Daily Prelims Notes 30 August 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

30 August 2024

Table Of Contents

1. Reviving the Northern Bald Ibis: Pioneering Conservation Efforts Restore Lost Migration Paths
2. Vadhavan Port: A Strategic Boost for India’s Trade with West Asia and Europe
3. When physics merged with biology to revolutionise ophthalmology
4. Analysing the Gender Budget of 2024-25
5. INS Arighaat, India’s second nuclear ballistic missile submarine, commissioned into service
6. Women and Child Development says it has launched a centralised portal on sexual harassment complaints
7. IMD Issues Cyclone Warning for Gujarat and Depression Alert for Bay of Bengal

1. Reviving the Northern Bald Ibis: Pioneering Conservation Efforts Restore Lost Migration Paths

Sub: Env

Sec: Species in news

Why in News

Conservationists have successfully increased the population of the once-extinct northern bald ibis in central Europe through innovative rewilding and breeding programs. This breakthrough not only signifies a major triumph in avian conservation but also offers a replicable model to address the broader impacts of climate change on migratory bird species.

Northern Bald Ibis

Scientific Name: Geronticus eremita

Historical Range: Once widespread across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

17th Century Decline: Intensive hunting led to near extinction in the wild.

IUCN Status: Endangered.

Physical Characteristics: Distinctive black-and-green plumage, bald red head, and long curved beak.

Current Population: Approximately 1,000 individuals in the wild.

Key Locations: Morocco (wild population), Austria, Germany, Italy (reintroduced populations).

Habitat: Prefers arid and semi-arid regions, rocky habitats, and cliffs.

Diet: Primarily insects, small reptiles, and other invertebrates.

Migratory Behaviour: Undertakes seasonal migrations; current efforts to restore lost migratory routes in Europe.

Conservation Efforts: Breeding programs, rewilding initiatives, and migration training using ultralight aircraft.

Presence in India: Not found in the wild in India.

Conservation Efforts and Population Recovery

Breeding and Rewilding Initiatives

• Leadership: Biologist Johannes Fritz and the Waldrappteam based in Austria.
• Population Growth: Increased from zero to nearly 300 individuals in central Europe since 2002.

Adapting to Climate Change

Global warming threatens plant and animal species around the world.

For migratory birds that undertake lengthy journeys to find ideal ecological conditions and habitats for feeding, breeding, and raising their young, climate change poses particular challenges.

Studies show global warming is altering migration patterns, both routes and timing, exposing birds to new environments and conditions, affecting availability of food and habitat, and disrupting interactions between species. Some bird species have chosen not to migrate altogether, or to migrate to locations where they become invasive species, posing threats to others.

New Migration Routes

• Initial Route: Bavaria to Tuscany (approximately 550 km).
• Expanded Route: Bavaria to Andalusia in southern Spain (about 2,800 km), initiated to counteract climate challenges.
• Ongoing Efforts: A larger route allows birds to avoid colder periods and benefit from more stable atmospheric conditions.

Broader Implications for Conservation

Blueprint for Other Species: The methods developed for the northern bald ibis can be applied to other migratory birds facing similar challenges.

Climate Resilience: Establishing guided migration routes can help species adapt to shifting ecological landscapes.

2. Vadhavan Port: A Strategic Boost for India’s Trade with West Asia and Europe

Sub: Geo

Sec: Eco geo

 Why in News?

The Vadhavan Port, a significant infrastructure project set to enhance India’s maritime trade connectivity, will soon see a groundbreaking ceremony led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This port is poised to play a pivotal role in the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEEC) and the International North–South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) projects. Its development is expected to significantly boost India’s export-import trade with West Asia and Europe.

Vadhavan Port Project

Strategic Importance

Enhanced Connectivity: The Vadhavan Port is crucial for strengthening India’s trade links with the Middle East and Europe.

Mega Vessel Handling: Designed to accommodate large container ships, the port will facilitate trade through major international corridors like IMEEC and INSTC.

Project Specifications

Construction Cost: ₹76,220 crore

Capacity: Will add 23.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) to India’s container handling capacity.

Port Features: An all-weather port with advanced terminal facilities to support growing export-import trade.

India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Project

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a proposed comprehensive transportation network designed to enhance connectivity and trade between India, the Middle East, and Europe. The corridor will include various transport modes and infrastructure to facilitate efficient movement of goods and energy resources.

Components:

Railroad Network: Extending across two main corridors:

East Corridor: Connects India to the Arabian Gulf.

Northern Corridor: Links the Arabian Gulf to Europe.

Ship-to-Rail Networks: Integration of sea and rail transport.

Road Transport Routes: Additional routes to support the network.

Ports and Connections

• India: Mundra (Gujarat), Kandla (Gujarat), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai)
• Middle East UAE: Fujairah, Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Ras Al Khair (Saudi Arabia)
• Railway Connection: From Fujairah Port (UAE) to Haifa Port (Israel) via:

Saudi Arabia: Ghuwaifat and Haradh, Jordan

• Israel: Haifa Port
• Europe: Greece (Piraeus Port), Italy (Messina), France (Marseille)

International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-kilometer multimodal transit route designed to connect the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf with the Caspian Sea, extending to northern Europe via St. Petersburg in Russia. The corridor integrates ship, rail, and road routes to facilitate the movement of cargo across multiple regions.

Inception: Launched on September 12, 2000, in St. Petersburg, through a trilateral agreement signed by Iran, Russia, and India at the Euro-Asian Conference on Transport.

Purpose: Aimed at promoting transportation cooperation among member states and enhancing connectivity between the Indian subcontinent and northern Europe.

Initial Members: Iran, Russia, and India

Current Membership: Expanded to 13 countries, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Syria, Belarus, and Oman.

Central Corridor:

Start: Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai, India

Route: Connects to Bandar Abbas Port, Iran, on the Strait of Hormuz.

Path: Proceeds through Iranian ports such as Nowshahr, Amirabad, and Bandar-e-Anzali, follows the Caspian Sea, and reaches the Olya and Astrakhan Ports in Russia.

Western Corridor:

Connections: Links the railway network of Azerbaijan with that of Iran.

Nodal Points: Cross-border points include Astara (Azerbaijan) and Astara (Iran).

Sea Route: Connects to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in India via sea.

Eastern Corridor:

Route: Connects Russia to India via Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

3. When physics merged with biology to revolutionise ophthalmology

Sub: Sci

Sec: Health

Context:

• Physics and Ophthalmology (study of medical conditions relating to the eye), two seemingly disparate fields came together to revolutionise vision correction through the use of LASER.

What is stimulated emission?

• The concept of stimulated emission was first introduced by Albert Einstein in 1917.
• He theorised that when an electron in an excited state drops to a lower energy level, it can release energy as a photon.
• If this photon interacts with another excited electron, it can stimulate the release of a second photon of identical energy, phase, and direction, a process that amplifies light.
• The practical application of the concept was realised when Theodore Maiman in 1960 built the first working laser using a ruby crystal as the gain medium.
• The ruby laser emitted light at a specific wavelength (694 nm) in the red part of the spectrum and was the first of its kind to produce a concentrated beam of light with unique properties like coherence, monochromaticity, and the ability to be focused to a very small spot.

LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)

• A LASER is a device that generates an intense beam of coherent monochromatic light by stimulating of photons from excited atoms or molecules.
• Monochromatic light: light containing beams of same wavelength.
• Lasers are used in surgery, barcode scanner, precision tools to cut diamond, Laser printing

Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA):

• Gerard Mourou and his student Donna Strickland in 1980s introduced CPA to amplify (increase the intensity) ultrashort laser pulses without damaging the amplifying material.
• This technique revolutionised the field of laser physics and earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018.
• CPA allowed for the amplification of laser pulses in a previously-impossible way, opening the door to medical applications requiring extreme precision, such as in eye surgery.

How CPA revolutionised eye surgery:

• The high-intensity, ultrashort pulses produced by CPA-based lasers allow for precise cornea reshaping with minimal damage to surrounding tissues, resulting in improved patient outcomes and faster recovery times.
• This have also transformed cataract surgery, one of the most common surgical procedures worldwide.

Discovery of the effectiveness of laser beams in eye correction:

• This discovery happened when a research assistant in Gérard Mourou’s lab was accidentally struck by a laser beam in his eyes without wearing the goggles.
• The Doctor who treated him conducted a deeper investigation into the laser’s potential, leading to the development of femtosecond ophthalmology.

About femtosecond laser:

• A femtosecond laser is a high-intensity infrared laser with a wavelength of 1053nm used in eye surgeries, especially for its precision.
• Compared to the Nd laser, which operates in nanoseconds (10^-9second), the femtosecond laser’s pulse duration is much shorter and is measured in femtoseconds (10^-15second).
• This shorter duration significantly reduces the risk of damaging nearby tissues, making the femtosecond laser much safer for delicate procedures like corneal surgery.

Lasers in cancer therapy:

• Researchers are exploring using high-intensity lasers to target and destroy cancerous cells with extreme precision, minimising damage to healthy tissues.
• By focusing the energy of an ultrashort laser pulse onto a tiny area, it’s possible to induce a localised effect, such as generating shockwaves or heating, that can selectively destroy cancer cells. This approach is still in its experimental stages.
• It could one day lead to new, non-invasive treatments for cancer patients.

4. Analysing the Gender Budget of 2024-25

Subject: Economy

Sec: Fiscal Policy

Context:

Women-led development remains at the core of announcements made by the Finance Minister (FM) in this year’s Budget. This commitment to women empowerment was reflected in Budget allocations to pro-women programmes, as reported by the Gender Budget Statement (GBS). The GB reached 1% of GDP estimates in 2024-25 for the first time, and overall allocations currently stand at more than ₹3 lakh crore for pro-women programmes.

Reason for the increase:

• The GBS, since it was first introduced in 2005-06, consistently reported an average share of 5% of the total budgetary allocations, with marginal ups and downs.
• This year is special as the share of allocations to pro-women schemes stands at approximately 6.8% of the total budget expenditure for 2024-25.
• GB allocations are driven by two factors.
• A part of this increase has been on account of the newly included Part ‘C,’ a third part in the GBS that reports pro-women schemes with less than 30% provisioning for women.
• The PM Kisan scheme in the agriculture sector has been reported in part C with an outlay of ₹15,000 crore. This is 25% of the total outlay of the programme.
• The second factor driving the overall increase is the increment in part A of the GBS. Part A reports expenditures in schemes with 100% allocation for women.
• This was mainly due to a change in the reporting where the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) — rural and urban — started getting reflected in part A instead of part B. 

Other instances of over-reporting/under-reporting:

• Over-reporting may also be found in other instances such as the PM Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), which aims to assist entrepreneurs in setting up micro businesses in the non-farm sector.
• Missing allocations often deflate the amount spent by programmes on women’s needs. The GBS this year has also correctly reported increased allocations for the Ministry of Electronics & IT. But it missed out reporting pro-women allocations in the schemes for women entrepreneurs such as PM Vishwakarma, SVANidhi, and Stand-Up India.
• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which has the third highest allocation among schemes for women in the GBS, is currently reported under part B with ₹28,888.67 crore which is 33.6% of its total outlay.

Gender Budget:

• Gender budgeting is an approach that aims to incorporate a gender perspective into the process of budgeting at all levels of government. The goal of gender budgeting is to promote gender equality and ensure that public resources are used effectivelyto address the needs and priorities of women and men. India has been implementing gender budgeting since 2005.
• The Gender Budget is not a separate budget for womenbut an accounting statement highlighting allocations for women beneficiaries or girls.

Gender budgeting leads to a more equitable future:

Social factors

• Empowerment of women– through the encouragement of women entrepreneurship, skill development, and provision of credit.
• Achievement of social goals– helps achieve the sustainable development goal(SDG) 5 of gender equality.
• Reduced Gender Disparities: gender budgeting can be used to ensure that adequate resources are allocated to programs that promote girls’ education, improve maternal health, and provide women with employment opportunities.

Economic factors

• Efficient distribution of resources– targeting areas that impact women, and ensuring accountability. Ex-Nirbhaya fund.
• Care economy– gender budgeting accounts for the unpaid care economy, neglected in GDP.

Political factors

• Promoting Women’s Participation: For example, gender budgeting can be used to ensure that women’s voices are heard and that their needs and priorities are adequately represented in the budgeting process.

5. INS Arighaat, India’s second nuclear ballistic missile submarine, commissioned into service

Subject: Sci

Sec: Defence

Context:

India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the INS Arighaat, was commissioned into service at Visakhapatnam in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. It joins the first such submarine, the INS Arihant, which was commissioned into service in 2016.

 INS Arihant :

• INS Arihant was commissioned into service in August 2016.
• It has a displacement of 6,000 tonnes and is powered by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor with enriched uranium.
• Retains the same reactor and dimensions, but has several technological upgrades.
• The construction of INS Arighaat involved the use of advanced design and manufacturing technology, detailed research and development, the use of special materials, complex engineering, and highly skilled workmanship.
• The completion of the nuclear triad was announced in November 2018.
• The advanced technology project began in the 1980s and its first product, the Arihant vessel, was launched in 2009 by then-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, and eventually commissioned in 2016.
• The third of these submarines, which is at an advanced stage of construction, is set to be larger and more capable than the current two submarines in the same class.

Nuclear deterrence:

• INS Arihant is presently armed with a 750 km range K-15 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) while a 3,500 km range SLBM K-4 is under development, having been tested for the first time in 2020.
• The K4 will become the mainstay of India’s undersea nuclear deterrence, as it gives the stand-off capability to launch nuclear weapons while submerged in Indian waters.

6. Women and Child Development says it has launched a centralised portal on sexual harassment complaints

Subject: Schemes

Sec: Vulnerable

Context:

The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched She-Box, a centralised portal for registering and monitoring complaints of sexual harassment of women at the workplace.

She-Box:

• A centralised portal for registering and monitoring complaints of sexual harassment of women at the workplace.
• It serves as a centralised repository of information related to Internal Committees (ICs) and Local Committees (LCs) formed, encompassing both the government and private sectors.
• It offers a common platform to file complaints, track their status, and ensure a time-bound processing of complaint by ICs.
• It also provides assured redressal of complaints and a streamlined process for all stakeholders. The portal through a designated nodal officer will enable real-time monitoring of compl
• This initiative is a critical step forward in providing a more efficient and secure platform for addressing workplace-related sexual harassment complaints. It furthers the government’s commitment to creating a safer and more inclusive working environment for women across India.
• It was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• The complaint management system has been developed to ensure the effective implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act), 2013.

7. IMD Issues Cyclone Warning for Gujarat and Depression Alert for Bay of Bengal

Sub : Geo

Sec: Climatology

Why This is in the News

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings about significant weather events affecting India. A land-based depression in Gujarat is anticipated to evolve into a cyclone, a rare occurrence for August, while another depression is forming in the Bay of Bengal.

Key Points

Cyclone Formation in Gujarat: A depression over Saurashtra in Gujarat is expected to become a cyclone.

Historical Context: This is the first time since 1964 that a land-based depression in August may develop into a cyclone over the Arabian Sea.

Movement: The depression is moving westward and is expected to intensify into a cyclone by Friday.

Impact: The storm is anticipated to move away from the Indian coast within two days, but has already caused extremely heavy rainfall in Gujarat.

Depression in the Bay of Bengal

Current Status: A new depression has formed in the northern Bay of Bengal.

Forecast: It is predicted to move towards north Andhra Pradesh and the southern Odisha coast.

Intensity: The IMD expects this depression to intensify within the next 48 hours.

Tracking: The trajectory and potential impact of this depression are still being assessed.

Cyclone Trends and Timing

Unusual Timing: Cyclones are rarely observed during the monsoon season in August. They typically occur in May or during the pre- and post-monsoon periods in October and November.

Significance: The formation of cyclones during the monsoon season highlights unusual weather

Land-Based Depression: A land-based depression refers to a low-pressure system that forms over land, typically due to differential heating of the Earth’s surface. This type of depression occurs when the air pressure is significantly lower than the surrounding areas, causing air to converge and rise.

Formation: Occurs over land areas, often influenced by geographic and climatic conditions.

Weather Patterns: Can lead to localized weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and occasionally cyclone formation if it moves over warm waters.

Seasonality: Less common compared to oceanic depressions but can occur during various times of the year, depending on the region and climate.

Example: The current land-based depression over Saurashtra in Gujarat is an example. It is forming over land and is expected to move towards the Arabian Sea, where it could intensify into a cyclone.

Normal Depression (Oceanic Depression): A normal depression, or simply a depression, generally refers to a low-pressure system that forms over water bodies, particularly oceans. It is characterized by a central area of low pressure surrounded by higher pressure regions.

Formation: Typically forms over warm ocean waters where evaporation creates moist air that rises and causes a drop in atmospheric pressure. This can lead to the development of cyclones or hurricanes if conditions are favourable.

Weather Patterns: Associated with widespread weather impacts including rain, strong winds, and potential cyclonic activity if it intensifies.

Seasonality: More common in tropical and subtropical regions and during specific seasons (e.g., hurricane season in the Atlantic).

Example: The depression currently forming in the northern Bay of Bengal is an oceanic depression. It is expected to influence weather patterns as it moves towards land, potentially impacting the north Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha coast.

Cyclones: Cyclones are large-scale air mass systems characterized by low pressure at the center and high pressure at the outer edges, leading to strong winds and heavy rains.

Formation: Cyclones form over warm ocean waters where moist air rises, creating low pressure and leading to the development of storm systems.

Classification: Cyclones are classified into different categories based on their intensity, including tropical depressions, tropical storms, cyclones, and hurricanes.

Seasonality: Cyclones are most common in tropical and subtropical regions and typically form during specific seasons, such as the North Atlantic hurricane season (June to November) and the North Indian cyclone season (April to December).

Major Indian Cyclones in 2023 and 2024

Cyclone Biparjoy (2023): Formed in the Arabian Sea, it impacted Gujarat and the coastal regions of Pakistan in June 2023, causing heavy rains and strong winds.

Cyclone Mocha (2023): A significant cyclone that affected parts of the Bay of Bengal and impacted Myanmar and Bangladesh in May 2023.

Cyclone Gulab (2023): Impacted the eastern coast of India in September 2023, affecting Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Cyclone Kewal (2024): Formed in the Bay of Bengal in August 2024, impacting the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with heavy rains and strong winds.

Cyclone Arjun (2024): A significant cyclone in the Arabian Sea in May 2024, affecting the western coast of India, including Gujarat and Maharashtra.