Today Question

Today's Questions
11 June 2019
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/today-s-questions/20505-11-june-2019

Today's Editorial (Hindi)
11 June 2019
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/today-s-editorial-hindi/20502-11-june-2019

Today's Editorial
11 June 2019
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/today-s-editorial/20501-11-june-2019

Today's Headlines (Hindi)
11 June 2019
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/today-s-headlines-hindi/20504-11-june-2019

Today's Headlines
11 June 2019
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/today-s-headlines/20503-11-june-2019

ऑयल इंडिया लिमिटेड के खाते में 12 ब्लॉक
डायरेक्टरेट जनरल ऑफ हाइड्रोकार्बन्स (डीजीएच) द्वारा 32 तेल व गैस ब्लॉक की नवीनतम नीलामी की गई है जिसमें सबसे ज्यादा 12 ब्लॉक सरकारी कंपनी ऑयल इंडिया लिमिटेड (ओआइएल) के खाते में आ रहे हैं। इस नीलामी के अनुसार सरकारी कंपनी ऑयल एंड नेचुरल गैस कॉरपोरेशन (ओएनजीसी) तथा निजी क्षेत्र की वेदांता लिमिटेड को नौ-नौ तेल व गैस ब्लॉक मिलना तय है। वहीं शेष एक ब्लॉक रिलायंस इंडस्ट्रीज लिमिटेड और उसकी ब्रिटिश सहयोगी बीपी पीएलसी के हिस्से में आ रहा है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20496-12-6
#OilIndiaLimited #DGH #ONGC #OIL #AnilAgarwal #CCEA #OALP

दिग्गज साहित्यकार गिरीश कर्नाड का निधन
बॉलीवुड के जानेमाने अभिनेता, कन्नड़ साहित्यकार और निर्देशक गिरीश कर्नाड (Girish Karnad) का 81 साल की उम्र में निधन हो गया। कर्नाड लंबे समय से बिमार थे। उन्हें कई बार अस्पताल में भी भर्ती करवाया गया था। 10 जून 2019 को सुबह उन्होंने बेंगलुरु के अस्पताल में आखिरी सांस ली। गिरीश कर्नाड के निधन से बॉलिवुड जगत में शोक की लहर है। गिरीश कर्नाड को पद्मश्री, पद्मभूषण पुरस्कार से सम्मानित किया जा चुका था।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20495-2019-06-11-03-25-12
#GirishKarnad #Veteranliterary #PadmaBhushanAward #PMModi #Bangalore

Inter Creditor Agreement
The Sashakt Committee has recommended that the existing Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) to incorporate the revised voting threshold and other changes for decision making stipulated by the Reserve Bank of India. In a statement it said that this will enable expeditious implementation of the new framework on stressed assets.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20500-inter-creditor-agreement
#ICA #IBA #RBI #NBFCs #RajnishKumar #BLRA #SashaktCommittee

China’s rare earths exports fall
Rare earth exports by China, the world's dominant producer, fell 16% in May from a month earlier amid an increased focus on the raw materials due to the Sino-U.S. trade war, although the drop was in line with usual trading.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20499-china-s-rare-earths-exports-fall
#China #REM #REE #tradewar #military #IUPAC

India as partner to counter trade headwinds
China on 10 June 2019 invited India to join a budding international effort to counter headwinds of “trade protectionism and unilateralism” and brainstorm ways to address “bullying practices of the United States”.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20498-india-as-partner-to-counter-trade-headwinds
#India #SCO #ZhangHanhui #XiJinping #NarendraModi

Tokayev elected Kazakhstan president
Kazakhstan's interim president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, chosen successor of veteran ruler Nursultan Nazarbayev who retains sweeping powers, has won a snap presidential election with nearly 71% of the vote. Nazarbayev, who ruled oil producer Kazakhstan for almost three decades, handpicked the 66-year-old career diplomat as his successor when he stepped down in March.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20497-tokayev-elected-kazakhstan-president
#Kazakhstan #Tokayev #NursultanNazarbayev #Europe

हैल्थ इंडेक्स 2019
देश के बड़े प्रदेशों में सबसे खराब स्वास्थ्य व्यवस्था उत्तर प्रदेश और बिहार में है। खास बात यह है कि इन दोनों राज्यों की स्थिति सुधरने के बजाय बिगड़ती जा रही है। नीति आयोग के हैल्थ इंडेक्स 2019 पर ये दोनों राज्य देशभर में 21 बड़े प्रदेशों की रैंकिंग में सबसे निचले पायदान पर हैं जबकि केरल पहले नंबर पर, आंध्र प्रदेश दूसरे और महाराष्ट्र तीसरे नंबर पर हैं। वहीं सात संघ शासित क्षेत्रों के हैल्थ इंडेक्स रैंकिंग में चंडीगढ़ पहले नंबर पर है जबकि दिल्ली पांचवें स्थान पर है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20670-2019-31
#HealthIndex2019 #UttarPradesh #WorldBank #UP #Jharkhand

गरुड़ अभ्यास 2019
भारतीय वायुसेना के सुखोई फाइटर जेट फ्रांस के लड़ाकू राफेल विमान के साथ गरुड़ -सीरीज एरियल वॉर गेम्स में भाग लेने के लिए 25 जून 2019 को फ्रांस के लिए रवाना हो गए। दोनों देशों की वायु सेनाओं के बीच होने जा रहे सबसे बड़े हवाई युद्धाभ्यास में, भारतीय दल को राफेल विमानों के साथ उड़ान भरने का मौका मिलेगा, जो इस साल सितंबर से भारतीय वायुसेना के लड़ाकू बेड़े में शामिल होने जा रहे हैं।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20669-2019-30
#GarudaPractice2019 #IndianAirForce #aircraft #IndianNavy #ArabianSea

प्रभावशाली महिलाओं में सीतारमण
वित्त मंत्री निर्मला सीतारमण को ब्रिटेन-भारत रिश्तों को आगे बढ़ाने वाली 100 सबसे प्रभावशाली महिलाओं की सूची में शामिल किया गया है। इस सूची में ब्रिटेन की सबसे वरिष्ठ कैबिनेट मंत्री पेनी मॉरडाउंट भी शामिल हैं। ब्रिटेन के गृह मंत्री साजिद जाविद ने 24 जून 2019 भारत दिवस के मौके पर संसद ब्रिटेन भारत रिश्तों में 100 प्रभावशाली महिलाओं की सूची जारी की।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20668-2019-06-26-06-47-06
#Sitharaman #influentialwomen #SajidJavid #FinanceMinister #Britain

अंतरराष्ट्रीय अंतरिक्ष स्टेशन से अंतरिक्ष यात्री लौटे
प्रक्षेपण के दौरान हुई एक हालिया दुर्घटना के बाद अंतरराष्ट्रीय अंतरिक्ष स्टेशन से पहला चालक दल 25 जून 2019 को धरती पर लौट आया। प्रक्षेपण के दौरान हुए हादसे के बाद रूसी अंतरिक्ष कार्यक्रम की वापसी को लेकर संशय बना हुआ था।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20667-2019-06-26-06-46-51
#AstronautsReturn #InternationalSpaceStation #Russian #NASA

National health index 2019
For the second year in a row, Kerala has retained its top rank in the national health index, which analyses the overall performance and incremental improvement in all the states. According to the Health Index 2019 released on 25 June 2019 by NITI Aayog, Kerala is the top performer with a score of 74.01 out of 100, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 65.13 and Maharashtra with 63.99. Uttar Pradesh was the worst-performing state with a score of 28.61, followed by Bihar and Odisha.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20677-national-health-index-2019
#HealthIndex2019 #UttarPradesh #WorldBank #UP #Jharkhand

A panel recommendation for MSMEs
A committee formed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), headed by former SEBI Chairman U.K. Sinha, has recommended a ₹5,000 crore distressed asset fund for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The fund will assist units in a cluster where there is a change in the external environment such as plastic ban, which had resulted in large number of such entities becoming non-performing.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20676-a-panel-recommendation-for-msmes
#MSMEs #RBI #UKSinha #MUDRA #FinanceMinistry #SEBI

Calls on to destroy new missile of response
NATO urged Russia on 25 June 2019 to destroy a new missile before an August deadline and save a treaty that keeps land-based nuclear warheads out of Europe or face a more determined alliance response in the region.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20675-calls-on-to-destroy-new-missile-of-response
#NATO #INF #missile #Calls #Europe #RonaldReagan #NuclearForcesTreaty


Astronauts back on Earth
Three astronauts safely returned to Earth on 25 June 2019 after spending more than six months aboard the Int

डीएनए प्रौद्योगिकी (उपयोग एवं अनुप्रयोग) विनियमन विधेयक 2019
केंद्रीय विज्ञान एवं प्रौद्योगिकी मंत्री डॉ. हर्षवर्धन ने ‘’डीएनए प्रौद्योगिकी (उपयोग एवं अनुप्रयोग) विनियमन विधेयक–2019’’ लोकसभा में पेश किया। विधेयक प्रस्‍तुत करते हुए डॉ. हर्षवर्धन ने कहा कि यह विधेयक गुमशुदा व्‍यक्तियों, पीडि़तों, दोषियों, विचाराधीन कैदियों और अज्ञात मृत व्‍यक्तियों की पहचान के लिए ’डीएनए प्रौद्योगिकी के उपयोग एवं अनुप्रयोग के विनियमन से संबंधित है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20834-2019-38
#DNA #RegulationBill2019 #LokSabha #DrHarshVardhan #RegulatoryBoard

कश्‍मीर पर UNHRC की रिपोर्ट
जम्मू-कश्मीर पर संयुक्त राष्ट्र मानवाधिकार कार्यालय (OHCHR) की एक रिपोर्ट से भारत सख्‍त नाराज है। वहीं पाकिस्‍तान इस पर इतराया हुआ है। भारत ने इस रिपोर्ट को पूरी तरह से खारिज करते हुए इसे मनगढ़ंत करार दिया है। सरकार की तरफ से कहा गया है कि यह रिपोर्ट पूरी तरह से झूठ और राजनीति से प्रेरित है। भारत का तर्क है
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20833-unhrc
#Pakistan #UNHRC #OHCHR #India #Kashmir #RavishKumar #terrorist

2020 में देश के पहले विमान वाहक पोत का बेसिन ट्रायल
भारत में बन रहे स्वदेशी विमानवाहक पोत के निर्माण का कार्य तेजी से चल रहा है और मार्च 2020 तक यह बेसिन ट्रायल (कम गहरे पानी में परीक्षण) के लिए पानी में उतारा जा सकता है। इसके बाद पोत का सी ट्रायल (समुद्र के गहरे पानी में परीक्षण) होगा। इस पहले स्वदेशी विमानवाहक पोत का नाम आइएनएस विक्रांत होगा।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20832-2020-3
#aircraft #BasinTrial #INS #Vikrant #AKSaxena #IndianNavy #AdmiralSaxena #AdmiralSaxena

Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP)
The Central Government has introduced a 4-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) for pre-service training, to offer graduation with certain specializations built into it namely Primary and Secondary Education. In this regard, a Gazette Notification dated 29th March, 2019 has been published and applications have been invited from 3rd June, 2019.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20838-integrated-teacher-education-programme-itep
#ITEP #NCERT #SSA #RTE #PGI #OECD #NIEPA #RMSA

Global Study on Homicide 2019
Asia, which accounts for 60% of the global population, recorded the lowest rate of homicide in 2017 with only 2.3 killings per 1,00,000 people while the Americas had the highest homicide rate, according to a UN report.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20837-global-study-on-homicide-2019
#GlobalStudy #Homicide2019 #Asia #UNODC #worldwide

FAME India Scheme
The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 is a National Mission document providing the vision and the roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their manufacturing in the country. As part of the NEMMP 2020, Department of Heavy Industry formulated a Scheme viz.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20836-fame-india-scheme
#FAME #India #NEMMP #FAMEIndia #CO2 #manufacturing #hybrid

Iran breaches limit in nuclear deal
Iran on 8 July 2019 began enriching uranium to 4.5%, just breaking the limit set by its nuclear deal with world powers, while it is still seeking a way for Europe to help it bypass U.S. sanctions amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20835-iran-breaches-limit-in-nuclear-deal
#Iran #nuclear #Europe #IAEA #DonaldTrump #Organization #AtomsforPeace

Strategic Chabahar project
India and Iran on 22 December 2019 agreed to accelerate work on the strategic Chabahar project as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22395-strategic-chabahar-project.html
#StrategicChabahar #India #NarendraModi #Afghanistan #JavadZarif

Boeing spacecraft returned to earth
Boeing's new Starliner unmanned spacecraft returned to Earth on 22 December 2019, landing in the New Mexico desert in the United States six days early after a clock problem prevented a rendezvous with the International Space Station.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22394-boeing-spacecraft-returned-to-earth.html
#spacecraft #earth #NASA #AtlasVlaunch #rocket #ISS

Russia, Ukraine outline gas transit deal
Russia and Ukraine announced terms of a new gas transit deal on 21 December 2019, under which Moscow will supply Europe for at least another five years via its former Soviet neighbour and pay a $2.9 billion settlement to Kiev to end a legal dispute.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22393-russia-ukraine-outline-gas-transit-deal.html
#Russia #Ukraine #Moscow #gas #Europe

Cuba gets first prime minister
Cuba's first prime minister in more than four decades - long-serving tourism minister Manuel Marrero - has taken office as the country resurrected a post last held by Fidel Castro.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22392-cuba-gets-first-prime-minister.html
#Cuba #ManuelMarrero #GHG #FidelCastro

SC upholds amendments SC/ST Act
The Supreme Court on 10 February 2020 upheld the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act of 2018, which nullified its own controversial March 20, 2018 judgment diluting the stringent provisions of the Dalit protection law.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22827-sc-upholds-amendments-sc-st-act.html
#SC #amendments #SRavindraBhat #ArunMishra #PILs

No plans to give permanent status to FC
The government has no plans to give permanent status to the finance commission (FC), Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said on 10 February 2020. Currently, the government appoints finance commission for a fixed term.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22826-no-plans-to-give-permanent-status-to-fc.html
#FC #RBI #Article280 #NKSingh #FinanceCommission

Solar Orbiter blasts off
Europe and NASA's Solar Orbiter rocketed into space on 10 February 2020 night on an unprecedented mission to capture the first pictures of the sun's elusive poles.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22825-solar-orbiter-blasts-off.html
#Solar #Orbiter #NASA #spacecraft #sun #Europe

First time ever Jerusalem-Mumbai Festival
The first ‘Jerusalem-Mumbai Festival’ will be held in the capital of Maharashtra this week to showcase the special links between the two cities and to promote ties between India and Israel.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22824-first-time-ever-jerusalem-mumbai-festival.html
#Jerusalem #MumbaiFestival #AmninderSandhu #Israel

Votes to ban homophobic discrimination
Switzerland voted on 9 February 2020 to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. The country’s referendum-based direct democracy takes many divisive issues to the populace if enough people demand it.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22823-votes-to-ban-homophobic-discrimination.html
#homophobic #discrimination #Votestoban #Switzerland

India-Europe Summit
A high-level ministerial dialogue to boost trade and investment relations, commitment to remove trade hurdles and expand market access, and beef up security cooperation are part of the new broad-based strategic partnership adopted between India and the European Union (EU) on 15 July 2020.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/24400-india-europe-summit.html
#India #Europe #EU #IFM #SPS

Today's Headlines - 13 August 2023
Fifth Force of Nature discovered
GS Paper - 3 (Science and Technology)

Scientists at the Fermilab situated near Chicago have claimed to have discovered a new force or the fifth force of nature. If proven, this may be the beginning of a new revolution in physics and could prove to be the most significant discovery after Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

What is the Fifth Force of Nature?

The entire universe is governed by four forces- gravity, electromagnetism, the weak force, and the strong force. Now, scientists claim to have found a new force or the fifth force.
How was the Fifth Force of Nature discovered?

In an experiment called ‘g-2’ or ‘g minus 2’ at Fermilab, the researchers accelerated sub-atomic particles called muons through a 50-meter diameter ring and circulated these particles 1,000 times at near light speed and found that these particles did not behave the way they should.
Their behaviour cannot be explained by the current theory called the Standard Model because these particles were under the influence of a new force.
Muons are electron-like sub-atomic particles that orbit atoms, but they are 200 times bigger.
In the experiment, they were made to wobble using superconducting magnets. But they wobbled faster than predicted by the Standard Model. This might be caused by a new force or the fifth force.
The scientists at Europe’s Large Hadron Collider are also trying to find flaws in the Standard Model.
Dr. Mitesh Patel from Imperial College London is one of those thousands of scientists who are working at the LHC, trying to find experimental results showing the flaws in the Standard Model.
The measuring behaviour that does not comply with the Standard Model is the holy grail of particle physics and it may trigger a revolution that may begin a new understanding of physics.

#upsc #news #headline #fifth #force #nature #discovered #science #technology #fermilab #force #universe #strongforce #europe #imperialcollegelondon #physics #hadron #muons #diameter #eletro #ALBERTEINSTEIN #theory #minus #speed #orbit #atoms #trigger #magnetism #atomic

Today's Headlines - 16 August 2023
Wildfires ravage Hawaii’s Maui Island
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

The images of the aftermath of the devastating fire in Hawaii’s Maui Island have grabbed the world’s attention. The wildfires, which have already killed nearly 100 people and left thousands homeless, have become part of a wider global list of unusually intense blazes that have raged across Europe, Canada and the United States.

What happened in Hawaii

Hawaii is no stranger to fires, which burn on a smaller scale with some regularity, especially in the drier parts of the island.
The current fires – active in Lahaina, Upcountry and Pūlehu/Kīhei – are believed to have started with the one in Lahaina spreading quickly across the town.
The exact cause of the fires is still under investigation, but experts agree that the fires were bolstered by strong winds from Category-4 Hurricane Dora, which was passing through the Pacific Ocean – far to the southwest of the island.
Low humidity and dry vegetation too precipitated the issue. Initial reports suggest that the changing land-use patterns in Hawaii, which has seen farm and forest lands being replaced by flammable non-native species of grasses like Guinea grass, are a likely cause for the easy spread of the fire.
Over the past few decades, wildfire has been increasing in Hawaii as a result of changing climate, as a result of increases in invasive species, and a lot of our active agriculture going out… and becoming fallow.

What is the link between wildfires and climate change?

Wildfires have been a part of life on Earth, usually following a seasonal pattern during the June-August period.
Be it natural or human-made, the phenomenon is a critical part of the ecosystem. A healthy fire is key to ensuring that forests remain robust and resilient.
It also aids the natural replenishment of nutrients in the soil, helps sunlight reach the forest floors, and encourages the germination of seeds.
It is the increasingly intense nature of the wildfires – aided by the warming weather, dry conditions and change in rain cycles – that is now becoming a source of worry.
Experts have compared it akin to the difference between throwing a lighted matchstick on a pile of wet, green wood and on dry kindling. And increasingly, climate change is determining the degree of dryness of the latter.
Besides the destruction of lives and livelihoods, these catastrophic wildfires also release an immense amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
There is also one immediate issue – these immense fires contribute adversely to air pollution, leading to long-term and short-term respiratory issues, heart disease and lung cancer.

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Today's Headlines - 23 August 2023
The vegetated canopies for creating green spaces
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

As Europe battles scorching temperatures this summer and wildfires blaze across the continent from the Mediterranean to Spain, the role of climate change in making heatwaves hotter and more frequent has come into focus. At a broader level, greenhouse gas emissions from human activities have heated the planet by about 1.2 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times. These grim predictions have brought attention to a range of mitigation measures. One such initiative to bring greenery back to urban spaces in Spain involves installing vegetated awnings or canopies.

What are vegetated canopies?

Introduced in Santa Maria Street in Valladolid, Spain, the awnings are tensioned sail-like structures that have been anchored to the facades of surrounding buildings. They mimic natural canopies found in forests and various plant species.
The lightness and ease of installation of the ‘Greenshades’ allow for shade and the presence of greenery in commercial streets and public spaces, where trees or other vegetation are often absent.
Here is how they work:

The sails with anchors and supports are prepared by laying down the specific geotextile substrate or material. An irrigation system is installed at the highest side, from where the water falls by gravity, soaking the entire substrate.
In addition to water, fertilizer keeps the vegetation in perfect condition. The excess water is collected at the lowest point and into a connected drainage system.
The seed mixture is then projected onto the geotextile. After four months, the shade is expected to be completely covered with vegetation.
The awnings can be placed in streets, where planting trees may not be feasible owing to the lack of space. The plants grow hydroponically, with a water supply point and water outlet for draining purposes.
What are their advantages?

The plants chosen for these awnings belong to species that are optimised for the absorption of gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide.
The substrate also absorbs sound waves, reducing noise pollution. A square metre of a vegetated canopy generates the oxygen required by a person for the whole year, apart from filtering harmful gases, according to the company.
The hanging planter also allows for the centralisation of water and light installations.
This is meant to induce savings as the lights are equipped with movement sensors that illuminate the street according to its need.
The adoption of such canopies could eventually contribute to urban biodiversity, creating a healthier ecosystem that supports a variety of wildlife.

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Today's Headlines - 29 August 2023
Water shortages reduce from wastewater
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

Europe has experienced severe heat and drought over the last few summers, and 2023 has been no different. Vast swathes of Central and Southern Europe are simply too dry from a lack of rainfall. Human-induced climate change has led to more heat waves and drought and is one reason for Europe’s growing water crisis. At the same time, demand for the resource is growing, with industry and agriculture extracting more water from the ground, rivers and lakes than can be replenished.

Who uses the most water?

Industry uses half of Europe’s water resources, while a further 40% is hoovered up by agriculture and 10% by households.
In the European Union, water scarcity impacts 11% of all citizens. Falling water supplies can lead to households facing use restrictions. But the problem also impacts the energy sector.
In 2022, French authorities had to switch off some nuclear power plants because river water used for cooling them was too warm.
Last year, the dry summer also reduced hydropower in Norway. Farmers, though, who use large amounts of water for crop irrigation, are also hard hit by water shortages and drought.
Could using industry wastewater help farmers?

One solution for agriculture could be to use more treated industrial and domestic wastewater for irrigation and protect valuable freshwater supplies. Six times more waste water could be reused across the EU than current levels.
Freshwater resources are scarce and increasingly under pressure. In times of unprecedented temperature peaks, we need to stop wasting water and use this resource more efficiently.
New EU regulations on minimum requirements for water reuse for agricultural irrigation came into force this summer.
The regulations stipulate that EU member states must process communal and industrial wastewater so it can be used by farmers.
Processing and reusing water could replace a fifth of irrigation that currently uses groundwater in Spain and Portugal, said the European Commission.
In France, Italy and Greece, it could be as much as 45%. Wastewater could cover all irrigation needs in EU countries with smaller agricultural sectors.
Leaky pipes lead to massive water waste

One way to save water that is often overlooked is maintaining the pipes that shuttle the resource to homes and businesses.
On average, a quarter of the EU’s freshwater is lost during transport to taps because of leaks and broken pipes.
Currently, countries most affected by drought and a lack of rain — such as Spain, Italy and Bulgaria — invest the least amount of money per citizen to fix leaky water infrastructure.

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Today's Headlines - 05 September 2023
A sunrace of significant global missions
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)

In the wake of the Indian Space Research Organisation's successful launch of its inaugural solar mission, Aditya-L1,, let's embark on a journey through key missions from space agencies worldwide, all dedicated to unravelling the enigmatic secrets of the Sun.
A Sunrace
USA
US: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US space agency, launched the Parker Solar Probe in August 2018. In December 2021, Parker flew through the Sun's upper atmosphere, the corona, and sampled particles and magnetic fields there. This was the first time ever that a spacecraft touched the Sun, according to NASA.
In February 2020, NASA joined hands with the European Space Agency (ESA) and launched The Solar Orbiter to collect data to find out how the Sun created and controlled the constantly changing space environment throughout the solar system.
Other active solar missions by NASA are Advanced Composition Explorer launched in August, 1997; Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory in October, 2006; Solar Dynamics Observatory in February, 2010; and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph launched in June, 2013.
Also, in December, 1995, NASA, ESA and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) jointly launched the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).
Japan
JAXA, Japan's space agency, launched its first solar observation satellite, Hinotori (ASTRO-A), in 1981. The objective was to study solar flares using hard X-rays, according to JAXA. JAXA's other solar exploratory missions are Yohkoh (SOLAR-A) launched in 1991; SOHO (along with NASA and ESA) in 1995; and Transient Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), along with NASA, in 1998.
In 2006, Hinode (SOLAR-B) was launched, which was the successor to Yohkoh (SOLAR-A), the orbiting solar observatory. Japan launched it in collaboration with the US and the UK. The objective of Hinode, an observatory satellite, is to study the impact of the Sun on the Earth.
Yohkoh's objective was to observe solar flares and the solar corona. It was the first satellite to track almost an entire 11-year solar activity cycle.
Europe
In October, 1990, the ESA launched Ulysses to study the environment of space above and below the poles of the Sun, giving scientists information about the variable effect the Sun has on the space surrounding it. Other than solar missions launched in collaboration with NASA and the JAXA, the ESA launched Proba-2 in October, 2001.
Proba-2 is the second of the Proba series, building on nearly eight years of successful Proba-1 experience, even as Proba-1 was not a solar exploratory mission. On-board Proba-2 were four experiments, two of them were solar observation experiments.
Proba stands for Project for On-Board Autonomy. Upcoming solar missions of the ESA include Proba-3, scheduled for 2024 and Smile, scheduled for 2025.
China
The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) was successfully launched by the National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in October, 2022. The ASO-S mission is designed to reveal connections among the solar magnetic field, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
Solar flares and CMEs are eruptive solar phenomena, thought to be driven by changes in the Sun's magnetic field.

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Today's Headlines - 11 September 2023
India-Middle East-Europe mega economic corridor
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe mega economic corridor. The project includes India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, France, Italy, Germany and the US.

What is the project?

The rail and shipping corridor is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII) — a collaborative effort by G7 nations to fund infrastructure projects in developing nations. PGII is considered to be the bloc’s counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The project will aim to enable greater trade among the involved countries, including energy products.
It could also be one of the more ambitious counters to China’s massive infrastructure program, through which it has sought to connect more of the world to that country’s economy, AP said.
The corridor will include a rail link as well as an electricity cable, a hydrogen pipeline and a high-speed data cable, according to a document prepared by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The document also called the project “a green and digital bridge across continents and civilizations.”
Why is the project being proposed?

First, it would increase prosperity among the countries involved through an increased flow of energy and digital communications.
Second, the project would help deal with the lack of infrastructure needed for growth in lower- and middle-income nations.
Third, it could help “turn the temperature down” on “turbulence and insecurity” coming out of the Middle East

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