Today's News 24 March 2019
देश के पहले लोकपाल ने ली शपथ
सुप्रीम कोर्ट के पूर्व जज जस्टिस पिनाकी चंद्र घोष ने देश के पहले लोकपाल के तौर पर शपथ ले ली। जस्टिस घोष को राष्ट्रपति रामनाथ कोविंद ने देश के पहले लोकपाल के तौर पर शपथ दिलाई। इस मौके पर प्रधानमंत्री मोदी भी मौजूद थे।जस्टिस घोष इससे पहले आंध्र प्रदेश हाई कोर्ट के चीफ जस्टिस और सुप्रीम कोर्ट के जज रह चुके हैं। जस्टिस घोष वर्तमान में राष्ट्रीय मानवाधिकार आयोग के सदस्य भी थे और मानवाधिकार कानूनों के जानकार के तौर पर उन्हें माना जाता है।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/19393-2019-03-24-03-23-20
#Ombudsman #Lokpal #RamnathKovind #PinakiChandraGhosh #Lokayukta

जल प्रबंधन कार्यशाला के साथ विश्व जल दिवस को मनाया गया
पेयजल और स्वच्छता मंत्रालय ने 22 मार्च, 2019 को विश्व जल दिवस के अवसर पर भारतीय प्रौद्योगिकी संस्थान (आईआईटी) मद्रास के सहयोग और यूनिसेफ इंडिया के समर्थन के साथ ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में धूसर जल प्रबंधन (ग्रे वॉटर) और आर्सेनिक और फ्लोराइड युक्‍त जल शोधन पर दो दिवसीय राष्ट्रीय कार्यशाला (21 और 22 मार्च) का आयोजन किया। कार्यशाला के पूर्ण सत्र को पेयजल और स्वच्छता मंत्रालय के सचिव श्री परमेस्वरन अय्यर, और आईआईटी मद्रास के निदेशक, प्रोफेसर भास्कर राममूर्ति ने संबोधित किया।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/19392-2019-03-24-03-22-56
#WorldWaterDay #UNICEF #India #IIT #Gujarat

RBI again defers Ind AS
The Reserve Bank again deferred the implementation of the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) by banks as the requisite legislative amendments are still under consideration. Earlier in April 2018, the central bank had postponed the implementation of the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) by the banks by one year.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/19398-rbi-again-defers-ind-as
#RBI #ICAI #IFRS #ReserveBank #NACAS #ASB #FICCI

Italy endorse Belt and Road accord
Italy on 23 March 2019 became the first member of the Group of Seven industrialised powers to endorse China's "Belt and Road" infrastructure project, with Rome brushing off the worries of Western allies as it looks to revive its flagging economy.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/19397-italy-endorse-belt-and-road-accord
#Italy #BRI #XiJinping #China #infrastructure

World's 12th busiest overtaking hubs
The capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is now the world’s 12th busiest airport — moving up four places from the 16th spot in 2017 — by overtaking mega hubs like the Frankfurt, Dallas Forth Worth, Guangzhou and Istanbul Ataturk airports. According to the preliminary world airport traffic rankings for 2018 released by Airports Council International (ACI), IGIA was the fastest growing among the top 20 airports.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/19396-world-s-12th-busiest-overtaking-hubs
#IGIA #ACI #airport #Delhi #Frankfurt #Istanbul

First Lokpal of India sworn in
Justice Pinaki Ghose on 23 March 2019 took oath as the first Lokpal of India — the national anti-corruption ombudsman. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi were present on the occasion. The former Supreme Court judge’s appointment comes five years after the Lokpal Act received the President’s nod on January 1, 2014.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/19395-first-lokpal-of-india-sworn-in
#Ombudsman #Lokpal #RamnathKovind #PinakiChandraGhosh #Lokayukta

An elusive whale is found all around the world
Salvatore Cerchio stunned the small world of whale science in 2015 when he found examples of a new species in the wild for the first time. Now, he’s mapped the habitat of that species, called Omura’s whale after Hideo Omura, a prominent Japanese whale biologist. The surprise in the new study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, is that Omura’s whales, though little seen, are widespread across the tropical world. Cerchio, a researcher with the New England Aquarium in B

India's SRB down
India’s sex ratio at birth (SRB) — the number of female babies born for every 1,000 male babies — fell to an all-time low of 896 in 2015-2017. This would translate into approximately 117 lakh girls missing in the country in a span of three years. Five large states — Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra and Gujarat — with poor sex ratios at birth account for about two thirds of these missing girls.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20926-india-s-srb-down
#SRB #India #Gujarat #sexratio #UP #Rajasthan #approximately

India’s renewable energy
India’s renewable energy capacity has crossed the 80GW-mark, which includes 29.55 GW of solar energy and 36.37 GW wind power, Parliament was informed on 16 July 2019. The government has set an ambitious target of having 175 GW of clean energy capacity by 2022, including 100 GW solar and 60 GW of wind energy.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20925-india-s-renewable-energy
#India #PPAs #SPPD #SECI #ETDA #CTU #INDC #solar

Justice Sikri Appointed As Judge Of SICC
Former Supreme Court judge Justice A K Sikri has been appointed as an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC). A press release in the official website of the Singapore Prime Minister's office stated that the President of the Republic of Singapore, on the advice of the Prime Minister, has made the appointment of Justice Sikri from August 1. His appointment is until Jan 4, 2021.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20924-justice-sikri-appointed-as-judge-of-sicc
#SICC #AKSikri #CSAT #Singapore #SupremeCourt #HongKong #AlokVerma

Bill to fortify arbitration framework
A bill aimed at improving institutional arbitration in the country was introduced in the Rajya Sabha by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to make India a hub of domestic and global arbitration for settling commercial disputes.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20923-bill-to-fortify-arbitration-framework
#framework #RaviShankarPrasad #Amendment #ACI #LokSabha

Deep Ocean Mission
After successfully venturing into space exploration, India will launch its ambitious ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ by October to enter hitherto untapped 75,000 sq km of area in international waters to tap vast marine resources.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21067-deep-ocean-mission-2
#Mission #CIOB #DRDO #ISRO #DeepOceanMission #manned #DBT

WII report on GIB
The critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is nearing extinction due to collision with high voltage power lines that criss-cross their flying path, according to a report by the Ministry of Environment.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21066-wii-report-on-gib
#GIB #WII #Rajasthan #CAMPA #NGT #GIBs #CWEL #Gujarat

Repatriation talks with Rohingya refugees
A Myanmar government delegation has met with representatives of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh to discuss creating conditions for their safe repatriation, officials said on 28 July 2019.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21065-repatriation-talks-with-rohingya-refugees
#ASEAN #Bengalis #Myanmar #Bangladesh #Muslim #RohingyaMuslimrefugees

Indian wins People’s Choice Award in US
Renowned Indian sand artist and Padma Awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the People’s Choice Award at a prestigious sand sculpting festival in the US, wowing the American public with his sculpture that highlighted the message of combating plastic pollution in oceans.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21064-indian-wins-people-s-choice-award-in-us
#Indian #US #Pattnaik #PadmaAwardee #SudarsanPattnaik

Arrow-3 system successfully tested
Israel and the United States have successfully carried out tests of a ballistic missile interceptor that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 28 July 2019 provides protection against potential threats from Iran.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21063-arrow-3-system-successfully-tested
#Arrow3 #Israel #Iran #missile #Alaska #UnitedStates

Mary Kom wins gold medal
Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom claimed the gold medal without breaking a sweat in the 23rd President’s Cup, asserting her supremacy in a lop-sided 51kg bout final in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia on 28 July 2019. The Olympic bronze medallist pugilist decimated Australian April Franks 5-0.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21062-mary-kom-wins-gold-medal
#MaryKom #goldmedal #23rdPresident #TokyoOlympics #Asian #WorldChampionships

CWM Index 2.0
To supplement the efforts of Jal Shakti Ministry, NITI Aayog has prepared the second Round of Composite Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0).The Report was launched on 23 August 2019 by NITI Aayog. CWMI 2.0 ranks various states for the reference year 2017-18 as against the base year 2016-17.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21291-cwm-index-2-0
#CWM #Index2.0 #NITIAayog #JalShaktiMinistry #Gujarat

ESA’s ExoMars programme
NASA has planned to launch its Mars 2020 rover next year sometime in July, however, it will not be the sole expedition to the red-coloured planet. There is another mission called the ExoMars programme, which is a joint venture between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Russian space agency Roscosmos, that is expected to launch sometime in between July 26-August 13 next year.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21290-esa-s-exomars-programme
#NASA #ExoMars #planet #Roscosmos #ESA #RosalindFranklin

Oxytocin issue refers to a larger bench
The Supreme Court referred to a larger Bench the issue of banning manufacture of life-saving drug Oxytocin by private companies. The drug is used to induce labour in pregnant women and stall postpartum bleeding, a leading cause of maternal deaths.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21289-oxytocin-issue-refers-to-a-larger-bench
#Oxytocin #BGP #manufacture #SupremeCourt #Karnataka

Ocean energy now a renewable source
Ocean energy has been included in renewable energy to give a further boost to ocean energy in India. Power Minister R K Singh approved the proposal.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21288-ocean-energy-now-a-renewable-source
#Ocean #India #RPO #NPV #OTEC #RKSingh #stakeholders

IOA blames NADA for suspension
The Indian Olympic Association on 23 August 2019 lashed out at the National Anti-Doping Agency for the suspension of the country’s only WADA-accredited laboratory, saying NADA’s “mistakes” have jeopardised the anti-doping programme in New Delhi.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21287-ioa-blames-nada-for-suspension
#IOA #NADA #WADA #ISL #ISL #LabEG #IOC #UNESCO

NGOs come under RTI Act
Non-Government 0rganisations (NGOs) that are “substantially financed, directly or indirectly”, by government funds will fall within the ambit of “public authority” under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21505-ngos-come-under-rti-act.html
#NGOs #RTIAct #CIC #substantial #SCIC #DeepakGupta

A glimpse of its biodiversity
A team of researchers have reported the discovery of two new plant species belonging to the Asclepiadaceae or milkweed family from the shola forests of the Western Ghats, highlighting its rich biodiversity and the need for a conservation strategy for the fragile ecosystem.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21504-a-glimpse-of-its-biodiversity.html
#glimpse #biodiversity #Gujarat #MSSRF #MSSwaminathan

NASA’s Juno spacecraft
NASA’s Juno mission recently went around Jupiter and released a set of raw images of the giant gaseous planet and its moon Io which cast an eclipse on it. The images showed a small but perfect dark shadow over Jupiter.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21503-nasa-s-juno-spacecraft.html
#NASA #spacecraft #mission #planet #Jupiter

India, China informal summit conclude
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinpingconcluded their informal summit in Mahabalipuram, outside Chennai, on 12 October 2019 with a “new beginning” for cooperation between the two countries.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21689-india-china-informal-summit-conclude.html
#India #NarendraModi #TajFisherman #CBMs #BRI #IT

India wants data localisation in RCEP
India has proposed locating computing facilities inside the country if it is meant to protect its essential security interests and national interests at the the ongoing negotiations of the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21688-india-wants-data-localisation-in-rcep.html
#RCEP #India #RBI #FSA #TPP #ASEAN

Forbes’ richest Indian
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani has topped the Forbes list of richest Indians for the 12th consecutive year in 2019. With $51.4 billion net worth on Forbes’ list of richest Indians for the year 2019, Ambani leads the chart despite the Indian economy facing a slowdown.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21687-forbes-richest-indian.html
#Forbes #RIL #Gujarat #Ambani #Byju #Indian

Dharma Guardian
Dharma Guardian, the joint military exercise between India and Japan, will be held at the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School Vairengte in Mizoram from October 19 to November 2.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21686-dharma-guardian.html
#DharmaGuardian #JGSDF #IndianArmy #Japan

Influential people in Digital Governance
Ravi Shankar Prasad, India's telecom, IT and law minister, has been adjudged among the 100 most influential people in the world of digital governance for his contribution in leading the implementation of Digital India.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21685-influential-people-in-digital-governance.html
#Digital #Governance #NGO #WorldBank #WEF

ISRO launched RISAT-2BR1
India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) successfully completed its 50th spaceflight on 11 December 2019, placing country's advanced radar-imaging satellite RISAT-2B1 into space from Sriharikota.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22317-isro-launched-risat-2br1.html
#ISRO #RISAT #2BR1 #PSLV #AAI #IRNSS #GSO #SatishDhawan

ILP extended to Manipur
The inner line permit (ILP) regime was extended to Manipur on 11 December 2019 with President Ram Nath Kovind signing the order in this effect.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22316-ilp-extended-to-manipur.html
#ILP #LokSabha #RamNathKovind #AmitShah #Manipur

Recycling of Ships Bill
Parliament passed a landmark “The Recycling of Ships Bill 2019’’ for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships in India.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22315-recycling-of-ships-bill.html
#ShipsBill #GDP #revised #SOC #Gujarat #HKC

World’s newest nation
The South Pacific region of Bougainville voted overwhelmingly to become the world’s newest nation by gaining independence from Papua New Guinea, results showed on December 11.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22314-world-s-newest-nation.html
#ABG #Bougainville #BertieAhern #BCL #Worldsnewestnation

UN Global Climate Action Award
IT services major Infosys Ltd was presented with the United Nations Global Climate Action Award in the ‘Climate Neutral Now’ category at the UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22313-un-global-climate-action-award.html
#UN #GlobalClimate #ActionAward #UNGCAA #IT

WTO's appellate body becomes dysfunctional
WTO's dispute settlement mechanism will be impaired with the departure of two of the three judges on its appellate body following completion of their term on 10 December 2019.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22312-wto-s-appellate-body-becomes-dysfunctional.html
#WTO #ASEAN #India #RohanShah #dysfunctional #GRA

EIU survey on urban areas
Three cities in Keralafeature among the fastest-growing urban areas across the world, according to a ranking released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22591-eiu-survey-on-urban-areas.html
#EIU #Kollam #urban #TamilNadu #UAE #Gujarat

Ration card portability implemented
The Centre has rolled out the ‘one nation, one ration card’ initiative in 12 states including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22590-ration-card-portability-implemented.html
#Rationcard #RamVilasPaswan #NFSA #Maharashtra

FAIRS Export Certificate Report
India’s animal husbandry sector underwent a significant change last year due to a “landmark move” by the government which helped ease import regulations, according to a report released by the US Department of Agriculture.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22589-fairs-export-certificate-report.html
#FAIRS #DPPQS #OAA #GAIN #India #DAHD #FAIRS

Iran-U.S. conflict
Five days after Major General Qassem Soleimani, the Quds Force chief, was killed in a U.S. air strike outside Baghdad airport, Iran on 8 January 2020 launched ballistic missile attacks at American troops in two military bases in Iraq.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22588-iran-u-s-conflict.html
#Iran #PMF #missile #MGQS #QudsForce #Article51

Only Indian in list of umpires
Anil Chaudhary is the lone Indian named in the list of 19 match officials, including 16 umpires, for the upcoming ICC U-19 World Cup starting in South Africa from January 17.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22587-only-indian-in-list-of-umpires.html
#Indian #AnilChaudhary #ICC #WorldCup #T20 #SriLanka

KAPS-3 achieves criticality
The indigenously built Gujarat based Kakrapar Atomic Power Station or KAPS –3 has achieved criticality, thus giving a boost to the `Make in India’ initiative in the reactors sector.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/24593-kaps-3-achieves-criticality.html
#KAPS3 #PHWR #Gujarat #DepartmentofAtomicEnergy

Watch KSG Explainer - Gujarat gets top spot in National Logistics Index 2021 #UPSC #IAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FJT6fImEf8

Watch: KSG DYK - The “Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary (WS)” is located in? #SHORTS #UPSC #IAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThRQED4TR7E

Watch: KSG DYK - The Banni grassland is present in? #SHORTS #UPSC #IAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIBp_9BlOR4

Watch: Cabinet nod for setting up WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine #traditionalmedicine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWXTWnlCEiM

Watch: Cabinet nod for setting up WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine #traditionalmedicine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWXTWnlCEiM&list=PLCUwtp5IghZlGtWhDAkuXVFs8MLdVey75&index=57
#UPSCOnlineClasses #OnlineClassses #IASOnlineclasses

Today's Headlines - 20 July 2023
NITI's Export Preparedness Index 2022
GS Paper - 3 (Economy)

Tamil Nadu has pipped Maharashtra and Gujarat to emerge as the top state in the Niti Aayog's Export Preparedness Index 2022. The index is aimed at assessing the readiness of the states in terms of their export potential and performance. Gujarat had topped the chart in the last two rankings.

More about the Index

Tamil Nadu with an overall score of 80.89 topped the third edition of rankings. Maharashtra with a score of 78.20 was second while Karnataka (76.36) was third.
Gujarat with a score of 73.22 was fourth, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Kerala in that order in the ranking of coastal states, according to the government think tank's report released on 17 July 2023.
Among hilly/Himalayan states, Uttarakhand (59.13) has ranked at the top position. It is followed by Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in that order.
Haryana (63.65) topped the chart among the landlocked regions. It was followed by Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
In the category of union territories/small states, Goa (51.58) was ranked first. Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar and Ladakh were ranked second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Flashback

The index can be used by the regions to benchmark their performance against their peers and analyse potential challenges to develop better policy mechanisms to foster export-led growth at the sub-national level.
The ranking is based on four main pillars: policy, business ecosystem, export ecosystem and export performance.
The index is also aimed at promoting competition among all states (coastal, landlocked, Himalayan and UTs) to bring about favourable policies, ease the regulatory framework, create necessary infrastructure and assist in identifying strategic recommendations for improving export competitiveness.

#upsc #news #nitis #economy #tamilnadu #maharashtra #gujarat #nitiaayog #performance #ranking #karnataka #andhrapradesh #coastalstates #uttarakhand #himachalpradesh #manipur #mizoram #arunachalpradesh #haryana #telangana #uttarpradesh #madhyapradesh #ecosystem #strategic #mechanisms

Today's Headlines - 24 July 2023
India’s first ‘satellite network portal site’
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)

The Gujarat government through its Department of Science and Technology (DST) signed a memorandum of understanding with OneWeb India Communications Pvt Ltd for setting up a ‘satellite network portal site’ — a first for India — at Mehsana in Gujarat.

What is the Satellite network portal site?

Satellite broadband technology or satellite telephony is not a new concept and with satellite constellations in the low Earth orbit (LEO) gaining traction with StarLink, Kuiper and OneWeb among many others, the world is increasingly moving towards relying on LEO satellite communications.
LEO satellites operate at an altitude of 500 to 1,200 km, making it ripe for high-speed and low latency — a lower time lag between a user seeking data, and the server sending that data, compared to geostationary Earth orbit positioned satellites.
OneWeb has 648 satellites orbiting at 1,000-1,200 km making 13 orbits per day, covering the entire globe.
The satellite network portal (SNP) site will serve as a signal and data downlink and uplink terminal or base station on the ground, an intermediary for data transmission through satellite tracking antenna systems.
OneWeb India Communications plans to invest up to Rs 100 crore in this project, which would, according to the Gujarat government, create 500 direct and indirect jobs, including jobs requiring telecom, electronics and instrumentation engineers.
Apart from civil infrastructure, setting up an SNP like this will also require a slew of regulatory approvals from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and spectrum allocation from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Earlier, HCIPL and OneWeb, in January 2022, announced a strategic six-year Distribution Partner agreement to provide low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity services across India, to deliver services to enterprises and government with OneWeb capacity, especially in areas outside the reach of fibre connectivity.

#upsc #news #todayheadline #india #satellite #network #portalsite #spacetechnology #gujarat #government #science #DST #oneweb #communications #mehsana #telephony #constellation #LEO #earth #starlink #kuiper #geostationary #SNP #terminal #INSPACE #fibre #connectivity #strategic #telecomregulatory

Today's Headlines - 27 July 2023
Raigad landslide brings back focus on Madhav Gadgil report
GS Paper - 1 (Geography)

A landslide in Maharashtra’s Raigad district claimed 27 lives, flattened an entire village, and brought back into focus the 2011 Dr Madhav Gadgil report on conservation of the Western Ghats. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said as per the recommendation of the report, the mapping of all the landslide-prone villages in the state, including those on the Western Ghats, was carried out during his tenure as the Chief Minister of the state between 2014 and 2019 and was submitted to the Union government.

What does the report state?

In 2010, then Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh appointed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), to be chaired by ecologist Dr Madhav Gadgil. The commission submitted its 552-page report to the Centre in August 2011.
The report recommended classifying 64 percent of the Western Ghats, spread over six states, into Ecologically Sensitive Zones called ESZ 1, ESZ 2 and ESZ 3. It also recommended designating the entire region as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
Almost all developmental activities like mining, construction of thermal power plants, dams were to stop along with the decommissioning of similar projects that have completed their shelf life in ESZ 1.
It said that both the Athirappilly and Gundia hydel project sites should not be accorded environmental clearance as they fall in this zone.
For Goa, WGEEP recommended an indefinite moratorium on new environmental clearances for mining in ESZs 1 and 2, a phasing out of mining in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1 by 2016, and continuation of existing mining in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 2 under strict regulation with an effective system of social audit.
In the Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra, the panel advised that in ESZs 1 and 2, no new polluting (red and orange category) industries, which would include coal-based power plants, should be permitted to be established, and the existing red and orange category industries should be asked to switch to zero pollution by 2016.
Further, it found that plains and coastal tracts in these districts were under “severe environmental and social stress”.
In all the zones, genetically modified crops should not be allowed, use of plastic bags be prohibited, Special Economic Zones should not be permitted, new hill stations should not be allowed, changing the land use from farmland to non-farm land and the stoppage of diversions of rivers to protect the ecology of the region, and public lands should not be converted into private lands.
The report also suggested a bottom-to-top approach instead of a top-to-bottom approach in governance of the environment, indicating decentralization and more powers to local authorities.
It recommended theestablishment of a Western Ghats Ecology Authority under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, as a professional body to manage the ecology of the region and to ensure its sustainable development.
What was the need for this report?

The Gadgil commission was formed by the Ministry of Environment in 2010 to study the impact of population pressure, climate change and development activities on the Western Ghats.
Accorded the World Heritage status by UNESCO, the Western Ghats are a 1,600-km-long mountain chain running the western coast of the country covering six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
These Ghats are home to high mountain forests, which moderate the tropical climate of the region and present one of the best examples of the monsoon system on the planet.
They are home to 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species. About 60 percent of the mountain range is in Karnataka.

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Today's Headlines - 03 September 2023
Largest indigenously developed N-plant starts ops
GS Paper - 3 (Energy)

The third unit of the indigenously developed 700-megawatt electric (MWe) nuclear power reactor at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP3) in Gujarat has commenced operations at full capacity. This comes a little over three years since the unit achieved its ‘first criticality’ – a technical term that signifies the initiation of a controlled, but sustained nuclear fission reaction – in July 2020. On 30 June this year, the unit had started commercial operations.

More about the News

In India’s civilian nuclear programme, this is seen as a landmark event, given that KAPP-3 is the country’s first 700 MWe unit and the biggest indigenously developed variant of the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR).
The PHWRs, which use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator, constitute the mainstay of India’s nuclear power fleet.
Till now, the biggest reactor of indigenous design was the 540 MWe PHWR, two of which have been deployed in Tarapur, Maharashtra.
For India, the operationalisation of its first 700MWe reactor is a significant scale up in technology, both in terms of the optimisation of its PHWR design — the new 700MWe unit addresses the excess thermal margins and also marks an improvement in the economies-of-scale, without significant design changes to the 540 MWe reactor.
Flashback

As India works to ramp up its existing nuclear power capacity of 7,480 MWe to 22,480 MWe by 2031, the 700MWe capacity would constitute the biggest component of this expansion plan. Currently, nuclear power capacity constitutes around 2 per cent of the total installed capacity of 4,17,668 MW (May 31).
Significantly, as India’s civilian nuclear sector gears up to its next frontier — building a 900 MWe Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs) of indigenous design – the experience of executing the larger 700MWe reactor design would come in handy, especially with respect to the improved capability of making large-size pressure vessels, alongside India’s own isotope enrichment plants being developed to supply a part of the required enriched uranium fuel to power these new generation reactors over the next decade or so, according to DAE officials.
The first ‘pour of concrete’ for laying the foundation of KAPP-3 happened in November 2010 and this unit was originally expected to be commissioned in 2015.

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