Prelims Exclusive Handouts (PEH)

IASEC

IAS Exam Congress

PEH Series
for
CS (Prelims) - 23

Introduction:
“Prelims Exclusive Handouts’’ (PEH) is a set of 12pdfs compiled by Team IASEC for our PRIME
members but these are now open to all. These 06-10 page documents are just the plain compilation of all the
CSE – prelims relevant affairs/content/events of a given month in the most condensed form possible.
One may rely completely on these pdfs along with i-Connect series (that gives more contemporary and
thematic coverage) or PT-365 (Vision IAS). Lastly, reading the newspaper should not be discontinued as it has
its own utility especially for mains.
Best wishes 🙏

March-2023
(Part-2)

March’23 (for CSp-23) 1 @iasexamcongress

 Prelims Exclusive Handouts (PEH)
1. Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD): IASEC
• The LTTD is a process under which the warm surface sea water is flash evaporated at
low pressure and the vapour is condensed with cold deep sea water.
• NIOT, an institute under the aegis of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), has worked
for years on harnessing energy from the ocean.
• At present, there are five LTTDs are active in Lakshadweep.

2. Concepts of National Income and PI:

• After depreciation, the total worth of
final products and services generated by
the normal residents throughout an
accounting year is called the national
income.
• It is Net National Product (NNP) At
Factor Cost (FC).
• Taxes, depreciation, and non-factor
inputs are not included (raw materials).
h t t p s : / / w w w. i n d i a b u d g e t . g o v. i n /
economicsurvey/doc/stat/tab11.pdf
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-
economics/explained-economics-agriculture-and-
employment-8480945/

3. 75 years of WHO:
• Four kinds of contributions:
• Assessed contributions: pay in order to be a
member of the WHO. The amount each Member
State must pay is calculated relative to the
country’s wealth and population.
• Specified voluntary contributions: Member States
(in addition to their assessed contribution) or from
other partners (pvt sector)
• Core voluntary contributions: They allow less well-
funded activities to benefit from a better flow of
resources and ease implementation bottlenecks
that arise when immediate financing is lacking.
• Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) contributions: started in 2011 to improve
and strengthen the sharing of influenza viruses with human pandemic potential,
and to increase the access of developing countries to vaccines and other
pandemic related supplies.
• In recent years, assessed contributions have declined (~ less than one-fourth of its
funding.
• WHO is a specialised UN agency, (HQ: Geneva).
• International Health Partnership+ (IHP+) — group of governments, development
agencies, civil society, and others committed to improving the health of citizens in
developing nations. WHO and WB are part of core team.
• Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty adopted by 56th
WHA in 2003.
March’23 (for CSp-23) 2 @iasexamcongress
 Prelims Exclusive Handouts (PEH)
4. Horseshoe Crabs: IASEC
• Disappearing off Odisha Coast due to destructive fishing practices along Chandipur and
Balaramgadi coast in Odisha’s Balasore district.
• One of the oldest living creature, medicinally important.
• It has one of the strongest immune system — probably why it has survived 450million
years without any morphological change.
• Two species are found in India. (One coastal, one mangrove)
• Not listed in IUCN, Sch. 4 of WLA,72
• The blood of Horseshoe crab is very important for preparation of rapid diagnostic
reagent. All injectable and medicines are tested with the help of Horseshoe crabs.
• A molecule has been developed from reagent of Horseshoe crab that would help treat
pre-eclampsia ,a disease affecting pregnant women.

5. National Chambal Sanctuary:

• NCS is located at the
trijunction of Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar
Pradesh.
• Lotic ecosystem, breeding
ground for gharials — fish-
eating crocodiles.
• Indian skimmer, Gangetic
Dolphins are also found
here.
• It is protected under the
Wildlife Protection Act,
1972, and is listed as an
‘Important Bird and Biodiversity Area’.
• Recall, IBA is programme of Birdlife International aims to identify, monitor and
protect a global network of IBAs for conservation of the world's birds and
associated biodiversity.
• Not yet a Ramsar site?

6. Kyanite mineral:
• Silicate mineral that is formed during the regional metamorphism of clay-rich
sediments. It is an indicator of deep burial of a terrain.
• Jharkhand is the largest producer. Largest resources located in Odisha.

March’23 (for CSp-23) 3 @iasexamcongress

 Prelims Exclusive Handouts (PEH)
7. Waste to Energy in news: IASEC
• Around 60% SWM waste is organic waste in
India.
• The thermal treatment of hazardous waste
involves pyrolysis, gasification, and
incineration techniques.
• Torrefaction converts biomass in the
absence of oxygen at a temperature of
200–300°C to produce torrefied materials,
bio-oils, biochar, etc.
• Just understand the flow charts shown
here. Difference between Plasma Pyrolysis
and incineration.

8. Haeil:
• North Korea claims to have tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone named
"Haeil," a Korean word meaning tidal waves or tsunamis designed to generate a
gigantic "radioactive tsunami".
• A radioactive tsunami is a speculative phenomenon that could occur if a nuclear
explosion occurred underwater.

9. Bedaquiline:
• It is a crucial drug in the treatment of multidrug resistant TB patients for whom the
first-line drug treatment — using Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol
— has stopped working.
• Recently, patent office rejected JJs claim to get patent of Bedaquiline.
• According to the Indian Patent Act 1970 Section 2(1) (ja), an ‘inventive step’ is an
invention that is “not obvious to a person skilled in the art”.
• Further, Section 3(d) of the Act does not allow ‘evergreening’ of patents to prevent
innovator pharma companies from extending the patent beyond the stipulated period
of 20 years, to ensure that the monopoly does not extend forever.
• Understand as of now it is still a patented product and there are no generic versions.
• Recall, Section 3(J) of Indian Patent Act, excludes from patentability “plants and
animals in whole or in any part thereof other than microorganisms, including seeds,

March’23 (for CSp-23) 4 @iasexamcongress

 Prelims Exclusive Handouts (PEH)
varieties, and species, and essentially biological processes for productionIASEC or
propagation of plants and animals”.
• In India, the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Act, 2001, is a
sui generis system that aims to provide for the establishment of an effective system
for the protection of plant varieties and the rights of plant breeders and farmers.

10. ICC vs ICJ:

• Context: Recently ICC issued an
arrest warrant for war crimes for
President Vladimir Putin and a
second Russian official.
• ICC was set up under the Rome
Statute in 2002 when it took
effect upon ratification by 60
states.
• The ICC is the world’s first
permanent international criminal
court.
• India is not a party to Rome
Statute along with US and China.

11. Matua mela:

• In West Bengal to celebrate the 212th birth anniversary of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur,
the founder of the Matua sect.
• It is a sect of Vaishnavite Hinduism.
• This was adopted by members of the Namasudra community, also known as Chandalas
and considered untouchable.

12. Polity static in news:

• Powers of Governor

13. Location based news:

• Grand Canyon
• Red Sea
• Aravalli mountain
• Weddle Sea

x-x
Compiled by Kaptaan Jack Sparrow for @iasexamcongress.

March’23 (for CSp-23) 5 @iasexamcongress