07 Mar 2021: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA March 7th 2021:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
EDUCATION
1. Clustering educational institutes and research centres
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Three-member expert panel takes stock of turtle conservation
C. GS 3 Related
ECONOMY
1. Govt. open to evaluate, explore cryptocurrencies, says Thakur
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. JNCASR team develops potential drug candidate for Alzheimer’s
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
CYBER SECURITY
1. ‘Red Echo’ over India
2. Spectrum sale, price test and the road ahead for 5G
F. Prelims Facts
1. Slowing currents
2. Celestial parking lot
G. Tidbits
1. Only NRI quota seats for OCI cardholders
2. EVMs made a shaky start in a Kerala constituency in 1982
3. Printing neurons
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Three-member expert panel takes stock of turtle conservation

Context:

  • Three-member expert panel on conservation of endangered olive ridley sea turtles constituted by the Orissa High Court.

Background:

Mass nesting:

  • The olive ridley turtles turn up in millions for mass nesting along the Odisha coast every year. This phenomenon is referred to as ‘arribada’.
  • Gahirmatha beach in Kendrapara district is acclaimed as the world’s largest-known nesting ground of these endangered marine species. Apart from Gahirmatha, these aquatic animals turn up at Rushikulya river mouth and Devi river mouth for mass nesting.

Reports of high mortality:

  • A recent report on an online environment magazine had stated that around 800 olive ridley turtles had died since January due to negligence of the States Forest and Fisheries department.

Details:

  • The court taking suo motu cognisance of the report constituted the expert panel and asked it to submit a report on the conservation of sea turtles in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.
  • The three-member panel made a field trip to the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary and assessed the conservation measures taken for the olive ridley sea turtles.

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. JNCASR team develops potential drug candidate for Alzheimer’s

Context:

  • Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, have developed a small molecule that helps disrupt and reduce formation of amyloid plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer:

  • Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive and irreversible disorder of the brain, which affects memory and thinking skills. Usually, in people, the symptoms start manifesting when they are in their sixties, though the onset is much earlier.
    • The World Alzheimer Report 2015 notes that in 2015, over 46 million people worldwide were living with dementia. The report estimated that this number would increase to more than 131.5 million by 2050.
  • One main feature of the disease is the deposition of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.

Research study:

  • Amyloid precursor proteins which play a critical role in the formation of the amyloid plaques were targeted by the researchers.
  • The candidate molecules TGR60-65 were screened through in vitro and cellular assays and were found to check the growth of amyloid plaques and also dissolve preformed ones.
  • The data from these experiments revealed superior activity of TGR63 molecule and this molecule was taken up for further animal studies in mice, which also proved the effectiveness of TGR63 molecule in treating Alzheimer’s Disease in mice. The team observed that the molecule TGR63 reduced amyloid plaques in mice brains and reversed cognitive decline
  • The group is planning to take this molecule TGR63, which is a potential drug candidate for Alzheimer’s Disease, forward for clinical studies.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Category: CYBER SECURITY

1. ‘Red Echo’ over India

Context:

  • Reports of State-sponsored Chinese hacker groups targeting Indian power grid utilities.

Background:

  • United States-based cybersecurity firm Recorded Future had reported that a group linked to the Chinese government, which it called ‘Red Echo’, had targeted 10 vital nodes in India’s power distribution system and two seaports.
  • It has raised the possibility that the massive power outage in Mumbai in October 2020 could have been the result of an attack by this Chinese state-sponsored group.

Details:

  • The Maharashtra Power Minister Nitin Raut has announced that a State Cyber Cell probe found 14 Trojan horses in the servers of the Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company, with the potential to disrupt power distribution.

Modus operandi:

  • RedEcho was using the AXIOMATICASYMPTOTE server infrastructure to carry out its intrusions into the networks of Indian organisations,
  • AXIOMATICASYMPTOTE servers act as command-and-control centres for a malware known as ShadowPad.
  • ShadowPad is a backdoor Trojan malware, which means it opens a secret path from its target system to its command-and-control servers. Information can be extracted or more malicious code delivered via this path. ShadowPad is built to target supply-chain infrastructure in sectors like transportation, telecommunication, energy and more.
  • Trojanised softwares, or softwares that have dangers hidden in them are the primary mode of delivery for ShadowPad.

Targets:

  • Suspected targets inlcude: Power System Operation Corporation Limited, NTPC Limited, NTPC Kudgi STPP, Western Regional Load Despatch Centre, Southern Regional Load Despatch Centre, North Eastern Regional Load Despatch Centre, Eastern Regional Load Despatch Centre, Telangana State Load Despatch Centre, Delhi State Load Despatch Centre, DTL Tikri Kalan (Mundka), Delhi Transco Ltd (substation), V. O. Chidambaranar Port and Mumbai Port Trust.
  • All the twelve targeted entities have been classified as critical infrastructure by the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).

Power grids

The Chinese link:

  • RedEcho group was Chinese state-sponsored.
  • RedEcho has an overlapping modus operandi with several other known Chinese groups such as APT41, Winnti group and Barium.
    • Many security firms have noted with high confidence that ‘APT41’ carries out Chinese state-sponsored espionage activity in addition to financially motivated activity potentially outside of state control.

Concerns:

  • RedEcho’s intrusions were part of a sustained strategic and targeted campaign against Indian organisations.
  • Though the kind of infrastructure sought to be accessed by Red Echo, such as Regional Load Despatch Centres, has minimal espionage possibilities, they pose significant concerns over potential pre-positioning of network access to support Chinese strategic objectives.
  • Prepositioning in cyber warfare means to have malware assets in crucial places that can be called on when an actual attack is launched.

For related information refer to:

UPSC CNA 6th March 2021

2. Spectrum sale, price test and the road ahead for 5G

Context:

  • India’s first auction of telecommunications spectrum in five years.

Telecom spectrum:

  • Telecom spectrum stands for the portion of the electromagnetic wave range that is suitable for communication purposes.
  • The different spectrum bands differ in terms of the frequency of these waves.
    • Frequency is a measure of the number of times the waves repeat themselves in a second. It is expressed in terms of hertz. Hence hertz is a measure of the number of cycles per second, and 1 megahertz stands for 1 million hertz.

Characteristics of spectrum bands:

  • Spectrum bands have different characteristics, and this makes them suitable for different purposes.
    • In general, low-frequency transmissions can travel greater distances before losing their integrity, and they can pass through dense objects more easily. However, less data can be transmitted over these radio waves.
    • Higher-frequency transmissions carry more data, but are poorer at penetrating obstacles.
  • The 700 MHz band, as also 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, and 2,300 MHz bands, are seen playing an important role in the 5G rollout.
    • In telecommunications, 5G is the fifth generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, that promises to provide faster speeds lower latency.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Slowing currents

  • The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexicoand stretches to the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean as the North Atlantic Current.

Gulf stream currents

  • The Gulf Stream system conveys warm surface water from equator to the north and the deeper cold, low-salinity water down south. It works like a giant conveyor belt.
  • A recent study has revealed the slowing of the Gulf Stream system. It notes that never before in a 1,000 year period as the Gulf Stream system been as slow as it is in the last decade.
  • Increased rainfall and melting of the Greenland Ice sheet may have likely contributed to the observed slowing down of the Gulf Stream.

2. Celestial parking lot

  • A comet-like object that travelled long distances towards the Sun has found a temporary parking space among ‘Trojan asteroids’. Such objects, called Centaurs, are icy bodies found between Neptune and Jupiter and warm up and become active as they near the Sun, looking more like a comet.
    • Clusters of Trojan asteroids appear behind and ahead of Jupiter in its orbit. As astronomers continued discovering asteroids hiding in Jupiter’s Lagrange points, they continued naming them after heroes of the Trojan War and began referring to them as “Trojan asteroids.”

G. Tidbits

1. Only NRI quota seats for OCI cardholders

  • Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) citizens are of Indian origin but they are foreign passport holders and are not citizens of India. India does not allow dual citizenship but provides certain benefits under Section 7B(I) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 to the OCIs.
  • The guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding benefits to OCI cardholders, notes that OCIs are not entitled to undertake any “missionary, mountaineering, journalism and tabligh activities” without prior permission of the Government of India. The OCI cardholder shall be required to obtain a “special permission or a special permit” from the competent authority or the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or the Indian Mission for such purposes.
  • The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reiterated through a recent gazette notification that Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders can lay claim to only NRI (Non Resident Indian) quota seats in educational institutions based on all-India entrance tests.

2. EVMs made a shaky start in a Kerala constituency in 1982

  • The use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) was first implemented in some booths of the Paravur Assembly constituency in Ernakulam in the 1982 polling. This was the first instance of the use of EVMs in India.
  • However, the use of the EVMs was challenged by the defeated candidate in the Kerala High Court, arguing that the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 did not empower the Election Commission to use EVMs. The High Court refused his plea.
  • In 1992, Parliament inserted Section 61A in the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 validating the use of the EVM and paving way for their use in elections.
  • The EC started using EVMs widely only since 1998.
  • The new generation of EVMs has Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), which prints a small slip of paper that carries the name, symbol and the serial number of the candidate.
    • The top court has issued directives for using VVPAT to ensure accuracy and fairness in the EVM practice in 2013.

3. Printing neurons

  • Scientists from North-western University, U.S., have discovered a new biomaterial that mimics the brain tissue and can be made by 3D printing.
  • Developing this technique further can help treat neurodegenerative diseases, by transplanting the produced artificial tissues.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct with respect to Centaurs?
  1. They are icy planetesimals located between Jupiter and Neptune.
  2. They cross the orbits of one or more of the giant planets in their journey around the Sun, and interactions with the planets cause the orbits of Centaurs to be inherently unstable.

Options:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

  • Centaurs are icy planetesimals located between Jupiter and Neptune.
  • They cross the orbits of one or more of the giant planets in their journey around the Sun, and interactions with these outer planets cause the orbits of Centaurs to be inherently unstable.
Q2. Which of the following statement/s is/are incorrect with respect to Gulf Stream 
Ocean current system?
  1. It is a warm Atlantic Ocean current.
  2. It conveys warm surface water from equator to the north and the deeper cold, low-salinity water down south.

Options:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and stretches to the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean as the North Atlantic Current.
  • The Gulf Stream system conveys warm surface water from equator to the north and the deeper cold, low-salinity water down south. It works like a giant conveyor belt.
Q3. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct with respect to Alzheimer’s disease?
  1. It is a disorder of the brain, which affects memory and thinking skills.
  2. Usually, in people, the symptoms start manifesting when they are in their sixties, though the onset is much earlier.

Options:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

  • Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and irreversible disorder of the brain, which affects memory and thinking skills.
  • Brain cell connections and the cells themselves degenerate and die, eventually destroying memory and other important mental functions.
  • Memory loss and confusion are the main symptoms.
  • Usually, in people, the symptoms start manifesting when they are in their sixties, though the onset is much earlier.
  • No cure exists, but medication and management strategies may temporarily improve symptoms.
Q4. The term arribada is associated with which of the following?
  1. Shifting cultivation practice in North-east India
  2. Mass nesting exhibited by Olive Ridley Turtles
  3. Aboriginal tribe of Australia
  4. Seasonal migration exhibited by the Siberian crane
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

  • The olive ridley turtles turn up in millions for mass nesting along the Odisha coast every year. This phenomenon is referred to as ‘arribada’.
  • Gahirmatha beach in Kendrapara district is acclaimed as the world’s largest-known nesting ground of these endangered marine species. Apart from Gahirmatha, these aquatic animals turn up at Rushikulya river mouth and Devi river mouth for mass nesting.

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. In light of recent reports of State-sponsored Chinese hacker groups targeting Indian power grid utilities, discuss the modus operandi of the attacks and analyze the threat posed by such an attack. (10 marks, 150 words)[GS-3,Cyber Security]
  2. In the light of the high-level inter-ministerial committee on digital currencies submitting its report, evaluate the significance and threat posed by Crypto currencies to the economy in general and the Indian economy in particular. (15 marks, 250 words)[GS-3,Economy]

Read the previous CNA here.

CNA March 7th 2021:- Download PDF Here

IAS General Studies Notes Links
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