2-Minute Ser ie s

A compilation of foundational topics prerequisite for Civil Services

For the 3rd Week

of

July 2021

( 1 9 t h J u l y t o 2 4 t h J u l y )

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Table of Contents

1. Geography 1 ............................................................................................................................

1.1.Kisan Sarthi Plateform 1 ....................................................................................................................

2. History & Culture 3 .............................................................................................................

2.1.Vedanta School ofIndian Philosophy 3 ..........................................................................................

3. Polity & Governance 4 .......................................................................................................

3.1.All about Section 66 A of the IT Act 4 ............................................................................................

4. Environment 6 ......................................................................................................................

4.1.China's Carbon Market 6 ...................................................................................................................

5. International Relations 8 ..................................................................................................

5.1.New Afghan Peace Process 8 ............................................................................................................

6. Science & Technology 9 .....................................................................................................

6.1.NB Driver (neighbourhood driver) 9...............................................................................................

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1. Geography 1.1.Kisan Sarthi Plateform

• Context

✓Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) celebrated its 93rd foundation day and on the

occasion, the Kisan Sarthi platform was launched.

Identify The Keywords

• Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)

• Kisan Sarthi platform

Kisan Sarthi

• ‘Kisan Sarathi’, a digital platform to facilitate farmers to get ‘right information at right time’ in their

desired language.

• It will empower farmers with the technological interventions to reach farmers in remote areas.

• This app will enable farmers to interact and get personalized advisories on agriculture and related

fields directly from scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).

• The app will also allow officials to keep a tab on daily activities such as live calls, farmer registration,

messages, and others.

Identify The Keywords

• Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)

Krishi Vigyan Kendra

• The first KVK was established in 1974 at Puducherry.

• KVK, is an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS), aims at assessment of

location specific technology modules in agriculture and allied enterprises, through technology

assessment, refinement and demonstrations.

✓On-farm testing to assess the location specificity of agricultural technologies under various

farming systems.

✓Frontline demonstrations to establish production potential of technologies on the farmers’ fields.

✓Capacity development of farmers and extension personnel to update their knowledge and skills on

modern agricultural technologies.

✓To work as Knowledge and Resource Centre of agricultural technologies for supporting initiatives

of public, private and voluntary sector in improving the agricultural economy of the district.

✓Provide farm advisories using ICT and other media means on varied subjects of interest to farmers

Kisan Sarthi

• In addition, KVKs produce quality technological products (seed, planting material, bio-agents,

livestock) and make it available to farmers, organize frontline extension activities, identify and

document selected farm innovations and converge with ongoing schemes and programs within the

mandate of KVK.

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Indian Council Of Agriculture Research

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous body responsible for co-

ordinating agricultural education and research in India.

• The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president.

• Formerly known as Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, it was established on 16 July 1929 as a

registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in pursuance of the report of the Royal

Commission on Agriculture.

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2. History & Culture 2.1.Vedanta School ofIndian Philosophy

• Literal Meaning - “End of the Vedas”

✓Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or aligned with, the speculations and philosophies

contained in the Upanishads, specifically, Knowledge and liberation.

✓Vedanta is concerned with jnanakanda or knowledge section of the Vedas which is called

Upnishads.

✓The Upanishads may be regarded as the end of Vedas in different senses -

✤These were the last literary products of the Vedic period.

✤These mark the culmination of Vedic thought.

✤These were taught and debated last, in the Brahmcharya stage.

• It is also called Uttara Mīmāṃsā, which means the 'latter enquiry' or 'higher enquiry'; and is often

contrasted with Pūrva Mīmāṃsā, the 'former enquiry' or 'primary enquiry'.

• All Vedanta schools, in their deliberations, concern themselves with, but differ in their views

regarding, ontology, soteriology and epistemology. Main traditions of Vedanta are -

✓Bhedabheda (difference and non difference) - Sub school of Vedanta, which teaches the individual

self is both different and not different from the ultimate reality known as Brahman.

✓Advaita (monistic) Vedanta - It refers to idea that Brahman alone is ultimately real, the phenomenal

transient world is an illusory appearance (maya) of Brahman, and the true self, atman, is not

different from Brahman. (Adi Sankraycharya)

• He considers Knowledge or jnana/gyan to be the main means of attaining salvation.

• All Vedanta schools, in their deliberations, concern themselves with, but differ in their vies regarding,

ontology, soteriology and epistemology. Main traditions of Vedanta are -

Vishishtadvaita (qualified monism) - Ramanuja

• Non dualism of the qualified whole, in which Brahman alone is seen as the Supreme Reality, but is

characterised by multiplicity.

• It believes in all diversity subsuming to an underlying unity.

• He considers loving the faith and practising devotion as the path to attain salvation.

Dvaita (dualism) - Madhavacharay

• Dvaita school believes that God (Vishnu, supreme soul) and the individual souls exits as independent

realities, and these are distinct and being said that Vishnu (Narayan) is independent, and souls are

dependent on him.

• The Vedanta theory also gave credence to the Theory of Karma, they believed in the theory of

Punrajanama or rebirth.

• They argued that a person would have to bear the burnt of their actions from the previous birth in the

next one.

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3. Polity & Governance 3.1.All about Section 66 A of the IT Act

What was Section 66A of IT Act?

• Context: Recently the Supreme Court found that Section 66 A of the IT act which was struck down

in 2015, was still being invoked by the police with nearly 745 active cases in district courts across

11 states.

What is the Information Technology Act 2000?

• The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 provides for legal recognition for transactions through

electronic communication, also known as e- commerce. The Act also penalizes various forms of cyber

crime. The 2021 IT rules also have stemmed from section 87 of the Information Technology Act,

2000.

• The Act was amended in 2009 to insert a new section, Section 66A which was said to address cases of

cyber crime with the advent of technology and the internet.

What were the provisions of Section 66 A?

• Section 66(A) of the Act criminalised the sending of offensive messages through a computer or other

communication devices. Under this provision, any person who by means of a computer or

communication device sends any information that is:

✓grossly offensive;

✓false and meant for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult,

injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will;

✓meant to deceive or mislead the recipient about the origin of such messages, etc, shall be

punishable with imprisonment up to three years and with fine.

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When and why was it struck down?

• A Public Interest Litigation (PIL)

was filed by a law student Shreya

Singhal, in the Supreme Court,

challenging this provision on

grounds of unconstitutionality. It

was said to impinge upon the

f r e e d o m o f s p e e c h a n d

expression guaranteed by Article

19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

• In 2015, the Supreme Court

struck down the draconian section 66 A of the IT Act as unconstitutional on grounds of violating the

freedom of speech guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India and was not saved

by virtue of being a 'reasonable restriction' on the freedom of speech under Article 19(2).

• The Supreme Court also read down Section 79 and Rules under the Section. It held that online

intermediaries would only be obligated to take down content on receiving an order from a court or

government authority.

Which of the following does not constitute a reasonable restriction under Article 19 (2) of Indian

Constitution?

A. Defamation

B. Incitement to Offence

C. Decency or morality

D. Intellectual Property

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4. Environment 4.1.China's Carbon Market

Introduction

• China’s national carbon market, the world’s largest emissions trading system, started its online

trading from July 16, 2021.

• It will initially cover more than 2,200 companies in China’s power sector, which are responsible for 14

per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions (or 40-50 per cent of the country’s GHG emissions).

• Important step towards decarbonisation.

• The scheme effectively puts a price on emitting carbon.

Carbon Market

• In the carbon trading market, power generation enterprises have free pre-allocated CO2 emission

rights to cover their carbon emissions.

• The emission allowances can be sold and purchased and a carbon price would emerge in the market.

• The introduction of the carbon price will increase the carbon emission cost and stimulates power

generation enterprises to use less or zero carbon emission generation technologies.

• Companies that over-performed and have surplus targets in hand will sell them in this market; those

polluting will have to buy the surplus to submit their compliance statement.

Benefits

• It will help to determine baseline emissions, promotes energy efficiency and accelerates development

of renewable capacity.

• It will help in promotion and deployment of low carbon technology while specifically targeting

emissions.

Issues

• The price of carbon in China is still clearly too low.

• The market still excludes key energy users like steel, aviation and petrochemical manufacturing as in

its first phase the scheme only covers the electricity sector.

• No declining supply of total credits over time. (generous)

• No auctions as in Europe rather than just allowances distributed to power producers based on their

previous years’ power and carbon output as in China’s current system.

• Pollution permits are also being given out for free instead of at auction which means there is less

incentive to slash emissions quickly.

• The shaky finances of coal plants and their banks also muddy the water for Beijing on tough, quick

action against the fuel.

• The penalties for failing to comply are not severe enough to be a deterrent.

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Also

• China's environment ministry is also urging businesses to reduce carbon intensity, that is, the amount

of pollution produced per unit of GDP instead of slashing the total amount of greenhouse gas

emissions.

• Unlike EU who has an absolute cap on emissions, China's system will be based on the intensity of

carbon emissions.

• This means limits on emissions can still rise as power generation grows in China.

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5. International Relations 5.1.New Afghan Peace Process

What has happened?

• February marks exactly one year since the US announced an agreement

• It was a big agreement with the Taliban(the same group that is responsible for thousands of death

over the last few years including many Afghan security forces)

• It opened the way for talk with the insurgent group between them and the representative in Kabul

Salient features of the deal

• Release of Taliban prisoners by Ghani government

• Peace talk between the two

• A ceasefire for the Taliban

• To cut off the link with al-qaeda and other international terrorist groups

• A complete pull out of US troops according to the certain timeline(1 may 2021)

what has actually happened?

• While the Ghani government has kept its side of the bargain , the other side has not done the same

• It has released more than 5000 fighters

• Even many of them came back to the fighting

• Ghani government has also sent its delegation for talks with the Taliban at Qatar

• US has started pulling down and even shut down its bases

Biden Afghan peace process

• It has kept open the possibility that the 2500 odd US troops might stay for a while

• Washington pressed Taliban to accept an immediate agreement to reduce violence for 90 days to

provide the space for peace initiative.

• Us representative had handed over a set of written peace proposal to both Kabul and Taliban.

• Us asked Turkey to convene a meeting of the government In Kabul and Taliban to finalise a peace

settlement.

• UN to convene a meeting of foreign ministers from International players

• new quad group

• With US, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan(very unreliable partner)

• Not indo pacific quad

• Enhancing regional connectivity

• Regional support for Afghanistan peace process and post settlement

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6. Science & Technology 6.1.NB Driver (neighbourhood driver)

NBDriver (neighbourhood driver)

• is an AI tool which can be used in analyzing the cancer-causing mutations in cells.

• This AI tool has been developed by researchers working at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras

(IIT-M)

Cancer

• is caused due to the uncontrolled growth of cells driven mainly by genetic alterations.

Issues in diagnosis

• Due to the complexity and size of these sequencing datasets, pinpointing the exact changes from the

genomes of cancer patients is notoriously difficult.

• Difficult to differentiate between the relatively small number of 'driver' mutations that enable the

cancer cells to grow and the large number of 'passenger' mutations that do not have any effect on the

progression of the disease.“

Previous techniques

• In most of the previously published techniques researchers typically analysed DNA sequences from

large groups of cancer patients, comparing sequences from cancer as well as normal cells and

determined whether a particular mutation occurred more often in cancer cells than random.

• However, this 'frequentist' approach often missed out on relatively rare driver mutations."

NBDriver

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• The goal is to discover patterns in the DNA sequences - made up of four letters, or bases, A, T, G and

C surrounding a particular site of alteration.

• It is a tool that is used to differentiate between passenger and driver mutations using the features

derived from the neighbourhood sequences of somatic mutations.

• The researchers hope that the driver mutations predicted through their mathematical model will

ultimately help discover potentially novel drug targets and will advance the notion of prescribing the

"right drug to the right person at the right time."

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