Daily Current Affairs 19 June 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) DBT – AMTZ Mobile Diagnostic Unit for Covid Testing- I-Lab

Daily Current Affairs 19 June 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020 Daily News Teller

The Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated and flagged off India’s first I-Lab (Infectious disease diagnostic lab) for Covid testing in rural and inaccessible areas of India

DBT-AMTZ COMManD

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology along with Andhra Pradesh Med-tech Zone (AMTZ) has initiated the DBT-AMTZ COMManD [COVID Medtech Manufacturing Development] Consortia to address the shortage of critical healthcare technologies in India and move progressively towards a stage of self-sufficiency.
Under this Consortia, India’s first I- lab (infectious disease diagnostic lab) has been built at AMTZ in a record time of 8 days from the date of receipt of Automotive Chassis, from Bharat Benz. This is a mobile diagnostic unit with a biosafety facility. The I- lab is a BSL-2 facility with on-site ELISA, RT-PCR, Biochemistry analyzers. It can run 50 RT-PCR reactions and about 200 ELISA in a day. Double set of Machines can help increase the capacity to about 500 per day in 8 hours shift
It can be deployed in remote areas and can be lifted from Automotive Chassis and can be put on goods train for sending to any location in the country. The BSL -2 Lab is as per NABL specifications and is being attached to DBT’s certified Testing centers.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India, including the growth and application of biotechnology in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment, and industry.
AMTZ is Asia's first medical equipment manufacturing ecosystem, uniquely dedicated to Medtech and supported by various Ministries.

INFECTIOUS DISEASE DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY (I-LAB)

To promote last mile access of testing to rural India, DBT under the Covid-Command strategy has supported the building of mobile testing labs through AMTZ.
The unique feature of these mobile testing labs is their utility in diagnosing other infectious diseases beyond the Covid period

Specifications

Automotive Chassis, Diagnostic Equipment, Clean Room, BSL-2 lab, bio-safety cabinets
25 Tests (RT-PCR) per I-Lab per Day
300 ELISA tests/day
An additional tests for other diseases for TB, HIV, etc. to be costed as per CGHS rates.

Deployment

The first I- lab was launched in New Delhi on 18th Jun 2020 by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Health & Family Welfare.
The labs will be provided to the regional/City hubs and they will deploy it further in the interior, inaccessible parts of the region.'

Source: PIB

2) The Kodumanal excavation

The Kodumanal excavation of 10 pots and bowls, instead of the usual three or four pots, placed outside three-chambered burial cists and inside the cairncircle, has thrown light on burial rituals and the concept of an afterlife in megalithic culture.
The Kodumanal excavation has identified 250 cairncircles at the village in Erode district.
Earlier excavations revealed that the site served as a trade-cum-industrial center from the 5th century BCE to the 1st century BCE.
The rectangular chambered cists, each two meters long and six meters wide are made of stone slabs, and the entire grave is surrounded by boulders that form the circle.
The grave could be of a village head or the head of the community as the size of two boulders, each facing east and west, are bigger than other boulders
Believing that the deceased person will get a new life after death, pots and bowls filled with grains were placed outside the chambers.
Further digging in the burial chambers and the opening of the pots are expected to reveal more details. Previous excavations have revealed that multiethnic groups lived in the village, located about 500 meters away from the Noyyal river.
The findings unearthed so far include an animal skull, possibly of a wolf or a dog; precious stones like beryl, carnelian, quartz, jasper, beads, gold pieces and needles; copper smelting units; the mud walls of a workshop; potteries; and Tamil Brahmi script.
They also found pieces of grooved tiles at a trench. Further excavation will reveal more

Source: The Hindu

3) Rapid antigen test

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended the use of Standard Q COVID-19 Ag antigen detection test in containment zones and healthcare settings in combination with the RT-PCR test.
The is to be used in specified settings, and kits from only one manufacturer have got approval– the South Korean company S D Biosensor.

What are antigens?

Antigens are foreign substances that induce an immune response in the body.

What is the rapid antigen detection test for Covid-19?

It is a test on swabbed nasal samples that detects antigens that are found on or within the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
It is a point-of-care test, performed outside the conventional laboratory setting, and is used to quickly obtain a diagnostic result.

How is the rapid antigen detection test different from the RT-PCR test?

Like RT-PCR, the rapid antigen detection test seeks to detect the virus rather than the antibodies produced by the body.

The most significant difference between the two is time.

RT-PCR test takes a minimum of 2-5 hours including the time taken for sample transportation.
In a rapid antigen detection test, the maximum duration for interpreting a positive or negative test is 30 minutes.

What are the limitations of an antigen test’s results?

These tests are very specific for the virus but are not as sensitive as molecular PCR tests. This means that positive results from antigen tests are highly accurate, but there is a higher chance of false negatives, so negative results do not rule out infection.
Negative results from an antigen test may need to be confirmed with a PCR test before making treatment decisions or to prevent the possible spread of the virus due to a false negative.
Once the sample is collected in the extraction buffer, it is stable only for one hour. Therefore, the antigen test needs to be conducted at the site of sample collection in the healthcare setting.

Source: Indian Express

4) What is the Vaccine Nationalism?

The United States has now twice indicated that it would like to secure priority access to doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Other countries, including India and Russia, have taken similar stances. This prioritization of domestic markets has become known as vaccine nationalism.

How it works?

Vaccine nationalism occurs when a country manages to secure doses of vaccine for its own citizens or residents before they are made available in other countries.
This is done through pre-purchase agreements between a government and a vaccine manufacturer.

How was it used in the past?

Vaccine nationalism is not new. During the early stages of the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, some of the wealthiest countries entered into pre-purchase agreements with several pharmaceutical companies working on H1N1 vaccines.

At that time, it was estimated that, in the best-case scenario, the maximum number of vaccine doses that could be produced globally was two billion.
The US alone negotiated and obtained the right to buy 600,000 doses. All the countries that negotiated pre-purchase orders were developed economies.

Why it's not good? What are the associated concerns?

Vaccine nationalism is harmful to equitable access to vaccines.
It further disadvantages countries with fewer resources and bargaining power.
It deprives populations in the Global South from timely access to vital public health goods.
Taken to its extreme, it allocates vaccines to moderately at-risk populations in wealthy countries over populations at higher risk in developing economies.

What needs to be done?

International institutions — including the WHO — should coordinate negotiations ahead of the next pandemic to produce a framework for equitable access to vaccines during public health crises.
Equity entails both, affordability of vaccines and access opportunities for populations across the world, irrespective of geography and geopolitics.

Source: Down To Earth

5) Housing Finance Companies

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed stringent norms for housing finance companies.

Proposed norms include:

At least 50% of net assets should be like ‘qualifying assets’ for HFCs, of which at least 75% should be towards individual housing loans.
Such HFCs which do not fulfill the criteria will be treated as NBFC – Investment and Credit Companies (NBFC-ICCs) and will be required to approach the RBI for the conversion of their Certificate of Registration from HFC to NBFC-ICC.
The NBFC-ICCs which want to continue as HFCs would have to follow a roadmap to make 75% of their assets individual housing loans.
The target has been set at 60% by March 31, 2022, 70% by March 31, 2023, and 75% by March 31, 2024.
It has also proposed a minimum net-owned fund (NOF) of ₹20 crores as compared to ₹10 crores now. Existing HFCs would have to reach ₹15 crores within a year and ₹20 crores within two years.

What are qualifying assets?

The RBI defined ‘qualifying assets’ as loans to individuals or a group of individuals, including co-operative societies, for construction/purchase of new dwelling units, loans to individuals for the renovation of existing dwelling units, lending to builders for construction of residential dwelling units.

Regulatory oversight:

A housing finance company is considered a non-banking financial company (NBFC) under the RBI’s regulations.
A company is treated as an NBFC if its financial assets are more than 50% of its total assets and income from financial assets is more than 50% of the gross income.

Source: The Hindu

6) India China Galwan Valley standoff

Even as India and China are engaged in military-level talks and in controlled engagement, there has been a violent face-off between the army troops of both sides.
Recently, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian Army clashed and used stones, knives, and machetes to attack each other and this resulted in fatalities on both sides.
This incident happened at Galwan Valley in the Eastern Ladakh region.

Background:

India and China share a border that is more than 3,440km (2,100 miles) long and have overlapping territorial claims.
From the past one month, Indian and Chinese armies have been locked in a tense stand-off at three points along the Line of Actual Control — the Galwan River Valley, Hot Springs area and the Pangong Lake — since early May.

The strategic importance of the Galwan River Valley (GRV):

The Galwan river is the highest ridgeline and it allows the Chinese to dominate the Shyok route passes, which is close to the river.
It lies along with the western sector of the LAC and close to Aksai Chin, a disputed area claimed by India but controlled by China.

Why tensions are suddenly on the rise in this area?

India is trying to construct a feeder road emanating from Darbuk-Shyok Village – Daulat Beg Oldi road (DS-DBO road).
This road runs along the Shyok River and is the most critical line of communications close to LAC.
Hence, the Chinese are keen on controlling this area as they fear that the Indian side could end up threatening their position on the Aksai Chin plateau by using the river valley.

Way ahead for India:

China is becoming more belligerent across strategic theatres, challenging the status quo, is supported by multiple examples from the South China Sea.
For the Government of India, this is a moment to guard against complacency, fostered by decades of nimble diplomacy that led to equilibrium, however precarious, on the border issue with China.

Source: The Hindu

7) World Investment Report: UNCTAD

Recently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the World Investment Report 2020.

The World Investment Report focuses on trends in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worldwide, at the regional and country levels, and emerging measures to improve its contribution to development.

Key Points

Global Scenario:

According to the report, global FDI flows are forecast to decrease by up to 40% in 2020, from their 2019 value of $1.54 trillion.
This would bring global FDI below $1 trillion for the first time since 2005. The FDI is projected to decrease by a further 5% to 10% in 2021.
Developing economies are expected to see the biggest fall in FDI because they rely more on investment in Global Value Chain (GVC) based industries, which have been severely hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

They have also not been able to put in place the same economic support measures as developed economies.

However, the investment flows are expected to slowly recover by the start of 2022.
Global FDI flows rose modestly in 2019, following the sizable declines registered in 2017 and 2018.

The rise in FDI was due to the waning of the impact of the 2017 tax reforms in the United States.

India’s Investment Scenario:

India jumped from 12th position in 2018 to 9th position in 2019 among the world’s largest FDI recipients.

In 2019, the FDI inflows into India jumped over 20% to $51 billion.

The report also observed that FDI into India may decline sharply in 2020 because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown measures, supply chain disruptions, and economic slowdown.

In India, the number of greenfield investment announcements declined by 4% in the first quarter of the financial year 2020-21. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) also contracted by 58%.
A greenfield investment is a type of FDI in which a parent company creates a subsidiary in a different country, building its operations from the ground up.

However, the report mentioned that India’s large market will continue to attract market-seeking investments to the country.

India’s professional services and the digital economy could see a faster rebound as global venture capital firms and technology companies continue to show interest in India’s market through acquisitions.
Investors concluded deals worth over $650 million in the first quarter of 2020, mostly in the digital sector.

Way Forward

The efforts need to be put to increase the investment and also countries need to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic strategically.
To deal with the current slowdown, India can provide its poor with direct cash, which will increase the demand in the economy. This will subsequently lead to an increase in investment and production in the economy.

UNCTAD

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 to promote the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy.
UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body headquartered at Geneva in Switzerland.
Some of the reports published by it are:

Trade and Development Report
World Investment Report
The Least Developed Countries Report
Information and Economy Report
Technology and Innovation Report
Commodities and Development Report

Source: Mint

8) World Crocodile Day

World Crocodile Day is celebrated on 17th June. The day is a global awareness campaign to highlight the plight of endangered crocodiles and alligators around the world.

Crocodilian Species in India

A mugger or Marsh Crocodile:

Description:

The mugger is an egg-laying and hole-nesting species.
The mugger is also known to be dangerous.

Habitat:

It is mainly restricted to the Indian subcontinent where it may be found in several freshwater habitat types including rivers, lakes, and marshes. However, it can even be found in coastal saltwater lagoons and estuaries.
It is already extinct in Bhutan and Myanmar.

Threats:

Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and transformation, fishing activities, and use of crocodile parts for medicinal purposes.

Protection Status:

IUCN List of Threatened Species: Vulnerable
CITES Appendix I
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

Estuarine or Saltwater Crocodile:

Description:

It is considered as the Earth’s largest living crocodile species.
The estuarine crocodile is infamous globally as a known maneater.

Habitat:

It is found in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park, the Sundarbans in West Bengal, and the Andamans and Nicobar Islands.
It is also found across Southeast Asia and northern Australia.

Threats:

Illegal hunting, habitat loss, and antipathy toward the species because of its reputation as a man-eater continue to put pressure on the population.

Protection Status:

IUCN List of Threatened Species: Least Concern
CITES: Appendix I (except the populations of Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, which are included in Appendix II).
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

Gharial

Description:

Gharials, sometimes called gavials, are a type of Asian crocodilian distinguished by their long, thin snouts that resemble a pot (ghara in Hindi).
Gharials are a type of Crocodilians that also includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans, etc.
The population of Gharials is a good indicator of clean river water.
The gharial is known to be a relatively harmless, fish-eating species.

Habitat:

The gharials are mostly found in freshwaters of the Himalayan rivers.
The Chambal river in the northern slopes of the Vindhya mountains ( Madhya Pradesh) is known as the primary habitat of gharials.
Other Himalayan rivers like ghagra, Gandaki river, Girwa river, Ramganga river, and the Sone river are secondary habitats for gharials.

Threats:

Illegal sand mining, poaching, increased river pollution, dam construction, massive-scale fishing operations, and floods.

Protection Status:

IUCN List of Threatened Species: Critically Endangered
CITES Appendix I
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

Human-Crocodile Conflict

Reasons:

Encroachment of humans on the river banks and marshy areas with increased urbanization is one of the foremost reasons for increasing human-crocodile conflict in these areas.

Hotspots:

Vadodara in Gujarat, Kota in Rajasthan, Bhitarkanika in Odisha, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are considered as the human-crocodile conflict hotspots in India.

Possible Solutions:

Considering the importance of crocodiles in maintaining the balance in the ecosystem, raising awareness among local people with the possible relocation of crocodiles are some of the feasible options for the protection of the species.

Indian Crocodile Conservation Project

The Crocodile Conservation Project was launched in 1975 in different States.
The Gharial and Saltwater crocodile conservation program was first implemented in Odisha in early 1975 and subsequently, the Mugger conservation program was initiated.
As a result of the program, the estimated number of saltwater crocodiles increased from 96 in 1976 to 1,640 in 2012 in India.

Way Forward

There is a need to utilize manpower, modern technology, and funds to conduct a proper survey to find the real-time status of the crocodile population in the country.
It can be done through geo-tagging the animals so that their movements can be monitored to prevent human-crocodile conflicts.

Source: Down To Earth

9) Olms in Postojna Cave of Slovenia

Recently, three Olms have been put on display in Slovenia’s Postojna Cave, where they hatched in 2016 in rare successful breeding.

Key Points

Description:

The Olms are eyeless (skin-covered eyes) pink salamanders also known as the "baby dragon" and "human fish" for its pale skin-like color.
They feed on detritus and endemic cave vertebrates and hide in crevices or bottom sediment when disturbed. They can survive without food for up to 10 years.
A long-lived species that only matures to a sexual stage after the age of 12-15 years and reproduces very slowly.
It can live a century and breeds only once a decade usually in laboratories throughout Europe or deep in caves away from people.
They have a powerful sensory system of smell, taste, hearing, and electrosensitivity.

Threats:

The olm requires clean water and is therefore vulnerable to water pollution.
Consequently, the major threats to the olm are pollution and habitat disturbance from land-use changes occurring above the cave systems.

Habitat:

They are found in large subterranean aquatic karst systems formed in limestone and dolomite rocks and may be found in cave entrances.
They are an entirely aquatic species and prefer waters ranging from 5-15°C.
Found in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, and France.

Karst Topography

Any limestone or dolomitic region showing typical landforms produced by the action of groundwater through the processes of solution and deposition is called Karst topography.
It is named after the typical topography developed in limestone rocks of the Karst region in the Balkans adjacent to the Adriatic sea.

The name of this type of topography comes from the Karst region in Yugoslavia, karst topography can be found all over the world.

The karst topography is also characterized by erosional and depositional landforms. Karst landscapes feature caves, underground streams, and sinkholes on the surface. Where erosion has worn away the land above ground, steep rocky cliffs are visible.

Source: Hindustan Times

10) Victory Day Parade

India has decided to send a contingent of 75 personnel from its three armed forces to participate in Russia's 75th World War II Victory Day Parade on 24 June 2020.

Key Points

The Russian parade is held every year on Victory Day (May 9), which marks the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945.

This year it was delayed because of the Covid-19.

The victory day parade honors the heroism and sacrifices made by the Russian and other friendly people.
India’s participation in the parade will be a mark of tribute and solidarity with the people of Russia.
Earlier in January 2020, Russia had invited India to take part in the victory day parade.

India-Russia Defence Cooperation

Defense remains the most significant aspect of India's relations with Russia with both sides looking to encourage joint manufacturing of equipment under India's Make-in-India program and through the transfer of technology.
After the Vladivostok summit in 2019, both the countries had recognized the requirement of an institutional arrangement for reciprocal provision of logistic support and services for the armed forces.

They had also agreed to prepare a framework for cooperation on it.

During the 5th India Russia military industry conference held during the Defexpo 2020 in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), companies from both the countries signed various Memorandum of Understanding( MoUs) to develop a range of defense equipment.
In 2019, despite the threat of U.S. sanctions, India went ahead with the decision to purchase the S-400 missile defense system, worth over $5 billion.
Both countries continue to encourage the military to military cooperation through military-political dialogue and joint military exercises.

In 2019, India and Russia carried out a second joint tri-service exercise INDRA.
In 2019, India also took part in Exercise TSENTR 2019 of the Russian Armed Force.

Despite Russia's deep military and political ties with China, and its own relations with the U.S., India continues to look at Russia as a key partner.

World War II

World War II, started in Europe in 1939 and assumed the character of a world war. It was fought between Allied and Axis powers.
The Allied powers were represented by Great Britain, the USA, France, etc. While the Axis powers were led by Germany, Italy, and Japan.
The war came to an end in September 1945.
Cause of War:

Treaty of Versailles of 1920.
Aggressive Policy of expansion by the fascist powers (Germany and Italy).
Appeasement policy by Western powers towards fascist powers to fight against the Communist Soviet Union.
Rise of Japan as an imperialist power.

Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis.

Consequences of the War:

The killing of Jews in concentration camps.
Atomic attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Division of the world into two power blocs – the Communist Bloc headed by the Soviet Union and the Western Bloc headed by the USA.
The beginning of the Cold War continued until the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Foundation of United Nations Organisations in 1945.

Source: PIB

11) Axone: Ethnic Cuisine of Northeast India

Recently, Axone or fermented soya bean has become popular, which is eaten by many tribal communities in different parts of Northeast India, especially in Nagaland.

Key Points

Axone — also called as akhuni — is a fermented soya bean of Nagaland, known for its distinctive flavor and smell.

It is a condiment (a spice, sauce, or preparation that is added to food) used to make pickles, chutney, or curries.

It is prepared and eaten across Nagaland mainly by the Sumi (also Sema) tribe.
It belongs to the broader phenomena of fermentation necessary for food preservation in certain ecological contexts.

Fermentation gives it a distinct smell and taste.

Fermented soya bean is known by different names in different parts of Northeast India, including Meghalaya and Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur as well in other South, Southeast, and East Asian countries of Nepal, Bhutan, Japan, Korea, China, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
It is the one food that connects the Eastern Himalayas as a culturally cross-cutting cuisine.

Food Fermentation

Food fermentation is a food processing technology that utilizes the growth and metabolic activity of microorganisms for the stabilization and transformation of food materials.

Fermentation was primarily developed for the stabilization of perishable agricultural produce.
It is a process through which microorganisms like yeast and bacteria convert carbs- such as starch and sugar- into alcohol or acids.

Uses:

The production of carbon dioxide is used to make bread.
The production of organic acids is exploited to preserve and flavor vegetables and dairy products.
The production of alcohol is utilized to convert fruit juices to wine, grains into beer, and foods rich in starch, such as potatoes, are fermented and then distilled to make spirits.

Soya Bean

The soya bean (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses e.g. soya milk, soya food, etc.
It is a significant and cheap source of protein apart from dietary minerals and B vitamins.

Sumi Tribe

The 'Sumi Naga' is one of the major ethnic groups in Nagaland.
Sumi Nagas mostly inhabit the central and southern regions of Nagaland.
There are also seven Sumi villages in Tinsukia District of Assam.
Tuluni and Ahuna are the major festivals.

Way Forward

It has been seen often that people from the Northeast are being refrained from cooking axone and other fermented foods. This has often led to relegating the food of particular social groups to a remote and primitive position and giving birth to racial politics and experiences of exclusion.
Here, fermented food is connected to a specific community and its dignity. Such food habits lead to the strengthening of sentiments towards one’s own community and express a sense of identity, comfort, and familiarity.

Source: Indian Express

12) AIIB Loan for India

Recently, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a $750 million loan to India to strengthen the country’s battle against the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on poor and vulnerable households.
Earlier, it had approved $500 million for the ‘Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project’ initiated by India.

Key Points

$750 million loans: It is co-financed by the AIIB and the Asian Development Bank.
Aim:

It aims to ensure economic resilience to prevent long-term damage to productive capacity, including human capital.
The support will go towards bolstering economic aid for businesses, including for the informal sector, expanding social safety nets for the needy, and strengthening the country’s health care systems.

Loan by AIIB to India:

AIIB’s sovereign loans to India amounts to $3.06 billion.
The current loan will be the second for India under AIIB’s Covid-19 Crisis Recovery Facility.
The Crisis Recovery Facility has been formed in response to urgent economic, financial, and public health pressures and to support a quick recovery after the current crisis (Covid-19).
It will offer $5-10 billion of financing to public and private entities over 18 months i.e. from April 2020 to October 2021.
The funding is done either with the World Bank or ADB.

Loan by ADB to India:

It has assured the Indian government of $2.2 billion support to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier, it had provided a $1.5 billion loan to India.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.
It is established by the AIIB Articles of Agreement (entered into force 25th December 2015) which is a multilateral treaty.
Headquarters: Beijing, China
Members:

102 members.
India joined AIIB in 2016 as a regional member of the Bank.
Further, fourteen of the G-20 nations are AIIB members including France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

China is the largest shareholder in AIIB with a 26.06% voting power, followed by India with a 7.62% voting power.

Asian Development Bank

ADB is a regional development bank established on 19th December 1966.
Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
Members:

It has 68 members, 49 from within Asia.
India is a founding member.

Japan holds the largest proportion of shares in ADB followed by the USA.
It is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.

Source: Indian Express

13) Largest Decline in Arctic Sea Ice

The National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) has observed the largest decline in the Arctic Sea ice in the last 41 years.
The decline in the Arctic Sea ice is due to global warming — leading to a localised increase in evaporation, air humidity, cloud cover, and rainfall.

Sea Ice

Sea ice arises as seawater freezes. Because ice is less dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface.
Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth's surface and about 12% of the world's oceans.

Key Points

Increased Rate of Sea Ice Decline:

In the last 40 years (1979-2018), sea ice has been declining at 4.7% per decade, while the current declining rate was found to be 13% in July 2019.
Thus, it has been noted that the volume of ice formation during winters is unable to keep pace with the volume of ice loss during summers.
Additionally, it has been predicted that if this trend continues, there would be no ice left in the Arctic Sea by 2050.

Impacts:

The decrease of the Arctic Sea ice area and the increase in the duration of summer and autumn seasons affected the local weather and climate over the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas.
Being a sensitive indicator of climate change, the loss of ice cover in the Arctic Sea may affect other components of the climate system such as reduction of heat, water vapor, and other material exchange between the atmosphere and the sea.
The northern hemisphere experienced record high-temperature rise, especially during the spring and summer months.

National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research

National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) was established as an autonomous Research and Development Institution of the Ministry of Earth Sciences in 1998.
It is located in Goa.
Earlier known as National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), NCPOR is India’s premier R&D institution responsible for the country’s research activities in the Polar and Southern Ocean realms.
It is the nodal agency for planning, promotion, coordination, and execution of the entire gamut of polar and southern ocean scientific research in the country as well as for the associated logistics activities.

Way Forward

The sea-ice loss at such a high rate is a matter of concern for all the lives on Earth.
Thus, maintaining the balance between anthropological activities and carrying capacity of the environment is one of the foremost steps that can be taken at this point in time.

Source: Down To Earth

14) PM kickstarts virtual auction of 41 coal blocks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled the auction process of 41 coal blocks for commercial mining through videoconference. A twostage eauction is being adopted for the allocation of mines. The decision was part of the announcements made by the Centre under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
Govt started the process of auctioning of 41 coal blocks for commercial coal mining. It means that those companies which will get the block will be free to extract coal and sell coal in the domestic market as well as export it.
Captive Mining means, you can bid for the coal block/mine but you can use it only for the specific purpose for example using it in your own power plant, steel plant, etc. You were not allowed to sell.
The auction for commercial mining was a major step towards making India selfreliant in the energy sector
The launch marked not only the implementation of reforms to the coal mining sector but also the beginning of the creation of lakhs of jobs. It liberated the sector from decades of ‘lockdown’.
The government had decided to spend ₹50,000 crores on creating an infrastructure for coal extraction and transport. This would also create job opportunities for locals closer to their homes. He said 16 ‘aspirational’ districts had a huge stock of coal, but the locals, who did not benefit from it, had to migrate to farflung cities for jobs.

Background

In 1973, the coal sector was nationalized (through Coal Mines Nationalization Act 1973) which means only govt companies can extract and sell coal. But if a private company has a steel plant and want coal then Ministry of Coal used to give that private company a coal block/mine and the company was allowed to extract coal BUT it can use coal only for its steel plant and cant use in another of its own steel plant and cant sell to someone else (this is called captive mining). This means private companies used to get coal blocks even after 1973 but only for captive mining purposes. And this too was based on the recommendation of a committee where no transparency was there and huge corruption. And in Sept 2014, the Supreme court declared this policy of allocation of coal blocks on recommendation basis as null and void.
So, in Feb 2015, govt came up with a new act, Coal Mines Special Provisions Act 2015, where it said that now captive mines will be ELECTRAUNICALLY AUCTIONED ON PER TONNE BASIS (the company which will commit maximum rupees to govt. per tonne of coal extracted will get the block). And it also introduced a clause for COMMERCIAL MINING (opposite of captive mining) which means private companies can bid for block and can extract coal and SELL coal in the market. But in FEB 2015, govt DID NOT NOTIFY THIS CLAUSE. THIS CLAUSE WAS NOTIFIED IN FEB 2018. But try to understand even after that until and unless govt AUCTIONS THE BLOCK FOR COMMERCIAL MINING PURPOSE, nothing can be done. So, NOW the govt is saying that it will IMMEDIATELY auction 50 blocks for COMMERCIAL MINING. And it will be auctioned on REVENUE SHARING basis which means the company quoting maximum share of the revenue to the govt. will be selected. For example, if company A said it will share 40% of revenue (generated from the sale of coal) to govt. and company B said it will share/give 60% of revenue (generated from sale of coal) to govt. then company B will be selected.

Source: The Hindu