DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 8 SEPTEMBER 2019

IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR TODAY

BY SUMIT BHARDWAJ 8 September 2019

World literacy day

Education is the most powerful weapon with which you can change the world. ~Nelson Mandela

1.WHAT IS AIRSPACE?(GS-2,3)

CONTEXT: Pak. denies use of airspace to President Kovind for Iceland visit.
Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said on Saturday that Pakistan denied President Ram Nath Kovind the use of Pakistani airspace for his flight to Iceland this month because of India’s continued aggression against and oppression of the Kashmiri people.

Airspace

Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere. It is not the same as aerospace, which is the general term for Earth's atmosphere and the outer space in its vicinity.

Within the United States:

Controlled airspace exists where it is deemed necessary that air traffic control has some form of positive executive control over aircraft flying in that airspace (however, air traffic control does not necessarily control traffic operating under visual flight rules (VFR)within this airspace).
Airspace may be further subdivided into a variety of areas and zones, including those where there are either restrictions on flying activities or complete prohibition of flying activities.

2.WHAT IS AFSPA?(GS-2)

CONTEXT:AFSPA extended for six months in Assam.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been extended for six months in Assam effective from August 28 after reviewing the law and order situation in the State, a government release stated on Saturday. The Act, which grants special powers to security forces to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”, has been in force in Assam since November 1990. The declaration was made under Section 3 of the AFSPA by the State Home and Political Department, the release said.

AFSPA:(SOURCE :THE HINDU)
What does the AFSPA mean?

In simple terms, AFSPA gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”. They have the authority to prohibit a gathering of five or more persons in an area, can use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they feel a person is in contravention of the law. If reasonable suspicion exists, the army can also arrest a person without a warrant; enter or search premises without a warrant; and ban the possession of firearms.
Any person arrested or taken into custody may be handed over to the officer in charge of the nearest police station along with a report detailing the circumstances that led to the arrest.

What is a “disturbed area” and who has the power to declare it?

A disturbed area is one which is declared by notification under Section 3 of the AFSPA. An area can be disturbed due to differences or disputes between members of different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities.
The Central Government, or the Governor of the State or administrator of the Union Territory can declare the whole or part of the State or Union Territory as a disturbed area. A suitable notification would have to be made in the Official Gazette. As per Section 3, it can be invoked in places where “the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary”.

What’s the origin of AFSPA?

The Act came into force in the context of increasing violence in the Northeastern States decades ago, which the State governments found difficult to control. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Bill was passed by both the Houses of Parliament and it was approved by the President on September 11, 1958. It became known as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958.

What are the special powers given to army officials?

Under Section 4 of the AFSPA, an authorised officer in a disturbed area enjoys certain powers. The authorised officer has the power to open fire at any individual even if it results in death if the individual violates laws which prohibit (a) the assembly of five or more persons; or (b) carrying of weapons. However, the officer has to give a warning before opening fire.
The authorised officer has also been given the power to (a) arrest without a warrant; and (b) seize and search without any warrant any premise in order to make an arrest or recovery of hostages, arms and ammunitions.
Individuals who have been taken into custody have to be handed over to the nearest police station as soon as possible.
Prosecution of an authorised officer requires prior permission of the Central government.

What has been the role of the judiciary?

There were questions about the constitutionality of AFSPA, given that law and order is a state subject. The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of AFSPA in a 1998 judgement (Naga People’s Movement of Human Rights v. Union of India).
In this judgement, the Supreme Court arrived at certain conclusions including (a) a suo-motto declaration can be made by the Central government, however, it is desirable that the state government should be consulted by the central government before making the declaration; (b) AFSPA does not confer arbitrary powers to declare an area as a ‘disturbed area’; (c) the declaration has to be for a limited duration and there should be a periodic review of the declaration 6 months have expired; (d) while exercising the powers conferred upon him by AFSPA, the authorised officer should use minimal force necessary for effective action, and (e) the authorised officer should strictly follow the ‘Dos and Don’ts’ issued by the army.

Has there been any review of the Act?

On November 19, 2004, the Central government appointed a five member committee headed by Justice B P Jeevan Reddy to review the provisions of the act in the north eastern states.
The committee submitted its report in 2005, which included the following recommendations: (a) AFSPA should be repealed and appropriate provisions should be inserted in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967; (b) The Unlawful Activities Act should be modified to clearly specify the powers of the armed forces and paramilitary forces and (c) grievance cells should be set up in each district where the armed forces are deployed.
The 5th report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission on public order has also recommended the repeal of the AFSPA.

3.SOME FACTS ABOUT PANGOLINS(GS-3)

CONTEXT: Six held for Smuggling pangolins.

Pangolin

Pangolin is only scaly mammal on the planet.

According to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), it is also the most illegally traded vertebrate within its class (Mammalia).

Of the eight species of pangolin worldwide, two are found in India. They are Chinese pangolin (manis pentadactyla), mostly found in northeast India and Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata).

Pangolins has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour.

It can also curl itself into ball as self-defence against predators.

The colour of its scales varies depending on colour of earth in its surroundings.

Pangolins is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws.

It is nocturnal and rests in deep burrows during the day.

Pangolins is smuggled for its scales as it believed that they possess magic or charms and have medicinal properties.

The scales serves as base component for indigenous (traditional) psychotropic substances.

China is main illicit hub (market) for smuggled scales of Pangolins, where they have huge demand for medicinal and magical purposes.

Protection Status:

Chinese pangolin has been listed as “critically endangered” by UN affiliated International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.

Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) has been listed as “endangered” in IUCN Red List.

It is also a Schedule I category protected animal, under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).

4.National Genomic Grid.(GS-2)

CONTEXT:Health Minister announces plans of Genomic grid for India-specific cancer research.

IMPORTANT POINTS IN THIS NEWS ITEM:

In a move to take cancer research to the next level and make treatment viable for people of different economic classes, the government has plans to set up a National Genomic Grid, which will study genomic data of cancer patients from India, said Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Aswini Kumar Choubey here on Saturday.

The grid to be formed will be in line with the National Cancer Tissue Biobank (NCTB) set up at the Indian Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and will collect samples from cancer patients to study genomic factors influencing cancer and identifying the right treatment modalities for the Indian population.

The genomic samples will help researches to have India-specific studies on cancers. The government plans to set up the National Genomic Grid in the same style with pan-India collection centres by bringing all cancer treatment institutions on board.

According to the Minister, the first set of 350 genomic data of stomach and breast cancer patients developed from the 3,000 samples at NCTB will be released by the end of October.

government was on a mission to achieve the target of one doctor for every 1,000 people, a standard ratio set by the WHO, by 2022, against the current ratio of 1/1,400. Also, the government plans to increased the number of MBBS seats in the country from 42,000 to one lakh.

5.WHAT IS URANIUM MINING AND HOW IT POSES A THREAT TO OUR ENVIRONMENT?(GS- 1,3)

CONTEXT:Uranium Corporation urged to stop mining activity in A.P.

Uranium

Uranium is a silvery-gray metallic radioactive chemical element. It is only naturally formed in supernova explosions.

Uranium, thorium, and potassium are the main elements contributing to natural terrestrial radioactivity.

Uranium has the chemical symbol U and atomic number 92.

Uranium isotopes in natural uranium are 238U (99.27%) and 235U (0.72%).

All uranium isotopes are radioactive and fissionable. But only 235U is fissile (will support a neutron-mediated chain reaction).

Traces of Uranium are found everywhere. Commercial extraction is possible only in locations where the proportion of Uranium is adequate. There are very few such locations.

Distribution of Uranium Across the World

Largest viable deposits are found in Australia, Kazakhstan, and Canada.

Olympic Dam and the Ranger mine in Southern Australia are important mines in Australia.

High-grade deposits are only found in the Athabasca Basin region of Canada.

Cigar Lake, McArthur River basin in Canada are other important uranium mining sites.

The Chu-Sarysu basin in central Kazakhstan alone accounts for over half of the country’s known uranium resources.

Uranium in India

India has no significant reserves of Uranium. All needs are met through imports.

India imports thousands of tonnes of uranium from Russia, Kazakhstan, France, and

India is trying hard to import uranium from Australia and Canada. There are some concerns regarding nuclear proliferation and other related issues which India is trying to sort out.

Some quality reserves were recently discovered in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana between Seshachalam forest and Sresailam [Southern edge of Andhra to Southern edge of Telangana

THREAT TO OUR ENVIRONMENT:

• Uranium mining, processing, and reclamation have the potential to affect surface water quality and quantity groundwater quality and quantity, soils, air quality, and biota. The impacts of these activities would depend on site-specific conditions, the rigor of the monitoring program established to provide early warning of contaminant migration, and the efforts to mitigate and control potential impacts. If uranium mining, processing, and reclamation are designed, constructed, operated, and monitored according to modern international best practices, near- to moderate-term environmental effects specific to uranium mining and processing should be substantially reduced.

• Tailings disposal sites represent significant potential sources of contamination for thousands of years, and the long-term risks remain poorly defined. Although significant improvements have been made in recent years to tailings management practices to isolate mine waste from the environment, limited data exist to confirm the long-term effectiveness of uranium tailings management facilities that have been designed and constructed accord ing to modern best practices.

• Significant potential environmental risks are associated with extreme natural events and failures in management practices. Extreme natural events (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes, intense rainfall events, drought) have the potential to lead to the release of contaminants if facilities are not designed and constructed to withstand such events, or fail to perform as designed.

• Models and comprehensive site characterization are important for estimating the potential environmental effects associated with a specific uranium mine and processing facility. A thorough site characterization, supplemented by air quality and hydrologi-cal modeling, is essential for estimating the potential environmental impacts of uranium mining and processing under site-specific conditions and mitigation practices.

6.NARMADA,SARDAR SAROVAR DAM(GS-1)

CONTEXT: Families refuse to leave villages along Narmada

Narmada

It is located mainly in Madhya Pradesh.

The Narmada River is also known as the Rewa River.

The River is originated from Maikala range near Amarkantak.

It is a West flowing river.

The River flows through Gujarat, Chhattisgarh Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

The tributaries of Narmada River are Kolar River, Shakkar River, Dudhi River, Tawa River, and Hiran River.

Major Hydro Power Project in this river are Maheshwar Dam, Sardar Sarovar Dam, and Indira Gandhi Sagar Dam.

Sardar Sarovar Dam:

The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a gravity dam on the Narmada river near Navagam, Gujarat in India. Four Indian states, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra and Rajasthan, receive water and electricity supplied from the dam. The foundation stone of the project was laid out by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 5 April 1961.

The project took form in 1979 as part of a development scheme funded by the World Bank through their International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, to increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity, using a loan of US$ 200 million.

The construction for dam begun in 1987, but the project was stalled by the Supreme Court of India in 1995 in the backdrop of Narmada Bachao Andolan over concerns of displacement of people.

In 2000-01 the project was revived but with a lower height of 110.64 metres under directions from SC, which was later increased in 2006 to 121.92 meters and 138.98 meters in 2017.

One of the 30 dams planned on river Narmada, Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) is the largest structure to be built. It is one of the largest dams in the world.It is a part of the Narmada Valley Project, a large hydraulic engineering project involving the construction of a series of large irrigation and hydroelectric multi-purpose dams on the Narmada river. Following a number of controversial cases before the Supreme Court of India (1999, 2000, 2003), by 2014 the Narmada Control Authority had approved a series of changes in the final height – and the associated displacement caused by the increased reservoir, from the original 80 m (260 ft) to a final 163 m (535 ft) from foundation.The project will irrigate more than 18,000 km2 (6,900 sq mi), most of it in drought prone areas of Kutch and Saurashtra.

7.Gaganyaan for manned space mission on track, says ISRO official(GS-3)

CONTEXT:The Chandrayaan 2 mission will “absolutely have no impact” on ISRO’s ambitious manned mission Gaganyaan, scheduled to be launched in 2022, an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) official said in New Delhi on September 7.

P.G. Diwakar, who was earlier Scientific Secretary at the space agency and is now the Director of Earth Observations Applications and Disaster Management Programme Office at the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru, said both Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan had different objectives and dimensions.

Mission Gaganyaan:

Under the Gaganyaan schedule, three flights will be sent in orbit. Of the three, there will be two unmanned flights and one human spaceflight.

The human space flight programme, called the Orbital Module will have three Indian astronauts, including a woman.

It will circle Earth at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400 km from earth for 5-7 days.

The payload will consist of:

Crew module - spacecraft carrying human beings.

Service module - powered by two liquid propellant engines.

It will be equipped with emergency escape and emergency mission abort.

GSLV Mk III, also called the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) the three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle, will be used to launch Gaganyaan as it has the necessary payload capability.

The mission is expected to cost around Rs 10,000 crore.

Timeline

2004: The ISRO Policy Planning Committee made recommendation for a manned space mission

2006: Preliminary studies of Gaganyaan started under the generic name Orbital Vehicle.

2008: An initial design of a fully autonomous vehicle to carry two astronauts was finalised.

2009: A committee was formed to analyse the feasibility of the programme and funding was sanctioned.

2014: Successful testing of experimental flight of GSLV MK-III was carried out.

2017: First flight of GSLV MK-III was carried out. GSLV MK-III placed the country’s heaviest satellite till date, GSAT-19, into a precise orbit. With it, India became a nation having its own indigenous cryogenic engine technology.

July 5, 2018: First successful flight of the crew escape system was carried out. The crew escape system is an emergency measure designed to quickly pull the crew module along with the astronauts to a safe distance from the launch vehicle in the event of a launch abort.

August 15, 2018: Prime Minister promised manned mission before 2022.

Impact

The success of the mission will rekindle public imagination and get the young generation interested in space in particular and science in general.

The astronauts would carry out a series of experiments, particularly microgravity experiments.

India’s quest to undertake human space flight and its earlier Moon and Mars missions proves the growing sophistication of India’s space program and ensures a seat at the high table of global governance of outer space.

The mission would create 15,000 new employment opportunities, 13,000 of them in private industry.

If India does launch the Gaganyaan mission, it will be the fourth nation to do so after the United States, Russia and China.

Challenges

India does not even have the facilities to train astronauts.

India is yet to perfect fool-proof launch vehicle technology, the basic requirement for a manned space mission.

The Polar Satellite launch vehicle and the Geosynchronous Launch vehicle, the two Indian spacecraft deployed to launch satellites and modules into space, are yet to be man-rated.

(Man-rating is the term used to measure the safety and integrity of launch vehicles with zero failure.)

ISRO has not been able to put in place India’s own Global Positioning System in spite of completing the NavIC due to dysfunctional atomic clocks in the satellites, rendering the fleet a dud.

While the launch vehicle, crew module, re-entry technology, crew escape system are in place, monitoring and tracking systems, Environmental Control & Life Support System (ELCSS), space suit and crew support systems are still in the developmental phase.

The launchpad at the Sriharikota spaceport, the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, will have to be enhanced for the human mission.

Way Forward

In terms of space technology, a manned space programme is the obvious next step for India.

India cannot afford not to develop the technological capacity for manned space flight because that will represent a major drawback in Indian space capabilities.

Even if the direct benefits of such advancement may not be as great in the short-term, this is a necessary longer-term investment.

(SOURCE:DRISHTI IAS)

8.WHAT IS A demilitarised zone?(GS-2,3)

CONTEXT: DEFENCE MINISTER Rajnath visits demilitarised zone on last day of S. Korea trip.

On the last day of his trip to South Korea, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday visited the demilitarised zone where North Korean leader Kim Jongun met South Korean President Moon Jaein in April last year, ending decadeslong hostilities between the two neighbours

interKorean summit at Panmunjom on April 27, 2018

The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula. It is established by the provisions of the Korean Armistice Agreement to serve as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the Korean Peninsula roughly in half. It was created by agreement between North Korea, China and the United Nations Command in 1953. The DMZ is 250 kilometres (160 miles) long, and about 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) wide.

Within the DMZ is a meeting point between the two nations in the small Joint Security Area (JSA) near the western end of the zone, where negotiations take place. There have been various incidents in and around the DMZ, with military and civilian casualties on both sides.

9.STRAIT OF HORMUZ(GS-1)

CONTEXT:Iran seizes boat in Strait of Hormuz, arrests 12.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ:

The waterway separates Iran and Oman, linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

The Strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction.

Most crude exported from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq – all members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) – is shipped through this waterway.

It is also the route used for nearly all the liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by the world’s biggest LNG exporter, Qatar.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have sought to find other routes to bypass the Strait, including building more oil pipelines.

SOME OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECTS:

In 2015, Iran agreed to a long-term deal referred to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on its nuclear programme with the P5+1 (US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany).

Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

The US withdrew from the deal in 2018 and also recently eliminated the exceptions to US sanctions on Iranian oil.

Sanctions have pushed Iran’s economy towards crisis. Recently, Iran has threatened to scale back its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal and to close the Strait of Hormuz.

10.HURRICANE DORIAN

CONTEXT: Hurricane Dorian’s toll rises to 43

Hurricane Dorian strengthened into a catastrophic Category 5 storm and pounded the Bahamas. The U.S. states of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency. The category five Dorian is the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record.

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS):

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane's sustained wind speed. This scale estimates potential property damage.

To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have one-minute maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph (33 m/s; 64 kn; 119 km/h) (Category 1).

The highest classification in the scale, Category 5, consists of storms with sustained winds over 156 mph (70 m/s; 136 kn; 251 km/h).

Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage.?(SOURCE:DD NEWS)