etc.) for small farm mechanization suiting to dryland ecologies;

(v) Climate smart technologies developed involving farmers in risk assessment and adaptation techniques in 151 clusters covering 446 villages, with a footprint of 2,13,421 households, on 2,35,874 hectares of land;

(vi) Capacity building programs have been taken up involving 5.15 lakhs comprising researchers, farmers, entrepreneurs, line department officials, policy makers and NGOs in the field of climate resilient agriculture.

Further, the climate smart agriculture is promoted under the Central Sector Schemes of Pradhan Mantri Krishi SinchayeeYojna (PMKSY), Parmparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY), Soil Health Mission (SHM), National Bomboo Mission (NBM) and Sub Mission on Agro Forestry (SMAF).

The Government of India has launched the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), which is one of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). NAPCC has identified the focus areas on Dryland agriculture, risk management, access to information and use of biotechnology under NMSA and are implemented in schemes of Rainfed Area Development, On Farm Water Management, Soil Health Management and Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture: Monitoring, Modelling and Networking.

There is no proposal for creation of National Agriculture Disaster Management scheme to tackle the issues of sudden climatic changes and other issues which are becoming more frequent. However, every Ministry/Department is mandated to prepare a Disaster Management plan under Sections 36/37 of Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005. Accordingly, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has prepared a National Agriculture Disaster Management Plan (NADMP) to include key aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) that address climate change adaptation and sustainable development goals related to the agriculture sector.

3. Smart Farming

Subject :Science and Technology

Context:

Government is promoting adoption of smart farming methods through the use of technology and innovation in the agriculture sector in the country. Government is implementing a Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) which includes India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA), Farmers Database, Unified Farmers Service Interface (UFSI), Funding to the States on the new Technology (NeGPA), Revamping Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC), Soil Health, Fertility and profile mapping. Under the NeGPA programme funding is given to State Governments for Digital Agriculture projects using emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Internet of Things (IOT), Block chain etc. Adoption of drone technologies is being done. To promote smart farming, the Government promotes Startups in the Agriculture sector and nurtures agri-entrepreneurs. The Per Drop More Crop component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC) aims to increase water use efficiency at the farm level through micro irrigation technologies, i.e., drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. The GoI started eNAM (National Agriculture Market), an electronic trading portal which creates networks between the existing Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis for the farmers.

4. Adjournment Sine Die

Subject: Polity

Context: Recently, the Rajya Sabha has been adjourned sine die

Concept:

• The phenomenon of Adjournment Sine Die means terminating a sitting of Parliament for an indefinite period.
• It implies that when the House is adjourned without naming a day for reassembly, it is called adjournment sine die.
• The power of adjournment as well as adjournment sine die lies with the presiding officer of the House.
• The presiding officer can also call a sitting of the House before the date or time to which it has been adjourned or at any time after the House has been adjourned sine die.
• The presiding officer (Speaker or Chairman) declares the House adjourned sine die, when the business of a session is completed.

Adjournment

• t is introduced in the Parliament to draw attention of the House to a definite matter of urgent public importance, and needs the support of 50 members to be admitted.
• As it interrupts the normal business of the House, it is regarded as an extraordinary device. It involves an element of censure against the government and hence Rajya Sabha is not permitted to make use of this
• The discussion on an adjournment motion should last for not less than two hours and thirty minutes.
• The right to move a motion for an adjournment of the business of the House is subject to the following restrictions:

1. It should raise a matter which is definite, factual, urgent and of public importance;
2. It should not cover more than one matter;
3. It should be restricted to a specific matter of recent occurrence and should not be framed in general terms;
4. It should not raise a question of privilege;
5. It should not revive discussion on a matter that has been discussed in the same session;
6. It should not deal with any matter that is under adjudication by court; and
7. It should not raise any question that can be raised on a distinct motion.

5. All is well for moa makers this winter

Subject : History

It is a seasonal Bengali sweetmeat delicacy prepared from date palm jaggery and Kanakchur khoi. This variety of Moa originated in Jaynagar of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is now a popular sweet, being produced in Kolkata and elsewhere, sometimes with cheaper ingredients and chemical flavours. Jaynagarer Moa was given a Geographical Indication tag in 2015 which will enable the product to be protected from unauthorized uses and piracy

6. GSAT communication satellite costing Rs 508 crore unused for half its lifetime: CAG report

Subject: Science and Technology

Context:

• A lack of coordination between the Department of Space (DoS) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) led to the underutilisation of the GSAT-6 satellite, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report released December 23, 2022.

About the GSAT-6 satellite:

• The communication GSAT-6 satellite was launched in 2015 at a cost of Rs 508 crore.
• It was designed to provide communication through the S-band and a national beam in the C-band for strategic users, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
  • The S and C bands are part of the microwave spectrum, which includes frequencies ranging from 1 gigahertz to over 100 GHz.
• GSAT-6 had two main components:
  • The space segment and the ground segment.
  • DOS was responsible for realising and launching the satellite, while DRDO was responsible for the ground segment.
  • Under the revised utilisation plan, it was proposed to utilise the space segment capacity for meeting the communication needs of the strategic and societal sectors.
  • GSAT-6 was expected to last for 12 years from 2015. But it was left unused for half its lifetime.

Communication satellites:

• A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder.
• It creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth.
• Communications satellites are used for television, telephone, radio, internet, and military applications.
• Orbit used for communication satellite:
  • Many communications satellites are in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles (35,900 km) above the equator, so that the satellite appears stationary at the same point in the sky; therefore the satellite dish antennas of ground stations can be aimed permanently at that spot and do not have to move to track the satellite.
  • Others form satellite constellations in low Earth orbit, where antennas on the ground have to follow the position of the satellites and switch between satellites frequently.
• The frequency used in communication satellites:
  • Communications satellites use a wide range of radio and microwave frequencies.
  • To avoid signal interference, international organizations have regulations for which frequency ranges or “bands” certain organizations are allowed to use.
  • This allocation of bands minimizes the risk of signal interference.

Satellite orbits:

• Geostationary orbit (GEO):
  • It is 22,236 miles (35,785 km) from Earth’s surface.
  • This orbit has the special characteristic that the apparent position of the satellite in the sky when viewed by a ground observer does not change, the satellite appears to “stand still” in the sky.
  • This is because the satellite’s orbital period is the same as the rotation rate of the Earth.
  • The advantage of this orbit is that ground antennas do not have to track the satellite across the sky, they can be fixed to point at the location in the sky the satellite appears.
• Medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites are closer to Earth. Orbital altitudes range from 2,000 to 36,000 kilometres (1,200 to 22,400 mi) above Earth. Two medium Earth orbits are notable: the semi-synchronous orbit and the Molniya orbit.
  • Semi-synchronous orbit is a near-circular orbit (low eccentricity) 26,560 kilometres from the centre of the Earth (about 20,200 kilometres above the surface).
    • A satellite at this height takes 12 hours to complete an orbit.
    • In 24 hours, the satellite crosses over the same two spots on the equator every day. This orbit is consistent and highly predictable.
    • It is the orbit used by the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.
  • Molniya orbit is the second common medium Earth orbit.
    • It was invented by the Russians, the Molniya orbit works well for observing high latitudes.
    • Molniya orbit offers a useful alternative to geostationary orbit, as satellites in a geostationary orbit are parked over the equator, so they don’t work well for far northern or southern locations, which are always on the edge of view of geostationary satellites.
    • The Molniya orbit combines high inclination (63.4°) with high eccentricity (0.722) to maximize viewing time over high latitudes.
    • Each orbit lasts 12 hours, so the slow, high-altitude portion of the orbit repeats over the same location every day and night. Russian communications satellites and the Sirius radio satellites currently use this type of orbit.
• The region below medium orbits is referred to as low Earth orbit (LEO) and is about 160 to 2,000 kilometres (99 to 1,243 mi) above Earth.
  • Because of their low altitude, these satellites are only visible from within a radius of roughly 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from the sub-satellite point.
  • In addition, satellites in low earth orbit change their position relative to the ground position quickly.
  • So even for local applications, many satellites are needed if the mission requires uninterrupted connectivity.
• Polar orbits:
  • Satellites in polar orbits usually travel past Earth from north to south rather than from west to east, passing roughly over Earth’s poles.
  • Satellites in a polar orbit do not have to pass the North and South Pole precisely; even a deviation within 20 to 30 degrees is still classed as a polar orbit. Polar orbits are a type of low Earth orbit, as they are at low altitudes between 200 to 1000 km.
  • Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is a particular kind of polar orbit. Satellites in SSO, travelling over the polar regions, are synchronous with the Sun.
  • This means they are synchronized to always be in the same ‘fixed’ position relative to the Sun.
  • This means that the satellite always visits the same spot at the same local time – for example, passing the city of Paris every day at noon exactly.
  • This serves a number of applications; for example, it means that scientists and those who use satellite images can compare how somewhere changes over time.

Comparison between LEO and MEO:

• MEO satellites are similar to LEO satellites in functionality.
• MEO satellites are visible for much longer periods of time than LEO satellites, usually between 2 and 8 hours.
• MEO satellites have a larger coverage area than LEO satellites.
  • A MEO satellite’s longer duration of visibility and wider footprint means fewer satellites are needed in a MEO network than in a LEO network.
• One disadvantage is that a MEO satellite’s distance gives it a longer time delay and weaker signal than an LEO satellite, although these limitations are not as severe as those of a GEO satellite.
• Like LEOs, these satellites do not maintain a stationary distance from the earth.
  • This contrasts the geostationary orbit, where satellites are always 35,786 kilometres (22,236 mi) from the earth.

7. Cuetlaxochitl: The story of America’s Christmas Eve shrub has lessons for free trade, and patents

Subject: Environment

Context:

• Poinsettia can be an example of intellectual property rights or biopiracy; it depends on whose interests one wants to nourish and protect: the breeder’s or the cultivator’

Poinsettia:

• The shrub, known for its showy red bracts or modified leaves, is native to Mexico and was used by the Aztecs for dyeing their garments and as an antipyretic medicine.
• Named after the Mexican Botanist and first ambassador to USA Joel Poinsett.

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants or UPOV:

• A treaty was created outside the UN to provide a regulatory system for protecting plants.
• It was first passed in 1961, the treaty has been revised thrice, the last being in 1991 when the most stringent regulations were added.
• Members joining UPOV have to enact a compatible national law.
• So far, just 76 members have signed and many of these did so because of pressure when signing bilateral trade agreements with the EU, US, Japan and the European Free Trade Association.
• India has refused to join UPOV since it denies farmers any rights, such as the freedom to reuse farm-saved seeds and to exchange them with their neighbours.
• India enacted its own Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act of 2001 (PPV&FRA), which balances the interests of both while encouraging innovation in new varieties.

What is biopiracy?

• Biopiracy also known as scientific colonialism is defined as the unauthorized appropriation of knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions seeking exclusive monopoly control through patents or intellectual property.
• While bioprospecting is the act of exploring natural resources for undiscovered chemical compounds with medicinal or anti-microbial properties, commercial success from bioprospecting leads to the company’s attempt at protecting their intellectual property rights on indigenous medicinal plants, seeds, genetic resources, and traditional medicines.
• Bioprospecting facilitates biopiracy as It identifies biological resources and traditional knowledge with potential for commercial use and biopiracy appropriates them without obtaining prior informed consent (PIC) or providing adequate compensation.

8. Centrally Protected Monuments

Subject: History

Context:

• Uttar Pradesh has largest number of Centrally Protected Monuments encroached upon; Tamil Nadu is a close second.

Details:

• While 75 protected monument sites have been trespassed in Uttar Pradesh, the corresponding number for Tamil Nadu is 74.
• Karnataka and Maharashtra are third and fourth with 48 and 46 such monuments which are encroached upon. Gujarat has 35 protected monuments that have been invaded.
• Uttar Pradesh also has the largest number of Centrally Protected monuments in the country at 743, while Tamil Nadu has 412.
• India has a total of 3,695 Centrally Protected Monuments or Sites in the country, under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• A total of 356 such heritage structures are intruded into, across the country.

Monuments of national importance:

• Nodal Authority: Monuments of National Importance are designated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• What is a National Monument?
  • ‘Ancient Monument’ is defined under the Ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act,1958.
  • The Act defines Ancient Monument as any structure or monument or any cave, rock sculpture, an inscription that is of historical, or archaeological interest.
  • Further, Ancient Monument has to be in existence for not less than 100 years.
• Maintained by: The Central Government is authorised to maintain, protect and promote Monuments of National Importance.
• Sites: Currently, 3,691 monuments nationwide are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI). The highest number of them were in Uttar Pradesh followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):

• ASI is the premier organization for archaeological research, scientific analysis, excavation of archaeological sites, and conservation and preservation of protected monuments.
• It is an attached office under the Department of Culture (Ministry of Culture).
• ASI was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who became its first Director-General.

Regulation and protection of monuments:

• The ASI regulates construction around the protected monuments through the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Act, 2010.
• The Act prohibits the construction of 100 metres around a protected monument. The next 300-metre radius is regulated too.
• Further amendments have been proposed which seek to do away with the ban on construction within 100 metres of a ASI-protected monument and regulate construction within 100-200 metres, under the Act that protects monuments and sites over 100 years old.
• This is expected to give more powers to the ASI on the encroachments.

9. What is China’s One Country Two Systems policy?

Subject: International relations

Context:

• Protests in Hong Kong, now in its 13th consecutive week, have brought a decades-old policy of the People’s Republic of China back into focus — One Country Two Systems.
• One Country Two Systems policy means that the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, both former colonies, can have different economic and political systems from that of mainland China while being part of the People’s Republic of China.

Origin of the policy:

• It was originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping during the 1970s.
• Deng’s plan was to unify China and Taiwan under the One Country Two Systems policy.
• Taiwan rejected the Communist Party’s offer of one country two systems and has since been running as a separate entity from mainland China, though Beijing never gave up its claim over Taiwan.

Resurfacing of the idea:

• The idea of two systems in one country resurfaced when Beijing started talks with Britain and Portugal, who were running Hong Kong and Macau, respectively.
• The British had taken control of Hong Kong in 1842 after the First Opium War.
• In 1898, the British government and the Qing dynasty of China signed the Second Convention of Peking, which allowed the British to take control of the islands surrounding Hong Kong, known as New Territories, on lease for 99 years.
• London promised Peking that the islands would be returned to China after the expiry of the lease, in 1997.
• Macau, on the other side, had been ruled by the Portuguese since 1557.
• They started withdrawing troops in the mid-1970s.
• During the transfer of territories, Beijing promised to respect the region’s autonomy under the One Country Two Systems proposal.

Transfer of territories:

• On December 19, 1984, China and the U.K. signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration in Beijing, which set the terms for the autonomy and the legal, economic and governmental systems for Hong Kong post-1997.
• Similarly, on March 26, 1987, China and Portugal signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau in which China made similar promises for the region of Macau after it was handed over to Beijing.
• Hong Kong returned to Chinese control on July 1, 1997, and Macau’s sovereignty was transferred on December 20, 1999.
• Both regions became Special Administrative Regions of China.
• The regions would have their own currencies and economic and legal systems, but defence and diplomacy would be decided by Beijing.
• Their mini-Constitutions would remain valid for 50 years — till 2047 for Hong Kong and 2049 for Macau. It is unclear what will happen after this term.

What triggered the current crisis:

• Hong Kong’s pro-democracy civil society protests against China’s alleged attempts to erode the city’s autonomy.
• This year, Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, proposed the extradition Bill, which sought to extradite Hong Kongers to places with which the city doesn’t have extradition agreements.
• It would allow the city government to extradite Beijing critics to mainland China where the judicial system is subservient to the ruling Communist Party. This triggered the protests.

What is the Opium war?

• The Opium Wars were two conflicts waged between China and Western powers during the mid-19th century.
• The First Opium War was fought from 1839 to 1842 between China and the United Kingdom and was triggered by the Chinese government’s campaign to enforce its prohibition against opium trafficking by British merchants.
• The Second Opium War was waged by Britain and France against China from 1856 to 1860.
• In each war, the superior military advantages enjoyed by European forces led to several easy victories over the Chinese military, with the consequence that China was compelled to sign unequal treaties to grant favourable tariffs, trade concessions, reparations and territory to Western powers.
• Consequences of the war:
  • The two conflicts forced China to open specified treaty ports (including Shanghai) to Western merchants.
  • In addition, China ceded sovereignty over Hong Kong to the British Empire, which maintained control over the region until 1997.

10. HDFC secures $400 mn IFC loan for financing ‘green’ affordable housing units

Subject: International relations

Context:

• The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has extended a $400-million loan to mortgage major HDFC for financing green affordable housing units, as part of their efforts towards supporting climate goals.

Details:

• It will help close the urban housing gap and improve access to climate-smart affordable homes by boosting green housing.

Need for green affordable housing units:

• It is estimated that 275 million people in the country, or 22% of the over 1.4 billion population, do not have access to adequate housing, and the rural housing shortage is twice that of urban areas.
• As of 2018, the urban housing shortage was 29 million units, increasing by over 54% since 2012.
• Residential housing accounts for around 24% of the country’s electricity consumption.
• According to climate commitments under the Paris agreement and at the climate change conference COP-27 at Sharm el-Sheikh, the green affordable housing sector is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through lower household energy consumption and greener construction activities, among others.

Green concepts and techniques in the affordable housing sector can help address the following:

• Reduction in energy and water consumption
• Improved health and hygiene
• Better sanitation
• Better ventilation and light in the dwellings
• Fuel savings in transit of people to work places & associated pollution

KUTUMB: An initiative for Green and affordable housing:

• Initiative of IILF home finance limited.
• It is a platform to blend the benefits of green homes within the affordable housing segment in India.
• Kutumb focuses on the needs, efforts and initiatives that can be taken to promote sustainable and energy efficient real estate development in cost effective ways.
• It has partnered with Asian Development Bank ADB, International Finance Corporation IFC, CDC- a UK sovereign fund, Indian Green Building Council IGBC, among others.

The five development institutions under the World Bank Group are:

1. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
2. International Development Association (IDA)
3. International Finance Corporation (IFC)
4. Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
5. International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)

About the International Finance Corporation (IFC):

• The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset management services to encourage private sector development in developing countries.
• It is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States.
• It was established in 1956 as the private sector arm of the World Bank Group to advance economic development by investing in strictly for-profit and commercial projects that purport to reduce poverty and promote development.
• The IFC is owned and governed by its member countries, but has its own executive leadership and staff that conduct its normal business operations.
• It is a corporation whose shareholders are member governments that provide paid-in capital and which have the right to vote on its matters.

Functions:

• It offers an array of debt and equity financing services and helps companies face their risk exposures, while refraining from participating in a management capacity.
• The corporation also offers advice to companies on making decisions, evaluating their impact on the environment and society, and being responsible.
• It advises governments on building infrastructure and partnerships to further support private sector development.

11. Amid VHP row over song in school, recalling Muhammad Iqbal, also the poet of Saare Jahan Se Achcha

Subject: History

Context:

• Recitation of the prayer ‘Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua’ written by Muhammad Iqbal has once again triggered a controversy — this time in UP’s Bareilly district. After a complaint from a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) official in the district, the principal of a government school and a Shiksha Mitra was booked for “hurting religious sentiments” after a video of students reciting the prayer during the morning assembly went viral.

Earlier incident:

• In October 2019, the headmaster of a government primary school in the Bisalpur area of Pilibhit was suspended.
• In that case, too, the students had recited Allama Iqbal’s ‘Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua’.

The poet and his poems:

• The prayer ‘Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua’ was written by Iqbal in 1902.
• Among Iqbal’s many writings, the most celebrated is the immortal ‘Saare jahan se achcha Hindustan hamara’, written in 1904, his beautiful ode to India, which became one of the songs that inspired the freedom fighters against British rule.
• Iqbal’s first published collection of poems came out in 1923, and was titled ‘Bang-e-Dara’ (Call of the Marching Bell).
• He wrote mostly in Urdu and Persian.

About Mohammad Iqbal:

• Mohammad Iqbal (1877-1938) was born to a family with Kashmiri Pandit ancestry that had embraced Islam in the seventeenth century.
• Iqbal was born in Sialkot, Punjab (now in Pakistan) and died in Lahore when he was aged 60 years.
• Iqbal’s tomb is located in Hazuri Bagh in Lahore.
• Iqbal is commonly referred to as Allama (most learned), which is a title given to Islamic scholars.
• Apart from being a writer, Iqbal was also a lawyer and appeared at the Lahore High Court in several cases.
• After completing his BA and MA at Government College, Lahore, he went on to study in Europe in 1905.
• At Trinity College, Cambridge, he completed a second bachelor’s degree, and completed a PhD at the University of Munich later.
• In 1922, he was knighted by King George V, giving him the title of “Sir”.
• After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, he was named the national poet there.
• Iqbal was the first patron of Tolu-e-Islam, a historical, political, religious and cultural journal of the Muslims of British India.
• He is also known as the “Hakeem-ul-Ummat” (“The Sage of the Ummah”) and the “Mufakkir-e-Pakistan” (“The Thinker of Pakistan”).
• Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi wrote Glory of Iqbal to introduce him to the Arab world.

The idea of Pakistan:

• Iqbal espoused the idea of Muslim-majority provinces in 1930.
• Iqbal elucidated to Jinnah his vision of a separate Muslim state in a letter sent on 21 June 1937.
• In that country, Iqbal is regarded as the ideological founder of the nation — the man who envisioned the state in that Jinnah gave physical shape.

Madani–Iqbal debate:

• A famous debate was held between Iqbal and Hussain Ahmed Madani on the question of nationalism in the late 1930s.
• Madani’s position throughout was to insist on the Islamic legitimacy of embracing a culturally plural, secular democracy as the best and the only realistic future for India’s Muslims whereas Iqbal insisted on a religiously defined, homogeneous Muslim society.
• Madani and Iqbal both never advocated the creation of an absolute ‘Islamic State’. They differed only in their first step.
  • According to Madani, the first step was the freedom of India for which composite nationalism was necessary.
  • According to Iqbal, the first step was the creation of a community of Muslims in the Muslim-majority land, i.e. a Muslim India within India.

12. Covid pill molnupiravir does not cut hospitalisation, the death rate in many vaccinated adults

Subject: Science and Technology

Context:

• Merck & Co Inc’s COVID antiviral molnupiravir speeds up recovery but does reduce the hospitalisation or death rate in higher-risk vaccinated adults, detailed data shows.

Detail:

• The study, called PANORAMIC, compared the oral pill against standard treatment Alone in people over 50 for those aged 18 and older with underline conditions. they had been unwell with confirmed covid for five days for fever in the community setting.
• When Merck originally tested molnupiravir,  it was found 30% effective in reducing hospitalizations but that was in unvaccinated patients.

Molnupiravir:

• It belongs to a class of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs called nucleoside analogues.
• They act by interfering with the function of viral RNA (Ribonucleic Acids) polymerases – which are enzymes that make new viral RNA in infected cells.
  • RNA is a polymer of ribonucleotides and an important biological macromolecule that is present in all biological cells.
  • It is principally involved in the synthesis of proteins, carrying the messenger instructions from Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which itself contains the genetic instructions required for the development and maintenance of life.
• It works by causing viruses to make errors when copying their own RNA, introducing mutations that inhibit replication.
• It was initially invented as a drug for the influenza virus.

Mechanism:

• These drugs work by preventing the process of replication of the virus inside human cells.
  • A virus is a biological agent that can self-replicate inside a host cell. The infected cells by viruses may produce thousands of new copies of the original virus at an extraordinary rate.
  • It alters critical enzymes that were necessary to the virus for replicating in the human body cells.