Daily Current Affairs 8 June 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) NCR Mild Earthquakes

The National Capital Region has witnessed seven mild earthquakes in the last 20 days.

Details:

• Since May 15, 2020, the National Center for Seismology has recorded seven small earthquakes, ranging from 1.8 to 4.5 on the Richter scale, with epicenters at Faridabad, Rohtak, and New Delhi.
• The spate of tremors has fuelled speculation of a high-magnitude earthquake in the region.

Misinterpreted threat:

• Some experts have interpreted the recent earthquakes as being a sign that the region was unlikely to have a greater earthquake.
• Earthquakes in this region were due to the “release of stress” accumulated from the movement of the Indian tectonic plate and its collision with the Eurasian tectonic plate. The recent tremors would have diffused the accumulated stress, reducing the risk of a more serious earthquake.
• Experts have dismissed the fears of a devastating earthquake claiming the existence of background seismicity level, which continues over a region over time and which is considered normal. Delhi has had a history of only small tremors for the last 40-50 years.
• Consistent tremors would be a cause for concern only if they occurred in regions where tectonic plates met. Only larger faults and larger systems trigger bigger earthquakes.
• The great earthquakes occur mostly along the plate boundaries such as the Sumatra plate boundary [near Indonesia], Andaman plate boundary, or Himalaya and California.

Concerns:

• Not risk-free:
• Concerns about the risk of a major earthquake in Delhi, however, may not be unfounded. Experts have claimed that an earthquake of 5.5 to 6 magnitude can never be ruled out anywhere, citing the instance of the 1993 earthquake in Latur, Maharashtra.
• Latur though fell under zone 1 of the country’s seismic zonal maps, the category with least risk, still witnessed an earthquake
• Himalayan fault line:
• Seismologists and experts have ruled out an immediate threat but warned that the region — situated close to the ‘most active fault line on earth’ — would be at risk in the event of a widely anticipated ‘great’ Himalayan earthquake.
• Several researchers have hypothesized the probability of a great earthquake, something of the magnitude of eight and above, striking the Himalayan region.
• Based on historical, archaeological, and geological data, such an event has not taken place in the area for at least 1,000 years. This, along with GPS-based modeling of the speed of movement of the Indian plate, suggests that an earthquake is due.
• Impact on Delhi:
• A strong earthquake in the Himalayan belt may pose a threat to Delhi-NCR based on the fact that this region is only 150-odd km from the active Himalayan seismic belt.
• The large sediment thickness (loose soil) in the Ganga Alluvial Plains to the north of Delhi tends to amplify the impact of earthquakes. There are concerns about the consequences of a Himalayan earthquake on cities such as Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Banaras, and others in the Indo-Gangetic plains.
• Given the presence of high-rises in the area, a large number of buildings, and a dense population the impact of an earthquake on Delhi could be devastating.

Way forward:

• Given the threat perception, it is imperative to strictly impose building codes as a precautionary measure.
• India needs to be alert to the threat of earthquakes. India needs to undertake short-, medium- and long-term actions.
• The short term actions would involve identifying vulnerable buildings and planning for their occupants’ safety.
• The medium-term actions could involve mandating a new earthquake-proof architecture regime in earthquake-prone areas for all builders and developers. This would help reduce the destruction and devastation caused by the earthquakes.
• Long-term actions could involve the following measures.
• There is a need to decongest the cities which are most prone to earthquakes. This could remove the threat posed by the high-density areas, vulnerable heights, clogged accesses in congested cities.
• There is a need to regulate high-rise constructions in zones of high vulnerability like Delhi and hill stations.
• There needs to be seismic planning for all major infrastructure and construction projects which could help lessen the impact of the earthquakes.
• There should be seismic studies involved during the construction of dams and nuclear power installations for their quake-resistant standards.
• India could work on a system for the prediction of earthquakes.

Source: The Hindu

2) National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16): Diabetes in women.

Research study on the prevalence of diabetes in women.

Background:

• Rise of diabetes:
• The number of people with diabetes in India increased from 26·0 million in 1990 to 65 million in 2016. The prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 20 years or older in India increased from 5·5% in 1990 to 7·7% in 2016.
• The prevalence in 2016 was highest in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study, 2018.
• Higher levels of diabetes in the southern and eastern parts of India could be linked to diets of “rice-meat-and-fish” and a higher intake of “sweets and snacks” that were rich in trans-fats.
• The burden on women:
• Previous studies have found that diabetes-related mortality is higher among women in India.
• Some studies have pointed out the fact that a skewed gender ratio as well as unequal access to medical care has led to the disease being under-reported in women.

Details:

• Researchers have identified districts in India that have a maximum prevalence of diabetes among women.
• The researchers have sourced the data from the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16) which provides district-level health indicators for women.
• National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16) was the first NHS survey to have collected blood glucose levels in men and women thus helping determine diabetes.
• At least 50 of the 640 districts studied have a high prevalence of diabetes — greater than one in 10 — among women aged 35-49 years.
• Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha have districts with the highest prevalence.
• The burden is higher in the southern and eastern parts of the country and lowest in central India.

Gender difference:

• Previous studies of the incidence of diabetes in men and women in India have thrown up mixed results with some finding greater evidence of the disease in women, in North India, and others reporting men in South India as more susceptible.
• However, there have also been studies indicating the prevalence of diabetes among women in India not being substantially different from that of men.

Factors at play:

• The data was analyzed for understanding disease spread and analyzing relationships among disease and socio-economic categories, location, number of children, obesity, and hypertension among other factors.
• Changed lifestyle:
• The prevalence of diabetes among women in their late reproductive ages is highest among those with two or fewer children ever born, who are educated, belonging to economically prosperous households, living in urban areas and hence enjoying changing lifestyle with increased access to high energy (refined and processed) food and development.
• Biological factors:
• The study focused on women who were approaching menopause, which was also a period when the risk of obesity, hypertension rose as well as complications from late pregnancy.
• This helped provide a greater perspective on why mortality from diabetes is higher among women.

Significance of the study:

• A greater understanding of the prevalence and causative factors would help design programs and interventions to lower the community-based prevalence of diabetes, especially among women in their late reproductive ages.

Source: The Hindu

3) Poaching doubled during the lockdown, says wildlife trade monitoring group

“Indian wildlife amidst the COVID-19 crisis: An analysis of status of poaching and illegal wildlife trade” report by TRAFFIC, a leading wildlife trade monitoring network.

Details:

• The researchers analyzed media reports of poaching incidents in six weeks before the lockdown with those from six weeks during the lockdown.
• The report has recorded a significant increase in poaching in India during the lockdown period. The report notes a rise in reported poaching incidents from 35 to 88.
• The biggest increase in reported poaching was related to ungulates, where the percentage jumped from 22% of total reported cases during pre-lockdown to 44%, during the lockdown period.
• Since the ungulate species are targeted mainly for meat (for self-consumption or for local trade), the increase is presumably due to those poaching for self-consumption or those who are trying to compensate for their loss of income by making quick money through poaching.
• The second group of animals where there was a marked increase was ‘small mammals’, including hares, porcupines, pangolins, giant squirrels, civets, monkeys, and smaller wild cats.
• Interestingly, there was a slight decrease in the incidence of bird-related seizures. There was less reporting of poaching and illegal trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles, with almost no seizures of these species during the period.

Concerns:

• Increased threat:
• The study indicates that despite efforts by law enforcement agencies, wild animal populations in India are being subjected to additional threats during the lockdown period.
• Reports of poaching for consumption and local trade have more than doubled during the lockdown.
• Underreporting:
• The report points out that it remains unknown how reporting rates in the media have changed because of the lockdown.
• It is possible that the restrictions on movement could have led to gross under-reporting of illegal wildlife trade.

Way forward:

• Wildlife law enforcement agencies must be supported adequately and promptly to help control the increasing threat to wildlife.

Source: The Hindu

4) Educational complexes for tribal students

• The Odisha government is coming up with three mega educational complexes exclusively for tribal students, where both academic and sporting skills will be harnessed.
• The complexes will be established in tribal-dominated districts such as Keonjhar, Sundargarh, and Mayurbhanj. Each complex will house 3,000 tribal students, which is being dubbed as a unique initiative in the government sector in the country
• The campuses will have state­of­the­art facilities to improve the educational and sporting skills of tribal students from Standard I to XII. Moreover, skill development centers will be an integral part of the projects
• Funds required for mega complexes will be sourced from Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC), which was formed for focused development of mineral-rich districts. Incidentally, most mineral-rich districts are tribal-dominated.
• According to the 2011 Census, Odisha’s tribal population constitutes 9.17 of the country’s tribal population. In Odisha, the tribal population is 22.85% of the State’s total population. With 62 tribal communities, Odisha has the most diverse tribes in India. In terms of tribal population, it occupies the third position in India. Similarly, of India’s total 75 particularly vulnerable tribal groups, 13 reside in Odisha. 
• Santal and Bhuyan are two dominant tribal groups living in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh district
• Incidentally, Keonjhar, where other tribes such as Sounti, Ho, Juang, Kharwar, Mahali, Oraon Kolha, and Kora is the most mined district of the State. Keonjhar district itself contains more than 70% of the iron ore reserves of Odisha. Jharsuguda, Koraput, and Mayurbhanj having extensive mining activities follow Keonjhar. A city­based private educational group has set up similar educational complexes  exclusively for tribals in Bhubaneswar and their branches in different districts

Source: The Hindu

5) IASST develops an artificial intelligence-based computer diagnosis framework for rapid and accurate diagnosis of oral cancers

Overview of classification approach using proposed convolutional neural network.

• Scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt of India, have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) based algorithms as an aid to rapid diagnosis and prediction of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
• An indigenous dataset was developed by the scientists through collaborations to make for the unavailability of any benchmark oral cancer dataset for the study. Exploring different state-of-the-art AI techniques and playing with their proposed method, the scientists have gained unprecedented accuracy in oral cancer grading. The study was conducted applying two approaches through the application of transfer learning using a pre-trained deep convolutional neural network (CNN).
• Four candidate pre-trained models, namely Alexnet, VGG-16, VGG-19, and Resnet-50, were chosen to find the most suitable model for the classification problem, and a proposed CNN model developed to fit the problem. Although the highest classification accuracy of 92.15% was achieved by the Resnet-50 model, the experimental findings highlight that the proposed CNN model outperformed the transfer learning approaches displaying an accuracy of 97.5%. The work has been published in the journal Neural Networks.
• As of now, the group is set for converting the algorithm into proper software to move on to carry out field trials. This is the next challenge that the group is prepared to meet, considering the ever-present gap between the health and IT sectors.
• Around 16.1% of all cancers amongst men and 10.4% amongst women are oral cancer, and the picture is all the more alarming in NE India. Oral cavity cancers are also known to have a high recurrence rate compared to other cancers due to the high consumption of betel nut and tobacco.
• This cancer group is characterized by epithelial squamous tissue differentiation and aggressive tumor growth, disrupting the basement membrane of the inner cheek region and thus can be graded by Broder’s histopathological system as well-differentiated SCC (WDSCC), moderately differentiated SCC (MDSCC) and poorly differentiated SCC (PDSCC). The cellular morphometry highlighting the tumor growth displays a very minute histological difference separating the three classes, which are very hard to capture by the human eye. It has remained elusive due to its highly similar histological features, which even pathologists find difficult to classify.
• The advent of deep learning in AI holds an extraordinary prospect in digital image analysis to serve as a computational aid in the diagnosis of cancer, thus providing help in timely and effective prognosis and multi-modal treatment protocols for cancer patients and reducing the operational workload of pathologists while enhancing management of the disease.

Source: PIB

6) Catalyzing Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) in India

• In a first, NITI Aayog, in association with Agami and Omidyar Network India, brought together key stakeholders in a virtual meeting on 6 June 2020 for advancing online dispute resolution in India.
• ODR is the resolution of disputes, particularly small- and medium-value cases, using digital technology and techniques of alternate dispute resolution (ADR), such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. While courts are becoming digitized through the efforts of the judiciary, more effective, scalable, and collaborative mechanisms of containment and resolution are urgently needed. ODR can help resolve disputes efficiently and affordably.
• The common theme was a multi-stakeholder agreement to work collaboratively to ensure efforts are taken to scale online dispute resolution in India.
• Covid-19 has instilled an urgent need for ODR that requires decisive action, with the likelihood of a spurt in disputes before the courts—most notably in lending, credit, property, commerce, and retail. In the coming months, ODR could be the mechanism that helps with achieving expedient resolution.
• The seminal meeting generated tremendous recognition of the opportunity that ODR presents in India. A multi-stakeholder exercise will be undertaken in the coming weeks to help achieve this in a sustainable, efficient, and collaborative manner for the transformation of justice delivery across various facets.

Source: PIB

7) ARCI develops Rare earth-based magnetocaloric material for cancer treatment

• 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) has developed a rare-earth-based magnetocaloric material that can be effectively used for cancer treatment. The magnetocaloric materials (certain materials in which application and removal of a magnetic field cause the materials to become warmer or cooler) developed by ARCI are being tested at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST). A paper on the research work has been published in the Journal of Alloys and Compounds.
• Advancements in magnetic materials led to the development of magnetic hyperthermia to try to address the issues of side effects of cancer treatment like chemotherapy. In magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic nanoparticles are subjected to alternating magnetic fields of few Gauss, which produce heat due to magnetic relaxation losses. Usually, the temperature required to kill the tumor cells is between 40 and 45°C. However, the drawback of magnetic hyperthermia is the lack of control of temperature, which may damage the healthy cells in the body and also have side effects like increased blood pressure, etc.
• These problems can be avoided by using magnetocaloric materials, as they can provide controlled heating. The advantage of magnetocaloric materials that heat up or cool down with the application and removal of the magnetic field, respectively is that as soon as the magnetic field is removed, the cooling effect is generated, unlike in magnetic nanoparticles where overheating persists, even after removal of the magnetic field.
• The team at ARCI chose rare-earth-based alloy for studies as some of the rare earth materials are human body compatible. They optimized the alloy composition so that the Curie temperature came close to the therapeutic range (i.e. 42-460C) required for destroying cancer cells. Preliminary hyperthermia measurements were carried out using Ambrell EASY HEAT laboratory induction heating system for 15 minutes; with temperature measured every 1 minute at SCTIMST (Fig.2). With the application of the magnetic field on dry powders, the temperature of the rare-earth nanoparticles rose to 590C. To simulate injection into the tumor, particles were dispersed in distilled water, and the temperature was found to be 380C. It is expected that the heating capacity would increase with the increase in the magnetic field. ARCI and SCTIMST are carrying out vitro measurements on the tumor cells with rare-earth nanoparticles dispersed in fluids for testing with MRI at a higher magnetic field of 0.5 Tesla to generate more data.
• This method, when used in conjunction with radiation therapy, would reduce the side effects, damage caused to the human body and also reduce the treatment time of cancer tumors.

Magnetocaloric effect: Application of magnetic field leads to heating and removal of magnetic field causes cooling in the system under study

Hyperthermia measurement shows an increase in the temperature of the dry rare-earth-based nanoparticles, and a decrease in the temperature when dispersed in a distilled water

Source: PIB

8) Novel recipe for fabrication of Transparent Conducting Glass can bring down the cost of smart windows, touch screens, solar cells

• In recent years, the demand for transparent conducting glasses (TCG) with high light transparency has tremendously increased due to its wide range of applications in optoelectronic devices such as smart windows, solar cells, touch screen/ touch sensors, and so on.
• Recently scientists from Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India have developed a novel recipe for fabrication of TCG which brings down its production cost by 80% compared to tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) based technology which is currently in use. Their current work has been published in the journal Materials Chemistry and Physics.
• Industrially relevant TCG came up with conducting coatings such as tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) with a few hundred nanometres of thicknesses, where significant cost is attached to the slow deposition rates adopted for high-quality films.
• The newly fabricated TCG consists of metal mesh on a glass substrate with thin overlayers of metal oxides. The design is attractive as the hybrid electrode possesses the excellent conductive property of the metal mesh (having a sheet resistance of about 5 ohms/square) while offering an oxide surface finish for the conductive glass, which makes it relate well with the existing industry requirements based on ITO.
• The team lead by Prof. G U Kulkarni, along with his co-workers from CeNS and industrial partner Hind High Vacuum (HHV) Pvt. Ltd. has set-up a semi-automated production plant funded by DST-Nanomission in CeNS-Arkavathi campus for production of low-cost TCG.
• Dr. Ashutosh K Singh, Scientist-C at CeNS who is working on this project, said, “We are fabricating various prototypes such as transparent heaters, transparent Electromagnetic Interference shields, smart window, etc. based on TCG to showcase its potential applications. Further, these electrodes have been sent out for field tests in various industries and R&D laboratories”.
• These TCGs have been exhibited in various prestigious meetings and conferences such as Bengaluru INDIA NANO-2018 & 2020, ICONSAT-2018 & 2020, SPIE-2019, etc. for dissemination and marketing purpose and are also available for onsite testing and validation purposes.
• Thus, the TCG developed by CeNS have the potential to bring down the overall production cost of devices like smart windows, touch screens, solar cells, and so on due to its low-cost processing cost.

(a) Reduction in the production cost of hybrid electrode wrt. ITO in (%) with sheet resistance values, (b) digital image of hybrid transparent electrode demonstrating its transparency and clarity. 

Source: PIB

9) IASST develops a new process for synthesizing crystalline Rubrene useful for optoelectronic devices

• Scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, have found a new process for synthesizing crystalline rubrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-based thin film which can be useful for the development of optoelectronic devices and also for preparation of Electronic Skin (E-Skin).
• The new synthesis is a water-free, solvent-free, environmentally friendly one-step plasma process. The resultant crystalline rubrene based film demonstrated optoelectronic properties, and an Indian patent has been filed for the process. A highly uniform pin-hole-free thin film can be deposited by this process, which is useful for the fabrication of high-end devices.
• Devices made of pyro-electric materials (that generate an electric charge when they are heated or cooled) and piezoelectric materials (that generate electric charge under the effect of mechanical pressure), can help detect a change in temperature and pressure. Pyro-electric materials also show a pyro-phototronic effect where pyro-electricity is associated with the change in temperature of a material when it absorbs photons. Pyro-electric infrared detectors are well known for application in infrared sensing for space research, defense, remote sensing, and household appliances.
• These kinds of materials are available in biological systems such as – human skin, plant cellulose leading to their significance in the understanding of basic science of biological systems and also in their huge application prospect.
• The present study conducted by the IASST team published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry revealed that centro-symmetric rubrene crystal has a thin amorphous oxide layer formed over the crystalline fil. This induces surface layer polarization effect leading to pyro-phototronic effect. 
• This work delivered a new experimental approach for the synthesis of crystalline rubrene film and realization of pyro-phototronic effect on a fully organic crystalline medium with rubrene for the first time. It also circumvents the essentiality of materials to be non-centrosymmetric to show pyroelectric behavior.
• According to the IASST team, the formation of crystalline rubrene at sufficiently high Radio Frequency(RF) plasma power confirmed that with increasing applied RF power, a phase transition from amorphous to crystalline rubrene can be obtained. This oxide layer over the crystalline rubrene film that causes surface polarization is formed after exposure of the deposited film in the air due to film surface oxidation.
• Since the last few years, scientists from around the world are working on the synthesis of organic materials for electronic applications. The conventional process for the synthesis of organic electronic materials based on chemical processes provides very good quality materials, but the stability of the materials is not very good, and it requires the use of solvents. Moreover, multiple steps are required for material synthesis and film deposition. To overcome these challenges, the IASST team has been working on a plasma-based process due to the unique advantages of such a process over the conventional processes of organic electronics.
• This novel process developed by the IASST team, besides being useful for developing advanced optoelectronic devices and preparation of Electronic Skin (E-Skin), may be useful as a tool for laboratory simulation of different biological systems for probing the organization and dynamics of those systems.

Material synthesis process, device layout, and current versus time plots of the pyro-phototronic device.PPA-CRB: Plasma Polymerizes Aniline – Crystalline Rubrene, ITO: Indium Tin Oxide, I­PV: Current due to the photovoltaic effect, IP: Current due to pyro-phototronic effect.

Source: PIB

10) India’s Campaign Brochure for UNSC seat

Recently, India has released a campaign brochure ahead of the vote for the non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2021-22.

• This will be the eighth time India will occupy a non-permanent UNSC seat, with its last term in 2011-2012.
• India also seeks for permanent membership in the UNSC.
• India along with other countries of G4 grouping (Japan, Brazil, and Germany) is asking for a spot for permanent membership in UNSC.
• Five permanent members: China, France, the Russian Federation, the UK, and the USA.

Key Points

• India is guaranteed a place as it is the sole candidate for Asia-Pacific but needs two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly to vote in its favor in a secret ballot scheduled for 17th June 2020 in New York (USA).
• Issues Highlighted:
• International governance has been under increasing strain due to traditional and non-traditional security challenges. Terrorism is one of the most cited examples.
• Unreformed and under-representative global institutions and the Covid-19 pandemic with its economic impact has increased challenges for the UNSC.
• India’s Solutions:
• Its objective will be the achievement of N.O.R.M.S: a New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System.
• India will highlight international terrorism, United Nations reforms, and the Security Council expansion, streamlining the peacekeeping operations and technology initiatives during its upcoming tenure.
• Background:
• Since 2013, India has been planning for a seat in 2021 as the year will mark its 75th year of Independence.
• Identifying an uncontested spot is not an easy task.
• However, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan agreed to set aside for the 2021-22 seat, in a friendly gesture.
• India also persuaded the Asia-Pacific grouping nomination by diplomacy and negotiations to avoid any last-minute contenders against India.
• India was able to win a unanimous endorsement from the 55-nation grouping that included both China and Pakistan, in June 2019.
• However, winning the maximum votes at the General Assembly this time will be a little hard for India due to:
• Rising tensions in relations with both Pakistan and China.
• Criticism from Turkey, Malaysia, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over the government’s decision on scrapping Article 370 as well as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019.

Selection of Non-permanent Members of Security Council

• Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of ten in total) for a two-year term. The ten non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis:
• Five for African and Asian countries.
• One for Eastern European countries.
• Two for Latin American and Caribbean countries.
• Two for Western Europe and other countries.
• Article 23 of the UN Charter concerns the composition of the Security Council.
• Other Contenders for Other Seats:
• Mexico is expected to be elected unopposed for the Latin American group.
• Canada, Ireland, and Norway will contend for two seats of the West European and Others Group (WEOG).
• Kenya and Djibouti will contend for an African seat.

Way Forward

• India for long has been of the view that the UNSC sought to be reformed by expansion in its permanent membership and non-permanent membership as well.
• India has been acknowledged as a rising power by most of the states. Also, there is a pressing need to democratize multilateral fora, starting from the United Nation system itself. In this context, India is making a legitimate claim for its rightful place in the changing architecture of global governance, including the UNSC.

Source: The Hindu

11) Increase in Foreign Portfolio Investment

The quantum of Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPIs) flows in the equity market reached a record high in the first week of June compared to any other month in the current calendar year of 2020.

Key Points

• The foreign portfolio investors have bought shares worth about Rs. 21,000 crore in just five trading sessions in the first week of June 2020.
• This is the highest in any month of 2020, with the previous high registered in May at Rs. 14,569 crores.
• The FPI has been brought into sectors like automobiles, private banks, and pharmaceuticals.
• The sudden surge in FPIs is because of the Rights Issue of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), stake sale in Kotak Mahindra Bank, and the slight increase in optimism in the Indian market.
• RIL’s Rights Issue is India's largest Rights Issue at Rs. 53,124.20 crore.
• Uday Kotak sold shares worth around Rs. 6,800 crores of Kotak Mahindra Bank, which was bought by FPIs.
• However, the cumulative foreign flows in equities this year is still negative at Rs. 19,531 crores, since March and April saw huge outflows.
• March witnessed a record outflow of Rs. 61,973 crore, which was followed by selling worth Rs. 6,884 crore in April.

Foreign Portfolio Investment

• Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) consists of securities and other financial assets passively held by foreign investors.
• It does not provide the investor with direct ownership of financial assets and is relatively liquid depending on the volatility of the market.
• FPI is part of a country’s capital account and is shown on its Balance of Payments (BOP).
• The BOP measures the amount of money flowing from one country to other countries over one monetary year.
• The investor does not actively manage the investments through FPIs, he does not have control over the securities or the business.
• The investor’s goal is to create a quick return on his money.
• FPI is often referred to as “hot money” because of its tendency to flee at the first signs of trouble in an economy.
• FPI is more liquid and less risky than Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
• A Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an investment made by a firm or individual in one country into business interests located in another country. FDI lets an investor purchase a direct business interest in a foreign country.
• FPI and FDI are both important sources of funding for most economies. Foreign capital can be used to develop infrastructure, set up manufacturing facilities and service hubs, and invest in other productive assets such as machinery and equipment, which contributes to economic growth and stimulates employment.
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) brought new FPI Regulations, 2019, replacing the erstwhile FPI Regulations of 2014.

Source: The Hindu

12) CeNS synthesizes novel photo-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystals for display devices at room temperature

• Scientists from Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology have synthesized a series of novel photo-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystals at room temperature for the widest thermal range which can be used to make optical storage devices such as optically rewritable boards, advertising boards and so on. 
• Liquid crystals have become an integral part of human life, for example, the most modern display devices such as computers, mobiles, TV screens, and so on are made up of liquid crystals. Cholesteric liquid crystals are special kind of materials which have the property of reflecting the light of wavelength equal to its pitch length, and this pitch length is temperature-sensitive. So, they are generally used as thermal sensors. If such cholesteric liquid crystals are made photo-sensitive, then these materials can be used for optical storage devices and other related applications.
• The team of scientists from CeNS headed by Dr. Veena Prasad has synthesized these novel photo-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystals for temperature range from -10oC to 160oC. Hence, the devices made using these liquid crystals can be used in Syberia to Saudi Arabia where extreme temperatures were reported. A simple, cost-effective procedure was adopted to synthesize such materials. These room-temperature liquid crystals can be used for creating optical storage devices, liquid crystal displays, and so on.
• The phenomena driving such optical storage device lies in tuning the molecules with light. Energetically more stable trans-state of azobenzene based photosensitive molecules turned to metastable cis configuration with the illumination of suitable UV light. Bringing them back to the original trans-state can be done using either by shining light of higher wavelength (~ 450nm) or by keeping it in a dark state. The latter process is known as thermal back relaxation, where only room temperature is playing the role. The idea behind the phenomena is to increase such thermal back relaxation to retain the optically written images for a long time.
• An optical storage device based on the above phenomena was fabricated, in collaboration with Dr. Gurumurthy Hegde from the BSN Centre for Nano-materials and Displays, BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru, using one of these materials. The device has shown very high thermal back relaxation with good contrast between the illuminated region (dark state) and masked region (bright state). This process took almost 5 hours to relax back to its original configuration (i.e., trans-state). Such devices are extremely useful in creating rewritable advertisement boards where one can store the images for several hours and then can be rewritten or in some cases can be kept as a permanent storage device. Then it can also be used as optically rewritable boards for schools and colleges.
• This invention will definitely help to bring down the cost of the devices with a very simple yet powerful photoisomerization concept. An Indian patent has been filed for this invention.

High contrast images with masked regions (bright in color) and dark regions (exposed regions) showing good contrast between bright and dark states. The image took almost 5 hours to relax to its original state.

Source: PIB