Daily Prelims Notes 5 October 2020

October 5, 2020
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Table Of Contents

1. Cestrum aurantiacum and Lantana camara

Subject: Environment

Context:

Iconic flora native to the Nilgiris, including more than 30 species of Strobilanthes, could be under threat of being displaced with the continuing advance of invasive flora such as Cestrum aurantiacum and Lantana camara

Concept:

The mass blooming of the Strobilantheskunthiana, known commonly as the neelakurinji, gave the Nilgiris (the blue mountains) its iconic name as the slopes were covered once in 12 years by the mass blooming of the shrub.
Recently, the blooming of the Strobilanthesfoliosa has been reported in parts of the Nilgiris.
There is prevalence of invasive species that have come to populate the habitats of the native Strobilanthes plants.
While the habitat of the Strobilanthes plants in the upper Nilgiris is being eroded by the Cestrum aurantiacum, they are threatened by other invasive species like Lantana camara in the lower slopes.

2. GST council

Subject: Economy

Context:

GST Council agrees to extend compensation cess beyond 2022

Concept:

GST Council

Goods & Services Tax Council is a constitutional body for making recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax.
As per Article 279A (1) of the amended Constitution, the GST Council has to be constituted by the President within 60 days of the commencement of Article 279A.
As per Article 279A of the amended Constitution, the GST Council which will be a joint forum of the Centre and the States, shall consist of the following members: –
- the Union Finance Minister ………………………………………………………. Chairperson;
- the Union Minister of State in charge of Revenue or Finance …………….. Member;
- the Minister in charge of Finance or Taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State Government……………………………….. Members.
As per Article 279A (4), the Council will make recommendations to the Union and the States on important issues related to GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected or exempted from GST, model GST Laws, principles that govern Place of Supply, threshold limits, GST rates including the floor rates with bands, special rates for raising additional resources during natural calamities/disasters, special provisions for certain States, etc.

Compensation cess

Compensation cess was introduced as relief for States for the loss of revenues arising from the implementation of GST.
States, in lieu of giving up their powers to collect taxes on goods and services after local levies were subsumed under the GST, were guaranteed a 14 per cent tax revenue growth in the first five years after GST implementation by the Central government.
States’ tax revenue as of FY16 is considered as the base year for the calculation of this 14 per cent growth.
Any shortfall against it is supposed to be compensated by the Centre using the funds specifically collected as compensation cess.
Compensation cess is levied on five products considered to be ‘sin’ or luxury goods like SUV, pan masala, cigrattes.
The collected compensation cess flows into the Consolidated Fund of India, and then transferred to the Public Account of India, where a GST compensation cess account has been created.
States are compensated bi-monthly from the accumulated funds in this account.

3. India’s K missile family

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

A successful trial of the nuclear capable Shaurya missile was conducted by India

Concept:

Shaurya is a land-based parallel of the submarine launched K-15 missile.
These ballistic weapons belong to the K missile family — codenamed after late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam — which are launched from Arihant class of nuclear submarines.
The K family of missiles are primarily Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), which have been indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and are named after DrKalam
India has also developed and successfully tested multiple times the K-4 missiles from the family which has a range of 3500 km. It is reported that more members of K-family — reportedly to have been codenamed K-5 and K-6 — with ranges of 5000 and 6000 km are also under development.
The capability of being able to launch nuclear weapons submarine platforms has great strategic importance in context of achieving a nuclear triad, especially in the light of ‘no first use’ policy of India.
The sea-based underwater nuclear capable assets significantly increases the second strike capability of a country and thus boosts its nuclear deterrence. These submarines can not only survive a first strike by the adversary but also can launch a strike in retaliation thus achieving Credible Nuclear Deterrence.

4. Global vaccine-assessment network

Subject: IR

Context:

Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has announced a central global network of laboratories

Concept:

It helps to assess and compare immunological responses generated by the Covid-19 vaccine candidates.
To establish this global vaccine-assessment network, CEPI has announced partnerships with five clinical sample testing laboratories that included India’s Translational Health Sciences and Technological Institute (THSTI).
The network will use the same testing reagents originating in the labs of Nexelis and PHE and follow common protocols to measure the immunogenicity of multiple Covid-19 vaccine candidates
This approach will ensure uniformity in assessment and informed identification of the most promising vaccine candidates. CEPI is actively negotiating with additional laboratories to participate in this network
Currently there are wide range of Covid-19 vaccine approaches and technologies deployed (eg, recombinant viral vectors, live attenuated vaccines, recombinant proteins and nucleic acids), standard evaluation of the true potential of these vaccine formulations becomes very complex.
Through centralising the analysis of samples obtained from trials of Covid-19 vaccine candidates, the new clinical-sample-testing network will minimise variation in results obtained, which could otherwise arise due to such technical differences when carrying out independent analysis.

5. Protect and conserve model

Subject: Environment

Context:

A total of 13,450 families from 26 protected areas (PA) across the country were displaced between 1999 and 2020 as a part of the Union government’s ‘protect and conserve model’, a new study has found.

Concept:

The model involves creation of inviolate areas for the conservation of biodiversity and wildlife in the Protected Areas — that comprise wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and conservation reserves.
The process includes displacing the populations inhabiting those areas.

6. Postal ballots

Subject: Polity

Context:

The Election Commission has announced that it will allow those above the age of 65 as well as those under home or institutional quarantine to vote using postal ballots during the Bihar elections.

Concept:

A restricted set of voters can exercise postal voting. Through this facility, a voter can cast her vote remotely by recording her preference on the ballot paper and sending it back to the election officer before counting.
Members of the armed forces like the Army, Navy and Air Force, members of the armed police force of a state (serving outside the state), government employees posted outside India and their spouses are entitled to vote only by post. In other words, they can’t vote in person.
Voters under preventive detention can also vote only by post.
Special voters such as the President of India, Vice President, Governors, Union Cabinet ministers, Speaker of the House and government officers on poll duty have the option to vote by post. But they have to apply through a prescribed form to avail this facility.
The Returning Officer is supposed to print ballot papers within 24 hours of the last date of nomination withdrawal and dispatch them within a day. This is done so that the ballot papers reach the concerned voter well before the polling date and she has enough time to send it back before the counting day.
Postal ballot papers for members of the Armed Forces are sent through their record offices. For members of the armed police force of a state (serving outside the state), government employees posted outside India and their spouses, the ballot paper can be sent through post or electronically. For remaining categories ballot papers can be delivered personally or through post.
After receiving it, the voter can mark her preference with a tick mark or cross mark against the candidate’s name. They also have to fill up a duly attested declaration to the effect that they have marked the ballot paper.
The ballot paper and the declaration are then placed in a sealed cover and sent back to the Returning Officer before the time fixed for the commencement of counting of votes.

7. NCPCR

Subject: Polity

Context:

NCPCR is recently in news

Concept:

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in March 2007 under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is a statutory body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
The Commission’s Mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Child is defined as a person in the 0 to 18 years age group.
The Functions of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights as laid out in the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act,2005 are as follow:
- Examine and review the safeguards provided by or under any law for the time being in force for the protection of child rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation;
- Present to be central government, annually and at such other intervals, as the commission may deem fit, reports upon working of those safeguards;
- Inquire into violation of child rights and recommend initiation of proceedings in such cases;
- Examine all factors that inhibit the enjoyment of rights of children affected by terrorism, communal violence, riots, natural disaster, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, trafficking, maltreatment, torture and exploitation, pornography and prostitution and recommend appropriate remedial measures;
- Look into the matters relating to the children in need of special care and protection including children in distress, marginalized and disadvantaged children, children in conflict with law, juveniles children without family and children of prisoners and recommend appropriate remedial measures;
- Study treaties and other international instruments and undertake periodical review of existing policies, programmes and other activities on child rights and make recommendations for their effective implementation in the best interest of children;
- Inquire into complaints and take suomotu notice of matter relating to :