Daily Prelims Notes 8 August 2024

August 8, 2024
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

8 August 2024

Table Of Contents

1. In water-starved Punjab, why plans for a new irrigation canal have raised concerns

Sub: Geo

Sec: Places in news

Context:

Punjab plans to invest Rs 2,300 crore in a new 149.53-km irrigation canal named after the Malwa region- Malwa Canal Project. This canal aims to address irrigation needs in the state’s south-western corner, despite financial constraints and questions about its technical feasibility.

Canal Specifications and Route:

The canal will be 50 feet wide, 12 feet deep, and will originate at the Harike Headworks on the Sutlej River in Ferozepur district.
It is designed to carry 2,000 cusecs of water and will flow parallel to the Sirhind and Rajasthan Feeder canals, ending in Muktsar district near Haryana. It is expected to irrigate 2 lakh acres of land across seven districts.
The canal is intended to supply water to areas on the left side of the Rajasthan Feeder canal, which the Sirhind Feeder struggles to serve, especially during the kharif paddy season.
The current Ferozepur Feeder is inadequate, impacting the Sirhind Feeder’s ability to supply water effectively, necessitating a new canal to stabilise irrigation.
The Malwa Canal is expected to benefit the Abohar area and several districts including Muktsar, Gidderbaha, Bathinda, and Zira.

Source: IE

2. How Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are formed when wildfires spit storms, lightning

Sub: Geo

Sec: Climatology

Increasing Frequency of Pyrocumulonimbus Clouds Due to Wildfires:

Intense wildfires in the US and Canada are generating ‘pyrocumulonimbus’ clouds, which can produce thunder and potentially ignite new fires.
The frequency of these clouds has risen significantly, with Canada recording 140 such clouds during the extreme wildfire season of 2023, compared to an average of 50 annually.

Formation of Pyrocumulonimbus Clouds:

Not every wildfire leads to the creation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds. They occur only when there is an extremely hot wildfire. Volcanic eruptions can also lead to the formation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds.
As the intense heat pushes air upward, water vapour condenses on ash particles, creating pyrocumulus clouds.
If the upward heat and moisture continue to intensify, these clouds evolve into pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which can reach heights of 50,000 feet and create thunderstorms without significant rainfall, thus posing a risk of sparking new wildfires.

Reasons for Increasing Occurrence:

The rise in pyrocumulonimbus events may be linked to climate change, as increasing global temperatures lead to more frequent and intense wildfires.
Although the exact cause is unclear, more wildfires provide more opportunities for these clouds to form, with atmospheric conditions playing a key role.
Scientists suggest that as wildfires become more intense, the likelihood of pyrocumulonimbus clouds also increases.

Source: IE

3. Stemming the landslide: GSI is working on early warning systems in India, but how do they work?

Sub: Geo

Sec: Geomorphology

Activation of New Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS):

Just before the Wayanad landslide in July, the central government activated a new LEWS for three regions in India.
Developed by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the system predicts landslides based on rainfall data.
Currently operational in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and Nilgiris; nationwide expansion by 2030.

LANDSLIP Project:

The Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines in collaboration with the British Geological Survey (BGS) under the National Environmental Research Council (NERC), UK-funded, multi-consortium LANDSLIP project has developed a prototype regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) for India, and the same is currently being evaluated and tested by GSI in two pilot areas in India (Darjeeling district. West Bengal, and the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu).
In 2014, GSI launched the National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping, which covers 0.42 million square kilometres of landslide-prone areas in the country on a scale of 1:50,000.
- A unit of distance on the map equals 50,000 units of distance on the ground. It considers slopes, vegetation, slope-forming material and geology.
- LANDSLIP will use this database as a base map and update it as it receives new information.

How the System Works:

EWS generates and shares timely information to mitigate disaster impacts, focusing on risk knowledge, monitoring, warning, dissemination, communication, and response capability.
Scientists create susceptibility maps considering terrain, soil type, and environmental conditions to estimate landslide likelihood.
Short-term (24-48 hours) and medium-range (next 10 days) rainfall forecasts are used.
Models calculate rainfall thresholds to trigger landslides, considering local geology and past events.
These maps only show where landslides are likely to occur but do not provide an estimate of the magnitude or expected duration.

Roadblocks and Challenges:

Operationalizing the system is time-consuming, taking 8 to 20 years to collect data and understand forecasting uncertainties.
Challenges include limited rainfall and weather stations, erratic rainfall patterns, and the need for extensive data on past landslides.
Effective early warning systems require significant human power, money, and expertise.

Source: DTE

4. NSE Files Fresh Plea to Settle TAP Case

Sub: Geo

Sec: Geomorphology

Fresh Plea Submission:

NSE’s Action:
- The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has filed a fresh plea with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
- This plea aims to settle a regulatory probe into the misuse of its Trading Access Point (TAP) software. The plea includes Revised Settlement Terms (RST).

Background:

Previous Settlement Attempts:
- NSE filed settlement pleas with SEBI in 2022 and 2023.
- These applications were returned by SEBI due to an ongoing investigation.
Show-Cause Notice:
- NSE received a show-cause notice from SEBI on February 28, 2023.
- NSE responded with a settlement application, expressing willingness to pay a fair sum as per regulations without admitting guilt or liability.
SEBI’s Response:
- SEBI conducted several internal committee meetings with NSE staff.
- On March 5, NSE filed an RST with SEBI.

SEBI’s Decision:

Rejection of Consolidated Offer:
- On May 24, SEBI rejected the consolidated offer from NSE.
- SEBI’s High Powered Advisory Committee on Settlement Orders and Compounding of Offences refused to accept the offer.
- NSE was directed to submit “individual applications” with the RST.
Board Approval and Awaited Response:
- Following its Board’s approval on June 14, NSE filed the individual applications with the RST.

Co-location Scam and TAP Misuse:

Co-location Scam Details:
- The misuse of TAP in 2013 was unearthed four years later by the Income Tax department during a probe into the co-location scam.
- High-frequency traders manipulated TAP by using software to gain unfair advantages. These traders avoided paying NSE’s transaction fees.
- The scam involved select brokers gaining faster access to NSE’s data and trading facilities, providing an unfair advantage over others.
Introduction of New TAP Software:
- In FY14, NSE rolled out new TAP software for co-location users.
- This software was used to send orders from member servers to NSE, reducing latency by 400 microseconds to 100 microseconds.

Summary: The NSE has submitted a fresh plea to SEBI to settle allegations of misuse of its TAP software, including revised settlement terms. The plea follows previous settlement attempts and a show-cause notice from SEBI. SEBI had initially rejected NSE’s consolidated offer, directing the exchange to file individual applications. The misuse of TAP, discovered during a probe into the 2013 co-location scam, allowed high-frequency traders to gain an unfair advantage and avoid transaction fees, leading to significant regulatory scrutiny.

Trading Access Point (TAP) Software

The Trading Access Point (TAP) software is an application used by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to facilitate high-frequency trading.
It allows co-location users to send orders from their servers to the NSE’s trading systems with minimal latency.

Key Features:

Latency Reduction:
- TAP is designed to significantly reduce latency, which is the time it takes for an order to travel from the trader’s system to the exchange.
- The new TAP software rolled out in FY14 reduced latency by 400 microseconds to 100 microseconds.
Order Routing:
- TAP ensures efficient and fast routing of orders, which is critical for high-frequency trading where every microsecond counts.
High-Frequency Trading:
- TAP is crucial for high-frequency traders who rely on extremely fast order execution to capitalize on small price movements.
Competitive Advantage:
- Reduced latency can provide a significant competitive edge, allowing traders to react more quickly to market changes.

Why an Indian Start-up Lobby has Filed an Antitrust Complaint Against Google

Context and Timing:

New Digital Competition Law:

India is currently discussing a comprehensive digital competition law.
This law aims to increase preemptive compliance for large tech companies like Google.

Previous Antitrust Scrutiny:

In 2022, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined Google for “abusing its market dominant position” in the Android ecosystem.

Complaint by Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF):

Allegations Against Google:

Dominance in Online Platforms: Google’s dominance and reliance on advertising hinder competition and negatively impact Indian businesses.
Ad-Ranking System: Google’s system involves advertisers bidding for ad placement, creating a “black-box” scenario.

ADIF claims this leads to artificially inflated ad prices.

Trademark Usage: Google allows competitors to bid on trademarked keywords, benefiting Google at the expense of advertisers and trademark owners.
Self-Preferencing: Google allegedly prioritizes its own services over competitors, restricting market access for other businesses.
Privacy Sandbox Initiative: ADIF is concerned that removing third-party cookies from Google Chrome will hamper non-Google platforms’ ability to serve advertisers effectively.

Details on Privacy Sandbox Initiative:

Impact on Digital Advertising:
- Third-party cookies have been essential in digital advertising for two decades.
- Google’s phasing out of these cookies could disadvantage non-Google Demand Side Platforms.

India’s Draft Digital Competition Law:

Inspired by European Regulations:

The proposed Digital Competition Bill, 2024, aims to prevent self-preferencing by tech giants.
It proposes presumptive norms to curb anti-competitive practices pre-emptively.
The Bill includes provisions for heavy penalties for violations.

Associate Digital Enterprises (ADEs):

ADEs would have the same obligations as Systemically Significant Digital Enterprises (SSDEs).
Obligations depend on the level of involvement with the core digital service offered by the main company.
Example: Google Search directing data to Google Maps or YouTube could deem these services as ADEs.

An Indian start-up lobby group, ADIF, has filed an antitrust complaint against Google, citing the company’s dominance in online advertising and practices that stifle competition. This move comes amid India’s discussions on a new digital competition law, aimed at regulating large tech companies.

The complaint highlights concerns over Google’s ad-ranking system, self-preferencing, and the Privacy Sandbox initiative, which could harm non-Google advertising platforms. The draft Digital Competition Bill seeks to prevent such anti-competitive practices and impose strict penalties for violations.

Key Proposals under the Draft Digital Competition Bill: Proposals and Opposition

Predictive Regulation:
Ex Ante Framework: Unlike the current ex post framework under the Competition Act, 2002, which regulates market abuse after it occurs, the draft Bill proposes an ex-ante framework.

Pre-determined No-Go Areas: The Bill sets pre-determined rules to prevent market abuse, reducing delays associated with penalizing offending companies after the fact.

Significant Entities:
Systematically Significant Digital Enterprise (SSDE): The Bill proposes designating certain companies as SSDEs based on their role in core digital services such as search engines and social media sites.

Criteria include:

Turnover in India of at least Rs 4,000 crore or global turnover of at least $30 billion over the last three financial years.

Gross merchandise value in India of at least Rs 16,000 crore.

Global market capitalization of at least $75 billion.

Core digital services having at least 1 crore end users or 10,000 business users.

Prohibitions on SSDEs: SSDEs would be prohibited from self-preferencing, anti-steering, and restricting third-party applications.

Violations could result in fines up to 10% of their global turnover.

Associate Digital Enterprises (ADEs):
Data Sharing Obligations: ADEs, or entities associated with a major technology group, would have similar obligations as SSDEs.

The level of these obligations would depend on their involvement with the core digital service offered by the main company.

Examples:

Google Maps and YouTube could be deemed ADEs due to their data sharing with Google Search.

Criticism and Opposition from Big Tech

Compliance Burden:
- Strict Norms: The ex-ante framework‘s strict prescriptive norms could lead to a significant compliance burden.
- Tech companies argue this could shift their focus from innovation and research to ensuring they do not engage in anti-competitive practices.
Impact on Operations:
- Platform Changes: If the law goes into effect, companies like Apple might have to allow iPhone users to download apps from third-party app stores, something Apple opposes.
- Similarly, Google is concerned about the security ramifications of sideloading apps.
Broad Definitions:
- Discretion of CCI: The draft law leaves the designation of significant platforms to the discretion of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), unlike the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which specifically names gatekeeper entities.
- This could lead to arbitrary decision-making, potentially impacting startups.
Impact on Small Businesses:
- Reduced Data Sharing: Changes required by the Bill could impact smaller businesses that rely on big tech platforms to reach a larger audience.
- Companies claim that reduced data sharing could hinder the effectiveness of these businesses.

Government’s Perspective

Addressing Anti-Competitive Practices:
- Historical Issues: Government officials believe that big tech companies have a history of engaging in anti-competitive practices.
- An ex ante framework is seen as more effective in preventing these issues.
Fostering Innovation:
- Market Barriers: High market barriers for new entrants are seen as a major reason for the concentration of innovation within a few big tech companies.
- The Bill aims to lower these barriers and foster more competition and innovation.
Concerns Over Dominance:
- Default Services: Once a company gains a significant market share, their product often becomes the default service, making it difficult for rivals to compete.
- The Bill seeks to address this dominance and promote a more competitive market environment.

5. The Debate Over GST on Health Insurance

Sub: Eco

Sec: Fiscal Policy

Context:

Opposition leaders are demanding the withdrawal of GST on life and health insurance premiums.
The rise in insurance premiums, combined with the 18% GST, has made insurance less affordable for many people.

Current GST on Insurance Premiums:

GST Rate: Fixed at 18% on both health and life insurance policies.
Pre-GST Scenario: Insurance premiums were subject to 15% service taxes (comprising Basic Service Tax, Swachh Bharat cess, and Krishi Kalyan cess).
Impact: The transition to GST increased the overall premium costs for policyholders.

Government’s Position:

GST Council’s Role: GST rates and exemptions on services are recommended by the GST Council, which includes the Union Finance Minister and state ministers.
Revenue Considerations: The insurance sector has contributed significantly to GST revenue (Rs 21,256 crore over the last three financial years).

Arguments for Reducing or Removing GST:

Affordability Issues: High GST rates add to the premium burden, making insurance less affordable, especially amidst rising medical inflation.
International Comparison: Countries like Singapore and Hong Kong have no GST or VAT on insurance, making insurance products more accessible.
Recommendations: The Standing Committee on Finance recommended rationalizing GST rates on insurance to make them more affordable, particularly for senior citizens and microinsurance policies.

Industry Perspective:

Insurance Companies: Rising retail and medical inflation have increased overall costs, leading to higher premiums.
Consumer Impact: Frequent premium hikes and high GST rates deter people from renewing or purchasing new insurance policies.

Market Statistics:

General Insurance: Collected Rs 1,09,000 crore premium under the health portfolio in fiscal 2023-24.
Life Insurance: Mobilized Rs 3,77,960 crore premium in FY2024, with LIC alone accounting for Rs 2,22,522 crore.
State Contribution: Five states contributed about 64% of the total health insurance premium in 2022-23.
Insurance Penetration: Reduced to 4% in 2022-23 from 4.2% in 2021-22.

Future Prospects:

Goal: Achieving “Insurance for All by 2047” requires making insurance products more affordable.
Public Expectation: Measures to reduce GST on insurance could align with this goal, making life and health insurance accessible to a broader population.

GST Council’s Role and Functions

Introduction:

GST Council: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is a constitutional body under Article 279A of the Indian Constitution.
Purpose: It is responsible for making recommendations on GST-related matters to the Union and States.

Composition:

Union Finance Minister: Chairperson.
Union Minister of State for Finance: Member.
State Finance Ministers: Members from each state.

Key Functions:

Tax Rates: Recommendation of GST rates on various goods and services.
Exemptions: Proposing exemptions from GST for certain goods and services.
Threshold Limits: Setting threshold limits for GST registration.
Model GST Laws: Formulating and recommending model GST laws, principles of levy, apportionment of GST, and the principles that govern the place of supply.
Special Rates: Advising on special rates for certain supplies to raise additional resources during natural calamities or disasters.
Voting: Decisions are made by a three-fourths majority of members present and voting.

The Union Government’s vote counts as one-third of the total votes, and the State Governments’ votes count as two-thirds.

6. Lok Sabha Passes Finance Bill, Amends Provision on LTCG Tax

Sub: Eco

Sec: Fiscal Policy

Finance Bill, 2024 Passed:

Amendment on LTCG Tax:
- Relaxation on the proposal for the long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax on real estate.
- Taxpayers can switch to a new lower tax rate or stick to the old regime with indexation benefits.

Amendment Details:

Original proposal in the Budget 2024-25:
- Remove indexation benefit for LTCG on sale of immovable properties.
- Lower LTCG tax rate from 20% to 12.5%.
New Amendment:
- Individuals or Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) who bought houses before July 23, 2024, can choose:
  - 12.5% tax without indexation.
  - 20% tax with indexation benefits.

Passage of the Bill:

Passed by a voice vote with 45 official amendments.

Opposition’s Criticism and Finance Minister’s Response:

Criticism: Middle class is heavily taxed.
Response:
- Budget proposals aimed at promoting investment and benefiting the middle class.
- Simplified taxation regime introduced by the Modi government.
- Reduction in customs duty on various goods to promote trade and generate employment.
- Tax exemption limit on LTCG in listed equities and bonds increased to ₹1.25 lakh from ₹1 lakh.
- 72% of taxpayers opted for the new regime while filing returns this year.

GST on Health and Life Insurance Premiums:

Opposition Demand: Removal of 18% GST on insurance premiums.
Minister’s Response:
- 75% of GST collected goes to the states.
- States previously levied taxes on insurance premiums before GST was rolled out.
- Any amendment in GST must be approved by the GST Council.

The Finance Bill, 2024, has been passed with significant amendments, particularly concerning LTCG tax on real estate, allowing taxpayers more flexibility.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Overview

Any profit or gain arising from the sale of a ‘capital asset’ is categorized as a capital gain. This gain or profit is considered ‘income’ and is subject to capital gains tax in the year of the transfer of the capital asset.

Examples of Capital Assets:

Land, buildings, house property, vehicles, patents, trademarks, leasehold rights, machinery, and jewellery.
Rights in or in relation to an Indian company, including rights of management, control, or any other legal rights.

Types of Capital Gains:

Short-term Capital Gains Tax (STCG):

Applicable to assets held for less than 12 months.

Immovable Properties: The holding period is 24 months.

Taxation: Profits from the sale of these assets are taxed as short-term capital gains.

Long-term Capital Gains Tax (LTCG):

Definition: Applicable to assets held for over 24 months.

Examples: Preference shares, equities, UTI units, securities, equity-based Mutual Funds, and zero-coupon bonds held for over a year.

Taxation: Profits from the sale of these assets are taxed as long-term capital gains.

Recent Budget Amendments

Revised Holding Periods:

New Classification: Only two holding periods will be considered—12 months and 24 months.

Removed: The 36-month holding period has been eliminated.

Listed Securities: All listed securities with a holding period exceeding 12 months are considered long-term.

Increased Tax on Short-term Gains:

Short-term Capital Gains on listed equity shares, a unit of an equity-oriented fund, and a unit of a business trust:

Increased Tax Rate: From 15% to 20%.

Other Assets: Continue to attract tax at slab rates.

Exemption and Tax Rate Adjustments for Long-term Gains:

Exemption Limit:

Increased from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.25 lakh per year for long-term capital gains on the transfer of equity shares, equity-oriented units, or units of Business Trust.

Increased Tax Rate: From 10% to 12.5% (effective from July 23, 2024).

Realized Gain: Results from selling an asset at a price higher than the original purchase price, exceeding its book value cost.

Unrealized Gains: Gains while the asset is still being held are considered unrealized since the asset is only valued at fair market value.

Inherited Property:

Exemption: Capital gains are not applicable to an inherited property as there is no sale but only a transfer of ownership.

Sale of Inherited Property: If the inherited asset is sold, capital gains tax will be applicable.

7. After artificial intelligence, quantum computing eyes its big breakthrough moment

Sub: Sci

Sec: Awareness in IT and Computers

Context:

The founder of Cambridge-based Riverlane, Steve Brierley, predicts that the Quantum technology will have its “Sputnik” breakthrough within years.
His company produces the world’s first dedicated quantum decoder chip, which detects and corrects the errors currently holding the technology back.

What is Quantum Computing?

Quantum computing is an area of computer science that uses the principles of quantum theory at the atomic and subatomic levels.
It uses subatomic particles, such as electrons or photons.
Classical computers, which include smartphones and laptops, encode information in binary “bits” that can either be 0s or 1s.
In a quantum computer, the basic unit of memory is a quantum bit or qubit.
Quantum bits, or qubits, allow the subatomic particles to exist in more than one state at the same time.
The amount of information that quantum computers can harness increases exponentially when the machine is scaled up, compared with conventional computers.

What is the need for control?

The strangeness of quantum behavior means that the values have to be read many times and processed by complex algorithms, requiring “exquisite control” of the qubits.
The qubits are also highly susceptible to errors generated by noise, and the solution to this problem is the “key to unlocking useful quantum computing”
Tech giants such as Google, IBM, Microsoft and Amazon are all investing huge sums in generating qubits, and in trying to reduce errors, either through shielding the hardware or by combining qubits and then using algorithms to detect and correct mistakes.
While today’s quantum computers can only perform around 1,000 operations before being overwhelmed by errors, the quality of the actual components has “got to the point where the physical qubits are good enough

8. What is a bailey bridge, used during Wayanad rescue ops

Sub: Sci

Sec: Msc

Context:

The Indian Army’s Madras Engineer Group last week assembled a Bailey bridge at Chooralmala to reach Mundakkai village, one of the sites worst hit by the landslides in Wayanad.

More on the news?

The 190-foot bridge built by the Indian Army has been crucial in facilitating the movement of men, heavy machinery and ambulances.
It can carry weights up to 24 tonnes, and will remain in use until a permanent bridge is built.

What is Bailey bridge?

A Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge which was developed in 1940–1941 by the British for military use during the Second World War.
A Bailey bridge has the advantages of requiring no special tools or heavy equipment to assemble.
The success of the Bailey bridge was due to the simplicity of the fabrication and assembly of its modular components
The wood and steel bridge elements are small and light enough to be carried in trucks and lifted into place by hand, without the use of a crane.
In disaster relief situations, this is ideal because the parts can be transported in small trucks.
These bridges are strong enough to carry tanks.

9. Assam group opposes Meghalaya ban on cave worship, threatens road blockade

Subject: History

Sec: Art and Culture

Context:

Meghalaya’s Tourism Minister justifies a ban by the local village council as a move against promoting a tourist spot as a religious site.

More on News:

About 60 km southwest of Meghalaya’s capital Shillong, Mawjymbuin near Mawsynram is a 209-metre-high natural cave made up of calcareous sandstones. A major attraction in the cave is a Shivaling-like stone below water-dripping stalactites almost resembling a cow’s udder.
The dorbar shnong(village council) of Mawsynram declined to let anyone worship or perform rituals at Mawjymbuin.
The village council’s ban irked another group, the Assam-based Kutumba Surakshya Parishad, which warned that the ban on worshipping at the cave would invite trouble for people of Meghalaya coming to Assam.
The Meghalaya government should make proper arrangements for Hindus to worship the Shivaling during the sacred month of Shravan apart from making the local village body withdraw the ban.

Mawjymbuin cave:

Located in Mawsynram, is a cave named Mawjymbuin, known for its stalagmites.
Inside this cave is a pair of notable speleothems – stalactites shaped like a cow’s udder over a large stalagmite.
The area is known for its many caves, both commercialized and non-commercialized.

10. Beijing, Manila and allies, launch drills near South China Sea flashpoint

Subject: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

China’s military has launched military drills near disputed waters in the South China Sea. The Southern Theatre Command it had carried out air and sea combat patrols “near Huangyan Island” the Chinese name for the Scarborough Shoal – to test “strike capabilities”. The exercises appeared to be a response to same-day military manoeuvres by the United States, Australia, Canada and the Philippines.

More on News:

All military activities that disrupt the South China Sea, create hotspots, and undermine regional peace and stability are all being controlled to the best extent.
Beijing and Manila have been locked in a tense standoff in recent months, as China continues to press claims to almost the entire South China Sea, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
China seized the shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks that form part of a rich fishing ground, after a months long stand-off in 2012. The shoal had long served as a safe harbour for Filipino fishermen.
There have also been confrontations at Second Thomas Shoal where the Philippines makes regular resupply missions to sailors living on board a warship that Manila grounded there in 1999.
Second Thomas Shoal, which lies about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) from China’s southern Hainan island.
Beijing blamed the escalation on Manila and maintained its actions to protect its claims were legal and proportional.
China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts of the sea, which is regarded as a potential flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the US-China regional rivalry.
The US military has deployed navy ships and fighter jets for decades in what it calls freedom of navigation and overnight patrols, which China has opposed and regards as a threat to regional stability.

South China sea :

The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean that extends from the Strait of Malacca in the southwest, to the Strait of Taiwan in the northeast.
The littoral countries of the South China Sea are China, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The South China Sea is a busy international waterway, one of the main arteries of global trade worth more than $5 trillion and is growing year on year.
It is a rich source of hydrocarbons and natural resources.

The islands of the South China Sea can be grouped into two island chains:

The Paracels Islands: These are clustered in the northwest corner of the Sea.
The Spratly Islands: These are located in the southeast corner.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which came into force in 1994, established a legal framework intended to balance the economic and security interests of coastal states with those of seafaring nations.
While UNCLOS has been signed and ratified by nearly all the coastal countries in the South China Sea, based on their own interpretation of the UNCLOS, claimant countries started to legitimize their claims.
In 2002, ASEAN and China came together to sign the Declaration on the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea to keep disputes away. However, it didn’t achieve the desired outcomes.

11. Scientists find ‘hidden’ hormone keeping mice mothers’ bones healthy

Subject: Sci

Sec: Health

Context:

Scientists have suspected that there is another way in which the body strengthens bones, independent of oestrogen.

Osteoporosis:

Osteoporosis is a condition in which the body’s bones become weak and brittle.
There are more than 10 million cases of osteoporosis every year in India, and it disproportionately affects ageing women more than men.
The hormone oestrogenplays a crucial role in this condition because it stimulates the growth and formation of new bone.
After menopause, the decreased function of ovaries leads to oestrogen being depleted in the body, resulting in the loss of bone mass.
Increased bone mass in postpartum lactating mothers is presence of the hormone CCN3.

A ‘secret’ path

Oestrogen plays a crucial osteoanabolic role: it stimulates the growth and formation of new bone. During breastfeeding, the body signals to suppress oestrogen production in the ovaries, diverting energy away from the reproductive system to focus on milk production. This drop in oestrogen should lead to weaker bones.
Mothers’ bones become stronger in this time to meet the high calcium demands of their babies and to make up for bone loss during pregnancy.
The researchers started with mice genetically modified to not produce a protein called oestrogen receptor alpha in the hypothalamus.
They found that specific neurons, called KISS1 neurons, used the CCN3 hormone to maintain bone mineralisation during lactation.
CCN3 belongs to the CCN family of proteins. They are involved in several biological processes, including embryonic development, tissue repair, wound healing, and cancer progression.
KISS1 neurons are located in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), a critical part of the hypothalamus that regulates metabolism, reproduction, and bone health. Scientists also know KISS1 neurons are key to regulating bone mass in females.

A dose-dependent response:

The researchers conducted a series of experiments to establish the role of CCN3 as an osteoanabolic hormone, i.e. that it is involved in making bone. When they extracted skeletal stem cells from wild-type mice and cultured the cells with the CCN3 hormone, they recorded a 200% increase in mineralisation.
In mice, CCN3 is absent during early and late pregnancy, appears within seven days after birth, and drops again as lactation decreases.
Deliberately reducing the amount of CCN3 hormone in KISS1 neurons before pregnancy didn’t affect a mouse mother’s fertility or ability to produce milk.
But when mothers with low CCN3 levels were lactating and had a low-calcium diet, they had lower bone density, which negatively affected the survival of their offspring.