National Current Affairs – UPSC/IAS Exams- 10th February 2020

Li-Ion Batteries

Topic: Science and Technology

In News: India has quadrupled its imports of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and more than tripled its import bill on the product, vital for powering a range of devices from cellphones to electric vehicles, from 2016-2018.

More on the Topic:

• Indian manufacturers source Li-ion batteries from China, Japan and South Korea and the country among the largest importers in the world.
• China dominates the Li-ion battery market.
• Around three-quarters of battery cell manufacturing capacity is in China, and Chinese companies have unparalleled control of required domestic and foreign battery raw materials and processing facilities.

Government Initiatives:

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) manufactures such batteries but volumes are limited and they are restricted for use in space applications.
• Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI) in Tamil Nadu’s Karaikudi, under the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and RAASI Solar Power Pvt Ltd signed a Memorandum of Agreement for transfer of technology for India’s first lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery project.
• To promote indigenous development of such batteries, the Union Cabinet in 2019 approved a programme, called a National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage in the NITI Aayog to “drive clean, connected, shared, sustainable and holistic mobility initiatives.”

Significance Of Li-ion Batteries:

• Electric vehicles are expected to account for a significant share in the growth of the Li-ion battery demand in India.
• The government has announced investments worth $1.4 billion to make India one of the largest manufacturing hubs for electric vehicles by 2040.

· Lithium-ion batteries are powered by flows of lithium ions crossing from one material to another. · When the battery is in use, positively-charged lithium ions pass from an anode to a cathode, releasing a stream of electrons along the way that form an electric current. · When the battery is being recharged, lithium ions flow in the opposite direction, resetting the battery to do it all over again. Benefits and uses: · The advantage of lithium-ion batteries is that they are not based upon chemical reactions that break down the electrodes, but upon lithium ions flowing back and forth between the anode and cathode. ·  They are lightweight, rechargeable, powerful batteries, now used in everything from mobile phones to laptops and long-range electric vehicles. · Battery technology helps replace carbon-emitting sources because it allows power companies to store excess solar and wind power when the sun does not shine nor the wind blow, making possible a fossil fuel-free society and combating the effects of climate change. ·  They are also capable of being miniaturized and used in devices like implanted pacemakers. · They can be scaled up to power a car or a home.

Source: Hindu

India-Bangladesh rail link

Topic: International Affairs

In News: The landmark rail line to connect the northeastern region with Bangladesh will be ready by the end of 2021.

More on the Topic:

• The completion of the line between Agartala in Tripura and Akhaura in Bangladesh would pave the way for the first train to run from the northeastern region to Bangladesh on the eve of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022.
• Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) would bear the cost of laying the 5.46-km track on the Indian side and the cost of the 10.6-km track on the Bangladesh side was being borne by the Ministry of External Affairs.
• The link will connect Gangasagar in Bangladesh to Nischintapur in India and from there to Agartala.

Source: Hindu

Accessible India Campaign

Topic: Government Policies

In News: Four years after the Accessible India Campaign was launched to make public offices, the progress is not satisfactory.

More on the topic:

• During the review by Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry it is found that,
• With regard to transportation, while there had been progress on making airports accessible, all aspects of air travel, including aircraft and buses used to ferry passengers from terminals, needed to be compatible.
• All 35 international airports and 55 domestic airports under the Airports Authority of India had been made accessible by providing ramps, and had accessible toilets and provision for audio and Braille commands in lifts.
• With respect to Railways, 7,000 wheelchairs had been provided at major stations and 22 stations had online booking of wheelchair facility.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways informed that only 3.6% of buses had been fully accessible.

· Accessible India Campaign (AIC) is the nationwide flagship campaign of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. · The aim of the Campaign is to make a barrier free and conducive environment for Divyangjans all over the country. The campaign has the vision to build an inclusive society in which equal opportunities are provided for the growth and development of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) so that they can lead productive, safe and dignified lives. · Implementation: For creating universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities, the campaign has been divided into three verticals: Built Environment; Transport and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem. ·  Accessible India Campaign is in line with the Article 9 of UNCRPD(UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) to which India is a signatory since 2007.

Source: Hindu

Lessons from a melting Antarctic glacier

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: In the Antarctic floats a massive glacier Called the Thwaites Glacier, roughly the size of Britain, whose melting has been a cause of alarm for scientists over the years. Now, a new study has pinned the cause of the melting to the presence of warm water at a vital point beneath the glacier.

More on the Topic:

• Thwaites Glacier, it is 120 km wide at its broadest, fast-moving and melting fast over the years.
• Because of its size (1.9 lakh square km), it contains enough water to raise the world sea level by more than half a metre. Studies have found the amount of ice flowing out of it has nearly doubled over the past 30 years.
• Today, Thwaites’s melting already contributes 4% to global sea level rise each year. It is estimated that it would collapse into the sea in 200-900 years.
• Thwaites is important for Antarctica as it slows the ice behind it from freely flowing into the ocean. Because of the risk it faces and poses  Thwaites is often called the Doomsday Glacier.

Findings of New Study:

• Researchers from New York University detected warm water at a vital point below the glacier.
• water is at just two degrees above freezing point at Thwaites’s “grounding zone” or “grounding line”
• The grounding line is the place below a glacier at which the ice transitions between resting fully on bedrock and floating on the ocean as an ice shelf. The location of the line is a pointer to the rate of retreat of a glacier.
• When glaciers melt and lose weight, they float off the land where they used to be situated. When this happens, the grounding line retreats.
• That exposes more of a glacier’s underside to seawater, increasing the likelihood it will melt faster. This results in the glacier speeding up, stretching out, and thinning, causing the grounding line to retreat ever further.

Source: Hindu

Rajasthan: Neighbourhood clinics for urban poor

Topic: Social Justice

In News: The Janta Clinics, modelled on the lines of the Mohalla Clinics in Delhi, aim to cater primarily to the urban poor and reduce their out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare was opened by Rajasthan Govt.

More on the Topic:

• Each Janta Clinic is aimed at catering to a population of 20,000 in urban areas with facilities such as vaccination, primary healthcare, free primary diagnosis tests and medicines.
• Each Janta Clinic has nine personnel including one doctor, two general nurses and midwife (GNM), an auxiliary nurse and midwife (ANM), a pharmacist, three supporting staff and one staff member for cleaning.
• The clinics follow a system of digital prescriptions. When a patient enters the clinic, her details are sent to the doctor’s tablet.
• The doctor types the prescription on the tablet, which then sends it to the mobile of the pharmacist. The patient gets her free medicines and a copy of her prescription on her way out.
• Government has did a geographic information system (GIS) based analysis to identify the urban cluster and the places in Jaipur where the urban poor would benefit the most from the clinics.

Source: Hindu

Kaka Hathrasi

Topic: Culture

In News: Replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in Rajya Sabha on Prime Minister Narendra Modi quoted Hindi poet Kaka Hathrasi.

More on the Topic:

• Kaka Hathrasi is counted among the foremost poets of ‘haasya’ (humour) and ‘vyanga’ (satire) in Hindi literature.
• Hathrasi was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1985 for his contributions to Hindi literature. Apart from humour, he wrote on classical dance and music under the pen name ‘Vasant’. Kaka Hathrasi was also an accomplished painter.

Source: Hindu

Ease of Living Index

Topic: Reports and Indices

In News: Ease of Living Index (EoLI) and Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2019 have been launched by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.

More on the Topic:

• EoLI 2019 will facilitate the assessment of ease of living of citizens across three pillars: Quality of Life, Economic Ability and Sustainability which are further divided into 14 categories across 50 indicators.
• It aims to assess the progress made in cities through various initiatives and empower them to use evidence to plan, implement & monitor their performance.
• These indices are designed to assess the quality of life of citizens in 100 Smart Cities and 14 other Million Plus Cities.

Ease of Living Index is aimed at providing a holistic view of Indian cities  based on

• The services provided by local bodies,
• The effectiveness of the administration,
• The outcomes generated through these services in terms of the liveability within cities
• The citizen perception of these outcomes.

The key objectives of the Ease of Living Index are four-folds, viz.

• Generate information to guide evidence-based policy-making;
• Catalyse action to achieve broader developmental outcomes including the SDG;
• Assess and compare the outcomes achieved from various urban policies and schemes.
• Obtain the perception of citizens about their view of the services provided by the city administration.

Source: PIB