500 Most Probable Topics – Part 4

1.Styrene- Vizag Gas Leak

• It is a flammable liquid that is used in the manufacturing of polystyrene plastics, fiberglass, rubber, and latex.
• Styrene is also found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, and in natural foods like fruits and vegetables.
• Short-term exposure to the substance can result in respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes, irritation in the mucous membrane, and gastrointestinal issues. And long-term exposure could drastically affect the central nervous system and lead to other related problems like peripheral neuropathy. It could also lead to cancer and depression in some cases.

2. Arsenic Pollution

• According to the latest report of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), 21 states across the country have pockets with arsenic levels higher than the Bureau of Indian Standards’ (BIS) stipulated permissible limit of 0.01 miligram per litre (mg/l).

• The states along the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river basin — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam — are the worst affected by this human-amplified geogenic occurrence.

• Arsenicosis is a chronic illness resulting from drinking water with high levels of arsenic over a long period of time (such as from 5 to 20 years). It is also known as arsenic poisoning. The recommends a limit of 0.01 mg/l of arsenic in drinking water.

3. Nord Stream

• Nord Stream is a system of offshore natural gas pipelines from Russia to Germany. It includes two lines running from Vyborg to Lubmin near Greifswald forming original Nord Stream, and two lines under construction running from Ust-Luga to Lubmin termed Nord Stream 2.

4. Biochar

• It is charcoal used as a soil amendment for both carbon sequestration and soil health benefits. Biochar is a stable solid, rich in carbon, and can endure in soil for thousands of years.Like most charcoal, biochar is made from biomass via pyrolysis. Biochar is under investigation as a viable approach for carbon sequestration, as it has the potential to help mitigate global warming and climate change.

5. Precision Agriculture

• Precision agriculture (PA), satellite farming or site specific crop management (SSCM) is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops. The goal of precision agriculture research is to define a decision support system (DSS) for whole farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources.
• The practice of precision agriculture has been enabled by the advent of GPS and GNSS. The farmer’s and/or researcher’s ability to locate their precise position in a field allows for the creation of maps of the spatial variability of as many variables as can be measured (e.g. crop yield, terrain features/topography, organic matter content, moisture levels, nitrogen levels, pH, EC, Mg, K, and others).
• Similar data is collected by sensor arrays mounted on GPS-equipped combine harvesters. These arrays consist of real-time sensors that measure everything from chlorophyll levels to plant water status, along with multispectral imagery. This data is used in conjunction with satellite imagery by variable rate technology (VRT) including seeders, sprayers, etc. to optimally distribute resources.

6. Drip Irrigation

• Drip irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system that has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface. The goal is to place water directly into the root zone and minimize evaporation.

• Pulsed irrigation is sometimes used to decrease the amount of water delivered to the plant at any one time, thus reducing runoff or deep percolation. Pulsed systems are typically expensive and require extensive maintenance.

  The advantages of drip irrigation are:

  1. Fertilizer and nutrient loss is minimized due to a localized application and reduced leaching.
  2. Field levelling is not necessary.
  3. Moisture within the root zone can be maintained at field capacity.
  4. Soil type plays a less important role in the frequency of irrigation.
  5. Soil erosion is lessened.
  6. Weed growth is lessened.
  7. Labour cost is less than other irrigation methods.
  8. Fertigation can easily be included with minimal waste of fertilizers.
  9. Foliage remains dry, reducing the risk of disease.
  10. Less energy costs.
• Has been asked in UPSC Prelims earlier.

7.  UNCLOS

• UNCLOS is an acronym for the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea. The convention is also sometimes referred to as the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty.
• UNCLOS, as a law of the sea came into operation and became effective from 16^th November 1982.
• UNCLOS as the currently prevailing law of the sea is binding completely.
•  UN does not have any major functional role in the working of UNCLOS.
• The law of the sea provides for full money rights to nations for a 200-mile zone by their shoreline. The sea and oceanic bed extending this area is regarded to be Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and any country can use these waters for their economic utilisation
• The IMO (International Maritime Organisation) plays a vital role in the operation of UNCLOS. Along with the IMO, organisations like the International Whaling Commission and the International Seabed Authority are vital parties in the functional areas of the nautical law.
• 160 members

8. Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)

• Nodal Agency: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
• The mission proposes to explore the deep ocean similar to the space exploration started by ISRO.
• Underwater robotics and ‘manned’ submersibles are key components of the Mission which will help India harness various living and non-living (water, mineral and energy) resources from the seabed and deep water.
• The tasks that will be undertaken over this period include deep-sea mining, survey, energy exploration and the offshore-based desalination.
• These technological developments are funded under an umbrella scheme of the government – called Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O-SMART).

9. Polymetallic Nodules/Manganese Nodules

• These are small potato-like rounded accretions composed of minerals such as manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper and iron hydroxide.
• They lie scattered on the Indian Ocean floor at depths of about 6,000 m and the size can vary from a few millimetres to centimetres.
• These metals can be extracted and used in electronic devices, smartphones, batteries and even for solar panels.

10. International Seabed Authority

• International Seabed Authority (ISA), international organization established in 1994 to regulate mining and related activities in the international seabed beyond national jurisdiction, an area that includes most of the world’s oceans.

• The ISA came into existence upon the entry into force of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which codified international law regarding territorial waters, sea-lanes, and ocean resources.

• The ISA is headquartered in Kingston, Jam., and has more than 167 state members and European Union.

11. Essential Commodities Act- 1955

• 2020 Amendment- Under the proposed amendments, essentials like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes have been excluded from the Essential Commodities Act.

• Enacted in 1955.

• Used by the Government to regulate the production, supply and distribution of a whole host of commodities it declares ‘essential’ in order to make them available to consumers at fair prices.

• The list of items under the Act include drugs, fertilisers, petroleum and petroleum products.

• The Centre can include new commodities as and when the need arises, and take them off the list once the situation improves.

• Under the Act, the government can also fix the maximum retail price (MRP) of any packaged product that it declares an “essential commodity”.

12. Disaster Management Act

• COVID-19 is the first pan India biological disaster being handled by the legal and constitutional institutions of the country.

• The current lockdown has been imposed under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DM Act).

• Under the Act, the States and district authorities can frame their own rules on the basis of broad guidelines issued by the Ministry.

  • The legal basis of the DM Act, is Entry 23, Concurrent List of the Constitution “Social security and social insurance”.
  • Entry 29, Concurrent List “Prevention of the extension from one State to another of infectious or contagious diseases or pests affecting men, animals or plants,” can also be used for specific law making.
• Central government has included the Covid-19 outbreak as “Notified Disaster” as a “critical medical condition or pandemic situation”.

Features of the Act

• The stated object and purpose of the DM Act is to manage disasters, including preparation of mitigation strategies, capacity-building and more.

• It came into force in India in January 2006.

• The Act provides for “the effective management of disasters and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.”

• The Act calls for the establishment of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), with the Prime Minister of India as chairperson.

• The Act enjoins the Central Government to Constitute a National Executive Committee (NEC) to assist the National Authority.

• All State Governments are mandated to establish a State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

• Powers given to the Centre:

  • Power bestowed by DM Act on Central Government and NDMA are extensive.
  • The Central Government, irrespective of any law in force (including over-riding powers) can issue any directions to any authority anywhere in India to facilitate or assist in the disaster management.
  • Importantly, any such directions issued by Central Government and NDMA must necessarily be followed the Union Ministries, State Governments and State Disaster Management Authorities.
  • In order to achieve all these, the prime minister can exercise all powers of NDMA (S 6(3)). This ensures that there is adequate political and constitutional heft behind the decisions made.

13. Stratospheric Aerosol injection

• It could cool the planet in a similar way to a large volcanic eruption. When a volcano erupts, it sends an ash cloud high into the atmosphere. The sulphur dioxide released in the plume combines with water to form sulfuric acid aerosols, which are able to reflect incoming sunlight.Researchers have proposed that artificially introducing aerosols into the atmosphere – via a plane or a high-altitude balloon – could have a similar cooling effect.
• Its a geoengineering method.

14. Marine cloud brightening

• In theory, this could involve using ships to spray saltwater into the clouds above the sea.Once airborne, the salt particles would act as “cloud condensation nuclei”, meaning they would facilitate the condensation of water vapour into liquid. As more water droplets are created, clouds would appear larger and brighter.These brighter clouds would reflect away more sunlight.

15. Arctic Council

(asked in past Prelims exam)

• India  re-elected as an Observer.
• Established by the 8 Arctic States through the Ottawa  Declaration of 1996— Canada, Denmark , Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
• Intergovernmental forum for discussing issues related to Arctic region such as scientific research, and peaceful and sustainable use of resources in the region.
• Does not prohibit commercial exploitation.

16. Tropical Cyclones

• Tropical Cyclone,Cyclone Amphan

17. Naming of cyclones

• Naming of Cyclones

18. Gig Economy/Gig workers

• A labour market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs.
• It’s also referred to as the “freelancer economy,” “agile workforce,” “sharing economy,” or “independent workforce.”

19. Platform workers

• The companies that connect the worker to the consumer in a direct manner, including app-based technology platforms- workers are called Platform workers– examples-Uber,Ola etc
• According to the Oxford Internet Institute’s ‘Online Labor Index’, India leads the global gig economy with a 24% share of the online labour market, with demand for software developers, creative and marketing professionals.

20. Small Industries Development Bank of India- SIDBI

• Development financial institution in India, headquartered at Lucknow .
• Its purpose is to provide refinance facilities and short term lending to industries, and serves as the principal financial institution in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
• Statutory Body established on 1990.
• SIDBI operates under the Department of Financial Services, Government of India.
• State Bank of India is the largest individual shareholder of SIDBI , followed by Government of India and Life Insurance Corporation of India.

21. One Nation One Ration Card

• Migrant families are not able to access food in other states.
• This scheme will enable a migrant beneficiary to access Public Distribution System from any Fair Price Shop in the country (Intra-State portability introduced in 20 States)
• Part of the PM’s Technology Driven System Reforms
• 67 crore beneficiaries in 23 states covering 83% of PDS population will be covered by national portability by August, 2020
• 100% National portability will be achieved by March, 2021
• All the States/UTs will complete full FPS automation by March, 2021.

22. Irradiation Technology for Food

• Radiation processing of food or food irradiation is a physical process in which food commodities, bulk or pre-packaged are exposed to controlled doses of energy of ionizing radiation such as gamma rays or X-rays to achieve different technological objectives. These technological objectives include extension of shelf-life, destruction of storage and quarantine insect pests, and killing of parasites, pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Radiation processing can thus be used for enhancing food safety, food security and international trade.
• The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued guidelines in December regarding irradiated foods.

Advantages of Food Irradiation :

• It is a physical, non-additive process, causes minimal change in food
• It is highly effective compared to chemicals and fumigants.
• It does not leave harmful residue in food.
• It can be applied to bulk as well as pre-packaged food
• It is a cold process and preserves food in natural form
• It does not destroy heat-labile aroma constituents of food
• The process is safe to workers and friendly to environment.

According to FSSAI, all food products that have undergone irradiation must carry the ‘Radura’ mark along with the tag ‘treated with radiation’ or ‘treated by irradiation.’

23. Shrimp Broodstock

• Broodstock, or broodfish, are a group of mature individuals used in aquaculture for breeding purposes. Broodstock can be a population of animals maintained in captivity as a source of replacement for, or enhancement of, seed and fry numbers.These are generally kept in ponds or tanks in which environmental conditions such as photoperiod, temperature and pH are controlled.
• Shrimp production can substantially contribute to marine product export from the country. 
• About 80 per cent of the shrimp farmers are marginal and small scale farmers .

24. Operation GREENS

• Operation Greens will be extended from Tomatoes, Onion and Potatoes (TOP) to ALL fruits and vegetables (TOTAL).

What is Operation Green?

• It is a price fixation scheme that aims to ensure farmers are given the right price for their produce.
• It aims to promote Farmer Producers Organizations (FPO), Agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management of agri-produce.
• It focuses on organized marketing of Tomatoes, Onions and Potatoes (TOP vegetables) by connecting farmers with consumers.
• State Agriculture and other Marketing Federations, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO), cooperatives, companies, Self-help groups, food processors etc. can avail the financial assistance under it.
• To help in the structural and infrastructure part of the scheme, agriculture market committee (APMCs) promoted markets will be connected to the e-NAM platform.
• The government will also help in development of 22,000 agricultural markets.

25. Seaweed Farming

Seaweed farming or kelp farming is the practice of cultivating and harvesting seaweed. In its simplest form, it consists of the management of naturally found batches. In its most advanced form, it consists of fully controlling the life cycle of the algae.

Uses

1. Edible seaweed, or sea vegetables, are seaweeds that can be eaten and used in the preparation of food. They typically contain high amounts of fiber. They may belong to one of several groups of multicellular algae: the red algae, green algae, and brown algae.
2. Many seaweeds are used to produced derivative chemicals that can be used for various industrial, pharmaceutical or food products. Two major derivitative products are Carrageenan and Agar. 
3. Algae fuel, algal biofuel, or algal oil is an alternative to liquid fossil fuels that uses algae as its source of energy-rich oils. Also, algae fuels are an alternative to commonly known biofuel sources, such as corn and sugarcane.