Daily Prelims Notes 24 February 2022
- February 24, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN
Daily Prelims Notes
24 February 2022
Table Of Contents
- ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF)
- SUGARCANE FRP
- ARAVALI
- CARBON CAPTURE & UTILISATION TECHNOLOGIES
- UNEA (United Nations Environment Assembly)
- APEX PREDATORS
- MONEY LAUNDERING
- CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
- Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2022
- RESERVE CURRENCY
- UNCLAIMED BANK DEPOSITS
- SUMMONING OF SESSION IN AN ASSEMBLY
1. ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF)
TOPIC: Environment
Context- In her budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to natural, chemical-free, organic and zero-budget farming. It is the third time in the last four budget speeches where (zero budget) natural farming finds a mention.
Concept-
Zero Budget Natural Farming:
- Zero budget natural farming is a method of chemical-free agriculture drawing from traditional Indian practices.
- It was originally promoted by agriculturist SubhashPalekar, who developed it in the mid-1990s as an alternative to the Green Revolution’s methods that are driven by chemical fertilizers and pesticides and intensive irrigation. It relies on Agro-ecology.
- It aims to bring down the cost of production to nearly zero and return to a pre-green revolution style of farming.
- ZBNF is based on 4 pillars:
- Jeevamrita: It is a mixture of fresh cow dung and aged cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, water and soil; to be applied on farmland.
- Bijamrita: It is a concoction of neem leaves & pulp, tobacco and green chilies prepared for insect and pest management, that can be used to treat seeds.
- Mulching: It protects topsoil during cultivation and does not destroy it by tilling.
- Whapasa: It is the condition where there are both air molecules and water molecules present in the soil (aeration). Thereby helping in reducing irrigation requirement.
Sustainable ZBNF in India Requires:
- First, focus on promoting natural farming in rainfed areas beyond the Gangetic basin. Home to half of India’s farmers, rainfed regions use only a third of the fertilisers. The shift to chemical-free farming will be easier in these regions.
- Second, enable automatic enrolment of farmers transitioning to chemical-free farming into the government’s crop insurance scheme, PM FasalBimaYojana (PMFBY) as any transition in agriculture — crop diversification, change in farming practices — adds to the farmer’s risk.
- Third, promote microenterprises that produce inputs for chemical-free agriculture. Not every farmer has the time, patience, or labour to develop their own inputs.
- Fourth, leverage NGOs and champion farmers who have been promoting and practising sustainable agriculture across the country.
- Fifth, beyond evolving the curriculum in agricultural universities, upskill the agriculture extension workers on sustainable agriculture practices.
- Sixth, leverage community institutions for awareness generation, inspiration, and social support. In other words, the government should facilitate an ecosystem in which farmers learn from and support each other while making the transition.
- Seventh, support monitoring and impact studies. Such assessments would ensure an informed approach to scaling up sustainable agriculture.
*For further information please refer to DPN 02 February 2022.
TOPIC: Agriculture
Context- The Maharashtra government has issued a government resolution which will allow sugar mills to pay the basic fair and remunerative price (FRP) in two tranches.
Concept-
Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP):
- FRP is the minimum price at which sugarcane is to be purchased by sugar mills from farmers.
- The Central Government announces Fair and Remunerative Prices which are determined on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and announced by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
- CCEA is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.
- The FRP is based on the Rangarajan Committee report on reorganizing the sugarcane industry.
- The payment of FRP across the country is governed by The Sugarcane Control order, 1966 which mandates payment within 14 days of the date of delivery of the cane.
State Government: State Advised Prices (SAP)
- The SAP are announced by the Governments of key sugarcane producing states. SAP is generally higher than FRP.
Sugarcane:
- India is the second largest producer of sugarcane after Brazil.
- Top Sugarcane Producing States: Uttar Pradesh > Maharashtra >Tamil Nadu >Karnataka > Andhra Pradesh> Bihar.
- Ideal Temperature: Between 21-27°C with hot and humid climate.
- Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm.
- It can be grown on all varieties of soils ranging from sandy loam to clay loam given these soils should be well drained.
TOPIC: Geography
Context- In January 2022, five people were killed in a landslide at Tosham’s Dadam mining zone in the Bhiwani district of Haryana. The incident put the spotlight on the mining activities in Aravalli hills flouting prescribed rules and threatening local ecology.
Concept-
- The Aravalli Range, an eroded stub of ancient mountains, is the oldest range of fold mountains in India.
- The natural history of the Aravalli Range dates back to times when the Indian Plate was separated from the Eurasian Plate by an ocean.
- They extend from Gujarat, Rajasthan up to south Haryana before finally ending in Delhi.
- The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 meters.
- Three major rivers and their tributaries flow from the Aravalli, namely Banas and Sahibi rivers which are tributaries of Yamuna, as well as Luni River which flows into the Rann of Kutch.
- The Aravallis is a biodiversity hotspot with 400-odd species of trees, shrubs and herbs; 200-odd native and migratory bird species; 100-odd butterfly species; 20-odd reptile species and 20-odd mammal species, including leopards.
4. CARBON CAPTURE & UTILISATION TECHNOLOGIES
TOPIC: Science & Tech.
Context- Most carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technologies, which suck carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and convert it into fuel or other valuable products, might fail to help the world reach Net Zero emissions by 2050, according to a new study.
Concept-
Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS):
- CCUS technology is designed to capture CO2 emissions from combustion of fossil fuels.
- It can absorb 85-95% of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
- The process starts with the capture of generated CO2 which undergoes a compression process to form a dense fluid. This eases the transport and storage of the captured CO2.
- The dense fluid is transported via pipelines and then injected into an underground storage facility.
- Captured CO2 can also be used as a raw material in other industrial processes such as bicarbonates.
- CO2 captured using CCU technologies are converted into fuel (methane and methanol), refrigerants and building materials. The captured gas is used directly in fire extinguishers, pharma, food and beverage industries as well as the agricultural sector.
5. UNEA (United Nations Environment Assembly)
TOPIC: Environment
Context- The 5th meeting of UNEA will be held February 28, 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Concept-
About UNEA:
- UNEA was created in June 2012, during the United Nation Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+20).
- Hosted by the UN Environment Programme, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) brings together representatives of the 193 Member States of the UN, businesses, civil society and other stakeholders to agree on policies to address the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
- It meets biennially to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law.
- The overall theme for UNEA-5 is “Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”.
Basel Convention:
- The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations,
- It specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs).
- It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste.
- The convention was opened for signature on 21 March 1989, and entered into force on 5 May 1992.
Stockholm Convention:
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty opened for signature in 2001 in Stockholm (Sweden) and became effective in 2004.
- It aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
- The convention calls to ban nine of the dirty dozen chemicals (key POPs), limit the use of DDT to malaria control, and curtail inadvertent production of dioxins and furans. The convention listed twelve distinct chemicals in three categories:
- Eight pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex and toxaphene)
- Two industrial chemicals (poly chlorinated biphenyls and hexachlorobenzene)
- Two unintended by-products of many industrial processes involving chlorine commonly referred to as dioxins and furans.
TOPIC: Environment
Context- The sloth bear, tiger and dhole are among 36 apex predators worldwide affected the most due to road construction in their native habitats, a study published February 21, 2022, in the journal Nature, has stated.
Concept-
- Eight of the top 10 apex predators most affected due to roads running through their habitat are from Asia.
- Other important predators affected by roads across continents include:
- Iberian lynx (Europe)
- African wild dog (Africa)
- Lion (Africa and Asia)
- Ethiopian wolf (Africa)
- Leopard (Asia and Africa)
- Striped hyena (Asia and Africa)
- Canadian lynx (North America)
- Wolverine (North America and Eurasia)
- Brown Hyena (Africa)
- Fosa (Madagascar)
- Spectacle Bear (South America)
- Maned Wolf (South America)
Apex Predators:
- An apex predator, also known as an alpha predator or top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain, without natural predators.
- Apex predators are usually defined in terms of trophic dynamics, meaning that they occupy the highest trophic levels.
- For example, wolves prey mostly upon large herbivores (primary consumers), which eat plants (primary producers).
- The apex predator concept is applied in wildlife management, conservation and ecotourism.
- Significance:
- Apex predators affect prey species’ population dynamics and populations of other predators, both in aquatic and in terrestrial ecosystems.
- They are central to the functioning of ecosystems, the regulation of disease, and the maintenance of biodiversity.
- Humans are not considered apex predators because their diets are typically diverse, although human trophic levels increase with consumption of meat.
TOPIC: Economy
Context- ED arrests Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik in money laundering case.
Concept-
Money Laundering:
- Money laundering is concealing or disguising the identity of illegally obtained proceeds so that they appear to have originated from legitimate sources.
- Money Laundering is an offshoot of parallel economy, which deprives most governments of legitimate revenue.
- It involves three steps: placement, layering and integration.
Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA):
- The specific legislation dealing with money laundering is the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (for short ‘PMLA’).
- The law was enacted to combat money laundering in India and has three main objectives:
- To prevent and control money laundering;
- To provide for confiscation and seizure of property obtained from laundered money; and
- To deal with any other issue connected with money-laundering in India.
- It came into force with effect from 1st July 2005.
- It extends to the whole of India including the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
- The provisions of this act are applicable to all financial institutions, banks (Including RBI), mutual funds, insurance companies, and their financial intermediaries.
Authorities for the implementation of the Act:
- Financial Intelligence Unit-IND:
- It is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister.
- FIU-IND under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance is the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analyzing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions to enforcement agencies and foreign FIUs.
- Enforcement Directorate (ED):
- The Directorate of Enforcement, in the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, is responsible for investigating the cases of offence of money laundering under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
- Some Predicate Offences can also be investigated by agencies such as Police, Customs, SEBI, NCB and CBI, etc. under their respective Acts.
TOPIC: Polity
Context- Recently, the Chief Minister of Telangana said India needs a new Constitution, as, according to him, governments at the Centre over the years have been suppressing the powers of the States.
Concept-
Drafting Committee Of the Constitution:
- It took two years, 11 months and 18 days to draft the present Constitution.
- The Drafting Commission was established by the Constitutional Council on August 29, 1947.
- The Drafting Committee had seven members: AlladiKrishnaswamiAyyar, N. Gopalaswami; B.R. Ambedkar, K.M Munshi, Mohammad Saadulla, B.L. Mitter and D.P. Khaitan.
- At its first meeting on 30th August 1947, the Drafting Committee elected R Ambedkar as its Chairman.
- Towards the end of October 1947, the Drafting Committee began to scrutinise the Draft Constitution prepared by the B.N Rau, the Constitutional Advisor.
- It made various changes and submitted the Draft Constitution to the President of the Constituent Assembly on 21 February 1948.
9. Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2022
TOPIC: Environment
Context- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified comprehensive guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging, which comes into immediate effect.
Concept-
Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022:
- The new rules classify plastics into four categories:
- category 1 will include rigid plastic packaging;
- category 2 will include flexible plastic packaging of single layer or multilayer (more than one layer with different types of plastic), plastic sheets and covers made of plastic sheet, carry bags, plastic sachet or pouches.
- category 3 include Multi-layered plastic packaging (at least one layer of plastic and at least one layer of material other than plastic).
- category 4 : plastic sheet used for packaging as well as carry bags made of compostable plastics.
- The EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility )covers reuse, recycling, use of recycled plastic content and end of life disposal by producers, importers and brand-owners.
- According to the new rules, the producers, importers and brand-owners shall have to provide the details of recycling certificates only from registered recyclers along with the details of quantity sent for end-of-life disposal.
- The certificates shall be subject to verification by Central Pollution Control Board or State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee.
- Online portal: The government has also called for establishing of a centralised online portal by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for the registration as well as filing of annual returns by producers, importers and brand-owners, plastic waste processors of plastic packaging waste.
- The centralised portal would act as the single point data repository with respect to orders and guidelines related to implementation of EPR for plastic packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rule, 2016.
- Committee for implementation: As per the new notification, the government has announced setting up of a committee which shall be constituted by the CPCB under chairpersonship of CPCB chairman, to recommend measures to the environment ministry for effective implementation of EPR, including amendments to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines.
- SPCBs or PCCs shall submit annual report on EPR portal with respect to its fulfilment by producers, importers and brand-owners (which include manufacturers of plastic packaging material) and plastic waste processors in the state/Union Territory to the CPCB.
TOPIC: Economy
Context- Following the financial crisis of 2008, the dollar’s share in trade and currency reserves has grown. The dollar is nowhere close to being dethroned as the world’s reserve currency.
Concept-
- According to the International Monetary Fund’s report : As of 2021, the dollar is used in close to 80 per cent of all cross-border financial transactions.
Foreign Exchange Reserves:
- Foreign exchange reserves are assets held on reserve by a central bank in foreign currencies, which can include bonds, treasury bills and other government securities.
- It needs to be noted that most foreign exchange reserves are held in US dollars.
- India’s Forex Reserve include:
- Foreign Currency Assets
- Gold reserves
- Special Drawing Rights
- Reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- Foreign Currency Assets:
- FCAs are assets that are valued based on a currency other than the country’s own currency.
- FCA is the largest component of the forex reserve. It is expressed in dollar terms.
- The FCAs include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves.
TOPIC: Economy
Context- There is a huge sum of money lying unclaimed with banks which needs to be reclaimed.
Concept-
Unclaimed Deposits:
- Unclaimed deposits are defined as those deposits which are lying in accounts not operated for a period of 10 or more years.
- Public sector banks have a higher percentage of unclaimed deposits.
- Section 26 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 requires banks to submit to RBI information about these accounts within 30 days after each calendar year ends.
- Unclaimed deposits can be claimed by their legal owners after satisfying certain conditions prescribed by RBI.
- As per Section 26A of the amended Banking Regulation Act, 1949, money lying in dormant bank accounts is transferred to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEAF) within a period of three months from the expiry of the above-said 10 years.
- The Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme (DEAF Scheme) was established by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2014 for the promotion of depositors’ interest and for any other related purposes deemed necessary by the RBI.
- The depositor is, however, entitled to claim from the bank her/his deposit or any other unclaimed amount or operate the account after the expiry of 10 years, even after such amount has been transferred to DEAF.
12. SUMMONING OF SESSION IN AN ASSEMBLY
TOPIC: Polity
Context- No Cabinet recommendation for summoning Assembly received for consideration of the Governor says West Bengal Governor.
Concept:
- There are two provisions in the Constitution that deal with a governor’s power to summon, prorogue and dissolve an assembly.
- Article 174 of the Constitution: The Governor shall from time to time summon the House or each House of the Legislature of the State to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit.The provision also puts on the Governor the responsibility of ensuring that the House is summoned at least once every six months.
- Article 163: The Governor is required to act on the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet. The Constitution permits the Governor to summon the House on recommendation of the Cabinet. So, when the Governor summons the House under Article 174, this is not of his or her own will but on the aid and advice of the Cabinet.
- In 2016, the Supreme Court in NabamRebia and Bamang Felix vs Deputy Speaker case (the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly case) said that the power to summon the House is not solely vested in the Governor and should be exercised with aid and advice of Council of Ministers and not at his own.