Daily Prelims Notes 29 April 2024

April 29, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

29 April 2024

Table Of Contents

1. The significance of carrier aviation

Subject: Science and tech

Sec: Defence

Context:

On March 5, both aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy, INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, showcased “twin carrier operations” with MiG-29K fighter jets taking off simultaneously from both and landing cross deck.

More on news:

This demonstrated an ability that only a handful of nations can boast of. Further one of the carriers, INS Vikrant is indigenously designed and constructed.
Commissioned in September 2022, INS Vikrant has been fully operationalised and integrated into the operational cycle in record time.
India is currently negotiating with France for the purchase of 26 Rafale-M carrier jets as the MiG-29Ks are in short supply while an indigenous twin engine deck-based fighter is currently under development.

What does INS Vikrant signify?

The design work on the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)-I, later christened Vikrant, began in 1999; however 2005-2006 were probably the most crucial years for the carrier and for India’s war shipbuilding.
The crucial decision was on the warship grade steel, which till then was procured from Russia.
It was decided that it would be developed and produced in India, a collaborative effort between the Steel Authority of India, the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy.
DMR-249 steel is now being used for the construction of all warships in the country.

What is the composition of INS Vikrant?

The 262m long and 62m wide ship is powered by four General Electric LM2500 engines generating 88 MW of power giving it a maximum speed of 28 Knots and an endurance of 7,500 nautical miles.
Built at an overall cost of around ₹20,000 crore and 76% indigenous content, the ship has around 2,200 compartments, for a crew of around 1,600 that include specialized cabins to accommodate women officers and sailors.

What are its capabilities?

Vikrant can operate an air wing of 30 aircraft comprising MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R multi-role helicopters, in addition to indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters and Light Combat Aircraft (Navy).
It uses the STOBAR (Short Take-Off but Arrested Recovery) method to launch and recover aircraft for which it is equipped with a ski- jump to launch aircraft, and three ‘arrester wires’ for their recovery.
The flight deck has an independent lighting system to assist for bad weather and night operations.
Once the aircraft finishes the mission, they are safely vectored back to the ship and guided for a precision landing.
The fighters which have a hook under the belly pick up one of the three arresting gear wires on the flight deck.
The aircraft with a speed of more than 250 kmph is stopped within a distance of just 90m in just 2-3 seconds.
Vikrant has larger deck space and visibly larger hallways compared to previous carriers including Vikramaditya, which is of similar size.
The erstwhile 19,500 tonne Vikrant was India’s first carrier purchased from the U.K., which arrived in 1961 and played a vital role in the 1971 war.
Then came the 28,700 tonne INS Viraat commissioned in 1987, formerly HMS Hermes, also from the U.K.

After Vikrant, what next?

An aircraft carrier is fundamental to command, control and coordination of operations from the sea and to project combat power ashore, over the seas or in the air, noting that the fragile maritime security situation across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and India’s stature as the largest resident naval power necessitate a strong and robust Navy.
Aircraft carriers play a pivotal role in this and concurrent availability of two Carrier Battle Groups facilitate credible presence and preparedness on both Western and Eastern seaboards.
The Navy has already moved a case for a second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-II), a repeat of a Vikrant-like carrier.
The IAC-II displacing 45,000 tonnes will see some modifications and newer technologies incorporated in the original design of the Vikrant and will also be manufactured by CSL.
The proposed IAC-II has often been referred to as India’s third aircraft carrier.

About other countries:

Japan has begun converting its helicopter carriers to operate F-35 fighter jets.
China announced that it is building its fourth aircraft carrier, likely a nuclear-powered supercarrier.
From commissioning its first carrier, Liaoning, in 2012, launching second carrier Shadong in 2017, third carrier Fujian in 2022 and the fourth to be unveiled soon, China’s pace is absolutely unprecedented.

2. Anticyclones, hanging even now over India, link warming to heat

Subject: Geography

Sec: Climatology

Context:

The latest advisory from the India Meteorological Department has warned of severe heat wave conditions affecting extensive areas of eastern India and the Gangetic plain for the upcoming days.

More on news:

The complexities of the ways in which global warming manifests in local weather continue to underscore the need to model globally but predict locally.
The waning phase of the strong El Niño of 2023 brings the expected warm temperatures across the globe — while cooler temperatures spread from Pakistan across India to West Bengal during March.

What do the heat waves have to do with global warming?

Global warming also creates unique features locally that modulate heat waves on top of cool background temperatures.
Heat waves over India have been of special concern this season because of the general elections. Some persistent circulation patterns have been creating heat waves and this pattern should serve as another focal point for improving predictions.
It was apparent in March that the anticyclonic circulations over the North Indian Ocean were the drivers of unusual rainfall over Odisha.
An anticyclone has winds moving in a clockwise direction, with air sinking down in the middle of it.
As this air hits the ground, it is compressed and warmed and can create a high pressure heat dome.
An anticyclonic circulation could also explain the historic Dubai floods of April 17.

What links anticyclones to heat?

The persistence of the anticyclones is not unusual in and of itself. During the pre-monsoon season, the upper-level Indian Easterly Jet (IEJ) begins to take shape in the upper atmosphere, at around the 10 degrees N latitude, across the Arabian Sea, peninsular India, and the Bay of Bengal.
A strong westerly jet exists to the north around 30 degrees N, and the two together can generate an anticyclonic pattern over the Indian Ocean and the Indian subcontinent.
An easterly jet refers to strong winds coming from the east while westerly jets come from the west.
These are natural seasonal features.
The westerly jet is pushed north during the monsoon season and the IEJ dominates the Indian subcontinent.
During the pre-monsoon season, a strong anticyclone can bring dry and hot weather over many parts of India while a weak anticyclone produces milder weather.

About Heat Waves:

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has given the following criteria for Heat Waves :
Heat Wave need not be considered till maximum temperature of a station reaches atleast 40°C for Plains and atleast 30°C for Hilly regions
When normal maximum temperature of a station is less than or equal to 40°C Heat Wave Departure from normal is 5°C to 6°C Severe Heat Wave Departure from normal is 7°C or more
When the normal maximum temperature of a station is more than 40°C Heat Wave Departure from normal is 4°C to 5°C Severe Heat Wave Departure from normal is 6°C or more.
When actual maximum temperature remains 45°C or more irrespective of normal maximum temperature, heat waves should be declared.
Higher daily peak temperatures and longer, more intense heat waves are becoming increasingly frequent globally due to climate change.
India too is feeling the impact of climate change in terms of increased instances of heat waves which are more intense in nature with each passing year, and have a devastating impact on human health thereby increasing the number of heat wave casualties.

What are the stages of early warnings?

Returning to the local manifestation of global warming: accurate early-warning systems take a three-step approach called the ‘ready-set-go’ system, under the so-called ‘Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Predictions’ project of the World Climate Research Program under the World Meteorological Organisation.
India is part of this project, has invested heavily in S2S predictions, and has made impressive progress in improving the accuracy of predictions.
Preparing the system and guiding the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) requires this three-step approach to function efficiently and effectively.
The ‘ready’ step provides a seasonal outlook — where the background state, or the external factors (such as global warming and the El Niño), are used to maximize the accuracy of longer-lead forecasts. The ‘ready’ step allows the NDMA, its local agencies, and all local governments to ready their disaster response systems.
The subseasonal predictions refer to the extended range of weeks two to four, which contribute to the ‘set’ step.
Resource allocations and identifying potential hotspots to move resources including personnel ensure disaster-preparedness is set to go.
The ‘go’ step is based on short- (days 1-3) and medium- (days 3-10) range forecasts.

3. Geneva-based UN-related body to review India’s human rights accreditation status this week

Subject: IR

Sec: Int Org

Context:

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is preparing to defend the government’s human rights processes at a meeting in Geneva this week.

More on news:

The NHRC’s ratings were put on hold in 2023 over concerns on its composition procedure, the presence of police personnel in human rights investigations, and the lack of gender and minority representation, and the decision over whether the NHRC is given an A rating or a B rating would affect its ability to vote at the UN Human Rights Council and some UNGA bodies.
The meeting of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the UN-recognised Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) worldwide will be held on May 1.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is understood to have reached out to various countries involved in the review process to make its case through diplomatic channels.

About the timeline:

This is the second time the Modi government is facing a possible listing downgrade.
Since being accredited in 1999, India had retained its A ranking in 2006 and 2011, while its status was deferred in 2016 and restored after a year.
According to a six-point submission by the SCA in March 2023, the NHRC has failed to create conditions required to be able to operate independent of government interference.
The committee had slammed India for the involvement of police officers in its investigative process, calling it a conflict of interest.

About Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI):

The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI; known until 2016 as the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions or International Coordinating Committee, abbreviated ICC) is a global network of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) which coordinates the relationship between NHRIs and the United Nations human rights system.
It is unique as the only non-UN body whose internal accreditation system, based on compliance with the 1993 Paris Principles, grants access to UN committees.
Institutions accredited by the Subcommittee for Accreditation (SCA) of GANHRI with “A status”, meaning full compliance with the Paris Principles, are usually accorded speaking rights and seating at human rights treaty bodies and other UN organs, mainly to the Human Rights Council.
GANHRI representatives often present statements on behalf of individual NHRIs or the regional groups.