9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – April 22nd, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Not just dollars: Sri Lanka needs deep economic reforms to dig its way out of the crisis
• This is India’s moment of reckoning 
• The Brittle Middle 
• Its time to celebrate democratic governance in a war-ridden world 

GS Paper 3

• Government needs to factor in that both production and procurement are likely to be below expectations
• On Digital Banking Units (DBUs): Digital delivery
• Persistent inflation likely to threaten Indian Food Security 
• Effective and Efficient: The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• India Post Payments Bank launches ‘Fincluvation’
• NITI Aayog Releases Draft Battery Swapping Policy for Stakeholder Comments
• What is the Blue Blob?
• Explained: How government procures wheat
• India’s first pure green hydrogen plant commissioned in Jorhat
• Genetically modified mosquitoes for controlling vector-borne diseases? Successful trial gives hope
• Expert body needed on Man-Animal Conflict: Panel
• Prunus dinabandhuana: New plant species of ‘Cherry Blossom’ found in Manipur
• Explained: What is Russia’s new nuclear missile Sarmat, capable of striking ‘anywhere in the world’?
• Explained: What are SPACs for which a regulatory framework may be in the works

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Not just dollars: Sri Lanka needs deep economic reforms to dig its way out of the crisis

Context: A series of positive developments in Sri Lanka have triggered hopes that it’ll eventually see through one of the worst economic crisis that it’s going through right now.

What are the positive developments?

On the political front, 17 new ministerial appointments were initiated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, suggesting an end to the political logjam.

Separately, Sri Lanka began bailout talks with IMF. These talks were backed by India, and the first step is a Rapid Financing Instrument, which provides help before a restructuring plan is finalised.

There’s a long way to go to attain normalcy but a start has been made.

This is India’s moment of reckoning

News: Recently, there have been global developments of conflict and violence in Ukraine. It has been followed by the imposition of the western economic sanctions on Russia. This has presented new opportunities and threats to the world, especially India. 

What have been the trends since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989?  

There was an evolution of a paradigm of free societies, frictionless borders and open economies.  

The global order allowed freer movement of people, goods, services and capital across the world. Therefore, global trade and per capita GDP nearly doubled in this period.  

During this period, the Societies and economies in the world became inter-dependent in the pursuit of shared global prosperity. It led to fewer conflicts and more peace and prosperity. 

What can be the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, especially from an Indian perspective? 

This global geo-economic conflict can push the world to the Cold War era of two dominant power blocs. It will disbalance the global economic equilibrium. The Russia-China bloc is a large producer group. The western bloc is today’s largest consumer group.  

It has dismantled inter-connectedness and trade among nations. This led to disruption and blockade of various commodities like Russian natural gas, Russian & Ukrainian Wheat, Russian nickel. For example, Indian farmers run the risk of high fertilizer prices triggered by a global shortage.  

What are the opportunities for India? 

First, the western group looks to reduce dependence on the Russia-China bloc of nations. Therefore, it offers opportunities to India. India can expand trade in the current global economic structures of free trade 

Second, the western nations have wished to develop a new paradigm of ‘free but principled trade’. India can gain from this ‘principled trade’. India is the largest peace-loving democracy. India can become a large producing nation for the world and a global economic powerhouse.  

The present global situation presents the best opportunity to salvage India’s economy. It can help create large numbers of jobs for our youth and women. 

What are the challenges before India in capitalizing the new opportunities? 

The forced and hurried dismantling of the present order of the American dollar as the global trade currency and replacing it with rushed bilateral local currency arrangements can prove to be more detrimental for the global economy in the longer run.

For example, Indian rupee-Russian rouble agreement in the late 1970s and 1980s, were fraught with risks. 

India’s external sector is robust. India has the potential to expand trade. But the bilateral arrangements are unsustainable, unwieldy, and perilous.  

Way Forward 

Mahatma Gandhi said India must be committed to peace and non-violence, both at home and in the world. 

Earth is a ‘Global Village’. It is home for nearly eight billion people. It works on the transportation networks, the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency and integrated payment systems.  

India’s economic future depends on trade with other nations. A reversal towards isolationism and protectionism can be bad for India. It needs an accepted and established global currency to trade in and seamless trade settlements. 

India needs to get free access to the markets to capitalise on the available opportunities. 

In the long run, India stands to gain more from the established trading order as well as free access to the western markets instead of bilateral arrangements and a new and parallel global trade structure. 

India needs a non-aligned doctrine for the looming new world order. It also needs a non-disruptive geo-economic policy to maintain the current global economic equilibrium.  

Hence, it should adopt a strategic economic self-interest doctrine within the larger paradigm of its non-alignment foreign policy. 

India needs to balance the current geo-economic equilibrium, and needs to maintain its domestic social equilibrium. It requires people of all religions and castes to work together in factories.  

Therefore, the government should address mutual distrust, hate and anger among citizens. It should promote social harmony which is quintessential for economic prosperity.  

The Brittle Middle

News: Recently, the Supreme Court found serious fault within the high courts. The High Courts have consistently failed to uphold judicial discipline while pronouncing orders.  

What are the recent instances in which the HCs have failed to uphold judicial discipline? 

A Rajasthan high court bench granted bail to an accused of raping his minor niece without specifying any reasons. Here, the HC ignored circumstances like the alleged rapist was a history sheeter. He was facing around 20 other criminal cases. The SC witnessed a lot of gaps between the operative order and reasoned judgment given by the High Courts.

The Allahabad HC bench, a Bombay HC bench and a Delhi HC bench ordered acquittal in murder case(s) and gave the reasoned judgment(s) later after five months, nine months and ten months respectively.   

What are the issues in Indian Judiciary? 

There has been poor quality of justice delivery at various levels. 

Meanwhile, collegiums are struggling to attract good candidates to HCs. This is due to power struggle with GoI and unrealistic service conditions like low retirement age of 62. 

What are the steps that needs to be taken?

High courts are invested with the all-important function of superintendence of around 20,000 subordinate judicial officers. Therefore, they should set their standards at a higher level. 

Judges carry the burden that “justice is not only done; justice is also seen to be done”. 

The courts should promptly give a reasoned order. It also helps appellate courts save judicial time and decide appeals faster.  

The prompt reasoned order reduces burden on the judiciary. For example, The Supreme Court ordered fresh hearing in a case in which the Allahabad HCs failed to give a prompt reasoned order. It would add to pending criminal appeals. 

Effort should be made to establish a revised form of the National Judicial Appointments Commission to replace the collegium system.  

All India Judicial Services or a national district judges recruitment examination should be created.  

Way forward

It should be understood that “Dysfunctionality in the rule of law is a dysfunctionality that affects all aspects of governance”. 

Its time to celebrate democratic governance in a war-ridden world

News: In the light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the West is trying to shape a global consensus in favour its democratic governance model.

This is leading to widening the divide between authoritarian and democratic regimes.  

What have been the arguments against the democratic governance model? 

In last few years, the Chinese and Russian models of governance were promoted to challenge the democratic models of political management that is practiced in the west. These were projected based on the performance registered by both the models in various fields. 

The Chinese mode was more efficient. It delivered high rates of economic growth. It also looked stable. It looked highly attractive as the Western democracies were failing to provide solutions to the myriad problems faced by them in different areas.  

The western democracies were seen as chaotic and unable to shape long-term strategic goals. They were facing competing domestic demands within the group of the western nations. 

In response to Biden’s Summit for Democracy in December 2021, China and Russia together decried the summit as “anti-democratic“. It decried the western model of democracy. China asserted that ‘true democracy’ exists in China under the Chinese Communist Party. 

Such a narrative was developed, because as per Chinese propagandists, the confidence in their own model gives legitimacy to China’s rise as a legitimate power in the international hierarchy. 

Why is the democratic governance model better than the Chinese and Russian Model of governance? 

At present, China is being publicly criticized for its covid management.

– For example, China has for the first time officially admitted that three people have died in Shanghai due to covid. Historically, this is the first acknowledgment of any death in the country since March 2020. The authorities are being criticized publicly by the residents of Shanghai city 

At present, Russia is being globally criticized. It has not been able to achieve success in Ukraine, and is facing operational and tactical costs, and also a wider strategic failure. 

The Western democracies have been able to rise to the challenge posed by Russia. They have been able to form a relatively united front as a push-back against Russian aggression.  

China’s ‘zero covid’ strategy doesn’t look that brilliant any more. The Chinese model has been exposed by the anger shown by Shanghai’s residents. 

A democratic country like India managed to contain covid relatively effectively. It was also able to mobilize the requisite national resolve to produce vaccines for the world. 

Democracies are good at self-flagellation (excessive criticism of oneself). Their self-critical approach makes them strive to do better.  

Way Forward 

There is a danger that autocracies will succeed in shaping the global narrative in their favour.

However, this is a moment that democracies of the world may unite against a single threat. They should make a loud and clear voice that there is no real alternative to democracy. 

GS Paper 3

Government needs to factor in that both production and procurement are likely to be below expectations

Context: India isn’t going to harvest a bumper wheat crop this time.

What is the situation wrt wheat production and procurement this year?

The Agriculture ministry made an all-time high output estimate of 111.32 million tonnes (mt) in mid-February, when the crop looked good, thanks to surplus rains and an extended winter.

Most field reports point to yields being about a fifth lower compared to last year even in Punjab and Haryana, where farmers mostly plant wheat before November 15.

It could be worse in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where sowing stretches till late-December, making the crop still more vulnerable to the havoc wreaked by the hottest March in India’s recorded history.

Procurement situation in India

– Government agencies bought 43.34 mt of wheat last year. Available trends for the new marketing season suggest achieving 30 mt and some even suggest 25 mt.

Together with 19 mt of opening stocks on April 1, this can cover the 26 mt-odd requirement of the public distribution system plus another 11 mt under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) free-grain scheme.

That would leave year-end stocks at 7-12 mt, just around the buffer norm of 7.46 mt.

What are the reasons behind an expected shortfall in production of wheat?

A sudden spike in temperatures and the mercury touching 40^oC levels in most wheat-growing areas before the Mar-end.

The early onset of summer, with practically no spring, impacted the crop at the time of grain-filling: Day temperatures should ideally be in the early-30 degrees range during this “dough” stage, when the wheat kernel is accumulating starch, protein and other dry matter.

The heat stress post mid-March resulted in premature ripening and shriveling of grains.

What steps can the government take in case of a shortfall?

If production and procurement do turn out much below expectations, there are two things the government can do.

– The first is cut wheat and correspondingly raise rice allocations under the PMGKAY. Some additional wheat may, in fact, be necessary for undertaking open market sales, especially in the latter half of the fiscal.

– The second thing is to keep a check on exports. Indian wheat is highly competitive in the global market today, but govt should let these exports happen through the private trade in the natural course. It mustn’t push beyond a point, leave alone exporting from its stocks.

The worst thing would be to talk about “feeding the world” today and then, all of a sudden, announce a ban on exports.

On Digital Banking Units (DBUs): Digital delivery

Context: The Union finance minister recently made a declaration at the Atlantic Council think tank that the government is planning to set up as many as 75 digital-only banks or non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).

Digital Banking Units (DBUs) could transform access to financial services in remote areas where the physical delivery of such services is difficult

Is the Govt move justified?

35-odd commercial banks and well over a hundred NBFCs are already looking at this space.

If instead, the govt wants to establish 75 new digital entities, this appears unnecessary — as the RBI reports indicate, the DBU space is already crowded and likely to become more so.

What are the Digital Banking Units (DBUs)?

As per the RBI,

A DBU is defined as a business unit, or hub, with the infrastructure for delivering digital banking products and services. At a DBU, everything from customer acquisition, to product delivery, to service provision will be done facelessly and in a paperless manner through digital interfaces.

What are the pros and cons of DBUs?

Pros

– DBUs reduce the locational hassles of accessing financial services, since the entire process is online.

– They also increase the convenience of product comparison.

Cons

Choice overload: As customers can easily compare the terms and conditions offered, they may run into what behavioural scientists like Sheena Iyengar call “choice overload”, given the high levels of competition.

What is the current and the future scope of digital lending in India?

The RBI data indicates that “faceless” digital lending has grown exponentially, contributing well over half of all NBFC loans and around 6% of bank loans.

Given the sector regulator’s liberal stance, there will be a natural expansion of DBUs. All scheduled commercial banks and NBFCs will enter the DBU space because they must, to remain competitive. Given the convenience of going digital, more retail customers will also shop online for the best terms available across an array of financial products.

What are the RBI’s suggestions on opening of DBUs?

The RBI has suggested scheduled commercial banks can open such DBUs without seeking specific permission.

It has specifically excluded regional rural banks, payments banks, and local area banks from opening DBUs.

But, it is silent on the subject of NBFCs, which can presumably open such outlets in the absence of prohibition.

What is the way forward?

The regulator has already taken cognisance of the digital space and issued clear instructions, though more tweaks and fine-tuning may prove necessary.

The RBI will have to oversee DBUs to enforce acceptable levels of interoperability, compatible standards, data protection, and cyber-security.

The government’s responsibility should be to ensure the minimisation of red tape in establishing and running DBUs.

Furthermore, it needs to ensure that the telecom infrastructure is up to the task of handling higher data flows, especially in rural and remote areas.

Persistent inflation likely to threaten Indian Food Security

News: Recently, food Inflation has become a global phenomenon, with several countries going through spells of high inflation. Those afflicted include major developed countries such as US, UK and parts of Europe, and the developing countries such as India, Brazil, and Mexico. 

What is the situation wrt inflation? 

The Wholesale price index (WPI) has been in double digits for a year. It shows a trend of rising inflation in food items. For example, oilseeds, cereals, wheat, maize and barley have been witnessing double-digit inflation.  

The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food price index is at the highest level since the series began in 1990.  

What is the likely impact of high food prices? 

A sustained spell of inflation is likely to dampen growth efforts. It is likely to cause hardship for most of the population already suffering from a sharp slowdown.  

It may lead to more job losses, decline in incomes and wages.

In addition, the inflation may threaten food security in the country. 

Why is India’s retail food inflation much lower than farm-gate inflation or food inflation at wholesale level? 

Fortunately, high wholesale food inflation (WPI) has not been translated to the consumer price index (CPI) showing retail inflation. Recently, the retail inflation was around 7%. The reason is: 

(1) Since the covid pandemic struck India. The government’s intervention has been timely undertaken. For example, the government has launched the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) which provides staple cereals, pulses and edible oil to protect the poor and vulnerable. It has also helped keep food prices low. 

What are the factors that are likely to worsen the present spell of rising prices in the coming future? 

Geopolitical crisis like the Ukraine war – Presently, this has led to supply shocks across the world  

IRising oil prices. This has led to a surge in global demand for biofuels, which can be derived from cereals like maize. The biofuels will act as substitutes for petroleum products.  

There have been supply shocks caused by adverse weather conditions in some cereal producing countries.  

Another factor that is likely to put upward pressure on food prices is the rising cost of inputs, particularly of energy and fertilizers. Both of these are linked to hydrocarbon costs.  

In India, matters are going to get complicated due to the domestic supply situation. The production is likely to be lower-than-expected in the rabi season. There have been extreme weather events.  

The stocks in our central pool have depleted. There is likely to be less state procurement. The private traders and food processing companies have increased their purchases. 

Way Forward 

The country needs to maintain sufficient stocks to be able to contain consumer prices through open market sales.  

There is a requirement to expand the PDS system. The government should keep it longer than planned. At the same time, expand the basic basket of PDS by offering pulses and edible oil again. 

The best way to stop our economy from slipping into stagflation would be to revive all-India demand. This can be done by shielding the real purchasing power of people at large. 

Effective and Efficient: The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code

News: Recently, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has come under intense scrutiny. Its performance is being analysed across a number of parameters.   

What are the three criticisms against the IBC? 

First, there are inordinate delays in the resolution procedure.

Second, there have been more liquidations than resolutions.

Third, the recovery amounts under IBC have not been substantial,  

Argument against the criticism of the code

The performance of a bankruptcy resolution of IBC regime with the earlier Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) regime should ideally be evaluated along at least three dimensions given below:  

– (a) The average time taken to resolve successful cases should be one of the metric. On this performance metric, the IBC has effectively reduced the average time to settle a bankruptcy case from 5.8 years to 1.6 years.  

– (b) The fraction of cases resolved within a given timeframe. On this performance metric, the IBC has performed considerably well than BIFR. Firstly, most of those cases that were resolved under the BIFR it individually took more than 34 months, and Secondly, The BIFR has resolved less than 3,500 cases since its inception in 1987. However, the IBC has resolved about 1,178 cases since it was launched in 2016 until it was suspended at the onset of the COVID pandemic.   

– (c) The recovery rate conditional on resolution. Focusing on any single parameter may result in a gross under (over) estimation of the IBC’s (BIFR’s) performance. 

2] Other points  

If we start with a broad definition of resolutions that includes both liquidation and resolution, the IBC outperforms the earlier BIFR regime. However, If the definition of resolution is narrowed by excluding liquidation cases, the IBC still continues to outperform the BIFR. 

In addition, since many of the unresolved cases stuck in the BIFR were transferred to IBC. Therefore, the delays in resolution in the IBC should be viewed in comparison with the historical case pendency. In this case, the IBC is at least 23 times more efficient than the BIFR regime. 

The IBC represents a structural shift and a substantive improvement over the BIFR. The IBC have seen more cases being admitted than under the BIFR. 

The IBC has significantly outperformed the earlier BIFR regime in terms of the speed of resolution.  

Many of the BIFR’s legacy cases subsumed by IBC were often related to zombie firms. These firms were kept alive due to massive evergreening of loans between 2008-2015. 

The most powerful impact of the IBC is likely to be its ex-ante impact on firm and promoter behaviour.  

The IBC is potentially as effective as a disciplining device as much as it is a resolution mechanism. 

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

India Post Payments Bank launches ‘Fincluvation’

Source: This post is based on the article “India Post Payments Bank launches ‘Fincluvation’” published in PIB on 21st April 2022.

What is the News?

India Post Payments Bank(IPPB) has announced the launch of Fincluvation.

What is Fincluvation?

Fincluvation is a joint initiative to collaborate with the Fintech Startup community to co-create and innovate solutions for financial inclusion.

Launched by: India Post Payments Bank(IPPB) and Department of Post(DoP).

Tracks: Under the initiative, startups are encouraged to develop solutions aligned with any of the following tracks:

– Creditization – Develop Innovative & Inclusive credit products aligned with the use cases of target customers and take them to their doorsteps through the Postal network.

– Digitization – Bring convenience through the convergence of traditional services with Digital Payment Technologies such as making the traditional Money Order service an Interoperable Banking service.

– Any Market-led solutions that can help solve any other problem relevant to IPPB and/or DoP in serving the target customers.

What is India Post Payments Bank(IPPB)?

Established in: 2018 under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication with 100% equity owned by the Government of India.

Purpose: The bank has been set up with the vision to build the most accessible, affordable and trusted bank for the common man in India.

Model: IPPB’s reach and its operating model are built on enabling Paperless, Cashless and Presence-less banking. This is achieved in a simple and secure manner at the customers’ doorstep through a CBS-integrated smartphone and biometric device.

NITI Aayog Releases Draft Battery Swapping Policy for Stakeholder Comments

Source: This post is based on the article “NITI Aayog Releases Draft Battery Swapping Policy for Stakeholder Comments” published in PIB on 21st April 2022.

What is the News?

Niti Aayog has released the  Draft Battery Swapping Policy.

What is battery swapping?

Battery swapping is a mechanism that involves exchanging discharged batteries for charged ones. 

Battery swapping offers three key advantages relative to charging: It is time, space, and cost-efficient provided each swappable battery is actively used.

What is the purpose of the Draft Battery Swapping Policy?

The policy is targeted at supporting the adoption of battery-swapping primarily for battery swapping systems used in electric scooters and three-wheeler electric rickshaws.

What are the proposals for the Draft Battery Swapping Policy?

Rationalize GST on Batteries: GST Council should consider reducing the differential across the tax rates on Lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicle supply equipment. Currently, the tax rate on the former is 18% and 5% on the latter.

Incentivization for Battery swapping enabled vehicles: The policy proposes to offer the same incentives available to electric vehicles that come pre-equipped with a fixed battery to electric vehicles with swappable batteries. 

Battery Swapping Networks: The policy has proposed that all metropolitan cities with a population of more than 40 lakh will be prioritized for the development of battery swapping networks under the first phase. Other major cities such as state capitals with a population greater than 5 lakh will be covered under the second phase.

Public battery charging stations: The policy requires state governments to ensure public battery charging stations are eligible for EV power connections with concessional tariffs. It also proposes to install battery swapping stations at several locations like retail fuel outlets, public parking areas, malls, kirana shops and general stores etc.

Unique identification number (UIN): The policy proposes to assign a unique identification number(UIN) to swappable batteries at the manufacturing stage to help track and monitor them. 

Setting up of Battery Swapping Stations: Any individual or entity is free to set up a battery swapping station at any location, provided that the specified technical, safety and performance standards are adhered to.

What is the Blue Blob?

Source: This post is based on the article “What is the Blue Blob?” published in The Hindu on 16th February 2022.

What is the News?

According to a study, the Blue blob may have helped temporarily stall the melting of Arctic sea ice. However, the study has also stated that the effects of climate change will catch up to the massive ice chunks if temperatures are not kept in check.

What is Blue Bob?

It is a cold patch located south of Iceland and Greenland and little is known about it.

The cold patch was most prominent during the winter of 2014-2015 when the sea surface temperature was about 1.4 degrees Celsius colder than normal.

How has Blue Bob helped in slowing down the melting of Arctic Sea Ice?

Between 1995 and 2010, the Arctic region was reportedly warming four times faster than the global average and Iceland’s glaciers steadily shrank losing an average of 11 billion tons of ice per year.

However, starting in 2011, the speed of Iceland’s melting slowed resulting in about half as much ice loss annually.

Blue Blob has been linked to this temporary stall in the melting of Arctic sea ice.

Explained: How government procures wheat

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: How government procures wheat” published in Indian Express on 22nd April 2022.

What is the News?

The procurement of wheat is underway in several states.

Why does the Government procure Wheat?

The Government policy of procurement of Food grains such as rice, wheat, and coarse grains has broad objectives of ensuring Minimum Support Price(MSP) to the farmers and availability of food grains to the weaker sections at affordable prices. 

It also ensures effective market intervention thereby keeping the prices under check and also adding to the overall food security of the country. 

How is the procurement of wheat carried out?

The Food Corporation of India(FCI) along with State Government Agencies(SGAs) procures wheat. The FCI’s wheat procurement system can be decentralized (DCP) or centralized (non-DCP).

Under the centralized system, in states like Punjab and Haryana, FCI/state agencies procure wheat from farmers through arhtiyas (commission agents) as per the state APMC Act. In other states, wheat (or paddy) is procured directly from the farmers by FCI or SGAs.

Under the decentralized procurement system, state governments or their agencies procure, store, and distribute — against the Government of India’s allocation for the targeted public distribution system and other welfare schemes(OWS).

What is the price the government pays?

The government buys wheat at the MSP which it declares before the sowing of the crop every year on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP). 

MSPs are currently applicable on 23 farm commodities, including wheat and rice. However, there is no statutory backing for MSPs or any law mandating their implementation. 

India’s first pure green hydrogen plant commissioned in Jorhat

Source: This post is based on the article “India’s first pure green hydrogen plant commissioned in Jorhat” published in PIB on 20th April 2022.

What is the News?

Oil India Limited(OIL) has commissioned India’s First pure Green Hydrogen pilot plant at its Jorhat Pump Station in Assam.

About India’s First pure Green Hydrogen plant

Located at: Jorhat Pump Station in Assam

Process: The plant produces Green Hydrogen from the electricity generated by the existing 500kW Solar plant using a 100 kW Anion Exchange Membrane(AEM) Electrolyser array. The use of AEM technology is being used for the first time in India.

What is Green Hydrogen?

Click Here to read about it

What is the importance of Anion Exchange Membrane(AEM) Technology?

Electrolysis is the process of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, and when powered by renewable energy, it’s shaping up to be a key step in the production of green hydrogen.

Typically, electrolyzers use proton exchange membranes(PEMs) to produce hydrogen. But the problem with this method is that it needs expensive metals like platinum, and ruthenium to remain in an acidic environment.

An alternative to this method is anion exchange membranes(AEMs). This method can operate under alkaline conditions, so they don’t need expensive metals. Hence, the materials involved are thus some 3,000 times less expensive. 

However, AEMs have not found commercial success in hydrogen electrolysis because they don’t perform as well, and they don’t last as long.

Genetically modified mosquitoes for controlling vector-borne diseases? Successful trial gives hope

Source: This post is based on the article “Genetically modified mosquitoes for controlling vector-borne diseases? Successful trial gives hope” published in Down To Earth on 21st April 2022.

What is the News?

Oxitec, the UK-based company, has said that the first open-air study of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes(GMM) in the United States has yielded positive results.

What are Genetically Modified Mosquitoes(GMM)?

These are the mosquitoes whose genome has been altered using recombinant DNA technology. Their genome is altered in a way to favour the few desired physiological traits and the generation of desired biological products.

The desired trait of these GMM is to reduce the transmission of mosquito-borne human diseases.

Why were Genetically Modified Mosquitoes(GMM) developed?

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes spread viruses including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.

Among them, only female mosquitoes bite. They need a blood meal to produce eggs. Male mosquitoes do not bite. They feed on nectar from flowers.

Hence, to reduce the spread of these viruses. GM Mosquitoes have been developed.

How are GM mosquitoes produced and used to control Ae. aegypti mosquitoes?

Scientists produced GM male aegypti mosquitoes eggs in a lab. They programmed these males to carry a gene that they’ll pass to their offspring when they mate in the wild. 

The gene is designed to kill female offspring since only female mosquitoes bite and spread disease. 

The male offspring live on to pass the gene along when they mate. As each generation mates, more females die, and the A. aegypti population in the area should decrease.

What are the concerns regarding this method?

The concerns range from the modified mosquitoes harming people, their impact on mosquito-eating species and other unintended consequences such as the emergence of a deadly virus. 

Expert body needed on Man-Animal Conflict: Panel

Source: This post is based on the article “Expert body needed on Man-Animal Conflict: Panel” published in The Hindu on 22nd April 2022.

What is the News?

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Forests and Climate Change has submitted its report on the proposed Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021. The Bill seeks to amend the Wildlife Protection Act,1972.

What are the suggestions given by the committee?

Standing Committee of the State Board for Wild Life(SBWL) 

The Bill provides for the creation of the Standing Committee of the State Board for WildLife (SBWL) to make the functioning of the SBWL more purposive.

However, experts have raised concerns that such a body would be packed with official members, exercise all powers of the SBWL and take decisions independent of the SBWL itself.

Suggestion: The committee should have at least one-third of the non-official members of the SBWL, at least three institutional members and the Director of the Wildlife Institute of India or his/ her nominee.

On Human-Animal Conflict

The Bill did not address the issue of Human-Animal Conflict(HAC)

However, the committee has recommended the formation of a Human-Animal Conflict(HAC) Advisory Committee to tackle growing instances of human-animal conflict. This committee is to be headed by the Chief Wildlife Warden.

The HAC Advisory committee can make effective site-specific plans/ mitigation strategies including recommendations on changing cropping patterns and taking critical decisions at short notice.

Prunus dinabandhuana: New plant species of ‘Cherry Blossom’ found in Manipur

Source: This post is based on the article “New plant species of ‘Cherry Blossom’ found in Manipur” published in Deccan Herald on 11th April 2022.

What is the News?

Scientists from Manipur have found a new plant species of ‘Cherry Blossom’. They have named the plant species as ‘Prunus dinabandhuana’ as a mark of respect and for the outstanding contributions of scientist Dr Dinabandhu Sahoo.

What is Cherry Blossom?

The Cherry Blossom or ‘Sakura’ is the national flower of Japan. India has become the 28th country in the world to be part of the Sakura plantations.

About Prunus dinabandhuana

It is a new plant species of ‘Cherry Blossom’. It grows up to 25-30 meters in dense mixed evergreen forest and unlike the Japanese Cherry Blossom which blooms during March-April, this new species blooms in November.

Why was this plant species named after Scientist Dr Dinabandhu Sahoo?

Due to Dr Sahoo’s efforts, Cherry Blossom is now available in six of the eight Northeastern States, excluding Assam and Tripura. 

Moreover, in 2016, Dr Sahoo organized India’s first ‘Cherry Blossom Festival’ in Shillong which attracted lakhs of people, and subsequently, it became an international event for the past six years.

Explained: What is Russia’s new nuclear missile Sarmat, capable of striking ‘anywhere in the world’?

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: What is Russia’s new nuclear missile Sarmat, capable of striking ‘anywhere in the world’?” published in Indian Express on 21st April 2022.

What is the News?

Russia has successfully tested its new Inter Continental Ballistic Missile(ICBM) named “Sarmat”.

What is Sarmat?

Sarmat is an Inter Continental Ballistic Missile(ICBM) developed by Russia. The missile has been nicknamed as “Satan II” by the West.

Named After: It is named after nomadic tribes that roamed the steppes of present-day Southern Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan in the early medieval period.

Purpose: It is designed to elude anti-missile defence systems with a short initial boost phase giving enemy surveillance systems a tiny window to track.

Key Features

Range: It is a three-stage, liquid-fueled missile with a range of 18,000 km.

Warheads: It can be deployed with 10 or more warheads on each missile.

It will be the first Russian missile which can carry smaller hypersonic boost-glide vehicles. These are manoeuvrable and hard to intercept. 

Significance of this missile

The missile is expected to pose a significant challenge to the ground-and-satellite-based radar tracking systems of the western powers, particularly the USA.

Explained: What are SPACs for which a regulatory framework may be in the works

Source: This post is based on the article “Explained: What are SPACs for which a regulatory framework may be in the works” published in Indian Express on 21st April 2022.

What is the News?

The Government of India is considering a regulatory framework for Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) to lay the ground for the possible listing of Indian companies through this route in the future.

What are Special Purpose Acquisition Companies(SPACs)?

A SPAC or a Blank-Cheque Company is an entity specifically set up with the objective of acquiring a firm in a particular sector.

How do SPACs work?

A SPAC aims to raise money in an Initial Public Offering(IPO) without any operations or revenues. 

The money that is raised from the public is kept in an escrow account which can be accessed while making the acquisition.

If the acquisition is not made within two years of the IPO, the SPAC is delisted and the money is returned to the investors.

Advantages of SPACs

Firstly, a company can go public through the SPAC route in a matter of months, while the conventional IPO process is an arduous process that can take anywhere from six months to more than a year.

Secondly, SPACs are essentially shell companies. But a key factor that makes them attractive to investors is the people who sponsor them. Globally, prominent names such as tennis star Serena Williams, Dell CEO have participated in SPACs.

Thirdly, the owners of the target company may be able to negotiate a premium price when selling to a SPAC because the latter has a limited time window for making a deal. 

The risk associated with SPACs

An investor in a SPAC IPO is making a leap of faith that its promoters will be successful in acquiring or merging with a suitable target company in the future. 

However, due to a reduced degree of oversight from regulators, coupled with a lack of disclosure from the typical SPAC will mean that retail investors run the risk of being saddled with an investment that could be massively overhyped or occasionally even fraudulent.