Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 13-02-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 13-02-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Science and Technology - First Mars video by Chinese released - China's space agency released the first video of planet Mars recorded from its spacecraft Tianwen-1 on 12-02-2021, two days after it entered the planet's orbit. The video shows the surface of the planet coming into view out of a pitch black sky, and white craters are also visible. The cameras took photos once every three seconds and continuously photographed for around half an hour. The videos have a frame rate of about 10 pictures per second. Tianwen-1, which means "Questioning the Heavens," launched on July 23, 2020 and is China’s first independent interplanetary mission. It arrived in orbit around Mars after a 202-day, 475 million km journey through deep space. It snapped an image of the Red Planet during its final approach. Tianwen-1 is expected to touch down on the planet's surface in May 2021.
2. Indian Economy - Retail inflation eases to 4.06% in January 2021 - India's retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), eased to 4.06% in the month of January 2021, data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed. The retail inflation during the month of December 2020 was at 4.59%. Meanwhile, factory output, measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), witnessed a growth of 1% in December. Retail inflation data showed the headline number eased to a 16-month low of 4.06 per cent mainly due to a sharp fall in food inflation. This is well within the Reserve Bank of India’s medium-term target of 4 ± 2 per cent and lower than the RBI’s projection of 5.2 per cent for the January-March 2021 quarter. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) had recorded a contraction of 1.9 per cent in November, which has now been revised to (-)2.1 per cent. Factory output had grown by 0.4 per cent in December 2019.
3. Science and Technology - ISRO tests satellites developed by private sector - Two satellites by Indian startups, SpaceKidz India and Pixxel (incorporated as Syzygy), were tested at the UR Rao Satellite Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru. This is the first time ISRO has opened up its facilities for the private sector. ISRO helped these two companies fix problems with the solar panels on their respective satellites. India is adopting the model of the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which allowed private firms such as SpaceX to get access to its technology and facilities to build reusable rockets that have carried humans to space. All existing ISRO -operated satellites—such as INSAT and GSAT—will be handed over to the PSUs, like the New Space India Limited.
4. Healtcare and Medicine - India Covid update - India has reported 9,309 new COVID-19 cases and 87 fatalities in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry. With this, the total number of cases rose to 1,08,80,603 and the death toll reached 1,55,447. Over 15,000 patients were discharged in a day, taking the total recoveries to 1,05,89,230. Active cases in the country stand at 1,35,926. The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces. You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are within close proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth.
5. World Economy - Bitcoin hits all-time high as Mastercard, BNY Mellon support crypto - Bitcoin jumped to an all-time high of nearly $49,000 on 12-02-2021 after Bank of New York (BNY) Mellon and Mastercard moved to support cryptocurrencies. BNY Mellon announced that it'll hold, transfer and issue cryptocurrencies while Mastercard said it will allow customers to transact in select cryptocurrencies on its network. The largest cryptocurrency has surged over 60% so far in 2021. But Indian government is clamping down on it, with a new law that proposes banning all private crypto trades. Author Nassim Taleb has also recently criticised the Bitcoin, stating it's too volatile for anything to be priced in it.
6. World Economy - Oil Prices rise - Oil prices were at their highest level in over a year. Brent crude rose above $60 a barrel; in April 2020, the early days of the coronavirus crisis, it had dropped below $20. Prices have been on a steady ascent since October 2020, fuelled in part by more curtailments to Saudi Arabia’s output and a pick-up in demand from China; oil imports there are thought to have jumped by a third in January 2021, from December. Oil was set for a second straight weekly gain, as OPEC+ continued to slash output and the group expects a stronger second half of the year, and global inventories will face sharp declines unless the cartel boosts supply. Iraq said OPEC+ is unlikely to change its output policy at a March 2021 meeting. Meanwhile, in the U.S., crude stockpiles are at the lowest in nearly a year.
7. Governance and Institutions - Centre launches India Toy Fair Website - A virtual toy fair will be held to boost the toy manufacturing industry in India and will improve its global market share in line with ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Get Vocal for Local’ Campaigns. The Indian government will organize the first ‘India Toy Fair-2021’ in a virtual mode from February 27 to March 2, 2021, to boost the toy manufacturing industry in India and for improving its global market share in line with ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Get Vocal for Local’ Campaigns. The website of the Toy Fair, www.theindiatoyfair.in was inaugurated jointly by the Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani, Union Education Minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal, and the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on February 11, 2021.
8. World Politics - Iraq invites 52 countries to monitor elections - The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) of Iraq invited 52 countries to monitor the country’s elections, which are scheduled to take place on October 10, 2021. IHEC Spokeswoman Jumana al-Ghalai said that the Commission’s law allows the recruitment of international observers to monitor the election process to ensure its transparency. The 2021 Elections will determine the 328 members of Iraq's Council of Representatives who will in turn elect a new President and Prime Minister. The invitation was sent by IHEC to the embassies of the 52 nations to ensure the integrity of the elections in accordance with international standards and thereby, restore the citizens’ confidence in the electoral process. Many Iraqis believe that the 2018 Parliamentary elections were marred by fraud and irregularities.
9. Science and Technology - Turkey announces space program including 2023 moon mission - An ambitious 10-year space program of Turkey includes missions to the moon, developing internationally viable satellite systems, and sending Turkish astronauts into space. The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan on February 9, 2021, unveiled an ambitious 10-year space program that includes missions to the moon, developing internationally viable satellite systems, and sending Turkish astronauts into space. The program announced by the President, during a live televised event laced with special effects, can be seen as part of his vision for placing Turkey in the expanded global and regional role. The Turkish Space Agency by the country in 2018 with an aim of joining the handful of the countries with space programs.
10. Indian Economy - Fiscal deficit will be reduced without hurting growth: FM - In her reply to the Budget discussions in the Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will bring down India's fiscal deficit without creating hurdles for growth. She added that the government hasn't "hurried" while announcing any fiscal deficit number. During the Budget presentation, Sitharaman pegged the fiscal deficit for 2020-21 at 9.5% of GDP and 2021-22 at 6.8%. The 15th Finance Commission had expected lower deficit numbers, but the one-time settlement of FCI dues by government pushed the deficit to a record high. This also showed the need for a new FRBM law in India.

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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• 1. ECONOMY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

Feb 2021 - CPI Inflation and IIP bring relief

1. Economy's double boost: India’s industrial production rate rose to 1.04% in December 2020, reversing November's contraction and regaining pre-Covid levels, while consumer inflation (measured by CPI-inflation) reduced to a 16-month low of 4.06%, becoming a twin respite for the economy.
2. Inflation issue: The declining inflation will allow the RBI (central bank) to keep interest rates low to support the economic recovery that is underway, though more rate cuts are not feasible for the moment. So now, there is some comfort in both the IIP (Index of Industrial Production) growth number and CPI (consumer price index) inflation for December and January, respectively. Meanwhile, the NSO (National Statistics Office, MoSPI)  has projected GDP to contract 7.7% in FY21.
3. Is industery recovering: The IIP touched 135.9 in December 2020, rising above the pre-Covid, February 2020 level of 134.2. But sectoral classification shows a patchy recovery. Many segments are still struggling. Fourteen of 23 manufacturing subsectors reported a contraction in December. Manufacturing and electricity grew 1.6% and 5.1%, respectively, while mining contracted 4.8% in December. Capital goods - an indicator of investment - grew 0.6% in December. Consumer durables production, an indicator of urban demand, witnessed the sharpest growth of 4.9% while consumer non-durables expanded 2%.
4. A bad 2020: In the first nine months of FY21, India’s factory output shrank 13.5%, compared with 0.3% growth in the year-ago period. After rising in September and October, factory output shrank in November. The statistics office revised the contraction in November to 2.09% from 1.9% earlier. The improvement in the IIP in December relative to November benefitted from a favourable base effect, and was broad-based. The September and October uptick was due to a combination of festive and pent-up demand and the recovery is still fragile. The ongoing recovery needs sustained policy support.
5. New Budget: The February 1, 2021, budget proposed a strong fiscal boost to the economy, sharply raising capital spending to Rs 5.54 lakh crore from the expected Rs 4.39 lakh crore in FY 21. The Economic Survey 2020-21 released in Janaury 2021 expected GDP to expand 10.5% in FY22. Data suggest the economy gained pace in January - goods and services tax (GST) collections touched an all-time monthly high of Rs 1.19 lakh crore and mechandise exports rose 5.37% year-on-year in the month.
6. Good news: A sharp fall in inflation of vegetables and food items more than compensated for higher fuel prices, driving down overall consumer inflation in January. Food inflation fell to a 20-month low of 1.89% from 3.41% in December. Fuel and light inflation hit a 10-month high of 3.87% in January. A strong base effect in vegetable prices will keep food inflation low over the next six to nine months. The inflation is at the Reserve Bank of India’s target level – 4% with a 2% band on either side.
7. MPC stance: The stance of monetary policy may change to neutral, in the August 2021 review or later, only after there is greater confidence related to the economic revival. Core inflation, a measure of demand pressures, remains elevated. Core inflation in January 2021 has remained at the same level as the previous month at 6.5% but is notably higher than 4.2% in the corresponding month last year.
8. Knowledge centre: The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index which shows the growth rates in different industry groups of the economy. It is a key economic indicator of manufacturing sector of the economy. It is made up of (a) Mining (14.372472 % weight), (b) Manufacturing ((77.63321 %), and (c) Electricity (7.994318 %) sectors. The eight core industries include coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity. These are called core because of their impact on general economic activity as well as other industrial activity. These eight industries comprise 40.27% of the weight in the IIP. The IIP can also be seen as made up of (a) Primary goods (34.04%), (b) Capital goods (8.22%), (c) Intermediate goods (17.22%), (d) Infrastructure/ Construction goods (12.33%), (e) Consumer durables (12.83%) and (f) Consumer nondurables (15.32%). The change in the base year to 2011-12, which happened in 2017, was the ninth revision of base year of the all-India IIP since the beginning of its dissemination, with the previous ones being 1937, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1960, 1970, 1980-81, 1993-94 and 2004-05. The IIP is the only measure on the physical volume of production. The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is the main source of long term industrial statistics while the IIP is a monthly indicator based on items and factories selected from ASI.

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• 2. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper

The Uttarakhand flash floods, Feb 2021

1. Destroy ecology, pay the price: The glacial burst in Feb 2021, in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand was a reminder of the ongoing disruption of the fragile ecological balance. A similar flash flood caused by a glacial lake burst ravaged the Kedarnath Shrine at the peak of the pilgrimage season in 2013, leading to loss of human lives too. Two major incidents in less than a decade is rare.
2. There is enough data to suggest that climate change is responsible for the increasing number of severe flash floods due to glacial melt. Apart from climate change, the sudden spurt of environmentally-unfriendly development activities is responsible for the frequent occurrence of the disaster due to flash floods.
3. Climate crisis aggravating: Reports by the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) held that 36% of the volume of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region will be gone by the end of 2100 even if the world manages to keep the temperature rise within 1.5 degree Celsius target of the Paris Climate Agreement. Data from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reveal that the melting of the glaciers has increased in the first 20 years of this century. The faster melting of Ganga glaciers will impact the livelihood of close to 600 million people living in the Ganga river basin, extending from Uttarakhand in the north to Bangladesh in the south.
4. Flash floods: These are usually a man-made disaster. Himalayas are a volatile mountain system, being quite young. Even a minor change in the orientation of its rocks can trigger landslides. Despite this, we see many instances of high-intensity stone quarrying, frequent blasting of mountains, and digging of tunnels through the base of the fragile mountain system. These are done for the back-to-back under-construction dams.
5. Blissfully ignorant: Little attention has been paid to the damage caused to local ecology and loss of forest cover in the upper reaches of the central Himalayas by building hydel dams and construction of wider roads overlooking environmental norms. The upper reaches of Uttarakhand, the source for several small riverine systems feeding the Ganga, already have 16 dams and another 13 under construction. The state government has proposed another 54 dams to harness the hydel energy potential of these rivers. It could be the proverbial last straw for the region!
6. Hydropower love: While hydropower is a low-emission energy source, but by design, these projects are not environmentally suitable. River water is diverted for power generation, and this destroys the natural riverine ecology. In addition, the blasting and tunneling that happens while building a dam dry up mountain springs, which provide water for drinking and agriculture. An alternative is the "Run of the River (ROR) projects", seen as a “green” alternative to high-dam hydropower projects such as the Tehri Hydropower Project. This is because an ROR dam diverts the river flow in a controlled environment to generate electricity and sends the water back to the river, whereas a high-dam project stores river water in a reservoir.
7. Summary: With the increasing frequency of flash floods in the Himalayan region, a broad framework for robust early warning systems, infrastructure development, construction, and excavation in vulnerable zones must be evolved. An IPCC report has assessed that the climate crisis has altered the frequency and magnitude of the natural hazards in high mountain regions of the world. There is a need for adherence to the Chopra Committee recommendations, which studied the impact of receding glaciers on hydroelectric power projects (HEPs) and objected to the construction of HEPs in paraglacial regions (between 2,200 to 2,500 meters above the sea level). The hydropower projects must be weighed against their benefits and challenges. Alternatives like solar energy, wind energy should be pursued as the green growth model of development. The NDMA guidelines say that the construction of any habitation should be prohibited in the high hazard zone. Restricting constructions and development in glacial lake outburst flood-prone areas is a very efficient means to reduce risks at no cost.

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• 3. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

The South China Sea dispute

1. US versus China: In Feb 20201, China warned off a USA warship sailing near contested Paracel islands in the South China Sea (SCS). This was seen as a potential flashpoint.
2. China’s claim: China lays claim to nearly all of the South China Sea, including the Paracel Islands. But Taiwan, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also claim parts of the region, believed to hold valuable oil and gas deposits. It has alleged that the USA warship broke into China’s Xisha (Paracel) island’s territorial waters without the permission of the Chinese government and accused USA for “seriously violating China’s sovereignty” and “harming regional peace.”
3. USA’s stand: The USA has argued that such exercises are in line with international law and help defend the right of passage through the region amid competing claims by China and other governments. It is in sync with the USA's continuous efforts to counter China’s assertion in SCS. Recently the USA Navy sent an aircraft carrier group into the South China Sea.
4. South China Sea (SCS): The South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. It is south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo. It is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea. The bordering states & territories (clockwise from north) are the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. Its strategic importance is that this sea holds tremendous strategic importance for its location as it is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (Strait of Malacca). According to the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD) one-third of the global shipping passes through it, carrying trillions of trade which makes it a significant geopolitical water body.
5. Reasons for dispute in the South China Sea: There are contesting claims over islands. The Paracel Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Philippines. The Scarborough Shoal is claimed by Philippines, China and Taiwan.
6. China’s assertion: Since 2010, China has been converting uninhabited islets into artificial islets to bring it under UNCLOS (examples would include Haven Reef, Johnson South Reef and Fiery Cross Reef). China has been changing the size and structure of the reefs by modifying their physical land features. It has also established airstrips on Parcel and Spratly. Chinese fishing fleets are engaged in paramilitary work on behalf of the state rather than the commercial enterprise of fishing. The US is very critical of this building of artificial islands and terms these actions of China as building a ‘great wall of sand’.
7. Other Issues: Undefined geographic scope of the South China Sea makes things more complex. There are disagreements over dispute settlement mechanisms. The different histories of distant, largely uninhabited archipelagos of the sea make the matter more complicated and multifaceted.
8. India's stand: India has maintained that it is not a party to the SCS dispute and its presence in the SCS is not to contain China but to secure its own economic interests, especially that of its energy security needs. However, China’s increasing ability to decide and expand its role in the South China Sea has compelled India to reevaluate its approach on the issue. As a key element of the Act East Policy, India has started internationalizing disputes in the Indo-Pacific region to oppose China’s threatening tactics in SCS. Further, India is using its Buddhist legacy to make a strong bond with the Southeast Asian region.
9. Summary: India has also deployed its navy with Vietnam in the South China Sea for protection of sea lanes of communication (SLOC), denying China any space for assertion. Also, India is part of Quad initiative (India, US, Japan, Australia) and lynchpin of Indo-Pacific narrative. These initiatives are viewed as a containment strategy by China.

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• 4. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

India's cryptocurrency bill will disrupt an entire industry

1. A new law: The government is determined to shackle and ultimately end the burgeoning industry of cryptocurrency in India. The wording of the proposed Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021, could lead to a legal tussle between exchanges and the government with various confusions on spotlight on definition, classification and use.
2. Public versus private: The focus will particularly be on the defining of cryptocurrencies as private and public. The distinction is crucial because the government is looking to allow public ones, such as those floated by countries, and ban private ones. It was not clear initially if the legislation will name assets such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. India has millions of investors in Bitcoin.
3. Problem for exchanges: The exchanges are consulting legal experts on the bill that aims to regulate cryptocurrencies and create a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). They are likely to argue that none of the cryptocurrencies—Bitcoin or Ethereum—are "private" assets as they don't have an owner or issuer.
4. India's own plans: India is looking to introduce its own cryptocurrency and will have to differentiate it from the existing ones, while clearly establishing what's allowed and what's not. Any ambiguity could be tested by cyrptocurrency exchanges. The issue really will be how does one define a cryptocurrency, whether it's a currency, commodity or a security and the legal status in India would depend on how the law defines it. In most countries it's legal and regulated.
5. Regulate or ban: Strong regulation would be welcome in India whereas a ban would be excessive. Some claim that India missed the first Industrial Revolution in a big way; Indians should not be made to bypass the Fourth Industrial Revolution — blockchain and crypto assets being an integral part of it.
6. Case against RBI: Indian cryptocurrency exchanges had challenged a 2018 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) circular in the Supreme Court. The court in 2020 quashed the circular that barred banks and financial institutions from dealing in or facilitating trade in virtual currencies. That saw cryptocurrency exchanges mushroom across the country. The Supreme Court order that came in March 2020 is a very robust one and the government will have to come up with a sound bill that will convincingly address the observations of the Supreme Court so as to withstand the judicial scrutiny.
7. Public: Since Bitcoin is a mathematically issued token, it can be called "public" as it is issued on permission-less ecosystem and there is no issuer, the exchanges say. On the other hand, the government is said to be of the view that anything non-sovereign is private. The blockchain networks which facilitate crypto transactions are public in nature and that's why no private entity can be considered as the absolute owner of digital assets.
8. Legal angle: If the government bans private digital currency and only allows those issued by a central bank, the courts may require a rationale for identical treatment of 'natural digital assets' such as Bitcoin and other non-sovereign cryptocurrencies that may have an issuer. Crypto players may argue that they have a case under Article 14 read with Article 19 of the Constitution which deals with equality before law and the right to do business.

 

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• 5. POLITY AND CONSTITUTION (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)

Sikhs for Justice – The NIA Case 

1. Case against SFJ: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued summons to over 40 persons in connection with a case registered against the US-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in mid-December 2020.
2. What is ‘Sikhs for Justice’: The Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), formed in 2007, is a US-based group seeking a separate homeland for Sikhs - a “Khalistan” - in Punjab. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a law graduate from Panjab University and currently an attorney at law in the US, is the face of SFJ and its legal adviser. Panun had launched the secessionist Sikh Referendum 2020 campaign, an initiative that eventually became defunct. ‘Referendum 2020’ claimed it wanted to “liberate Punjab from Indian occupation”. He was among the nine individuals designated as “terrorists” by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in July 2020.
3. Unlawful: Sikhs for Justice is an unlawful association under the UAPA Act.
4. What is the NIA case: In December 2020, the NIA registered a case in New Delhi under sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code: Section 120 B (Criminal Conspiracy), Section 124 A (Sedition), Section 153 A (Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), Section 153 B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration). Incidentally, the case was registered around a fortnight after farm activists reached Delhi border to protest against the farm acts. Farm organisations claim that the government was targeting individuals opposing the three farm laws.
5. NIA’s accusation: The NIA proposes that the SFJ and other Khalistani terrorist outfits along with their frontal organisations had entered into a conspiracy. The aim is to create an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness and to cause disaffection in people. The intention is to incite them towards rising in rebellion against the government of India. In furtherance of the above conspiracy, huge funds are being collected abroad. It goes for on-ground campaign and propaganda against missions in countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Germany and so forth. The FIR also stated that the campaigns were being spearheaded by designated terrorists. These include Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Paramjit Singh Pamma, Hardeep Singh Nijjar and others.
6. NIA notices: Among those who have been served notices by the NIA in connection with the sedition case registered against Pannun are – a tourist bus operator, a nut bolt trader and a cable operator from Ludhiana, three journalists from Punjab, three volunteers of UK based NGO Khalsa Aid, the president of Lok Bhalai Insaf Welfare Society (LBIWS), one of the unions participating in talks with the Government over the new farm laws, Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and farmers’ leader Baldev Singh Sirsa, Others summoned include functionaries of Khalsa Aid.
7. Khalsa Aid: It is a Sikh charity that provided material support to agitating farmers, and those who organised a community kitchen for them. The NIA has served notices under Section 16 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), meaning they have been summoned as witnesses. The persons were summoned in connection with “foreign funding in guise of the farm agitation to further secessionist agenda of Khalistan.”
8. What is the larger concern: Observers say that there are efforts to undermine the legitimacy of political actors opposed to the government have acquired a predictable pattern. Government’s critics are being routinely labelled anti-national by social media trolls and functionaries of the ruling BJP. There is the clear pattern in state responses to agitators in Kashmir, Bhima Koregaon and during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The government has denied all such observations.
9. Way forward: The Sikhs abroad are a vibrant segment of the diaspora, having links with the motherland, including through donations to religious and charity activities. Other diaspora groups also support activities, including in the fields of education and health. Given this, there has to be a high threshold to consider any such community activity as anti-national. And no consideration of religion must influence that assessment. The government has maintained that it is willing to talk to all concerned, and find a way out of the stalemate.

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• 6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

History of the Lithium-Ion battery

1. From the 1970s: In the late 1970s, a team of global scientists began work on what would eventually become the lithium-ion battery, a type of rechargeable battery that would come to power everything from portable electronics to electric vehicles and mobile phones. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 was awarded to three scientists, John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino, for their work in developing this battery.
2. Nobel Prize: According to the official Nobel Prize organization, “this lightweight, rechargeable and powerful battery is now used in everything from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles. It can also store significant amounts of energy from solar and wind power, making possible a fossil fuel-free society.”
3. The History: During the oil crisis in the 1970s, Stanley Whittingham, an English chemist working for Exxon mobile at the time, started exploring the idea of a new battery – one that could recharge on its own in a short amount of time and perhaps lead to fossil-free energy one day. In his first attempt, he tried using titanium disulfide and lithium metal as the electrodes, but the combination posed several challenges, including serious safety concerns. After the batteries short-circuited and caught on fire, Exxon decided to halt the experiment. However, John B. Goodenough, currently an engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin, had another idea. In the 1980s, he experimented using lithium cobalt oxide as the cathode instead of titanium disulfide, which paid off: the battery doubled its energy potential.
4. Later: Five years later, Akira Yoshino of Meijo University in Nagoya, Japan, made another swap. Instead of using reactive lithium metal as anode, he tried using a carbonaceous material, petroleum coke, which led to a revolutionary finding: not only was the new battery significantly safer without lithium  metal, the battery performance was more stable, thus producing the first prototype of the lithium-ion battery. Together, these three discoveries led to the lithium-ion battery as we know it.
5. Building a Better Battery with Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy: Although the market for lithium-ion batteries continues to grow at double-digit rates, the challenge is developing batteries that are safer, longer-lasting, and higher energy density. To help with this research, many scientists are turning to various analytical techniques to study battery components at different stages of their lifecycle.
6. New techniques: Using imaging techniques such as, microCT and electron microscopy, scientists can create 2D and 3D images, allowing them to see the battery in full length scale, from the cell level down to the atomic level. From here, they can develop fundamental understanding of the battery materials from the microstructural information extracted from images. To study the evolution of materials structural and composition changes as well as defect formations, scientists turn to spectroscopy, such as Raman, NMR, X-ray diffraction and mass spectrometry. Using these techniques, researchers can analyze the electrode materials as they charge and give information they wouldn’t otherwise see.
7. Continuing the quest: Universities and businesses around the globe continue to explore ways to create batteries that are safer, more powerful, last longer, and perform even under severe weather conditions. Researchers at UC San Diego, for example, are trying to improve the energy density of the lithium-ion battery by adding silicon to the anode. They are also developing a battery that can operate in temperatures as cold as -76° F, compared to the current limit of -4° F for lithium-ion batteries.
8. A revolution: Lithium-ion batteries have revolutionized modern day living. As Whittingham said at a recent conference, “Lithium batteries have impacted the lives of almost everyone in the world.” He’s still working on battery research.

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• 7. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

Air Pollution and Pregnancy Losses: Lancet Report

• A New Dimension: According to recent study poor air quality is associated with a considerable proportion of pregnancy loss in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It is the first study to estimate the effect of air pollution on pregnancy loss across the region.
• Key points: The study created a model to examine how exposure to PM 2.5 increased women’s risk of pregnancy loss, calculating risk for each 10 µg/m³ increased in PM 2.5 after adjusting for maternal age, temperature and humidity, seasonal variation, and long-term trends in pregnancy loss. Each increase in 10 µg/m³ was estimated to increase a mother’s risk of pregnancy loss by 3%. The increase in risk was greater for mothers from rural areas or those who became pregnant at an older age, compared to younger mothers from urban areas.
• Area Specific Report: Of the pregnancy loss cases, 77% were from India, 12% from Pakistan, and 11% from Bangladesh. But the study was unable to distinguish between natural pregnancy loss and abortions, which may have led to an underestimation of the effect of air pollution on natural pregnancy loss. There was under-reporting of pregnancy losses because of stigma or ignoring very early pregnancy losses.
• Air pollution: It refers to any physical, chemical, or biological change in the air. It is the contamination of air by harmful gases, dust, and smoke which affects plants, animals, and humans drastically.

1. Air Pollutants: Pollutants are the substances which cause pollution.
2. Types:

• Primary: The pollutants that directly cause air pollution or the pollutants that are formed and emitted directly from particular sources. Examples are particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur oxide.
• Secondary: The pollutants formed by the intermingling and reaction of primary pollutants are known as secondary pollutants. Examples are ozone and secondary organic aerosol (haze).

• Causes of Air Pollution: Major sources of air pollution are - Indoor burning of fossil fuels, woods and other biomass to cook, heat and light homes; Industry, including power generation such as coal-fired plants and diesel generators; Transport, especially vehicles with diesel engines; Agriculture, including livestock, which produces methane and ammonia, rice paddies, which produce methane, and the burning of agricultural waste; Open waste burning and organic waste in landfills, etc.
• Impact of Air Pollution on human health: As per the State of Global Air 2020 (SoGA 2020) released by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), high PM contributed to the deaths of more than 1,16,000 Indian infants who did not survive their first month. More than half of these deaths were associated with outdoor PM2.5 and others were linked to the use of solid fuels such as charcoal, wood, and animal dung for cooking. According to the 2017 Global Burden of Disease report published by the Lancet Planetary Health journal, India, which accounts for 18% of the global population, recorded 26% of the global premature deaths and disease burden due to air pollution. One in every eight deaths in India (2017) could be attributed to air pollution, which now contributes to more disease burden than smoking. Household air pollution causes about 3.8 million premature deaths each year.
• Indian initiatives to control air pollution: The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region (NCR) and Adjoining Areas  coordinates efforts of state governments to curb air pollution, and will lay down the parameters of air quality for the region. The Bharat Stage (BS) VI norms are emission control standards put in place by the government to keep a check on air pollution. The Dashboard for Monitoring Air Quality is a National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) based dashboard, built on data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (NAAQM) Network which was started in 1984-85 and covers 344 cities/towns in 29 states and 6 UTs. The National Clean Air Programme, launched in 2019, it is a comprehensive pan-India air pollution abatement scheme for 102 cities. The National Air Quality Index (AQI) focuses on health effects one might experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards are the standards for ambient air quality with reference to various identified pollutants notified by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

• International initiatives:

1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition: Launched in 2019, A voluntary partnership of governments, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society organizations committed to protecting the climate and improving air quality through actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants, India is a member.
2. United Nations Clean Air Initiative: It calls on national and subnational governments to commit to achieving air quality that is safe for citizens, and to align climate change and air pollution policies by 2030.
3. World Health Organization (WHO)’s 4 Pillar Strategy: WHO adopted a resolution (2015) to address the adverse health effects of air pollution.

• PM (Particulate Matter) 2.5: The PM 2.5 is an atmospheric particulate matter of diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometres, which is around 3% the diameter of a human hair. It causes respiratory problems and also reduces visibility. It is an endocrine disruptor that can affect insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, thus contributing to diabetes. It can only be detected with the help of an electron microscope because of them being very small. Sources of fine particles include all types of combustion activities (motor vehicles, power plants, wood burning, etc.) and certain industrial processes.
• Way forward: There is a need to urgently confront air pollution and strengthen health systems. The short-term respite from air pollution that most big cities in the world experienced was because of lockdown measures and not a permanent fix. Also there is a need to increase public awareness on air pollution. Educate and inform people about what they can do to reduce air pollution. Put out public health messages on the metro, buses, billboards, and radio to help change public behaviour.

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• 8. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)

Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill 2021

1. What it is: The Lok Sabha has passed the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill 2021. The bill was passed on February 12, 2021 by voice vote.
2. Story: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha on February 4, 2021. The provisions of the bill were, however, already into force through an ordinance that was promulgated on November 4th, 2020. The law minister said that if India wanted to be an excellent hub for the arbitration.  So, the government has passed the bill and is working in direction of making India a big hub for domestic and international arbitration.
3. Provisions: The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill 2021 deal with the domestic and international arbitration. It also defines the law to conduct the conciliation proceedings. It replaces the ordinance containing same provisions that was promulgated on 4th November, 2020. The bill will amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. With the amendment, the bill will enable automatic stay on awards in some cases. The bill will also omit the eighth schedule of the act that specify through the regulations of qualifications, experience and norms of the accreditation of arbitrators. Under the amendments, a stay on the arbitral award may be provided by the Court. It can be provided even during the pendency of the setting aside application. The bill also amends the section 36 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
4. Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996: This act regulates the domestic arbitration in India. This act was amended in the year 2015. It’s another amendment was passed in Lok Sabha in August 2019.
5. Arbitration: It is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). In this mechanism, the disputes are resolved outside the courts. The disputes are decided by one or more persons called the ‘arbitrators’. The arbitrators give the arbitration award which stands legally binding on both sides. The award is also enforceable in the courts. It is often used to resolve the commercial disputes particularly related to international commercial transactions.

 

Seventh Pay Commission: Family pensions ceiling enhanced

1. What it is: The Union Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office and Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, stated on February 12, 2021 that the upper ceiling for family pension has been increased from Rs 45,000 to Rs 1,25,000 per month.
2. Highlights: This decision was taken in order to bring Ease of Living for the family members of the deceased employees, and will help in providing adequate financial security to the family members. The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) has also clarified the amount admissible when child is eligible to draw two family pensions after death of parents. The notification says that the amount of both the family pensions will be restricted to Rs 1,25,000 per month. This amounts to two and half times more than the earlier limit.
3. Rule: Further the sub-rule (11) of rule 54 under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules 1972 states that if both wife and husband are Government servants and are governed by the provisions of that rule, then, on their death the surviving child will be eligible for two family pensions.
4. Pay Commission: This is set up by Government of India to provide recommendations with respect to the changes in salary structure of the employees. The 1st pay commission was set in the year 1947. Since then, seven pay commissions have been set up on a regular basis to review and recommend on the work and pay structure. It is headquartered in Delhi. The pay commission is given a time limit of 18 months after its constitution to make any recommendation.
5. 7th Central Pay Commission: The 7th pay commission was set up in September 2013. The pay commission submitted its recommendations with its implementation effect from 1 January 2016. It was headed by Justice A.K Mathur.

Earthquake of magnitude 6.3 hits Tajikistan

• February shock: An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 hit Tajikistan on February 12, 2020. The tremors were felt in Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. The seismology department at first gave the epicentre as Amritsar because of software error later confirmed epicentre as Tajikistan.
• Earthquakes: Shaking of the surface of the Earth because of a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere of earth is called as earthquake. It results into the formation of seismic waves. When the epicentre of the earthquakes is on surface, it results into shaking and displacing the ground. If the epicentre is located offshore, it results into the displacement of the seabed causing a tsunami.
• Causes: Earthquakes are usually caused by rupture of geological faults. But it may also be caused due to volcanic activity, landslides, nuclear tests and mine blasts. Hypocentre is the point of initial rupture of an earthquake. In seismology, epicentre is synonym of the focus. Epicentre is the point on the ground or surface directly above the hypocentre is called epicentre. Fault Zones are sharp breakages in the crustal rock. Through this fault, energy releases. As a result, the rocks along the fault starts moving in opposite directions. With time, the blocks get deformed and slide past each other abruptly. This in turn causes earthquake.

• Types of earthquakes:

1. Tectonic: This is the common earthquake. When a large & thin plate of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle gets stuck while moving past each other, pressure builds up beneath the zone. When this pressure is released, earthquakes occur.
2. Volcanic: A special type of tectonic earthquake in the areas of active volcanoes, these occur due to injection or withdrawal of magma beneath the Earth’s surface.
3. Human induced: Such earthquakes are caused as a result of intense mining activity, explosion of chemical or nuclear devices.

• Richter scale: Ot is a scale of numbers used to tell the power (or magnitude) of earthquakes, developed by Charles Richter in 1935. His scale worked like a seismogram, measured by a particular type of seismometer at a distance of 100 kilometers (62 mi) from the earthquake.

 

US revokes Boder Wall order

1. Revoked: The President of United States, Joe Biden, has revoked the emergency order that was issued by former President Donald Trump to construct the US-Mexico border wall. The order was revoked on February 11, 2021.
2. Highlights: President Biden revoked the order given by former President Donald Trump by announcing that it shall be the policy of the new administration that American taxpayers’ money will not be diverted to construct a border wall now at the United States’ border with Mexico. The president will also direct a careful review of all the resources that have been appropriated or redirected for this purpose.
3. The issue: The idea to construct a US-Mexico border was put forward by the former President of United States Donald Trump in 2016 during the presidential campaign trail. After this, he had been repeatedly asking Mexico to pay for the construction of the border wall. In the year 2019, the Trump administration had signed the executive order that declared the national emergency so as to build US-Mexico border wall. This order was passed on February 15, 2019. The emergency was announced after repeated clash with the lawmakers with respect to the funding for the project. Later in 2020, the Customs and Border Protection reported that it had found USD 11 billion as fund in order to construct the wall. Following that, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the USD 2.5 billion in Department of Defense spending that was diverted to the complete construction of the US-Mexico wall. After that, the proclamation of emergency landed the Trump’s administration in court.
4. Mexico–United States barrier or border wall: It is a series of vertical barriers at the Mexico–United States border. The border seeks to reduce the illegal immigration from the Mexico to the United States from Mexico. The barrier is not a continuous structure. It is a series of obstructions comprising of the fences or walls. Along the border, security is provided by virtual fence of cameras, sensors, and other surveillance equipment.    

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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