National Current Affairs – UPSC/KAS Exams- 8th October 2018

ISRO & ROSCOSMOS to work together for first Indian manned mission

Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology

IN NEWS: At end of delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladmir Putin, a MoU was inked between ISRO and the Federal Space Agency of Russia ‘ROSCOSMOS’ for joint activities in the field of Human Spaceflight Programme.

More on the Topic

• The Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be working together on the first manned space mission.
• The Russian side has offered a ride to Indian astronaut a short visit to International Space Station (ISS) on board a Soyuz spacecraft for a short training mission in 2022. India hopes to send its first manned mission Gaganyaan in 2022.

Background:

• Historically, India-Russia space cooperation was very strong, with the Soviet Union being one of the three partners who helped India get off the ground with its space programme.
• While this continued for several decades included for sending an Indian cosmonaut in a Soviet Soyuz mission in 1982, this relationship has begun to slow down in the last decade.
• Russian space training is of utmost importance for India’s manned mission to the moon.
• It was also decided to set up measurement data collection ground stations of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System NavIC and the Russian Navigation Satellite System GLONASS in both countries.
• If successful, India would be the fourth nation to send a human in space after the US, Russia and China.

Gaganyaan Mission:

• Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the basis of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
• The spacecraft is being designed to carry three people, and a planned upgraded version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capability.
• In its maiden crewed mission, Indian Space Research Organisation’s largely autonomous 3.7-tonne capsule will orbit the Earth at 400 km (250 mi) altitude for up to seven days with a three-person crew on board. The crewed vehicle is planned to be launched on ISRO’s GSLV Mk III in 2022.

Source:The Hindu

Vaccination begins for Gir lions

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In news: The Gujarat Forest Department on Sunday started the vaccination of lions in the Gir Forest National Park to protect them from a deadly virus.

More on the topic:

• As many as 23 lions have died in the Gir sanctuary in less than a month. Most of them have succumbed to canine distemper virus (CDV) and protozoa infections.
• Asiatic lions, an endangered species, are being vaccinated under intensive veterinary care, as per standard protocol.
• CDV is considered a dangerous virus and has been blamed for wiping out 30% of the population of African lions in East African forests.

Asiatic Lions:

• The Asiatic lion’s range is restricted to the Gir Forest National Park and environs in the Indian state of Gujarat. On the IUCN Red List it is listed under Endangered species because of its small size and area of occupancy.
• The Asiatic lion currently exists as a single subpopulation, and is thus vulnerable to extinction from unpredictable events, such as an epidemic or large forest fire. There are indications of poaching incidents in recent years.
• There are reports that organized gangs have switched attention from tigers to these lions. There have also been a number of drowning incidents after lions fell into wells as well.

Source:The Hindu

Swachh ‘army’-Ganga Task Force

Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation

In news: A special unit of a volunteer force of ex-servicemen will help Uttar Pradesh government to conduct Kumbh Mela .

More on the Topic:

• The Ganga Task Force (GTF), specially trained by the Ministry of Defence will help with crowd management, spread awareness on keeping the river clean and stop people and industry from polluting the river.
• Currently, a “battalion” of 300 personnel has already been trained and stationed in Allahabad. Plans are afoot to expand it to 500 and post them in Kanpur and Varanasi.
• The GTF is a unit of the Territorial Army deployed in the services of the Ganga with the approval of Ministry of Defence for four years till December 2020.
• It consists of three companies of over 100 men each to be stationed at Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi, with the battalion headquarters at Allahabad.
• Their functions will include planting trees to check soil erosion, patrolling sensitive river areas for biodiversity protection, patrolling ghats, monitoring river pollution, and assisting during floods/natural calamity in the region.
• The jawans have also been trained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to measure the health of the river.
• In 2015, the government, through an executive order, had cleared the creation of such a force. However, a defined mandate such as to punish or imprison those found polluting the river is being fleshed out in a forthcoming ‘Ganga Act,’ which is yet to be ironed out as a Bill and is under discussion.

National Mission For Clean Ganga

• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is the implementation wing of National Ganga Council which was set up in 2016 under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities order 2016.
• The order dissolved National Ganga River Basin Authority. The aim is to clean the Ganga and its tributaries in a comprehensive manner.
• Namami Gange Programme, an integrated conservation mission, was approved as the flagship programme by the government in June 2016 with a budget outlay of ₹20,000 crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation, and rejuvenation of the Ganga.
• Under the project, 8 states are covered. Dept of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation proposes to make 1,674 gram panchayats by the Ganga open defecation-free by 2022, at a cost of Rs 1,700 cr (central share).

Clean Ganga Fund

• The Union Cabinet gave its approval for setting up of Clean Ganga Fund with the aim of using the collection for various activities under the Namami Gange programme for cleaning the Ganga.

Utilisation of funds

• Cleaning up of the Ganga
• Setting up of waste treatment plants
• Conservation of biotic diversity of the river
• Development of public amenities
• Activities such as Ghat redevelopment and Research and Development and innovative projects.

Source:The Hindu

Successful night trial of Prithvi-II missile

Topic: Science and Technology

In news: India’s Strategic Forces Command Saturday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile during night time as part of a user trial by the Army from a test range in Odisha.

More on Prithvi:

• Prithvi is a tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by DRDO of India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). It is deployed by India’s Strategic Forces Command.
• Prithvi I class is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile having a maximum warhead mounting capability of 1,000 kg, with a range of 150 km (93 mi).
• Prithvi II missile is capable of carrying 500 to 1,000 kilogramme of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines. The state-of-the-art missile uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its
• Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying nuclear war heads.
• Inducted into the Armed forces of the country in 2003, the nine-metre-tall, single-stage liquid-fuelled Prithvi-II is the first missile to have been developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme .

 Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme

• The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) was an Indian Ministry of Defence programme for the research and development of the comprehensive range of missiles.
• The programme was managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Ordnance Factories Board in partnership with other Indian government political organisations.
• The project started in 1982–83 with popular political support from the successive governments and bestowed under the leadership of Abdul Kalam who oversaw its ending in 2008 after these strategic missiles were successfully developed.

Components:

• The Prithvi: The Prithvi missile is a family of tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) and is India’s first indigenously developed ballistic missile.
• Agni Re-entry Technology: A technology demonstrator for re-entry technology called Agni was added to IGMDP as Prithvi was unable to be converted to a longer ranged missile.
• Trishul: Trishul is the name of a short range surface-to-air missile developed by India as a part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. It has a range of 12 km and is fitted with a 5.5 kg warhead.
• Akash: Akashis a medium-range surface-to-air missile developed as part of India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme to achieve self-sufficiency in the area of surface-to-air missiles.
• Nag:Nag is India’s third generation “Fire-and-forget” anti-tank missile. It is an all weather, top attack missile with a range of 3 to 7 km.

Source: The Hindu

Environment Ministry to act as nodal agency for NCZ

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In news: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) held that the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has to act as the nodal agency to ascertain whether the sub-regional plans for protection of National Conservation Zones (NCZ) prepared by the States are in consonance with the regional plans prepared by the National Capital Region Planning Board.

About National Green Tribunal:

• National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 (NGT) is an Act of the Parliament of India which enables creation of a special tribunal to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to environmental issues.
• It draws inspiration from the India’s constitutional provision of Article 21, which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment.
• Origin of NGT:During the Rio de Janeiro summit of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in June 1992, India vowed the participating states to provide judicial and administrative remedies for the victims of the pollutants and other environmental damage.
• There lie many reasons behind the setting up of this tribunal. After India’s move with Carbon credits, such tribunal may play a vital role in ensuring the control of emissions and maintaining the desired levels.
• This is the first body of its kind that is required by its parent statute to apply the “polluter pays” principle and the principle of sustainable development.
• This court can rightly be called ‘special’ because India is the third country following Australia and New Zealand to have a system in the model of national green tribunal.
• Members of NGT: The tribunal shall consist of a full time chairperson, judicial members and expert members. The minimum number of judicial and expert member prescribed is ten in each category and maximum number is twenty in each category.
• Another important provision included in the law is that the chairperson, if find necessary, may invite any person or more person having specialized knowledge and experience in a particular case before the tribunal to assist the same in that case.
• A judge of the Supreme Court of India or Chief Justice of High Court is eligible to be Chairperson or judicial member of the Tribunal. Even existing or retired judge of High Court is qualified to be appointed as a Judicial Member.
• A person is qualified to be an expert member if he has Master of Science with a Doctorate degree or Master of Engineering or Master of Technology and has an experience of fifteen years in the relevant field including five years practical experiences in the field of environment and forests in a reputed National level institutions.
• Anyone who has administrative experience of fifteen years including experience of five years in dealing with environment matters in the Central Government or a State Government or in National or State level institution is also eligible to be an expert member.

Source:Pib

IndiaSkills 2018

Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.

In news: IndiaSkills 2018, the Country’s biggest skill competition, concluded with the winners being awarded by dignitaries.

More on the Topic:

• IndiaSkills 2018 was the second edition of the nationwide competition organized by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India to identify, recognize, promote and reward the best talents in various skills.
• 23 states actively participated in organizing the competitions at the state and regional levels in which over 50 thousand participants took part.
• 450 participants took part in the 3-day national level competition organized in New Delhi.
• Besides 46 competition trades, there were 10 demonstration trades also. Some of winners of the competition of various trades will be given more training, before they are sent to represent India at the 45th WorldSkills Competition at Kazan, Russia in 2019.
• A number of Divayangs also participated in the competition and the winners will take part at the World level in Abilympics in China. A large number of Corporates (over 100) supported the Government’s efforts in organizing the IndiaSkills 2018.

Source:PIB