Daily Prelims Notes 4 April 2024

April 4, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

4 April 2024

Table Of Contents

1. Risk from glacial lake floods

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

The Uttarakhand government has constituted two teams of experts to evaluate the risk posed by five potentially hazardous glacial lakes in the region.

More on news:

Glacial lakes are prone to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), the kind of events that have resulted in several disasters in the Himalayan states in recent years.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which operates under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has identified 188 glacial lakes in the Himalayan states that can potentially be breached because of heavy rainfall.

What are GLOFs?

GLOFs are disaster events caused by the abrupt discharge of water from glacial lakes — large bodies of water that sit in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier.
As a glacier withdraws, it leaves behind a depression that gets filled with meltwater, thereby forming a lake.
The more the glacier recedes, the bigger and more dangerous the lake becomes.
Such lakes are mostly dammed by unstable ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris.
In case the boundary around them breaks, huge amounts of water rush down the side of the mountains, which could cause flooding in the downstream areas ,which is referred to as a GLOF event.

Reasons for GLOFs:

GLOFs can be triggered by various reasons, including glacial calving, where sizable ice chunks detach from the glacier into the lake, inducing sudden water displacement.
Incidents such as avalanches or landslides can also impact the stability of the boundary around a glacial lake, leading to its failure, and the rapid discharge of water.
GLOFs can unleash large volumes of water, sediment, and debris downstream with formidable force and velocity.
Rising surface temperatures across the globe, including India, have increased the risk of GLOFs.
The floodwaters can submerge valleys, obliterate infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and buildings, and result in significant loss of life and livelihoods.

Why are GLOFs under the spotlight?

In recent years, there has been a rise in GLOF events in the Himalayan region as soaring global temperatures have increased glacier melting.
Rapid infrastructure development in vulnerable areas has also contributed to the spike in such incidents.
Since 1980, in the Himalayan region, particularly in southeastern Tibet and the China-Nepal border area, GLOFs have become more frequent.

What is the situation in Uttarakhand?

Uttarakhand has witnessed two major GLOF events in the past few years.
The first took place in June 2013, which affected large parts of the state — Kedarnath valley was the worst hit, where thousands of people died.
The second occurred in February 2021, when Chamoli district was hit by flash floods due to the bursting of a glacier lake.

Classification of lakes:

As mentioned earlier, Uttarakhand has 13 glacial lakes which are prone to GLOF.
Based on the analysis of available data and research from various technical institutions, these lakes have been categorized into three risk levels: ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’.
Five highly sensitive glacial lakes fall into the ‘A’ category.
These include Vasudhara Tal in the Dhauliganga basin in Chamoli district, and four lakes in Pithoragarh district — Maban Lake in Lassar Yangti Valley, Pyungru Lake in the Darma basin, an unclassified lake in the Darma basin, and another unclassified lake in Kuthi Yangti Valley.

2. Path to Viksit Bharat: why India should target per capita, not aggregate GDP

Subject: Economy

Section: National Income

China-India Comparison (1990):
- In 1990, China’s per capita GDP trailed India’s, with an overall GDP only 23% higher.
- Both ranked 11th and 12th by nominal GDP, showcasing comparable economic standings.
China’s Accelerated Growth:
- China experienced 10% annual real GDP growth in the 1990s and 2000s, propelling it to the world’s second-largest economy by 2010.
- By 2010, China’s nominal GDP soared to $6.1 trillion, a whopping 4 times the 1990 level.
- 1990s and 2000s marked China’s era of expansion, surpassing even the US economy of 1990 by 2010.
- Sustained growth rates, even at 7% to 3% since 2010, drove China’s per capita GDP past $10,000 by 2019.
- In 2022, China’s economy stood at $18 trillion, eclipsing even the US economy of 2014.
- Projection: China poised to become the world’s largest economy by early to mid-2030s.
India’s Growth Trajectory:
- India’s real GDP growth has slowed, averaging 9% from 2010-22 and 5.7% since 2014.
- Despite reaching $3.4 trillion in 2022, India lags as a relative growth underperformer.
Comparative Economies (2022):
- In 2022, Japan and Germany boasted nominal GDPs of $4.3 trillion and $4.1 trillion
- Projection: India requires 6% annual growth, compared to 2% for others, to claim the world’s No. 3 economy by 2028.
Focus on Per Capita Growth:
- While aggregate GDP boosts geopolitical influence, India’s vast population makes per capita GDP equally vital.
- A 5% annual GDP growth over 30 years could yield 332% expansion, as explained by economist Thomas Piketty’s “law of cumulative growth”.
India’s Transformation (1990-2022):
- India has transformed with 6% annual real GDP growth during 1990-2022, despite the potential for 7-8% growth.
- Comparison: China’s 46-fold economic growth from 1990-2022 (compared to India’s 11-fold) showcases its exceptional expansion.
Per Capita GDP Rise (China vs. India):
- China’s remarkable rise in per capita GDP from $348 to $12,720 (against India’s $369 to $2,411) highlights its extraordinary growth.
Path to “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India):
- The Modi government aims for a “Viksit Bharat” or developed India by 2047, emphasizing per capita GDP
- India’s current “lower-middle-income” status ($1,136-4,465 range) vs. China’s “upper-middle-income” status ($4,466-13,845) underscores the goal for higher living standards.
Conclusion and Future Target:
- India’s 2030s Vision: Aims for a “high-income” status, targeting per capita GDP of $13,846 or more.
- The journey to a “Viksit Bharat” involves sustained growth, focusing on per capita prosperity for economic excellence.

Per Capita GDP:

Per capita GDP, or Gross Domestic Product per capita, is a measure of the average economic output per person in a country. It is calculated by dividing the country’s total GDP by its population.
Formula: Per Capita GDP = Total GDP / Population
Significance:
- Reflects the average standard of living in a country.
- Indicates the economic well-being of the average individual.
- Helps compare the economic performance of different countries.
Importance:
- High per capita GDP generally correlates with higher living standards, better education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
- It is a key indicator of a country’s economic development and prosperity.

Aggregate GDP (Gross Domestic Product):

Definition: Aggregate GDP, or Gross Domestic Product, is the total value of all goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific period, usually a year.
Calculation: Aggregate GDP is the sum of consumption, investment, government spending, and net exports (exports minus imports).
Significance:
- Measures the size of a country’s economy.
- Reflects the total economic output of a nation.
- Indicates the overall economic activity within a country.
Importance:
- Governments use GDP to monitor economic growth and performance.
- It helps policymakers in formulating economic policies.
- GDP is a crucial factor in comparing the economic strength of different countries.

Comparison:

Per Capita GDP:
- Focuses on the average individual and their economic well-being.
- Reflects income distribution and standards of living.
- Important for assessing quality of life and human development.
Aggregate GDP:
- Provides an overview of the entire economy.
- Measures the total economic output of a nation.
- Essential for understanding a country’s economic size and growth trends.

In essence, per capita GDP tells us how much each person contributes to the economy on average, offering insights into the standard of living. On the other hand, aggregate GDP gives a broad view of the entire economy’s size and activity, providing a snapshot of the nation’s economic output. Both metrics are crucial for understanding and analyzing a country’s economic health and development.

3. Japan’s economy recovers to full capacity, keeps alive BOJ rate hike prospects

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Japan’s economic output recovered to full capacity for the first time in about four years in the October-December quarter, a positive sign that may allow the central bank to raise interest rates again.

What is output gap?

It measures the difference between an economy’s actual and potential output.
It stood at +0.02% in the final quarter of last year(Bank of Japan (BOJ) ).
The output gap is among data the BOJ watches closely in determining whether the economy is expanding strongly enough to propel a demand-driven rise in inflation.
A positive output gap occurs when actual output exceeds the economy’s full capacity, and is considered a sign of strong demand. It is seen by analysts as one of a handful of prerequisites for wages to rise more, and push inflation sustainably around the BOJ’s 2% target.
The BOJ ended eight years of negative interest rates and other remnants of its unorthodox policy last month, making a historic shift away from its focus on quashing deflation and reflating growth with decades of massive monetary stimulus.
Markets are on the look-out for any clues on how soon the central bank could raise interest rates again.
Expectations that the BOJ will go slow in any further rate hikes have pushed the yen down to near 152 to the dollar, a level seen by markets as heightening the chance of yen-buying intervention by Japanese authorities.

4. Ring of fire and Taiwan earthquake

Subject: Geography

Section: Geomorphology

Context: 9 people were killed and more than 900 injured after Taiwan was hit by the biggest earthquake in at least 25 years on Wednesday morning.

What is the Ring of Fire?

The Ring of Fire is essentially a string of hundreds of volcanoes and earthquake-sites which runs along the Pacific Ocean. It is a semicircle or horse shoe in shape and stretches nearly 40,250 kilometres. The Ring of Fire traces the meeting points of numerous tectonic plates, including the Eurasian, North American, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Caribbean, Nazca, Antarctic, Indian, Australian, Philippine, and other smaller plates, which all encircle the large Pacific Plate, according to a report by National Geographic.

Why is the Ring of Fire vulnerable to earthquakes?

The Ring of Fire witnesses so many earthquakes due to constant sliding past, colliding into, or moving above or below each other of the tectonic plates. As the edges of these plates are quite rough, they get stuck with one another while the rest of the plate keeps moving.

An earthquake occurs when the plate has moved far enough and the edges unstick on one of the faults.

Taiwan experiences earthquakes due to the interactions of two tectonic plates — the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

Why are there so many volcanoes in the Ring of Fire?

The existence of volcanoes in the Ring of Fire is also due to the movement of tectonic plates. Many of the volcanoes have been formed through a process known as subduction. It takes place when two plates collide with each other and the heavier plate is shoved under another, creating a deep trench.

“Basically, when a ‘down going’ oceanic plate [like the Pacific Plate] is shoved into a hotter mantle plate, it heats up, volatile elements mix, and this produces the magma. The magma then rises up through the overlying plate and spurts out at the surface,” which leads to the formation of volcanoes.

Most of the subduction zones on the planet are located in the Ring of Fire and that’s why it hosts a large number of volcanoes.

5. After Karnataka, Tamil Nadu Moves Supreme Court Seeking To Direct Union To Release Disaster Relief Funds

Subject: Polity

Section: Msc

Context:

Tamil Nadu filed a suit in the Supreme Court accusing the Union government of treating the people of the State in a “step-motherly” fashion by delaying the release of disaster relief funds of nearly ₹38,000 crore sought by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to help tide over the twin calamities of Cyclone Michaung and unprecedented floods.

Details:

The suit was filed by the State under Article 131 of the Constitution.
- According to Article 131, the SC has exclusive and original jurisdiction over legal issues originating between States or between States and the Union.
There is no justification for delaying the release of funds.
The differential treatment in the release of funds in comparison to other States is tantamount to class discrimination.
It violates the fundamental rights of those who have suffered due to calamities and faced greater hardships and irreparable losses.
This step-motherly treatment violates the National Disaster Management Policy, including financial relations and the federal nature of tax division by unfairly allocating funds to some States over others.

The financial mechanism under the Disaster Management Act, 2005:

National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) was renamed as National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) under the provisions of the DM Act in 2005. The fund is defined under Section 46 of the DM Act, 2005. It is constituted under the Public Account of India under “reserve funds not bearing interest”.
It is administered by the Central Government to meet the expenditure for emergency response, relief and rehabilitation due to any disaster
It supplements the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) if a disaster is of severe nature and adequate funds are not available in the SDRF
It is financed through the levy of a Cess on certain items, chargeable to excise and customs duty, and approved annually through the Finance Bill.
Recently, The Central Government has allowed contributions from any person or institution to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) as per Section 46(1)(b) of the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005
Department of Agriculture and Cooperation monitors relief activities for calamities associated with drought, hailstorms, pest attacks and cold wave/frost while the rest of the natural calamities are monitored by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The National Disaster Response Fund is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)
The main task of NDRF is to provide a specialist response in case of disasters which broadly covers:
- Assistance to civil authorities in distributing relief material
- First medical response to victims
- Capacity building
- To conduct mock exercises in coordination with other stakeholders for well-coordinated response during disasters.
- To train the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), community and NGO in disaster management.

State Disaster Response Fund:

Established under Section 48 (1) (a) of the DM Act, 2005, is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters.
The Central Government gives 75% of the SDRF share for general category States/UTs and 90% for special category States/UTs (NE States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir).
The annual Central contribution is released in two equal instalments as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission.
SDRF can be used only for meeting the expenditure for providing immediate relief to the disaster-affected people.
Local Disaster: A State Government may use up to 10% of the SDRF to provide immediate relief to the people affected by natural disasters within the local context in the State and which are not included in the notified list of disasters of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is subject to the condition that the State Government has listed the State-specific natural disasters and notified clear and transparent norms and guidelines for such disasters with the approval of the State Authority, i.e., the State Executive Authority (SEC).

Finance Commission recommendations on Disaster Management:

The 15th FC recommended for establishing National & State Disaster Management Funds (NDMF and SDMF) for local-level mitigation activities. It has also recommended retaining the existing cost-sharing mechanism between the Centre and states to fund the SDMF (new) and the SDRF (existing). The cost-sharing pattern between centre and states is (i) 75:25 for all states, and (ii) 90:10 for northeastern and Himalayan states.
The terminology, “Disaster Risk Management” instead of “Disaster Management” has been introduced for the first time. This signals a move towards an advanced approach to managing disaster risk, which is proactive and preparedness-based rather than response-centric.
The term ‘river erosion’ has been used for the first time in the Finance Commission report. This may mark the beginning of systematic efforts to address ‘riverine erosion’ as a significant hazard affecting vulnerable communities.

Source: TH

6. Zimbabwe’s President Mnangagwa declares national disaster over drought

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a national disaster in response to a severe drought crisis.
Main affected region: South-western provinces of Matabeleland North and South.

African countries facing severe droughts

Details:

The country requires $2 billion to address hunger caused by diminished rainfall, which has led to the loss of roughly half of the maize crop.
An estimated 2.7 million people in Zimbabwe are facing hunger due to the grain shortage and rising food prices.
Similar declarations of disaster have been made by neighbouring Zambia and Malawi, also affected by drought.
There are concerns that the current drought in southern Africa could be one of the worst in decades.
According to the World Food Programme, around 13.6 million people in the region are experiencing crisis-level food insecurity.
Zimbabwe is dealing with high inflation, significantly impacted by food prices.
The drought, worsened by the El Nino weather pattern, has also impacted electricity production due to reliance on hydroelectric power.
Zimbabwe, once a major agricultural contributor in southern Africa, has faced several severe droughts in recent years, affecting both crops and cattle.
The country experienced its worst drought in 1992 and has seen increasing frequencies of such events, with significant droughts also declared in 2016 and 2019.

Causes of severe drought in Southern Africa:

El Nino, a naturally occurring climatic phenomenon that warms parts of the Pacific Ocean every two to seven years, has varied effects on the world’s weather.
- In southern Africa, it typically causes below-average rainfall, but this year has seen the worst drought in decades.
While not all droughts are directly linked to climate change, the phenomenon exacerbates drought conditions by increasing atmospheric heat and moisture extraction.
Global temperatures have risen approximately 1.2C since the industrial era, with ongoing increases expected unless significant emissions reductions are achieved.

Source: TH

7. Israel’s repeated attacks leave Iran in a strategic dilemma

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated Israel is engaged in a multi-front war, both offensively and defensively.
Israel is involved in conflicts with Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Hamas, and Hezbollah forces.

Octopus doctrine:

Israel identifies Iran as its primary adversary, connecting it to various anti-Israel groups in West Asia like Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and Islamic Jihad.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennet described Iran as the “head of the octopus” with the militias acting as its tentacles.
- Israel is now attacking both the head and the tentacles simultaneously.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces internal pressure to resign and the recent attack on the Iranian embassy annex in Syria marks a significant escalation in the conflict with Iran, challenging the norms protected under the 1961 Vienna Convention regarding diplomatic premises.
- The 1961 Vienna Convention states that embassy and consular premises should be protected even in times of war.
- Israel says the annex was a consular section only in the name and it was actually used by the Quds Force.
Israel’s actions suggest a readiness to combat Iranian influence in the region, even at the risk of open conflict, by demonstrating its capability to target senior Iranian military officials anywhere, including diplomatic sites.

Mutual response:

Iran’s military strategy focuses on avoiding direct conflicts with more powerful nations, utilizing proxies and asymmetric warfare instead. An open conflict with Israel is seen as potentially disastrous for the region and could involve the U.S.
Strategic restraint is seen as beneficial for Iran to avoid triggering a broader war. However, Israel’s continued strikes undermine Iran’s deterrence capabilities, challenging Iran to respond without initiating a full-scale conflict.
The killing of Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a high-ranking Quds Force commander, in the Damascus consulate attack presents a dilemma for Iran.

Source: TH

8. Holograms, blockchain tech can curb counterfeit drugs

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

Sheetal Arora, CEO of Mankind Pharma Ltd, advocates the use of holograms and blockchain technology as essential tools to combat counterfeit drugs in the market.

Details:

Holograms with advanced features and blockchain shipment tracking enhance drug authenticity and traceability, making counterfeiting difficult.
The urgency to address counterfeit drugs is highlighted by the growth projection of the Indian pharmaceutical industry from $50 billion in 2023 to $130 billion by 2030.
India’s position as a potential global pharmacy contrasts with its status as a major counterfeit drug production hub, facilitated by the ease of setting up small-scale operations.
The World Health Organization notes that approximately 10.5% of medications worldwide are substandard or fake.
The counterfeit drug industry has intensified, especially during the pandemic, posing a serious threat that requires collaborative efforts from the pharma industry and the government.
Measures proposed include strengthening regulatory control, enhancing drug testing labs, conducting surveys to track counterfeit drugs, and implementing strict liability for counterfeit drug manufacturers.
The Indian government is urged to implement the 2018 draft guidelines on Good Distribution Practices and initiate a nationwide awareness campaign on the risks of counterfeit drugs.
Pharmaceutical companies are encouraged to invest in secure packaging and periodically change designs to prevent counterfeiting, incorporating tamper-proof elements like QR codes, holograms, and security labels for product verification.

Hologram:

A hologram captures a 3D light field through an interference pattern, allowing for the reproduction of images with depth and parallax similar to the original scene.
Holograms can be created from actual light captured from scenes or through computer generation, known as computer-generated holograms, to display virtual objects or scenes.
The creation of optical holography requires laser light to record the light field, and the resulting image can exhibit depth cues such as parallax and perspective, changing realistically with viewing angle.
Traditionally, holograms are made by overlaying a reference beam onto a wavefront of interest, generating an interference pattern recorded on a physical medium. This pattern, when illuminated by the reference beam, recreates the original wavefront.
Although 3D images from holograms can be viewed with non-laser light, doing so often involves significant compromises in image quality to eliminate the need for laser illumination.
Computer-generated holograms are produced by digitally modeling two wave fronts to create an interference pattern, which can be printed on a mask or film for reconstruction with light, or displayed directly on a dynamic holographic display.

QR Code:

The QR Code is a two-dimensional version of the barcode. ‘QR’ stands for “Quick Response”, which refers to instant access to the information hidden in the Code.
Working:
- It consists of black squares arranged in a square grid on a white background.
- Up to 7089 digits or 4296 characters can be entered in one Code.
- The hidden information can be read by an imaging device such as a camera and the required data is then extracted from patterns that are present in code.
Applications: It was first designed in 1994 for the automotive industry in Japan. Now it is widely used to get to websites more quickly. Key applications are Product tracking, item identification, general marketing etc.

Basic blockchain security:

Blockchain technology is designed with inherent security features stemming from cryptography, decentralization, and consensus principles, fostering trust in transactions.
Data in blockchain or distributed ledger technologies (DLT) is organized into blocks, each holding a transaction or a group of transactions, linked in a cryptographic chain that is highly resistant to tampering.
Transactions within blocks are validated and confirmed by a consensus mechanism to ensure their authenticity and accuracy.
The decentralized nature of blockchain involves multiple participants across a distributed network, eliminating single points of failure and preventing any one user from altering the transaction record.
Despite these secure foundations, different blockchain technologies may vary in specific security details and implementations.

Source: TH

9. Gene involved in cell shape offers clues on left-handedness

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Msc

Context:

Notable figures across various fields, such as Lady Gaga, Barack Obama, and Bill Gates, share a common trait of being left-handed, a characteristic found in approximately 10% of the population.

Role of the TUBB4B gene:

Recent research has highlighted a genetic component to left-handedness, identifying rare variants of the gene TUBB4B, which are 2.7 times more common in left-handed individuals. These variants are involved in cell shape control but only account for a very small percentage of left-handedness cases.
The gene TUBB4B may influence brain asymmetry development, which is associated with the determination of the dominant hand. Typically, brain hemispheres have different functions, with most people exhibiting left-hemisphere dominance for language.
The study, involving genetic data from over 350,000 individuals in the UK Biobank, suggests that while genetics can play a role, the majority of left-handedness cases likely result from random developmental variations in the embryonic brain.
Historically, left-handedness was stigmatized, with cultural and linguistic biases favouring right-handedness. This stigma has led to efforts to convert left-handed individuals to right-handedness in various cultures.
The prevalence of left-handedness varies globally, with lower rates observed in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, possibly reflecting cultural suppression of left-handedness.
The study also explores the potential link between left-handedness and psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia and autism, suggesting that genes influencing early brain development may contribute to both brain asymmetry and certain psychiatric traits.

Source: TH