★★★★★ 4/5
Prelims: Science & Tech, Garbhini-GA2 AI Model
Mains: General Studies-III, Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.
Why in the News ?
Researchers have developed an India-specific artificial intelligence model- Garbhini-GA2. It accurately determine the gestational age of a fetus during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (months 4-9 of pregnancy).
Source: TH
About:
- Garbhini-GA2 AI Model of India
- It is the first computer model for estimating late-trimester gestational age to be developed and validated using data from the Indian population.
- Developed by– Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad.
- Component of the GARBH-Ini initiative:
- It is part of a research program called GARBH-Ini which focuses on advanced research about birth outcomes in India.
- The GARBH-Ini program is a flagship programme of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India.
- Funding of Garbhini-GA2:
- Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India
- Grand Challenges India program under the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
- Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBC-DSAI)
d. Centre for Integrative Biology and Systems Medicine (IBSE) at IIT Madras.
- Issues with current models
- Currently, the gestational age (GA) of a fetus is assessed using a formula designed for Western populations.
- Existing Models like Hadlock and INTERGROWTH estimate pregnancy age, but they are based on Western data.
- Indian and Western babies grow differently during pregnancy. So these models give inaccurate results for Indian women in the later months. This can affect due date prediction, care quality, and risk assessment for premature birth in India.
- Significance of Garbhini-GA2 model
- The new Garbhini-GA2 formula for the second and third trimesters accurately determines the fetus’s age for Indian population, reducing errors by nearly three times.
- Precise gestational age is crucial for providing proper care to pregnant women and accurately determining delivery dates.
★★★★★ 4.5/5
Prelims: Environment (Technologies for Climate Change mitigation), Stratospheric Aerosol Intervention, Stratosphere
Mains: General Studies-III Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Why in the News ?
A recent study looked at the impact of stratospheric aerosol intervention (SAI) in mitigating global warming effects in West Asia (also known as Middle East) and North Africa (MENA).
Source: DTE
📌 FYI on Prelims
Stratosphere
- It is the layer of Earth’s atmosphere lying between the troposphere and the mesosphere.
- The stratosphere extends from the tropopause at about 10 to 17 km (about 6 to 11 miles) altitude to its upper boundary (the stratopause) at about 50 km (30 miles).
- It’s characterized by a highly stable temperature gradient that cools from top to bottom.
- It also contains the ozone layer.
- Commercial jet aircraft fly in the lower stratosphere to avoid turbulence and increased atmospheric drag, which are common in the troposphere below.
- This layer holds 19 percent of the atmosphere’s gases but very little water vapor
About:
Stratospheric Aerosol Intervention (SAI)
- Stratospheric Aerosol Intervention (SAI), also known as Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, is a geoengineering or climate engineering approach that uses tiny reflective particles or aerosols to reflect sunlight into space in order to cool the planet and reverse or stop global warming.
- It aims to mimic the cooling effects of volcanic eruptions by injecting sulfur dioxide (SO2) directly into the stratosphere, where it forms sunlight-reflecting sulfate aerosols.
- The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, often cited as the inspiration for this concept, deposited massive amounts of particulate matter and sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere.
- This aerosol layer was reported to have lowered average temperatures around the world by about 0.5 °C (0.9 °F) over the following few years.
- It is believed that as more radiation is scattered in the stratosphere by aerosols, less would be absorbed by the troposphere, the lower level of the atmosphere where weather primarily occurs.
- The production of such an artificial aerosol layer could be accomplished by shooting sulfur particles into the stratosphere with cannons or dispersing them from balloons or other aircraft.
Aerosols
- They are tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in air or a gas.
- Aerosols can be natural, such as fog or gas from volcanic eruptions, or artificial, such as smoke from burning fossil fuels.
- Aerosol particles are either emitted directly into the atmosphere (primary aerosols) or produced in the atmosphere from precursor gases (secondary aerosols).
- Aerosol particles are tiny, but numerous, and often comprise a number of inorganic and organic substances.
- True aerosol particles range in diameter from a few millimicrometres to about 1 micrometre (equal to 10-4 cm).
- Particles with a diameter of less than 0.1 micrometer are sometimes referred to as Aitken nuclei.
- Visible forms of atmospheric aerosol plumes include smoke, smog, haze, and dust.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Prelims: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Consider the following:
- Aerosols
- Foam agents
- Fire retardants
- Lubricants
In the making of how many of the above are hydrofluorocarbons used?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) Only three
d) All four
Explaination:
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are synthetic chemicals that are used as refrigerants, blowing agents, firefighting agents, solvents, and propellants. They are non-flammable, chemically stable, and non-reactive.
- HFCs are potent greenhouse gases, with global warming potentials (GWPs) that are hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2) per unit of mass. They are also short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), meaning that they have atmospheric lifetimes of less than 30 years.
- HFCs were introduced in the late 1980s to replace ozone-depleting substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). However, their use has become increasingly regulated in the 21st century due to their impact on climate change.
- The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is a global agreement to phase down HFC production and consumption. Under the Kigali Amendment, all countries have agreed to reduce their HFC consumption by 85% by 2050.
- There are a number of alternatives to HFCs that are available and being developed. These alternatives have lower GWPs and are often more energy-efficient. Some examples of HFC alternatives include:
- Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs)
- Natural refrigerants, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia, and propane
- Hydrocarbon blends
- Water
- HFCs are entirely man-made. They are primarily produced for use in refrigeration, air-conditioning, insulating foams and aerosol propellants, with minor uses as solvents and for fire protection. HFCs are not used for making lubricants.
★★★★★ 4/5
Prelims: Polity (Statutory Boards), Flue Cured Tobacco, Nicotine,
Mains: General Studies II
Why in the News ?
Government of India permits sale of Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco on Tobacco Boards auction platform and waives off penalty on sale of excess production of registered growers and unauthorized production of unregistered growers in Karnataka.
Source: PIB
Key Facts 🗝️
In India Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco is mainly produced in India in 2 states, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
📌 FYI on Prelims
Tobacco Board of India
- Tobacco Board is a statutory body established under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- It is headquartered in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
- The main functions of the Board include regulating the production and curing of Virginia tobacco in India, improving the yields and quality of tobacco, facilitating sale of tobacco through e-auctions, undertaking various grower welfare measures and export promotion of tobacco.
About:
Flue Cured Tobacco
- Curing is a process by which the harvested tobacco leaf is made ready for the market.
- It is a well standardized process especially in FCV tobacco to achieve the desirable qualities in the cured leaf along with the removal of moisture.
- There are three types of tobacco curing methods traditionally used: Air-Cured, Fire-Cured, and Flue-Cured.
- Each of the different curing methods results in a tobacco product that is distinguishable by both its nicotine content and its aroma.
Why is Tobacco cured?
- To create smoking tobacco, the tobacco leaves need to be cured, or dried out.
- The wet, green tobacco leaves of a tobacco plant initially contain too much moisture to catch fire.
- They also have higher chlorophyll content. By releasing a certain amount of chlorophyll from the leaves during the drying out process, the natural tannins come out giving the smoked tobacco its flavor and scent.
Key characteristics of Flue Cured Tobacco
- Produces primarily cigarette tobacco
- Contains a high sugar content
- Contains medium to high levels of nicotine
- Rich in natural tannins which creates its distinct mild and slightly sweet flavor and aroma
Nicotine
- Nicotine is a plant alkaloid that contains nitrogen, which is found in several types of plants, including the tobacco plant and can also be produced synthetically.
- Nicotine is both a sedative and a stimulant.
- Nicotine is used as a direct substance in e-cigarettes and the content ranges up to 36 mg/mL. Although regular cigarettes too have nicotine, but it ranges between 1.2 to 1.4 mg/mL.
- Chewing or snorting tobacco products usually releases more nicotine into the body than smoking.
Harmful Effect of Nicotine
- Nicotine on direct application in humans causes irritation and burning sensation in the mouth and throat, increased salivation, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
- It also increases pulse rate and blood pressure.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Prelims: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the ‘New World’ and introduced into the ‘Old World’? (2019)
(a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
(b) Tobacco, cotton and rubber
(c) Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
(d) Rubber, coffee and wheat
Ans: a. Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
- New World refers to the Americas, which was discovered by Christopher Columbus during his voyage attempt to India. Old World continents during 15th century included Asia, Africa and Europe.
- Tobacco is one of the most important cash crops in American farming and is native to the North and South American continents. It first became known to the Old World when European explorers during the 15th and 16th centuries saw it being used as a medicine and as a hallucinogen by native Americans.
- Natural rubber trees originated in Southern America and from there it was introduced to the Old World. The cocoa tree is also native to the Amazon Basin, which was introduced to the Old World from New World.
- Cotton and Wheat were found in the Indus Valley Civilization. So both these crops were native of the Old World.
★★★★★ 3.5/5
Prelims: Economy (Banking), Third-Party Application Provider, NPCI
Mains: General Studies-III Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.
Why in the News ?
The Reserve Bank of India has asked the National Payment Council of India to examine the request of One97 Communications, which owns Paytm, to become a Third-Party Application Provider for continued Unified Payments Interface operation of the Paytm application
Source: IE
Key Facts 🗝️
NPCI:
- It is an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, to create a robust Payment & Settlement Infrastructure in India.
- It has been incorporated as a “Not for Profit” Company under the provisions of Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956 (now Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013).
About:
Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP)
- It is an entity that provides the UPI compliant app(s) to the end-user customers to facilitate UPI-based payment transactions.
- These applications could be mobile wallets, merchant apps, or any other platform that utilises UPI for payments.
- NPCI (National Payment Corporation of India) ,the umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India, owns and operates the UPI platform.
- Working of TPAPs
- TPAPs leverage the UPI infrastructure provided by NPCI and work with payment service providers (PSPs) and banks to facilitate transactions.
- They are responsible for ensuring that their applications adhere to security standards and compliance guidelines set by NPCI.
- As per the current regulations, payment service providers (PSPs) need to obtain a TPAP license from NPCI to run UPI services and facilitate merchant transactions through partner banks.
- Currently, there are 22 NPCI-approved 3rd party Unified Payments Interface (UPI) apps that can be used to send and receive money from other UPI users by using UPI IDs.
- They include Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Groww, Jupiter Money, Mobikwik, Phonepe, Samsung Pay, TataNeu and Whatsapp.
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
- It is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India.
- The Company is focused on bringing innovations in the retail payment systems through the use of technology for achieving greater efficiency in operations and widening the reach of payment.
- NPCI is promoted by ten major banks, including the State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Citibank, Bank of Baroda, and HSBC.
- The regulatory board of the NPCI, headquartered in Mumbai, includes nominees from the RBI along with nominees from ten core promoter banks.
- Payment systems that the NPCI can operate include National Financial Switch (NFS), Immediate Payment System (IMPS), Aadhaar-enabled Payments System (AEPS) and National Automated Clearing House (NACH).
- Services Offered by NPCI:
- Bharat Bill Payment Interface (BBPI): It was developed by the NPCI to help the retail payments sector. With the introduction of the BBPI, a single platform has been made for aggregators and 0billpayers.
- Immediate Payment Service (IMPS): It gives you the option to transfer funds immediately. The facility is available at any given time. The beneficiary details must be added to transfer funds via IMPS. You can add the IFSC code and the account number to transfer funds via IMPS.
- RuPay: NPCI introduced RuPay so that average citizens can make financial decisions. RuPay is an affordable card and can be issued as credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid cards. More than 300 million RuPay cards are in India.
- USSD Services: Unstructured Supplementary Service Date (USSD) was introduced by the NPCI to allow individuals to make banking solutions without the need for the internet or smartphones.
- BHIM: BHIM uses UPI to complete payment transfers. You can make payments via BHIM by entering the Virtual Payment Address (VPA) or the registered mobile number. No smartphone is required to transfer funds via BHIM.
- UPI: United Payments Interface (UPI) allows you to transfer funds from your smartphone. However, you will need to link your bank account to complete payments via UPI. Money is transferred directly from one bank to another.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Prelims: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Consider the following statements:
1. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) helps in promoting the financial inclusion in the country.
2. NPCI has launched RuPay, a card payment scheme.
Which of the following statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 only
B) 2 only
C) Both 1 and 2
D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: C. Both 1 and 2
Explaination:
-
- National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India, is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, for creating a robust Payment & Settlement Infrastructure in India. NPCI, during its journey, has made a significant impact on the retail payment systems in the country.
- Dedicated to the nation by our former President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, endorsed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and later made the card of choice for the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, RuPay is now a known name. RuPay is an indigenously developed Payment System – designed to meet the expectation and needs of the Indian consumer, banks and merchant eco-system. RuPay supports the issuance of debit, credit and prepaid cards by banks in India and thereby supporting the growth of retail electronic payments in India.
★★★★★ 4.5/5
Prelims: Indian History (Personalities), Sant Ravidas, Nirguna Bhakti
Mains: General Studies-I Modern Indian History from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
Why in the News ?
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the statue of Sant Ravidas in Varanasi and offered floral tribute on the occasion of his 647th birth anniversary.
Source: PIB
📌 FYI on Prelims
Nirguna Bhakti
- Nirguna bhakti is devotion to and worship of the formless Divine.
- Nir, a prefix meaning “without,” guna, which means “qualities” or “properties,” and bhakti, which means “devotion” or “faithfulness,” are all Sanskrit terms.
- They place a greater emphasis on learning. They scorned the Scriptures and denounced all forms of idolatry.
- The Brahmins’ supremacy was repudiated by the Nirguna poet-saints, as were all caste-based customs and the practice of idolatry.
- They valued personal encounters with God, and although they referred to him by various names and titles, their god was formless, everlasting, non-incarnate, and ineffable.
- Their beliefs appeared to be a synthesis of the three traditions: Vaishnava Bhakti, the Nanpanthi movement, and Sufism. They gave Bhakti a Nirguna perspective, despite the fact that it was borrowed from Vaishnavism.
- Bhakti is classified in a variety of ways, generally as pairs of opposites, depending on the Hindu tradition or school.
- Nirguna bhakti is an unmanifested expression of absolute devotion to God
About:
Sant Ravidas
- He was a mystic poet saint of the Bhakti Movement from the 15th and 16th centuries, and founded the Ravidassia religion.
- He was a revered poet and a renowned philosopher.
- Birth: He was born in 1377 CE in Seer Govardhanpur in Uttar Pradesh. His place of birth is now known as Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan.
- Life history:
- Despite belonging to a community whose initial occupation was in leatherwork, Ravidas shifted his focus to spiritual pursuits, spending much of his time on the banks of the Ganges.
- Throughout his life, he associated with Sufi saints, sadhus, and ascetics.
- At the age of 12, Ravidas was married to Lona Devi, and they had a son named Vijay Dass.
- Teachings and Works:
- Since his birth, Guru Ravidas devoted his life to advocating for human rights and equality.
- A few of his compositions were also included in Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
- He is one of the most famous personalities of the nirguna sampradaya (sant parampara) and was one of the prominent leaders of the North Indian Bhakti movement.
- He also became a symbol of opposition to untouchability in society by the higher caste people for lower caste people.
- Sant Guru Ravidas Jayanti is hugely observed in the Northern part of India including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana.
