Daily Prelims Notes 25 December 2021

December 29, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

25 December 2021

Table Of Contents

Subject – Environment

Context – Lime shell mining activities carried out in and around Pulicat Lake are destroying the wetland’s mudflat habitats.

Concept –

Pulicat Lake is a unique waterbody that is situated along the east coast of India and sprawls across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
- It lies majorly in Andhra Pradesh.
More than 600 years old, the lake has a strong association with the cultural heritage and socio-economic status of both States.
Buckingham Canal traverses in a north to the south direction at the lake’s eastern edge, along Sriharikota Island.
- The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal and is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
The rivers Swarnamukhi and Kalangi in the north and the Arani and the Korttalaiyar (as the Kosasthalaiyar is referred to in old British era documents) in the south drain into Pulicat Lake during the monsoon.
In the dry season, water is generally present only in the southern areas and near the lake’s two inlets.
The lake receives fresh water through the rivers and canals draining into it and marine water through the inlet mouth connected to the Bay of Bengal.
It is the second-largest brackish water ecosystem in the country after the Chilika Lake (Odisha).
The large varieties of birds like grey pelicans, painted storks, visit the site annually.
- Grey Pelican and Painted Stork both are near-threatened species under IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary.
Flamingo Festival is held every year to promote tourism in Pulicat and Nelapattu.

2. Vijayanagar era temple at Lepakshi Andhra Pradesh

Subject – Art and Culture

Concept –

Built in the 16th century, the golden age of the Vijayanagar Empire, the Lepakshi temple in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh boasts impressive sculptures and exquisite murals portraying stylised versions of scenes from Hindu lore on its ceilings.
Vijayanagar empire ruled the Deccan from 1336 to 1646.
While the sprawling architectural marvel that is Hampi, Vijayanagar’s capital, is known for its exceptional town planning, excellently executed temples and exquisite sculptures, the Lepakshi temple’s salience lies in the elaborate and detailed paintings on its ceiling panels.
The place where this temple is located is the place where Jatayu(the Vulture that stopped Ravana while abducting Sita to Lanka) died.This place has got the name when Rama told Jatayu-Le Pakshi-Get up Bird when Jatayu was dying.
But this temple is not a Rama Temple but is a Veerabhadra Temple. Veerabhadra was born from Lord Shiva’s hair-Jadamudi.
Built in the 16th century, the architectural features of the temple are in the Vijayanagara style with the profusion of carvings and paintings on almost every exposed surface of the temple.
It contains idols of Ganesha, Veerabhadra, Shiva, Bhadrakali, Vishnu and Lakshmi.
There is a very large Nandi (bull), about 200 meters away from the temple which is carved from a single block of stone, which is said to be one of the largest of its type in the world is one of the main attractions in Lepakshi.
The temple is of the Vijayanagara architectural style.

3. Omicron’s Variant Origin

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – • The latest of the five variants of concern (VOC), omicron, is far more transmissible than its predecessor delta

Concept –

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus. It is characteristic of it to mutate and evolve over time.
The latest of the five variants of concern (VOC), omicron, is far more transmissible than its predecessor delta and has the ability to evade immunity. But its origin remains unclear, much like the one found in Wuhan.
Its 50 mutations, 32 of which are on the spike protein alone, worried many. This is where the variant gets its vaccine-evading and high transmission characteristics from.
Currently, there are three popular theories of omicron’s genesis.
- The most widely believed theory is that the virus persisted in an immunocompromised person who suffered from COVID-19 for a long period. This relation has been explored deeply in several studies yet to be peer-reviewed.
- A second theory suggested that a “reverse zoonotic event” could be behind omicron, where it may have evolved in an animal host — possibly a rodent — and thereafter jumped onto humans, triggering another wave of COVID-19 infections.
- The third and final theory suggests that the variant evolved in a population where genome sequencing is extremely sparse or non-existent. Despite scientific advancement, there are large swathes of inhabited lands — especially in southern Africa — where the infrastructure to carry out genome sequencing remains absent.

4. Code of Conduct for Crypto Ads

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – Code of conduct coming soon for crypto ads

Concept –

Cryptocurrency industry body Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council (BACC) will soon come out with guidelines for advertising as part of a move towards a setting a code of conduct for the players.
The BACC is also working on a standardised set of self-regulatory guidelines for KYC (know your customer) and customer education, and will move on to issues including FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) reporting and risk monitoring.

Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council (BACC)

BACC was formed with the vision of doing public advocacy for the crypto industry, to increase awareness about crypto and provide industry guidance.
BACC is a part of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
Currently all major crypto exchanges in India are members of BACC.

Advertising Standards Council of India

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is a voluntary self-regulatory organization of the advertising industry in India.
Established in 1985, ASCI is registered as a non-profit company under section 25 of the Company Act.

To know more about ASCI, please refer July 2021 DPN.

5. Soya Cultivation

Subject – Agriculture

Context – The Centre brought soyameal under the ambit of the Essential Commodities Act

Concept –

The Centre brought soyameal — a key raw material to manufacture compound feed — under the ambit of the Essential Commodities Act and imposed stock limits on processors and traders with a view to increasing domestic supplies and checking price rise.

About Soyabean

Since time immemorial, Soyabean has served as meat, milk, cheese, bread as well as oil for the people of China and East Asia; and the ancient literature of those countries called it as “gold from soil”.
Off late, its versatility was recognized by the west, which called it “golden bean” or “miracle bean”.
Due to its immense potential as food, feed, fodder, fuel and industrial production, Soyabean is said to have revolutionized the agricultural economy of west, particularly of United States.

Global Production

Currently, United States is world’s largest Soyabean Producer with 89 million tonnes production every year.
United States is followed by Brazil and Argentina.

Production in India

With 12 million tonnes of production, Soyabean is one of the fastest growing crops in India.
Soyabean is grown as a Kharif Crop in India.
The top three Soyabean growing states are Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Soyabean is key to Madhya Pradesh

“Malwa is India’s US Midwest and Indore its Chicago. And that’s only because of soyabean.”

The relative hardiness and shorter maturity — at least 10-15 days less than jowar (sorghum) or maize — made soyabean the ideal kharif crop.

Importance of Soyabean

Soyabean is recognized as one of the premier crops around the world. It’s a major source of vegetable oil, protein and animal feed.
Due to high protein content (>40%) and high oil content (>20%), Soyabean is considered to be an important food commodity.
The Soya Protein is called complete protein because it supplies sufficient amount of amino acids. Soyabean oil contains no cholesterol.

To know about Essential Commodities Act, please refer July 2021 DPN.

6. Good Governance Day 2021

Subject – Governance

Context – Good governance is celebrated annually on 25 December, the anniversary of the birth of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Concept –

Good governance is observed annually on December 25. The day aims to let the citizens, the students, who are the future of the country know about the government’s responsibilities and duties that it needs to fulfill.
The day is also celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Good Governance Day history:

On December 23, 2014, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) were announced as recipients of India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna.
Following the announcement, the Modi government announced that the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister would be treated as Good Governance Day. Since then the day is celebrated throughout the country every year on December 25.

7. Financial Inclusion improves Policy Transmission

Subject – Economy

Context – Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Michael Patra on Thursday said financial inclusion results in better monetary policy transmission.

Concept –

Financial inclusion may be defined as the process of ensuring access to financial services and timely and adequate credit where needed by vulnerable groups such as weaker sections and low income groups at an affordable cost.
As per census 2011, only 58.7% of households are availing banking services in the country.

Financial Inclusion Initiatives

Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile (JAM) Trinity – The combination of Aadhaar, PMJDY, and a surge in mobile communication has reshaped the way citizens access government services.
The government has also launched many flagship schemes to promote financial inclusion and provide financial security to empower the poor and unbanked in the country.
- These include the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Stand-Up India Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, and Atal Pension Yojana.
Promotion of Digital Payments – With the strengthening of the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) by NPCI, digital payments have been made secure, compared to the past.
Initiatives by RBI and NABARD –
- Opening of bank branches in remote areas.
- Issuing Kisan Credit Cards (KCC)
- Linkage of self-help groups (SHGs) with banks.
- Increasing the number of automated teller machines (ATMs)
- Business correspondents model of Banking, etc.

8. Pralay Quasi-Ballistic Missile

Subject – Defence and Security

Context – The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Wednesday successfully carried out the maiden test of ‘Pralay’

Concept –

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out the maiden test of ‘Pralay’, a new surface-to-surface conventional quasi-ballistic missile, in a boost for India’s tactical battlefield strategy.
A quasi-ballistic missile has a low trajectory, and while it is largely ballistic, it can manoeuvre in flight. The missile has a range of 150-500 kilometres and has been developed according to specifications given by eventual user, the Army.
The missile was tested from the Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha and met all its objectives.
The missile is powered with a solid propellant rocket motor and multiple new technologies.
Capable of being launched from a mobile launcher, it has the latest navigation system and integrated avionics, and will be part of the Artillery Corps of the Army.
Pralay will be the longest-range surface-to-surface missile in the inventory of the Army, which sources said will give a fillip to their operational plans.
While cruise missiles have high agility, stealth and even loitering capability, ballistic missiles have the advantage of speed and countering them is a very difficult task even for modern air defence systems.