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  • In news: Ongole Cattle Breed

    Ongole breed of cattle had remained indispensable for all farm operations for centuries in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh in view of their draught power.

    Ongole Cattle

    • Ongole cattle are an indigenous cattle breed that originates from Prakasam District in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
    • The breed derives its name from the place the breed originates from, Ongole.
    • The Ongole breed of cattle Bos Indicus, has a great demand as it is said to possess resistance to both foot and mouth disease and mad cow disease.

    What’s so special about this breed?

    • Cattle breeders use the fighting ability of the bulls to choose the right stock for breeding in terms of purity and strength.
    • Ongole cattle are known for their toughness, rapid growth rate, and natural tolerance to tropical heat and disease resistance.
    • It was perhaps the first Indian breed of cattle to gain worldwide recognition.
    • Ongole milk is rich in A2 (allele of Beta Casein).
    • They fetches a premium price of over ₹150 per litre as it enables consumers build immunity against viral and other diseases.

    Global Prominence

    • Ongole bulls have gone as far as America, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Indonesia, West Indies, Australia, Fiji, Mauritius, Indo-China and Philippines.
    • The Brahmana bull in America is an off-breed of the Ongole.
    • The population of Ongole off-breed in Brazil is said to number several million.
    • The famous Santa Gertrudis breed developed in Texas, USA have Ongole blood.
    • It has gained global prominence, particularly in Brazil which imported barely hundred animals and produced multiple superior breeds like the world famous Zebu.

     

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  • What happens after a Cooperative Bank to shuts down?

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced it had cancelled the banking licence of a Pune-based Rupee Cooperative Bank, and directed the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to liquidate the bank.

    What is a Banking Licence?

    • Financial institutions wishing to carry out banking operations such as accepting deposits or lending have to obtain a licence from India’s central bank.
    • The RBI issues the licence under the Banking Regulation Act of 1949 after carrying out a series of checks about the financial suitability of the applicant institution.
    • Parameters like capital adequacy ratio (CAR) — the ratio of a bank’s available capital to its risk weighted credit exposure — and loan to deposit ratio (LDR) — the ratio of a bank’s total loans to total deposits in the same period — are checked before the licence is granted.
    • The 1949 Act in particular stresses on adequate capital and protection of the public interest before the licence is granted.
    • No company other than one that has been issued a banking licence is allowed to use the word bank in its name while doing business.

    Cancelling the licence of a Bank

    • RBI, which issues the licence, has the power to cancel it as well, in case the bank fails to satisfy laid-down conditions.
    • This could mean an increase in bad debts — and if the RBI feels a bank does not have enough capital to cover its exposure and pay its depositors, its licence can be suspended or cancelled.

    Why did RBI cancel the licence of Rupee Cooperative Bank?

    • The RBI audits banks every year, and can take action if it notes an increase in bad debts or other suspicious activities in their books.
    • In its press release, the RBI gave the reasons for the cancellation of the bank’s licence:
    1. The bank does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.
    2. The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of certain sections of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949;
    3. The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its positions;
    4. The bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full; and
    5. Public interest would be adversely affected if the bank is allowed to carry on its banking business any further.

    Section 22 of the Act deals with “licensing of banking companies”, section 11 is about “requirement as to minimum paid-up capital and reserves”, and section 56 is about the applicability of the Act to cooperative societies, subject to modifications.

    Was cancellation of the licence the only option left for RBI?

    • RBI had issued notice to that Cooperative Bank in 2013, and issued directions under the Banking Regulation Act before cancelling its licence.
    • All banking activities like withdrawal were suspended, the then board of directors was superseded.
    • The banker took a number of steps to revive the bank, including filing of criminal cases against defaulting directors, employees, and seizing of their properties.
    • The RBI extended the licence of the bank every three months as these steps were being taken.
    • The administrator also tried to merge the bank with a financially stable bank. But the bad debts scared away most suitors.

    What will happen to the depositors’ money in Rupee Cooperative Bank?

    • The limiting of withdrawals by RBI had made things difficult for depositors, especially because cooperative banks are preferred by those from the lower income group.
    • The big question before the over 5.5 lakh depositors now is about the fate of their money.
    • The RBI has said that depositors with Rs 5 lakh or less in the bank, would get back all of their money through the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
    • Those who have larger deposits in the bank will not get back their money beyond Rs 5 lakh.
    • In this group are about 4,600 depositors with a total Rs 340 crore in deposits in the bank.
    • These people stand to suffer major losses.

    Back2Basics: Deposit Insurance Programme

    • The bank savings are insured under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) Act providing full coverage to around 98 per cent of bank accounts.
    • Earlier, account holders had to wait for years till the liquidation or restructuring of a distressed lender to get their deposits that are insured against default.
    • Last year, the government raised the insurance amount to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh.
    • Prior to that, the DICGC had revised the deposit insurance cover to Rs 1 lakh on May 1, 1993 — raising it from Rs 30,000, which had been the cover from 1980 onward.

    What are new changes?

    • Earlier, out of the amount deposited in the bank, only Rs 50,000 was guaranteed, which was then raised to Rs 1 lakh.
    • Understanding the concern of the poor, understanding the concern of the middle class, we increased this amount to Rs 5 lakh.
    • If a bank is weak or is even about to go bankrupt, depositors will get their money of up to Rs five lakhs within 90 days.

     

     

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  • What is Langya Virus?

    A new virus, Langya henipavirus, is suspected to have caused infections in 35 people in China’s Shandong and Henan provinces over roughly a two-year period to 2021.

    Langya Virus

    • It’s related to Hendra and Nipah viruses, which cause disease in humans.
    • However, there’s much we don’t know about the new virus – known as LayV for short – including whether it spreads from human to human.

    How sick are people getting?

    • Symptoms reported appeared to be mostly mild – fever, fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, muscle aches, nausea and headache – although we don’t know how long the patients were unwell.
    • A smaller proportion had potentially more serious complications, including pneumonia, and abnormalities in liver and kidney function.
    • However, the severity of these abnormalities, the need for hospitalization, and whether any cases were fatal were not reported.

    Where did this virus come from?

    • The authors also investigated whether domestic or wild animals may have been the source of the virus.
    • Although they found a small number of goats and dogs that may have been infected with the virus in the past, there was more direct evidence a significant proportion of wild shrews were harbouring the virus.
    • This suggests humans may have caught the virus from wild shrews.

    Does this virus actually cause this disease?

    • The researchers used a modern technique known as metagenomic analysis to find this new virus.
    • Researchers sequence all genetic material then discard the “known” sequences (for example, human DNA) to look for “unknown” sequences that might represent a new virus.
    • This raises the question about how scientists can tell whether a particular virus causes the disease.
    • Researchers used “Koch’s Postulates” to determine whether a particular micro-organism causes disease:
    1. it must be found in people with the disease and not in well people
    2. it must be able to be isolated from people with the disease
    3. the isolate from people with the disease must cause the disease if given to a healthy person (or animal)
    4. it must be able to be re-isolated from the healthy person after they become ill.

    What can we learn from related viruses?

    • This new virus appears to be a close cousin of two other viruses that are significant in humans: Nipah virus and Hendra virus.
    • This family of viruses was the inspiration for the fictional MEV-1 virus in the film Contagion.
    • Hendra virus was first reported in Queensland in 1994, when it caused the deaths of 14 horses and the trainer Vic Rail.
    • Nipah virus is more significant globally, with outbreaks frequently reported in Bangladesh.

    What lies ahead?

    • Little is known about this new virus, and the currently reported cases are likely to be the tip of the iceberg.
    • At this stage, there is no indication the virus can spread from human to human.
    • Further work is required to determine how severe the infection can be, how it spreads, and how widespread it might be in China and the region.

     

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  • Electricity (Amendment) Bill

    The government has tabled the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Lok Sabha. This has drawn huge protests across the country, in states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan, and others.

    Electricity (Amendment) Bill

    • This 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.

    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 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Rules of Centre: 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.

    Other key provisions

    • Tariff Ceilings: The Bill makes provision for “mandatory” fixing of minimum as well as maximum tariff ceilings by the “appropriate commission” to avoid predatory pricing by power distribution companies and to protect consumers.
    • Tariff revisions: The amendment has several provisions to ensure graded and timely tariff revisions that will help provide state power utilities enough cash to be able to make timely payments to power producers. This move is aimed at addressing the recurrent problem of default by distribution companies in payment to generation companies.
    • Payment security mechanism: The bill through amendments in Section 166 of the Act also seeks to strengthen payment security mechanisms and give more powers to regulators. It has become necessary to strengthen the regulatory mechanism, adjudicatory mechanism in the Act and to bring administrative reforms through improved corporate governance of distribution licensees.

    Why is it being opposed?

    • Provisions of the Bill are being opposed by a number of opposition-ruled states.
    • It is being termed anti-federal in spirit.
    • Power as a subject comes under the Concurrent List and it was the “the bounden duty or the mandatory obligation” of the Centre to consult the states.

    Criticisms

    • If passed in its current form it will lead to a major loss for government distribution companies, eventually helping to establish the monopoly of a few private companies in the country’s power sector.
    • By bringing in more retailers or distribution licensees, the quality of service or price is not going to be any different.

    How will these amendments help?

    • Power freebie: The Bill comes at a time when there is a debate around freebies being offered by political parties.
    • Discom crisis: Various state power distribution companies (Discoms) have not been able to raise enough resources to make timely payments to power generating companies.
    • Empowering discoms: Empowering the regulator to be able to take calls on tariff revision and ensuring that the government freebies, even on electricity, should be through direct benefit transfer.

     

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  • How to stop illegal mining of minor minerals

    Context

    While laws and monitoring have been made stringent for the mining of major minerals consequent to the unearthing of several related scams across the country, the fact is that rampant and illegal mining of minor minerals continues unabated.

    What are minor minerals?

    •  “Minor minerals” means building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, ordinary sand other than sand used for prescribed purposes, and any other mineral which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be a minor mineral;
    • Regulation exclusively by States: Unlike major minerals, the regulatory and administrative powers to frame rules, prescribe rates of royalty, mineral concessions, enforcement, etc. are entrusted exclusively to the State governments.
    • The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notifications of 1994 and 2006 made environmental clearance compulsory for mining in areas more than or equal to five hectares.
    • The EIA was amended in 2016 which made environmental clearance mandatory for mining in areas less than five hectares, including minor minerals.
    • The amendment also provided for the setting up of a District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (EIAA) and a District Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC).

    The problem of illegal mining of minor minerals

    • The United Nations Environment Programme, in 2019, ranked India and China as the top two countries where illegal sand mining has led to sweeping environmental degradation.
    • No comprehensive assessment: Despite this, there is no comprehensive assessment available to evaluate the scale of sand mining in India.
    • Damage to the environment: Regional studies such as those by the Centre for Science and Environment of the Yamuna riverbed in Uttar Pradesh have observed that increasing demand for soil has severely affected soil formation and the soil holding ability of the land, leading to a loss in marine life, an increase in flood frequency, droughts, and also degradation of water quality.
    • Loss to exchequer: It is not just damage to the environment. Illegal mining causes copious losses to the state exchequer.
    • A State-wide review of the reasons behind non-compliance suggests a malfunction of governance due to weak institutions, a scarcity of state resources to ensure enforcement, poorly drafted regulatory provisions, inadequate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and excessive litigation that dampens state administrative capacity.

    Way forward: Use of technology

    • Use of satellite imagery: Satellite imagery can be used to monitor the volume of extraction and also check the mining process.
    • Recently, the NGT directed some States to use satellite imagery to monitor the volume of sand extraction and transportation from the riverbeds.
    • Drones, IoT and blockchain: Additionally, drones, the internet of things (IoT) and blockchain technology can be leveraged to monitor mechanisms by using Global Positioning System, radar and Radio Frequency (RF) Locator.
    • State governments such as Gujarat and judicial directions such as the High Court of Madras have employed some of these technologies to check illegal sand mining.

    Conclusion

    Protecting minor minerals requires investment in production and consumption measurement and also monitoring and planning tools. To this end, technology has to be used to provide a sustainable solution.

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  • Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) launched into wrong Orbit

    The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said that the satellite onboard its’ maiden Small Satellite Launch Vehicle “are no longer usable” after the SSLV-D1 placed them in an elliptical orbit instead of a circular one.

    What is SSLV?

    • The SSLV is a small-lift launch vehicle being developed by the ISRO with payload capacity to deliver:
    1. 600 kg to Low Earth Orbit (500 km) or
    2. 300 kg to Sun-synchronous Orbit (500 km)
    • It would help launching small satellites, with the capability to support multiple orbital drop-offs.
    • In future a dedicated launch pad in Sriharikota called Small Satellite Launch Complex (SSLC) will be set up.
    • A new spaceport, under development, near Kulasekharapatnam in Tamil Nadu will handle SSLV launches when complete.
    • After entering the operational phase, the vehicle’s production and launch operations will be done by a consortium of Indian firms along with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

    Vehicle details

    (A) Dimensions

    • Height: 34 meters
    • Diameter: 2 meters
    • Mass: 120 tonnes

    (B) Propulsion

    • It will be a four stage launching vehicle.
    • The first three stages will use Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) based solid propellant, with a fourth terminal stage being a Velocity-Trimming Module (VTM).

    SSLV vs. PSLV: A comparison

    • The SSLV was developed with the aim of launching small satellites commercially at drastically reduced price and higher launch rate as compared to Polar SLV (PSLV).
    • The projected high launch rate relies on largely autonomous launch operation and on overall simple logistics.
    • To compare, a PSLV launch involves 600 officials while SSLV launch operations would be managed by a small team of about six people.
    • The launch readiness period of the SSLV is expected to be less than a week instead of months.
    • The SSLV can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg to a low earth orbit while the tried and tested PSLV can launch satellites weighing in the range of 1000 kg.
    • The entire job will be done in a very short time and the cost will be only around Rs 30 crore for SSLV.

    Significance of SSLV

    • SSLV is perfectly suited for launching multiple microsatellites at a time and supports multiple orbital drop-offs.
    • The development and manufacture of the SSLV are expected to create greater synergy between the space sector and private Indian industries – a key aim of the space ministry.

    Back2Basics: Various Orbits of Satellites

    [1] Geostationary orbit (GEO)

    • Satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) circle Earth above the equator from west to east following Earth’s rotation – taking 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds – by travelling at exactly the same rate as Earth.
    • This makes satellites in GEO appear to be ‘stationary’ over a fixed position.
    • In order to perfectly match Earth’s rotation, the speed of GEO satellites should be about 3 km per second at an altitude of 35 786 km.
    • This is much farther from Earth’s surface compared to many satellites.
    • GEO is used by satellites that need to stay constantly above one particular place over Earth, such as telecommunication satellites.
    • Satellites in GEO cover a large range of Earth so as few as three equally-spaced satellites can provide near-global coverage.

    [2] Low Earth orbit (LEO)

    • A low Earth orbit (LEO) is, as the name suggests, an orbit that is relatively close to Earth’s surface.
    • It is normally at an altitude of less than 1000 km but could be as low as 160 km above Earth – which is low compared to other orbits, but still very far above Earth’s surface.
    • Unlike satellites in GEO that must always orbit along Earth’s equator, LEO satellites do not always have to follow a particular path around Earth in the same way – their plane can be tilted.
    • This means there are more available routes for satellites in LEO, which is one of the reasons why LEO is a very commonly used orbit.
    • It is most commonly used for satellite imaging, as being near the surface allows it to take images of higher resolution.
    • Satellites in this orbit travel at a speed of around 7.8 km per second; at this speed, a satellite takes approximately 90 minutes to circle Earth.

    [3] Medium Earth orbit (MEO)

    • Medium Earth orbit comprises a wide range of orbits anywhere between LEO and GEO.
    • It is similar to LEO in that it also does not need to take specific paths around Earth, and it is used by a variety of satellites with many different applications.
    • It is very commonly used by navigation satellites, like the European Galileo system of Europe.
    • It uses a constellation of multiple satellites to provide coverage across large parts of the world all at once.

    [4] Polar Orbit

    • Satellites in polar orbits usually travel past Earth from north to south rather than from west to east, passing roughly over Earth’s poles.
    • Satellites in a polar orbit do not have to pass the North and South Pole precisely; even a deviation within 20 to 30 degrees is still classed as a polar orbit.
    • Polar orbits are a type of low Earth orbit, as they are at low altitudes between 200 to 1000 km.

    [5] Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)

    • SSO is a particular kind of polar orbit. Satellites in SSO, travelling over the polar regions, are synchronous with the Sun.
    • This means they are synchronised to always be in the same ‘fixed’ position relative to the Sun.
    • This means that the satellite always visits the same spot at the same local time.
    • Often, satellites in SSO are synchronised so that they are in constant dawn or dusk – this is because by constantly riding a sunset or sunrise, they will never have the Sun at an angle where the Earth shadows them.
    • A satellite in a Sun-synchronous orbit would usually be at an altitude of between 600 to 800 km. At 800 km, it will be travelling at a speed of approximately 7.5 km per second.

    [6] Transfer orbits and geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)

    • Transfer orbits are a special kind of orbit used to get from one orbit to another.
    • Often, the satellites are instead placed on a transfer orbit: an orbit where, by using relatively little energy from built-in motors, the satellite or spacecraft can move from one orbit to another.
    • This allows a satellite to reach, for example, a high-altitude orbit like GEO without actually needing the launch vehicle.
    • Reaching GEO in this way is an example of one of the most common transfer orbits, called the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).

     

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  • Indian Virtual Herbarium, biggest database of country’s flora, is a global hit

    With details of about one lakh plant specimens, the Indian Virtual Herbarium, the biggest virtual database of flora in the country, is generating a lot of interest and turning out to be an eye-catching endeavour.

    Indian Virtual Herbarium

    • A herbarium specimen is consists of dried plant parts with labelled information on Scientific name and collection data.
    • It has immense use in plant identification, systematics studies and ecological studies.
    • The Botanical Survey of India has more than 30,00,000 herbarium specimens persevered in different herbaria located in different parts of the country.
    • Developed by scientists of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), the herbarium was inaugurated by Union Minister of Environment Forest and Climate Change in Kolkata last month.

    Why in news?

    • Since launch, the portal ivh.bsi.gov.in has had nearly two lakh hits from 55 countries.
    • The portal includes about one lakh images of herbarium specimens.
    • Each record in the digital herbarium includes an image of the preserved plant specimen, scientific name, collection locality, and collection date, collector name, and barcode number.
    • The digital herbarium includes features to extract the data State-wise, and users can search plants of their own States, which will help them identify regional plants and in building regional checklists.

    Significance of the herbaria

    • Scientists say that there are approximately three million plant specimens in the country which are with different herbaria located at zonal centres of the BSI.
    • About 52% of our type specimens are from foreign nations and collected from 82 countries of the world during the British-era.
    • The herbarium is also deeply linked with the botanical history of the country.
    • The portal provides most valuable historical collections of botanists like William Roxburgh, Nathaniel Wallich and Joseph Dalton Hooker, considered the founding fathers of botany in India.
    • The digital herbarium has some of the oldest botanical specimens dating as early as 1696.

     

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  • What is Genome Sequencing?

    Researchers from across the world have made available over 650 complete genome sequences of monkeypox isolates to date in public domain databases including GISAID and GenBank.

    What is Genome Sequencing?

    • Genome sequence is the unique code of genetic material of any organism, and determines the characteristic of any organism.
    • Whole genome sequencing is the process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism’s genome at a single time.
    • The gene composition of novel coronavirus, for instance, is different from that of the influenza virus. Every organism has a unique genome sequence.
    • Laboratories in various countries have been isolating and sharing the genome sequences of the virus on an international platform.

    Why are so many genome sequences being isolated?

    • When viruses multiply, or reproduce, there is a copying mechanism that transfers the gene information to the next generation.
    • However, no copying mechanism is perfect. When the virus multiplies, there will be small changes, which are called mutations.
    • These mutations accumulate over time, and after prolonged periods, are responsible for evolution into new organisms.
    • Within a single reproduction, the changes are extremely minor. More than 95 per cent of the gene structure remains the same.

    How does it help scientists?

    • However, the small changes that occur are crucial to understanding the nature and behaviour of the organism.
    • In this case, for example, the small changes could provide scientists with information about the origin, transmission, and impact of the virus on the patient.
    • It could also hold clues to the differing effects the virus could have on patients with different health parameters.

    Accelerated evolution of Monkeypox

    • The monkeypox virus has a DNA genome of around 2,00,000 base pairs, roughly six times larger than that of SARS-CoV-2.
    • Like other viruses, the monkeypox virus evolves by the accumulation of genetic errors, or mutations, in its genome when it replicates inside a host.
    • Being a DNA virus, the monkeypox virus like other poxviruses was believed to have a small rate of accumulating genetic changes compared to viruses with an RNA genome like SARS-CoV-2, which have a much larger rate of mutations.
    • For poxviruses, this rate is estimated to be as low as a couple of genetic changes every year.
    • A recent study, however, revealed that the observed rate of genetic changes in the virus was higher than expected — average of around 50 genetic changes.

    Key findings

    Ans. APOBEC3 protein

    • The study also suggests that several mutations that have been identified in the new sequences of the monkeypox virus.
    • This may have emerged due to interaction between the virus genome and an important family of proteins coded by the human genome known as the Apolipoprotein B Editing Complex (or APOBEC3).
    • These proteins offer protection against certain viral infections by editing the genome sequence of the virus while it replicates in the cell.
    • Some researchers suggest that many of the genetic mutations in the monkeypox genomes from the current outbreak are relics of the effect of APOBEC3.

    Conclusion

    • Genomic surveillance of pathogens provides interesting insights by following a molecular approach for contact tracing and understanding the transmission of the virus across the world.
    • As cases of monkeypox continue to rise, it is therefore important to strengthen the genomic surveillance for the monkeypox virus.
    • Since data from the present outbreak suggest a sustained human-to-human transmission, continuous genomic surveillance is important to understand the evolution and adaptation of the virus, apart from providing useful data to epidemiologists.
    • With COVID-19 continuing unabated and monkeypox around the corner, the time has never been better, and the need never more acute, to build a sustainable system for genomic surveillance in India.

     

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  • States holding up results of Economic Census: Centre

    The Centre has blamed the States for a prolonged delay in releasing the findings of the Seventh Economic Census, a critical compendium of formal and informal non-farm enterprises operating across the country, in a submission to the Parliament.

    What is National Economic Census?

    • In 1976, GoI launched a planning scheme called Economic Census and Surveys.
    • It is the census of the Indian economy through counting all entrepreneurial units in the country which involved in any economic activities of either agricultural or non-agricultural sector which are engaged in production and/or distribution of goods and/or services not for the sole purpose of own consumption.
    • It provides detailed information on operational and other characteristics such as number of establishments, number of persons employed, source of finance, type of ownership etc.
    • This information used for micro level/ decentralized planning and to assess contribution of various sectors of the economy in the GDP.

    Censuses till date

    • Total Six Economic Censuses (EC) has been conducted till date.
    • In 1977 CSO conducted First economic census in collaboration with the Directorate of Economics & Statistics (DES) in the States/UTs.
    • The Second EC was carried out in 1980 followed by the Third EC in 1990. The fourth edition took place in 1998 while the fifth EC was held in 2005.
    • The Sixth edition of the Economic Census was conducted in 2013.

     

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  • What is Taiwan’s ‘Porcupine Strategy’ to protect itself if China attacks?

    As the long-range, live-fire drills began with China’s Eastern Theatre Command firing several ballistic missiles, Taiwan said that it was “preparing for war without seeking war”. What is Taiwan’s strategy to fight back in case China attempts to occupy it by force?

    What is a Military Doctrine?

    • Military doctrine is the expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements.
    • It is a guide to action, rather than being hard and fast rules. Doctrine provides a common frame of reference across the military.

    Why do need such a doctrine?

    • It helps standardize operations, facilitating readiness by establishing common ways of accomplishing military tasks.
    • It decides what you buy, produce, or prioritize, all of which flows from deciding your best fighting foot.

    What is the ‘Porcupine Doctrine’?

    • This doctrine was proposed in 2008 by US Naval War College research professor William S Murray.
    • It is a strategy of asymmetric warfare focused on fortifying a weak state’s defences to exploit the enemy’s weaknesses rather than taking on its strengths.
    • It is about building defences that would ensure that Taiwan could be attacked and damaged but not defeated, at least without unacceptably high costs and risks.

    How does this work?

    It identifies three defensive layers in the porcupine approach.

    1. The outer layer is about intelligence and reconnaissance to ensure defence forces are fully prepared. Behind this come plans for guerrilla warfare at sea with aerial support from sophisticated aircraft provided by the US.
    2. The innermost layer relies on the geography and demography of the island.
    3. While the outer surveillance layer would work to prevent a surprise attack, the second one would make it difficult for China to land its troops on the island in the face of a guerrilla campaign at sea using “agile, missile-armed small ships, supported by helicopters and missile launchers”.

    Another tactic: Asymmetric systems of defence

    • Asymmetric systems are ones that are small, numerous, smart, stealthy, mobile and hard to be detected and countered and associated with innovative tactics and employments.
    • These asymmetric capabilities will be aimed at striking the operational centre of gravity and key nodes of the enemy.
    • The geographic advantages of the Taiwan Strait shall be tapped to shape favourable conditions to disrupt the operational tempo of the enemy, frustrate its attempts and moves of invasion.
    • Taiwan underlined its shift to an asymmetric approach by adopting the Overall Defence Concept (ODC) in 2018.

    Do you know?

    Indian armed forces follow the Cold Start Doctrine that involves joint operations between India’s three services and integrated battle groups for offensive operations. A key component is the preparation of India’s forces to be able to quickly mobilize and take offensive actions without crossing the enemy’s nuclear-use threshold.

    Need for such a strategy

    • China enjoys overwhelming military superiority over Taiwan.
    • Over the past decade, Beijing has developed far more accurate and precise weapon systems to target Taiwan.
    • China has been more vocal about its intention to “reunite” the island with the mainland, by force or coercion if needed.
    • The PLA has already achieved the capabilities needed to conduct an air and naval blockade, cyberattacks, and missile strikes against Taiwan.
    • PLA leaders now likely assess they have, or will soon have, the initial capability needed to conduct a high-risk invasion of Taiwan (following Russia’s path).

    How easy will it be for China?

    • Missile strikes, cyberattacks, air and naval blockade aside, undertaking a full-scale invasion across the Taiwan Strait, with attendant risks of anti-ship and anti-air attacks, could present challenges for China.
    • The PLA is estimated to have air and naval resources to carry out an initial landing of 25,000 or more troops, which could increase if it deploys civilian ships to meet its military objectives.
    • However, it will have to first select and secure a suitable beachhead from among the handful that is available.
    • Also, with small and agile weapons systems, Taiwan can turn its coastline into a kill zone that would deny China a walkover.
    • Beijing would have to rely on cyberattacks, missile strikes on Taiwan’s air bases and runways, and a blockade to choke it into surrendering.

     

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