Daily Prelims Notes 27 December 2020

December 27, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes 27 December 2020

Table Of Contents

1. GIANT ICEBERG A68a

Subject : Environment

Concept :

The giant iceberg A68, the biggest block of free-floating ice from Antarctica with an area of about 5,800 sq. km, has been drifting in the Atlantic Ocean since 2017.
This year, due to an ocean current the iceberg was propelled into the South Atlantic Ocean and since then it has been drifting towards the remote sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, prompting fears about the impact the iceberg could have on the island’s abundant wildlife.
The US National Ice Center (USNIC) (USNIC is responsible for naming icebergs, which are named according to the Antarctic quadrant in which they are spotted) confirmed that two new icebergs calved from A68a and were large enough to be named and tracked. They are called A68E and A68F.
On the other hand, there are some positives of an iceberg being stuck in the open ocean, since icebergs carry dust which fertilises ocean plankton, which draws up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

2. UDHAM SINGH

Subject : History

Context: December 26 is the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Udham Singh, known for avenging the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919.

Concept:

He was born in Sunam in Punjab’s Sangrur district in 1899.
He was a political activist who got associated with the Ghadar Party while in the US.
In 1934, Singh made his way to London with the purpose of assassinating O’Dwyer, who in 1919 had been the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab and unsurprisingly, Singh considered O’Dwyer to be responsible for the massacre.
Instead of Dyer, who instructed his men to open fire at the crowd gathered in Jallianwala Bagh, O’Dwyer is considered to be the actual perpetrator, since Dyer could not have executed it without his permission.
On March 13, 1940 Singh shot O’Dwyer at a meeting of the East India Association and the Royal Central Asian Society at Caxton Hill.
He was sentenced to death and was hanged on July 31, 1940 at Pentonville Prison.

3. MAN MADE WETLANDS

Subject: Environment

Context : A unique sustainable experiment is under way in Delhi, where a ‘constructed’ natural feature brings hope of reducing the need for expensive sewage treatment plants, with issues of capacity and utility.

Concept :

At the South Delhi Biodiversity Park, being developed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on about 200 hectares of land behind Kalindi Colony, Delhi University professor is making 11 constructed wetland systems.
These constructed wetland systems will use boulders and a variety of plants to naturally treat sewage from 25 drains, stretching from Okhla to Kalindi Colony, before it enters the river

How treatment works

The method involves a three-step process, which does not require electricity. At the mouth of the drain, a team of scientists led by Prof Babu have made a one-acre wide wetland from boulders and plants.
The drain opens into an oxidation pond, which is the first step of the treatment process. Here the solid material in the waste is removed from a wire mesh and atmospheric oxygen dissolves in the water.
The water then travels further and passes through channels and small ridges made from boulders, which creates turbulence and causes aeration.
Aeration brings water and air in close contact, introducing small bubbles of air which rise through the water and remove dissolved gases in it.
Higher turbulence means better oxygen saturation and better quality of water. Waterfalls have maximum oxygen saturation and, therefore, have very good water quality.
The final step in the treatment process happens when water passes through 25 species of plants — including typha, phragmites, ipomoea and cyprus — which are effective in the treatment of heavy metals, including arsenic.

4. NANOMICELLES: using nanotechnology for cancer treatment

Subject: Science & tech

Concept:

With the advance in nanotechnology, researchers across the globe have been exploring how to use nanoparticles for efficient drug delivery.
Similar to nanoshells and nanovesicles, nanomicelles are extremely small structures and have been noted as an emerging platform in targeted therapy.
Nanomicelles are globelike structures with a hydrophilic outer shell and a hydrophobic interior.
This dual property makes them a perfect carrier for delivering drug molecules.
Now a multidisciplinary, multiinstitutional team has created a nanomicelle that can be used to deliver a drug named docetaxel, which is commonly used to treat various cancers including breast, colon and lung cancer.
The nanomicelles are less than 100nm in size and are stable at room temperature.
Once injected intravenously these nanomicelles can easily escape the circulation and enter the solid tumours where the blood vessels are found to be leaky.
These leaky blood vessels are absent in the healthy organs. “Chemical conjugation would render the phospholipiddocetaxel prodrug to be silent in the circulation and healthy organs.
But once it enters the cancer cells, the enzymes will cleave the bond to activate the drug, and kill the cancer cells

5. US POLICY ON TIBET

Subject: International Relations

Context: The Tibet Policy and Support Act, passed by the US Senate earlier this week, bookends a turbulent year in US-China relations.

Concept:

The TPSA is an amended version of the Tibet Policy Act of 2002, which came into existence during the Bush Administration.
The act once signed into law would make it the official policy of the US Government to oppose any effort by the govt. of the People’s Republic of China to select, educate, and venerate Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders in a manner inconsistent with Tibetan Buddhism.
The proposed legislation will empower the US Government to impose sanctions on China who might try to interfere in the Adding much fuel to the issue, the TPSA introduces stronger provisions on Tibet, plus teeth in the form of a threat of sanctions, including travel bans on Chinese officials.

The Dalai Lama

Among the most significant amendments is that the TSPA makes it US policy to oppose attempts by Beijing to install its own Dalai Lama in a manner inconsistent with Tibetan Buddhism.
The legislation makes reference to the Chinese government’s ‘Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas’ in 2007.
China had earlier insisted that the reincarnation of living Buddhas including the Dalai Lama must comply with Chinese laws and regulations.

Other provisions of TPSA

The TPSA has introduced provisions aimed at protecting the environment of the Tibetan plateau, calling for greater international cooperation and greater involvement by Tibetans.
Alleging that China is diverting water resources from Tibet, the TPSA also calls for a regional framework on water security, or use existing frameworks… to facilitate cooperative agreements among all riparian nations.
While the 2002 Act said the US should establish a “branch office” in Lhasa, the TSPA ups the ante by changing that to a “consulate”.
It recognizes the Central Tibetan Administration, whose Prime Minister LobsangSangay takes credit for ensuring that the Senate took up the legislation for a vote.

Chinese response to TPSA

China had earlier said the TPSA severely breached international law and basic norms governing international relations, interfered in China’s internal affairs, and sent a wrong message to ‘Tibet independence’ forces”.
After the passage of the Bill through the Senate, China said it “resolutely opposes” the “adoption of Bills containing such ill content”.

6. ISRO DEVELOPING GREEN PROPULSIONS

Subject: Science & tech

Context: Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have reported progress in the development of an environment-friendly propellant to power satellites and spacecraft.

Concept:

The effort is to replace the conventional hydrazine rocket fuel, a highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical, with a greener propellant for future missions
Due to its high-performance characteristics, hydrazine has dominated the space industry as the choice of propellant for over six decades, despite its environmental and health hazards and the challenges faced in its manufacturing, storage, ground handling and transportation
Initial tests by a research team at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) here have shown promising results in the formulation and associated tests of a propellant blend based on hydroxyl-ammonium nitrate (HAN)

Particulars of HAN

The LPSC team has formulated the HAN-based monopropellant
A monopropellant is a chemical propulsion fuel which does not require a separate oxidizer. It is used extensively in satellite thrusters for orbital correction and orientation control
The in-house formulation consists of HAN, ammonium nitrate, methanol and water
Methanol was added to reduce combustion instability, the choice of ammonium nitrate was dictated by its capacity to control the burn rate and lower the freezing point of the propellant.

7. DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR CFR AND HABITAT RIGHTS

Subject: Environment

Context: Gram Sabhas will have more power in the management of community forest rights (CFR) and habitat rights, according to new guidelines drafted by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) in December 2020.

Concept:

According to the draft, the Gram Sabhas will:

Integrate the committees that it has had traditional rights with for protection of wildlife, forest and biodiversity, catchment areas, water sources and other ecological sensitive areas
Be empowered to carry out the powers and authority as laid down under section 5 of FRA
File complaint before the state level monitoring committee (SLMC) under section 7 and 8 of the Act in case of any violation
Make rules and issue appropriate directions for governance and conservation of CFR, including functions of CFRMC; conflict / dispute resolution; benefit sharing; issuance of transit permit; fund management and etc., regulating powers, functions and activities of the CFRMC
Make rules or issue directions for management of fund generated from various sources
Approve CFR conservation and management plan / strategies / actions prepared / suggested by the CFRMC. If required, the Gram Sabha can modify suggested plans / actions / strategies including CFR conservation and management plans
Appoint any person or hire any institution for extending support to the Gram Sabha for preparation of CFR conservation and management plan, financial management system or activities coming under the purview of the Gram Sabha
Resolve any conflict or dispute related to the CFR governance and management
The guidelines also propose financial independence of the Gram Sabha through a fund, which would get the money from the sale of forest produce, development grant from the government and non-profits as well as compensatory afforestation funds.

8. MUTATION OF VIRUS

Subject: Science & tech

Context: The coronavirus variant circulating in the UK is defined by many mutations.

Concept:

A mutation means an alteration in genetic material.
In an RNA virus such as SARS-CoV-2, proteins are made of a sequence of amino acids. Such a virus contains some 30,000 ‘base pairs’, which are like bricks placed next to each other to form a structure. An alteration in this base can be a mutation, effectively changing the shape and behaviour of the virus.
In the UK variant, one mutation has made the virus more likely to bind with human proteins called receptors. This is called N501Y.

N501Y:

In simple words, the amino acid represented by the letter N, and present at position 501 in the coronavirus genetic structure, has been replaced in that position with another amino acid, represented by Y.
The position where this alteration has taken place is in the spike protein’s receptor-binding domain. (It is the spike protein of the virus that binds with the human receptor.)
Therefore, the mutation has increased the binding affinity of the coronavirus. The mutated virus reportedly accounts for 60% of recent infections in London.

P681H and HV 69/70:

According the World Health Organization (WHO), other than N501Y, mutations that “may influence the transmissibility of the virus in humans” are P681H and HV 69/70.
P681H: This mutation has occurred in the amino acid present at 681 — another position in the receptor-binding domain. Here the amino acid P has been replaced with H.
HV 69/70: This mutation is the result of a deletion of amino acids at positions 69 and 70. These positions are again in the spike protein of the virus. This deletion has been observed in France and South Africa as well.