Daily Prelims Notes 27 April 2023

April 27, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

27 April 2023

Table Of Contents

1. SC modifies order on eco-sensitive zone around national parks, sanctuaries

Subject: Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Section:

Context:

The Supreme Court Wednesday modified its 2022 order mandating a minimum 1-km eco-sensitive zone around national parks or wildlife sanctuaries, saying it would have prevented the government from building roads and other important infrastructure in those areas.
With the June 3, 2022 order sparking concerns about human habitations falling within the proposed ESZs, the Centre had approached the court seeking modification of some of the directions.
On Wednesday, a bench of Justices B R Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol said the 2022 order will not be applicable to ESZs in respect to which draft and final notifications have been issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and where proposals for such notifications have been received by the ministry.
It will also not be applicable where the national parks and sanctuaries are located on inter-state borders or share common boundaries.
But it underlined that no mining would be allowed, either within national parks and sanctuaries or in a 1-km radius.

Why new order?

As per the previous order t no permanent structure would be permitted to come up for whatsoever purpose in the aforesaid ESZs. Hundreds of villages are situated within the ESZs in the country. If no permanent construction is to be permitted for any purpose, a villager who is desirous to reconstruct his house would not be permitted. Similarly, if there is an extension in their family and some additional construction is required for accommodating the enlarged family, the same would also not be permitted. Similarly, if the Government decides to construct schools, dispensaries, anganwadis, village stores, water tanks and other basic structures for improvement of the life of the villagers, the same would also not be permitted. The effect of the order will be to prevent the State or the Central Government from constructing roads and provide other facilities to the villagers.
MoEFCC provides financial assistance to the States under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme-Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, which includes assistance for eco-development activities. These activities often involve construction of small structures which are permanent in nature in areas including ESZs.”

Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ (IDWH)

It is an on-going Centrally Sponsored Scheme which has been made operational by adding more components and activities to the erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Scheme – “Assistance for the Development of National Parks and Sanctuaries” during the 11th Plan Period. Under IDWH, the financial assistance is provided to State/UT Governments for protection and conservation of wildlife and its habitats in Protected Areas (PAs) as well as outside PAs and also for the recovery programmes of the critically endangered species.

Components of the scheme

Support to Protected Areas (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves)
Protection of Wildlife Outside Protected Areas
Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats

Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species

So far, 22 species have been identified under the recovery programme. These are the Snow Leopard, Bustard (including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri Tahr, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Edible Nest Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer, Jerdon’s Courser, the Northern River Terrapin, Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale, Red Panda and Caracal.

Eco-Sensitive Zones

Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) are also known as Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs).
Eco-sensitive zones are areas notified by the MoEFCC around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
As per the National Board for Wildlife NBWL, the delineation of eco-sensitive zones have to be site-specific, and the activities should be regulative in nature and not prohibitive unless required.
The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries to minimize the negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas.
They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.

Implementation of Ecologically sensitive zones (ESZs)

According to the Wildlife Conservation Strategy of 2002 areas within 10 km of the boundaries of protected areas must be notified as ecologically fragile zones under Section 3(2)(v) of the Environment Protection Act 1986 and its Rules 5(viii) and (x).
The MoEFCC was entrusted to undertake measures to protect the environment by regulating and prohibiting industries, operations and processes.
However, Rule 5(1)(vi) had provisions for permitting environmentally compatible land-use in areas around protected areas.
Further, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) in 2005 decided to define site-specific ESZs to regulate specific activities instead of a blanket ban on them. Thus, the MoEFCC directed the States and UTs to propose ESZs.
As per the guidelines of the MoEFCC, in order to declare areas as ESZs, a committee consisting of the Wildlife Warden, an ecologist, and an official from the local government was to determine the extent of each ESZ.
The Chief Wildlife Warden was entrusted with the task of preparing a list of those activities that are to be prohibited or restricted or that can be allowed with additional safeguards.
Later, the State government must submit this list along with the geographical description, biodiversity values, the rights of local communities, their economic potential and implications for their livelihoods, as a proposal to the MoEFCC for notification.
Further, the State government is mandated to come up with a draft Zonal Master Plan within two years of notification.

2. Unravelling DNA’s structure

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: Biotechnology

Context: Unravelling DNA’s structure- A landmark achievement whose authors were not fairly credited. History has acknowledged how Rosalind Franklin was sidelined. Much has changed since 1953. However, women are still massively underrepresented in the higher echelons of science.

DNA:

Nucleus of a living cell is responsible for this transmission of inherent characters, also called heredity.
The particles in nucleus of the cell, responsible for heredity, are called chromosomes which are made up of proteins and another type of biomolecules called nucleic acids.
Nucleic acids are responsible for the transfer of characters from parents to off springs. There are two types of nucleic acids — DNA and RNA.
A nucleic acid containing deoxyribose is called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) while that which contains ribose is called ribonucleic acid (RNA).
Both DNA and RNA contain Adenine, Guanine and Cytosine. The fourth base is Thymine in DNA and Uracil in RNA.
The structure of DNA is a double strand [helix] whereas RNA is a single strand molecule.
Hydrogen bonds bind the nitrogenous bases of the two separate polynucleotide strands to make double-stranded DNA.
The DNA backbone is resistant to cleavage, and both strands of the double-stranded structure store the same biological information. Biological information is replicated as the two strands are separated.
Within cells, DNA is organized into long structures called chromosomes. During cell division these chromosomes are duplicated in the process of DNA replication, providing each cell its own complete set of chromosomes.
Eukaryotic organisms (animals, plants, fungi, and protists) store most of their DNA inside the cell nucleus and some of their DNA in organelles, such as mitochondria or chloroplasts.
In contrast, prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) store their DNA only in the cytoplasm.
DNA is the chemical basis of heredity and have the coded message for proteins to be synthesized in the cell.

DNA Fingerprinting:

DNA fingerprinting is a technique that is used to identify individuals by analyzing their DNA. It is also called DNA profiling or genetic fingerprinting.
DNA fingerprinting is based on the fact that every person has a unique DNA sequence, except for identical twins, who have the same DNA sequence.
The process of DNA fingerprinting involves extracting DNA from a sample, such as blood or saliva, and then analyzing it to identify the unique DNA sequence.
This is done by using techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gel electrophoresis, and Southern blotting.
DNA fingerprinting has many applications, including forensic investigations, paternity testing, and genetic research.

DNA Sequencing:

DNA sequencing is a process of determining the nucleotide sequence of a DNA molecule, which involves reading the DNA molecule’s order of nucleotide bases, namely adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T).
This process has revolutionized the study of genetics and has numerous applications in various fields, including medical research, forensic science, evolutionary biology, and agriculture.

Women in Science https://optimizeias.com/women-in-science/

3. Nuclear liability law

Subject : International Relations

Section: International Conventions

Concept :

The issues regarding India’s nuclear liability law continue to hold up the more than a decade-old plan to build six nuclear power reactors in Maharashtra’s Jaitapur, the world’s biggest nuclear power generation site under consideration at present.

Law governing nuclear liability in India

Laws on civil nuclear liability ensure that compensation is available to the victims for nuclear damage caused by a nuclear incident or disaster and set out who will be liable for those damages.
The international nuclear liability regime consists of multiple treaties and was strengthened after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident.
The umbrella Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) was adopted in 1997 with the aim of establishing a minimum national compensation amount.
India is signatory to the CSC.

The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act:

To keep in line with the international convention, India enacted the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA) in 2010, to put in place a speedy compensation mechanism for victims of a nuclear accident.
The CLNDA provides for strict and no-fault liability on the operator of the nuclear plant, where it will be held liable for damage regardless of any fault on its part.
It also specifies the amount the operator will have to shell out in case of damage caused by an accident at ₹1,500 crore and requires the operator to cover liability through insurance or other financial security.
In case the damage claims exceed ₹1,500 crore, the CLNDA expects the government to step in and has limited the government liability amount to the rupee equivalent of 300 million Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) or about ₹2,100 to ₹2,300 crore.
The Act also specifies the limitations on the amount and time when action for compensation can be brought against the operator.

Reactors in India:

India currently has 22 nuclear reactors with over a dozen more projects planned.
All the existing reactors are operated by the state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).

Supplier liability clause as an issue in nuclear deals

Foreign suppliers of nuclear equipment from countries as well as domestic suppliers have been wary of operationalising nuclear deals with India as it has the only law where suppliers can be asked to pay damages.
Concerns about potentially getting exposed to unlimited liability under the CLNDA and ambiguity over how much insurance to set aside in case of damage claims have been sticking points for suppliers.
While liability for operators is capped by the CLNDA, this exposes suppliers to unlimited amounts of liability.

Existing projects in India

The Jaitapur nuclear project has been stuck for more than a decade.
Other nuclear projects, including the nuclear project proposed in Kovvada, Andhra Pradesh, have also been stalled.
Despite signing civil nuclear deals with a number of countries, including the U.S., France and Japan, the only foreign presence in India is that of Russia in Kudankulam — which predates the nuclear liability law.

What is the government’s stand?

The central government has maintained that the Indian law is in consonance with the CSC.
The provision “permits” but “does not require” an operator to include in the contract or exercise the right to recourse.

4. Mahanadi water dispute

Subject : Polity

Section: Federalism

Concept :

A controversy has erupted over Chhattisgarh’s release of Mahanadi water into the lower catchment area of the river system.

Details of the Dispute

As per the allegation of the Water Resource Department of Odisha, Chhattisgarh has opened the gates of Kalma Barrage through which 1,000-1,500 cusecs of water is flowing into Mahanadi and have said that it is unusual for Chhattisgarh to release water during non-monsoon season.
The officials of the department claim that gates were opened ahead of the scheduled visit of the former Supreme Court Justice A.M. Khanwilkar who is the Chairperson of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal.
Odisha has expressed concerns over Chhattisgarh’s management of Mahanadi river water in the upper catchment area as Chhattisgarh in recent times has constructed several barrages restricting the flow of water in Odisha which is a lower catchment area.
The non-availability of water in the Mahanadi River during the non-monsoon season has adversely impacted rabi crops and reduced drinking water availability in Odisha.

Mahanadi Tribunal

In 2018, the Supreme court directed the Centre to notify a Tribunal to adjudicate the dispute.
The Mahandi Water Disputes Tribunal was constituted in March 2018 as Odisha filed a complaint with the Ministry of Jal Shakti under Section 3 of the lnter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956..
It has been asked to determine water sharing among basin states on the basis of:
the overall availability of water
contribution of each state,
the present utilisation of water resources in each state and
the potential for future development”.
The tribunal has been tasked to submit its report by December 2025.

Mahanadi River

The Mahanadi rises in a pool 6 km from Farsiya village in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district, and falls into the Bay of Bengal close to the temple town of Konark in Odisha’s Puri district.
The river basin is spread over Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and small parts of Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Some 54.27% of the basin area is agricultural land, and 4.45% is water bodies.
Major Tributaries:
The Seonath, the Hasdeo, the Mand and the Ib joins Mahanadi from left whereas the Ong, the Tel and the Jonk joins it from right.
Major Dams/Projects on Mahanadi:
Hirakud Dam: This is the longest dam of India.
Ravishankar Sagar, Dudhawa Reservoir, Sondur Reservoir, Hasdeo Bango and Tandula are other major projects.

5. The third-gen web is about public good

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Awareness of IT

Concept:

A 2021 report by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum states that the third-gen web will be crucial for India to realise its $1.1 trillion digital asset opportunity by 2032.

Web 3

Web3 is decentralised, privacy-oriented, blockchain-driven and crypto-asset friendly.
Decentralised data storage systems: Web3 seeks to radically transform the manner in which data is generated, monetised, shared and circulated. Further, it advocates decentralised data storage systems with the objective of unshackling the oligopolistic grip of technology behemoths over data.
Overcome the data storage barriers: Web3 has file-sharing systems such as the Inter-Planetary File System which are cryptographically protected, more secure and capable of functioning off Internet and off blockchains. In this manner, Web3 seeks to overcome the data storage barriers of blockchains.

Web 3.0

Web 3.0 upholds the property of the ‘semantic web,’ which is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Authentic and creative information: The real point about the semantic web is its ability to recombine information available on different websites to generate new content and knowledge resources that are more authentic and creative.
Better search engines: Followers of Web 3.0 claim that their version is endowed with robust capability on the data analytics front. This way, it is argued that Web 3.0 will create far better search engines.

How India can benefit ?

Helping Craftsmen: Web 3 platforms would enable handcraft enterprises to secure their innovations. Web 3-based instruction tools enable the rapid dissemination of grassroots innovations from master artisans to fellow members, which would improve the economic fortunes of craftsmen and artisan communities in north-east, western and peninsular India.
Exploiting community Data: In recent times there has been the rapid rise of community data. The Atal Bhujal Yojana is an important source of data on groundwater utilisation practices. However, this data is untapped, which can be exploited by Web 3.0.
Benefiting Rural community: One constraint today is the inability of data analytics capabilities to catch up with the pace of data generation in rural areas. By providing incentives for decentralised analytics and tokenising them (as envisaged in Web 3), it is possible to draw upon the talent pool for the benefit of rural communities.

6. Census of water bodies

Subject : Geography

Section: Oceanography

Concept :

Union Ministry of Jal Shakti released the report of its first-ever census of water bodies.

Key Details:

First-ever census of water bodies released has thrown light on the number of water bodies in India and what they are used for.
The census provides an extensive inventory of water sources in India, highlighting disparities between rural and urban areas and varying levels of encroachment.
The census has identified 24,24,540 water bodies in India.

About Water body census :

The census of waterbodies was conducted in conjunction with the 6th Minor Irrigation Census for 2017-18.
It defines a waterbody as “all-natural or man-made units bounded on all sides with some or no masonry work used for storing water for irrigation or other purposes.”
The census aimed to provide an inventory of India’s water resources, including natural and man-made water bodies like ponds, tanks, lakes, and more, and to collect data on the encroachment of water bodies.

Key Insights from the Census:

The census enumerated a total of 24,24,540 water bodies across the country, with West Bengal accounting for the most (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134).
The report reveals that:
West Bengal has the highest number of ponds and reservoirs
The top district in terms of waterbodies is South 24 Parganas in West Bengal.
Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of tanks
Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes
Maharashtra leads in water conservation schemes
The report highlights that 97.1% of the waterbodies are in rural areas, with only 2.9% in urban areas.
Most of the waterbodies are ponds, followed by tanks, reservoirs, water conservation schemes, percolation tanks, check dams, lakes, and others.

Encroachment of Waterbodies:

The census also collected data on the encroachment of waterbodies for the first time, revealing that 1.6% of all enumerated waterbodies are encroached, with 95.4% of encroachments in rural areas and the remaining 4.6% in urban areas.
A significant percentage of encroachments cover more than 75% of the waterbody’s area.

7. European Union members approve carbon market scheme, other climate laws

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate change

Why in News?

EU countries have given the final sign-off for a series of new climate change-related laws, which seek to create financial incentives for keeping emissions in check, and penalties for failing to do so.
The 27 member states in the EU approved a revamp to the bloc’s so-called carbon market, which is set to make it more costly to pollute for businesses in Europe.
This in turn led to sharpening of the main tool the EU has, to discourage carbon dioxide emissions in the industrial sector.
The changes to the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), more commonly called the bloc’s carbon market, are one of five new laws given final approval after being proposed by the European Commission and after a favorable vote at the European Parliament.

What is the carbon market?

Carbon Markets are essentially a tool for putting a price on carbon emissions and establishing trading systems where carbon credits or allowances can be bought and sold. As per the UN a carbon credit is a kind of tradable permit that equals one tonne of carbon dioxide removed, reduced or sequestered from the atmosphere. Carbon allowances or caps are determined by countries or governments according to their emission reduction targets.

Expected Consequences of the Proposed Changes

The changes will set more stringent targets and tougher penalties as time passes. The new rules increase the overall ambition of emissions reductions by 2030 in the sectors covered by the EU ETS to 62% compared to 2005 levels. The free permits granted to companies for lower levels of emissions will be gradually phased out, by 2034 for heavy industries and by 2026 for the aviation sector, for instance.

Concerns Raised Against the Proposed Changes

There had been some resistance to the changes within the bloc, which are roughly two years in the making. Only 23 of 27 EU members voted in favor; Poland and Hungary opposed it, Belgium and Bulgaria abstained. Critics like Poland had argued that the targets were too ambitious and would place an unfair strain on industry. Some EU policies and laws require unanimous approval from member states, but for most others a qualified majority vote will be sufficient.

Other Key Alterations Approved by the EU

The changes to the ETS discussed above are part of the EU’s “Fit for 55” package of climate plans, which is a reference to its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 55% by 2030 compared with a 1990 benchmark. Four more alterations were also approved.

A plan to incorporate parts of the shipping industry into the ETS was approved. It means that they too will need to buy permits to cover their emissions at times.
A new, separate ETS will be established for the buildings and road transport sectors and some other sectors, mainly small industry according to the EU.
Changes specifically tailored to the aviation sector were also approved.
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

The EU will introduce CBAM which is a landmark tool to put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of carbon intensive goods that are entering the EU, and to encourage cleaner industrial production in non-EU countries. The aim of CBAM is to prevent the offsetting of the greenhouse gas reduction efforts of the EU, by increasing emissions outside its borders through the relocation of production to countries where policies applied to fight climate change are less ambitious than those of the EU.

Social Climate Fund

The EU is setting up a Social Climate Fund. The bulk of the funds would come from the carbon market revenues generated by the EU ETS. The member states will be contributing the rest. The fund will be used by member states to finance measures and investments to support vulnerable households, micro-enterprises and transport users and help them cope with the price impacts of an emissions trading system for the buildings, road transport and additional sectors.

8. Google, Meta, Apple on the radar in EU’s online content rules

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Awareness of IT

Why in News?

The European Union (EU) has confirmed the names of 19 platforms that will be subject to its landmark online content rules.

News In Brief:

The rules, notified under the Digital Services Act, aim at overhauling the EU’s social media and e-commerce rules, and at tightly regulate the way big technology platforms moderate user content. Five subsidiaries of Google’s parent Alphabet, two Meta units, two Microsoft businesses, Apple’s AppStore, Twitter, and Alibaba’s AliExpress are among the entities that the EU has identified.

Key features of the Digital Services Act (DSA)

Faster removals and provisions to challenge: Social media companies will have to add “new procedures for faster removal” of content deemed illegal or harmful. They will also have to explain to users how their content takedown policy works. The DSA allows users to challenge takedown decisions made by platforms, and to seek out-of-court settlements.

Bigger platforms have greater responsibility: The legislation does not subscribe to a one-size fits all approach, and places increased accountability on the Big Tech companies. Under the DSA, ‘Very Large Online Platforms’ (VLOPs) and ‘Very Large Online Search Engines’ (VLOSEs) — that is, platforms having more than 45 million users in the EU, will have more stringent requirements.

Direct supervision by the European Commission: These requirements and their enforcement will be centrally supervised by the European Commission itself — an important way to ensure that companies do not sidestep the legislation at the member-state level.

More transparency on how algorithms work: VLOPs and VLOSEs will face transparency measures and scrutiny of how their algorithms work, and will be required to conduct systemic risk analysis and reduction to drive accountability about the society impacts of their products. VLOPs must allow regulators to access their data to assess compliance and allow researchers to access their data to identify systemic risks of illegal or harmful content.

Clearer identifiers for ads and who’s paying for them: Online platforms must ensure that users can easily identify advertisements and understand who presents or pays for the advertisement. They must not display personalised advertising directed towards minors or based on sensitive personal data.

India’s online laws similar to EU’s DSA

In February 2021, India had notified extensive changes to its social media regulations in the form of the Information Technology Rules, 2021 (IT Rules) which placed significant due-diligence requirements on large social media platforms such as Meta and Twitter.
These included appointing key personnel to handle law enforcement requests and user grievances, enabling identification of the first originator of the information on its platform under certain conditions, and deploying technology-based measures on a best-effort basis to identify certain types of content.
Social media companies have objected to some of the provisions in the IT Rules, and WhatsApp has filed a case against a requirement that requires it to trace the first originator of a message. One of the reasons that the platform may be required to trace the originator is that a user may share child sexual abuse material on its platform.
However, WhatsApp has alleged that the requirement will dilute the encryption security on its platform and could compromise personal messages of millions of Indians.

Earlier in 2022, with a view to making the Internet “open, safe and trusted, and accountable”, the Ministry of Electronics and IT notified amendments to IT intermediary Rules, 2021 aimed at protecting the rights of Digital Nagriks.

Key changes effected in the IT Rules 2021 are as under:

Currently, intermediaries are only required to inform users about not uploading certain categories of harmful/unlawful content. These amendments impose a legal obligation on intermediaries to take reasonable efforts to prevent users from uploading such content. The new provision will ensure that the intermediary’s obligation is not a mere formality. The amendment requires intermediaries to respect the rights guaranteed to users under the of the Indian Constitution, therefore, including a reasonable expectation of due diligence, privacy and transparency.
For effective communication of the rules and regulations of the intermediary, it is important that the communication is done in regional Indian languages as well.
The grounds in rule 3(1)(b)(ii) have been rationalized by removing the words ‘defamatory’ and ‘libellous’. Whether any content is defamatory or libellous will be determined through judicial review.
Some of the content categories in rule 3(1)(b) have been rephrased to deal particularly with misinformation, and content that could incite violence between different religious/caste groups.
The amendment requires intermediaries to respect the rights guaranteed to users under the Constitution, including a reasonable expectation of due diligence, privacy and transparency. The rules also have made it explicit for the intermediary to respect the rights accorded to the citizens of India under the Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution
Grievance Appellate Committee(s) will be established to allow users to appeal against the inaction of, or decisions taken by intermediaries on user complaints. They would have the authority to review and revoke content moderation decisions taken by large tech platforms. However, users will always have the right to approach courts for any remedy.