PERIYAR IAS CURRENT AFFAIRS 24-FEBRUARY-2018
Topic: Indian culture will cover the
salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to
modern times.
Rashtriya
Sanskriti Mahotsav-2018
Context: To celebrate the idea of
unity in diversity, the Ministry of Culture is organising the
the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav at Gwalior.
The Mahotsav will cover a
profusion of art forms from classical and folk, music and dance, theatre to
literature and the visual arts and would offer the chance to experience the
best in established and emerging virtuosity.
Facts
for Prelims:
§ The Ministry of Culture is
organising the event under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat matrix.
§ The event will be held in
Madhya Pradesh.
Ek
Bharat Shreshtha Bharat:
The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat
programme was launched by the Prime Minister on 31st October, 2016 to promote
engagement amongst the people of different states/UTs so as to enhance mutual
understanding and bonding between people of diverse cultures, thereby securing
stronger unity and integrity of India.
What’s
important?
§ For Prelims: Sanskriti
Mahotsav, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
§ For Mains: Need for cultural
integrity.
Sources: pib.
Paper
2:
Topic: Statutory, regulatory and
various quasi-judicial bodies.
Heavy
Water Board
Context: Heavy Water Board has
signed a collaborative agreement with M/s Clearsynth, Mumbai for sale of 20
tonnes of Heavy Water in a year for development of deuterium labeled compounds,
NMR Solvents, d-labeled Active Pharma Ingredients (APIs). This marks the beginning
of an important era in the annals of Indian Nuclear industry leading to
societal benefits for the masses.
About
Heavy water board:
Heavy Water Board (HWB) is a
constituent unit under the Department of Atomic Energy.
The organisation is primarily
responsible for production of Heavy Water (D2O) which is used as a ‘moderator’
and ‘Coolant’ in nuclear power as well as research reactors. Other than Heavy
Water, HWB is also engaged with production of different types of nuclear grade
solvents and extraction of rare materials.
What
is Heavy Water?
Heavy water or deuterium oxide
(D2O) is a form of water that contains a large amount of the hydrogen isotope
deuterium which is also known as heavy hydrogen. Deuterium differs from the
hydrogen which is usually found in water. Heavy water may be deuterium protium
oxide (DHO) or deuterium oxide (D2O). The increase in mass due to the
presence of deuterium gives it a different chemical and physical property
compared to normal water.
Applications:
Heavy water is used in certain
types of nuclear reactors, where it acts as a neutron moderator to slow down
neutrons. The different applications and uses of heavy water are:
§ Nuclear magnetic resonance.
§ In Organic chemistry.
§ Fourier transform spectroscopy.
§ Neutron moderator.
§ Neutrino detector.
§ Metabolic rate testing in
physiology and biology.
§ Tritium production.
What’s
important?
For Prelims: Heavy water board,
D2O- features, how is it different from light water.
Sources: pib.
Topic: Effect of policies and
politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian
diaspora.
US
tightens H-1B visa rules
Context: The US government has announced
a new policy that has made the procedure of issuing H-1B visas relatively
harder than the existing one. The updated policy guidance is in sync with
President Donald Trump’s ‘Buy American, Hire American’ Executive order.
Changes
introduced:
§ The H-1B visa program generally
allows a foreign employee to work for a specific sponsoring American employer.
As is true in many employment situations, the location of work can change.
Under the new policy, the company would have to walk an extra mile to prove that
its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying
speculative assignments in speciality occupation.
§ New employers must provide
contracts and itineraries for employees who will work at a third-party
location. This includes evidence of actual work assignments, which may include
technical documentation, milestone tables, marketing analysis, cost-benefit analysis,
brochures, and funding documents.
§ When H-1B beneficiaries are
placed at third-party worksites, petitioners must demonstrate that they have
specific and non-speculative qualifying assignments in a specialty occupation
for that beneficiary for the entire time requested on the petition.
Implications
of this move:
The Indian IT companies are
among the major beneficiaries of H-1B visas with a significant number of
employees deployed at third-party worksites. IT workers from India are always
in high demand in American banking, travel and commercial services.
What
is H-1B Visa?
The H-1B visa is a
non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in
speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The
technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each
year.
Criticisms:
The aim of the H1B visa
programme was to supplement the US workforce with high-skilled workers to do
jobs that Americans are not skilled to do, not to replace the US workers. But
over time, there have been many grumblings that many companies use the H1B visa
to replace American workers with foreign ones, as the latter can be hired at
lower salaries without compromising on the skill sets. In some cases, American
employees have alleged that they were made to train H1B holders to do their own
jobs, and then fired.
What’s
important?
§ For Prelims: H- 1B visa.
§ For Mains: Recent changes in
the policy, impact on Indian diaspora, solutions.
Sources: the hindu.
Topic: Bilateral, regional and
global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s
interests.
TAPI
gas pipeline
Context: Turkmenistan,
Afghanistan, Pakistan and India recently ceremonially broke ground on the
Afghan section of an ambitious, multi-billion dollar gas pipeline expected to
help ease energy deficits in South Asia.
About
TAPI gas pipeline project:
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India
Natural Gas Pipeline (TAPI) Project is a natural gas pipeline being developed
by the Asian Development Bank. The TAPI pipeline will have a capacity to carry
90 million standard cubic metres a day (mscmd) gas for a 30-year period and be
operational in 2018.
India and Pakistan would get 38
mscmd each, while 14 mscmd will be supplied to Afghanistan. From the Galkynysh
field in Turkmensitan, the pipeline will run to Herat and Kandahar province of
Afghanistan, before entering Pakistan. In Pakistan, it will reach Multan via
Quetta before ending at Fazilka (Punjab) in India.
Benefits
of this project for India:
§ Energy is a growing need, and
even if India is able to source energy from other countries like Iran and
further afield, both the proximity and abundance of Turkmenistan’s reserves,
that rank fourth in the world, will make it an attractive proposition.
§ It will bring India much needed
energy at competitive pricing, and could easily supply about 15% of India’s
projected needs by the time it is completed in the 2020s.
§ This project also gives India
an opportunity to secure its interest in Central Asia. TAPI’s success will also
ensure that India, Pakistan and Afghanistan find ways of cooperating on other
issues as well.
Benefits
for other countries:
§ Holding 4% of the gas reserves
of the world, presently, Turkmenistan exports gas to only very few countries.
But, with the TAPI pipeline, it will be able to diversify its exports to
nations like India, Pakistan etc. Turkmenistan will also earn a lot of revenue
by these exports.
§ The potential extension of the
pipeline to the Gwadar Port in Pakistan will also enable Pakistan to export gas
to several countries, thereby increasing its share of revenue.
§ Since the pipeline passes
through Afghanistan, it will earn some revenue too in the name of transit fees.
§ This project could easily
supply a quarter of Pakistan’s gas needs. It will also reopen a historic route
that reconnects South Asia to Central Asia, in the way it was before the
British Empire sealed it off.
Challenges
before the project:
Security issues: The TAPI project crosses
Afghanistan and Pakistan, the former deeply unstable and of uncertain future,
the latter plagued by terrorist incidents and infested with militant groups
that may find a gas pipeline easy pickings. Ensuring the security of those
involved in the construction of the pipeline and then extending that security
along its length once operational is going to be a challenge for all the
signatories.
Maintenance: After its completion,
maintenance in the presence of terrorist elements in Afghanistan and in the
restive areas of Pakistan will also be a challenge.
India- Pakistan tensions: Another critical issue is
the fraught relations of Pakistan with India and Afghanistan.
Way
ahead:
Countries like India, Pakistan
and Afghanistan are facing a severe energy crisis and badly need such a
resource to give an impetus to their ailing economies. It is important for
these countries to increase cooperation and take decisive action against the
terrorists who are the main hurdle to any peace and development process. If
utilized properly, the gas reserves can change the destiny of the people of
these countries. It is a win-win situation for all stakeholder states and they
must make up for lost time to explore this channel of prosperity.
What’s
important?
§ For Prelims: TAPI pipeline.
§ For Mains: TAPI- need, issues
and solutions.
Sources: the hindu.
Topic: Important International
institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.
ASEAN-India
Research Training Fellowship (AIRTF)
Context: Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has entered into a partnership with
the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India to implement
and execute the ASEAN India Research Training Fellowship (AIRTF).
About
AIRTF scheme:
The AIRTF scheme was introduced
to promote scientific cooperation between India and ASEAN member countries. The
objective is to support and facilitate mobility of young talented researchers
from ASEAN member countries to India to conduct short term research and
training under the guidance of Indian host scientists.
Aim: The scheme aims at
capacity building of 50 young researchers annually from ASEAN member countries
in science and technology domain and provide complete financial support for a
period of six months that includes to and fro travel, sustenance allowance and
research contingency.
What
it does? The scheme provides opportunities to researchers from ASEAN
member countries to undertake research and training for a period of 6 months at
Academic and Research Institutions in India.
Sources: the hindu.
Paper
3:
Topic: Inclusive growth and issues
arising from it.
Ombudsman
scheme for NBFCs
Context: The Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) has issued an ombudsman scheme for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs),
offering a grievance redressal mechanism for their customers. The scheme will
come into effect immediately.
Details:
Who
will be the ombudsman?
An officer at the RBI not below
the rank of general manager will be appointed by the regulator as the ombudsman
with territorial jurisdiction being specified by the central bank. The tenure
of each ombudsman cannot exceed three years and can be reduced by the regulator
if needed.
Who
can file the complaint?
Any customer or person can file
a compliant with the ombudsman on various grounds like non-payment or
inordinate delay in payment of interest, non-repayment of deposits, lack of
transparency in loan agreement, non-compliance with RBI directives on fair
practices code for NBFCs, levying of charges without sufficient notice to the
customers and failure or delay in returning the securities documents despite
repayment of dues among others. Only written complaints or those in electronic
format will be accepted.
Appeal:
If a complaint is not settled
by agreement within a specified period as the ombudsman may allow the parties,
he may, after affording the parties a “reasonable opportunity to present their
case, either in writing or in a meeting, pass an award either allowing or
rejecting the complaint”. The scheme also allows a person to appeal in case of
dissatisfaction with any award by the ombudsman.
Compensation:
The ombudsman may also award
compensation not exceeding one hundred thousand rupees to the complainant,
taking into account the loss of time, expenses incurred, harassment and mental
anguish suffered by the complainant.
Report:
The ombudsman will be required
to send a report to the RBI governor annually on 30 June containing general
review of the activities of his office during the preceding financial year and
other information required by the central bank.
What’s
important?
§ For Prelims: Ombudsman.
§ For Mains: Need for ombudsman.
Sources: the hindu.
Topic: Infrastructure: Energy,
Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Strategic
Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Programme
Context: India has invited Saudi
participation in Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Programme.
About
SPR programme:
To ensure energy security, the
Government of India had decided to set up 5 million metric tons (MMT) of strategic
crude oil storages at three locations namely, Visakhapatnam, Mangalore and
Padur (near Udupi). These strategic storages would be in addition to the
existing storages of crude oil and petroleum products with the oil companies
and would serve as a cushion during any external supply disruptions.
§ In the 2017-18 budget, it was
announced that two more such caverns will be set up Chandikhole in Jajpur
district of Odisha and Bikaner in Rajasthan as part of the second
phase.
§ The construction of the
Strategic Crude Oil Storage facilities is being managed by Indian Strategic
Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a Special Purpose Vehicle,
which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB)
under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
Need
for strategic oil reserves:
In 1990, as the Gulf war
engulfed West Asia, India was in the throes of a major energy crisis. By all
accounts India’s oil reserves at the time were adequate for only three days.
While India managed to avert the crisis then, the threat of energy disruption
continues to present a real danger even today.
§ It is unlikely that India’s
energy needs will dramatically move away from fossil fuels in the near future.
Over 80% of these fuels come from imports, a majority of which is sourced from
West Asia. This is a major strategic risk and poses a massive financial drain
for an embattled economy and its growing current account deficit.
§ To address energy insecurity,
the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government mooted the concept of strategic petroleum
reserves in 1998. Today, with India consuming upwards of four million barrels
of crude every day (January 2015 figures), the case for creating such reserves
grows stronger.
Facts
for Prelims:
In January 2016, India signed a
deal with the United Arab Emirates that allows the Gulf OPEC country to fill
half of the underground crude oil storage facility of ISPRL at Mangalore.
Therefore, the UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company will store about 6 million
barrels of oil at Mangalore.
What’s
important?
§ For Prelims: India’s strategic
oil reserves- locations, ISPRL.
§ For Mains: Energy security,
need for SPR.
Sources: the hindu.
Topic: Conservation, environmental
pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Kaleswaram
project
Context: In a major relief to the
Telangana government, the Supreme Court has refused to intervene in an order
granted by the Hyderabad High Court suspending the order of the National Green
Tribunal at Delhi staying the construction of the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation
Project. The NGT bench at Chennai had on October 5, 2017 directed the Telangana
government to stay the construction of the project.
What’s
the project?
The Kaleshwaram project is an
off-shoot of the original Pranahitha-Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme taken up
by the Congress government in 2007 when Andhra Pradesh was not divided. After
the formation of Telangana in 2014, the TRS government redesigned the project
on the ground that the original plan had too many environmental obstacles and
had very low water storage provision — only about 16.5 tmc ft.
After conducting a highly
advanced Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey for a couple of months, the
government separated the original component serving the Adilabad area as the
Pranahitha project and renamed the rest as Kaleshwaram by redesigning the head
works, storage capacity and the canal system based on the data of availability
of water at different locations along the course of the Godavari and its
tributaries.
The Kaleshwaram project has
provision for the storage of about 148 tmc ft with plans of utilising 180 tmc
ft by lifting at least 2 tmc ft water every day for 90 flood days. The project
is designed to irrigate 7,38,851 hectares (over 18.47 lakh acres) uplands in
the erstwhile districts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda and
Ranga Reddy.
What’s
unique?
According to engineers, KLIP
has many unique features, including the longest tunnel to carry water in Asia,
running up to 81 km, between the Yellampally barrage and the Mallannasagar
reservoir. The project would also utilise the highest capacity pumps, up to 139
MW, in the country to lift water.
Sources: the hindu.
Facts
for Prelims:
5th international
data science summit:
Context: 5th international data
science summit was recently held in New Delhi. The conference was attended by
around 130 delegates from Corporate Officers and executives involved in
strategy, Government Policy Planners, Academic institutions, Electrical
utilities, Researchers and Developers along with Standards Development
Organizations.
Organizer: Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India, in association with Data
Science Foundation organized the summit.
‘Dhanush’
ballistic missile:
Context: Nuclear-capable
‘Dhanush’ ballistic missile was recently test fired.
Key facts:
§ It is a surface-to-surface
missile. It has a strike range of 350 km.
§ It is a naval variant of the
indigenously-developed ‘Prithvi’ missile.
§ It is capable of carrying a
payload of 500 kg and hitting both land and sea-based targets.
§ The single-stage,
liquid-propelled ‘Dhanush’, has already been inducted into the defence services.
§ It is one of the five missiles
developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
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