Daily Prelims Notes 3 March 2024

March 3, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

3 March 2024

Table Of Contents

1. Mating calls indicate endangered Hanguls are on a comeback trail

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

Kashmir’s hangul, a critically endangered species of deer known for its shyness and sensitivity, experienced one of its healthiest mating seasons in the previous autumn, indicating a possible increase in population.

Details:

The hangul population could surpass 300 this spring, marking the first time in over 30 years.
The current male-to-female ratio stands at 19.2 males per 100 females, which is significantly lower than the ideal.

About Hangul:

Hangul, also known as the Kashmir stag, is a species of deer native to the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.
Scientific Name: Hangul is scientifically known as Cervus hanglu.
Hangul primarily inhabits the dense temperate forests of the Kashmir Valley and its surrounding areas. It is found at elevations ranging from 1,700 meters to 3,000 meters above sea level.

Challenges:

Challenges such as habitat disturbance and human intervention have impacted hanguls, but improved environmental conditions and protective measures, including traffic regulation in Ganderbal for safe hangul movement, are being implemented.
The Wildlife Department has identified threats such as water scarcity, leading to hanguls venturing into disturbed habitats, increasing the risk of predation.

Conservation efforts:

During the rutting season in October, the Dachigam National Park, where hanguls reside, was temporarily closed.
The hangul, recognized as the State animal of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), has seen its numbers decline sharply since 1947, from around 2,000 to as low as 183 in 2015.
However, recent efforts have led to a steady increase, with the population estimated at 261 in 2021.
To support hangul conservation, 10 sites have been earmarked for protection, and a captive-breeding facility has been established at Shikargah Tral.

Source: TH

2. What will Gaganyaan change for India?

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Space technology

Context:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicised the final shortlist of candidates to be astronauts on board the maiden human spaceflight mission– Gaganyaan– of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

About Gaganyaan:

Gaganyaan is an ISRO mission aiming to send Indian astronauts to low-Earth orbit using an Indian launch vehicle.
It is a demonstration mission to test technologies essential for human spaceflight, showcasing India’s capability in producing, qualifying, and utilizing these technologies.
Future goals for ISRO include establishing an indigenous space station by 2035 and landing an Indian on the moon by 2040.
ISRO plans to integrate these ambitious projects with future lunar explorations, starting with a joint mission with Japan for lunar rover landing and a mission to return lunar soil samples to Earth.
The Indian government has expanded spaceflight and services responsibilities beyond ISRO to New Space India Ltd. (NSIL) for commercialization and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for authorizing space activities.
Additionally, ISRO has established the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) to coordinate the Gaganyaan mission.

Components of Gaganyaan:

Gaganyaan’s components include the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3), the orbital module, and the crew.
- The LVM-3, previously known as the GSLV Mk-III, is a three-stage rocket with solid-fuel boosters, liquid-fuelled Vikas 2 engines, and an indigenous cryogenic engine using liquid hydrogen and oxygen.
- The orbital module, weighing 8.2 tonnes, comprises the crew and service modules. It can support up to three astronauts for a week and is equipped with parachutes, an environmental control and life-support system (ECLSS), and a crew escape system.
- The service module contains the propulsion system for orbital maneuvers and re-entry.
- The crew, consisting of Indian Air Force personnel Prashant Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Shubanshu Shukla, underwent training in India and advanced training in Russia.
The mission will also include a gynoid named ‘Vyommitra’ equipped with sensors to monitor various conditions and emergencies within the capsule.

How was the mission put together?

The Gaganyaan mission by ISRO was assembled following the Union Cabinet’s approval in 2018, building on technologies already realized by that time.
Post-approval, ISRO human-rated these technologies to meet human spaceflight standards.
Key preparatory experiments included the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE) in 2007 and the Crew-module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE) in 2014, both crucial for testing module separation, heat shield efficacy, braking systems, and retrieval procedures.
Additionally, in October 2023, it was revealed that despite initial plans, the crew module would need to be procured internationally due to a lack of domestic manufacturing capability, and efforts to source Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) technologies abroad were unsuccessful, leading ISRO engineers to develop them internally.
The mission’s components, including engines and rocket stages, underwent extensive testing, simulations, and quality control, exemplified by the completion of tests on four CE-20 engines under flight-like conditions.

What will Gaganyaan achieve?

Gaganyaan aims to establish India’s self-sufficiency in human spaceflight, enabling the country to send humans to space on its own schedule rather than depending on costly foreign launch services.
This initiative is part of broader space sector reforms in India, including the creation of NSIL and IN-SPACe, the National Geospatial Policy 2022, the Indian Space Policy 2023, and the Telecommunications Act 2023.
Furthermore, these reforms have encouraged investment in India’s emerging space startups by allowing 49% to 100% automatic foreign direct investment in space services and spaceflight.
The Indian Space Policy outlines India’s objectives for its space program in the coming decades, positioning the country within the global ‘space race’ that includes scientific, commercial, and exploratory missions beyond Earth.
Gaganyaan’s development aligns with these broader efforts, marking India’s presence in outer space and on the moon alongside other nations, emphasizing the importance of a human presence from diverse nationalities in space for extended periods.

Source: TH

3. Over 24,000 birds from 66 species recorded during Tamirabharani Waterbird Count

Subject: Environment

Section: Protected Areas

Context:

The Tamirabharani Waterbird Count 2024 organised recently has recorded over 24,000 birds in the irrigation tanks getting water from the perennial river.

Details:

World Wildlife Day on March 3.
ATREE’s Agasthyamalai Community Conservation Centre (ACCC) initiated the citizen-centric bird monitoring program, the Tamirabharani Waterbird Count, in 2011.
The 14th edition of the Tamirabharani Waterbird Count is co-organized by ATREE’s ACCC, Pearl City Nature Trust, Thoothukudi, Nellai Nature Club Trust, Tirunelveli, and Pushpalata Educational Centre, Tirunelveli.
40 out of 100 are identified as migratory birds.
Sighted birds: Black-tailed Godwit, Egret species (Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Medium Egret and Large Egret), Migratory duck species (Northern Pintail, Bar-headed Geese, and Eurasian Wigeon), Cormorant species (Little Cormorant, Indian Shag, and Oriental Darter), Spot-billed Duck, Common Coot
Tamirabharani and its major tributaries, including Chithar, Pachchaiyar, Gadana, and Ramanathi serve as crucial water sources for the districts of Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Thoothukudi.
Beyond natural disasters, man-made threats such as sewage water drainage, improper waste disposal and misuse of tanks for anti-social activities, mostly for consuming liquor, were observed in numerous tanks.
- The Vaeinthankulam tank, located in the heart of the city of Tirunelveli faces severe degradation due to anti-social activities including daytime liquor consumption on the tank bund and using this spot for flesh trade in the dusk.
- The Veinthankulam restoration project was initiated under the ‘Nellai Neervalam‘ in June 2021, and subsequently joined by Care Earth.

About the Thamirabarani River:

Thamirabarani is the only perennial river in south India that flows through the districts of Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.
Originating from the Pothigai hills of Western Ghats, the life-giving river dribbles, sprints and gallops for about 128 kilometres along the southern edge of the country.
It originates and ends in the same state (Tamil Nadu).
The river is deeply connected to the lives, livelihoods and culture of the people in the state.
The river supports wildlife such as the Nilgiri marten, slender loris, lion-tailed macaque, white spotted bush frog, galaxy frog, Sri Lankan Atlas moth and the great hornbill.

Source: TH

4. After 30 years, India began to make Penicillin G

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Health

Context:

The common antibiotic penicillin will be manufactured in the country for the first time in 30 years.

More on news:

Forty greenfield projects under the PLI schemes for manufacturing bulk drugs and medical devices were inaugurated on Saturday.
This included 27 greenfield bulk drug projects and 13 manufacturing plants for medical devices.
The bulk drug parks will produce active pharma ingredients for commonly used drugs.

About Penicillin:

Penicillin is a medication used to manage and treat a wide range of infections.
It is in the beta-lactam antibiotic class of drugs.
This activity describes penicillin’s indications, action, and contraindications as a valuable agent in treating infection.

About Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients:

These are the active ingredients contained in a medicine.
It is that part of the medicine that produces the intended therapeutic effects.
For example, in a painkiller, the active ingredient relieves pain.
In the OTC drug Crocin, the API is paracetamol.
Only a small amount of the API is required to produce the effect and so the medicine contains only the required amount of the API.
China is one of the largest producers of Key Starting Material (KSM) and APIs in the world

About Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme:

The scheme expected to give a fillip to the domestic drug manufacturing industry is the PLI Scheme.
This scheme aims to promote the domestic manufacturing of, apart from APIs, drug intermediates and key starting materials (KSMs).
In this scheme, financial incentives will be provided to eligible manufacturers of identified 53 critical bulk drugs on their incremental sales over the base year (2019-20) for a period of 6 years.
The scheme will be implemented through a Project Management Agency (PMA) to be nominated by the Department of Pharmaceuticals.

Drugs in news:

Atorvastatin: Reducing Cholesterol
Lopinavir: Treating HIV
Acyclovir: Treating infection such as shingles etc.

5. Chinese dual-use cargo heading to Pakistan seized

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Defence

Context:

Indian security agencies have intercepted a Pakistan-bound ship from China at Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva port, suspected to be carrying a ‘dual-use consignment’ for Islamabad’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme.

More on news:

During its voyage, the vessel reached Nhava Sheva Port (JNPT) Mumbai on January 22, 2024 and the consignment was seized by Indian customs officials based on intelligence inputs on possible proliferation concerns by Pakistan and China.
The same was intercepted at Nhava Sheva Port on March 12, 2022, under the policy to prevent proliferation activities through Indian ports.

Customs watchlist

China was attempting to supply an autoclave to Pakistan under the cover of an ‘industrial dryer’, which was seized from a Hong Kong-flagged Chinese ship named Dai Cui Yun which left Jiangyin port on the Yangtze river in China’s Jiangsu province, and was headed to Pakistan’s Port Qasim.
The autoclave, which was mis-declared as an ‘industrial dryer’, is notified in the SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies) list and was found concealed in the bottom of the cargo of the ship, as it transited through Gujarat’s Kandla port.

U.S. sanctions

In June 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) sanctioned three Chinese companies i.e. General Technology Limited (which had supplied the autoclave), Beijing Luo Luo Technology Development, and Changzhou Utek Composite — for their involvement in supplying missile-related items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme.
These sanctions were imposed as part of the global non-proliferation regime.
China has also been assisting Pakistan in the construction of civil nuclear power plants, including four 300 MWe nuclear power plants at Chashma, and two 1,000 MWe plants in Karachi.

What are Dual Use Goods?

Dual-use goods are items that can be used both for civilian and military applications. These types of goods are heavily regulated because they can be classified for civilian use and then transformed for military purposes, or worse, used for terrorism.

6. Amit Shah Inaugurates National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

Event: Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited (NUCFDC).
Purpose: The umbrella organization aims to enhance self-regulation and boost the development of Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) in India.
Importance: Mr. Shah emphasized the need for UCBs to upgrade and adhere to RBI regulations for sustained competitiveness.
Compliance: The organization will help prepare small banks for compliance with the Banking Regulation Act. The goal is to establish urban cooperative banks in every city, promoting financial inclusion and accessibility.
Collective Strength:
- Branches: 11,000 branches collectively.
- Banks: 1,500 member banks.
- Deposits: ₹5 lakh crore.
- Loans: ₹3.50 lakh crore.
Performance:
- Net NPAs: Reduced to 2.10%, reflecting improved asset quality.

Conclusion: The inauguration of the National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited underlines the government’s commitment to the growth and stability of Urban Cooperative Banks. This umbrella organization aims to facilitate self-regulation, compliance with banking regulations, and expansion of UCBs across India.

With a strong collective presence and improved asset quality, UCBs are poised for enhanced development and greater financial inclusion under this initiative.

Cooperative Banks: Overview

Institutions established on a cooperative basis for banking operations.
Funded through shares, deposits, and loans extended to members at favorable terms.
Registered under Cooperative Societies Acts, operating under Banking Regulations Act and Banking Laws (Cooperative Societies) Act.

Features:

Customer Ownership: Members are customers and owners, with democratic control.
Profit Allocation: Yearly profits are allocated to reserves and distributed to members.
Financial Inclusion: Vital for providing cheap credit to unbanked rural masses.

Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs)

Definition:

Primary cooperative banks in urban and semi-urban areas.
Traditionally community-centric, now expanded scope of operations.

Challenges Faced:

Financial Sector Trends: Competition from microfinance, FinTech, NBFCs challenges UCB presence.
Regulatory Challenges:
- Dual regulation eliminated, but issues of money laundering persist.
- Regulatory arbitrage and financial mismanagement concerns.
Decline in Agricultural Lending:
- Share in agricultural lending decreased significantly.
Audit and Government Interference:
- Limited audits and delays.
- Historical patronage by the government.
Limited Coverage:
- Small size restricts resources and operational scope.

Recent Developments

RBI Actions:
- Revised Supervisory Action Framework (SAF) for UCBs in January 2020.
- Direct supervision of UCBs by RBI via Ordinance in June 2020.
Committee Recommendations:
- Proposed 4-tier structure for UCBs based on deposit size in 2021.
Ministry of Cooperation:
- Establishment of dedicated ministry crucial for cooperative movement.
Future Steps:
- RBI Interpretation:
  - Ensuring Act provisions do not disrupt UCBs.
- Institutional Reforms:
  - Transparency in recruitment and robust accounting systems.
- Professional Management:
  - Encouraging new, young professionals in managerial roles.
- NAFCUB’s Role:
  - Focus on UCB accounting software, common bylaws.
  - Strive for symmetrical development of UCBs across towns.

National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited (NUCFDC)

About:

Umbrella Body: Established as an umbrella organization for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) in India.
Mission: Aligned with the goal of ‘Sahakar se Samriddhi’ (prosperity through cooperatives) to promote self-reliance and economic growth.
Objective: To modernize and strengthen the Urban Cooperative Banking Sector.
Function as SRO: NUCFDC will serve as a Self-Regulatory Organization for the UCB sector, ensuring compliance and efficient operations.
Specialized Functions: The corporation will provide specialized functions and services tailored to the needs of cooperative banks.
Facilitate Communication: It aims to facilitate communication between UCBs and regulatory bodies, addressing challenges faced by the sector.
Certification: Registered by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) under a Certificate of Registration (CoR).

Significance:

Promoting Economic Growth: NUCFDC supports the urban cooperative banking sector, indirectly aiding small farmers and weaker sections in expanding their economic activities.
Policy Formulation: Acts as a bridge between banks and regulators, assisting state and central governments in making informed policy decisions based on sectoral realities.
Financial Assistance: Aims to raise capital and utilize it to provide financial support to UCBs, fostering their growth and development.

Benefits:

Technological Advancements: Introducing new technologies in the urban Cooperative Banking Sector to enhance efficiency and coverage.
Technology Platform: Providing a centralized technology platform to UCBs, improving service offerings, reducing operational costs, and addressing technological constraints.

Conclusion:

The establishment of the National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited marks a significant step towards modernizing and strengthening the Urban Cooperative Banking Sector in India.

Acting as an umbrella body and SRO, NUCFDC aims to facilitate growth, promote financial inclusion, and enhance efficiency through technological advancements. By providing specialized services and fostering collaboration between banks and regulators, it aims to contribute to the prosperity and self-reliance of the cooperative banking sector and the economy as a whole.