Daily News Simplified - DNS

14 06 20 Notes

SL. NO. TOPICS

THE HINDUPAGE NO.

1 India-China: the line of actual contest 13

2 IIT Madras study reveals metabolism of key gut microbiota 11

3 Nepal passes amendment on new map 01

4 Can a COVID-19 vaccine be developed soon? - FAQ 12

5 Returning labourers may be deployed for Jal Jeevan Mission 07

Dated: 14-June-2020 DNS Notes

Title 1. India-China: the line of actual contest (The Hindu – Pg. 13) Syllabus Prelims: Current events of international importance

Mains: GS Paper II – International Relations Theme Border Dispute Highlights

Context: The long border between India and China has neither been delineated nor demarcated. In the western sector, the LAC broadly corresponds with the border as China sees it. In the east, it broadly corresponds with the border as India sees it, along the McMahon Line. In the middle, it is broadly aligned with the borders as both countries see it

Basics of Border ManagementInternational Border (IB): Border which has been accepted by both the Countries as well as the rest of the world. For example, the Radcliffe line that divided British India into India and Pakistan is an International border between the two countries. It stretches for approximately 2,400 km from Gujarat to  Akhnoor in Jammu. The IB has in place mechanisms to guard the border against illegal trespassing as well as to regulate the legal flow of trade and travel across it. It is guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF) and has land custom stations and immigration check posts to allow entry and exit of passengers and cargo. The administration of IB is the responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).Line of Control: It is a ceasefire line which came into existence after 1947-48 Indo-Pak War. This line was renamed as Line of Control (LoC) during the Shimla Agreement. Since it acts as ceasefire line, both countries have in principle agreed not to not to alter it unilaterally until the dispute over J&K gets resolved peacefully. So, unlike International Border, the Line of Control (LoC) is disputed border. But the countries decide to maintain status quo until there is a peaceful resolution of dispute.Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL): It divides the current position of Indian and Pakistani troops in the Siachen region. It extends from northern most point of LoC (NJ 9842)  to Indira Col in the north.Line of Actual Control (LAC): The Line of Control (LoC) between between India and Pakistan is delineated on a map and signed by armies of both countries with

Dated: 14-June-2020 DNS Notes

international sanctity. However, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China remains ambiguous. It is divided into three sectors: the eastern sector which spans Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the middle sector in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and the western sector in Ladakh.The first ever mention of LAC was made by Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai in his letter to PM Nehru in 1959. According to him, the  LAC consisted of the McMahon Line in the east and the line up to which each side exercises actual control in the west”. However, this was not put on map.This was followed by Indo-China War in 1962 over the differences in the perception of border in Aksai Chin region and Arunachal Pradesh. Subsequently, in 1962, Chinese PM clarified that the LAC would consist of McMahon Line in the east and  in the western and middle sectors it coincides in the main with the traditional customary line which has consistently been pointed out by China.India rejected the concept of LAC in both 1959 and 1962 on account of number of reasons:

1. The LAC as pointed out by China in 1962 also included the areas occupied by Chinese troops during the 1962  war. So, India wanted China to first withdraw from its territory before accepting LAC.

2. The LAC was not delineated on the map correctly. Rather then being in form of line, it was a series of disconnected points of a map. Now, these series of disconnected points could have been joined in a manner which could have led to loss of Indian territory.

3. The LAC was something which came into being at the behest of China due to its aggression and was not a mutually accepted line.

 Finally, both the countries signed the Agreement to Maintain Peace and Tranquillity at the LAC in 1993 and India formally accepted the LAC. However, the LAC here does not correspond to the LAC of 1959 0r 1962. But the LAC here corresponds to the time when the agreement was signed in 1993.The need to formally recognise LAC arose from the fact that Indian and Chinese patrolling teams came into frequent contacts due to differing perception of the LAC and hence it increased the possibility of another war. Hence, India decided to recognise LAC as on 1993. At the same, both the countries decided to set up joint working group for clear delineation of LAC.

Dated: 14-June-2020 DNS Notes

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Title 2. IIT Madras study reveals metabolism of key gut microbiota (The Hindu Pg. No. 11)

Syllabus Prelims: General ScienceMains: GS Paper III – Science & Technology

Theme Bifidobacterium genus - their individual commercial uses Highlights

Context: Little is known about differences between different strains of Bifidobacterium genus and their individual commercial uses. Among the trillions of bacteria that live in the human gut, Bifidobacterium is one main microbe.

Bacteria in the Gut A study by IIT Madras researchers of 36 strains of gut bacteria commonly

found in the gut reveals their metabolism and could bring added rigour into the development of probiotics.

Probiotics are cocktails of helpful bacteria which, among other uses, are prescribed to alleviate digestive imbalances.

The human gut microbiome has a huge number of beneficial bacteria, collectively called commensals, living in it. Key among these are the bacteria of the Bifidobacterium genus. Bifidobacterium adolescentis and B. longum are found in adult human gut whereas B. bifidum are found in infant gut.

More than 80 species of Bifidobacterium are found in the human gut of which 36 strains comprising 20 species have been studied by the researchers through metabolic network modelling.

Bifidobacterium is one of the largest genera among gut bacteria and its species are known to be early colonisers of the breastfed infant gut.

Dated: 14-June-2020 DNS Notes

Personal Notes

Title 3. Nepal passes amendment on new map (Page number 1) Syllabus Prelims: Current events of international importance

Mains: GS Paper II – International RelationsTheme Indian Territory included in Nepal Highlights

Context: Nepal’s Lower house has given approval to 2nd constitutional amendment. This CA gives legal status to the new political map of India

Cause of the dispute: The Treaty of Sugauli signed by Nepal and British East India Company in

1816 defines the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India. However, what is meant by "Kali River" in the upper reaches is unclear

because many mountain streams come to join and form the river.What about this New Map?

Dated: 14-June-2020 DNS Notes

As per Kathmandu’s understanding, the river originates from Limpiyadhura in the higher Himalayas, giving it access to a triangular-shaped land defined by Limpiyadhura-Lipulekh and Kalapani.

India opposes the notion and says the origin of the river is much further down, which reduces Nepal’s territorial demand.

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Title 4. Can a COVID-19 vaccine be developed soon? - FAQ (Page number 12) Syllabus Prelims: General Science

Mains: GS Paper III – Science & Technology Theme Vaccine for COVID-19 – Clinical Trials

Dated: 14-June-2020 DNS Notes

Highlights

The pandemic paradigm requires multiple activities to be conducted at financial risk to developers and manufacturers and without knowing whether the vaccine candidate will be safe and effective, including very early manufacturing scale-up to commercial scale before establishment of clinical proof of concept. ID denotes identification.

First-in-man Phase I studies are usually small trials in healthy, immunocompetent naIve adults who are at low risk of acquiring a vaccine-relevant infection (determined by serology, exposure, and travel history).

Based on results of adult studies (referred to as Phase Ia trials), subsequent Phase I studies may be conducted in different age or population groups closer to the target population to assess possible differences in dose, safety, vaccine schedule, or route of administration. Such subsequent studies in different geographies and populations are referred to as Phase Ib.

It is recommended that the Phase I study site be located within or in the vicinity of a tertiary care hospital. After immunization, the need for day-care observation is guided by the need for monitoring adverse events. Tolerability and reactogenicity due to the vaccine or the process of vaccination is the major safety outcome evaluated in a Phase I trial.

A candidate vaccine should proceed to Phase II clinical evaluation after achieving a satisfactory outcome in Phase I studies in terms of both safety and immunogenicity. The transition from a controlled clinical setting to field evaluation incurs much greater monetary investment, hence stringent go/no-go criteria are observed by the developers.

The objective is to identify the vaccine preparation, optimal dose, and schedule to be taken up for confirmatory Phase III trials. These studies have the desired statistical power and a defined sample size, and hence are expected to provide a clinically meaningful outcome on the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy end points.

Phase II studies assess the impact of multiple variables on immune response,

Dated: 14-June-2020 DNS Notes

such as age, ethnicity, gender, and presence of maternal or pre-existing antibodies (in infants) and evaluate the following

Age of first administration of vaccine [e.g., during the development of Rotarix™, the age of first administration varied between countries depending on factors such as nutrition status, influence of maternal antibodies, and Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) schedule].

Number of vaccine doses (For Rotarix™, two and three doses were studied in Phase II studies, while for Gardasil™ the dosing schedule remained standard throughout clinical development).

Sequence or interval between vaccine doses, route of administration, duration of immunity, potential need for booster immunizations, and qualitative aspects of the immune response.

Pivotal Phase III trials, essential for registration and approval to market of a vaccine, assess the effect of the final formulation. These trials are typically designed to evaluate efficacy and safety. Vaccine Efficacy (VE) is defined as the percent reduction in incidence (of disease or infection) among the vaccinated. 

Phase III trials are large-scale clinical trials enrolling thousands of subjects from the target population. They are conducted in “field” conditions that are similar to future routine use.

Incidence of disease in the study population impacts the sample size: A low incidence means that large numbers of subjects are required to estimate vaccine efficacy in comparison to the numbers needed if disease incidence is greater. In diseases where an immunological end point correlates with clinical protection, it can be used as a primary efficacy end point, and smaller sample sizes often suffice.

Dated: 14-June-2020 DNS Notes

Personal Notes

Title 5. Returning labourers may be deployed for Jal Jeevan Mission (Page number 7)

Syllabus Prelims: Social IssueMains: GS Paper II – Social Issue

Theme Piped drinking water to all rural households by 2024Highlights

Context - Jal Shakti Ministry, the nodal ministry for the implementation of the scheme, has written to various States that returning labour, especially those working in the construction sector (skilled, unskilled and semi-skilled), may be deployed to expedite the completion of works under the scheme, as an arrangement that could provide employment to the currently unemployed workers. Jal Jeevan Mission  aims to provide piped drinking water to all rural households by 2024. 

The programme will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting.

The Jal Jeevan Mission will be based on a community approach to water and will include extensive Information, Education and communication as a key component of the mission. 

 Why Jal Jeevan Mission is well placed to provide rural employment?  

Demand of work - huge demand for work has been created because of returning workers.

Availability of funds - New Jal Jeevan Mission also has funds on its part. Apart from the ₹11,000 crore in the budget, ₹12,000 crore has been allocated from extra budgetary allowances.  

Allocation from 15th Finance Commission - 50% of the ₹60,750 crore allocated by the 15th Finance Commission for rural local bodies is tied to grants for water bodies and sanitation, some of the key goals of the mission. States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where there are large number of returning inter-state workers, have higher funds for the scheme.

Availability of skill - Skill mapping by various State governments has shown that a majority of inter-State workers returning home are from the construction sector. The skill and experience of returning workers can be

Dated: 14-June-2020 DNS Notes

utilized in Jal Jeevan Mission for quick implementation. Revalidation exercise of households and status of tap water

A "revalidation exercise of households and status of tap water" found that out of 19.04 crore rural households in the country, 3.23 crore households had tap connections and 15.81 crore households had to be provided functional tap connections.

Hence deploying inter-state workers in Jal Jeevan Mission will fulfill multiple goals of employment generation, increasing rural demand, reducing stress in rural economy, fulfilling the fundamental right of safe drinking water among others. 

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