21 May 2024

GS:3 [Science & Tech] 

• Over four billion years ago, Venus had enough water to potentially cover its surface with an ocean approximately 3 km deep, but today, it would remain with only 3 cm.
• A research by US scientists explain the Non-Thermal Dissociative Recombination (DR) responsible for faster loss of water from Venus.

Important Facts for Prelims : Venus

• Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is a terrestrial planet and is the closest in mass and size to its orbital neighbour Earth.
• Venus is notable for having the densest atmosphere of the terrestrial planets, composed mostly of carbon dioxide with a thick, global sulphuric acid cloud cover.
• At the surface it has a mean temperature of 464 °C (737 K) and a pressure of 92 times that of Earth’s at sea level.
• These extreme conditions compress carbon dioxide into a supercritical state close to Venus’s surface.
• Internally, Venus has a core, mantle, and crust. Venus lacks an internal dynamo, and its weak induced magnetosphere is caused by atmospheric interactions with the solar wind.
• Venus is one of two planets in the Solar System (the other being Mercury), that have no moons.
• The rotation of Venus has been slowed and turned against its orbital direction (retrograde) by the currents and drag of its atmosphere.
• It takes 224.7 Earth days for Venus to complete an orbit around the Sun, and a Venusian solar year is just under two Venusian days long.

You should know it roughly

Water Loss on Venus:

Venus lost its water primarily due to two factors:

• Evaporation due to Greenhouse Effect: Its dense atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide, creating a strong greenhouse effect and surface temperatures around 450 degrees Celsius, which prevents water from existing in liquid form.
• Proximity to the Sun: This leads to the disintegration of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen in the ionosphere under solar heat and ultraviolet radiation.

Mechanism of Water Loss:

• Non-Thermal Process: Focus of recent study; involves hydrogen escaping into space, reducing water formation as oxygen atoms lack hydrogen to bond with.

GS 3 : [Disaster Management]

The fatal crash of a Bell 212 helicopter, carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, highlights ongoing concerns about the safety of VVIP flights, especially in challenging weather conditions and mountainous terrains.

Historical Examples of Crashes

• Indian Incidents: The crash of the Bell helicopter in 2009, which killed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and the 2021 crash that claimed General Bipin Rawat, both involved poor weather and hilly terrains.
• International Incidents: The 2010 crash of the Polish President’s plane in Russia and the 2024 crash involving Iran’s President share common factors of adverse weather conditions leading to fatal accidents.
• Pilot Pressure: Pilots often face pressure to fly in unsafe conditions from influential passengers, compromising their ability to make safety-first decisions.

Impact of Weather and Navigation

• Visual Illusions: Adverse weather like fog and heavy rain can cause visual illusions, affecting pilots' depth perception and judgement.
• GPS and Datum Shifts: Navigation errors due to differing datum systems, such as India’s EVER-MD versus the global WGS 84, can lead to catastrophic outcomes, as seen in incidents like the Balakot airstrike.
• Advanced Technology Limitations: Even with advanced navigation systems like GPS, discrepancies in data input can significantly impact flight safety.

Safety Attitudes and Regulatory Failures

• US Safety Standards: In the U.S., thorough investigations and transparent reporting, like the Aspen crash in Colorado, have led to improved safety measures and training.
• Regulatory Issues: Repeated safety violations and oversight failures by aviation authorities contribute to recurring accidents.
• Need for Pilot Autonomy: The critical importance of allowing pilots to make final decisions regarding flight safety without being overruled by VVIP passengers is emphasized to prevent future disasters. 

GS 3 : [Indian Economy]

How do the numbers compare?

• Both India and China have a large consumer base. A consumer is anyone who spends more than $12 a day, as per the Purchasing Power Parity [PPP], 2017.
• Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE), which measures total consumption expenditure by households and non-profit institutions serving households on goods and services, serves as a useful proxy for consumer spending especially as income and consumption are concentrated within the consumer classes.
• The data reveals that as a percentage of GDP, India spends significantly more on consumption than China.
• While PFCE contributes more than 58% to India’s GDP currently, it contributes only 38% to China’s economy.
• Additionally, the final consumption, which also includes government consumption expenditure, constitutes 68% of the GDP for India and 53% for China.
• This implies that the government is a much bigger consumer in China than in India. Furthermore, while the percentage for India is steadily increasing, the same for China has been on a decline.
• The aggregate data on PFCE reveals that despite China’s economy being approximately five times bigger than that of India’s, its PFCE amounts to relatively a lot less, only about 3.5 times that of India’s.
• This not only means that consumption is a much larger contributor to India’s GDP, but that India will equal China’s consumption level at a relatively much lower GDP (~$10 trillion) as against China, which achieved the scale at approximately $17 trillion.

India- China Trade Overview

• Trade Deficit Concerns: India has been grappling with a significant trade deficit in favor of China, exceeding $100 billion in 2022. Efforts to address this deficit remain a priority for India.
• Diplomatic Vacancies: The absence of a Chinese Ambassador to Delhi for over 16 months and the lack of direct flights between the two countries underscore persistent diplomatic challenges.
• Panchsheel Agreement Anniversary: The upcoming 70th anniversary of the India-China Panchsheel Agreement serves as a reminder of the importance of peaceful coexistence and adherence to international norms.

India-China Bilateral Trade 

• Key Trading Partner: China stands as India’s largest trading partner, with significant exchanges in various commodities.
• Major Imports from China: Electronic equipment, machinery, organic chemicals, and iron and steel are among the primary commodities imported from China into India.
• Major Exports to China: Indian exports to China include cotton, gems, copper, ores, organic chemicals, and machinery.

Recent Measures to Curb Imports from China

• Boycotts and Labeling Initiatives: Indian businesses are increasingly boycotting Chinese products, while the government mandates country of origin labelling for products sold online.
• Ban on Chinese Apps: The Indian government has banned several Chinese mobile applications, citing concerns over national security and data privacy.

Challenges and Implications of Complete Boycott

• Trade Deficits and Economic Realities: Complete boycotts may not be feasible as they could adversely affect Indian consumers, producers, and exporters.
• Impact on Pharma Sector: The pharmaceutical sector, heavily reliant on Chinese imports for raw materials, could face significant disruptions.
• Minimal Impact on China: UNCTAD data suggests that a complete boycott would have limited repercussions on China’s economy.
• Integration and Policy Credibility: India’s integration with China and the potential fallout on policy credibility are crucial considerations.

GS 1 : [Indian Geography :   The Indian Monsoon]

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced the onset over the southern Bay of Bengal, the Nicobar Islands, and the South Andaman Sea. What makes this announcement even more exciting is the prediction of above-normal rainfall for the season, a rare occurrence in nearly a decade.

Factors influencing above-Normal Monsoon

• A monsoon is a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing, or strongest, winds of a region.
• Retreat of El Nino: The Indian monsoon is heavily influenced by various factors, including the El Nino and La Nina phenomena in the Pacific Ocean. El Nino brings suppressed rainfall, while La Nina enhances rainfall activity. 
• This year, the transition from El Nino to a neutral condition and the likely emergence of La Nina later in the season have set the stage for above-normal rainfall.

Other factors:

• Favourable La Nina conditions
• Positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)
• Reduced snow cover in Northern Hemisphere

Categorisation of rainfall in India (as per IMD)

• India, as a whole, normally receives 870 mm of rainfall during the monsoon season. This is referred to as Long Period Average (LPA), or “normal” (currently, the average of 1971-2020 period).

• Deficient: Less than 90 per cent
• Normal: Between 96 per cent and 104 per cent
• Below normal: 90-96 per cent
• Above normal: 104-110 per cent