Daily Current Affairs 10 January 2022

 Current affairs of today are

1) Veer Baal Diwas

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that December 26 shall henceforth be marked as  Veer Baal Diwas to pay homage to the courage of the Sahibzades, four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the last Sikh guru. While all four were martyred, the date has been chosen as it was the day observed as the martyrdom day of the Sahibzadas Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, who was killed at the tender age of six and nine in Sirhind by Mughal forces.

Source: The Hindu

2) Universally accessible ramp

• The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) released the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021 through its website in December 2021. The guidelines are a revision of the Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier­Free Built Environment for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly Persons released by the CPWD, under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in February 2016.
• Drafted by a team of the Indian Institute of Technology­Roorkee and the National Institute of Urban Affairs of the MoHUA, the revised guidelines aim to give a holistic approach. 
• The guidelines say ramps are extremely crucial for providing an accessible mobility option, but it is equally important to understand that ramps have to adhere to given guidelines. The guidelines provide the gradient and length of ramps for example, for a length of six meters, the gradient should be 1:12. The minimum clear width of a ramp should be 1,200 mm, the guidelines say
• The guidelines are not just for persons with disabilities (PwD), but for those involved in planning projects, from the construction of government buildings to master­planning cities
• While making public buildings and transport fully accessible for wheelchair users is covered in the guidelines, other users who may experience temporary problems have also been considered. For instance, a parent pushing a child’s pram while carrying groceries or other bags, and women wearing saris.

Source: The Hindu

3) Rafale­-M

• French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation will fly its Rafale­M fighter jet from the Indian Navy’s Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) in Goa to demonstrate compatibility and suitability to operate from the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant’s deck.
• Boeing will also demonstrate the compatibility of its F/A­-18 Super Hornet on the SBTF
• These trials are part of demonstrations by aircraft manufacturers to showcase the compatibility of their aircraft to fly from the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers which use a ski jump to launch aircraft
• Both the Rafale­M and F/A­-18 are originally designed to operate from carriers with a catapult launch mechanism. The carrier would thus require minor modifications to operate the aircraft.  A government­to-government agreement could be signed based on the aircraft selected to speed up the process
• Boeing has taken a lead in the race having already demonstrated the ability of F/A-­18 to take off from a similar shore-based facility at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, U.S.
• However, each fighter brings certain advantages while having some limitations. For instance, Rafale­M does not have a twin-seater while its acquisition would mean commonality with the Indian Air Force which will soon complete inducting the 36 Rafale jets contracted in 2016. On the other hand, the F/A-­18 is a much widely employed platform with a twin-seater trainer and also has an electronic warfare version that might be of interest to the Navy. There is also the issue of the size of the aircraft and their fit on the carrier and its lifts which would also be factored in the final evaluation.
• In 2017, the Navy had floated Request For Information (RFI) to procure 57 twin-engine carrier fighters which are now set to downsize to around 26, including a few twin­seater trainer variants. The revision is in the backdrop of a new indigenous Twin Engine Carrier-Based Deck Fighter (TEBDF) being designed and developed by the DRDO and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
• However, the procurement has now gained urgency as the Navy is short of aircraft to operate from both the carriers. 

Source: The Hindu

4) IAC VIKRANT SETS SAIL FOR NEXT SET OF SEA TRIALS

• While the maiden sea trials in August last year were to establish propulsion, navigational suite, and basic operations, the second sea trial later in October-November witnessed the ship being put through its paces in terms of various machinery trials and flight trials.  The ship in fact was out for 10 days proving its sustenance in the very second sortie.  Various seamanship evolutions were also successfully cleared during the second sortie.  Having gained adequate confidence in the ship’s abilities, the IAC now sails to undertake complex maneuvers to establish specific readings of how the ship performs in various conditions.  In addition, various sensor suites of the ship would also be tested. 
•    The IAC has been a success story on numerous counts. Be it the case of Atmanirbharta wherein 76% of the equipment is indigenously sourced or the close engagement between the Design teams of the Indian Navy and M/s Cochin Shipyard Limited – a high-point in the largest and most complex warship ever to be built in the country. That the ship has been able to carry out basic flying operations from its very first sortie itself is a landmark in Indian warship construction history. Despite surging COVID cases in the country and the resultant challenges, the combined teams from multiple organizations associated with the project, are upbeat and committed to meeting the timeliness.  On successful completion of a series of progressive sea trials, the ship is scheduled to be commissioned as INS Vikrant later this year, as the nation commemorates ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
• Scientists from the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory a DRDO laboratory based at Visakhapatnam would embark the vessel during the trials

Source: PIB

5) NEAT 3.0

• Union Education Minister launches NEAT 3.0.
• NEAT 3.0 is a single platform to provide the best-developed ed-tech solutions and courses to students of the country. 
• National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) is an initiative to provide the use of best-developed technological solutions in the education sector to enhance the employability of the youth on a single platform for learners’ convenience. 
• These solutions use Artificial Intelligence for a personalized and customized learning experience for better learning outcomes and skill development in the niche areas. 
• AICTE is the facilitator in the process.
• NEAT has 58 Education Technology Companies with 100 products that help to develop employable skills, capacity building, and bridge learning gaps.
• More than 12 lakh socially and economically disadvantaged students have received free ed-tech course coupons worth over ₹253 crores under NEAT 3.0.
• NEAT is expected to be a game-changer in bridging the digital divide in education.
• The minister also launched AICTE prescribed technical books in regional languages.

Source: PIB

6) Rani Velu Nachiyar

• PM remembers Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary.
• Rani Velu Nachiyar is remembered as the first queen from India to fight against the British East India Company.
• She was a princess of Ramanathapuram.
• Born in 1730, Velu Nachiyar was the only child of Raja Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Rani Sakandhimuthal of the Ramnad kingdom.
• She was trained in martial arts and was also a scholar with proficiency in many languages.
• She was drawn into a battle when her husband, the king of Sivaganga was killed by Company soldiers.
• Velu Nachiyar inherited the kingdom from her husband and ruled it for ten years more.
• She sought an alliance with Hyder Ali of Mysore in order to launch a campaign against the East India Company.
• The queen arranged a suicide attack on a place where the Company stored its ammunition and blew them up.
• Her daughter succeeded her in 1790.
• She passed away in 1796.
• She is remembered as ‘veeramangai’.

Source: PIB

7) Saryu Nahar National Project

• The Prime Minister inaugurated an interlinking of rivers project called the Saryu Nahar National Project which was pending for four decades. The inauguration took place at Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh. 
• This project intends the interlink five rivers namely Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga, and Rohini.
• The onset of the project took place in 1978 but due to lack of funds and inefficient coordination between the departments it was stalled for a long time
• In 2016, the project was included within the ambit of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana for its timely implementation and completion.
• The agricultural potential of the region will be enhanced with the implementation of this project.
• About 29 lakh farmers of villages of eastern UP will get access to irrigation facilities from the interlinking project.
• This is an exemplary project that reflects the commitment of the government towards farmer welfare and empowerment. 
• The Saryu River (also spelled Sarayu) is a sacred river and one of the most prominent waterways in Uttar Pradesh.
• It originates from Sarmul in the extreme north of the Bageshwar district in Uttarakhand.
• The ancient scriptures such as the Vedas and the Ramayana mention the river.
• Saryu is one of the seven tributaries of Ganga and it is believed to wash away the impurities of humankind.
• This river has a holy sentiment attached to it as it is associated with Lord Shree Rama. The birth of Lord Rama was witnessed in Ayodhya which is situated on the banks of river Sarayu.
• It was on the northern bank of this river where king Dasharatha performed the Putrakameshti Yagya to get children. 
• Ram ki Paidi ghat is located on the banks of this river.
• Ghaghara is the main tributary of Sarayu along with Mahakali and Karnali.

Source: PIB

8) Tracking Animals through e-DNA

• According to some studies, DNA floating in the air (i.e. e-DNA) can boost biodiversity conservation efforts across the world.
• Researchers from two teams have independently shown that environmental DNA (e-DNA) can potentially identify and monitor terrestrial animals.
• Animals shed DNA through their breath, saliva, fur or feces into the environment and these samples are called e-DNA.
• Airborne e-DNA sampling is a biomonitoring method that is rising in popularity among biologists and conservationists as it provides abundant information.
• It can help understand the composition of animal communities and detect the spread of non-native species.
• This method will work with the current techniques to monitor endangered species after some fine-tuning.
• Typically, biologists observe animals in person or by picking up DNA from animals’ footprints or faeces, which demand extensive fieldwork.
• Spotting animals can be challenging, especially if they inhabit inaccessible habitats.
• It can aid in tracking long-distance migratory birds and other birds’ flying patterns. It can also capture DNA from smaller animals including insects.
• Last year (2021), a proof-of-concept study used airborne e-DNA to monitor terrestrial insects.
• As wildlife ecosystems become rapidly and extremely chaotic owing to the alarming effects of climate change, terrestrial biomonitoring techniques are expected to adapt and progress rapidly for accurate and timely monitoring.
• Global EDNA Project: UNESCO launched the project to study the vulnerability of species to climate change at Marine World Heritage Sites in October 2021.

e-DNA

• Environmental DNA (e-DNA) is nuclear or mitochondrial DNA that is released from an organism into the environment.
• Sources of eDNA include secreted feces, mucous, and gametes; shed skin and hair; and carcasses. eDNA can be detected in cellular or extracellular (dissolved DNA) form.
• In aquatic environments, eDNA is diluted and distributed by currents and other hydrological processes, but it only lasts about 7–21 days, depending on environmental conditions.
• Exposure to UVB radiation, acidity, heat, and endo- and exonucleases can degrade e-DNA.

Source: DTE