Daily Prelims Notes 29 June 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

29 June 2024

1. Union Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare unveiled three initiatives at the आयुष्मान भारत, गुणवत्त स्वास्थ्य event

Sub: Schemes

Sec: Health

Context:

• Union Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav and Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel unveiled three initiatives at the आयुष्मान भारत, गुणवत्त स्वास्थ्य event.

More on news:

• The initiatives will play a major role in improving the quality of healthcare services and promoting the ease of doing business in India.

Initiatives launched:

Virtual Assessment for Ayushman Arogya Mandir:

• The Union Ministers have launched a virtual National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) assessment for Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM).
• It will act as a dashboard which will help national, state and district health institutions and facilities in quickly monitoring compliance with respect to Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) and taking actions accordingly and a spot food license and registration initiative for food vendors.
•  Led by Community Health Officers, the primary healthcare teams at AAM are trained to manage initial care, triage, and refer patients to appropriate facilities for further treatment.
• This approach reduces the burden on secondary and tertiary care facilities by providing primary care services closer to the community with adequate referral linkages.
• The early identification and management of health issues help prevent disease progression, necessitating advanced care.
• National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) were developed for District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, Rural and Urban Primary Healthcare Centres, and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Sub Centres) with the goal of full compliance by 2026.

NQAS for Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL):

• By establishing Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL) the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Government of India, has strengthened laboratory systems under the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). 
• These laboratories ensure accessibility, efficiency, and quality in diagnostic services, which are fundamental to effective healthcare delivery.
• The Standards will improve the quality and competence of management and testing systems in IPHLs which will positively impact the reliability of test results and help gain the trust of clinicians, patients and the public regarding lab outputs.
• Revised guidelines for Kayakalp were also released.

Launch of the IPHS Dashboard for Real-time monitoring of Public Health Facilities:

• The launch of the IPHS Compliance Dashboard represents a revolutionary strategy in India’s healthcare development.
• The IPHS Dashboard is a pioneering digital platform for real-time monitoring of public health facilities that provides a comprehensive overview of the assessment and compliance status of public health facilities, including District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals, Community Health Centers, Primary Health Centers, and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

FoSCoS:

• FoSCoS is a state-of-the-art, Pan-India IT platform designed to address all food safety regulatory needs.
• This innovative system simplifies the licensing and registration processes, offering an enhanced user experience.
• Beyond licensing and registrations, FoSCoS facilitates self-compliance through online return filings, hygiene ratings for food service establishments, third-party audits for safety parameters and more.
• Integrated with other IT platforms of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), FoSCoS provides a comprehensive solution for food business operators.
• Instant issuance of licenses without the intervention of a licensing authority will be available for select categories such as wholesalers, distributors, retailers, transporters, storage without atmospheric control + cold, importers, food vending agencies, direct sellers and merchant-exporters.

2. Camouflaging as a dead enzyme VEGFR1 holds key to medical solutions for colon and renal cancers

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Health

Context:

• Researchers have decoded the molecular mechanism in which a cell surface receptor belonging to the family of enzymes that bind growth factors, regulate cell differentiation, proliferation, survival, metabolism, and migration, prevents cancers.

More on news:

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, investigated one such RTK called Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR). 
• The research carried out at the Analytical Biology Facility at IISER Kolkata with its DST-FIST supported ITC and stopped-flow fluorimeter.
• The research highlights the therapeutic potential of phosphatase modulators in regulating VEGFR1-mediated pathological formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) which takes place in cancer.
• The VEGFR family of receptors is the key regulator of the process of generating new blood vessels.

About the enzyme:

• The enzyme called VEGFR1 withholds self-expression (autoinhibited) in the absence of a ligand—for example hormones.
• The research can show the way for developing medical solutions for colon and renal cancers by using molecules that preferentially stabilizes the inactive state of VEGFR1.
• Cell surface receptors like Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTK) are crucial for converting extracellular signals (from chemical cues like growth factors, generally referred to as ligands) to tightly regulated cellular response.
• Ligand binding to extracellular receptors activates intracellular coupled enzymes (tyrosine kinases).
• The activated enzyme adds a phosphate group to several tyrosine molecules that function as an adaptor for assembling a signaling complex.
• The formation of the signaling complex regulates diverse cellular functions like cell growth, development, and host immune response. 
• Spontaneous activation of RTKs, in the absence of ligands, is often linked to multiple human pathologies like cancers, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.
• Researchers are exploring how a cell maintains an autoinhibited state of the enzyme and why such autoinhibition is breached during the progression of human pathology.

Intended Benefits:

• This process is essential for functions like embryonic development, wound healing, tissue regeneration, and tumor formation.
• Various malignant and non-malignant diseases can be treated by targeting VEGFRs.

Working of VEGFR 1 and VEGFR 2:

• The researchers were intrigued by the fact that two members of family VEGFR 1 and VEGFR 2 behaved quite differently. 
• While VEGFR 2, the primary receptor regulating process of formation of new blood vessels, could be spontaneously activated, without its ligand, the other member of the family VEGFR 1 cannot be spontaneously activated even when overexpressed in cells.
• It camouflages as a dead enzyme VEGFR1 and binds with ten-fold higher affinity to its ligand VEGF-A than VEGFR2. 
• This ligand binding induces a transient kinase (speeding up chemical reactions in the body by an enzyme) activation.
• Activation of VEGFR1 has been found to lead to cancer-associated pain, tumor cell survival in breast cancer, and migration of human colorectal cancer cells.

3. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launches ‘Bhuvan Panchayat (Ver. 4.0)” portal for rural land record

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: IT

Context:

• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today launched two Geoportals namely ‘Bhuvan Panchayat (Ver. 4.0)” portal for rural land record and “National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM Ver. 5.0)” developed by Indian Space research Organization (ISRO), here today at Prithvi Bhavan.

More on news:

• These latest geospatial tools are meant for visualization and planning to provide high resolution satellite imagery of 1:10K scale for different locations across the entire country.

About the portals:

• Bhuvan Panchayat Portal aims to support space based Information Support for Decentralized Planning (SISDP) and empower the citizens at the grass root level in Panchayats.
• National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM Ver. 5.0) aims  to provide space-based inputs on natural disasters and aid in disaster risk reduction In India as well as neighboring countries.
• National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM Ver. 5.0) will provide space-based inputs on natural disasters and aid in disaster risk reduction In India as well as neighboring countries.
• It aims to put in place an effective early warning system so that the administration can proactively prevent the disasters and inform us regarding the Land use Land change(LULC).

4. Delhi-NCR’s June deluge a result of rapid, strong monsoon onset in the presence of active Western Disturbance: Experts

Sub: Geography

Sec: Climatology

Extreme Rainfall and Flooding in Delhi and NCR:

• The extreme rainfall and flooding in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on the night of June 27-28 was due to the rapid and strong onset of the southwest monsoon, combined with an active western disturbance (WD).
• Interactions between the southwest monsoon and WDs have become more frequent due to changes in the characteristics of WDs.
• The Safdarjung observatory recorded 228 millimetres of rainfall by 8:30 am on June 28, marking the second-highest June rainfall on record, following the 235.5 mm recorded on June 28, 1936.

Cause of extreme rainfall:

• The primary cause of the extreme rainfall was the rapid and intense onset of the southwest monsoon over the region on June 28, following a long hiatus from early to mid-June.
• The presence of a WD and an associated cyclonic circulation over the region contributed to the heavy rainfall.
• WDs, which are more common in winter, have been occurring more frequently in the summer months in recent years, due to a strengthening subtropical jet stream and its delayed northward retreat, leading to interactions with the monsoon trough and causing catastrophic floods.
  • The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) changes to 20°-25° N latitude in July and is positioned in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, while the southwest monsoons blow from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The ITCZ at this position is commonly referred to as the Monsoon Trough.
• Excess moisture from the warm Arabian Sea also contributed to the torrential rains. This system allowed the jet stream to pump large amounts of moisture into northwest and central India.

What are Western Disturbances?

• Western disturbances are storms that originate in the Caspian or Mediterranean Sea and bring non-monsoonal rainfall to northwest India.
• They are labelled as an extra-tropical storm originating in the Mediterranean, an area of low pressure that brings sudden showers, snow and fog in northwest India.
• The disturbance travels from the “western” to the eastern direction.
• These travel eastwards on high-altitude westerly jet streams – massive ribbons of fast winds traversing the earth from west to east.
• Disturbance means an area of “disturbed” or reduced air pressure.
• Equilibrium exists in nature due to which the air in a region tries to normalise its pressure.

Sub-tropical jet stream:

• A subtropical jet stream is a belt of strong upper-level winds lying above regions of subtropical high pressure.
• Unlike the polar front jet stream, it travels in lower latitudes and at slightly higher elevations, owing to the increase in height of the tropopause at lower latitudes.
• The associated horizontal temperature gradients of this jet stream do not extend to the surface, so a surface front is not evident.

Source: DTE

5. India achieves an ‘outstanding outcome’ in FATF mutual evaluation 2023-24

Sub: IR

Sec: Int Conventions

Context:

• India achieved an outstanding outcome in the Mutual Evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for 2023-24, placing it in the “regular follow-up” category, shared by only four other G-20 countries. This marks a significant milestone in combating money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF).

High Level of Compliance:

• The FATF plenary concluded that India had reached a high level of technical compliance with its requirements, achieving good results in AML (anti-money laundering), CFT (countering the financing of terrorism), and CPF (counter-proliferation financing) regimes, including international cooperation and financial intelligence.
• However, improvements are needed in non-financial sectors, delays in ML and TF prosecutions, and implementation of CFT measures in the non-profit sector.
• The government highlighted that the FATF recognition is a testament to India’s rigorous and effective measures over the last decade to safeguard its financial system.

Efforts made by India to safeguard its financial system:

• The FATF recognised India’s efforts in mitigating risks from ML and TF, including corruption, fraud, and organized crime.
• Measures such as the implementation of the JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) Trinity and stringent regulations on cash transactions have increased financial inclusion and digital transactions, making them more traceable.
• Since 2014, India has enacted legislative changes and bolstered enforcement efforts to tackle ML, TF, and black money, bringing measures in line with international standards. These efforts have effectively dismantled terror funding networks and stemmed the flow of black money and narcotics.
• The Department of Revenue led India’s engagement with the FATF during the mutual evaluation process, supported by a multi-disciplinary team from various ministries, the NSCS, state authorities, judiciary, financial sector regulators, self-regulatory organizations, financial institutions, and businesses.
• India, a member of the FATF since 2010 and part of its Steering Group, remains committed to strengthening its AML/CFT framework and collaborating with international partners to combat financial crimes.

Benefits of FATF Ratings

• The high rating sets a benchmark for the region and enhances India’s capacity to lead the global effort against ML and TF.
• India’s good performance in the FATF Mutual Evaluation enhances the stability and integrity of its financial system, leading to better access to global financial markets, increased investor confidence, and support for the global expansion of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

About the Financial Action Task Force (FATF):

• FATF is an intergovernmental organisation founded in 1989.
• It is an initiative of the G7 countries to develop policies to combat money laundering.
• In 2001, its mandate was expanded to include terrorism financing.
• It has also started dealing with virtual currencies.
• It sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society.
• It is a “policy-making body” which works to generate the political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in money laundering.
• It monitors progress in implementing its recommendations through “peer reviews” (“mutual evaluations”) of member countries.
• The FATF Secretariat is located in Paris.

Objectives of FATF:

• FATF sets standards and promotes effective implementation of:
• legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering.
• The FATF works to identify national-level vulnerabilities with the aim of protecting the international financial system from misuse.

Members of FATF:

• The FATF currently comprises 38 member jurisdictions and two regional organisations, representing most major financial centres in all parts of the globe.
• India became an Observer at FATF in 2006. In 2010, India was taken in as the 34th country member of FATF.

FATF’s Mutual Evaluation Process:

• The Mutual Evaluation Process is a comprehensive and rigorous assessment conducted to evaluate a country’s compliance with international standards for combating money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF).
• This process includes:
  • Evaluation Team: A team of experts from FATF member countries conducts the evaluation, analysing the country’s measures and their effectiveness in preventing ML and TF.
  • Assessment Criteria: The evaluation is based on FATF’s 40 Recommendations, which cover a wide range of preventive measures, criminal justice, law enforcement, and international cooperation.
  • Technical Compliance: This aspect assesses whether the country’s legal and institutional frameworks are in line with FATF standards. It examines the laws, regulations, and other measures in place to combat ML and TF.
  • Effectiveness: The evaluation also measures the effectiveness of these frameworks. This involves assessing how well the country implements and enforces its laws and regulations, and how effectively it achieves the desired outcomes in combating ML and TF.
  • Country Reports: The findings are compiled into a Mutual Evaluation Report, which provides a detailed analysis of the country’s compliance and effectiveness. The report includes ratings and recommendations for improvement.
  • Follow-Up: After the evaluation, the country may be placed in follow-up processes to address any deficiencies. This involves periodic reporting to FATF on the progress made in implementing the recommended improvements.
  • Public Disclosure: The Mutual Evaluation Report is published, providing transparency and encouraging countries to enhance their AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism) regimes.

Source: TH

6. Record Decline in the Share of Imported Coal in the Last Decade

Sub: Geography

Sec: Eco geo

Coal Import Trends:

• The CAGR of coal imports was significantly high at 21.48% from fiscal year 2004-05 to 2013-14.
• However, it dropped to 2.49% from fiscal year 2014-15 to 2023-24.
• Similarly, the CAGR of the share of imported coal stood at 13.94% during the period from fiscal year 2004-05 to 2013-14 but declined to around -2.29% in the subsequent period.

India’s Coal Reserves and Consumption:

• India, with the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world, is the second-largest consumer of coal due to its rapidly growing economy.
• While the country lacks sufficient coking coal and high-grade thermal coal, necessitating imports for industries like steel, it has an abundance of medium and low-grade thermal coal for domestic use.

Coal Production Trends:

• Efforts to increase coal production have shown positive results over the past decade.
• From fiscal year 2004-05 to 2013-14, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of coal production was 4.44%.
• This increased to around 5.63% from fiscal year 2014-15 to 2023-24.

Gradation of coal:

• Coal grade is an economic or technological classification of the relative quality of coal for a particular use.
• The classification of coal is determined based on the gross calorific value (GCV) or the amount of heat or energy produced when burning coal.
• Coal being a fossil fuel is a mixture of carbon, ash, moisture and a host of other impurities. The higher the available carbon in a unit of coal, the greater is its quality or ‘grade.
• As per a classification by the Coal Ministry, There are 17 grades of coal, where grade 1 (top quality coal) with a kilo of it yielding higher than 7,000 kcal and the lowest producing anywhere between 2,200-2,500 kcal.

Classification of Coal:

• Coal is originated from organic matter wood. When large tracts of forests are buried under sediments, wood is burnt and decomposed due to heat from below and pressure from above. The phenomenon makes coal but takes centuries to complete.
• Classification of Coal can be done on the basis of carbon content and time period.
• On the basis of carbon content, it can be classified into the following three types:
  • Anthracite: It is the best quality of coal with the highest calorific value and carries 80 to 95% carbon content. It ignites slowly with a blue flame and is found in small quantities in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Bituminous: It has a low level of moisture content with 60 to 80% of carbon content and has a high calorific value. Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have deposits of Bituminous.
  • Lignite carries 40 to 55% carbon content and is often brown in colour with high moisture content thus, gives smoke when burnt. Rajasthan, Lakhimpur (Assam) and Tamil Nadu have deposits of Lignite.
  • Peat is the first stage of transformation from wood to coal with low calorific value and less than 40% carbon content.

Source: PIB

7. PM congratulates H.E António Costa on being elected as President of the European Council

Sub: IR

Sec: Int groupings

President of EC:

• The President of the European Council is elected by its members through a qualified majority vote for a once-renewable term of two and a half years.
• Article 15 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) identifies his duties. It is the Heads of State or Government who vote for this office.

European Council:

• The European Council is the EU institution that defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union.
• Member:
  • The members of the European Council are the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states, the European Council President and the President of the European Commission.
• The European Council defines the EU’s overall political direction and priorities, traditionally by adopting conclusions. It does not negotiate or adopt EU laws.
• While the European Council has no legislative power, it is a strategic (and crisis-solving) body that provides the union with general political directions and priorities and acts as a collective presidency.
• The European Commission remains the sole initiator of legislation, but the European Council provides a guide to legislative policy.
• The meetings of the European Council, still commonly referred to as EU summits, are chaired by its president and take place at least twice every six months; usually in the Europa building in Brussels. Decisions of the European Council are taken by consensus, except where the Treaties provide otherwise.

Creation of the European Council:

• Following the Copenhagen summit in December 1973, which made provision for summits to be held whenever necessary, the Paris summit of December 1974, hosted by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, created the European Council.
• It was created to establish an informal forum for discussion between heads of state or government.

• Lisbon Treaty:
  • The Treaty of Lisbon entered into force, reforming the structure of the EU and how it functions.
  • It extends the use of qualified majority voting at the Council.
  • The European Council becomes a fully-fledged institution with its own President.
    • Previously, the European Council had been an informal body and the head of the European Council was an unofficial position.
  • The role was held by the head of state or government of the member state holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU.

8. Government Amendments to EPS Withdrawal Benefits

Sub: Economy

Sec: Inflation and unemployment

• Amendment Details:
  • The government amended the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995 to allow withdrawal benefits for members with less than 6 months of contributory service.
  • Previously, withdrawal benefits were calculated based on completed years of contributory service and wages on which EPS contributions were made.
• Impact of the Amendment:
  • More than 7 lakh EPS members annually will now benefit from this amendment.
  • Withdrawal benefits will now be proportionate to the number of completed months of service and the wages on which EPS contributions were paid.
• Rationalization of Benefits:
  • The amendment rationalizes payment by considering every completed month of service.
  • It is estimated that over 23 lakh members annually will benefit from the modified calculation.
• Previous Issues Addressed:
  • Earlier, only members with 6 months or more of contributory service were entitled to withdrawal benefits.
  • Many claims (approximately 7 lakh) were rejected annually due to insufficient contributory service.
• Example of Calculation Change:
  • Previously, a member with 2 years and 5 months of service and a monthly wage of Rs. 15,000 received Rs. 29,850 as withdrawal benefit.
  • With the amendment, the benefit increases to Rs. 36,000 for the same service duration.
• Expert Opinions:
  • Emphasized the amendment’s benefit to temporary and short-term employees, enhancing social security.
  • Noted the positive impact on employees needing early access to funds for medical expenses or emergencies.
• Broader Implications:
  • The amendment reduces the requirement from 10 years of service to 6 months for withdrawal, expanding coverage and social security benefits.

Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS):

• Establishment and Administration:
  • EPS was introduced in 1995 and is administered by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• Purpose and Coverage:
  • It provides pension benefits to employees in the organized sector upon retirement, generally at the age of 58 years.
• Membership:
  • Employees who are members of the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) automatically become members of EPS.
  • Both employers and employees contribute to the EPF, with a portion of the employer’s contribution diverted to EPS.
• Contribution Details:
  • Both employer and employee contribute 12% of the employee’s monthly salary (basic wages plus dearness allowance) to the EPF scheme.
  • Of the employer’s 12% contribution, 8.33% is allocated towards the EPS.
  • The EPF scheme is mandatory for employees whose basic wage is less than Rs. 15,000 per month.
• Benefit Provision:
  • EPS ensures that employees receive a pension upon retirement, which is calculated based on their years of service and the contributions made to the EPS.