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Type: Prelims Only

  • Lithium deposits in Karnataka

    Alongside a move to tap into the global lithium value chain, India has initiated a concerted domestic exploration in Karnataka’s Mandya district.

    Lithium reserves in Karnataka

    • Preliminary surveys by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), an arm of the Department of Atomic Energy has carried out the exploration.
    • AMD is carrying out surface and sub-surface exploration for lithium in potential geological domains of the country.
    • Their research has shown the presence of 1,600 tonnes of lithium resources in the igneous rocks of the Marlagalla-Allapatna region of Karnataka’s Mandya district.

    Must read:

    Global producers of lithium

    • Australia and Chile have swapped positions as the world’s leading lithium-producing country over the past decade. In 2019, the world’s Top 5 lithium producers were:
    1. Australia – 52.9% of global production
    2. Chile – 21.5%
    3. China – 9.7%
    4. Argentina – 8.3%
    5. Zimbabwe – 2.1%
    • The U.S. ranked 7th with 1.2% of the world’s lithium production.

    In 2019, the world’s Top 5 lithium reserves by country were:

    1. Chile – 55.5% of the world’s total

    2. Australia – 18.1%

    3. Argentina – 11.0%

    4. China – 6.5%

    5. U.S. – 4.1%

    Why is the exploration significant?

    • India currently imports all its lithium needs.
    • The find in Mandya is extremely small in quantitative terms, but it marks some initial success in the attempt to domestically mine the silver-white metal by way of hard-rock extraction of the ore.
    • The domestic exploration push comes at a time when India has stepped up its economic offensive against China, a major source of lithium-ion energy storage products being imported into the country.
    • The Marlagalla-Allapatna area is seen as among the most promising geological domains for potential exploration for lithium and other rare metals.

    What lies ahead?

    • India is seen as a late mover in attempts to enter the lithium value chain, coming at a time when EVs are predicted to be a sector ripe for disruption.
    • 2021 is likely to be an inflexion point for battery technology – with several potential improvements to the li-ion technology, and alternatives to this tried-and-tested formulation in advanced stages of commercialization.

    Back2Basic: Li-Ion battery

    • Whittingham developed the first functional lithium-ion battery in 1976, Goodenough brought in a major improvement in 1980, while Yoshino made the first practical-use lithium-ion battery in 1985.
    • Commercially manufactured lithium-ion batteries, based on what Yoshino had developed, made their first appearance in 1991.

    Its’ working

    • Batteries convert chemical energy into electricity.
    • A battery comprises two electrodes, a positive cathode and a negative anode, which is separated by a liquid chemical, called an electrolyte, which is capable of carrying charged particles.
    • The two electrodes are connected through an electrical circuit.
    • When the circuit is on, electrons travel from the negative anode towards the positive cathode, thus generating an electric current, while positively charged ions move through the electrolyte.

  • Magneto-Telluric Survey in the Delhi-NCR Region

    In the backdrop of multiple quakes of low intensity in the Delhi-NCR region, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) is conducting a unique geophysical Magnetotelluric-MT survey to accurately assess potential seismic hazards.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. The Earth’s magnetic field has reversed every few hundred thousand years.
    2. When the Earth was created more than 4000 million years ago, there was 54% oxygen and no carbon dioxide.
    3. When living organisms originated, they modified the early atmosphere of the Earth.

    Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    What is Magneto-Telluric Survey?

    • MT is a geophysical method which uses natural time variation of the earth’s magnetic and electric fields to understand the geological (underground) structure and processes.
    • It is an increasingly popular technique widely used to image the electrical resistivity distribution inside the Earth in various application fields ranging in scale from the shallow crust to the lithosphere.
    • In the MT method, the earth’s natural electromagnetic field is used as a source field.
    • The receivers record the electric and magnetic fields on the surface of the Earth.
    • The variations in amplitude and phase of the received signals can be interpreted in terms of the resistivity structure of the subsurface using the magnetotelluric impedance.

    Where would the MT survey be undertaken?

    • The survey is conducted across three major seismic sources, namely Mahendragarh-Dehradun Fault (MDF), Sohna Fault (SF) and Mathura Fault (MF).
    • It will ascertain the presence of fluids, which generally enhance the possibility of triggering earthquakes.

    Benefits of the survey

    • Its findings will help different user agencies for designing quake-resistant buildings, industrial units and structures such as hospitals and schools.
    • In addition to MT, analysis and interpretation of satellite imageries and geological field investigations for locating the faults are also being carried out.
    • Both these geophysical and geological surveys will help in taking multiple preventive measures in the quake-prone region.

  • Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) 2021

    The two-day Asian Waterbird Census-2020 was recently held in Andhra Pradesh.

    Anyone can participate!

    By using eBird and filling an additional site form, one can take part in this multi-country effort to document the state of our wetlands and waterbirds.  To take part one simply visits a wetland and count the birds he/she see there.

    Asian Waterbird Census

    • The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) takes place every January.
    • The AWC was started in 1987, and many birders were initiated into bird counting and monitoring through this project.
    • This citizen-science event is a part of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC) that supports the conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds worldwide.
    • The data collected each year is shared by Wetlands International with global conservation organisations such as IUCN and Ramsar Convention.

    Why need such census?

    • Waterbirds are one of the key indicators of wetlands health.
    • Wetlands provide feeding, resting, roosting and foraging habitats for these charismatic species.

    AWC in India

    • In India, the AWC is annually coordinated by the Bombay Natural history Society (BNHS) and Wetlands International.
    • BNHS is a non-government Organisation (NGO) founded in the year 1883.
    • It engages itself in the conservation of nature and natural resources and also in the research and conservation of endangered species.
    • Its mission is to conserve nature, primarily biological diversity through action based on research, education and public awareness.

    Back2Basics: Waterbirds

    • The term water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird is used to refer to birds that live on or around water.
    • In some definitions, the term is especially applied to birds in freshwater habitats, though others make no distinction from birds that inhabit marine environments.
    • Also, some water birds are more terrestrial or aquatic than others, and their adaptations will vary depending on their environment.
    • These adaptations include webbed feet, bills, and legs adapted to feed in the water, and the ability to dive from the surface or the air to catch prey in water.

  • Know the scientist: Dmitri Mendeleev

    Mendeleev was a Russian chemist and inventor who formulated the Periodic Law and the Periodic Table of Elements.

    Chemistry can, no wonder, find their place in exam if core Biology could do in 2020 CSP.

    Q.Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the general difference between plant cells and animal cells?

    1. Plant cells have cellulose cell walls whilst animal cells do not.
    2. Plant cells do not have plasma membrane unlike animals cells which do
    3. Mature plant cell has one large vacuole whilst animal cell has many small vacuoles

    Select the correct answer using the given code below-

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Dmitri Mendeleev

    • Mendeleev was born in the Siberian town of Tobolsk.
    • In 1861, Mendeleev published a textbook named Organic Chemistry, which won him the Demidov Prize of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences.
    • While explaining the chemical and physical properties of elements, he discovered similarities in the progression of atomic weights.
    • He found that the order of atomic weights could be used to arrange the elements within each group and the groups themselves.
    • Thus, Mendeleev formulated the periodic law. His Osnovy khimii (The Principles of Chemistry) became a classic, running through many editions and many translations.

    The Periodic Law

    • Using the Periodic Law, Mendeleev developed a systematic table of all the 63 elements then known.
    • He even predicted the locations of unknown elements together with their properties within the periodic table.
    • When these predicted elements, notably gallium ( 1875), scandium (1879), and germanium (1886) were discovered, Mendeleev Periodic Table began to gain wide acceptance.
    • Incidentally, in 1870, German chemist Julius Lothar Meyer also published a paper describing the same organisation of elements as Mendeleev’s. But the latter is given credit for the table.
    • In all, Mendeleev predicted 10 new elements, of which all but two turned out to exist. Element 101 is named Mendelevium in his honour.

    Also read:

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/mendeleev-and-his-periodic-table-of-elements/

  • Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

    Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have agreed on to resume negotiations to resolve their decade-long complex dispute over the Grand Renaissance Dam hydropower project in the Horn of Africa.

    Note: You never know when UPSC might switch map based questions away from the Middle East and SE Asia.

    Considering this news, the UPSC may ask a prelim question based on the countries swept by River Nile/ various dams constructed/ landlocked countries in the African continent etc.

    Also read

    [Burning Issue] Ethiopian Crisis and the Geopolitics

    Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

    • Spearheaded by Ethiopia, the 145-meter-tall (475-foot-tall) Grand Renaissance Dam hydropower project, when completed, will be Africa’s largest.
    • Its construction was initiated in 2011 on the Blue Nile tributary of the river that runs across one part of Ethiopia.
    • The Nile is a necessary water source in the region and Egypt has consistently objected to the dam’s construction, saying it will impact water flow.
    • The long-standing dispute has been a cause of concern for international observers who fear that it may increase conflict between the two nations and spill out into other countries in the Horn of Africa.

    What is the dispute about?

    • The Nile, Africa’s longest river, has been at the centre of a decade-long complex dispute involving several countries that are dependent on the river’s waters.
    • At the forefront of this dispute are Ethiopia and Egypt, with Sudan having found itself dragged into the issue.
    • The main waterways of the Nile run through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt, and its drainage basin runs through several countries in East Africa, including Ethiopia.

    Concerns over the dam

    • Given the dam’s location on the Blue Nile tributary, it would potentially allow Ethiopia to gain control of the flow of the river’s waters.
    • Egypt lies further downstream and is concerned that Ethiopia’s control over the water could result in lower water levels within its own borders.
    • In addition, Egypt proposed a longer timeline for the project over concerns that the water level of the Nile could dramatically drop as the reservoir fills with water in the initial stages.
    • Sudan’s location between Egypt up north and Ethiopia down south has caused it to become an inadvertent party to this dispute.
    • But that isn’t all; Sudan to is concerned that if Ethiopia were to gain control over the river, it would affect the water levels Sudan receives.

    Why does Ethiopia want this dam?

    • Ethiopia’s goal is to secure electricity for its population and to sustain and develop its growing manufacturing industry.
    • Addis Ababa anticipates that this dam will generate approximately 6,000 megawatts of electricity when it is completed, that can be distributed for the needs of its population and industries.
    • In addition to its domestic requirements, Ethiopia may sell surplus electricity to neighbouring nations like Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea and South Sudan, that also suffer from electricity shortages, to generate some revenue.

    What lies ahead?

    • Despite previous talks, the point of contention hasn’t changed: Egypt and Sudan are concerned about the filling and the operation of the dam.
    • Ethiopia continues to insist that the dam is required to meet the needs of its population and has said that downstream water supplies will not be adversely affected.
    • Cairo insists that the dam would cut its water supplies — concerning for a country that depends on the Nile for approximately 97% of its drinking water and irrigation supplies.
    • Sudan believes that the dam will reduce flooding, but is concerned about the path forward if the negotiations end at a stalemate.

  • FSSAI slashes limit for Trans Fats level in food

    The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has capped the amount of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 from the current permissible limit of 5%.

    New FSSAI norms

    • FSSAI has acted in response to the amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations.
    • The country’s food regulatory body notified the amendment on December 29, more than a year after it issued a draft on the subject for consultation with stakeholders.
    • The revised regulation applies to edible refined oils, vanaspati (partially hydrogenated oils), margarine, bakery shortenings, and other mediums of cooking such as vegetable fat spreads and mixed fat spreads.
    • It was in 2011 that India first passed a regulation that set a TFA limit of 10% in oils and fats, which was further reduced to 5% in 2015.

    What are Trans Fats?

    • Artificial Trans fats are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.
    • Since they are easy to use, inexpensive to produce and last a long time, and give foods a desirable taste and texture, they are still widely used despite their harmful effects being well-known.

    Why such a regulation?

    • Trans fats are associated with increased risk of heart attacks and death from coronary heart disease.
    • As per the WHO, approximately 5.4 lakh deaths take place each year globally because of intake of industrially-produced trans-fatty acids.
    • The WHO has also called for global elimination of trans fats by 2023.

  • RBI comes up with Digital Payments Index

    The RBI has constructed a composite Digital Payments Index (DPI) with March 2018 as the base period to capture the extent of digitization of payments across the country.

    Note various indicators of the DPI.

    Digital Payments Index

    • RBI-DPI will be published on the central bank’s website on a semi-annual basis from March 2021 onwards with a lag of four months.
    • It comprises five broad parameters that enable the measurement of deepening and penetration of digital payments in the country over different time periods.
    • The parameters are:
    1. Payment enablers (weight 25 percent)
    2. Payment infrastructure–demand-side factors (10 percent)
    3. Payment infrastructure – supply-side factors (15 percent)
    4. Payment performance (45 percent) and
    5. Consumer centricity (5 percent)
    • Each of these parameters has sub-parameters which, in turn, consist of various measurable indicators, RBI said.

    Why need such an Index?

    • Digital payments in India have been growing rapidly.
    • The DPI reflects accurately the penetration and deepening of various digital payment modes.

  • What is Interconnection Usage Charge (IUC) in Telecom?

    The termination charge for wireless to wireless domestic calls has been zeroed from January 1 onwards. Until now operators paid Interconnection Usage Charges (IUC) of 6 paise per minute on mobile calls.

    We are heading for 5G and yet we were indulged in 2G era spat. Sounds strange, but finally IUC got away….

    Interconnection Usage Charge (IUC)

    • IUC is the cost that a mobile operator pays to another operator for carrying through/ terminating a call.
    • If a customer of Mobile Operator A calls a customer of Mobile Operator B and the call is completed, then A pays an IUC charge to B for carrying/facilitating the call.
    • Essentially, it is the originating network compensating the receiving network for the cost of carrying the call. In India, IUC is set by the TRAI.

    When was it introduced?

    • IUC was introduced at a time when some operators had a larger network footprint compared to new players.
    • In such a scenario, the larger operators had to be compensated for the investments it had to enable call completion. However, over the years this gap between operators has reduced.
    • All the remaining operators have identical network footprint when it comes to voice calls.
    • TRAI’s original deadline to phase out IUC was January 1, 2020.

    What does it mean to Consumers?

    • For mobile users, this means that all voice calls will be free from now on.
    • While almost all operators had already started offering unlimited calls as part of their bundled pack, some were charging the 6 paise from consumers for paying IUC charges.
    • From January 1, operators will stop collecting the charges.
    • But other than that there will not be any significant gain for users. Tariff packs available in the market already offer data with unlimited voice calls.

    What does the end of the IUC regime imply?

    • For the operators, the end of the IUC regime will lead to easier operations.
    • Many legal battles have been fought in the past over disputes related to IUC charges.
    • Now, the operators can keep whatever money they collect from consumers without having to keep a tab on where the call is terminating.
    • The change in the billing system will not have any significant impact on operators’ revenue.

  • What is Operation Meghdoot?

    Colonel Narinder ‘Bull’ Kumar (Retd.), instrumental in the Army launching Operation Meghdoot and securing the dominating heights of Siachen Glacier in 1984 has passed away at 87.

    Operation Meghdoot

    • Operation Meghdoot was the codename for the Indian Armed Forces’ operation to seize control of the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir, precipitating the Siachen conflict.
    • The Siachen then had become a bone of contention following a vague demarcation of territories in the Karachi Agreement of July 1949.
    • Executed in the morning of 13 April 1984, this military operation, launched on the highest battlefield in the world, was the first offensive of its kind.
    • The operation preempted Pakistan’s impending Operation Ababeel and was a success, resulting in Indian forces gaining control of the Siachen Glacier in its entirety.
    • Currently, the Indian Army remains the first and only army in the world to have taken tanks and other heavy ordnance up to such an altitude (well over 5,000 m or 16,000 ft).

    Bull Kumar’s contributions

    • Kumar, a legendary mountaineer who had spotted Pakistani activities around the Siachen glacier in 1984 that helped India secure it subsequently.
    • He was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in 1965.
    • He was decorated with Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Kirti Chakra, and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM).
    • The battalion headquarters on the glacier located close to an altitude of 16,000 feet is named “Kumar post” in his honor.

  • ‘Digital Ocean’: the Digital Platform for Ocean Data Management

    The Ministry of Earth Sciences has inaugurated the web-based application “Digital Ocean” developed by INCOIS.

    Digital Ocean

    • Digital Ocean is a first of its kind digital platform for Ocean Data Management.
    • The platform will be promoted as a platform for capacity building on Ocean Data Management for all Indian Ocean Rim countries.
    • It would help share ocean knowledge about the ocean with a wide range of users including research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, the academic community, and the maritime industry and policymakers.
    • It also provides free access to information to the general public and the common man.
    • It will play a central role in the sustainable management of our oceans and expanding ‘Blue Economy’ initiatives.

    Its’ features

    • It includes a set of applications developed to organize and present heterogeneous oceanographic data by adopting rapid advancements in geospatial technology.
    • It facilitates:
    1. Online interactive web-based environment for data integration,
    2. 3D and 4D (3D in space with time animation) data visualization,
    3. Data analysis to assess the evolution of oceanographic features,
    4. Data fusion and multi-format download of disparate data from multiple sources viz., in-situ, remote sensing, and model data, all of which is rendered on a georeferenced 3D Ocean.