Daily Prelims Notes 5 August 2024

August 5, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

5 August 2024

Table Of Contents

1. Why the Odisha government will plant palm trees to combat lightning strikes

Sub: Geo

Sec: Climatology

Context:

The Special Relief Commissioner’s office has approved Rs 7 crore for the proposed plan. The state has banned the felling of existing palm trees and 19 lakh palm trees will initially be planted on the boundaries of the forests.

What is lightening?

It is a rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere some of which is directed towards earth.

Why Odisha is more prone to lightning strikes?

The highest number of cloud-to-lightning (CG) strikes occur in eastern and central India according to the Annual Lightning Report 2023-2024, published by the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC) and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
Odisha is an eastern coastal state situated in the tropical zone, with its hot, dry climate presenting the perfect blend of conditions for lightning strikes.
Odisha is particularly susceptible because of its complex combination of climatic factors which influence the occurrence of lightning including pre-monsoon and monsoon period, cyclonic activities influenced by sea temperature and the convective energy of the atmosphere.
A research paper titled “Climate Change and Incidence of Lightning in Odisha: An Exploratory Research”, published by the IMD in 2021 further establishes the role of climate change in exacerbating lightning strikes, with a nearly 10 per cent increase in lightning activity resulting from every one degree Celsius of long-term warming.

How palm tree planation will help?

Palm trees are uniquely suited to be lightning conductors because of their height among other trees. They contain high moisture and sap, can absorb lightning and reduce its direct impact on the ground.

2. Mamata Banerjee urges Hemant Soren to monitor the water release from Jharkhand dams causing floods in southern Bengal

Sub: Geo

Sec Indian Physical

Context:

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee met with Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren to discuss the excessive water flow from the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dams in Jharkhand, which are causing flooding in southern Bengal.

Details:

Water release from Tenughat dam increases pressure on DVC dams at Maithon and Panchet, all on the Damodar River.
The water release affects the Durgapur barrage, submerging low-lying areas around the Durgapur township of West Bengal.
In Hooghly district, the Mundeshari River overflowed, submerging agricultural land, homes, and washing away bridges, stranding residents.

Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC):

DVC is a statutory body which operates in the Damodar River area of West Bengal and Jharkhand states of India to handle the Damodar Valley Project, the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India.
Indian Astrophysicist Meghnad Saha, the former chief architect of river planning in India, prepared the original plan for the Damodar Valley Project.
It operates both thermal power stations and hydel power stations under the ownership of Ministry of Power, Government of India.
DVC is headquartered in the Kolkata city of West Bengal, India.

Dams constructed under the DVC:

1. Tenughat dam	Tenughat Dam is an earthfill dam with composite masonry cum concrete spillway across the Damodar River at Tenughat in the Petarwar block of Bokaro district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
2. Maithon dam	The Maithon Dam is located at Maithon, 48 km from Dhanbad, in Jharkhand India. It is one of the biggest dams in Jharkhand. This dam is built on the Barakar River.
3. Panchet dam	Panchet Dam was the last of the four multi-purpose dams included in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). It was constructed across the Damodar River at Panchet in Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand and opened in 1959.
4. Tilaiya Dam	It has been constructed across the Barakar river at Tilaiya in Koderma district of Jharkhand.
5. Durgapur barrage	Durgapur Barrage is built across the Damodar River at Durgapur in Paschim Bardhaman district and partly in Paschim Bardhaman district, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was constructed by Damodar Valley Corporation mainly for irrigation and also to supply water to the Industrial township of Durgapur. The irrigation and canal system was transferred to the Government of West Bengal in 1964.

Damodar River:

The Damodar River rises in the Palamu hills of the Chota Nagpur plateau in the state of Jharkhand.
It passes through two Indian states namely, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
The Damodar occupies the eastern margins of the Chotanagpur Plateau where it flows through a rift valley and finally joins the Hugli.
The Barakar River is its main tributary.
Due to the devastating floods caused by the Damodar River and its tributaries in the plains of West Bengal, it is also known as the ‘sorrow of Bengal’.

Source: TH

3. GRMB to meet on Aug. 13, KRMB on Aug. 14

Sub: Sci

Sec Biotech

Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) Meeting:

The GRMB meeting on August 13 will see Telangana submit the detailed project report for the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Scheme (SRLIS) and Sitamma Sagar multi-purpose project.
- Lift irrigation is a method of irrigation in which water is not transported by natural flow, (as in gravity-fed canal) but is lifted with pumps or surge pools etc.
Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIS)- Telangana:
- SRLIS aims to supply water to 3.45 lakh acres of gap ayacut in the tail-end areas of the Nagarjunasagar Left Canal in Khammam, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, and Mahabubabad districts, and create new irrigation potential for 3.29 lakh acres by lifting 65.25 tmc ft of Godavari water.
- Sitamma Sagar, a multi-purpose project, aims to generate 280 megawatts of hydro-electric power, store 36.57 tmc ft of water, and irrigate 1.13 lakh acres in Yellandu, Pinapaka, and Wyra constituencies.

Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) Meeting:

KRMB will meet virtually on August 14 to discuss supplying drinking water to Chennai from the Srisailam project through the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator and Telugu Ganga Canal.
The inter-state agreement of 1976-77 allows drawing 1,500 cusecs (15 tmc ft total) from the Srisailam reservoir for Chennai’s water supply, with Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu contributing 5 tmc ft each.
The Pothireddypadu Head Regulator was constructed with an 11,150 cusecs drawal capacity, later expanded to over 55,000 cusecs in 2006.

Current Water Drawal:

Andhra Pradesh has been drawing up to 26,000 cusecs (over 2 tmc ft/day) from the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator since July 27 due to surplus water in the Srisailam project.
Telangana is drawing up to 2,400 cusecs for the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme, and Andhra Pradesh has an additional 675 cusecs from the Malyala pump house since July 30.
Mahatma Gandhi Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme (MGKLIS):
- It is a lift irrigation project on River Krishna located in Mahbubnagar district in the Indian state of Telangana.
- The lift canal starts from the backwaters of the Srisailam Dam near Kollapur.
- The gravity-driven, 100-kilometre-long canal provides cultivation for nearly 137,000 hectares (340,000 acres)in 300 villages located in constituencies of Kollapur, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool, Kalwakurthy, Jadcherla, and Achampet.

Source: TH

4. Genetics confirms Berbers reached North Africa over 20,000 years ago; Arabs came in the 7th Century CE

Sub: Sci

Sec Biotech

Context:

The Imazighen (Berbers) of North Africa arrived over 20,000 years ago, while the Arabs migrated in the seventh century Common Era (CE), as confirmed by recent research.

Research Findings:

Scientists David Comas and Òscar Lao from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyze 364 complete genomes from various populations.
They developed a computational model called “genetic programming for population genetics” (GP4PG) to distinguish between the Imazighen and Arabs.
- GP4PG is an innovative computational model with natural computing methods, within the field of artificial intelligence.
The GP4PG model revealed that the Imazighen and Arabs separated more than 20,000 years ago, with the Imazighen returning to Africa from Eurasia in a movement known as “back to Africa.”
The GP4PG model shows a genetic gradient from east to west, declining from the Middle East to sub-Saharan Africa, following the arrival of Arabs around 600 AD.

Arab Colonization:

Previous studies suggested Arabs originated in North Africa during the Neolithic Period, but new research confirms they colonized North Africa during the seventh century CE.
The Arab conquest of Egypt, led by Amr ibn al-As, resulted in the Arabization of Egypt and subsequent spread to Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
- Amr ibn al-As is a Sahabah or Companion of the Prophet Muhammad and Arab commander, who later ruled Egypt as governor of the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphs.

Imazighen (Berbers):

Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also called by their endonym Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arabs in the Arab migrations to the Maghreb.
Their main connections are identified by their usage of Berber languages, most of them mutually unintelligible, which are part of the Afroasiatic language family.
They are indigenous to the Maghreb region of North Africa, where they live in scattered communities across parts of Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and to a lesser extent Tunisia, Mauritania, northern Mali and northern Niger.
Smaller Berber communities are also found in Burkina Faso and Egypt’s Siwa Oasis.

Source: DTE

5. SC Asks Banks to Identify MSME Stress Before Accounts Turn to NPA

Sub: Eco

Sec : Monetary policy

Supreme Court’s Mandate:

The Supreme Court has mandated that banks and creditors must identify incipient stress in the accounts of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) before these accounts turn into non-performing assets (NPAs).

Judgment Details:

The appeals focused on a notification titled “Instructions for the Framework for Revival and Rehabilitation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises”, issued on May 29, 2015, under Section 9 of the MSMED Act.
This notification was revised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in March 2016, under Section 21 and 35 (A) of the Banking Regulation Act.
The court held that the May 2015 notification has “statutory force binding to all Scheduled commercial banks, licensed to operate in India by the RBI.”
The exercise as contained in the “Framework for Revival and Rehabilitation of MSMEs” must be carried out by banking companies before MSME accounts turn into NPAs.
MSMEs are required to produce authenticated and verifiable documents/materials to substantiate their claim of being an MSME before their account is classified as an NPA. SARFAESI Act Recourse:
If MSMEs fail to provide the necessary documentation and their account is classified as an NPA, banks (secured creditors) are entitled to take recourse to Chapter III of The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI Act) for the enforcement of the security interest.

High Court Challenge:

The MSMEs had challenged a Bombay High Court decision dated January 11, which dismissed their writ petitions.
The High Court had held that banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies were not obliged to adopt the restructuring process as contemplated in the May 2015 notification without specific applications from MSMEs.

SARFAESI Act

The SARFAESI (Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest) Act, 2002, was designed to tackle the issue of NPAs (Non-Performing Assets) or bad assets. This legislation grants banks and other financial institutions the authority to recover loans by auctioning residential or commercial properties. Banks are enabled to confiscate collateral/securities (excluding agricultural property) without the participation of a court in case of a loan default.

Features

Secured creditors (banks or financial institutions) possess significant rights for the enforcement of security interest under Section 13 of this Act.
If the borrower of financial assistance defaults in repayment of a loan or any instalment and his account is classified as a Non-performing Asset by the secured creditor, the creditor may, before the expiry of the period of limitation, issue a written notice to the borrower for repayment of dues in full within 60 days, clearly stating the amount due and the intention for enforcement.
The SARFAESI Act empowers financial institutions to ‘seize and desist’. They should give a notice to the defaulting borrower asking to repay the amount within 60 days.
If the debtor doesn’t comply, the bank can resort to one of the three following measures:

Take possession of the loan security.
Sell or lease or assign the right over the security.
Manage the asset or appoint someone to manage the same.

The Act provides for the establishment of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) to acquire assets from banks and other financial institutions. ARCs are regulated by the RBI.
The law does not apply to:

Unsecured loans.
Loans below ₹100,000.
Where the remaining debt is below 20% of the original principal.

The SARFAESI Act provides for the establishment of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) which are regulated by the RBI. Asset Reconstruction Companies can buy securities from banks and financial institutions.
The government amended the SARFAESI Act in 2016 to empower the Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARC). ARCs purchase non-performing assets (NPAs) from financial institutions and banks to help them clean up their balance sheets.
The RBI registers ARCs, and the SARFAESI Act of 2002 regulates them

6. What do leading scientists make of the R&D Budget in Modi’s third term?

Sub: Sci

Sec: Schemes

Context:

There have been concerns about the sidelining of basic research and stagnation in research funding as a percentage of the GDP.

More on the news?

Continuing with the focus on ‘Viksit Bharat’ like last year, this year’s Union Budget also spurs research and development in important areas such as climate-resilient agriculture, critical minerals, miniature and modular nuclear energy technology, energy-efficient technologies.

What are the priority areas in the budget 2024-25?

The budget prioritizes nine areas including agriculture, employment, human resource development, manufacturing, services, urban development, energy security, infrastructure, innovation, research & development, and next-generation reforms.

Key highlights of budgets in science:

Setting up of the Anusandhan National Research Fund (ANRF):

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) was established with Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act 2023.
The ANRF will provide high-level strategic direction for scientific research, ensuring collaborations between industry, academia, government departments, and research institutions.
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023, outlines an estimated cost of ₹50,000 crore for the period 2023-2028 to support and promote R&D activities.

Private Sector-Driven Research and Innovation:

To spur private sector-driven research and innovation at a commercial scale a financing pool of ₹1 lakh crore will be established to support these initiatives.

Expanding the Space Economy:

To expand India’s space economy fivefold in the next decade a venture capital fund of ₹1,000 crore will be set up to support startups and projects in the space sector.
This initiative aims to create a vibrant space economy, contributing to technological advancements and economic growth.

Transforming Agriculture Research:

To boost agricultural productivity and create climate-resilient crops, a thorough review of the agricultural research system will be conducted.
Additionally, 109 new high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties across 32 field and horticulture crops will be introduced for cultivation.

Research and Development of Small and Modular Nuclear Reactors:

Small and modular nuclear reactors offer advantages such as lower costs, enhanced safety, and scalability.
To integrate nuclear energy as a significant part of India’s energy mix for Viksit Bharat the government will partner with the private sector to-
- Set up Bharat Small Reactors.
- Conduct R&D for Bharat Small Modular Reactors.
- Develop newer technologies for nuclear energy.

7. Supreme Court verdict on sub-classification: How CJI underlined substantive equality

Sub: Polity

Sec : Constitution

Context:

In a landmark judgment, a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on August 1 reframed how the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) quota may operate for the very first time since reservations were introduced in the Constitution in 1950.

More on the news?

In a 6:1 ruling, the Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud permitted states to create sub-classifications within the SC and ST categories for the purpose of wider protections to the most backward communities within these categories.
This judgment overturns the apex court’s 2004 decision in E V Chinnaiah v State of Andhra Pradesh, in which it had held that the SC/ST list is a “homogenous group” that cannot be divided further.

What is Substantive equality?

Substantive equality is a substantive law on human rights that is concerned with equality of outcome for disadvantaged and marginalized people and groups and generally all subgroups in society.
Substantive equality recognizes that the law must take elements such as discrimination, marginalization, and unequal distribution into account in order to achieve equal results for basic human rights.
It derives primarily from Marxists and Communists.
Substantive equality is distinct from formal equal opportunity, which ensures equal opportunity based on meritocracy, but not equal outcomes for subgroups.
Substantive equality can include affirmative action and quota systems including gender quotas and racial quotas.
In a string of rulings given over the last seven years, CJI Chandrachud has referred to substantive equality to stress that reservation is a facet of merit, and not an exception to the merit rule.

Reservation as facet of Equality:

Reservation is a form of positive discrimination, created to promote equality among marginalized sections, so as to protect them from social and historical injustice.
Generally, it means giving preferential treatment to marginalized sections of society in employment and access to education.

Reservation as limiting Efficiency:

Article 335 of the Constitution, which provides for reservation for SCs and STs in services and posts, states that the reservation must be taken consistently with the maintenance of efficiency of administration.
In the discourse on reservation in the Supreme Court that put emphasis on “maintaining efficiency of service”, reservation was effectively seen as being detrimental to “efficiency”, while “merit” was equated with efficiency.
In the 1992 Indra Sawhney judgment, the SC held that reservations in promotions would dilute efficiency in administration.
The Constitution (Seventy-seventh) Amendment Act, 1995 inserted Article 16(4A) to allow “consequential seniority”, which meant that the seniority attained by a reserved-category candidate over his peer in the general category by being promoted earlier would be retained for the next promotion.

8. Fighting mosquito menace with repellents, vaccines

Subject: Science and Tech

Sec: Health

Context:

Since 2007, WHO has called April 15 World Malaria Day to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment to malaria prevention and control.

More on News:

In 1902, Sir Ronald Ross received the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for having shown how malaria was transmitted by the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes infecting a human patient in Hyderabad suffering from malaria.
The National Centre for Vector-borne Diseases, of the Indian Health Ministry, points out that mosquito bites lead to malaria, dengue, filaria, Japanese encephalitis and chikungunya.

Malaria?

Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito borne blood disease caused by plasmodium parasites.
- There are 5 Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species – falciparum and P. vivax– pose the greatest threat.
Malaria is predominantly found in the tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, South America as well as Asia.
Malaria is spread by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
- The mosquito becomes infected after biting an infected person. The malaria parasites then enter the bloodstream of the next person the mosquito bites. The parasites travel to the liver, mature, and then infect red blood cells.
Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness.
Malaria is both preventable and curable.

Prevalence:

Across India, mosquitoes are most prevalent in highly water-borne areas such as Odisha, West Bengal and the Northeastern states.
However, even Pune, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata have shown a large increase in mosquito population due to heavy rains and inefficient water handling.

Breed:

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant waters such as agricultural farms, plant pots, gutters, bird baths, tires of bicycles, autos and other vehicles, and trash containers.
Periodic cleaning of these will help in reducing mosquito growth.

Repellents:

While some of these are usable in cities and towns, people in rural areas (where rice/wheat breeding occurs and has a lot of stagnant water) can use camphor and the leaves of ‘tulsi’ plants, both of which are used in their homes for prayers.
The plant citronella offers an oil that is an effective mosquito-repellent, out of which the mosquito repellent Odomos is produced, which is available in the market for affordable prices.
The widely used insect-repellent DEET was developed to protect soldiers during the Second World War.
A simple change in the chemical structure of DEET improved the efficiency of this molecule.

Vaccines against malaria

In 2021, WHO recommended the malaria vaccine called ‘Mosquirix’, produced by Glaxo-Smith-Kline and PATH, in four doses for infants, and allowed it for large-scale use in some parts of
Two biotech firms in India have initiated programmes for the manufacture and supply of malaria vaccines.
Bharat Biotech, which has already been working on some malaria-related vaccines, has tied up with GSK-PATH for technology transfer for long-term supply of ‘Mosquirix’, and hopes to manufacture and supply it to people in India by 2026.
In 2021, the WHO also recommended the R21/Matrix vaccine.
Serum Institute (in collaboration with Oxford University) has produced R21/Matrix vaccine; in mid-July this year the vaccine was rolled out in Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa, the first country to begin administering R21/Matrix-M.

9. Death toll rises to 11, searches on for over 40 missing

Subject: Geography

Sec: Climatology

Context:

Over 40 people are still missing after a series of cloudbursts occurred in Kullu’s Nirmand, Sainj and Malana, Mandi’s Padhar and Shimla’s Rampur subdivision on the night of July 31 and wreaked havoc.

Cloudburst:

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD),cloudbursts are sudden, heavy rainstorms where more than 10 cm of rain falls in less than an hour over a small area, of about 10 square km. They often happen in mountainous areas, especially in the
In the Indian Subcontinent, it generally occurs when a monsoon cloud drifts northwards, from the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea across the plains then on to the Himalaya which sometimes brings 75 mm of rain per hour.
Causes:
- Cloudbursts occur when strong upward currents of hot air prevent raindrops from falling, allowing them to grow larger while new smaller drops form below.
- This leads to a significant accumulation of water in the atmosphere, which is released abruptly when the upward currents weaken.
- Cloudbursts frequently occur in the hilly and mountainous areas of the Indian subcontinent, largely due to the region’s complex topography, which facilitates orographic lifting.
  - Orographic lifting occurs when air rises and cools as it travels up the windward side of a mountain.
  - This process enhances cloud development and rainfall as moist air ascends over the mountains, with monsoon dynamics and localised weather patterns further influencing these intense precipitation events.
- Cloudburst are Different from Rainfall:
  - Rain is condensed water falling from a cloud while cloudburst is a sudden heavy rainstorm.
  - Rain over 10 cm per hour is categorised as a
  - The cloudburst is a natural phenomenon, but occurs quite unexpectedly, very abruptly, and rather drenching.
- Prediction:
  - There is no satisfactory technique for anticipating the occurrence of cloud bursts through satellites and ground monitoring stations because they develop over a small area and for a period of time.
  - A very fine net work of radars is required to be able to detect the likelihood of a cloud burst and this would be expensive.
  - Much of the damage can be avoided by way of identifying the areas and the meteorological situations that favour the occurrence of cloud bursts.
- Examples of Cloudbursts:
  - Uttarakhand Cloudburst (July 2021):Devastating cloudbursts in Chamoli, Uttarkashi, and Pithoragarh caused flash floods, landslides, and extensive damage to infrastructure and lives.
  - Himachal Pradesh Cloudburst (August 2020):Cloudbursts in Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, and Kinnaur triggered landslides and flash floods, damaging roads, bridges, and houses.

10. New tech promises to kill weeds in rice and wheat fields, remove need for stubble-burning

Subject: Environment

Sec: Agriculture

Context:

A push for direct-seeded rice and zero-tillage wheat, using a new non-GM herbicide-tolerance technology, has the potential to reduce the environmental footprint of India’s two major cereal crops.

More on News:

Cultivating rice using less water and not burning the leftover straw after harvesting, and wheat without any ploughing and land preparation, has been a holy grail for agricultural scientists and policymakers concerned over the ecological footprint of the two cereal grain crops.
The breeding of varieties/hybrids that can “tolerate” the application of a herbicide – Imazethapyr – to control weeds and grasses that affect the growth of crop plants by competing with them for nutrients, water and sunlight.

Kharif season:

The kharif season has seen the commercial planting of two basmati varieties (Pusa Basmati 1979 and Pusa Basmati 1985) and two non-basmati rice hybrids (Sava 134 and Sava 127), developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and Savannah Seeds Pvt. Ltd respectively.
These contain a mutated acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene that enables farmers to spray Imazethapyr for controlling weeds in rice, such as Echinochloa colona (commonly called jangli chawal), Cyperus rotundus (motha) and Trianthema portulacastrum (patthar-chatta).

Rabi season:

In the rabi (spring-winter) season, Mahyco Pvt. Ltd is expected to launch its wheat varieties, Goal and Mukut, which are also amenable to Imazethapyr application for controlling Phalaris minor (gulli danda), Chenopodium album (bathua) and other such major weeds.
The Jalna (Maharastra) based company and Savannah Seeds – the South Asian subsidiary of the Alvin (Texas)-headquartered RiceTec Inc. – have even formed a joint venture to take their Imazethapyr-tolerant ‘FullPage’ direct seeded rice (DSR) and ‘FreeHit’ zero-tillage (ZT) wheat technologies to farmers for making this cropping system “more climate-smart and sustainable”.

Herbicide-tolerant solutions

DSR and ZT wheat basically replace water and repeated field ploughings with a chemical herbicide (Imazethapyr) to take care of weeds.
DSR dispenses with the need for any paddy nursery, puddling, transplanting and flooding of fields.
‘FreeHit’ ZT technology makes it possible to sow wheat directly – without any paddy stubble burning or even land preparation.
Imazethapyr is to be sprayed along with Metribuzin, a selective herbicide already used in wheat, when the crop is about 25 days old.

Direct Seeded Rice (DSR)

The DSR method involves sowing rice seeds directly into the field rather than transplanting seedlings. This approach has several advantages, including:

Reduced Water Usage: DSR requires significantly less water compared to traditional transplanting methods. While conventional puddling methods necessitate around 15 irrigations, DSR can reduce this to about 10 irrigations, leading to water conservation.
Lower Labor Costs: The DSR method reduces labor requirements associated with transplanting, making it a more cost-effective option for farmers.
Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: By minimizing the need for puddling, DSR helps lower methane emissions, contributing to a more sustainable agricultural practice.

Zero-Tillage Wheat

Zero-tillage (ZT) cultivation involves sowing wheat directly into the stubble of the previous crop without ploughing the field. This method offers several benefits:

Soil Health Preservation: ZT helps maintain soil structure and reduces erosion, promoting long-term soil health.
Time and Cost Efficiency: Farmers can save time and costs associated with land preparation, as ZT eliminates the need for ploughing and reduces fuel consumption.
Stubble Management: The approach addresses the issue of stubble burning, a prevalent practice that contributes to air pollution. By incorporating stubble into the soil, ZT promotes nutrient cycling and enhances soil fertility.

11. Are deep-sea metals a vital resource or an environmental disaster in the making?

Subject: Geo

Sec: Eco Geo

Context:

Mining the valuable metals and rare earths found in the ocean floor could permanently damage fragile marine systems. The ocean floor holds vast quantities of metals and rare earths. But mining these valuable resources could permanently damage fragile marine systems.

Current state of deep-sea mining:

By 2025, the ISA wants to define a set of legally binding rules to manage deep-sea mining — without these rules, any planned mining operation will not be able to get started.
Germany, Brazil and the Pacific Island nation of Palau, have said they won’t agree on the new rules until their environmental impact has been fully investigated.
China, together with Norway, Japan and the microstate Nauru in the Central Pacific have pushed for a quick agreement so that mining companies can start putting their plans into action.

Profits from deep-sea mining:

The focus is primarily on manganese nodules and other minerals found on the ocean floor outside territorial waters.
These areas are classified as the “common heritage of mankind,” raw materials that belong to everyone, not one particular country.
Managing and monitoring any potential mining activities in these regions would be the responsibility of the ISA, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The ISA has so far issued 31 exploration licenses for certain areas, five of which have gone to Chinese companies.
But several other countries, including Germany, India and Russia, have also been exploring the seabed.
The UN’s Sea convention stipulates that any activities in the high seas must be equitably shared among states, and that would include profits from deep-sea mining.

What kind of metals can be found in the ocean floor?

Mining companies are particularly interested in polymetallic nodules, also known as manganese nodules.
These potato-sized lumps, which form over millions of years from sediment deposits, are composed mainly of manganese, cobalt, copper and nickel.
As the world makes the transition to renewable energy, the International Energy Agency expects the demand for these metals to double by 2040.
In addition to manganese nodules, mining companies are also targeting polymetallic sulphides, which contain large amounts of copper, zinc, lead, iron, silver and gold, and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, which are especially hard to break up and recover from the ocean depths.

Deep-sea mining harm marine ecosystems:

Manganese nodules and mineral crusts aren’t dead rocks — they’re an important habitat for many sea creatures.
At this depth, conditions are extreme: food is scare, sunlight is non-existent, and the water pressure is 100 times higher than at sea level.
For that reason, the seabed ecosystem — and species that have adapted to living in these conditions — are extremely fragile.
Mining robots, which vacuum up huge expanses in their search for manganese nodules, would destroy the ocean floor and suck up countless sea creatures.
Even marine life found kilometers away from these mining areas would be disturbed by light and noise pollution as well as the far-reaching, swirling clouds of sediment.
Fishing activity above the mining areas could be permanently disrupted.