1. CYCLONE AND ITS IMPACT ON MONSOON

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: A cyclonic storm, named Biparjoy, has developed in the Arabian Sea. The cyclone is predicted to gain its strength and develop into a very severe cyclonic storm by June 13. Biparjoy’ was suggested by Bangladesh and the word means ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in Bengali. The naming of cyclones is done by countries on a rotational basis, following certain existing guidelines. The impact of global warming on the monsoon are manifest in the onset, withdrawal, its seasonal total rainfall, and its extremes. Global warming also affects the cyclones over the Indian Ocean and the typhoons over the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

EXPLANATION:

• According to an Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone would affect along the coastline of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.

How did Cyclone Biparjoy get its name and how are cyclones named?

• The naming of cyclones is done by countries on a rotational basis, following certain existing guidelines.
• There are six regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) mandated for issuing advisories and naming of tropical cyclones.
• IMD is one of the six RSMCs to provide tropical cyclone and storm surge advisories to 13 member countries under the WMO/Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (ESCAP) Panel including Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
• RSMC, New Delhi is also mandated to name the Tropical Cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean (NIO), including the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and the Arabian Sea (AS).
• The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones in 2000 agreed in principle to assign names to the tropical cyclones in these seas.
• After deliberations, the naming began in September 2004. This list contained names proposed by then eight member countries of WMO/ESCAP PTC, viz., Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It was expanded to include five more countries in 2018 — Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen
• The list of 169 cyclone names released by IMD in 2020 was provided by these countries — 13 suggestions from each of the 13 countries.

Some rules are to be followed while naming cyclones, such as:

*The proposed name should be neutral to (a) politics and political figures (b) religious believes, (c) cultures and (d) gender

*Name should be chosen in such a way that it does not hurt the sentiments of any group of population over the globe

*It should not be very rude and cruel in nature

*It should be short, easy to pronounce and should not be offensive to any member

*The maximum length of the name will be eight letters

Is it not rare for cyclones to develop in the Arabian sea?

• There are fewer number of cyclones in the Arabian Sea than the Bay of Bengal, but it is not uncommon. In fact, June is one of the favourable months for the formation of cyclones in the Arabian Sea.
• A cyclone is a low-pressure system that forms over warm waters. Usually, a high temperature anywhere means the existence of low-pressure air, and a low temperature means high-pressure wind. In fact, that is one of the main reasons why we see greater number of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal compared to Arabian Sea.
• Bay of Bengal is slightly warmer. Because of climate change, the Arabian Sea side is also getting warmer, and as a result, the number of cyclones in the Arabian Sea is showing an increasing trend in the recent trend.

Cyclone formation:

• As air warms over hotter regions, it ascends, leading to low pressure at the surface it is covering. When air cools in colder areas it descends, leading to high pressure at the surface.
• In a depression or low-pressure situation, the air is rising and blows in an anticlockwise direction around the low in the northern hemisphere and in a clockwise direction in the southern hemisphere. This is because of the Coriolis effect, a result of the earth’s rotation on its axis.
• As warm air rises and cools, water vapour condenses to form clouds and this can lead to rains.
• Weather systems formed over the Bay of Bengal in the peak of summer in May are among the strongest in the North Indian Ocean region.
• Warm seas present ripe conditions for the development and strengthening of cyclones and fuel these systems over the water.

How does a cyclone affect the monsoon’s onset?

• The impact of global warming on the monsoons are manifest in the onset, withdrawal, its seasonal total rainfall, and its extremes. Global warming also affects the cyclones over the Indian Ocean and the typhoons over the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
• There is cyclone formations in the pre-monsoon cyclone season, closer to the monsoon onset, arguably due to the influence of a warmer Arctic Ocean on winds over the Arabian Sea.
• The monsoon is also affected by the three tropical oceans – Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific; the ‘atmospheric bridge’ from the Arctic; and the oceanic tunnel as well as the atmospheric bridge from the Southern Ocean (a.k.a. the Antarctic Ocean)
• A ‘bridge’ refers to two faraway regions interacting in the atmosphere while a ‘tunnel’ refers to two remote oceanic regions connecting within the ocean.

Mawar, Biparjoy, and Guchol

• Cyclone Biparjoy is not interacting much with the monsoon trough at this time. However, its late birth as well as the late onset of the monsoon are both closely related to typhoons in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
• On May 19, Typhoon Mawar was born and dissipated away by June 3. Mawar qualified as a ‘super typhoon’ and is thus far the strongest typhoon to have taken shape in May. It is also the strongest cyclone of 2023 so far.
• Tropical storm Guchol is now active just to the east of the Philippines and is likely to continue northwest before veering off to the northeast. These powerful typhoons are thirsty beasts and demand moisture from far and wide.

2. MOON MISSIONS

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Space is the newest frontier where the United States of America and China are competing. While China has set 2030 as its deadline to land on the moon, US’ Artemis mission is set to put its crew on the moon in 2025.

EXPLANATION:

• China sent its first civilian into space through the Shenzhou 16 spacecraft. The three-member crew will complete a five-month mission at the space station.
• With the successful landing of a second manned crew aboard its space station, the Chinese Manned Space Agency aims to land astronauts on the moon before 2030.
• On the other hand, the US plans to send a manned crew to the moon by 2025 under the Artemis programme.

Artemis programme?

• Succeeding the Apollo missions which sent seven manned crews to the moon and back between 1969 and 1972, the Artemis programme aims to land on the moon, set up a long-term base and then send the first astronauts to Mars.
• Led by the US, the programme is a joint venture of several countries, including Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, South Korea, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Mexico, Israel, Romania, Bahrain, Singapore, Colombia, France, Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Czech Republic, and Spain. These countries are signatories of an open treaty called the ‘Artemis accords’ which aims to put humans back on the moon.

Artemis-I

• For Artemis I, NASA built a super heavy-lift launch vehicle called the ‘Space Launch System’ (SLS) to carry its spacecraft , astronauts, and cargo directly to the moon on a single mission.
• NASA also built a human spacecraft named ‘Orion’ for deep-space missions to travel to the moon and Mars. It can also carry a human crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain astronauts during their missions and provide safe re-entry from deep space. Orion spacecraft returned to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on after completing its 1.4-million-mile journey from Earth to the moon and back.

Artemis-II

• Under Artemis-II, NASA plans to launch a crew of four astronauts onboard the SLS, perform multiple manoeuvres on an expanding orbit around the Earth on the Orion, do a lunar flyby and return back to Earth. The ten-day mission is slated for 2024.

Artemis-III

• Artemis-III will mark the return of humans to the moon in 2025. Similar to Artemis-I and II, the crew onboard the Orion will be launched to the moon. After the ICPS pushes the Orion towards the lunar orbit, the Orion will perform two engine burns to set itself on a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) in the moon’s gravitational orbit. The NHRO will help to establish a landing site on the moon.
• NASA has selected SpaceX to provide the lunar lander which will transport the crew from Orion to the surface of the moon and back again.

Artemis IV and onwards

• In Artemis IV, NASA aims to land a second crew on the moon in 2028 and establish a Lunar Gateway station whose components will be launched prior to the Artemis IV mission to the NHRO. The aim is to set up a permanent base on the lunar surface and then proceed to send astronauts to Mars from the moon.

China’s Moon mission

Chang’ e 1 to 5

• Dubbed as the Chang’e mission, the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program has already launched two lunar orbiters (Chang’ e 1 & 2) and two lunar rovers (Chang’e 3 & 4) one on the unexplored south pole of the far side of the moon.
• The Chinese launched Chang’e 5 in, 2020, onboard its Long March 5 rocket. The spacecraft entered the lunar orbit, and its descender slowly soft-landed in the Mons Rumker region of Oceanus Procellarum on the south pole of the moon

Chang’ e 6,7 & 8

• China aims to continue its research of the moon’s south pole, sending two missions Chang’e 6 and Chang’e 7 — in 2024 and 2026 to bring back samples. Chang’ e 7 comprises an orbiter, a relay satellite, a lander, and a mini-flying probe and will explore the lunar south pole for resources. It will also aim to detect water ice in the permanently shadowed area.
• China further plans to build a permanent science base on the moon. Towards this end, Chang’ e 8 will carry a lander, a rover, and a flying detector along with a 3D-printing module to test the construction of a lunar base.

International Lunar Research Station

• Constructing a lunar base is a joint venture between China and Russia. The two nation’s space agencies China National Space Administration and Russia’s State Space Corporation (Roscosmos) issued a joint statement that they will collaborate in the construction of an International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) for the peaceful exploration and use of the Moon.
• The station will be equipped with energy supplies, communications and navigation, space shuffling, lunar research and ground support services and a command centre. Apart from Russia, Pakistan, Argentina and international organizations including the Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization have agreed to participate in the project, while at least ten other countries are considering it. 

3. MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE (MSP)

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister on approved raising minimum support prices (MSP) of kharif crops for the 2023-24 marketing season. Centre has set the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy sown in the kharif or monsoon season at ₹2,183 per quintal, a hike of ₹143 per quintal in comparison to last year. The 2023-24 MSPs for 17 kharif crops and variants were approved at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister.

EXPLANATION:

• Food Minister told after the CCEA meeting that farmers will benefit from the increase in the MSP at a time when the retail inflation is declining.
• In agriculture, MSP is being fixed from time to time based on the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). The increase in MSP of the kharif crops for this year is highest compared to the previous years.

Minimum Support Price (MSP) :

• Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.
• The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• MSP is price fixed by Government of India to protect the producer – farmers – against excessive fall in price during bumper production years. The minimum support prices are a guarantee price for their produce from the Government.
• In formulating the recommendations in respect of the level of minimum support prices and other non-price measures, the Commission takes into account, apart from a comprehensive view of the entire structure of the economy of a particular commodity or group of commodities, the following factors:-

1. Cost of production
2. Changes in input prices
3. Input-output price parity
4. Trends in market prices
5. Demand and supply
6. Inter-crop price parity
7. Effect on industrial cost structure
8. Effect on cost of living
9. Effect on general price level
10. International price situation
11. Parity between prices paid and prices received by the farmers.
12. Effect on issue prices and implications for subsidy

• Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.
• The mandated crops are 14 crops of the kharif season, 6 rabi crops and two other commercial crops. In addition, the MSPs of toria and de-husked coconut are fixed on the basis of the MSPs of rapeseed/mustard and copra, respectively.
• The list of crops are as follows.

1. Cereals (7) – paddy, wheat, barley, jowar, bajra, maize and ragi
2. Pulses (5) – gram, arhar/tur, moong, urad and lentil
3. Oilseeds (8) – groundnut, rapeseed/mustard, toria, soyabean, sunflower seed, sesamum, safflower seed and nigerseed
4. Raw cotton
5. Raw jute
6. Copra
7. De-husked coconut
8. Sugarcane (Fair and remunerative price)
9. Virginia flu cured (VFC) tobacco

4. VADNAGAR

TAG: GS-1: ART AND CULTURE

THE CONTEXT: In December2022, northern Gujarat’s Vadnagar city and the Sun Temple of Modhera, both part of the Mehsana district, made it to the Tentative list of the UNESCO World heritage sites. There are new plans for PM’s school in his hometown Vadnagar lets have a look on archeological significance of the city.

EXPLANATION:

• The Ministry of Culture has now announced the redevelopment of a primary school here attended by Prime Minister in Vadnagar. Children from across the country will spend a week at the Prerna school to learn “how to live a very evolved life”, as part of a joint initiative by the central and state governments.
• Vadnagar has been known by names like Anartapura, Anandapur, Chamatkarpur and so on, during different periods of its history, and has often been compared to Varanasi in terms of both claiming to be “living cities”.

Archaeological excavations at Vadnagar:

• Vadnagar was first excavated in 1953, mainly to understand its “ceramic sequence” which revealed a flourishing conch shell trade industry, with bangles and other wares also found here.
• Five periods of continuous settlement have been identified at the site from its formative period. An unbroken sequence of seven successive cultures going back to 750 BCE was found and divided into seven periods: pre-rampart phase (in 2nd century BCE), Rampart phase (2nd century BCE – 1st century CE), Kshatrapa phase (1st – 4th century CE), post-Kshatrapa phase (5th – 9th/10th century CE), Solanki phase (10th – 13th century CE), Sultanate-Mughal phase (14th – 17th century CE) and Gaekwad phase (17th/18th – 19th century CE.
• Most of the excavations found – like the fortification, a Buddhist monastery, votive stupas, house-complexes, lanes/streets and industrial hearth – are from pre-2nd century BCE to the Gaekwad period (18th – 19th century CE).

Vadnagar as a ‘living city’:

• These structures showcase the architectural influence of various cultural periods. Extensive water management system in and around the town also played a role in its continuity.
• The town represents a continuously evolving historic urban landscape/area which played a major role in the hinterland trade network of Western India. The continuity of the historic town proves its resilience and outstanding universal value unlike the sites like Harappa and Kalibangan, (Rajasthan) which were abandoned eventually states the description of Vadnagar in UNESCO’s Tentative List.
• Vadnagar was an important centre of Sammitya Buddhists, a sect which Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang also supported.
• It was located at the intersection of two major trade routes – Central India to Sindh and northwest, and Gujarat to Rajasthan and north India, Vadnagar was also known as one of the important land ports (Sthal Pattan) of Gujarat.
• A mound here rises gently and the highest point in the middle of the settlement is 25 metres high, called Darbargadh. Such types of a mound on which Vadnagar is built are not available in other parts of India.
• Human habitation existed here from mid-8th century BCE till date, as per ASI findings. “These findings uncovered a unique aspect of the town: an uninterrupted extensive human habitation and cross-cultural evolution that sustained itself and continues till date. Such a long period of human habitation is exceptional in the Indian scenario with very few sites claiming similar uninterrupted continuity.

Evidence of Buddhism

• Hieun Tsang or Xuanzang visited Vadnagar around 641 CE and called it o-nan-to-pu-lo (Anandpur) who recorded that ‘there are more than 1000 monks of the Sammitiya School or Little Vehicle in 10 monasteries’. He also records Vadnagar as a capital city which has no king.
• The first evidence of Vadnagar’s Buddhist association is in the form of a red sandstone image of a Bodhisattva or a deity-like revered figure in Buddhism. An inscription on the pedestal of the image records that it was brought for the Chaitya of Sammatiya. The image is an example of Mathura art and seems to have been brought from there.
• Abul Fazl’s Ain-e-Akbari from the 16th century makes a note of Vadnagar or Barnagar, as a “large and ancient city containing 3,000 pagodas, near each of which is a tank” and “chiefly inhabited by Brahmans.”
• The ASI, in its submission to the UNESCO, claims a “Roman connection” in the finding of an intaglio in clay – a coin mould of Greco-Indian king Apollodotus II (80-65 BC) – and a sealing with impression of a Roman coin belonging to Valentinian-I (364-367 CE). Careful analysis and study of non-indigenous pottery such as torpedo jars and Glazed ware establish the site’s contacts with the Sassanid region and West Asia.

The current town

• Vadnagar is an L-shaped town spread across 85 hectares, with the Sharmishtha Lake located on its north eastern edge.
• It is surrounded by the remains of a fortification wall, punctured by a series of gates that mark the entry and exit points of the town. There are primary entry and exit points to the town in all cardinal directions, along with gateways that are elaborate single storey stone structures.
• While most gates are mediaeval, the Ghanskol and Pithori gates are of the 11th- 12th century CE. Other prominent gates are Nadiol Gate, Amtol Gate, Amarthol Gate and Arjun Bari Gate (protected by the ASI).
• The Ambaji Mata Temple dates back to 10th-11th century CE, while other important Hindu and Jain temples within the town are from the 17th century onwards.
• While the Hatkeshwar temple is located outside Nadiol gate, the two identical glory gates outside the fortification wall to the north of the town are the Kirti Torans, built in yellow sandstone without mortar or any other cementing material.

5. BONN MEETING: TAKING STOCK OF CLIMATE ACTION

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The climate meeting in Bonn has seen old demands raised and old faultlines come up. In different ways, countries have been taking measures to respond to climate change since at least the mid-1990s, though it is only in the last decade or so that these actions have become significant enough for any meaningful impact. But the global response has never kept pace with the worsening of the climate crisis, whose seriousness has increased rapidly in the last few years.

EXPLANATION:

• Negotiators from around the world meeting in the German city of Bonn to discuss ways to strengthen their collective response to climate change. This meeting in Bonn, at the headquarters of the UN Climate Change, happens every year. The work done and decisions taken here feed into the year- ending annual climate change conferences.
• One of the most important tasks to be accomplished at this year’s Bonn meeting is what is known as Global Stocktake, or GST, a term that is expected to come up frequently in climate change conversations this year.

Global Stocktake or GST:

• Mandated by the 2015 Paris Agreement, GST is an exercise aimed at assessing the progress being made in the fight against climate change, and deciding ways and means to enhance the global effort to bridge the adequacy gap.
• This stocktake exercise is expected to result in a significant increase in the global response to climate change, not just in terms of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, but also in terms of adaptation, provision for finance and availability of technology.
• The current stocktake it has been going on for more than a year now and is supposed to conclude this year is the first such exercise and is mandated by the Paris Agreement to happen every five years hereafter.

Highlights of the meeting:

• There is a wealth of scientific evidence that shows that the current set of actions being taken by the world is woefully inadequate to limit the global temperature rise within 1.5 degree Celsius from pre-industrial times.
• The most notable of these is the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published over the last four years.
• The world needs to cut its emissions by almost half by 2030 from the 2019 levels if it has to retain any realistic chances of achieving the 1.5 degree target. At current levels of climate action, the world is headed to a nearly 3 degree Celsius warmer world by 2100.
• The United States said bridging the gap was not the sole responsibility of the developed countries, and it would not accept any attempt to include such suggestions in the GST decisions, either explicitly or through references to phrases such as “closing of pre-2020 gaps”.

• Climate actions in the pre-2020 period were directed by the Kyoto Protocol, the predecessor to the Paris Agreement. A set of about 40 developed countries, including the United States, had specifically allocated emissions reduction targets, besides other obligations, to be met by 2020.
• India reacted strongly to the US suggestion and said it would not accept any “prescriptive messages” from GST on what the content of a country’s climate action plan, called Nationally Determined Contributions. India said it retained its “sovereign right” to determine its climate targets in pursuit of its national goals. It also said that it did not accept the suggestions that NDCs must necessarily be economy-wide, covering all sectors or all greenhouse gases (like methane). It aligned itself with other developing countries in reiterating the demand for the closing of pre-2020 gaps.
• The most forceful argument on pre-2020 gaps came from China, which said it was disappointed to see that the repeated demands of 134 developing countries had not been captured adequately in GST discussions so far. It said the pre-2020 gaps were an integral part of the global efforts towards fulfilling the Paris Agreement targets, and pointed out that there was now irrefutable scientific evidence to show that a bulk of the carbon dioxide emissions from 1850 to 2018 had been generated before 1990.
• Several other points of discussion under GST as finance, adaptation, technology transfer are also heavily contested. Negotiators are expected to finish the technical discussions on GST in Bonn.
• Its findings would be presented at the annual year-ending climate conference, this time happening in Dubai. The Dubai meeting will, hopefully, take the final decisions on the GST.

1. OpenAI’s Sam Altman meets Modi, discusses global regulation of AI READ MORE
2. Privacy: UNESCO to develop ethical framework on neurotech devices READ MORE
3. Get rid of envy, count your blessings READ MORE

1. Cyclone’s effect on monsoon onset READ MORE
2. Why melting glaciers are causing both drought and floods in the Himalayas READ MORE
3. Climate action plan and Indian cities READ MORE

1. An unfinished task of social justice politics READ MORE
2. Prioritise education to become globally competitive READ MORE
3. Advancing sustainable health with ‘Shree Ann’ READ MORE

1. Centre’s ordinance over Delhi government services is anti-Constitution READ MORE
2. Sedition law report: A regressive step by Law Commission READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. RBI holds rates, vows to keep price stability READ MORE  
2. EV two-wheeler firms send SOS to FM, flag rising financial stress READ MORE
3. RBI lets banks issue RuPay prepaid forex cards to help widen usage READ MORE
4. DRDO successfully tests ballistic missile ‘Agni Prime’ READ MORE
5. ‘Chandrayaan-3 to be launched in mid-July’ READ MORE
6. What was the requirement for limits on UPI transactions? READ MORE
7. What is the ‘onset’ of the monsoon, and why the delayed onset is not necessarily bad news READ MORE
8. Cyclone Biparjoy to intensify in next 36 hours: IMD READ MORE
9. Blue carbon: could a solution to the climate challenge be buried in the depths of fiords? READ MORE
10. How G20 can build a future-ready vision for digital health READ MORE

 Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Cyclone’s effect on monsoon onset READ MORE
2. Why melting glaciers are causing both drought and floods in the Himalayas READ MORE
3. An unfinished task of social justice politics READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Centre’s ordinance over Delhi government services is anti-Constitution READ MORE
2. Sedition law report: A regressive step by Law Commission READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Prioritise education to become globally competitive READ MORE
2. Advancing sustainable health with ‘Shree Ann’ READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The US-China thaw READ MORE
2. Amid Chinese challenge, India-US ties on the upswing READ MORE
3. The India factor in the Indo-Pacific READ MORE
4. Question ahead of Modi’s US visit—Will India abandon multipolarity, become a camp follower? READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Do production-linked incentives for manufacturing work? READ MORE
2. Inflation is down – but RBI remains vigilant READ MORE
3. A soft landing on the horizon? READ MORE
4. Why RBI chose not to pivot to growth READ MORE
5. MSP hike: Don’t spare those who give farmers a raw deal READ MORE
6. RBI chooses status quo to balance inflation and growth READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate action plan and Indian cities READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Is India missing the graphene bus? READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Preventing landslips: NHAI initiates action on Parwanoo-Solan stretch READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Busting drug cartels: Combating crime on darknet a challenge READ MORE
2. The grammar of Naxal violence READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. OpenAI’s Sam Altman meets Modi, discusses global regulation of AI READ MORE
2. Privacy: UNESCO to develop ethical framework on neurotech devices READ MORE
3. Get rid of envy, count your blessings READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Democratic values are enshrined by the functioning of constitutional and legal institutions. Comment.
2. ‘An accurate estimate of India’s disabled population would help strengthen their case in Parliament and local elected bodies such as Panchayats’. Discuss the statement in light of the government’s decision to drop disability-related questions from the National Family Health Survey-6.
3. Decentralising power and empowering local governments can enhance accountability and promote citizen participation in matters of national importance. Justify the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Power is no blessing in itself, except when it is used to protect the innocent.
• The commission’s report on the sedition law is neither unbiased nor does it protect human rights.
• The Law Commission’s report is neither well researched nor balanced. On the contrary, it is partisan and can have a devastating impact on India’s very idea of human rights.
• To imply that the sedition law is a concession for not invoking more draconian laws like the UAPA does not sound good. Ideally, the law panel should have been more concerned about the rampant misuse of all oppressive laws.
• Granted legislative competence, it is not sufficient to declare merely that the decision of the Court shall not bind for that is tantamount to reversing the decision in exercise of judicial power which the legislature does not possess or exercise.
• Power through an ordinance is unthinkable in a democracy.
• The legislative power of the President under Article 123 of the Constitution has been invoked to take away the routine powers of the local government to transfer and post officials working under it.
• Since climate change will impact cities worldwide, ULBs will play a crucial role in addressing the climate-related challenges.
• The RBI is unwilling to raise the repo rate to meet the ideal. It seems that while the RBI remains concerned about inflation, it does not want to sacrifice growth at the altar of the inflation mandate.
• Consumers need to be educated about the nutritional and ecological benefits of millet and encouraged to incorporate them into their diet.
• Merely hiking the MSP is not good enough; the challenge is to ensure that every farmer gets a fair price. The agencies or traders who shortchange the toiling cultivators must be taken to task.

50-WORD TALK

• Canada’s condemnation of a tableau celebrating the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi means little as long as its government doesn’t act against violent Sikh extremism. Abetted by ethnic vote-bank politics, Sikh extremists have incited hate with impunity. Canada is letting its strategic ties with India become hostage to terror.
• Granted legislative competence, it is not sufficient to declare merely that the decision of the Court shall not bind for that is tantamount to reversing the decision in exercise of judicial power which the legislature does not possess or exercise. A court’s decision must always bind, unless the conditions in which it is based are so fundamentally altered that the decision could not have been given in the altered circumstances.
• A declaration that an order made by a Court of Law is void is normally a part of the judicial function. Legislature cannot declare that a decision given by the Court is not binding or is of no effect. It can change the basis on which a decision is given by the Court, but it cannot review and set at naught such a decision.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

[WpProQuiz 483]

THE CONTEXT: Recently, tremors have been felt in Meghalaya and in the region around Joshimath and Chamoli in Uttarakhand. These events got further intensified in the aftermath of a series of earthquakes in Turkey recently. In this context, the Delhi High Court while hearing a petition, recently asked the state government to file a status report and action plan on the structural safety of buildings in Delhi. The following article intends to explain the catastrophe of Earthquake and analyse India’s vulnerability and preparedness for the same.

UNDERSTANDING THE GENESIS OF EARTHQUAKES

• Earthquakes are the result of sudden movement along faults within the Earth. The movement releases stored-up ‘elastic strain’ energy in the form of seismic waves, which propagate through the Earth and cause the ground surface to shake. Such movement on the faults is generally a response to long-term deformation and the buildup of stress.
• Seismic waves from large earthquakes pass throughout the Earth. These waves contain vital information about the internal structure of the Earth. As seismic waves pass through the Earth, they are refracted, or bent, like rays of light bend when they pass through a glass prism. Because the speed of the seismic waves depends on density, we can use the travel time of seismic waves to map change in density with depth and show that the Earth is composed of several layers.
• The Earth’s outermost layer is fragmented into about 15 major slabs called tectonic plates. These slabs form the lithosphere, which is comprised of the crust (continental and oceanic) and the upper part of the mantle. Tectonic plates move very slowly relative to each other, typically a few centimeters per year, but this still causes a huge amount of deformation at the plate boundaries, which in turn results in earthquakes.

OUTBREAK OF AN EARTHQUAKE

• Observations show that most earthquakes are associated with tectonic plate boundaries, and the theory of plate tectonics can be used to provide a simplified explanation of the global distribution of earthquakes, while some of the characteristics of earthquakes can be explained by using a simple elastic rebound theory.
• What drives the movement of tectonic plates?

Below the tectonic plates lies the Earth’s asthenosphere. The asthenosphere behaves like a fluid over a very long-time scale. There are a number of competing theories that attempt to explain what drives the movement of tectonic plates.

• Mantle convection currents: warm mantle currents drive and carry plates of lithosphere along a like a conveyor belt.
• Ridge push (buoyant upwelling mantle at mid-ocean ridges): newly formed plates at oceanic ridges are warm, so they have a higher elevation at the oceanic ridge than the colder, more dense plate material further away; gravity causes the higher plate at the ridge to push away the lithosphere that lies further from the ridge.
• Slab pull: older, colder plates sink at subduction zones because, as they cool, they become denser than the underlying mantle and the cooler, sinking plate pulls the rest of the warmer plate along behind it.

INDIA’S VULNERABILITY TOWARDS EARTHQUAKES

India is prone to earthquakes due to its geographical location and tectonic activity. India is situated on the Indian Plate, which is moving northward and colliding with the Eurasian Plate. The interaction between these two plates causes frequent earthquakes in the region. Here are some major earthquake-prone zones in India:

• Himalayan Region: The Himalayan region is one of the most seismically active zones in India. The collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates causes frequent earthquakes in this region. The Himalayan region comprises several states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Northeastern Region: The northeastern region of India is also seismically active due to its location on the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian plates. The region comprises states such as Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Meghalaya.
• Central India: Central India is also prone to earthquakes, although it experiences fewer earthquakes compared to the Himalayan and northeastern regions. The region includes states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra.
• Western India: The western region of India is also seismically active, primarily due to its proximity to the Arabian Sea. The region includes states such as Gujarat and Rajasthan.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also prone to earthquakes due to their location on the boundary of the Indian and Burmese plates.

INDIA’S PREPAREDNESS FOR EARTHQUAKES

Nearly 58 per cent of the Indian landmass is vulnerable to earthquakes and the concerns that have been raised by the court need a policy response. The Indian government has taken several steps to tackle earthquakes in India. The government’s primary focus has been on earthquake preparedness, which includes building codes and guidelines, disaster management plans, and public awareness campaigns. Here are some of the steps taken by the government for tackling earthquakes in India:

• Building Codes and Guidelines: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has developed codes and guidelines for earthquake-resistant construction in India. These codes and guidelines provide a framework for safe and earthquake-resistant building design and construction.
• Disaster Management Plans: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has developed disaster management plans to tackle earthquakes in India. The plans include measures for early warning systems, search and rescue operations, medical aid, and relief and rehabilitation efforts.
• Public Awareness Campaigns: The government has launched several public awareness campaigns to educate people about earthquake safety and preparedness. The campaigns include disseminating information on earthquake-resistant construction, emergency preparedness, and evacuation procedures.
• Seismic Monitoring: The government has established a network of seismic monitoring stations across the country to monitor seismic activity and provide early warning systems. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) operates these monitoring stations.
• Research and Development: The government has invested in research and development to improve earthquake-resistant construction techniques and materials. The Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) are some of the institutions working on earthquake-related research and development.
• International Collaboration: The Indian government has collaborated with international organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to improve earthquake preparedness and response in the country.

Despite the efforts made by the Indian government to tackle earthquakes, there are several challenges that hinder effective earthquake management and response in the country.

CHALLENGES IN INDIA’S EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS

Currently, India’s policy on earthquake preparedness operates primarily at the scale of structural details. Guided by the National Building Codes, this includes specifying dimensions of the structural members, columns, beams, etc. and details of the reinforcements that join these elements together.

• National Building Code ignores the buildings that were constructed before such codes were published in 1962. Such buildings form a large part of our cities.
• Further, it assumes infallibility in the processes of enforcement relying only on penalization and illegalities.
• It treats earthquakes as a problem of individual buildings as if they exist and behave in complete isolation from their urban context.

OTHER INHERENT CHALLENGES FOR TACKLING EARTHQUAKES IN INDIA

• Population Density: India is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and this poses a significant challenge for earthquake management. The high population density makes it difficult to evacuate people in the event of an earthquake, and it also puts a strain on relief and rehabilitation efforts.
• Informal Construction: A significant percentage of buildings in India are constructed informally, without following proper building codes and guidelines. These buildings are often vulnerable to earthquakes and can cause significant damage and casualties.
• Limited Resources: India is a developing country, and it often lacks the resources and infrastructure required for effective earthquake management. This includes inadequate funding for research and development, limited equipment and resources for search and rescue operations, and insufficient medical facilities for emergency treatment.
• Geological Diversity: India has a diverse geological makeup, which makes it challenging to predict earthquake activity accurately. Different regions in the country have different seismic histories, and this requires tailored earthquake management strategies.
• Lack of Awareness: Despite the public awareness campaigns by the government, many people in India are still unaware of earthquake safety and preparedness measures. This lack of awareness can lead to confusion and panic during an earthquake, making it challenging to implement effective response strategies.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has developed guidelines for earthquakes in India. These guidelines provide a framework for earthquake management and response, including measures for early warning systems, search and rescue operations, medical aid, and relief and rehabilitation efforts. Here are some of the key NDMA guidelines for earthquakes in India:

• Early Warning Systems: The NDMA recommends the development of early warning systems to provide advance notice of earthquakes. These systems can help authorities to initiate response measures and reduce the impact of earthquakes.
• Building Codes and Guidelines: The NDMA recommends the implementation of building codes and guidelines developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for earthquake-resistant construction. The guidelines provide a framework for safe and earthquake-resistant building design and construction.
• Search and Rescue Operations: The NDMA recommends the establishment of a trained search and rescue team to carry out rescue operations in the event of an earthquake. The team should be equipped with appropriate equipment, including search cameras, rescue tools, and communication devices.
• Medical Aid: The NDMA recommends the establishment of medical facilities to provide emergency treatment to earthquake victims. These facilities should be equipped with essential medical equipment and supplies and should be staffed by trained medical personnel.
• Relief and Rehabilitation: The NDMA recommends the establishment of relief camps to provide shelter, food, and other essentials to earthquake victims. The camps should be located in safe areas and should be adequately equipped to meet the needs of the victims.
• Public Awareness: The NDMA recommends the implementation of public awareness campaigns to educate people about earthquake safety and preparedness. The campaigns should include disseminating information on earthquake-resistant construction, emergency preparedness, and evacuation procedures.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has developed codes and guidelines for earthquake-resistant construction to mitigate the effects of earthquakes and reduce the risk of casualties and property damage. Here are some preparatory steps and rules for earthquake preparedness in building construction in India:

• Site Selection: The first step in earthquake-resistant construction is selecting a site with low seismic activity. The Geological Survey of India provides maps that highlight seismic zones and help identify areas with high seismic activity.
• Foundation: The foundation is the most critical part of a building, and it should be designed to withstand the forces generated during an earthquake. The foundation should be dug deep enough to reach the hard strata and be wide enough to distribute the load evenly.
• Building Materials: The use of good quality building materials is essential for earthquake-resistant construction. The materials should be able to withstand the forces generated during an earthquake. Bricks, concrete blocks, and reinforced concrete are commonly used building materials for earthquake-resistant construction.
• Building Design: The building design should be such that it can resist the forces generated during an earthquake. The design should incorporate earthquake-resistant features such as cross-bracing, shear walls, and ductile detailing.
• Building Height: The height of a building is a crucial factor in earthquake-resistant construction. The taller a building, the greater the forces it will experience during an earthquake. As a result, high-rise buildings need to be designed with more earthquake-resistant features.
• Non-structural Components: Non-structural components such as glass facades, partition walls, and false ceilings are vulnerable to damage during earthquakes. These components should be designed to withstand the forces generated during an earthquake.
• Regular Maintenance: Regular maintenance of the building is essential for earthquake-resistant construction. Cracks, fissures, and other signs of damage should be addressed promptly.

In addition to these steps, there are specific building codes and guidelines for earthquake-resistant construction in India. The Indian Standard Code of Practice for Design Loads for Buildings and Structures (IS 1893) provides guidelines for earthquake-resistant design and construction of buildings.

BOTTOMLINE:

Policy makers need to understand that buildings exist in clusters and in the event of an earthquake, behave as a system. They collapse on nearby buildings and on the abutting streets damaging buildings that might have otherwise survived and blocking evacuation routes. Earthquake preparedness, therefore, needs to act at the scale of building details as well as that of cities. Moreover, we must think about it in the realm of policy and not just legal enforcement.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Retrofitting Buildings to Seismic Codes:
  • Aim: To create a system of tax-based or development rights-based incentives for retrofitting one’s building up to seismic codes.
  • Such a system of incentives will enable the growth of an industry around retrofitting and will generate a body of well-trained professionals and competent organisations.
• Better enforcement of seismic codes:
  • Ensuring better enforcement of seismic codes through step such as the National Retrofitting Programme launched in 2014.
  • Under the programme, the Reserve Bank of India directed banks to deny loans for any building activity that does not meet the standards of earthquake-resistant design.
• Care contemplation of construction projects:
  • For example, experts from different organisations including the Geological Survey of India, IIT Roorkee, are studying the cause of the sinking, and many geologists have blamed NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydroelectric power project for the current disaster.
• Strict policy formulation:
  • After the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, the Gujarat government immediately adapted new town planning schemes that widened roads and created routes for evacuation and relief work.
  • Turkish government, in denial of its own responsibility, has arrested contractors for building unsafe buildings.
• Programmes like the ongoing Urban 20 meetings are an excellent opportunity for international knowledge exchange on earthquake preparedness. Further, India should use its G20 presidentship to arouse global attention towards this issue so as to generate collective response measures.

CASE STUDIES

JAPAN

• It has invested heavily in technological measures to mitigate the damage from the frequent earthquakes that it experiences.
• Skyscrapers are built with counterweights and other high-tech provisions to minimise the impact of tremors.
• Small houses are built on flexible foundations and public infrastructure is integrated with automated triggers that cut power, gas, and water lines during earthquakes.
• This has been a result of cultivating an industry around earthquake mitigation and fostering expertise.

SAN FRANCISCO

• It was devastated by an earthquake in April 1906.
• San Francisco implemented policy changes similar to Japan’s.
• The next major earthquake hit in 1989, the city recorded just 63 casualties compared to more than 3,000 deaths in 1906.

THE CONCLUSION: Addressing the issue of earthquakes in India requires a sustained effort from the government, private sector, and civil society. Strengthening building codes and guidelines, establishing early warning systems, developing search and rescue capabilities, establishing medical aid and relief and rehabilitation facilities, and public awareness campaigns are some of the key steps that can be taken to improve earthquake management and response in the country.