Daily Prelims Notes 27 June 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

27 June 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Centre approves Rs 56415 crore for 16 states under capex scheme
2. SEBI unveils ASBA-like facility for trading in secondary market
3. SEBI board to take up two new issues: FPI disclosure norms, MF total expense ratio
4. Debt restructuring by Sri Lanka
5. World economy at critical juncture in inflation fight: BIS warms
6. U.S., EU slowdown to hurt 1/5th of MSMEs: CRISIL Report
7. Hundreds stranded as a flash flood, landslips disrupt Himachal highways
8. Failure to find adequate funds may hamper Kunming-Montreal biodiversity targets
9. 11.7 million persons displaced in East Africa and Great Lakes region in 2023: UN Report
10. Why is Rostov-on-Don in news after Prigozhin rebelled against Russia?
11. Goodenough, Nobel laureate who gave the world Li-ion batteries, passes away
12. Climate Financing
13. India and Russia aim to establish Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route
14. Caste has no role in appointment of temple priests
15. Fibonacci spirals
16. Reign of Aurangazeb
17. India Egypt Relations
18. NHRC sends notice to Maharashtra over torture of 11 worker
19. Assam delimitation draft
20. Madras HC to hear petitions seeking Senthilbalaji’s ouster from T.N. Cabinet
21. Withdraw Sikh gurdwaras Bill or gear up to face stir, SGPC tells Punjab govt
22. Since April, 149 Char Dham yatris died from ailments and accidents

1. Centre approves Rs 56415 crore for 16 states under capex scheme

Subject : Economy

Section: Fiscal Policy

Context: Finance Ministry has approved investments worth Rs 56,415 crore across 16 states for the ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24’ scheme

Key points:

• Under the scheme investments will be made in sectors such as health, education, power, roads, railways and irrigation. The scheme provides a 50-year interest-free loan up to Rs 1.3 lakh crore to state governments.
• The outlay also includes the state share of two projects, namely Jal Jeevan Mission and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana under this scheme.
• The ministry has divided the scheme into eight parts.
  • Part-I: Rs 1 lakh crore has been allocated to States in proportion to their share of central taxes and duties.
  • Part-II: Allocation of Rs 3,000 crore incentives for scrapping of vehicles, including state government vehicles and ambulances. The funds will also be used to waive liabilities on old vehicles, provide tax concessions to individuals for scrapping of old vehicles and set up of automated vehicle testing facilities.
  • Parts III & IV: Focuses on incentives to states for reforms in urban planning and finance. For the same, Rs 15,000 crore and Rs 5,000 have been set aside respectively.
  • Part-V: Rs 2,000 crore is set aside in order to increase housing stock for police personnel and their families
  • Part-VI: The government has earmarked an amount of Rs 5,000 crore under Part-VI to build “Unity Mall” in each state. The idea is to strengthen the concept of ‘Make in India‘ and ‘One District, One Product‘.
• The top recipients are: Bihar, MP, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Odisha. The bottom recipients are: Goa, Sikkim, Mizoram, HP, Haryana

2. SEBI unveils ASBA-like facility for trading in secondary market

Subject : Economy

Section: Capital Market

Key points:

• SEBI has introduced a ASBA (Application supported by Blocked Amount)-like process for trading in the secondary market.
• At present money has to be transferred to the trading account before executing any trade. With this system funds can be blocked in the investor’s bank account itself.
• This will help protect the cash collateral needed to be parked with
• It has been built by integrating the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) mandate service of single-block-and-multiple-debits with the secondary market trading and settlement process and ‘UPI block facility’.
• Funds will remain in the bank account of the client but will be blocked in favour of the clearing corporation (CC) till the block is released by the CC (either through debit on execution of trade or by request from client for unblock)
• Details of operations:
  • The settlement for funds and securities will be done by the CC without the need for handling of client funds and securities by the member (member is the broker that the individual investor is using).
  • UPI block will be treated as collateral, and will also be used for settlement purposes.
  • A Block can be debited multiple times, subject to available balance, for settlement obligations across days.
  • An investor will have an option to either use UPI block on a broking account or use bank account. Different methods can be used for each broking account.
  • Single block limit of ₹5 lakh will apply, even while multiple blocks can co-exist subject to the overall limit applicable in UPI.

3. SEBI board to take up two new issues: FPI disclosure norms, MF total expense ratio

Subject : Economy

Section: Capital Market 

Context: SEBI is likely to bring in regulations on two important issues: Tighter disclosure norms for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and review of the fees levied by mutual funds on investors.

Key Points:

1. Tighter disclosure norms for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs): SEBI introduced a consultation document in the aftermath of the Adani-Hindenburg controversy. The Hindenburg report alleged that some FPIs held a significant stake in the listed companies of the Adani Group. To address these concerns SEBI brought out the consultation paper on a framework for mandating additional disclosures from Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs). The key recommendations are:
   1. Proposing tighter disclosure norms for high-risk FPIs to prevent circumvention of Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) rules
   2. Prevent possible misuse of FPI route to acquire or takeover stressed Indian companies at a lower valuation.
   3. High-risk FPIs, holding more than 50 per cent of their equity Asset Under Management (AUM) in a single corporate group and or having an overall holding in Indian equity markets of over Rs 25,000 crore will be required to comply with new disclosure requirements.
2. Review of the fees levied by mutual funds on investors: SEBI brought out the consultation paper on Review of Total Expense Ratio.
   1. It proposed that TER charged by mutual funds should be calculated at the level of the AMC (asset management company) and not at the scheme level.
   2. Also proposed that TER should be inclusive of securities transaction tax (STT) and goods and services tax (GST) on investment and advisory fees.
   3. The new methodology of calculation of TER can bring about transparency and reduction in the cost of investment in mutual funds for investors based on economies of scale.

4. Debt restructuring by Sri Lanka

Subject : Economy

Section: External sector

Key points:

• Sri Lanka (SL) initiated its domestic debt restructuring (DDR) process, one year after defaulting in servicing of its loans.
• IMFin March had extended a nearly $3 billion bailout facility over a period of four years to debt-ridden Sri Lanka to help stabilize its economy.
• As part of the DDR process, SL has announced a 5 day bank holiday. The plan will go to the public finance committee before being approved by the Parliament.
• The estimated debt of Sri Lanka is around $42 billion.

Negotiations with Creditors:

• Negotiations with bilateral creditors is on: 9 out of 17 countries have joined an “official creditor committee”, which is being co-chaired by India, Japan and France.
• The committee is considering Sri Lanks’s request for debt restructuring.
• The committee also includes the Paris Club (It is a group of major creditor countries who attempt to find a co-ordinated and sustainable solution to the payment difficulties experienced by debtor countries), but China (holds debt of around $7 billion) has chosen to remain an observer for now. China wants multilateral creditors to also join the same process.
• At present there is no clarity with respect to Private creditors, who hold the largest pie of debt in the form of Sovereign Bonds.
• Domestic debt restructuring may also be resorted to. This could take the form of longer tenure on deposits, reduced rates. This could have an adverse impact on people’s savings and pension.

5. World economy at critical juncture in inflation fight: BIS warms

Subject : economy

Section: Inflations

Key points:

• Swiss-based Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has stressed the need for more interest rate hikes, warning the world economy is at a critical juncture as countries struggle to rein in inflation.
• It noted that for the first time, across much of the world, high inflation is present along with widespread financial vulnerabilities.
• A ‘soft landing’ is still possible but may be difficult.

BIS highlighted three related risks and challenges:

1. Inflation Control: Even with continuous rate hike over the last 18 months, inflation in many top economies remains stubbornly high. BIS recommends that countries should stop short term focus on growth. Instead monetary policy must now restore price stability along with fiscal consolidation.
2. Banking Stress: BIS has pointed out that increased borrowing costs as a result of the higher rates, also poses a threat to the banking sector, as the failure of the Silicon Valley Bank and collapse of Credit Suisse bank shows. It further pointed out, that the more delay in tightening of monetary policy, the longer will be the period of elevated rates.
3. High public Debt: High interest rates for a longer period will also significantly increase the debt service burden of countries. Already the debt levels are on the higher side. If interest rates get to mid-1990s levels the overall debt service burden for top economies would, all else being equal, be the highest in history.

Bank for International Settlements

• Established in 1930, the BIS is owned by 60 central banks, representing countries from around the world that together account for about 95% of world GDP.
• Its head office is in Basel, Switzerland.
• The Bank for International Settlements is often called the “central bank for central banks” because it provides banking services to institutions such as the European Central Bank and Federal Reserve.
• Its mission is to serve central banks in their pursuit of monetary and financial stability, to foster international cooperation in those areas and to act as a bank for central banks.
• The Basel Committee for Banking Supervision (BCBS), while technically separate from the BIS, is a closely associated international forum for financial regulation that is housed in the BIS’ offices in Basel, Switzerland.
  • The BCBS is responsible for the Basel Accords, which recommend capital requirements and other banking regulations that are widely implemented by national governments.
• The BIS also conducts research into economic issues and publishes reports.

6. U.S. and EU slowdown to hurt 1/5th of MSMEs: CRISIL Report

Subject : Economy

Section: National Income

Key points:

• CRISIL analysis shows that around 20% of small businesses across sectors are to be adversely affected by economic slowdown in advanced countries, particularly the U.S. and Eurozone.
• The most immediate impact is in the form of increased working capital needs.
  • The debt requirement of MSMEs is estimated at over ₹100 lakh crore, of which 70% is working capital only and only a fourth of this is sourced formally.
  • Working capital requirement is directly linked to the receivable turnover, i.e. speed with which the cycle of order and final payment is completed. The shorter the duration of the receivable cycle, the less is the working capital needed.
  • The study found adverse effects on working capital requirement for three sectors–dyes and pigment, gems and jewellery, and construction.
• Dyes and pigments, pesticides and pharmaceuticals: The rise in working capital days is for three reasons–inventory pile-up following dumping by Chinese producers; the recent earthquake in Turkey, and a slowdown in the US.
• Diamond exports: The substantial decline in demand from the US–the largest export market–is having a major impact. That, in turn, is having a bearing on receivable days, leading to an increase in working capital days from 140 before the pandemic to over 200 now.
• Construction & roads sector: Reduced budgeted capex of last fiscal along with high commodity prices has added to the challenges in meeting working capital demand. This has led to an increase of over 100 days in their working capital cycle this fiscal compared to the pre-pandemic levels.

7. Hundreds stranded as a flash flood, landslips disrupt Himachal highways

Subject : Geography

Section: Indian Physical geography

Context:

• Chandigarh-Manali National Highway was blocked following flash floods and landslips.

Details:

• The alternative Mandi-Kullu route, via Katola, blocked after landslips, was opened again.

About  Flash Floods

• Flash Floods are highly localized events of short duration with a very high peak and usually have less than six hours between the occurrence of the rainfall and peak flood.
• The flood situation worsens in the presence of choked drainage lines or encroachments obstructing the natural flow of water.
• Flash floods have a different character than river floods, notably short time scales and occurring in small spatial scales, which make forecasting flash floods quite a different challenge than traditional flood forecasting approaches.
• Urban areas are more likely to experience this type of “surface water” flooding because they have a lot of hard surfaces.
  • When rain hits them it can’t soak into the ground as it would do in the countryside.

Consequences of flash flood:

• Frequently, flash floods are accompanied by landslides, which are sudden movements of rock, boulders, earth or debris down a slope.
• It is common in mountainous terrains, where there are conditions created for it in terms of the soil, rock, geology and slope.
• Natural causes that trigger landslides include heavy rainfall, earthquakes, snow-melting and undercutting of slopes due to flooding.
• Landslides can also be caused by human activities, such as excavation, cutting of hills and trees, excessive infrastructure development, and overgrazing by cattle.
• India is one of the countries most likely to face landslides. For a statewide analysis of this phenomenon, do read our previous explainer.

Flash flood-prone area:

• Flash flooding commonly happens more where rivers are narrow and steep, so they flow more quickly.
• They can occur in hilly regions and in urban areas located near small rivers since hard surfaces such as roads and concrete do not allow the water to absorb into the ground.
• India is the worst flood-affected country in the world, after Bangladesh, and accounts for one-fifth of the global death count due to floods.
• Flash floods have been commonly witnessed in cities like Chennai and Mumbai.
• Depression and cyclonic storms in the coastal areas of Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and others also cause flash floods.
• As per the NDMA, nearly 75 per cent of the total Indian rainfall is concentrated over a short monsoon season of four months (June to September).

NDMA Guidelines for Flash Floods: Do’s & Don’ts

• Before floods
  • Do not litter waste, plastic bags, plastic bottles in drains
  • Try to be at home if high tide and heavy rains occur simultaneously
  • Listen to the weather forecast at All India Radio, Doordarshan. Also, messages by Municipal bodies from time to time and act accordingly.
  • Evacuate low-lying areas and shift to safer places.
  • Make sure that each person has a lantern, torch, some edibles, drinking water, dry clothes and necessary documents while evacuating or shifting.
  • Make sure that each family member has identity card.
  • Put all valuables at a higher place in the house.

• In the Flood Situation
  • Obey orders by government and shift to a safer place.
  • Be at safe place and they try to collect correct information.
  • Switch of electrical supply and don’t touch open wires.
  • Don’t get carried away by rumors and don not spread rumors.

• After Floods
  • Drink chlorinated or boiled water.
  • Take clean and safe food
  • Sprinkle insecticides in the water ponds/ stagnant water.
  • Please cooperate with disaster survey team by giving correct information.

• DO’s
  • Switch off electrical and gas appliances, and turn off services off at the mains.
  • Carry your emergency kit and let your friends and family know where you are going.
  • Avoid contact with flood water it may be contaminated with sewage,oil, chemicals or other substances.
  • If you have to walk in standing water, use a pole or stick to ensure that you do not step into deep water, open manholes or ditches.
  • Stay away from power lines electrical current can travel through water, Report power lines that are down to the power company.
  • Look before you step-after a flood, the ground and floors are covered with debris, which may include broken bottles, sharp objects, nails etc. Floors and stairs covered with mud and debris can be slippery.
  • Listen to the radio or television for updates and information.
  • If the ceiling is wet shut off electricity. Place a bucket underneath the spot and poke a small hole into the ceiling to relieve the pressure.
  • Use buckets, clean towels and mops to remove as much of the water from the afflicted rooms as possible.
  • Place sheets of aluminium foil between furniture and wet carpet.

• Don’t’s
  • Don’t walk through flowing water – currents can be deceptive, and shallow, fast-moving water can knock you off your feet.
  • Don’t swim through fast-flowing water – you may get swept away or struck by an object in the water.
  • Don’t drive through a flooded area – You may not be able to see abrupt drop-offs and only half a meter of flood water can carry a car away. Driving through flood water can also cause additional damage to nearby property.
  • Don’t eat any food that has come into contact with flood water.
  • Don’t reconnect your power supply until a qualified engineer has checked it. Be alert for gas leaks – do not smoke or use candles, lanterns, or open flames.
  • Don’t scrub or brush mud and other deposits from materials, This may cause further damage.
  • Never turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet. Stay away from ceilings that are sagging.
  • Never use TVs, VCRS, CRT terminals or other electrical equipment while standing on wet floors, especially concrete.
  • Don’t attempt to remove standing water using your vacuum cleaner.
  • Don’t remove standing water in a basement too fast. If the pressure is relieved too quickly it may put undue stress on the walls.

8. Failure to find adequate funds may hamper Kunming-Montreal biodiversity targets

Subject : Environment

Section: International Convention

Context:

• Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council meeting is being held on 26 June 2023 in Brazil.

Details:

• GEF was tasked to find funds for the implementation of the Global Diversity framework adopted last December at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• At COP15, it was decided that a new trust fund, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBF), would be put in place to run the projects under the framework.
• Under Target 19 of the GBF, members have to generate at least $200 billion per year by 2030 for biodiversity.
• Financial assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition has to reach at least $20 billion per year by 2025 and at least $30 billion per year by 2030.
• GEF hopes that the initial contributions to the fund would reach $200 million from at least three donors by December 2023.
• The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund would separate biodiversity from the remaining financing by GEF, which at present manages six multilateral environmental agreements.
  • Other than the Convention on Biological Diversity, GEF also funds the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
• A seventh — United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction — is likely to be added to this list at the Brazil meeting.

About Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council:

• The Global Environment Facility has a unique governing structure organized around an Assembly, the Council, the Secretariat, 18 agencies, a Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel, and the Evaluation Office.
• The GEF serves as a financial mechanism for several environmental conventions.
• The Council:
  • The Council, the GEF’s main governing body, comprises 32 members appointed by constituencies of GEF member countries (14 from developed countries, 16 from developing countries, and two from economies in transition).
  • Council members rotate at different intervals determined by each constituency.
  • The Council, which meets twice annually, develops, adopts and evaluates the operational policies and programs for GEF-financed activities.
  • It also reviews and approves the work program (projects submitted for approval), making decisions by consensus.

9. 11.7 million persons displaced in East Africa and Great Lakes region in 2023: UN Report

Subject : Geography

Section: Places in news

Context:

• There were approximately 11.71 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes (EHAGL) region according to a situation report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the UN Refugee Agency.

Details:

• The IDP population mainly in Burundi, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan was estimated at 75,300, 2.73 million, 3 million, over 2.23 million and over 3.7 million people respectively.
• Causes of migration include:
  • In East Africa’s Burundi, the majority of the displacements were due to climate-related incidents like violent winds, torrential rains and flooding.
  • Burundi is globally one of the 20 most climate-vulnerable countries.
  • In Ethiopia, it is due to localised conflicts and inter-communal violence.
  • The internal displacement in Somalia was associated with conflict/insecurity (52 per cent), drought (31 per cent) and flooding (16 per cent).
  • The Gedo region has experienced the most flood-displaced persons.
  • In Sudan, the internal displacement is mainly due to the long-standing conflict in Darfur since 2004.
  • Globally, Sudan is one of the 20 countries most vulnerable to damage from a higher flooding frequency.

UNHRC response:

• In 2023, 135,000 people in the EHAGL region are predicted to be in need of resettlement.
• UNHCR has budgeted US $2.021 billion for the region in 2023, with growing needs in nine of the region’s 11 countries, especially Burundi, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan.
• It aims to support efforts to maintain open asylums across the region. It also presses people internationally to protect and assist those displaced in their return or resettlement elsewhere.

What lakes make up the Great Lakes region?

The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes constituting the part of the Rift Valley lakes in and around the East African Rift. They include Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water lake in the world in terms of surface area; and Lake Tanganyika, the world’s second largest in volume as well as the second deepest. The following, in order of size from largest to smallest, are included on most lists of the African Great Lakes: Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi, Lake Turkana, Lake Albert, Lake Kivu, and Lake Edward.

Some call only Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, and Lake Edward the Great Lakes, as they are the only three that empty into the White Nile. Lake Kyoga is part of Great Lakes system, but is not itself considered a Great Lake, based on size alone. Lake Tanganyika and Lake Kivu both empty into the Congo River system, while Lake Malawi is drained by the Shire River into the Zambezi. Lake Turkana has no outlet.

Two other lakes close to Lake Tanganyika do not appear on the lists despite being larger than Edward and Kivu: Lake Rukwa and Lake Mweru.

Countries of the Great Lakes Region

• The four countries that make up the Great Lakes region are: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.), Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.
• The African Great Lake region is likewise somewhat loose. It is used in a narrow sense for the area lying between northern Lake Tanganyika, western Lake Victoria, and lakes Kivu, Edward, and Albert. This comprises Burundi, Rwanda, northeastern D.R. Congo, Uganda and northwestern Kenya and Tanzania. It is used in a wider sense to extend to all of Kenya and Tanzania, but not usually as far south as Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique nor as far north as Ethiopia, though these four countries border one of the Great Lakes.
• Because of the density of population and the agricultural surplus in the region the area became highly organized into a number of small states. The most powerful of these monarchies were Rwanda, Burundi, Buganda, and Bunyoro.

10. Why is Rostov-on-Don in news after Prigozhin rebelled against Russia?

Subject : International Relations

Section: Places in news

Context:

Rostov-on-Don, a city located in the European part of Russia, has recently made headlines for a development far from its usual tourist attractions or football victories.

About Rostov-on-Don:

• Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia.
• It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, 32 kilometres (20 mi) from the Sea of Azov, directly north of the North Caucasus.
• The southwestern suburbs of the city lie above the Don River Delta. Rostov-on-Don has a population of over one million people and is an important cultural centre of Southern Russia.
• Located about 100 km from Ukraine, it is one of the southern cities of Russia.
• Port of five seas:
  • With the construction of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal in 1952, Rostov-on-Don became a port of five seas: the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, the Caspian Sea, the White Sea, and the Baltic Sea.
  • The Don River is a major shipping lane connecting southwestern Russia with the north. Rostov-on-Don is a trading port for Russian, Italian, Greek and Turkish merchants.
• History:
  • Historically, Rostov-on-Don was captured by Austria and Germany in World War 1.
  • During the Russian Civil War, the Whites and the Reds contested Rostov-on-Don, then the most heavily industrialized city of South Russia.
  • By 1928, the regional government had moved from the old Cossack capital of Novocherkassk to Rostov-on-Don.
  • In the Soviet years, the Bolsheviks demolished two of Rostov-on-Don’s principal landmarks: St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (1908) and St. George Cathedral (1783–1807).

11. Goodenough, Nobel laureate who gave the world Li-ion batteries, passes away

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Msc

Context:

• John Bannister Goodenough, the American co-inventor of Lithium-ion batteries and a co-winner of 2019 Nobel prize for Chemistry, has passed away. He was just a month short of turning 101.

About J. B. Goodenough:

• John Goodenough was born to American parents in Jena, Germany.
• After studying mathematics at Yale University, he served in the US Army during the Second World War as a meteorologist.
• He then studied at the University of Chicago and received a doctorate in physics in 1952. He subsequently worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Oxford University in the UK.
• He had been a professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
• In 2008, Goodenough wrote his autobiography, Witness to Grace, which he called “my personal history”. The book touches upon science and spirituality.

Contribution of J. B. Goodenough:

• British-American scientist Stan Whittingham, who shared the Nobel prize with Goodenough, was the first to reveal that lithium can be stored within sheets of titanium sulphide.
• Goodenough perfected it with a cobalt-based cathode to create a product that today touches nearly everyone’s life.
• Goodenough also played a significant role in the development of Random Access Memory (RAM) for computers.

About Li-ion Batteries:

• A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery.
• Li-ion batteries use an intercalated (Intercalation is the reversible inclusion or insertion of a molecule into materials with layered structures) lithium compound as one electrode material, compared to the metallic lithium used in a non-rechargeable lithium battery.
• The battery consists of an electrolyte, which allows for ionic movement, and the two electrodes are the constituent components of a lithium-ion battery cell.
• Lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging.

Lithium-ion Battery Applications:

• Electronic gadgets, Telecommunication, Aerospace, Industrial applications.
• Lithium-ion battery technology has made it the favourite power source for electric and hybrid electric vehicles.

Disadvantages of Li-ion Batteries:

• Long charging times.
• Safety issues as instances of batteries catching fires have been there.
• Expensive to manufacture.
• While the Li-ion batteries are seen as sufficiently efficient for applications such as phones and laptops, in the case of EVs, these cells still lack the range that would make them a viable alternative to internal combustion engines.

12. Climate Financing

Subject :Environment

Section: International conventions

Context:

• Remarks by the IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the Paris Summit Closing Press Conference.

Details:

• Our world is changing rapidly. It is affected by more frequent and severe shocks, and it is a world with more tensions than we need at this time.
• Economic shocks include:
  • Interest rates are up
  • Debt burdens are rising
  • The cost of living is high
  • Poverty and Inequality are increasing
  • Severe Consequences of the climate crisis

Three important topics of discussion include:

1. Debt:
   • It is a top priority to ease the debt burden on countries.
   • There is a mechanism of financing called the G20 Common Framework delivering for Chad, Zambia, and also for countries outside of the Common Framework such as Sri Lanka and Suriname.
   • They are benefiting from bringing creditors – both public and private – together.
   • The Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable brings together, for the first time in the last decades, traditional Paris Club creditors, non-Paris Club creditors – such as China, India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil – and the private sector together with the debtor countries.
   • The World Bank has shown leadership on debt suspension clauses in their programs.
   • The IMF has an instrument called the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust that allows them to directly provide debt relief to poorer countries when they’re hit by shocks.
2. Climate:
   • The IMF has over the last few years, integrated climate considerations into everything because the climate is macro-critical.
   • Focusing on Carbon Pricing Mechanism:
     • Our analysis shows that without a carbon price, there is no chance that we will meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius target by 2030.
     • We advocate for an inclusive approach that includes taxes but also trade, as well as regulatory actions.
     • Just five years ago, carbon pricing covered 17 per cent of global emissions. Now it covers around 25 per cent.

3. Financing:
   • The IMF has created a new instrument: the Resilience and Sustainability Trust.
   • It lends – for the first time in the history of the IMF – long-term affordable financing with a 20-year repayment period and a 10-and-a-half-year grace period.
   • Funding mechanisms include:
     • Contributions from countries like France
   • We have reached the commitment pledged in 2021 –the pledge of US$100 billion in SDR channelling. Around US$60 billion of this pledge is already working at the IMF in the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust and in the Resilience and Sustainability Trust.

G-20 Common framework:

• The G20’s “Common Framework” created to provide debt relief has shortcomings, as it failed to bring all creditors, including private and commercial creditors, on board and link debt relief with development and climate goals.
  

Funds set up under the IMF for Climate financing are:

1. Global Sovereign debt roundtable
2. Extended Credit and Extended Fund Facilities
3. Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust
4. Resilience and Sustainability Trust
5. Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust

13. India and Russia aim to establish Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route

Subject : International relations

Section: Places in news

Context:

• India and Russia are keen to make the Chennai – Vladivostok maritime route operational,n Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal informed.

Details:

• During the 2019 visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) on the ‘Development of Maritime Communications between the Port of Vladivostok and the Port of Chennai’.
• The Vladivostok – Chennai route passes through the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea and Malacca Strait.
• The route will bring down transport time to 12 days, almost a third of what is taken under the existing popular route that covers St Petersburg to Mumbai.
  • The current maritime route, St Petersburg to Mumbai, is said to be an 8,675 nautical mile (16,000 km) one.
  • Against this, the proposed Vladivostok – Chennai route is said to be 5647 nautical miles (10,500 km) long.
• Costs are expected to reduce by 30%.
• Significance of the new route:
• The new route would also give India access to the Far East, including countries like Mongolia, and the largest presence in the South East Asian region.
• While export from Russia could include coal, crude oil and LNG, apart from commodities like apples and kiwis.; shipments from India could include construction equipment, construction materials, and pharma, among others.

What is the Significance of the Russian Far East (REF)?

• The region encompasses one-third of Russia’s territory and is rich with natural resources such as fish, oil, natural gas, wood, diamonds and other minerals.
• The small population living in the region is another factor for encouraging people to move and work in the Far East.
• The region’s riches and resources contribute to 5 % of Russia’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
  • But despite the abundance and availability of materials, procuring and supplying them is an issue due to the unavailability of personnel.
• The RFE is geographically placed at a strategic location, acting as a gateway into Asia.

14. Caste has no role in appointment of temple priests

Subject : Polity

Section: Constitution

Concept :

• The Madras High Court has ordered that “pedigree based on caste” will have no role to play in the appointment of temple priests.

Background

• In 2022, the first Division Bench of the High Court had set up a committee led by retired Madras High Court Judge M Chockalingam to identify temples in the state based on whether they follow Agamic (scripture-based) or non-Agamic practices.

About the Case:

• Against the committee’s review, a petitioner has argued that, appointments must follow the specific Agama (scriptures governing temple rituals) principles adhered to by the temple, and that the job advertisement infringed upon the hereditary right of the petitioner and others, who, according to the petition, have been rendering their services at the temple under a line of succession from time immemorial.
• Despite hearing the petition, Madras high court has maintained that “any person, regardless of caste or creed, can be appointed ‘as an Archaka,’ if they are knowledgeable and skilled in the necessary religious scriptures and rituals”.

Supreme Court’s Argument on ‘Religion vs. Secularism’:

• The apex court differentiated between the religious portion and the secular portion, and held that the “religious service by an Archaka is the secular part of the religion and the performance of the religious service is an integral part of the religion.”
• A bench headed by justice Ranjan Gogoi upheld a Hindu temple’s right to appoint priests on the basis of individual traditionally codified practices but underlined that inclusion or exclusion as per the religious code should not be based on the criteria of caste, birth or any other constitutionally unacceptable parameter.
• This would mean that there should be no discrimination while appointing priests.

Agamic & non-Agamic practices:

• The Agamas provide a considerable amount of information on the earliest codes of temple building, image-making, and religious procedure.

Agama Sastra:

• Agama Shastra or Sastra is a Sanskrit word that describes the blueprint for rituals, worship, temple construction, and many other things among the traditions of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.
• The Agama Shastra acts as the manual for all religious practice-related details and can be viewed as a collection that goes beyond belief.
• It specifically explains, for instance, how to build a temple, including sculptures and statues of goddesses, but also gives instructions on appropriate forms of meditation.

Madras and Contribution in Abolition of Untouchability:

• Tamil Nadu has had a history of social agitations against caste discrimination in the temple space.
• The temple entry at Madurai Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple in 1939 is usually held up as the defining moment in the history of the temple entry movement in Tamil Nadu.
• This was led by Gandhian leaders belonging to the Madras Harijan Sevak Sangh, and it was supported by the Congress government.

Madras Temple Entry Authorization Bill of 1947 :

• An Act to authorize entry into Hindu temple in the Province of Madras and the offer of worship therein by certain classes of Hindus who by custom or usage are excluded from such entry and worship.

15. Fibonacci spirals

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Msc

Concept :

• A new study, based on 407-million-year-old fossils challenges the belief that Fibonacci spirals represent an ancient and highly conserved feature, dating back to the earliest stages of plant evolution and persisting in their present forms.

Non-Fibonacci spirals in early plants

• Surprisingly, the study discovered that all of the spirals observed in this particular species did not follow this same rule. Today, only a very few plants don’t follow a Fibonacci pattern.
• We examined the arrangement of leaves and reproductive structures in the first group of plants known to have developed leaves, called clubmosses.
• Specifically, we studied plant fossils of the extinct clubmoss species Asteroxylon mackiei. The fossils we studied are now housed in museum collections in the UK and Germany but were originally collected from the Rhynie chert – a fossil site in northern Scotland.
• Images of thin slices of fossils and then used digital reconstruction techniques to visualise the arrangement of Asteroxylon mackiei’s leaves in 3D and quantify the spirals.
• Based on this analysis, we discovered that leaf arrangement was highly variable in Asteroxylon mackiei. In fact, non-Fibonacci spirals were the most common arrangement. The discovery of non-Fibonacci spirals in such an early fossil is surprising as they are very rare in living plant species today.

About Fibonacci spirals

• Spirals occur frequently in nature and can be seen in plant leaves, animal shells and even in the double helix of our DNA.
• In most cases, these spirals relate to the Fibonacci sequence.
• Fibonacci sequence is a set of numbers where each is the sum of the two numbers that precede it (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and so on).
• These patterns are particularly widespread in plants and can even be recognised with the naked eye.
• Due to their frequency in living plant species, it has long been thought that Fibonacci spirals were ancient and highly conserved in all plants.

16. Reign of Aurangazeb

Subject : History

Section : medieval history

Concept :

• He assumed the title Alamgir, World Conqueror.
• His military campaigns in his first ten years of reign were a great success. He suppressed the minor revolts. But he faced serious difficulties in the latter part of his reign
• The Jats and Satnamis and also the Sikhs revolted against him. These revolts were induced by his harsh religious policy.
• Aurangazeb was basicallu puritan (religious) in nature. He imposed jijiya on Hindus.
• He was influenced by Nakshabandi sufi order.
• Prince Akbar rebelled against his father Aurangazeb, in this connection ninth Guru of Sikhs Guru Tegbahadur was executed by Aurangazeb.

Deccan policy:

• Deccan policy of Aurangzeb was motivated by the policy of containing the growing influence of the Marathas, the rebellious attitude of the Shia kingdoms of Deccan like Golkonda and Bijapur and to curtail the rebellious activities of his son Akbar who had taken refuge in the Deccan.
• Aurangzeb came to the Deccan in 1682 and remained in the Deccan till his death in 1707.
• Aurangazeb annexed Golconda and Bijapur.
• In fact, the destruction of the Deccan kingdoms was a political blunder on the part of Aurangazeb.
• The barrier between the Mughals and the Marathas was removed and there ensued a direct confrontation between them. Also, his Deccan campaigns exhausted the Mughal treasury. According to J.N. Sarkar, the Deccan ulcer ruined Aurangazeb.
• The Marathas under Shivaji were a threat to Aurangzeb.
• Aurangzeb sent two of his great generals Shaista Khan and Jai Singh
• one after the other to capture Shivaji. Jai Singh captured Shivaji and took him to
• Delhi but Shivaji managed to escape to the Deccan.
• Shivaji, employing guerrilla tactics, defied the Mughal forces till his death at the age of 53 in 1680.
• Aurangazeb was severely tested by the Marathas till his death in 1707 as the sons of Shivaji continued the rebellion.
• The death of Aurangzeb in 1707 marked a watershed in Indian history as the Mughal empire virtually came to end even though the weak successors of Aurangzeb held the throne the next 150 years.

Religious policies of Aurangzeb

• Aurangzeb was known as “Zinda Pir” or “Darvesh” due to his simple way of living and high-level thinking.
• He was a highly orthodox Sunni Muslim ruler with the least tolerance for religious matters. He ruled according to the Sharia law in the Quran.
• He banned drinking and singing in court. Public drinking was also prohibited. Muhtasibs was appointed to assure that people do not drink in public places and followed sharia, a traditional Islamic law. However, Muhtasibs were not allowed to interfere with the life of people in the state.
• He prohibited Kalma, an Islamic Inscription on coins, as he believed it might get polluted when passed from one person to another.
• He put restrictions on the celebration of Nauroz, a festival celebrated by the Safavid rulers of Iran.
• He banned singing and dancing in courtrooms but allowed ‘Naubat’, the royal band in courts, and instrumental music.
• In 1679, Aurangzeb re-introduced the jizyah tax or the poll tax for the non-muslim population. Jizya was abolished by Akbar in 1564. However, economically weak sections of society, the elderly, children, and women, were exempted from paying these taxes.
• He also increased the land tax to meet the state expenses, which affected the Hindu Jats to a great extent.
• Aurangzeb encouraged the Persian language. During his reign, a number of Persian works on Indian Classical music were born.
• He abolished the practice of weighing the Emperor with gold, and the practice of Jharokha darshan, initiated by Akbar. Jharokha Darshan was the practice of the Emperor presenting himself from the balcony, and Aurangzeb considered this un-Islamic.
• He opposed the renovation of old houses of worship, stating that “buildings cannot last forever”.
• Aurangzeb prohibited astrologers from making almanacks.
• In 1667, he banned the use of firecrackers and fireworks in all the states under his rule.
• Aurangzeb did not try to alter the nature of the state. Indeed, he took efforts to emphasize the fundamental principles of Islam.

Abolition of temples

• He did not allow the construction of new temples, churches, synagogues, etc. Long-standing temples and religious structures were given an exception.
• However, he demolished the Somnath temple, where he faced political opposition from Marathas, Jats, etc. Apart from that, he ordered the destruction of a number of temples in Gujarat. According to him, temples were breeding grounds for rebellious activities and practices that were not acceptable to him by any means.
• In addition, Hindus and Muslims covered long distances to visit the temples in places like Banaras.He disliked this practice and undertook serious action against the temples and ordered Governors to take urgent measures to prohibit temple visits by Muslims.
• The famous Vishwanath temple in Banaras, and Keshav Rai in Mathura, were destroyed, and mosques were built in the same spot.
• Several temples in Odisha, historic temples in Udaipur and Jodhpur, along with surrounding Parganas, were also pulled down. After 1679, there was no large-scale construction of temples in the south.
• According to sources, Aurangzeb destroyed around 15 big temples during his reign.

17. India Egypt Relations

Subject : International Relations

Section : India and world

Concept :

Historical aspect:

• India and Egypt, two of the world’s oldest civilizations, have enjoyed a history of close contact from ancient times.
• Even prior to the Common Era, Ashoka’s edicts refer to his relations with Egypt.
• Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in the African continent.
• India and Egypt share close political understanding based on a long history of cooperation in bilateral, regional and global issues.
• Diplomatic relations were established on August 18, 1947 (completed 75 years in 2022).
• India’s PM Jawaharlal Nehru and Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser signed the Friendship Treaty between the two countries, and they were key to forming the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM in 1961) along with Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.
• High-level exchanges with Egypt continued post 2011 Egyptian Revolution and the new government led by President (Sisi) took over in 2014.
• When the Egyptian President paid a State visit to India in 2016, a joint statement was issued, outlining the three pillars–
• Political-security cooperation,
• Economic engagement and scientific collaboration and
• Cultural and people-people ties as the basis of a new partnership for a new era.

Participation in G77

• Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations. It was established in 1964 by 77 developing countries.
• Aim: To promote its members’ collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations and promote South-South cooperation for development.
• Members: The members of G-77 have increased to 134 countries. However, the original name was retained due to its historic significance. India is one of the members of the G77.
• Traditionally G77 speaks with a single voice before the 193-member General Assembly and also at all UN committee meetings and at international conferences.

18. NHRC sends notice to Maharashtra over torture of 11 worker

Subject :Polity

Section  National Body

Concept :

• Days after Maharashtra police rescued 11 labourers who were being held captive by a contractor in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the State Government over the issue.
• The NHRC had observed that the Provisions of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 had been grossly violated by the contractor in this case.
• The incident clearly indicated the failure of the local administration to safeguard the labourers from such brutality committed upon them by the contractors, without any fear of the law. The officers who failed to do their lawful duty were required to be dealt with as per law.

Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976

• To abolish bonded labour in India, the Parliament of India enacted the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
• The District Magistrates were given the authority to enforce the Bonded Labour System Abolition Act of 1976.
• As per this act, trials for labour offences could be set up at local and national levels by the Indian Judicial powers.
• However, due to poor implementation of the law, there were almost 3,00,000 bonded labourers in India as per the figures put out in 2009 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

For further notes on NHRC – https://optimizeias.com/nhrc-2/

19. Assam delimitation draft

Subject : Polity

Section : ELECTION

Concept :

• The Election Commission recently released a draft delimitation document for Assam, suggesting modifications to the boundaries of several Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies. However, the proposal has sparked protests and controversies in the state.

Delimitation and its Purpose:

• Delimitation means redrawing boundaries of parliamentary and assembly seats to reflect changes in population.
• The objective is to ensure equal representation for population segments and prevent any political party from gaining an unfair advantage.
• In Assam, delimitation was deferred in 2008 due to security concerns and was officially revived in 2020 based on the 2001 Census data.

Highlights of the Proposal:

• While the number of seats remains the same (126 Assembly and 14 Lok Sabha), the draft suggests changes in geographical boundaries and an increase in reserved constituencies for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC).

Key highlights include:

• Increased Reserved Seats: SC assembly seats increased from 8 to 9, and ST assembly seats increased from 16 to 19.
• More Seats for Districts with Autonomous Councils: One assembly seat increased in West Karbi Anglong District, and three assembly seats increased in the Bodo Territorial Region.
• Nomenclature Change: Kaliabor Lok Sabha constituency renamed as ‘Kaziranga.’

Process and Controversies:

• The constituencies were delimited based on the 2001 Census data, while considering the suggestions of political parties and organizations.
• However, the draft has faced allegations of being partisan and divisive. Opponents, particularly the AIUDF representing Bengali-origin Muslims, argue that the proposal divides voters along religious lines and disadvantages their community politically.
• They claim that Muslim-majority areas have been merged with Hindu-majority populations, reducing the number of constituencies where Muslim legislators can be elected.

For further notes on Delimitation, refer – https://optimizeias.com/delimitation-3/

20. Madras HC to hear petitions seeking Senthilbalaji’s ouster from T.N. Cabinet

Subject : Polity

Section : Executive

Concept :

• The Madras High Court has listed for hearing a batch of writ petitions challenging the continuation of V. Senthilbalaji as Minister without portfolio in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet despite his arrest on June 14 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.
• The counsels for the two petitioners referred to Article 164 of the Constitution and contended that a Minister could continue in office only “during the pleasure of the Governor”.

Article 164 of the Constitution

• Article 164 contains similar provisions to Article 75 for the State Council of Ministers.
• According to Article 164(1), the Governor appoints the state’s Council of Ministers on the advice of the Chief Minister.
• In addition, a Minister of Tribal Welfares will be appointed in the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa, who will also be responsible for the welfare of scheduled castes and backward classes.
• According to Article 164(1)(a), a state’s total number of ministers cannot exceed 15% of the entire number of ministers in the state.
• The 91st amendment adds Article 164(1)(b) to the Act, which mentions the disqualification of a minister of state.
• Article 164(2) refers to the state’s Council of Ministers’ collective responsibility.
• Article 164(3) discusses the forms of oath mentioned in the Constitution’s Third Schedule.
• According to Article 164(4), a Minister should retire from office if he or she has not been a member of the state legislature for six months.
• The wages and other allowances paid to the state council of Ministers are discussed in Article 164(5).

21. Withdraw Sikh gurdwaras Bill or gear up to face stir, SGPC tells Punjab govt

Subject : History

Section :Art and Culture

Concept :

• The SGPC special general house session on Monday completely rejected the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023 while calling it a direct attack on the independence of the apex gurdwara body.
• Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami also warned that an agitation will be launched against the AAP-led Punjab government if the Bill was not withdrawn.

Highlights of the bill

• The Amendment is going to pave the way for eliminating the undue control of ‘Modern Day Masands’ over the free-to-air telecast of the sacred ‘Gurbani’.
• Section 125-A will be inserted for the live telecast of Gurbani free of cost.
• ‘Gurbani’ is Sikh term, very commonly used by Sikhs to refer to various compositions by the Sikh Gurus and other writers of Guru Granth Sahib.
• The Act stipulates that it will be the duty of the SGPC Board to propagate the teachings of the Gurus by making uninterrupted (without any on screen running advertisements/ commercials/distortion) live feed (audio or audio as well as video) of Gurbani available free of cost to all media houses, outlets, platforms, channels, whoever wishes to broadcast it.

Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925:

• Sikh Gurdwara Act is a legislation passed in India unanimously by the Punjab legislative council in July 1925 to end a controversy within the Sikh community that had embroiled it with the British government and threatened the tranquillity of the Punjab.
• The controversy had emerged over a reforming movement, organized as the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee that wished to remove from the Sikh gurdwaras (temples) hereditary mahants (guardians), who in some cases had diverted temple revenues to private use.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee:

• The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is an organization in India responsible for the management of Gurdwaras.
• They administer the Sikh places of worship in states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the union territory of Chandigarh.
• SGPC also administers Darbar Sahib in Amritsar.
• The SGPC is governed by the president of SGPC.

22. Since April, 149 Char Dham yatris died from ailments and accidents

Subject :Geography

Section: Places in news

• Char Dham means Four Dhams i.e. Four religious places. Char Dham in Uttarakhand is a collective term used for religous circuit covering Holy hindu pilgrimage centres of Badarinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
• All four temple shrines are located in Garhwal Himalayas range of Uttarakhand.
• This is considered as most sacred religious places to be visited by Hindus, to get rid of their sins and pave path to ultimate goal of human life – the Moksha.
• Akha-Trij or Akha-Teej marks the beginning of the Chota Char Dham Yatra. The ‘Yatra’ typically closes 2 days after Diwali, on the day of Bhai-Bij

Brief about Chota Chardham Temples:-

1. Yamunotri :- The first shrine of chota chardham,this temple is dedicated to River Yamuna (Hindu Goddess,Daughter of Sun God).It is situated in Gharwal Region of Uttarakhand State.
2. Gangotri :- The temple is devoted to Goddess Ganges (Most sacred River in India). It is second shrines of chota chardham circuit.
3. Kedarnath :- The temple is devoted to God Shiva. There is 12 main Jyotirlinga of shiva & Kedarnath is one of the main jyotirling. Third shrine of chota chardham.
4. Badrinath:- The temple is dedicated to God Vishnu. It is also the part of main Chardham Circuit in India & forth shrine of Chota chardham Yatra.