Daily Current Affairs 7 January 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) 

• A system will soon be put in place to scientifically validate, scale-up and propagate the innovations of progressive farmers as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is poised to set up a Farmers’ Innovation Fund.
• As part of this system, an innovation center would be established in New Delhi where the innovations would be scientifically validated. Farmers would also be allowed to pursue research under the system.
• Pointing out that innovations of farmers were being documented by the Krishi Vigyan Kendras the additional system would encourage farmers to continue their work. The intention was to link farmers and farming with science and to ensure that their farm practices were science-­based
• Emphasizing that agriculture was pure science Various revolutions in agricultural and allied sectors, including green revolution and white revolutions, happened because of the scientific approach and use of technology
• As part of efforts to encourage the use of technology in the farm sector, a linkage had been created between 105 start­ups with farmers. 

2) Gaganyaan:  Indian Data Relay Satellite System

• India plans to ring in its own era of space­to­space tracking and communication of its space assets this year by putting up a new satellite series called the Indian Data Relay Satellite System
• The IDRSS is planned to track and be constantly in touch with Indian satellites, in particular, those in low-earth orbits that have limited coverage of earth. 
• In the coming years, it will be vital to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), whose roadmap is dotted with advanced LEO missions such as space docking, space station, as well as distant expeditions to the moon, Mars and Venus. It will also be useful in monitoring launches, according to K. Sivan, ISRO Chairman
• The first beneficiary would be the prospective crew members of the Gaganyaan mission of 2022 who can be fully and continuously in touch with mission control throughout their travel.
• The Gaganyaan mission is to be covered and be visible 100% so that action can be taken in any exigency
• Work on the two IDRSS satellites planned initially has begun. The first of them will be sent towards the end of 2020. It will precede the preGaganyaan experimental unmanned space flight which will have a humanoid dummy. A second one will follow in 2021. The two will offer near-total tracking, sending and receiving of information from the crew 24/7.
• Older space majors such as the U.S. and Russia started their relay satellite systems in the late 1970s­80s and a few already have around 10 satellites each. They have used them to monitor their respective space stations Mir and the International Space Station and trips that dock with them, as well as the Hubble Space Telescope.
• IDRSS satellites of the 2,000 kg class would be launched on the GSLV launcher to geostationary orbits around 36,000 km away. In such apparently fixed orbits, they would be covering the same area on earth. A satellite in GEO covers a third of the earth below and three of them can provide total coverage.

Reason To have IDRSS Satellite

During the launch of the human mission and also when the crew craft orbits earth from a distance of 400 km, at least one ground station must-see and track it. But with available ground stations, that would not be the case. Without data relay satellites, ISRO would have to create a large number of ground stations everywhere or hire them globally and yet the crewed spacecraft would not be visible all the time. 

3) The state can regulate minority institutions

• The Supreme Court on Monday held that the State is well within its rights to introduce a regulatory regime in the “national interest” to provide minority educational institutions with well-qualified teachers for them to “achieve excellence in education.”
• The management of minority institutions cannot ignore such a legal regime by saying that it is their fundamental right under Article 30 of the Constitution to establish and administer their educational institutions according to their choice.
• A Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U.U. Lalit said the regulatory law should, however, balance the dual objectives of ensuring the standard of excellence as well as preserving the right of the minorities to establish and administer their educational institutions. Regulations that embrace and reconcile the two objectives were reasonable.
• The judgment came on a challenge to the validity of the West Bengal Madrasah Service Commission Act of 2008. 
• The State Act mandated that the process of appointment of teachers in aided madrasahs, recognized as minority institutions, would be done by a Commission, whose decision would be binding.

4) Oil price spike may hurt the economy more

• Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram warned that the economy could face more turbulence if
• oil prices rose further amid mounting U.S.­Iran tensions and contended that the government was “clueless about the economy even as it is sinking”.
• The possibility of a military flare­up in West Asia, and its likely impact on crude prices. 
• Observing that imports had declined by 8.37% and exports had shrunk by 2.21%, compared to last year. “The fiscal deficit will breach the Budget limit of 3.4%. WPI is at 1.92% and CPI at 5.54%. Food inflation has crossed 10%. As warned, the cut in corporate tax rates did not boost investment. Private consumption declined significantly
• Direct tax revenue collections were only 41.6% of the Budget estimates and the credit growth to the industry was 3.4% while manufacturing output had shrunk by 3.8%. 

5) Smog tower

Delhi gets its first smog tower.

In November, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre and the Delhi government to prepare a plan to install ‘smog towers’ across the capital to deal with air pollution.

What is a ‘smog tower’?

• Smog towers are structures designed to work as large-scale air purifiers. They are usually fitted with multiple layers of air filters, which clean the air of pollutants as it passes through them. After the cleaning, the tower releases clean air.
• The filters installed in the tower will use carbon nanofibres as a major component and will be fitted along its peripheries. The tower will focus on reducing particulate matter load.

6) Project NETRA

• Indian Space Research Organisation has inked a pact with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) to pave the way for collaboration in establishing optical telescope facilities under Project ‘NETRA’ for tracking space objects.
• Under the project, the ISRO plans to put up many observational facilities: connected radars, telescopes; data processing units and a control center.
• They can, among others, spot, track and catalog objects as small as 10 cm, up to a range of 3,400 km and equal to a space orbit of around 2,000 km.
• The project will give India its own capability in space situational awareness (SSA) like the other space powers which is used to ‘predict’ threats from debris to Indian satellites.
• NETRA’s eventual goal is to capture the GEO, or geostationary orbit, the scene at 36,000 km where communication satellites operate.
• The effort would make India a part of international efforts towards tracking, warning about and mitigating space debris.
• Currently, there are 15 functional Indian communication satellites in the geostationary orbit of 36,000 km; 13 remote sensing satellites in LEO of up to 2,000 km; and eight navigation satellites in medium earth orbits. Their protection is of utmost importance for India.

Background

• Space junk is an ever-growing problem with more than 7,500 tonnes of redundant hardware now thought to be circling the Earth. Ranging from old rocket bodies and defunct spacecraft through to screws and even flecks of paint – this material poses a collision hazard to operational missions.
• The rising population of space debris increases the potential danger to all space vehicles, but especially to the International Space Station (ISS), space shuttles, satellites, and other spacecraft.

7) Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

• The Central Government in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has notified new energy performance standards for Room Air Conditioner (RACs) on 30th October 2019.
• The 240C default setting has been made mandatory from Jan 1, 2020, for all room air conditioners covered under the ambit of BEE star-labelling program vide this notification. Additionally, the Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) as per the new standards will range from (3.30 - 5.00) for split and (2.70 – 3.50) for window air conditioners, which will be applicable from 1st January 2021 onwards.
• The notification states, “All brands and types of star labeled room air conditioners, namely, Multi-Stage Capacity Air Conditioners, Unitary Air Conditioners and Split Air Conditioners which are rated from one star to five star, based on their relative energy efficiencies up to a rated cooling capacity of 10,465 Watts (9,000 kcal/hour) and manufactured, commercially purchased or sold in India, shall ensure default setting of temperature in the room air conditioners at twenty-four degrees Celsius with effect from the 1st January 2020.”

Background

BEE launched the voluntary star labeling program for fixed-speed room air conditioners (RACs) in 2006, and this program became mandatory on 12th January 2009. Thereafter, in 2015, a voluntary star labeling program for inverter room air conditioners was launched and which was made mandatory with effect from 1st January 2018.  The BEE star labeling program for Room Air Conditioners now covers both fixed and inverter RAC up to a cooling capacity of 10,465 watts (2.97 TR). Continual enhancement in performance levels has resulted in substantial energy efficiency improvement of about 43% in the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for split units, which are the most popular RACs sold in the market. ISEER (Indian Seasonal Energy efficiency ratio) is the energy performance index used for Room Air Conditioners (RACs) and its assessment is based on the bin hours defined in ISO 16358.

About BEE

BEE is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. It is assisted in developing policies and strategies with the primary objective of reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy. BEE coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies, and other organizations to identify and utilize the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing the functions assigned to it under the energy conservation act.

8) The IHS Markit India Services Business Activity Index

• The IHS Markit India Services Business Activity Index improved from 52.7 in November to 53.3 in December, highlighting the second­strongest rate of increase in output in over a year, after July.
• India’s services sector activity gained momentum and touched a five­ month high in December, supported by an uptick in new business orders that boosted output as well as employment
• The news of sustained job creation, robust new order growth, and a pick­up in business confidence suggest that expansion can be maintained in the early part of 2020
• The survey further noted that Indian services firms expect marketing efforts and favorable economic conditions to boost business activity in 2020. However, the overall level of positive sentiment remained below its long-run average.
• Meanwhile, the Composite PMI Output Index that maps both the manufacturing and services sector, rose from 52.7 in November to 53.7, reflecting stronger rates of expansion in both the manufacturing and service sectors

Reason

• Survey members linked the increase in services sector activity growth to better market conditions and new business growth. 
• Moreover, total sales expanded for the third consecutive month at the end of the year, and at the quickest pace since October 2016.

9) Iran nuclear deal

 Iran has completely withdrawn from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) nuclear deal. The announcement came after the US troops killed General Qassem Soleimani.

About Iran Nuclear Deal

• Iran agreed to rein in its nuclear program in a 2015 deal struck with the US, UK, Russia, China, France, and Germany.
• Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA)Tehran agreed to significantly cut its stores of centrifuges, enriched uranium, and heavy-water, all key components for nuclear weapons.
• The JCPOA established the Joint Commission, with the negotiating parties all represented, to monitor implementation of the agreement.

Reason Iran Agree to Deal

It had been hit with devastating economic sanctions by the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union that are estimated to have cost it tens of billions of pounds a year in lost oil export revenues. Billions in overseas assets had also been frozen.

The US pulled out of the deal

Trump and opponents to the deal say it is flawed because it gives Iran access to billions of dollars but does not address Iran’s support for groups the U.S. considers terrorists, like Hamas and Hezbollah. They note it also doesn’t curb Iran’s development of ballistic missiles and that the deal phases out by 2030. They say Iran has lied about its nuclear program in the past.

Implications for India

• The impact on world oil prices will be the immediately visible impact. Iran is presently India’s third-biggest supplier (after Iraq and Saudi Arabia), and any increase in prices will hit both inflation levels as well as the Indian rupee.
• It would impact the development of Chahbahar port.
• It will also affect these plans, especially if any of the countries along with the route or banking and insurance companies dealing with the INSTC plan also decide to adhere to U.S. restrictions on trade with Iran.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: China may consider inducting Iran into the SCO. If the proposal is accepted by the SCO, which is led by China and Russia, India will become a member of a bloc that will be seen as anti-American and will run counter to some of the government’s other initiatives like the Indo-Pacific quadrilateral with the U.S., Australia, and Japan.

Global Implications

• Downtrends in the global economy.
• Fuel prices would reach high points.
• Iran may block Strait of Hormuz which is a strategic chokepoint which in turn would affect global trade.
• Giant economies like India, China and Russia will suffer.
• US may cancel airlines from the US to India because they pass over Iran which would affect the airspace industry.