Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

India on Wednesday won a United Nations (UN) award for its ‘India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI)’, a large-scale hypertension intervention under the National Health Mission that saw 3.4 million hypertensive people identified and put on treatment at various government health facilities.

What is Hypertension?

• Hypertension was defined as having systolic blood pressure level greater than or equal to 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure level greater than or equal to 90 mmHg or/and taking anti-hypertensive medication to lower his/her blood pressure.

What is the IHCI?

• Recognising that hypertension is a serious, and growing, health issue in India, the Health Ministry, the Indian Council of Medical Research, State Governments, and WHO-India began a five-year initiative to monitor and treat hypertension.
• India has committed to a “25 by 25″ goal, which aims to reduce premature mortality due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025.
• One of the nine voluntary targets includes reducing the prevalence of high blood pressure by 25% by 2025.
• The programme was launched in November 2017.
• Before IHCI, many patients travelled to higher-level facilities such as community health centres (block level) or district hospitals in the public sector for hypertension treatment.
• Over three years, all levels of health staff at the primary health centres and health wellness centres were trained to provide treatment and follow-up services for hypertension.

Winners of the 2022 UN Inter-Agency Task Force and the WHO Special Programme on Primary Health Care Awards

• Eighteen organizations received the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and the WHO Special Programme on Primary Health Care (PHC) awards. 
• Winners were announced on 21 September 2022 during the annual Friends of the Task Force meeting during the UN General Assembly.

Awards were made in three categories: 

1. Ministries of health (or government agency under a ministry of health)
2. Ministries (or government agencies) beyond health 
3. Non-state actors (non-governmental organization, academic institutions and philanthropy).

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

A district court in Varanasi allowed a petition seeking carbon dating of the structure inside the Gyanvapi mosque that the Hindu side has claimed is a ‘Shivling’. 

What is carbon dating?

• Carbon dating is a widely-used method applied to establish the age of organic material, things that were once living. 
• Living things have carbon in them in various forms. 
• The dating method makes use of the fact that a particular isotope of carbon called C-14, with an atomic mass of 14, is radioactive, and decays at a rate that is well known.
• The most abundant isotope of carbon in the atmosphere is carbon-12 or a carbon atom whose atomic mass is 12. 
• A very small amount of carbon-14 is also present. 
• The ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14 in the atmosphere is almost static, and is known.
• This method was developed by the American physicist Willard F. Libby about 1946.
• Carbon-14 is continually formed in nature by the interaction of neutrons with nitrogen-14 in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Plants get their carbon through the process of photosynthesis, while animals get it mainly through food. Because plants and animals get their carbon from the atmosphere, they too acquire carbon-12 and carbon-14 isotopes in roughly the same proportion as is available in the atmosphere.

The half-life concepts:

• Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 ± 40 years—i.e., half the amount of the radioisotope present at any given time will undergo spontaneous disintegration during the succeeding 5,730 years.
• Because carbon-14 decays at this constant rate, an estimate of the date at which an organism died can be made by measuring the amount of its residual radiocarbon.

Its uses:

• It has proved to be a versatile technique of dating fossils and archaeological specimens from 500 to 50,000 years old.
• The method is widely used by geologists, anthropologists, archaeologists, and investigators in related fields.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 1,700-crore deal with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) for acquisition of dual-role capable surface-to-surface BrahMos missiles for deployment on warships of the Indian Navy.

• A combination of the names of Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, BrahMos missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Mashinostroyenia of Russia. 
• The first test launch of the initial version of Brahmos took place in 2001. Various types of the BrahMos, including those which can be fired from land, warships and the Sukhoi-30 fighter jets, have already been developed and successfully tested and inducted since then.

Strategic Significance

• BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine.
• Its first stage brings the missile to supersonic speed and then gets separated. 
• The liquid ramjet or the second stage then takes the missile closer to three times the speed of sound in cruise phase. 
• The missile has a very low radar signature, making it stealthy, and can achieve a variety of trajectories. 
• The ‘fire and forget’ type missile can achieve a cruising altitude of 15 km and a terminal altitude as low as 10m to hit the target. 
• The enhanced range version of the missile has a range of 4,000km, as compared to the original range of 290km.
• Cruise missiles such as BrahMos, called “standoff range weapons”, are fired from a range far enough to allow the attacker to evade defensive counter-fire.
• The BrahMos has three times the speed, 2.5 times flight range and higher range compared to subsonic cruise missiles.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to tackle the issue of plastic pollution and achieve the universal goal of clean water bodies through ‘ Puneet Sagar Abhiyan’ and ‘Tide Turners Plastic Challenge programme’.

Objectives

• To synergise and collate efforts towards engaging youth for promoting clean water bodies.
• To engage in capacity building and awareness on environmental sustainability through information sharing and training initiatives.
• Promote opportunities for NCC cadets to participate in appropriate national and international platforms related to environment and climate change.

‘Puneet Sagar’ Campaign

• Puneet Sagar is a nationwide campaign to free seashores/beaches from plastic & other waste materials and increase awareness about the importance of keeping these clean.
• Aim: To propagate the message of ‘Importance of Clean Seashores/Beaches’ amongst the local population and future generation.
• Under the campaign, cadets will generate awareness about the conservation and impact of plastic pollution along the sea beaches through nukkad nataks, poetry recitation, signature campaigns, pamphlet distribution amongst others.
• It is a nationwide campaign to clean sea shores of plastic and other waste material and to raise awareness about the importance of cleanliness
• It was started initially for one month and was subsequently extended as a pan-India round-the-year campaign
• It covers rivers and other water bodies as well.

National Cadet Corps (NCC)

• The NCC was formed in 1948 on the recommendation of H. N. Kunzru Committee [1946]. NCC is the world’s largest uniformed youth volunteer service organization.
• The NCC cadets undergo basic military training at various levels and as well as academic curriculum basics related to the Armed forces and their functioning.
• Nodal Ministry: The NCC falls under the purview of the Ministry of Defence and is headed by a Director-General of three-star military rank.
• The emblem of the NCC consists of 3 colours; red, dark blue and light blue representing the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force respectively. The 17 lotuses indicate the 17 directories of India.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 

• It is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.
• Objective: To provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
• Major Reports: Emission Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, Frontiers, Invest into Healthy Planet.
• Major Campaigns: Beat Pollution, UN75, World Environment Day, Wild for Life.
• Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), an arm of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) develops a new low-cost financial network called LoRa (Long Range Radio) technology to take banking to remote areas. They are the first in the world to develop this network.

About Long Range Radio (LoRa)

• LoRa technology is a wireless modulation technique in the physical layer, allowing long-range communication using chirp spread spectrum.
• LoRa technology uses dedicated radios, which are not usually present in end-user devices, limiting interferences from other devices.
• LoRa is ideal for applications that transmit small chunks of data with low bit rates.
• It is a new dedicated low cost financial network that can be used privately by banks to send encrypted texts to conduct financial transactions.
• Now, banks can use this technology as their own private network and send encrypted texts to conduct financial transactions.
• Connectivity to remote areas begins from where the last branch of a bank stands in a remote village or hilly region.
• A 30-mile connectivity for bank transactions can be achieved at a cost of ₹30,000 and the same is extendable.

Significance

• The last mile connectivity of the banking system can be expanded with the LoRa financial network. “
• Connectivity to can begin from where the last branch of a bank stands in a remote village or hilly region by using this. 
• A 30 mile connectivity to ensure bank transactions can be achieved with setting up of three nodes with a cost of ₹30,000. 
• The cost of the LoRa financial network is estimated to be 20 per cent cheaper than alternative network technologies with an additional advantage of almost no maintenance and portability of devices. 
• More secure, better safety from cyber attacks
• Easy recoverability and upgradation
• Almost no maintenance & ensures portability of devices.

About IDRBT:

• It is an engineering training institution exclusively focused on banking technology.
• Established by the RBI in 1996, the institution works at the intersection of banking and technology.
• Its foundations were laid by the Rangarajan Committee
• It is located in Hyderabad, India.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

To ensure a fair development-oriented future of Olympic sports in India, the Supreme Court tasked former SC judge LN Rao with amending the Constitution of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), preparing the electoral college as well as conducting elections. 

The Indian Olympic Association 

• It was formed in 1927. 
• It is currently based in the Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi, India.
• Harry Buck and Arthur Noehren were the founders of the IOA. 
• Sir Dorabji Tata was the founding president of the Indian Olympic Association. 
• It is an affiliated member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Commonwealth Games Federation (IGF), Olympic Council of Asia and many more. 
• The Indian Olympic Association is governed by a 32-member Executive council. It acts as a body that selects athletes to represent India for various international events. 
• It is registered as a Non-Profit Organisation under the Societies Registration Act of 1860

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The country’s first ‘Dugong Conservation Reserve’ has been notified in Tamil Nadu. The move was aimed at conserving the endangered species as it would help protect and improve marine fauna.

• In order to protect the Dugong species and its marine habitats, a conservation reserve would be established in the Palk Bay region off the coast of Tamil Nadu.
• It facilitates India to act as the leading nation in the South Asia Sub-region with respect to dugong conservation.

Dugongs

• Also called the sea cow, they are herbivorous mammal. This is the only herbivorous marine mammals and the only member of the family Dugongidae.
• It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees.
• They can grow up to three meters long, weigh about 300 kilograms and live for about 65 to 70 years grazing on seagrass and coming to the surface to breathe.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• Wild (Life) Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• CITES: Appendix I
• They are found in over 30 countries and in India are seen in the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Palk Bay, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• They are mainly found in shallow areas since they survive mainly on seagrass.

Steps Taken for Conservation:

• In February 2020, India hosted the 13th Conference of Parties (CoP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environmental treaty under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• The Government of India has been a signatory to the CMS since 1983.
• India has signed non-legally binding Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008) and Raptors (2016).
• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted a ‘Task Force for Conservation of Dugongs’ to look into issues related to conservation of dugongs and implementation of the ‘UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU’ in India.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Indian banks may continue their fundraising spree in the next few months by issuing Basel III-compliant and infrastructure bonds as they rush to meet rising credit demand and lock in funds at cheaper rates.

Basel Norms

• Basel norms or Basel accords are the international banking regulations issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
• The Basel norms is an effort to coordinate banking regulations across the globe, with the goal of strengthening the international banking system.
• It is the set of the agreement by the Basel committee of Banking Supervision which focuses on the risks to banks and the financial system.
• Objective: To improve the banking sector’s ability to absorb shocks arising from financial and economic stress, to reduce the risk of spill over from the financial sector to the real economy, to raise capital standard and to implement strong international compensation standards aimed at ending practices that lead to excessive risk-taking.

BASEL I

• BCBS introduced the capital measurement system called Basel capital accord in 1988. It was also known as Basel 1.
• It was almost entirely concerned with credit risk.
• It established the capital and risk-weighting structure for banks.
• The required minimum capital was set at 8% of risk-weighted assets (RWA).
• RWA refers to assets with varying risk profiles. For example, an asset backed by collateral would be less risky than a personal loan with no collateral.
• Capital is divided into two categories: Tier 1 capital and Tier 2 capital.

BASEL II

• BCBS published Basel II guidelines in June 2004, which were considered to be refined and reformed versions of the Basel I accord.
• The guidelines were founded on three pillars, as the committee refers to them:

• Capital Adequacy Requirements: Banks should keep a minimum capital adequacy requirement of 8% of risk assets.
• Supervisory Review: According to this, banks were required to develop and implement better risk management techniques for monitoring and managing all three types of risks that a bank faces: credit, market, and operational risks.
• Market Discipline: This necessitates stricter disclosure requirements. Banks must report their CAR, risk exposure, and other information to the central bank on a regular basis.

BASEL III

• The Basel III guidelines were published in 2010.
• These guidelines were put in place in response to the 2008 financial crisis.
• There was a need to further strengthen the system because banks in developed economies were undercapitalized, over-leveraged, and relied more on short-term funding.
• Furthermore, the quantity and quality of capital required under Basel II were deemed insufficient to contain any additional risk.
• The Basel III norms aim to make most banking activities, such as trading books, more capital-intensive.
• The guidelines are intended to promote a more resilient banking system by focusing on four critical banking parameters: capital, leverage, funding, and liquidity.
• It consists of undisclosed reserves, preference shares, and subordinate debt.
• In 1999, India adopted the Basel 1 guidelines.

About Basel III compliant Bonds

• The bonds qualify as tier II capital of the bank, and has a face value of Rs 10 lakh each, bearing a coupon rate of 6.24 per cent per annum payable annually for a tenor of 10 years.
• There is a call option after 5 years and on anniversary thereafter.
• Call option means the issuer of the bonds can call back the bonds before the maturity date by paying back the principal amount to investors.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) cut its forecast for India’s economic growth in 2022-23 to 7%, from 7.5% estimated in April, terming it a “modest downward revision” driven by higher-than-anticipated inflation and monetary tightening.

Asian Development Bank(ADB):

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966.
• ADB is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.It aims to promote social and economic development in Asia.
• It assists its members and partners by providing loans, technical assistance, grants and equity investments to promote social and economic development.
• ADB has 68 members, of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside. 
• Japan and US holds the largest proportion of shares in ADB followed by China, India and Australia. ADB is also an official United Nations Observer.

India and ADB:

• India was a founding member of ADB in 1966 and is now the bank’s fourth-largest shareholder and top borrower. 
• ADB commenced operations in India in 1986 and has since committed 229 sovereign loans totaling $38.9 billion.
• In 2018, ADB committed a record $3.03 billion for 19 sovereign projects to help India develop infrastructure and services in transport, energy among others.

ADB Green and Blue Bonds:

• The Green Bond program enables ADB to support its developing member countries seeking to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to the consequences of climate change, whilst delivering environmentally sustainable growth to help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people.
• The Green Bond portfolio specifically targets projects that promote the transition to low carbon and climate resilient growth as set out in the ADB Green Bond Framework.
• In order to address the growing funding gap required to protect and restore ocean health, global markets need to systematically change. ADB’s Blue bonds encourage that shift by increasing the amount of capital that can be invested in oceans to finance solutions at scale.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Shrinkflation refers to the tampering of a product while maintaining retail price.

What is Shrinkflation?

• Shrink inflation is when a product downsizes its quantity while keeping the price the same. For example, reducing the scoops of ice cream in a container or reducing the number of chips in a packet would count as shrinkflation. 
• In other words, shrinkflation occurs when goods shrink in size but consumers pay the same price. It occurs when manufacturers downsize products to offset higher production costs but keep retail prices same.
• It is a form of hidden inflation.
• Raising the price per given amount is a strategy employed by companies, mainly in the food and beverage industries, to stealthily boost profit margins or maintain them in the face of rising input costs.
• Shrinkflation is also referred to as package downsizing in business and academic research.

Shrinkflation can occur in different ways. 

• It’s not just the weight that will be compromised as it is not uncommon for companies to look for alternative options. 
• If consumers are aware that the quantity is constantly declining, they would switch or change brands. 
• To prevent this, a product can reformulate or remove ingredients while maintaining its price. For example, Cadbury Dairy Milk stopped using foil which it used to prevent chocolate from losing its quality and flavour in order to save expense. 
• Though downsizing products reduces costs for manufacturers, it is an unfair practice toward consumers. 
• It can lead to a loss of trust if companies fail to properly communicate with them. 
• Shrinkflation can lead to customer frustration and deterioration of consumer sentiment towards a producer’s brand.

Various implications

• In the event of shrinkflation, it is more difficult to accurately measure price changes or inflation. 
• Price points become misleading when the basket of goods cannot always be measured by considering the product size. 
• Tackling shrinkflation means tackling inflation. 
• In India especially, inflation is a complex phenomenon caused by several factors, such as demand-pull factors, cost-push factors, and structural factors. 
• Therefore, we need a mix of macroeconomic policies to manage demand and supply, as well as address structural rigidities in the economy.