Daily Current Affairs 6 June 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) Saving Biodiversity through Effective Waste Management

• In commemoration of World Environment Day 2020, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched a series of advisories at Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi. The program titled ‘Saving Biodiversity through Effective Waste Management’
• The three key advisories released included the ‘Advisory on Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)’, ‘Advisory on Landfill Reclamation’ and a ‘Consultative Document (draft) on On-site and Off-site Sewage Management Practices’ prepared by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) under SBM-U.
• The Ministry also released a toolkit for a communication campaign on fecal sludge management titled‘Malasur- The Demon of Defeca’ which aims to heighten the risk perception of fecal sludge.

Source: PIB

2) Sunderbans damaged in Cyclone Amphan

• About 28% of the Sunderbans have been damaged by Cyclone Amphan Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on at the launch of a drive for planting mangroves and trees to mark World Environment Day. 
• 1,200 sq km of the 4,263 sq km forests had been “destroyed”. The Indian Sunderbans, an area south of the Dampier Hodges line, is spread over 9,630 sq km, of which the mangrove forest accounts for 4,263 sq km.
• On trees turning yellow and red after the cyclone due to the phenomenon was mostly due to salinity. The trees that turned yellow were not mangrove trees, it was mostly due to the dense fog of saline water
• We are not sure whether the trees will survive. Maybe if the salinity of the soil comes down, some trees can survive,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Ravi Kanta Sinha said Despite the massive plantation drives, it may take years to restore the mangroves, officials said. Experts say the mangroves not only reduce wind speed but also break the waves 
• The Chief Minister said the Forest Department should be prepared to plant 3.5 crore mangrove trees by July 14, World Forest Day. 
• Ms. Banerjee said 16,000 trees were damaged in Kolkata. About ₹100 crores would be spent on plantation drives in Kolkata and adjoining areas. Trees had been lost not only on the streets but also in parks and gardens. 

Source: The Hindu

3) CeNS develops low-cost catalyst for hydrogen generation from water

• Scientists from The Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have found out a low cost and efficient way to generate hydrogen from water using Molybdenum dioxide as a catalyst.
• The scientists have shown that Molybdenum dioxide (MoO2) nanomaterials annealed in hydrogen atmosphere can act as efficient catalysts to reduce the energy input to bring about water splitting with great efficiency. Electrolytic splitting of water is a promising method to generate hydrogen but requires energy input that can be brought down in the presence of a catalyst.
• Molybdenum dioxide has the potential to replace the currently employed catalyst Pt, which is expensive and has limited resources. MoO2 is a conducting metal oxide that is one of the low-cost catalysts with good efficiency and stability for hydrogen evolution.
• The researchers were able to grow MoO2 directly on to tin oxide substrates for direct use as a catalyst in electrochemical cells, avoiding the need for any further electrode fabrication process. It can also be obtained as a powder in high yield from cheaper precursors in an aqueous medium. Their research has been published in Chemistry- a European scientific journal.
• Dr. Neena S John and co-workers from CeNS have been able to grow metallic MoO2 nanostructures on tin oxide glass and have shown that the voltage required to obtain high current density (or higher amount of hydrogen) is close to that of Platinum in acidic medium. The catalyst can be easily synthesized in the form of powder as well, with high yield from cheaper reagents such as ammonium molybdate and citric acid in water.
• Mr. Alex C., a research scholar, working on this material stresses that ‘this metal oxide nanomaterial is a cheaper alternative to the precious noble metal catalysts such as Platinum, presently employed in industry for water electrolysis.’ The catalyst is highly stable for a longer duration of reaction with sustained hydrogen evolution from water.  About 80 % efficient conversion of electrical energy into hydrogen has been achieved using this catalyst.
• Hydrogen is considered as the future of clean and sustainable energy as it can be generated from water and produces water on energy generation without any carbon footprint. Hydrogen can be directly used as a fuel similar to natural gas or as input for fuel cells to generate electricity. It is the future energy for a clean environment and an alternative to fossil fuels, underlining the necessity of low-cost catalysts for its production.

Source: PIB

4)  Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF)

• The RBI has created a Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) to encourage acquirers to deploy Points of Sale (PoS) infrastructure — both physical and digital modes — in tier­3 to tier­6 centers and northeastern states.
• RBI will make an initial contribution of ₹250 crores to the PIDF, covering half of the fund, while the remaining contribution will be from card­issuing banks and card networks operating in the country. 
• Over the years, the payments ecosystem in the country has evolved with a wide range of options such as bank accounts, mobile phones, cards, etc. To provide further fillip to the digitization of payment systems, it is necessary to give impetus to acceptance infrastructure across the country, more so in under­served areas
•  The PIDF will be governed through an Advisory Council and managed and administered by RBI
• The PIDF will also receive recurring contributions to cover operational expenses from card­issuing banks and card networks. RBI will also contribute to yearly shortfalls, if necessary
• Given the high cost of merchant acquisition and merchant criminalization, most of the POS terminals in the country are concentrated in tier 1 and 2 cities and towns and other regions have been left out

Source: The Hindu

5) Aerosol characterization and radiative effects at High Altitude site in Western-Trans Himalayas

• Researchers at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital an autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Govt. of India have found that aerosol radiative forcing larger than the global averages, implying some amount of radiative effects, despite the clean atmosphere over the trans-Himalayas. The paper under publication in the journal Science of the Total Environment shows that monthly-mean atmospheric radiative forcing of aerosols leads to heating rates of 0.04 to 0.13 C per day.  Further, the temperature over the Ladakh region is increasing 0.3 to 0.4 degrees Celsius per decades from the last 3 decades.
• The atmospheric aerosols play a key role in the regional/global climate system through scattering and absorption of incoming solar radiation and by modifying the cloud microphysics. Despite the large progress in quantifying the impact of different aerosols on radiative forcing, it still remains one of the major uncertainties in the climate change assessment. Precise measurements of aerosol properties are required to reduce the uncertainties, especially over the oceans and high altitude remote location in the Himalayas where they are scarce.
• The variability of aerosol optical, physical, and radiative properties from January 2008 to December 2018 and the role of fine and coarse particles in aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) assessment. ARF is the effect of anthropogenic aerosols on the radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere and at the surface and on the absorption of radiation within the atmosphere.
• The observations of the scientists show that the aerosol optical depth (AOD) exhibited a distinct seasonal variation with higher values (0.07) in May and lower (0.03) in winter months. The lower values of Ångström exponent (AE) in spring indicated the dominance of coarse-mode dust aerosols. An aerosol classification based on FMF and SSA revealed a dominance of medium-sized mixed aerosols over the Hanle and Merak, especially in Spring (53%). Pure and polluted dust exhibited fractions between 16% and 23%, with a low frequency of less than 13% of absorbing aerosols, denoting weak influence of anthropogenic aerosols and Black Carbon over the trans-Himalayan sites.  Further, the aerosol radiative forcing ARF values at top of the atmosphere were mostly low (-1.3 Wm-2) over Hanle and Merak.
• The results from the study can help better understanding the aerosol optical and microphysical properties and improving the modeling of aerosol effects given aerosol-climate implications via modifications in atmospheric warming and changes in the snow/glacier albedo over the trans-Himalayan region. 
• Measurements of aerosol optical and microphysical properties started during the last decade at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) at the high altitude background sites of Hanle and Merak in the trans-Himalayas under the frameworks of Aerosol Radiative Forcing over India (ARFI) and Astronomical Site Survey program of Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore. In addition to this, few in-situ measurements of carbonaceous aerosols and ionic species have also been performed at Himansh Observatory (Spiti Valley) in the western Himalayas.
• The transport of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols and dust from the polluted Indo-Gangetic Plain and desert areas over the Himalayas constitutes a major climatic issue due to severe impacts on atmospheric warming and glacier retreat. This heating over the Himalayas facilitates the “elevated-hat pump” that strengthens the temperature gradient between land and ocean and modifies the atmospheric circulation and the monsoon rainfall. A better understanding of the aerosol optical and microphysical properties through the study can improve the modeling of aerosol effects given aerosol-climate implications via modifications in atmospheric warming and changes in the snow/glacier albedo over the trans-Himalayan region. 

Classification and average fractions of different aerosol types over the study sites (Hanle and Merak)

Scatter plot of hourly AOD500 vs. AE400-870, data in Hanle, and Merak during 2008-2018

Source: PIB

6) Use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) in archaeology

• The coronavirus pandemic has stopped archaeologists from going to dig at sites, but not a U.K.­based team from continuing its research. Equipped with airborne survey data, a team of volunteers, locked down in their homes, sat and analyzed thousands of images derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. 
• In this method, commonly used by geologists and surveyors to make high­resolution maps, laser light is used to survey a site and its reflection is measured with a sensor
• According to a release from the university, the team has found parts of two Roman roads, around 30 prehistoric or Roman large embanked settlement enclosures, located about 20 prehistoric burial mounds, remains of hundreds of medieval farms, and a few quarries
• The team is currently studying the Tamar Valley, a rich archaeological landscape with many sites belonging to the Iron Age and the Roman era.

Indian Archaeologist on this technology

• Prof. Ritvik Balvally from the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda added that the technology had immense potential for India
• Though LiDAR has been used for agriculture and geology­related applications, our country has still not used it in archaeology to the best of my knowledge. The problem is that the data needs to be bought and processed by experts. Also, they might be expensive
• He would like to use LiDAR to explore the Saurashtra temple city named Ghumli, which was the capital of the Saindhava empire. He explained that the site was located in Barda hills and many temples atop it could be explored.
• “LiDAR will also help in understanding domestic architecture, and defensive architecture like moats and fortifications in the area. We can even look at the hydrology and water management systems in greater detail, all of which are probably under dense vegetation. Remote sensing techniques such as LiDAR would be time-saving and most useful in this regard

Source: The Hindu

7) ARCI develops a new environmentally friendly way to shape ceramics through 3D printing with Methyl Cellulose

• Scientists at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST) in their recent study utilized an environmentally benign thermal gelation property of methylcellulose (MC) for shaping of ceramics through 3D printing.
• Ceramic parts are generally produced from powder formulations with additives using various shaping processes followed by post thermal treatments. Most of the high-end applications require complex geometries with micro-features, which is a major limitation of the ceramic shaping process. Further, machining of ceramics to achieve close dimensional tolerances is also extremely difficult due to their hardness and brittle nature.
• 3D printing process based on the virtual design dictating the nozzle path for printing layer-on-layer within close tolerance offers new possibilities for near-net shaping. However, the 3D process is only a shaping procedure, and the property of the final part strongly depends on composition and microstructure, which are dictated by the thermal processing after printing. Hence, the optimization of processing parameters concerning flow properties and tailoring of defect-free microstructures has been challenging.
• The ARCI team used the thermal gelation property of methylcellulose (MC), a chemical compound derived from cellulose used as a thickener and emulsifier in various industrial products like paints and demonstrated the 3D printing of advanced ceramics with MgAl2O4 spinel. In this process, they have employed a simple and eco-friendly heating technique, unlike UV based methods, which may have various environmental impacts.
• In the complex viscosity versus temperature plot for spinel formulated with 0.20 weight% of MC, a steep rise in viscosity observed at 35-45°C clearly indicated the gelation process. The exposure to such temperature caused dehydration of hydrated methoxyl groups, followed by hydrophobic association, giving rise to the formation of the gel network.
• Based on these results, the team carried out 3D printing using a moldable paste with a concentration of 0.25% of methylcellulose having shear-thinning rheology. The components while printing were exposed to 45-60oC using an air heater, which ensured the temperature uniformity. Printed samples were found to be within the expected dimensional tolerances. Sintered (compacted and forming a solid mass of material by heat or pressure without melting it to the point of liquefaction) at 1650oC, the parts have shown a density of more than 98% of the theoretical value.
• 3-D printing using inexpensive printers is a huge business opportunity in point-of-use and distributed manufacturing in almost any sector which can be harnessed by MSMEs. Techniques that make the printing possible with different materials (plastics, ceramics, metals.) with desired properties are in huge demand
• In-situ thermally induced gelation process demonstrated in the present study is advantageous as the methylcellulose is used only at a very low concentration of 0.25 wt%. Further, the process developed by ARCI is eco-friendly and offers flexibility in post-processing, as in the case of conventional ceramic processing.

(a) Complex viscosity plot Methyl Cellulose-based spinel (b) 3D printed samples

Source: PIB

8) Periodic Labour Force Survey 2018-19

Recently, the National Statistical Office (NSO) released the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for July 2018 to June 2019.

Key Points

• Unemployment Rate: India’s unemployment rate fell to 5.8% during 2018-19 from 6.1% during the same period of 2017-18.
• The urban unemployment rate reduced to 7.7% from 7.8%.
• The rural unemployment reduced to 5% from 5.3%.
• Labour Force Participation Rate: The labor force participation rate rose to 37.5% during 2018-19 from 36.9% of 2017-18.
• Female Participation Rate: The female participation rate also improved going up to 18.6% in 2018-19 from 17.5% the year before.
• Worker Population Ratio: The worker population ratio also increased, to 35.3% as against 34.7% in 2017-18.
• Issues Involved:
• Unemployment was a concern in 2019 and it worsened in 2019-20 due to Covid-19.
• According to the monthly Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy data, the unemployment rate in India shot up from 7.87% in June 2019 to 23.48% in May 2020.
• Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
• PLFS is India’s first computer-based survey launched by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in 2017.
• It has been constituted based on the recommendation of Amitabh Kundu.
• PFS has a two-fold objective:
• To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the Current Weekly Status (CWS).
• To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both usual status and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.
• Before PLFS the NSSO (previous name of NSO) used to bring the data related to employment and unemployment based on its quinquennial household socio-economic survey program.

Key Terms

• Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labor force.
• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in the labor force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.
• Female Labour Force Participation Rate: It is the share of working-age women who report either being employed or being available for work.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
• Activity Status: The activity status of a person is determined based on the activities pursued by the person during the specified reference period.
• Usual Status: The activity status determined based on the reference period of the last 365 days preceding the date of survey, it is known as the usual activity status of the person.
• Current Weekly Status (CWS): The activity status determined based on a reference period of the last 7 days preceding the date of the survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.

National Statistical Office

• NSO is the central statistical agency of the Government-mandated under the Statistical Services Act 1980 under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• It is responsible for the development of arrangements for providing statistical information services to meet the needs of the Government and other users for information on which to base policy, planning, monitoring, and management decisions.
• The services include collecting, compiling, and disseminating official statistical information.
• All business operations in NSO are done in compliance with international standards, procedures, and best practices.

Recent Government Initiatives to Tackle Unemployment

• The Union government has come up with an economic stimulus package under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to support the Indian economy and create jobs.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), the Union Government is providing affordable loans to street vendors.
• The government has allocated an additional fund of Rs 40,000 crore for MGNREGA, as part of the stimulus package.
• The government is offering credit guarantees for MSMEs which will help them in getting loans easily and boost their functioning.
• Various other initiatives have also been taken by the government to support the economy which includes relaxation in Companies Act and Insolvency proceedings, reforms in agri- marketing, etc.
• State governments have also come up with the initiative to support their economy and increase jobs.
• Andhra Pradesh government’s ‘ReStart’ program to support the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector in the State.
• Jharkhand has launched three employment schemes to create wage employment for workers in rural areas.

Source: PIB

9) Oil Spill in Siberia

• Recently, Russia has declared a state of emergency in its Krasnoyarsk Region after a power plant fuel leaked causing 20,000 tonnes of diesel oil to escape into the Ambarnaya River.
• Krasnoyarsk Region is located in the vast and sparsely populated Siberian peninsula and the Ambarnaya river is part of a network that flows into the environmentally sensitive Arctic Ocean.

Key Points

• Reasons for the Spill:
• The thermoelectric power plant which is located near Norilsk city (known as the country’s nickel capital), around 3000 km northeast of Moscow, is built on permafrost which has weakened over the years owing to climate change.
• This caused the pillars that supported the plant’s fuel tank to sink, leading to a loss of containment.
• According to a report, Norilsk is one of the most heavily polluted places on Earth.
• Concerns:
• The leak can have a serious impact on the local ecology.
• The Ambarnaya river flows to the Pyasino lake and river Pyasina, which connects it to the Kara Sea, a part of the Arctic Ocean.
• The most toxic components of diesel fuel are light aromatics (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), which in significant quantities will nevertheless dissolve in water and can in no way be collected.
• Damages to the Arctic waterways due to the spill could be at least over UDS 76 million. The estimate does not include atmospheric damage due to greenhouse gases and soil pollution.
• According to the environmentalists, the river would be difficult to clean, given its shallow waters and remote location, as well as the magnitude of the spill.
• The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) described this as the second-largest known oil leak in modern Russia’s history in terms of volume.
• It is only exceeded by a crude oil spill in the northwestern region of Komi that took place over several months in 1994.
• Measures:
• The declaration of the state of emergency would bring in extra forces and federal resources for the clean-up efforts.
• The Ambarnaya river is difficult to clean up because the remote location has no roads.
• Boom obstacles (an obstacle strung across a navigable stretch of water to control or block navigation) are placed in the river but they are unable to contain the oil because of shallow waters.
• There is a need to establish monitoring of water quality downstream up to the mouth of the Pyasina river.
• Diesel fuel is lighter than oil so it is likely to evaporate rather than sink but it is more toxic to clean up.
• Burning the fuel would be too risky as it will generate a lot of heat and will lead to the melting of ice.
• It is recommended to dilute the layer with reagents.
• A reagent is a substance or compounds added to a system to cause a chemical reaction or added to the test if a reaction occurs.

Permafrost

• The ground that remains frozen for two or more consecutive years is considered permafrost.
• Permafrost is composed of rock, soil, sediments, and varying amounts of ice that bind elements together.
• Some permafrost is frozen for tens, hundreds, or even thousands of years.

Source: Indian Express

10) India-Australia Virtual Summit

• Recently, Prime Ministers of India and Australia held their first virtual bilateral summit and both concluded nine agreements including the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA).
• The two leaders are expected to meet in person at the extended G-7 summit which will be held in the USA later in 2020.

Key Points

• Agreements:
• Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: Upgradation of the existing 2+2 dialogue to the Ministerial level, elevating the 2009 bilateral Strategic Partnership to a CSP.
• India already has a 2+2 ministerial-level dialogues mechanism with the USA and Japan, the other members of the Quadrilateral grouping (QUAD).
• India has signed CSPs with the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) thus far, while Australia has CSPs with China, Indonesia, and Singapore.
• Mutual Logistics Support Agreement: Both sides agreed to continue to deepen and broaden defense cooperation by enhancing the scope and complexity of their military exercises and engagement activities to develop new ways to address shared security challenges.
• It will increase military interoperability through defense exercises and allow both militaries the reciprocal use of bases, humanitarian and disaster relief cooperation, port exercises, and passage exercises.
• India has such agreements with the USA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement-LEMOA), France, Singapore, and South Korea.
• Joint declaration on ‘Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’: The two sides announced a roadmap to harness opportunities and meet challenges together as comprehensive strategic partners.
• Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA): The two sides decided to recommence suspended talks over the India-Australia CECA which has been suspended since 2015.
• This move comes in the wake of India opting out of the ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
• Australia-India Strategic Research Fund to promote innovative solutions for responding to and treating Covid-19 as well as other jointly determined priorities, to be preceded by a one-off Special Covid Collaboration Round in 2020.
• Both sides have decided to reflect on the recommendations of the ongoing evaluation of the international response over the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) role in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Both countries will work together to strengthen international institutions to ensure they are inclusive and rules-based.
• Framework arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-enabled critical technology cooperation: Work together in the digital economy, cybersecurity, and critical and emerging technologies.
• Agreement on agriculture and related activities: Agriculture was identified as an important pillar of both the economies with shared challenges and climatic conditions.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mining and processing critical and strategic minerals: Cooperate on new technologies for exploration and extraction of minerals including Australian rare earth metals used for electronics, governance, vocational training, and water management.
• Untouched Issues:
• Tensions between India and China over the standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Australia-China tensions over trade issues and differences over the handling of the pandemic.
• There were no discussions on including Australia in Malabar exercise.
• Both leaders had no discussions on the RCEP, even though earlier Australia had expressed hope that India would reconsider joining the trade agreement.

Way Forward

• Shared values, shared interests, shared geography, and shared objectives are the bedrock of deepening India-Australia ties and the cooperation and coordination between the two countries have picked up momentum in recent years.
• Both India and Australia share a vision of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region and cooperative use of the seas by adherence to international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and peaceful resolution of disputes rather than through unilateral or coercive actions.

Source: The Hindu