Current Affairs Apr 15 – GES Reporter

Union Ministry of Agriculture signs MoU with Microsoft

Why in News?

Union Ministry of Agriculture and Microsoft India inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a pilot project in 100 villages of 6 states.

For What?

Microsoft has come forward to start a pilot project in selected 100 villages in 10 districts of 6 states (Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh) to develop farmer interface for smart and well-organized agriculture, including post-harvest management and distribution.
For this project, Microsoft has joined in with its local partner, CropData.
The project is for one year and both sides inking the MoU will bear the cost on their own.
This project will carry out various tasks for the betterment of farmers in the selected 100 villages, which will enhance their income.
This project will reduce the input costs for farmers and make farming easy. It is proposed to undertake similar pilot projects with other public and private players to create a vibrant digital agro-ecosystem in the country.

Government aims to increase the income of farmers

A number of new initiatives have been launched to achieve this goal.
A major initiative, in this regard, is the creation of Agri-Funds based on the National Farmers Database.
The government is preparing a farmer database by linking the land records of farmers across the country.
The data related to PM Kisan, Soil Health Card and Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme, available with the government, have been integrated and the process of inclusion of other data is going on.

PIB

Hydrogen Economy- the Indian Dialogue-2021

Why in News?

The Energy Forum (TEF) and the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, are organising a Hydrogen Roundtable titled “Hydrogen Economy- the Indian Dialogue-2021” on 15th April, 2021 to discuss emerging hydrogen ecosystems and exploring opportunities for collaboration, cooperation and coalition.
As the world chases its international climate commitments and takes steps to counter climate change, Hydrogen is gaining increasing importance as a source to bridge energy gaps and also as a standalone source to conventional fuels.

About

The Hydrogen Roundtable, the first of its kind, will comprise a High-level Ministerial Session, followed by five Panel Discussions by eminent policy makers, experts and industry leaders from different geographical regions of the world, with focus on policy roadmaps and mapping demand and supply of Hydrogen.
The objective of the Roundtable is to understand the progress of Hydrogen ecosystem across continents and contribute to creating synchrony among the think tanks, Governments and the industry to join forces for developing innovative and sustainable technologies at attractive costs.

PIB

Detect Hydrogen Sulphide From Sewers

Why in News?

Scientists have developed an electronic nose with biodegradable polymer and monomer that can detect hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a poisonous, corrosive, and flammable gas produced from swamps and sewers.
H2S is the primary gas produced from the microbial breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, and this necessitates easy detection of its emission from sewers and swamps.
Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore, in collaboration with their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, have developed an exceptionally sensitive and selective H2S Gas sensor developed by impersonating the neuron responsible for identification of airborne molecules or olfactory receptor neuron (ORN).
The fabricated sensor consists of a heterostructure consisting of two layers – the top layer a monomer and is realized with a novel chemical tris (keto-hydrazone), which is both porous and contains H2S specific functional groups, and the bottom layer is the active channel layer which plays a key role in altering the current and mobility of charge carriers.
Thus the synergistic combination helps to pre-concentrate the H2S molecules, initiate an acid-base chemical reaction, and thereby brings a change in the majority carriers (holes) of the channel region in the device.
The capacitance sensor (a sensor that detects nearby objects by their effect on the electrical field created by the sensor) developed by the scientists showed an excellent sensitivity in detecting H2S gas with an experimental limit of detection of around 25 parts per billion.
It also has high ambient stability of around 8 months without compromising sensing performance.

PIB

Food Technology to Communications Technology

Why in News?

Nine teams consisting of scientists from India and Sri Lanka will work on focused research in areas like food technology; plant base medicines; metrology; space research and applications; robotics and automation; industrial electronics; renewable energy; waste management; information and communication technology.
This call for proposal was launched as a result of the conclusion of inter-governmental cooperation in Science & Technology between India and Sri Lanka in 2008.
The S&T cooperation between India and Sri Lanka was initiated and discussed through India Sri Lanka Sub-Commission on Science & Technology under the umbrella of the inter-governmental India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission, which in its meeting held at Colombo on November 2010 recommended development of a Programme of Cooperation in Science and Technology, identifying mutual areas of interest, including use of space technology for societal services using Indian satellite.
Apart from these, the countries have also decided to support 3 workshop proposals from among 193 common proposals received in response to the call.

PIB

Online Grievance Management Portal

Why in News?

Union Minister for Communication & IT and Law & Justice launched the “Online Grievance Management Portal of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)”.
On the occasion of 130th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
The portal would make it easier for them to register complaints from any part of the country.

About

The portal designed in collaboration with the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N), a Centre of Excellence under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will facilitate an end-to-end e-filing of complaints and grievances and their tracking.
Finally, it is intended to make the hearing process work on similar lines as e-courts.
This portal is linked to the Commission’s website and one can file one’s complaint upon registering on it.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)

It was set up under the Article 338 of the Constitution of India with the objective to investigate and monitor all issues pertaining to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes under any law for the time being in force or under any order of the Government of India.
The Commission also enquires into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes.
The NCSC renews its commitment to serve the cause of the SC community as mandated in the Constitution and policies of the government.

PIB

MANAS

Why in News?

Office of Principal Scientific Advisor to GoI launched the “MANAS” App to promote wellbeing across age groups. MANAS which stands for Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System was endorsed as a national program by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).

About

MANAS is a comprehensive, scalable, and national digital wellbeing platform and an app developed to augment mental well-being of Indian citizens.
MANAS App integrates the health and wellness efforts of various government ministries, scientifically validated indigenous tools with gamified interfaces developed/researched by various national bodies and research institutions.
MANAS was initiated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
It was jointly executed by NIMHANS Bengaluru, AFMC Pune and C-DAC Bengaluru.

PIB

B.1.617 variant

What is the B.1.617?

The B.1.617 variant of SARS-CoV-2 carries two mutations, E484Q and L452R. Both are separately found in many other coronavirus variants, but they have been reported together for the first time in India.
The two mutations are found in the virus’s spike protein. The spike protein helps the virus to bind itself to the human cell’s receptors and gain entry into a host cell.
The E484Q mutation is similar to E484K, a mutation found in the United Kingdom (lineage B.1.1.7) and South Africa (B.1.351) variants of the coronavirus.
The L452R mutation has been found in fast spreading variants in California (B.1.427 and B.1.429).
It can increase the binding power of spike proteins with ACE2 receptors on human cells, making it more transmissible. L452R can also potentially enhance viral replication.
Together, E484Q and L452R are more infectious, and can evade antibodies.

Spectrum can be transferred, but with caveats

Why in News?

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) ruled that though the spectrum held by telecom companies can be a part of insolvency process, it can only be sold or transferred from one telco to another only if the government’s dues with respect to the said asset are clear.

What are NCLAT’s findings on various aspects on spectrum trading and ownership?

As per a September order of the Supreme Court, the NCLAT had to decide mainly on three aspects which included whether spectrum could be subjected to proceedings under the code, how would be the payment be made by the telco if there was spectrum trading and how would the liability of seller and buyer of the spectrum be decided.
On the first aspect of whether spectrum could be subject to insolvency, the NCLAT said that although spectrum was was an intangible asset of the telecom company and could be subjected to insolvency or even liquidation proceedings, the same could be done only if the buyer or the seller of the spectrum had cleared all the dues of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Since the NCLAT has also held that the telecommunication companies only have the right to use the spectrum and that they do not own it, this also effectively blocks lenders to the companies from creating any charge or claim on the said spectrum.

Monkeydactyl

Why in News?

Researchers have described a pterosaur species with opposable thumbs, which could likely be the earliest-known instance of the limb.
The pterosaur species were reptiles, close cousins of dinosaurs and the first animals after insects to evolve powered flight.
They evolved into various species; while some were as large as an F-16 fighter jet, others were as small as paper airplanes.
The new pterosaur fossil was discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China, and is thought to be 160 million years old.
It has now been described by an international team of researchers from China, Brazil, UK, Denmark and Japan, and has been named Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, also dubbed “Monkeydactyl”.

What has the team of researchers found?

“Antipollicatus” in ancient Greek means “opposite thumbs”, and it was attached to the name because the researchers’ findings could be the first discovery of a pterosaur with an opposed thumb.
The research team scanned the fossil of K. antipollicatus using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), a technique making use of X-ray to image an object.
By studying its forelimb morphology and musculature, they suggest that K. antipollicatus could have used its hand for grasping, which is likely an adaptation for arboreal life.

Why is opposability of the thumb important and how did it evolve?

Opposability of the thumb as being able to “simultaneously flex, abduct and medially rotate the thumb” in a way that one is able to bring the tip of the thumb to touch the tips of the other fingers.
Along with humans, some ancient monkeys and apes also had opposable thumbs. Humans, however, have a relatively longer and distally placed thumb, and larger thumb muscles.
This means that humans’ tip-to-tip precision grip when holding smaller objects is superior to non-human primates.
This is the reason that humans are able to hold a pen, unscrew an earring stopper, or put a thread through a needle hole.

China ‘must shut 600 coal-fired plants’ to hit climate target

China must shut down nearly 600 of its coal-fired power plants in the next 10 years, replacing them with renewable electricity generation, to meet its goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060.
But replacing the 364GW of coal generation with renewable power would achieve a net saving of $1.6tn (£1.2tn) over the period, since wind and solar power are now much cheaper than coal.
Last September the country’s president, Xi Jinping, surprised the world by pledging that China would achieve net zero emissions by 2060, and that its emissions would peak before 2030.
China is preparing to submit a new climate plan, called a nationally determined contribution, or NDC. Such plans are a requirement for all countries under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, and will form the key part of Cop26, the vital UK climate talks taking place in Glasgow this November.

THE GUARDIAN

Indian jumping ants

Few species in the animal kingdom can change the size of their brain. Fewer still can change it back to its original size. Now researchers have found the first insect species with that ability: Indian jumping ants.
In contrast to their cousins, Indian jumping ants colonies do not perish once their queen dies. Instead, “chosen” workers take her place – with expanded ovaries and shrunken brains – to produce offspring. But, if a worker’s “pseudo-queen” status is somehow revoked, their bodies can bounce back.
Typically, whether an ant will be a worker or a queen is decided at the larval stage.
If fed generously and given the right hormones, the ant has the chance to become a big queen.
If not, then it is stuck with a career as a sterile worker deprived of the opportunity to switch – unless it’s part of a species such as the Indian jumping ant.
Social insects such as ants typically inhabit a caste-based society – the queen reigns as the sole reproducer by secreting pheromones that thwart female worker ants from laying eggs.
The other ants work hard: foraging and hunting for food, cleaning, caring for the young and defending the nest.
But unlike typical colonies that wither away on the death of their queen, Indian jumping ant colonies are functionally immortal.

THE GUARDIAN

Maximise India’s Milk Production

Cross-breeding, herd management and species composition were key strategies for maximising milk production in India, according to a recent British-Australian assessment of livestock.
It is the first livestock yield gap assessment that models potential three-fold productivity gains in India with a systems approach.
It would be possible to increase dairy production higher than the baseline projections to 2030 for India and Ethiopia. For example, dairy production in India is projected to increase by 65 per cent to 2030.
Results show that with improved feeding and promoting changes in herd structures towards more cross-breed animals, or buffalo production, milk production could increase between 112-130 per cent by 2030.
Increasing milk production would require both, an increase in the quantity of feed available and more efficient use of existing resources.

India’s indigenous cattle breeds

Cross-breeding of indigenous cattle with exotic species effectively combines the environmental resilience of the former with the production potential of the latter.
While the extensive use of cross-breeding programmes is thus critical to meet the future demand for milk and other dairy products in India, it is essential that indigenous cattle are also maintained for their irreplaceable contribution to Indian agriculture and society.

DTE

Reducing risk of zoonoses in food production

The World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health and the United Nations Environment Programme have laid down fresh guidelines for governments to reduce the risk of transmission of zoonotic pathogens to humans in food production and marketing chains.
These include suspension of trade in live caught wild animals of mammalian species for food or breeding, as well as a shut down of food markets that sell them.
It also urged governments to bolster regulations to improve standards of hygiene and sanitation in traditional food markets.
A zoonosis is an infectious disease that jumps from a non-human animal to humans. Zoonotic pathogens may be bacterial, viral or parasitic. They can spread to humans through direct contact or through food, water and the environment.

DTE

KG-DWN 98/2 block

Why in News?

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has called on buyers to bid for natural gas from the deepwater fields of the KGDWN-98/2 block off of the east coast of India.

Why is this important?

The ramping up of production from the KG-DWN 98/2 block by ONGC is a key component of the government’s plan to boost domestic production with the block expected to reach peak production of 15 MMSCMD by 2024.
This would account for about a 20 per cent increase above the company’s current production level of about 70 MMSCMD.
Natural gas production from the Krishna Godavari basin is a key part of India’s plans to reduce import dependence by boosting domestic production.
The R cluster, satellite cluster and MJ fields operated by Reliance and British Petroleum in the Krishna Godavari basin are also expected to add 30 MMSCMD of natural gas production to India’s total production by 2023.
India currently imports about half of its natural gas requirements of 175 MMSCMD.