National Current Affairs – UPSC/IAS Exams- 30th May 2019

by Mentors4ias · May 30, 2019

ISRO, IAF Partner for Gaganyaan Manned Mission Crew Selection

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on 29th May said it signed an agreement with the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28th May for crew selection and training for the country’s prestigious maiden manned mission Gaganyaan by 2021-22.
The agreement was signed by Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Space Operations) Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor and Gaganyaan Project Director R. Hutton in the presence of the space agency’s Chairman K. Sivan
The crew selection and training will be conducted at ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre, opened on January 31 adjacent to its headquarters in the city, to develop technologies for the manned space missions.
As announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on August 15, 2018, the space agency will send three astronauts, including a woman, in a capsule into space around the earth’s orbit for a week-long rendezvous by December 2021 or 2022, which marks the country’s 75th year of independence.
The Rs. 9,023-crore ambitious project involves sending a 3-member crew on board a heavy rocket to an altitude of 350-400 km and orbit around the planet for conducting experiments in space during a week-long voyage.
The previous NDA government on December 28, 2018 approved the country’s first human space flight programme.
In the run-up, the space agency will send two unmanned missions before 2021 and the manned mission by 2022
ISRO on January 31 opened a Human Space Flight Centre adjacent to its headquarters here to develop technologies for manned space missions.
The Human Flight Space Centre will also develop engineering systems for crew survival in space and sustained human space flight missions.

U.S. digs its heels on Iran oil sanctions

The U.S. has said that there is no change to its position on the import of Iranian oil by other countries.
State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus reiterated the U.S. stand in response to reports in the Indian media that New Delhi was trying to continue limited imports of Iranian oil which it intended to pay for in rupees.
They have stated that there are no new exemptions after May 2nd as it relates to importing Iranian oil. The U.S. position there remains quite firm.

Six-month waiver

India was one of eight countries that had a six-month waiver from sanctions against buying Iranian oil, which went into effect in early November last year, months after the United States pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an international deal to curb Iran’s nuclear programme. That waiver expired on May 2.
During the press briefing, Ms. Ortagus also said that the Secretary of State Michael Pompeo “will have a very robust discussion on a range of issues.

India removed from currency monitoring list

For the first time, the US placed India in its currency monitoring list of countries in May 2018 with potentially questionable foreign exchange policies
The U.S. has removed India from its currency monitoring list of major trading partners, citing steps being taken by New Delhi that addressed some of the Donald Trump administration’s major concerns.
For the first time, the US placed India in its currency monitoring list of countries in May 2018 with potentially questionable foreign exchange policies.
Switzerland is the other nation that was removed from the list.
India has been removed from the monitoring list in this report, having met only one out of three criteria — a significant bilateral surplus with the United States — for two consecutive reports,” the Treasury Department said in its report on macroeconomic policies.
After purchasing foreign exchange on net in 2017, the central bank steadily sold reserves for most of 2018, with net sales of foreign exchange reaching 1.7 per cent of GDP over the year, it said.
India maintains ample reserves according to the IMF metrics for reserve adequacy, the Treasury Department said in its report.
In both Switzerland and India, there was a notable decline in 2018 in the scale and frequency of foreign exchange purchases, the report said.
Neither Switzerland nor India met the criteria for having engaged in persistent, one-sided intervention in either the October 2018 report or this report. Both Switzerland and India have been removed from the monitoring list.
A country can intentionally undervalue its currency by selling its own currency to drive down its value, making its exports cheaper and more competitive.
India for the first time was placed by the US in its currency monitoring list of countries with potentially questionable foreign exchange policies in May 2018 along with five other countries – China, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland.
In its next report in October 2018, the Treasury had said that India has made improvements and its name would be removed from the currency manipulation list in the next report.

IIT Guwahati signs MoU with ISRO to set up first-of-its-kind space technology centre in the Northeast

IT Guwahati has signed an MoU with The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up an IITG-ISRO Space Technology Cell (STC) at the institute where Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi inaugurated a new academic complex and research and development building on 29th May.
Stating the MoU was signed on May 24, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati press release on 29th May said the IITG-ISRO STC would be first of its kind in the North-east region to augment research and capacity building processes in the field of space technology.

More about the IIT Guwahati – ISRO space technology cell

The space technology cell will constitute faculty members from IIT Guwahati, visiting scientists or experts from ISRO, research students and technical staff, the release said.
Through the STC, IIT Guwahati aspires to partner with ISRO for performing cutting edge research not only catering to the socio-economic needs of the Northeast but also to contribute towards the basic research activities of various ISRO projects across India, it said.
The STC is a major milestone for IIT Guwahati that can kick start collaborative research activities involving faculty members and ISRO scientists for short term and long term solutions to challenging space-research problems, the release said.
It added that the space technology cell would serve as a platform for motivating and involving undergraduate, post graduate students and research scholars and orient them towards the realms of space-research activities.

Aiming to transform India via Nanotechnology

Meanwhile, governor Jagdish Mukhi inaugurating the new academic complex said that Nanotechnology which is a field of future has opened vistas for newer and newer medical avenues for the welfare of mankind.
To achieve this distinctive profile, Mukhi said the IITs have to play their crucial role and the brilliant students of the Institute should take proactive role in dedicating themselves for the great vision of transforming the nation with the help of Nanotechnology.
Appreciating IIT Guwahati empowering the students with quality technological knowledge, skill and ability to help them inculcate the right attitude and holistic values, he said research and development activities always play a pivotal role in shaping up a nations progress especially in the realms of science and technology.
The Governor urged the IIT Guwahati fraternity to use its wisdom and expertise for the extensive application of research and technology like nanotechnology to lead mankind to the path of well being.
Mukhi also emphasized that the teaching methodology and impartment of education in IITs should additionally highlight importance of entrepreneurship and prepare the students get oriented towards setting up of business ventures using their creativity, freedom and ability to generate wealth and employment avenues.

Role of IIT:

IIT’s in India empowers students with quality technological knowledge, skill and ability and help them inculcate right attitude and holistic values.
In addition to this the teaching methodology and imparting education, IITs should additionally highlight importance of entrepreneurship and must prepare students to use their creativity and freedom to set up business ventures and showcase ability to generate wealth and employment avenues.