Daily Prelims Notes 6 June 2022

June 6, 2022
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

6 June 2022

Table Of Contents

1. Mughal-era finials – their grandeur, architectural traditions

Subject: History

Section: Art and Culture

Context

After a thunderstorm recently damaged the finial of the 17th century Jama Masjid dome in Delhi, the Delhi Wakf Board, which manages the mosque, wrote to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) requesting removal of the dangling part of the crown and repair of the ornamental structure that has topped the grand mosque since its construction.

What are finials?

Most commonly seen in monumental architecture, finials are decorative devices used to emphasise the top of a dome, tower or spire.
Architecturally speaking, the way a building touched the sky was given a lot of importance. That’s how finials became important eventually.

Mughal-era finials:

In May 2014, a storm knocked down the 18-ft finial — made of Sal wood encased in nine copper utensils with a brass finish — above the dome of the Humayun’s Tomb in the Capital. It took the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) more than a year to restore the finial back on the dome of the 16th century mausoleum.
The access to the finial vessels at Humayun’s Tomb allowed heritage experts an opportunity to analyse and document “the remarkable scientific achievement of the Mughal builders and the immense art-history value.
Several inscriptions were found on the finial mentioning past repairs as well as artwork depicting a bearded man praying.
Scientific analysis revealed 99.42 percent pure copper sheets had been used in Humayun’s tomb finial, by the Mughals – in eight-inch strips – embedded into one another.
Copper of such purity is not commercially available even today, some 450 years after it was used at Humayun’s Tomb.
The use of pure gold to finish the finial was revealed during repetitive lab analysis of the metal fragments– underlying the significance of the finial as well as continuity of Indian craft traditions by the Mughals.
Just as the chattris or canopies on the roof of Humayun’s Tomb are inspired from Rajput architecture, its copper-gold finial seems to have been inspired by temple architecture.

Architectural traditions

The finals on Mughal tombs all over India represent the pluralistic architectural traditions employed by them by adopting elements from monuments pre-dating their arrival in India.
Decorative roof finials are also a common feature of Malaysian religious and residential architecture. In Malacca, there are 38 mosques with traditional roof finials, with layered and crown-shaped designs, known as Makhota Atap Masjid. On mosques built after the 20th century, these finials have been replaced by bulbous domes.
In Japanese architecture, chigi are finials that were used atop Shinto shrines in Ise and Izumo and the imperial palace.
In Java and Bali, a rooftop finial is known as mustaka or kemuncak. In Thailand, there are finials on domestic and religious buildings.
Hti is a finial found on Burmese Buddhist temples and pagodas.

2. Norovirus

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Art and Culture

Context:

At least two cases of norovirus have been found in Thiruvananthapuram among lower primary school students

What is norovirus?

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that is also sometimes referred to as the ‘stomach flu’ or the ‘ winter vomiting bug’.
It can be transmitted through contaminated food, water, and surfaces. The primary route is oral-faecal.
It is similar to diarrhoea-inducing rotavirus and infects people across age groups. Disease outbreaks typically occur aboard cruise ships, in nursing homes, dormitories, and other closed spaces.
According to the WHO, emerging evidence suggests that “norovirus infection is associated with intestinal inflammation, malnutrition and may cause long-term morbidity”. It adds that an estimated 685 million cases of norovirus are seen annually, including 200 million cases amongst children under 5.

What are the symptoms?

The initial symptoms of norovirus are vomiting and/or diarrhoea, which show up one or two days after exposure to the virus.
Patients also feel nauseous, and suffer from abdominal pain, fever, headaches and body aches. In extreme cases, loss of fluids could lead to dehydration.

What precautions can one take?

One may get infected multiple times as the virus has different strains. Norovirus is resistant to many disinfectants and can withstand heat up to 60°C. Therefore, merely steaming food or chlorinating water does not kill the virus. The virus can also survive many common hand sanitisers.
The basic precaution is also the most obvious — repeatedly washing hands with soap after using the lavatory or changing diapers. It is important to wash hands carefully before eating or preparing food. During outbreaks, surfaces must be disinfected with a solution of hypochlorite at 5,000 parts per million.
The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that those infected should avoid contact with others and avoid preparing food for others while sick and for two days after symptoms stop.

What is the treatment?

The disease is self-limiting. The infection, even though it takes a lot out of the patient, normally lasts only two or three days, and most individuals who are not very young, very old, or malnourished can ride it out with sufficient rest and hydration.
Diagnosis is done by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. No vaccines are available for the disease.
It is important to maintain hydration in the acute phase. In extreme cases, patients have to be administered rehydration fluids intravenously.

3. Rule under the BJP constitution

Subject: Polity

Section: Constitution

Context:

Faced with a backlash in Gulf countries, the BJP on Sunday took the extraordinary step of suspending two of its spokespersons for their remarks on Islam and the Prophet.

Disciplinary action taken under constitution of the party:

Article II of the BJP’s constitution lays down the “objective” of the party, which was formed in 1980 by the members of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh who left after the collapse of the Janata Party experiment.
In the case of one of the two leaders, national spokesperson Nupur Sharma, the BJP, which sees itself as a disciplined and cadre-based party, invoked Rule 10(a) of its constitution as reason for the action.

Religion in the BJP’s constitution:

Article II of the BJP’s constitution lays down the “objective” of the party, which was formed in 1980 by the members of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh who left after the collapse of the Janata Party experiment.
The objective of the BJP says: “The party aims to establish a democratic state, which guarantees to all citizens irrespective of caste, creed or sex, political, social and economic justice, equality of opportunity, and liberty of faith and expression.”
The party constitution contains 34 articles. Along with filling in party membership forms, one has to take a pledge that “I subscribe to the concept of Secular State and nation not based on religion… I undertake to abide by the Constitution, Rules and discipline of the Party.”

The rules of the party:

Article XXV-5 states: “The National Executive will frame rules for the constitution of the Disciplinary Committee at different levels for deciding matters relating to violation of discipline.” The rules are listed at the end of the constitution, along with details of the necessary action, and the process of action.
A 10-part process is listed as part of “disciplinary Action” in case of breach of discipline. Six types of breach of discipline are listed.

Rule10(a) of the BJP constitution

Rule 10 gives extraordinary powers to the party president to discipline members. It says: “The National President, if he so desires, may suspend any member and then start disciplinary proceedings against him.” It is under this rule that Sharma has been suspended even before an inquiry against her.
Para (a) under “Breach of Discipline” states: “Acting or carrying on propaganda against programme or decision of the Party.”
Under the rules, “Disciplinary Action Committee of not more than 5 members will be constituted… Committees shall draw their own procedures; State Disciplinary Action Committee can take action only against units subordinates to it…;
“On receipt of a complaint, the National President or the state president…may suspend an individual or a Unit followed by a show-cause notice within a week of the said order;
“Maximum 10 days’ time from the date of receipt of such notice may be given to a person to reply…;
“Committee will submit its report to the President in not more than 15 days…”

4. World’s ﬁrst ﬁshing cat census done in Chilika

Chilika Lake

Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 km².
It is the biggest lake of India after Vembanad Lake.
This lake is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the largest brackish water lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef.
It has been listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.
It is the largest salt water lake in India.
It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian subcontinent. The lake is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.
In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
A 32 km long, narrow, outer channel connects the lagoon to the Bay of Bengal.
More recently a new mouth has been opened by CDA which has brought a new lease of life to the lagoon.
Microalgae, marine seaweeds, sea grasses, fish and crab also flourish in the brackish water of the Chilika Lagoon.
Especially the recovery of seagrass beds in recent years is a welcoming trend which may eventually result in re-colonization of endangered dugongs

Fishing Cats in Chilika

The lake has 176 of the globally threatened species of fishing cat, a census done by the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with the Fishing Cat Project (TFCP).
This is the world’s ﬁrst population estimation of the ﬁshing cat done outside the protected area network.
The globally threatened cats are found in wetlands in major South and Southeast Asian river basins starting from the Indus in Pakistan till the Mekong in Vietnam and in Sri Lanka and Java.
They are found in 10 Asian countries but have stayed undetected in Vietnam and Java since the last decade or so.
Since 2016, it has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Fishing cat populations are threatened by destruction of wetlands and have declined severely over the last decade.
The fishing cat lives foremost in the vicinity of wetlands, along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, in swamps, and mangroves.
The fishing cat is the state animal of West Bengal.

The Fishing Cat Project (TFCP)

The Fishing Cat Project (TFCP) is the world’s longest running research and conservation project on fishing cats and has been functional since 2010.
It is currently functioning in two states of India – West Bengal and Odisha.
In 2012, the fishing cat was declared as the State Animal of West Bengal and over the years, TFCP’s pluralistic approach to conservation has led to wider acceptance and interest of fishing cats in Bengal.
This includes more enthusiastic public support in fishing cat conservation and better implementation of laws to safeguard the species and its habitat.
Future plans in Bengal include:
- Projects to address negative interactions between fisherman and fishing cat and.
- Scaling up the ‘eyes-and-ears’ program for more widespread vigilance on fishing cat, anticipating threats and acting in time to diffuse them.
- Highlight the field as flagship for wetlands outside protected areas.
Since 2017, TFCP has also been working in Odisha in collaboration with the Odisha Forest Department and Chilika Development Authority (the guardian government body looking after the health and well-being of Chilika).
In 2020, the fishing cat was declared as ambassador for Chilika.
In 2021, TFCP will aid in regularizing a population estimation protocol of the fishing cat in Chilika – a RAMSAR Site and Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon.
This will subsequently be taken up and internalized by the government.
Future plans include:
- Creating a fishing cat conservation network in Odisha with multiple stakeholders including local residents, students, researchers, non-government and government organisations.
- Creating an adaptive manage strategy by involving indigenous fisherfolk communities and relevant government departments for better habitat management within a socio-ecological framework.
- Prioritising fishing cat conservation in Odisha.

5. Excavations reveal 12 layers of habitations in Kolkata

During the recent excavations at a mound outside the Robert Clive House in Dum Dum, the Kolkata Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) found evidence of settlements that can be almost 2,000 years old.
It revealed not only antiquities, pottery and charcoal but also almost 12 diﬀerent layers of habitations.
It confirms that the city is not merely a colonial city or the late medieval occupancy of local zamindars but had habitations from the ﬁrst century CE (current era).
The Clive House stands on a mound on Rastraguru Avenue and is one of the oldest buildings in Kolkata and its adjoining surroundings.
The building is a ﬁne specimen of the colonial architecture and Robert Clive, ﬁrst British Governor of the Bengal Presidency, used this building as a country house.
Robert Clive decided to use the building as his residence because of strategic reasons as the site at Dum Dum is close to Chandraketugarh in North 24 Parganas district where the excavations in the 1950s and the 1960s had revealed almost a continuous sequence of occupations, divided into six periods from the pre-Mauryan to the Pala period.
The ASI is planning more excavations at the site.

6. With the approval of Corbevax as a booster dose, India will have a heterologous shot

The Indian drug regulator has given greenlight to Corbevax as a booster dose for all adults above 18 years who have received two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin as part of primary vaccination, a heterologous booster shot has come a step closer to being administered to people.
The vaccine was developed by Hyderabad-based Biological E. Limited (BE)’s.
Though booster shots have been administered since January 10 beginning with health care and frontline workers, and people over 60 with comorbidities, India has been using the same vaccine for both primary vaccination and booster (homologous boosting).
In clinical trials, a booster dose using a vaccine that is diﬀerent from the one used for primary vaccination — technically called heterologous boosting — produced higher immune responses when compared with a same vaccine for primary and booster vaccination.
However, the trial has thus only shown that Corbevax as a heterologous booster increases the immune responses but failed to show that heterologous boosting with this vaccine produces superior immune responses than homologous boosting with Covishield or Covaxin.

7. eVTOL

Concept :

The Government of India is exploring the possibility of inviting manufacturers of Electric Vertical Take oﬀ and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft to set up base in India.
As the acronym suggests, an electric vertical takeoﬀ and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is one that uses electric power to hover, take oﬀ, and land vertically. Most eVTOLs also use what is called as distributed electric propulsion technology which means integrating a complex propulsion system with the airframe.
This is technology that has grown on account of successes in electric propulsion based on progress in motor, battery, fuel cell and electronic controller technologies and also fuelled by the need for new vehicle technology that ensures urban air mobility (UAM).
There is general agreement that the eVTOL world is moving forward based on the spark provided by NASA researcher Mark D. Moore came up with the concept of a personal (one man) air vehicle, called ‘Puffin’.
eVTOLs are noise free, have a zero carbon footprint and are more aﬀordable.
The global market for eVTOLs was put at $8.5 million in 2021 and is to grow to $30.8 million by 2030.
The demand will be on account of green energy and noise free aircraft, cargo carrying concepts and the need for new modes of transport.

8. Surrogacy law faces challenge in court

Concept:

Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021

Under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, a woman who is a widow or a divorcee between the age of 35 to 45 years or a couple, defined as a legally married woman and man, can avail of surrogacy if they have a medical condition necessitating this option.
The law deﬁnes a couple as a married Indian “man and woman” and prescribes an age band of 23 to 50 for the woman and 26 to 55 for the man to opt for surrogacy.
Single men are not eligible.
It also bans commercial surrogacy, which is punishable with a jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakhs.
The law allows only altruistic surrogacy where no money exchanges hands and where a surrogate mother is genetically related to those seeking a child, a married woman between the age of 25 and 35.

Challenges

Against the right to choice:
- Freedom given to citizens under the Constitution to exercise reproductive choice.
Exploitation of the Surrogate and the Child
- One could argue that the state must stop the exploitation of poor women under surrogacy and protect the child’s right to be born. However, the current Act fails to balance these two interests.
Reinforces Patriarchal Norms
- The Act reinforces traditional patriarchal norms of our society that attributes no economic value to women’s work and, directly affecting the fundamental rights of the women to reproduce under Article 21 of the constitution.
Denies Legitimate income to Surrogates
- Banning commercial surrogacy also denies a legitimate source of income of the surrogates, further limiting the number of women willingly to surrogate.
- Overall, this step indirectly denies children to the couples choosing to embrace parenthood.
Emotional Complications
- In altruistic surrogacy, a friend or relative as a surrogate mother may lead to emotional complications not only for the intended parents but also for the surrogate child as there is great deal of risk to the relationship in the course of surrogacy period and post birth.
- Altruistic surrogacy also limits the option of the intending couple in choosing a surrogate mother as very limited relatives will be ready to undergo the process.
No Third-Party Involvement
- In an altruistic surrogacy, there is no third-party involvement.
- A third-party involvement ensures that the intended couple will bear and support the medical and other miscellaneous expenses during the surrogacy process.
- Overall, a third party helps both the intended couple and the surrogate mother navigate through the complex process, which may not be possible in the case of altruistic surrogacy.

9. Countervailing duty (CVD)

Context

The government has decided not to impose countervailing duty on certain aluminium products being imported from Malaysia, as the finance ministry has not accepted the recommendations of the directorate general of trade remedies (DGTR).

Concept:

Countervailing duty (CVD):

Countervailing duty (CVD) is a specific form of duty that the government imposes in order to protect domestic producers by countering the negative impact of import subsidies. CVD is thus an import tax by the importing country on imported products.

To make their products cheaper and boost their demand in other countries, foreign governments sometimes provide subsidies to their producers. To avoid flooding of the market in the importing country with these goods, the government of the importing country imposes a countervailing duty, charging a specific amount on import of such goods.

How does it work?

The duty nullifies and eliminates the price advantage (low price) enjoyed by an imported product when it is given subsidies or exempted from domestic taxes in the country where they are manufactured.

It raises the price of the imported product, bringing it closer to its true market price. In this way, the government is able to provide a level playing field for domestic products.

CVD and India:

The World Trade Organization (WTO) permits the imposition of countervailing duty by its member countries. In India, the CVD is imposed as an additional duty besides customs on imported products when such products are given tax concession in the country of their origin.

The countervailing measures in India are administered by the Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), in the commerce and industry ministry’s department of commerce.

Directorate General of Trade Remedies:

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (earlier known as Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties) was named in May 2018 as an integrated single window agency for providing a comprehensive and swift trade defence mechanism in India.

Earlier, the Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) dealt with anti-dumping and CVD cases, Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) dealt with safeguard measures and DGFT dealt with quantitative restriction (QR) safeguards. DGTR now deals with Anti-dumping, CVD and Safeguard measures

DGTR functions as an attached office of the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It is a professionally integrated organisation with multi-spectrum skill sets emanating from officers drawn from different services and specialisations.

10. Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act 2015

Context

Alleging detection of undeclared offshore assets and investments, the Mumbai unit of the Income Tax Investigation Wing passed a final order March 2022 against Anil Ambani, Chairman of the Reliance (ADA) Group, under The 2015 Black Money Act (BMA)

Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015

Black money in the form of undisclosed foreign income and assets comes under the purview of this law. The UFIA Act gives an opportunity to the black income holders to reveal black money and pay a tax within a compliance window time. After this time, black income holders will come under severe penal and prosecution measures prescribed under the law.
‘Undisclosed foreign income and asset’ is defined as the total amount of undisclosed income of an assesses from a source located outside India and the value of an undisclosed asset located outside India.
Persons who use this compliance window will be permitted to file a declaration before a tax authority, and pay a tax rate of 30% and a penalty at the rate of 100% (of the tax); implying a total tax of 60%. No exemption, deduction or set off of any carried forward losses (as provided under the IT Act) would apply.
The total undisclosed foreign income and asset of an individual would include:

(i) income, from a source located outside India, which has not been disclosed in the tax returns filed;

(ii) income, from a source outside India, for which no tax returns have been filed; and

(iii) value of an undisclosed asset, located outside India.

Not furnishing income tax returns for foreign income and assets or providing misleading information for such foreign income and assets attracts a penalty of Rs 10 lakh under the new legislation. Criminal punishment for such tax evasion practices could attract rigorous imprisonment from three to 10 years and a discretionary fine.
Administering authority-The Central Board of Direct Taxes and the existing hierarchy of tax authorities under the provisions of the Income Tax Act, including the appeals machinery prescribed thereunder, have been tasked with implementation of the new legislation
The Act will be applicable to a person:

(i) who is a tax resident of India as per the tests of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (ITA);

(ii) who is not a person who is a ‘resident but not ordinarily resident’; and

(iii) by whom tax is payable under the UFIA Bill on undisclosed foreign income and assets or any other sum of money.

11. Front Running

Context: In the recent past, India’s mutual fund industry has been hit by several charges of front-running

Concept:

Front-running is a market malpractice where a dealer, trader or fund manager who is aware of a large upcoming share purchase order buys the same share in advance in bulk.

Such bulk orders drive up share price. Personal gains aside, front-running raises a question mark on the sanctity of fair markets and price discovery. Since the bulk buying happens ahead of big purchases by a fund or large investor, the share price has already run up, which affects the price at which the fund ultimately ends up buying the stock, in turn affecting investors in the fund.