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THE INDIAN HISTORY

1. THE REMAINS OF CANNON FOUND IN KERALA’S TALIPARAMBA

THE CONTEXT: An ancient cannon was found half submerged in a private property at Taliparamba near the National Highway. The workers, who were clearing the shrub jungle from the property, discovered the cannon, which is believed to be from the time of Tipu Sultan’s invasion of Malabar.

THE EXPLANATION:
• The cannon was found facing the Koppam river, probably installed to prevent invasions through the riverfront. This place is believed to be part of the Sultan’s invasion route, though historically not proven.
• There is also another place, locally referred to as the remains of a Tipu fort. Further studies would be conducted on the discovered cannon to establish its age. The archaeological department is probing the incident for further information.

VALUE ADDITION:
Who was Tipu Sultan?
• He was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore.
• In the wider national narrative, Tipu has so far been seen as a man of imagination and courage, a brilliant military strategist who, in a short reign of 17 years, mounted the most serious challenge the Company faced in India.

Contributions of Tipu Sultan:
1. Fought the first Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69) at the age of 17 and subsequently, against the Marathas and in the Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84).
2. He fought Company forces four times during 1767-99 and was killed defending his capital Srirangapatnam in the Fourth Anglo Mysore War.
3. Tipu reorganised his army along European lines, using new technology, including what is considered the first war rocket.
4. Devised a land revenue system based on detailed surveys and classification, in which the tax was imposed directly on the peasant, and collected through salaried agents in cash, widening the state’s resource base.
5. Modernised agriculture, gave tax breaks for developing wasteland, built irrigation infrastructure and repaired old dams, and promoted agricultural manufacturing and sericulture. Built a navy to support trade.
6. Commissioned a “state commercial corporation” to set up factories.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

2. THE ELECTRICITY (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022

THE CONTEXT: The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 8, 2022. The Bill amends the Electricity Act, 2003. The Act regulates the electricity sector in India. It sets up the Central and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (CERC and SERCs) to regulate inter-state and intra-state matters, respectively.
THE EXPLANATION:
Key provisions under the Bill are:
• Multiple discoms in the same area: The Act provides for multiple distribution licensees (discoms) to operate in the same area of supply. The Act requires discoms to distribute electricity through their own network. The Bill removes this requirement. It adds that a discom must provide non-discriminatory open access to its network to all other discoms operating in the same area, on payment of certain charges. The central government may prescribe the criteria for determining the area of supply.
• Power procurement and tariff: Upon grant of multiple licenses for the same area, the power and associated costs as per the existing power purchase agreements (PPAs) of the existing discoms will be shared between all discoms.
• To meet any additional power requirements, a discom may enter into additional PPAs after meeting the obligations of existing agreements. Such additional power need not be shared with other discoms. Under the Act, in case of multiple discoms in the same area of supply, the SERC is required to specify the maximum ceiling for tariff. The Bill adds that the SERC will also specify a minimum tariff for such cases.
• Cross-subsidy Balancing Fund: The Bill adds that upon grant of multiple licenses for the same area, the state government will set up a Cross-subsidy Balancing Fund. Cross-subsidy refers to the arrangement of one consumer category subsidising the consumption of another consumer category. Any surplus with a distribution licensee on account of cross-subsidy will be deposited into the fund. The fund will be used to finance deficits in cross-subsidy for other discoms in the same area or any other area.
• The Bill specifies that the above matters related to the operation of multiple discoms in the same area will be regulated in accordance with the rules made by the central government under the Act.
• License for distribution in multiple states: As per the Bill, the CERC will grant licenses for distribution of electricity in more than one state.
• Payment security: The Bill provides that electricity will not be scheduled or despatched if adequate payment security is not provided by the discom. The central government may prescribe rules regarding payment security.
• Contract enforcement: The Bill empowers the CERC and SERCs to adjudicate disputes related to the performance of contracts. These refer to contracts related to the sale, purchase, or transmission of electricity. Further, the Commissions will have powers of a Civil Court.
• Renewable purchase obligation: The Act empowers SERCs to specify renewable purchase obligations (RPO) for discoms. RPO refers to the mandate to procure a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources. The Bill adds that RPO should not be below a minimum percentage prescribed by the central government. Failure to meet RPO will be punishable with a penalty between 25 paise and 50 paise per kilowatt of the shortfall.
• Selection committee for SERCs: Under the Act, the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority or the Chairperson of the CERC is one of the members of the selection committee to recommend appointments to the SERCs. Under the Bill, instead of this person, the central government will nominate a member to the selection committee. The nominee should not be below the rank of Additional Secretary to the central government.
• Composition of Commissions and APTEL: The Bill increases the number of members (including the chairperson) in SERCs from three to four. Further, at least one member in both the CERC and SERCs must be from law background. Under the Act, Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) consists of a chairperson and three other members. The Bill instead provides that the APTEL will have three or more members, as may be prescribed by the central government.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

3. EXPLAINED: WHAT IS LANGYA, THE NEW ZOONOTIC VIRUS THAT HAS INFECTED 35 PEOPLE IN CHINA?

THE CONTEXT: Almost three years after the novel coronavirus was detected in China, a new zoonotic virus has been discovered in the country’s two eastern provinces with 35 infections identified so far. This new type of Henipavirus is also being called Langya Henipavirus or the LayV.
THE EXPLANATION:
Henipaviruses are classified as biosafety level 4 (BSL4) pathogens. They can cause severe illness in animals and humans, and as of now there are no licensed drugs or vaccines meant for humans.
What is Langya virus?
• The newly discovered virus is a “phylogenetically distinct Henipavirus”, according to a recent study — A Zoonotic Henipavirus in Febrile Patients in China — published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
• The types of Henipaviruses that had been identified prior to this included Hendra, Nipah, Cedar, Mojiang and the Ghanaian bat virus. According to the US CDC, the Cedar virus, Ghanaian bat virus, and Mojiang virus are not known to cause human disease. But Hendra and Nipah infect humans and can cause fatal illness.
• Langya, meanwhile, is known to cause fever, with the NEJM study calling for a deeper investigation of associated human illness.
• The study adds that Langya’s genome organization is “identical to that of other Henipaviruses”, and that it is closely related to the “Mojiang Henipavirus, which was discovered in southern China”.
How was Langya virus discovered?
• Langya was discovered in eastern China during surveillance testing of patients who had fever along with a recent history of animal exposure. It was identified and isolated from the throat swab sample of one of those patients.
• According to the NEJM study, 35 patients with LayV infection were found in Shandong and Henan provinces, out of which 26 were only infected with this new virus and no other pathogen.
What are the symptoms of Langya virus?
• The study looked at the 26 patients with only LayV infection to identify the associated symptoms. While all 26 had fever, 54% reported fatigue, 50% had cough, 38% complained of nausea. Also, 35% of the total 26, complained of headache and vomiting. The study found that 35% had impaired liver function, while 8% had their kidney function impacted.
• The patients were accompanied by abnormalities of “thrombocytopenia (35%), leukopenia (54%), impaired liver (35%) and kidney (8%) function”, the study noted. Thrombocytopenia is low platelet count, while leukopenia means a fall in the white blood cell count, in turn reducing the body’s disease-fighting capability.
Where has Langya virus come from?
• In all likelihood, the new virus has jumped from an animal to humans. The LayV virus RNA has been predominantly found in shrews, which may be its natural hosts. The study zeroed in on shrews after conducting a serosurvey of domestic and wild animals. Among domestic animals, seropositivity was detected in goats and dogs.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

4. EXPLAINED: WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSIAL ‘BUTTERFLY MINE’ RUSSIA HAS ALLEGEDLY USED IN UKRAINE?

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the UK Ministry of Defence, in its intelligence assessment of the ongoing war in Ukraine, has and sounded an alarm on the possible use of PFM-1 series ‘Butterfly Mines’ by the Russian military in Donetsk and Kramatorsk.
THE EXPLANATION:
What is the intelligence assessment put out by UK ?
• As per an intelligence bulletin put out by UK Ministry of Defence a few days back on the security situation in Ukraine, Russia is likely to have deployed anti-personnel mines to deter freedom of movement along its defensive lines in the Donbas.
• As per the bulletin, these mines have the potential to inflict widespread casualties amongst both the military and the local civilian population.
• In Donetsk and Kramatorsk, Russia has highly likely attempted employment of PFM-1 and PFM-1S scatterable anti-personnel mines. Commonly called the ‘butterfly mine’, the PFM-1 series are deeply controversial, indiscriminate weapons.
• According to sources, the PFM-1s were used to devastating effect in the Soviet-Afghan War where they allegedly maimed high numbers of children who “mistook them for toys”.
It added that it is highly likely that the Soviet-era stock being used by Russia will have degraded over time and is now unreliable and unpredictable. This poses a threat to both the local population and humanitarian mine clearance operations, the bulletin says.
What is the ‘Butterfly Mine’ and why is it called so?
• The PFM-1 and PFM-1S are two kinds of anti-personnel landmines that are commonly referred to as ‘Butterfly mines’ or ‘Green Parrots’. These names are derived from the shape and colour of the mines. The main difference between the PFM-1 and PFM-1S mine is that the latter comes with a self destruction mechanism which gets activated within one to 40 hours.
• The ‘Butterfly mine’ has earned a reputation for being particularly attractive to children because it looks like a coloured toy. It is very sensitive to touch and just the act of picking it up can set it off. Because of the relatively lesser explosive packed in this small mine, it often injures and maims the handler rather than killing them. These mines are also difficult to detect because they are made of plastic and can evade metal detectors.
• These mines can be deployed in the field of action through several means, which include being dropped from helicopters or through ballistic dispersion using artillery and mortar shells. These mines glide to the ground without exploding and later explode on coming in contact. Since these mines were green in colour when they were first put to use they also earned the name ‘Green Parrots’.
How are these mines associated with Soviet Union and Afghanistan?
• By some estimates more than a million ‘Butterfly mines’ litter Afghanistan and were airdropped in valleys and mountain passes to impede the movement of the Afghan Mujahideen. More than 30,000 Afghans are believed to have been victims of these mines and a large number of children were among the casualties.
What are the technical specifications of this mine?
• The PFM series mines are moulded in polythene plastic and have two wings, one of which is heavier than the other. The thicker wing is the pressure activation for the main fuse which is contained in the central body. The thinner wing acts as a stabiliser for the mine when it is air-dropped, thus giving it the name ‘butterfly’. As per data available on the mine, a pressure exceeding 5 kg will activate the mine which contains 40g of explosive.
• The rapid means of deployment of the mine and the fact that it can be indiscriminately scattered to impede the advance of an enemy makes it an attractive option for a field commander, regardless of the danger that these can pose for non-combatants living in the area.
Are these kind of mines allowed by international law?
• The anti personal mines are banned by international convention on land lines but Russia and Ukraine are not signatories to it. However, there is a 1996 Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons-the Landlines Protocol to which Russia and Ukraine are signatories.
In the ongoing conflict, both countries have accused each other of having used these mines, since both posses them in sufficient numbers. Allegations and counter-allegations of the use of these mines have been made in Mariupol, Kharkiv and now Donetsk

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

5. RBI TARGETS UNFAIR METHODS IN DIGITAL LENDING WITH NEW NORMS

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the first set of guidelines for digital lending, to crack down on illegal activities by certain players. This follows the recommendation of a Working Group on Digital Lending that had submitted its report recently.
THE EXPLANATION:
• As per the new norms, all loan disbursals and repayments will be required to be executed only between the bank accounts of the borrower and the Regulated Entities (RE) – such as a bank or a non-banking financial company – without any pass-through or pool account of the Lending Service Providers or any third party.
• Stating that digital lending channels had become prominent recently, the RBI said concerns had also emerged which, “if not mitigated, may erode the confidence of members of the public in the digital lending ecosystem.”
• The concerns relate to ‘unbridled engagement of third parties, mis-selling, breach of data privacy, unfair business conduct, charging of exorbitant interest rates, and unethical recovery practices.
• “A standardised Key Fact Statement must be provided to the borrower before executing the loan contract”. The norms prohibit any automatic increase in credit limit without borrowers’ consent.
• They also allow a cooling-off period in which borrowers can exit loans by paying the principal and the proportionate annual percentage rate (APR) sans penalty.
• According to RBI, the framework is based on the principle that the lending business can be carried out only by entities regulated either by the Reserve Bank or entities permitted to do so under any other law.

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS

6. THE RISE IN HEINOUS CRIMES

According to Delhi Police data 3,140 of heinous crime cases reported in Delhi till July 15 2022, a 13% rise compared to the corresponding period 2021. The number of heinous crime cases in the first six months of 2021 were 2,790. The national capital witnessed 277 cases of murder, an almost 18% rise from the 235 cases in 2021. In the category of non-heinous cases, house theft incidents have increased by 553% from 1,158 in 2021 to 7,561 in 2022.

7. VIRUS PRONE HABITATS

500 In million, the number of people in South Asia living near habitats where bats host SARS-related coronaviruses, according to research published by Nature Communications. About 66,000 people in this region are infected each year with the same. The research focussed on 26 species of bats in a region of 5.1 million square kilometres stretching from China to Southeast and South Asia. The study said that viral transmission from bats to humans may have been “substantially underestimated”.

8. AIDING UKRAINE

5.5 In $ billion, the additional aid the U.S. will send Ukraine, with $4.5 billion in budgetary support and $1 billion in military assistance, to help the country overcome the turmoil of the Russian invasion. The grant will fund urgent government needs including payments for pensions, social welfare and healthcare costs, bringing the total U.S. fiscal aid to $8.5 billion. The funding, coordinated with the U.S. Treasury Department through the World Bank, will reach the Ukraine government in tranches.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

9. DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS IN CHINA: THE DISCOVERY AND ITS IMPORTANCE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the scientists have discovered over 4,300 dinosaur footprints in Hebei province of Zhangjiakou in northern China. This is the largest number of footprint fossils found in one spot in the country, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. The footprints were made between the Jurassic and Cretaceous ages, around 150 million years ago.
THE EXPLANATION:
Dinosaur footprints in China: the discovery and its importance
• The largest number of dinosaur footprint fossils located in northern China, these cover an area of 9,000 square metres.
• According to news reports, the footprints show four different dinosaur species, one of which might be undiscovered.
• The report, published last month in the South China Morning Post, states that the footprints belong to herbivores and carnivores dinosaurs; while the former could reach lengths of nearly 15 metres, the latter was four to five metres.
• Scientists believe the area may have attracted dinosaurs due to the availability of water and trees at the time.
• Though announced last month, the discovery was made in 2020, and since then, scientists have been carrying out 3D imaging of the footprints and casting molds of them.
How did the dinosaur footprints become fossils?
• Preserved footprints, also known as ichnites, are trace fossils that have survived millions of years. These are found in earthen materials that were soft enough to form the foot impression and hard enough to retain it.
• Over time, the material dried, hardened, and was covered with layers of sediment, helping the impression become fossilised. In numerous instances, soil erosion is now bringing them to the surface.
What do dinosaur footprints tell us?
Dinosaur tracks denote the activity of an animal when it was alive.
• In the South China Morning Post report, Michael Pittman, paleontologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says, “Trackway sites tell us about the types of dinosaurs that lived in the original ecosystems, and they can also preserve the tracks of other animals, like lizards and insects. They tell us about the behaviour of the track maker… For example, they tell us how dinosaurs ran and walked, and some seem to record them swimming.”
• Paleontologists also study dinosaur gait and speed from the footprint tracks. For instance, footprints close together indicate the animals were running, while spaced footprints mean they were walking. While it is difficult to identify the exact species of dinosaur that made a track, trackways do help determine if it was made by a bipedal or quadrupedal dinosaur, which moves on two or four legs, respectively.
• In instances where the remains are intact, scientists are also able to examine skin impressions of the animals and details of the claw marks.