Daily Prelims Notes 29 November 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

29 November 2024

1. India launches first offshore mineral block auction to boost self-reliance in critical resources

Sub : Geo

Sec: Eco geo

Context:

• India’s Mines Ministry has launched the first-ever tranche of 13 offshore mineral blocks for auction, marking a significant step in exploring and developing undersea mineral resources.

Key Details:

• Mineral Blocks and Locations:
  • 13 blocks offered: 3 lime mud blocks, 3 construction sand blocks, 7 polymetallic nodules and crusts blocks.
  • Locations:
    • West Coast of Arabian Sea: Off Gujarat and Kerala
    • Andaman Sea: Off Great Nicobar Island
• Importance of Offshore Minerals:
  • Found deep within the Earth’s crust, making extraction more challenging than onshore minerals.
  • Includes gold, diamond, copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and rare earth elements (REE).
  • Critical for clean energy technologies like storage and transmission systems.

Benefits of Auctions:

• Boost domestic availability of critical minerals.
• Reduce dependence on imports, contributing to self-reliance in minerals.
• Support strategic and economic interests.

Industrial Applications:

• Construction Sand: Used for concrete production.
• Lime Mud: Utilized in cement, steel, and construction industries.
• Polymetallic Nodules: Contain valuable metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese, essential for modern technologies.

Government and Industry Initiatives:

• Policy Framework:
  • Amendment to the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002:
    • Auctions are now mandatory for allocating offshore mineral blocks.
    • Streamlined the process for granting production leases and composite licences.
• Future Plans:
  • Conduct overseas roadshows to attract investments and partnerships in countries like Zimbabwe and other African nations.
  • Explore technology collaborations with countries like Indonesia, Korea, and Australia.
  • Handhold the industry for processing offshore minerals.

Key Features of the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023?

• Introduction of Auction Regime:
  • Two types of operating rights, production lease, and composite licence, to be granted through auction by competitive bidding exclusively to the private sector.
  • Operating rights to be granted to PSUs in the mineral-bearing areas reserved by the Central Government. PSUs will be exclusively granted operating rights for atomic minerals.
    • Atomic minerals include mainly minerals containing uranium, thorium, rare metals, viz. niobium, tantalum, lithium, beryllium, titanium, zirconium, and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) as well as beach sand minerals.
• Fixed Period for Production Lease:
  • The provision for renewal of production leases has been removed.
  • The production lease period is set at 50 years, aligning with the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).
• Area Acquisition Limit:
  • A limit has been imposed on the total area one entity can acquire offshore.
  • The maximum acquisition area is restricted to 45 minutes latitude by 45 minutes longitude for any mineral or prescribed group of associated minerals under one or more operating rights.
• Non-lapsable Offshore Areas Mineral Trust:
  • To ensure funds for exploration, disaster relief, research, and benefits to affected parties, a non-lapsable Offshore Areas Mineral Trust will be established.
  • The trust will be funded by an additional levy on mineral production, not exceeding one-third of the royalty, with the exact rate prescribed by the Central Government.
• Ease of Business and Timelines:
  • Provisions for easy transfer of composite licence or production lease.
  • Timelines for commencement of production and dispatch after execution of production lease to ensure timely start of production.
• Revenues:
  • Royalty, auction premium, and other revenues from mineral production in offshore areas will accrue to the Government of India.

2. U.S. Focuses on Recycling to Bridge Critical Minerals Gap

Sub : Geo

Sec: Eco geo

Background on U.S. Critical Minerals Dependency

• No active tin mines or reserves in the U.S.
• U.S. relies on imports for 75% of annual tin consumption.

Importance of Recycling for Critical Minerals

• Urban mining (recycling) is essential for reducing reliance on imports.
• $19 million awarded by the Department of Defense to Nathan Trotter & Co. for expanding tin recycling capacity.
• Recycling could reduce global demand for new mining by 25-40% by 2050 (IEA).

Advantages of Urban Mining

• Energy Efficient: Recycling metals uses up to 90% less energy than mining virgin metal.
• Environmentally Friendly: Emits 80% less greenhouse gas than primary metal production.
• Shorter Permitting Process: Expanding recycling capacity requires fewer regulatory hurdles than new mining projects.

Current U.S. Recycling Challenges

Declining Secondary Supply:

• Copper’s recycled share fell from 37% in 2015 to 33% in 2023.
• Nickel’s share dropped from 33% to 26% during the same period.

Aluminium Recycling:

• Increased from 32% to 35% due to established waste management programs.

Lagging U.S. Recycling Rates:

• Secondary copper accounts for only 30% of U.S. consumption.
• U.S. exports significant amounts of copper and aluminium scrap, mainly to China.

Economic and Structural Barriers

Insufficient Scrap Processing Capacity:

• U.S. lacks infrastructure to process end-of-life materials efficiently.

Low Recycling Rates for Aluminium Cans:

• U.S. aluminium recycling rates are below 50%, leading to $800 million in lost resources

Recycling Challenges in EV Batteries

EV Battery Composition:

• Valuable metals like nickel and cobalt make recycling profitable.
• Cheaper lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, now 40% of the global market, reduce economic incentives for recycling.

Lack of Global Regulatory Standards:

• Waste codes for “black mass” (processed battery material) vary by country.

China’s Dominance:

• Top 20 companies for battery pre-treatment and recovery are Chinese, posing a new dependency risk for the West.

Importance of Recycling –

Critical Minerals

• Critical minerals are essential raw materials that are crucial for the functioning of modern technologies, including electronics, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles (EVs), and defense applications. These minerals are termed “critical” because they are vital for economic and national security, and their supply is often limited or at risk of disruption.

Examples of Critical Minerals

• Lithium: Used in rechargeable batteries for EVs and portable electronics.
• Cobalt: Essential for lithium-ion batteries.
• Rare Earth Elements (REEs): Critical for electronics, magnets, and defense technologies.
• Nickel: Used in stainless steel production and battery manufacturing.
• Graphite: Key for battery anodes.
• Copper: Vital for electrical wiring and renewable energy infrastructure.
• Platinum Group Metals (PGMs): Used in catalytic converters and fuel cells.
• Bauxite (Aluminum): Key for lightweight alloys in automotive and aerospace.

Largest Producers and Exporters of Critical Minerals

3. In Busan, India says it will not back ‘use’ of plastic alternatives

Sub : Env

Sec: Int conventions

Context:

• At the ongoing United Nations-led Global Plastic Treaty negotiations in Busan, South Korea, India has struck a cautious and somewhat contradictory tone regarding plastic waste and alternatives.

Key Highlights of India’s Position:

• India encourages research and development of sustainable alternatives to plastic but does not fully support the widespread “use” of these alternatives yet.
• Pushback against calls to reduce the use of primary plastic polymers and chemicals of concern in plastic products, citing irritation at prescriptive language.
• National Sovereignty Emphasized:
  • India stressed the importance of respecting:
    • National priorities and development rights.
    • Multilateral agreements without contradiction.
    • Financial and technical assistance for developing countries under the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
• Unclear Viability of Alternatives:
  • Alternatives like biodegradable and compostable plastics lack clarity regarding their degradability and composting efficiency.
  • Adoption of alternatives such as jute, cotton, or recycled synthetic materials is hindered by high costs, limited availability, and practical challenges in packaging use.

Challenges of Plastic Waste in India:

• Enormous Waste Generation:
  • India introduced nearly 24 million tonnes of plastic packaging since 2022 but has a mechanical recycling capacity of only 9.8 million tonnes.
  • Of the 15 million tonnes of plastic waste generated annually, only 20% is collected.
• Structural Issues:
  • The lack of a comprehensive plastic waste management system has prompted calls for curbing the production of plastics itself.

Global Negotiations:

• Disagreements on Plastic Production:
  • Countries with strong petrochemical and refining industries, such as India, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, oppose outright restrictions on plastic production.
• Contentious Draft Text:
  • The Chair of the negotiations, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, presented a draft text with 32 articles addressing plastic waste, pollution, and production.
  • Nearly every sentence in the document faces opposition or requests for modification, threatening progress toward a legally-binding Global Plastics Treaty.

4. Wikipedia and ANI’s defamation suit

Sub: Sci

Sec: Awareness in IT and computer

Context:

• Earlier this year, the Indian news agency Asian News International (ANI) filed a defamation lawsuit against the Wikimedia Foundation and three Wikipedia administrators before the Delhi High Court.
• Earlier, the court had ordered Wikimedia to submit the subscriber information of these administrators in sealed covers.
• The lawsuit claims that defamatory statements about the agency were published on its Wikipedia page, which damaged its reputation.

Wikipedia’s role:

• ANI contended that certain statements on its Wikipedia page were false and misleading.
• When ANI attempted to edit these statements, they were reversed or modified by other independent Wikipedia editors.
• Wikipedia’s administrators later applied ‘extended confirmed protection’ to the page, which prevented ANI-associated editors from further altering the content.

Protection of Pages:

• When a Wikipedia page is under dispute or prone to vandalism, its status can be changed to ‘extended confirmed protection’ or ‘full protection.’
• This limits editing to only those with higher privileges, such as editors with long-standing accounts or administrators. The administrators are elected by the Wikipedia community, and Wikimedia plays no direct role in their selection.

What is Wikipedia:

• Wikipedia is a community-driven encyclopaedia freely available on the Internet.
• It allows volunteers from around the world to create and edit content. The platform is known for its democratic editing process, where anyone can contribute knowledge, provided they follow Wikipedia’s guidelines.
• The Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization based in the US, hosts and provides the technical infrastructure for Wikipedia. It does not control the content or editorial decisions on Wikipedia. The platform is maintained by volunteer editors.

Reputation and Quality:

• Although not all Wikipedia pages are of equal quality, the platform is widely regarded as reliable because it involves field experts and peer review.
• Editors are expected to back their content with verifiable sources, adhering to strict guidelines to maintain the integrity of the information.

Safe harbour provision:

• ANI has alleged that Wikimedia violated the obligations of an intermediary under the safe-harbour provisions of the Information Technology Act 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.
• Safe harbour protection shields platforms from liability for user-generated content.
• If the protection is lost, it could undermine the platform’s reliability and discourage editors due to fears of legal repercussions, potentially altering Wikipedia’s open, democratic structure.

5. Economic historian Amiya Kumar Bagchi passes away

Sub: History

Sec: Personality

Context:

• Professor Amiya Kumar Bagchi, a distinguished economist, scholar, and public intellectual, passed away recently.
• Renowned for his contributions to economic history and development, he was also recognized for his work on the role of imperialism in shaping economic underdevelopment.

Early life and Education:

• Known for his rebellious spirit, he left his initial college due to injustices and later joined Presidency College, Kolkata.
• He earned a Master’s in economics and later completed his doctorate at Cambridge University, where he also joined the Faculty of Economics and Politics.

Major Contributions:

• Private Investment in India (1900-1939): The book provided valuable insights into India’s economic history during the colonial period and was praised for its depth and has been compared to landmark works in anti-colonial historiography, such as those by Dadabhai Naoroji and RC Dutt.
• Research on Deindustrialization: Bagchi’s research on “Deindustrialization in the Indian Economy in the Colonial Period” provided definitive evidence to support long-standing debates about the impact of colonialism on India’s industrial sector
• The Dialectics of Development and Underdevelopment: In a 1972 article in the Economic and Political Weekly, Bagchi offered an original and persuasive analysis of the dialectics of development and underdevelopment in the global economy.
• Perilous Passage: Mankind and the Global Ascendancy of Capital: This book examined the experiences of Global South countries under imperialism. The book focused on the demographic collapse caused by imperialist policies and highlighted the broader impacts of capitalist expansion on developing nations.

Public Service:

• Bagchi served as a member and later as the Vice-Chairman of the West Bengal State Planning Board under the Left Front government.
• Later, he founded the Institute of Development Studies in Kolkata, where he continued to serve as Professor Emeritus until his passing.

6. New study reconstructs dinosaurs from their fossilised dung

Sub: Sci

Sec: Msc

Context:

• In a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature, scientists used bromalites to re-create how early dinosaurs fit into food webs in a prehistoric region that is part of Poland today.
• The study suggests that dinosaurs gradually gained control of ecosystems over millions of years due to these dietary and ecological advantages.

Dinosaur Era:

• Dinosaurs emerged about 230 million years ago, at a time when they were small reptiles compared to other dominant reptiles of the era. But 30 million years later, many of these larger reptiles had disappeared, and dinosaurs began to dominate the planet.

Importance of Bromalites:

• Fossilized feces (coprolites) and vomit, collectively called “bromalites,” offer valuable insights into ancient ecosystems.
• These materials preserve key digestive byproducts like regurgitations and gut contents, which help scientists reconstruct predator-prey relationships and dietary habits from millions of years ago.

About the study:

• Researchers have studied bromalite specimens from the Polish Basin, which were analysed by making thin cross-sections and micro-CT scanning.
• The study found that early dinosaurs, which were small in size, were mostly opportunistic omnivores, primarily consuming insects. Later bromalites indicate small meat-eating dinosaurs and herbivorous species emerging.
• By the end of the Triassic, the first large herbivorous dinosaurs like sauropodomorphs appeared, marking a shift in the food web.
• In the Early Jurassic, large predatory dinosaurs evolved to hunt large herbivores.

Role of climate and environmental changes:

• Shifting tectonic activity and volcanic events contributed to changing climates in the Polish Basin, which altered the local vegetation and made it more diverse.
• This environmental shift benefited herbivorous dinosaurs such as sauropods, as they could digest a wide range of plants.

7. The Dhanush-Nayanthara Copyright Dispute

Sub :Sci

Sec: IPR

Why in News

• The copyright dispute between South Indian actor-producer Dhanush and actress Nayanthara has brought the complexities of copyright law into focus. The issue revolves around the use of footage from the 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in a biopic about Nayanthara, produced by Netflix. The lawsuit has sparked debates about the ownership and fair use of copyrighted materials in the film industry.

What is Copyright and its Infringement:

• “Copyright” refers to the right given by the law to creators of literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works and producers of cinematograph films and sound recordings.
• It is a bundle of rights that includes rights of reproduction, communication to the public, adaptation, and translation of a work.
• The Copyright Act 1957 aims to safeguard creative works, which are considered to be the creator’s intellectual property (IP).
• A copyrighted work will be considered “infringed” only if a substantial part is made use of without authorisation.
• In cases of infringement, the copyright owner can take legal action against any person who infringes on or violates their copyright and is entitled to remedies such as injunctions, damages, etc.

What is Intellectual Property (IP):

• IP refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs and symbols, names and images used in commerce.
• IP is protected in law enabling people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create.
• By striking the right balance between the interests of innovators and the wider public interest, the IP system aims to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation can flourish.
• What are the different types of Intellectual Property (IP): Copyright, Patents, Trademarks, Industrial designs, Geographical indications (GI) and Trade secrets.

What are various Governing regulations:

• The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is an international legal agreement, which establishes minimum standards for the regulation by national governments of different forms of IP.
• IP rights in India are governed under The Trademarks Act 1999, The Patents Act 1970 (amended in 2005), The Copyright Act 1957, The Designs Act 2000, The GI of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999, etc.

What is Fair Use?

• Fair use (or fair dealing in Indian law) allows limited use of copyrighted material without the owner’s permission for specific purposes.
• It is designed to balance the rights of copyright owners with the public’s access to knowledge and creativity.
• Encourages freedom of expression and dissemination of knowledge while safeguarding creators’ rights.

Section 52 of the Copyright Act, 1957

• Provides a statutory framework for fair dealing by listing specific acts that do not constitute copyright infringement.

Key Provisions Under Section 52:

• Use of copyrighted material for private or personal purposes, including research and education.
• Use of material for criticism, review, or reporting of current events, provided the source is acknowledged.
• Reproduction of work for judicial proceedings or legislative purposes.
• Use of literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic works for teaching, as long as it is not for commercial purposes.
• Public performance by amateur clubs or societies, as long as no profit is made.
• Making of backup copies of computer programs for personal use.

Special Cases: Use of copyrighted material in parody or satire may also be considered fair use, depending on the context.

Temporary reproduction of work for technical purposes (e.g., caching for internet functionality).

8. The Evolution of Biomedical Waste Management

Sub :Sci

Sec: Health

Why in News

• The article revisits the historical roots of biomedical waste management regulations, tracing their connection to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and India’s subsequent legislative reforms.

Concept:

• Scientists Luc Montagnier (France) and Robert Gallo (USA) independently identified the virus responsible for AIDS in 1983.
• By the mid-1980s, HIV/AIDS was considered a biological death sentence, with no cure or vaccine.
• HIV attacks CD4, a type of White Blood Cell (T cells) in the body’s immune system. T cells are those cells that move around the body detecting anomalies and infections in cells.
• After entering body, HIV multiplies itself and destroys CD4 cells, thus severely damaging the human immune system. Once this virus enters the body, it can never be removed.
• CD4 count of a person infected with HIV reduces significantly. In a healthy body, CD4 count is between 500- 1600, but in an infected body, it can go as low as 200.
• Weak immune system makes a person prone to opportunistic infections and cancer.It becomes difficult for a person infected with this virus to recover from even a minor injury or sickness.
• By receiving treatment, severe form of HIV can be prevented.

Biomedical Waste Management in India:

• Environment Protection Act, 1986: Acts as the umbrella legislation under which the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, were framed.
• In B.L. Wadehra vs. Union of India (1996), the Supreme Court criticized the state of waste management in Delhi, describing the city as an “open garbage dump.” This landmark case prompted nationwide discussions on waste management.
• Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998: Initial framework for biomedical waste disposal, later replaced by the 2016 rules.

Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016:

• Introduced stricter waste segregation and disposal protocols.
• Expanded coverage to include vaccination camps, blood donation camps, and other healthcare activities.
• Classified biomedical waste into 4 categories instead of 10 for better segregation at the source.
• Mandated phase-out of chlorinated plastic bags and gloves.
• Introduced barcoding for waste tracking and prescribed stringent emission standards for incinerators.
• States are responsible for setting up common treatment and disposal facilities.
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): Supervises compliance with rules and ensures scientific disposal of biomedical waste
• State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs): Authorize treatment facilities and oversee waste management at the state level.
• National Green Tribunal (NGT): Enforces compliance and penalizes violations, emphasizing segregation of hazardous waste from general waste to avoid contamination.

9. Unlocking the Body’s Defences Against Cancer

Sub : Sci

Sec: Health

Why in News

• A recent study by Northwestern University, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, has highlighted a novel approach to combating cancer by leveraging the body’s immune system. The research has shown that certain white blood cells, activated by severe infections like COVID-19, can exhibit anti-cancer properties, offering potential advancements in immunotherapy.

About Cancer:

• Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and the ability to invade other tissues through metastasis.
• It is termed the “emperor of all maladies” due to its complexity and resistance to treatment.
• Cancer cells often manipulate the immune system to evade detection and destruction, complicating treatment.

Role of the Immune System in Cancer Defence:

• Induced Non-Classical Monocytes (I-NCMs): Specialized white blood cells derived from monocytes.
• Can be activated by severe infections (e.g., COVID-19) or specific chemicals.
• Possess a receptor, CCR2, which enables them to detect inflammatory signals from cancer cells.
• I-NCMs migrate to tumour sites and recruit natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells directly target and destroy abnormal cells, including cancer cells.
• Breakthrough Study at Northwestern University: Injecting I-NCMs into laboratory mice slowed cancer metastasis.
• Demonstrated that severe infections could activate immune cells capable of attacking tumours.
• Offers a foundation for developing therapies utilizing the body’s immune cells. Supports the hypothesis that certain infections might stimulate anti-cancer responses.
• Spontaneous Cancer Regression: Rare cases of cancers like neuroblastoma resolving without treatment due to enhanced immune activity.
• Study by De Nigris (2023): Documented 16 cases of cancer involving leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and kidney cancer. Suggested possible links between immune activation (e.g., by COVID-19) and tumour suppression.