22 Nov 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. GS 1 Related B. GS 2 Related HEALTH 1. How kala-azar was eliminated from a highly endemic district in Bihar 2. Parliamentary panel bats for laws to counter bio-terrorism C. GS 3 Related ECONOMY 1. Energy security ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY 1. A successful solution to the ‘slash and burn’ problem D. GS 4 Related E. Editorials INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. Why did India stay out of the RCEP deal? ECONOMY 1. Moratorium on banks SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT 1. A host of vaccines and the fight against COVID-19 F. Tidbits 1. NGT directs States, UTs to set up nodal agencies to protect, restore waterbodies 1. Hurricanes reach out G. Prelims Facts 1. Twice hit by climate change H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
B. GS 2 Related
1. How kala-azar was eliminated from a highly endemic district in Bihar
Background:
- Kala-azar or visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a tropical disease characterised by irregular fever, weight loss, anaemia and swelling of the spleen and liver. It is caused by a protozoan Leishmania parasite and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected female sandflies.
- According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) India accounts for about two-thirds of the total 7 to 10 lakh new global cases annually, and the disease is endemic to Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. An initiative was launched by WHO to eliminate VL as a public health problem from the South East Asia region by 2020, which has since been extended to 2023.
- A disease eliminated when the annual incidence is reduced to less than 1 case per 10,000 people at the sub-district or block level. Eradication would mean there are zero cases.
Details:
- Integrated control strategy in Vaishali district has helped drastically reduce Kala-azar cases.
Chemical-based vector control:
- Once a person is diagnosed with VL, indoor residual spraying was done at his house and at the neighbouring houses within 500 metres.
- Though the disease is not contagious, the infected sand fly may be present in the area and the chemical spray will help kill them.
Human resource management:
- Hospital staff and medical doctors in these regions were trained. Nearly 2,500 ASHA workers and 1,000 field workers were also trained.
Monitoring disease:
- Sustained monitoring of active cases – track, test, and treat strategy – in the hotspot region is a crucial aspect of the integrated strategy. This would involve mapping of the case distribution and early case detection.
- GIS-based mapping, and case data management and spatial visualisation systems would aid in the disease monitoring phase and help in the proper implementation of control strategies.
Community awareness campaigns:
- The population susceptible to the disease need to be made aware of suitable behavioural changes that could help prevent the spread of the disease and also help improve the immunity in the susceptible population.
2. Parliamentary panel bats for laws to counter bio-terrorism
Context:
- Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health’s report on the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and its management.
Details:
- The committee has stressed on the need to formulate effective laws to counter bio-terrorism as one of the important lessons to be learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The report provides a seven-point action plan that is needed to ensure security against biological weapons. The major aspects of this involve the following:
- Strengthening disease surveillance, including at animal-human interface.
- Training and capacity building for management of public health emergencies arising from use of bio-weapons.
- Strengthening research activities related to development of diagnostics, vaccines and drugs.
- The Health Ministry should pursue strategic partnerships among different nations.
C. GS 3 Related
- This topic discusses the following two articles from The Hindu Newspaper:
- India to double oil refining capacity in five years, says PM
- ‘Disruptive solutions needed in renewables to tackle future’
Context:
- Convocation ceremony address at the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU).
Background:
Increasing energy demands:
- India’s per capita energy needs will almost double by 2050 and India’s population is also projected to increase. With a population of 1.4 billion and one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, India’s energy demand is projected to increase.
- India’s total energy consumption is projected to increase from 35 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2018 to 120 quadrillion Btu in 2050, growing from a 6% share of the world total to 13%.
- As proven oil reserves are limited compared with domestic needs, India’s import dependency (above 80% in 2018) is going to increase significantly in the coming decades.
- India is the world’s third‑largest consumer of oil, the fourth‑largest oil refiner and a net exporter of refined products.
Details:
- India has made important progress towards meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, notably Goal 7 on delivering energy access.
- The Indian government has laid out an ambitious vision to bring secure, affordable and sustainable energy to all its citizens. This article discusses some of the major aspects of the government’s policies and measures in this direction.
Petroleum refining:
- The rate of growth of India’s oil consumption is expected to surpass that of the People’s Republic of China in the mid-2020s, making India a very attractive market for refinery investment.
- To maintain India’s position as refining hub, the government is pursuing a very ambitious long-term roadmap to expand its refining capacity in line with the country’s projected demand growth through 2040.
- India plans to almost double its oil refining capacity in the next five years, offering a much more aggressive timeline than previously stated.
- India’s current level of oil refining capacity is about 250 million tonnes.
Increasing share of gas:
- India is also aiming to raise the share of natural gas in its energy-consumption mix by up to four times. This would allow India to improve the environmental sustainability and flexibility of its energy system.
- The cleaner-burning natural gas fuel currently accounts for about 6% of the energy consumed in the country.
Renewable energy:
- India has set itself a target of increasing renewable energy capacity to 175 gigawatts by 2022, and 450 gigawatts by 2030, and is expected to meet this target ahead of schedule.
- The country had renewable energy capacity of about 75 gigawatts at the end of 2018.
- The country’s Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement sets out targets to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its power generation capacity.
Disruptive solutions:
- To ensure energy security, we would need new and disruptive solutions.
- Low carbon technologies would require breakthroughs in new energy sources such as green and blue hydrogen.
- Carbon recycle tech should be harnessed to absorb back the emissions from carbon intensive energy sources to keep the whole process sustainable. Under the carbon recycle technology, Carbon dioxide (CO2) will be utilized for producing recycled materials and fuels. This will help reduce the carbon footprint.
- To be able to harness the potential of renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy innovations in energy storage is essential.
- Energy efficiency should be a key research area to ensure energy conservation.
- India has taken significant steps to improve energy efficiency, which have avoided an additional 15% of annual energy demand and 300 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the period 2000‑18, according to IEA analysis.
- The synergy between the energy revolution and the fourth industrial revolution should be harnessed to move towards more robust energy data and policy governance
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. A successful solution to the ‘slash and burn’ problem
Context:
- Field trials of the Pusa decomposer in Delhi, Haryana region.
Background:
Stubble burning issue:
- Stubble burning by farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi region has lead to a major environmental hazard in the region, particularly in the National Capital Region.
- Stubble burning leads to the emission of harmful gases like NO2, SO2, CO and particulate matter and contributes to the formation of ground level ozone.
- The area faces the issue of ‘smog’, or smoke and fog every year during the onset of the spring season.
- The Air Quality Index or AQI rises to severe levels (400 or more in Delhi and its neighbourhood).
Measures to control stubble burning:
- Previously, recognizing the harmful effect of stubble burning, there have been a number of initiatives taken by the government to control stubble burning.
Regulatory regime:
- India’s Supreme Court has issued a blanket ban on stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and UP. There is the need to take strict action against non-compliance reported from the field.
Support for farmers:
- Despite a ban on stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, farmers continue to defy it as there is a short window between harvesting of paddy and sowing of wheat. The high cost of manual or mechanical management of straw is a major reason why farmers choose to burn it. This necessitates the government to ensure supportive policies to the farmers.
- State governments are providing 50 to 80 per cent subsidy to farmers and cooperative societies to buy modern farm equipment for in-situ management of paddy straw.
- This could involve equipment like balers, super straw management system (SMS), chopper cum shredder, happy seeder machines, which are used for direct sowing without ploughing.
- The use of super SMS with combined harvester helps facilitate the management of crop residue. It is attached to the rear of a combined harvester and uniformly spreads loose straw on the field. With this method, farmers are not required to burn the straw before sowing the next crop.
- Additionally, custom hiring centres (CHCs) can play a critical role in providing equipment for crop residue management. Punjab aims to establish atleast one CHC in each village.
- The above measures could help ensure the availability of requisite machinery at affordable rates and with convenience.
Incentivizing stubble management:
- There has been increasing calls for paddy straw-based power plants. Crop residue is being utilized through biomass-based power plants (bio-ethanol projects) and various bio-CNG projects.
- The demand for biomass from such biomass based power plants could incentivize the farmers to sell bales to nearby factories.
Awareness campaign:
- There has been a massive awareness campaign against stubble burning in the concerned states.
- Apart from contributing to air pollution, stubble burning also has a detrimental impact on agricultural land. Making the farmers aware of this could help convince the farmers from retraining themselves from stubble burning.
Details:
- Despite multidimensional interventions from the state administrations, stubble burning continues unabated in the north Indian states.
- Recognizing the challenges inherent in ex-situ stubble management strategies, in situ stubble management strategies are being encouraged. The ‘Pusa Decomposer’ is one such solution.
Pusa decomposer:
- ‘Pusa Decomposer’ is basically a set of capsules containing a set of about eight types of microorganisms (fungi), essential to quicken the decomposition of the stubble.
- These capsules need to be dissolved in water containing jaggery and chickpea flour and then fermented for three-to-four days. The liquid so obtained is to be sprayed in the farmers’ field in order to decompose the left over biomass. The stubble gets converted into manure in the field.
Significance:
- Pusa decomposer offers some notable advantages over other methods being used as discussed in the following figure.
Way forward:
- As field trials of the Pusa decomposer in the Delhi, Haryana region have been found successful, Pusa Decomposer should be tried in areas of Northeast India where ‘slash and burn’ (locally called ‘jhum’) is still followed (in Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya).
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Why did India stay out of the RCEP deal?
Context:
- Recently, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed by 15 countries led by China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the 10-country ASEAN group.
For information on this development refer to: 16th November 2020 CNA.
Background:
- After long negotiations, India exited the RCEP grouping in November 2019, based on several potential concerns associated with India’s RCEP membership.
India’s concerns:
- India had registered a bilateral trade deficit with 11 of 15 RCEP participating countries in 2018-19. There was every reason to believe that these deficits would increase if India joined the RCEP. The trade deficit with China has burgeoned from about $4 billion in 2005-06 to nearly $50 billion today, even without a trade agreement.
- One major observation from India’s experience of prior preferential trade agreements with East Asian countries has been the large rise in manufactured goods imports, which displaces many vulnerable domestic producers further worsening the unemployment situation. This had led to fears of de-industrialisation in some sectors.
- Other sectors of the economy would have also suffered. The farmer’s interests specifically the dairy sector and plantation sectors could have been hit due to the dumping of the cheaper products from other members.
Counter-arguments:
Root cause for trade deficits:
- While deficits have increased for India in all foreign trade, India’s FTAs or PTAs (Preferential Trade Agreements) do not account for a bigger chunk of the trade deficit than they did before.
- The growing trade deficits can be mainly attributed to the downturn in India’s GDP since 2016, and the decline in manufacturing. The lack of goods like machinery, bulk drugs, chemicals in sufficient amounts or at competitive prices may be the factor for increasing imports from China.
Impact of the pandemic:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has left the global economy in a state of disarray. The economic recession and trend worldwide against globalisation has led to a growing call for smaller trading coalitions outside of the World Trade Organization.
- Another incentive to join RCEP would be the fact that as the world’s second largest economy and one of the only ones to show GDP growth this year, China offers potential investment to RCEP countries.
For more information on this issue refer to: 5th November 2019 CNA.
Details:
- Several RCEP countries still hope India will reconsider its decision of staying out.
- The RCEP has left a special window open for India to rejoin at a future date.
Measures taken to incentivize India into joining RCEP:
- The special statement on India drafted under the leadership of Japan, proposes waiving the 18-month mandatory waiting period if India applied formally to rejoin the group.
- India’s concerns over guidelines on rules of origin, find clear mention and an entire chapter devoted to it in the final RCEP text of 20 chapters.
- There is also a chapter on allowing trade in services particularly financial, telecommunications and professional services, which was another key demand by India during the negotiations.
Significance of India to RCEP:
- For Japan and Australia, the large size of the Indian economy and its negotiating heft would pose a valuable counterpoint to China within the grouping.
- For ASEAN countries that led the RCEP negotiations, India’s presence would provide weight to the centrality of the ASEAN grouping in the region.
- For China, too, having India within the RCEP tent would not just open up India’s market access for it’s goods, but would also provide one more forum on which to cooperate that does not include its biggest rival the United States (U.S.).
Conclusion:
- Despite repeated invitations India has skipped every meeting of the RCEP grouping in the past year and has reiterated that there would be no rethinking on the decision to stay out of the RCEP.
- There is the need to wait and watch if India will accept the invitation from RCEP countries to be an “observer” at their meetings.
For related information refer to: 21st November 2020 CNA
Category: ECONOMY
Context:
- Lakshmi Vilas Bank has been struggling with losses for three years. As its financial position deteriorated, the regulator placed it under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework.
For information on this issue refer to: 29th September 2020 CNA.
- The Central government acting on the recommendation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a moratorium on Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) for a period of 30 days.
Details:
What is a moratorium?
- When a moratorium is placed on a bank’s operations for a specified period of time, under such a situation depositors will not be able to withdraw funds at will.
- There would be a ceiling on the limits of money that can be withdrawn by the bank’s customers.
When does moratorium come into play?
- The RBI steps in with a recommendation of a moratorium if it feels that the bank’s assets (mainly the value of loans given to borrowers) are declining below the level of liabilities (deposits) and senses the danger of the bank failing to meet its obligations to depositors.
Significance of a moratorium:
- A moratorium helps prevent a ‘run’ on the bank by clamping down on rapid outflow of funds by wary depositors, who seek to take their money out in fear of the bank’s imminent collapse.
- A moratorium provides much needed time to first take stock of the actual financial situation at the troubled bank and take corrective measures.
- A key objective of a moratorium is to protect the interests of depositors.
Category: SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT
1. A host of vaccines and the fight against COVID-19
This topic has been previously discussed in the following articles:
F. Tidbits
1. NGT directs States, UTs to set up nodal agencies to protect, restore waterbodies
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed all States and Union Territories to designate a nodal agency under respective chief secretaries to help identify, protect and restore waterbodies.
- It also directed the nodal agencies to evolve a monitoring and grievance redressal mechanism.
- A recent study on the North Atlantic hurricanes of the last fifty years notes that these hurricanes weakened slowly compared with those that occurred fifty years ago. This indicates the increasing tendency of these hurricanes to reach further inland.
- The study indicates the possible influence of global warming on this observed trend and notes that in future, as the world warms, the hazard posed by hurricanes would only increase given their ability to reach further inland and be more powerful.
- Atmospheric scientists have found that the warmer ocean waters are indeed a key factor in creating more devastating hurricanes. The rising temperatures are directly linked to the upswing in hurricane intensity and frequency seen in the past few decades.
G. Prelims Facts
1. Twice hit by climate change
- New research notes that more than 100 million years earlier, a climate change cataclysm in the form of an abrupt global warming incident may have pushed some dinosaur species into extinction.
- A series of volcanic eruptions over several million years released huge amounts of CO2 and methane in the atmosphere, warming the planet intensely.
- This observation is based on the recent discovery of a previously unknown dinosaur, named Bagualia alba. This is in the family of massive, long-necked sauropods, the largest animals to walk the Earth.
Effect of global warming on the evolutionary process:
- Before the global warming event, sauropods were only one branch of the Sauropodomorpha lineage. Other dinosaurs in the same group were smaller and lightly built.
- The abrupt climate change drastically transformed the vegetation dinosaurs fed on. Smaller Sauropodomorpha dinosaurs were unable to cope with the change, but larger sauropods – like Bagualia alba – thrived.
- Sauropods’ new diet saw them expanded in size from 10 metres to 40 metres in length, as large digestion chambers were needed to cope. They became the dominant group of herbivores and eventually the largest animals to ever walk the Earth.
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
1. Which of the following are potential advantages of the ‘Pusa decomposer’ usage as against the other strategies for stubble management?
- Step towards organic farming practices
- Makes use of naturally occurring processes
- Helps increase soil carbon content
- Helps improve soil’s water retention potential
- Improves soil fertility
- Cheaper method
- Easily scalable model
Options:
- 1,2,3,4 and 5 only
- 3,4,5,6 and 7 only
- 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7
- 3,4 and 5 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Pusa decomposer offers some notable advantages over other methods being used as discussed in the following figure.
2. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct with respect to Kala Azar?
- Kala-azar also known as visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a tropical disease.
- It is caused by a protozoan Leishmania parasite and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected female sandflies.
- India accounts for about two-thirds of the total global cases.
Options:
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 1,2 and 3
- 2 only
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: c
Explanation:
- Kala-azar or visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a tropical disease characterised by irregular fever, weight loss, anaemia and swelling of the spleen and liver. It is caused by a protozoan Leishmania parasite and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected female sandflies.
- According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) India accounts for about two-thirds of the total 7 to 10 lakh new global cases annually, and the disease is endemic to Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. An initiative was launched by WHO to eliminate VL as a public health problem from the South East Asia region by 2020, which has since been extended to 2023.
3. Which of the following statement/s is/ are correct?
- India is the world’s largest oil refiner and a net exporter of refined products.
- Gas based fuels account for about 25% of the energy consumed in India.
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: d
Explanation:
- India is the world’s third‑largest consumer of oil, the fourth‑largest oil refiner and a net exporter of refined products.
- The cleaner-burning natural gas fuel currently accounts for about 6% of the energy consumed in the country. India is aiming to raise the share of natural gas in its energy-consumption mix by up to four times. This would allow India to improve the environmental sustainability and flexibility of its energy system.
4. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct with respect to tropical cyclones?
- Tropical cyclones, form when water gets 37 °C or hotter.
- The tropical cyclones do not form very close to the equator due to the absence of coriolis force near the equator.
Options:
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-
Answer: b
Option b
Explanation:
- Tropical cyclones, hurricanes or typhoons form when convection causes warm, moist air above the ocean to rise. They begin as a group of storms when the water gets as hot as 80 °F (27 °C) or hotter.
- The Coriolis effect made by the Earth’s rotation causes the winds to rotate. Coriolis forces are virtually absent very close to the equator.
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Evaluate India’s decision to not be part of the RCEP grouping. Also in the light of several measures proposed by the RCEP to leave a window of opportunity for India to return back to the group, discuss the significance of India to the RCEP grouping and its member nations. (15 marks, 250 words)(GS Paper 2/International Relations).
- In the light of the IEA projections that India’s per capita energy needs will almost double by 2050, discuss what measures should be taken by India to ensure secure, affordable and sustainable energy to all its citizens. (15 marks, 250 words)(GS Paper 3/Economy).
22 Nov 2020 CNA:- Download PDF Here
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