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  • 2020 CD3: A mini-moon

     

     

    Astronomers have observed a small object orbiting Earth, which they have dubbed a “mini-moon” or the planet’s “second moon”.

    2020 CD3

    • The mini-moon was discovered by some astronomers at NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) in Arizona.
    • It is actually an asteroid, about the size of a car; its diameter is about 1.9-3.5 m.
    • And unlike our permanent Moon, the mini-moon is temporary; it will eventually break free of Earth’s orbit and go off on its own way.
    • Orbit integrations indicate that this object is temporarily bound to the Earth.
    • 2020 CD3 was captured into Earth’s orbit over three years ago.
    • For CSS, it is only the second such discovery. It previously discovered 2006 RH120, which orbited Earth for some time that year, before it escaped in 2007.

    Where do such moons come from?

    • When an asteroid’s orbit crosses Earth’s orbit, it can sometimes be captured into the latter orbit. This is what happened with 2020 CD3.
    • It is now orbiting at a distance farther from Earth. Such an asteroid is called a Temporarily Captured Object (TCO).
    • The orbit of such objects is unstable. They have to contend with the gravitational influence of our permanent Moon as well as that of the Sun.
    • Once caught in Earth’s orbit, such objects usually remain for a few years before they break free and go into independent orbit around the Sun.

  • Enhanced Access and Service Excellence (EASE) 3.0

     

     

    Union Finance minister has released Enhanced Access and Service Excellence (EASE) 3.0, the new reform agenda for tech-enabled banking.

    EASE 3.0

    • EASE 3.0 aims at providing smart, tech-enabled public sector banking experience for aspiring India, by establishing paperless and digitally-enabled banking at places where people visit the most such as malls, stations etc.
    • With EASE 3.0, the government is trying to enhance the customer experience with the introduction of features like Dial-a-loan, credit at a click, alternate-data-based lending or other analytics-based credit offers.

    Various features

    • Palm Banking for “End-to-end digital delivery of financial service
    • “Banking on Go” via EASE banking outlets at frequently visited spots like malls, stations, complexes, and campuses
    • Digitalizing the experience at public sector bank branches

  • Market Intelligence and Early Warning System (MIEWS)

     

     

    The Union Food Processing Ministry has launched a new Market Intelligence and Early Warning System (MIEWS) portal to monitor the prices of TOP crops – Tomato, Onion and Potato.

    About MIEWS

    • MIEWS portal is the first-of-its-kind platform for ‘real-time monitoring’ of prices of tomato, onion and potato.
    • The system has been designed to provide advisories to farmers to avoid cyclical production and issue early warnings in situations of gluts.
    • It will simultaneously generate alerts for price intervention under the terms of Operation Greens (OG) scheme.
    • It will generate early alerts in case there is going to be a major change in the prices of these crops.
    • This will help in planning and timely intervention for price stabilization. The portal can be accessed at this link- http://miews.nafed-india.com.

    Utility of MIEWS

    The MIEWS would:

    • Monitor the supply situation for timely market intervention,
    • Assist in rapid response during times of glut to move the produce from glut regions to regions with deficit supply.
    • Provide inputs for export/import decision making.

    Back2Basics

    Operation Greens

    • In the budget speech of Union Budget 2018-19, a new Scheme “Operation Greens” was announced on the line of “Operation Flood” to promote Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs #), agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management.
    • Accordingly, the Ministry has formulated a scheme for integrated development of Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) value chain.
    • Under the OG Scheme, during a glut situation, the evacuation of surplus production from producing areas to consumption centres will be undertaken in the following cases:
    1. When the price falls below the average market price at the time of harvest in the preceding 3 years.
    2. When the price falls more than 50 percent in comparison to the previous year’s market price at the time of harvest.
    3. When the price falls below the benchmark, if any, fixed by either the state or central government for a stipulated period.

    For additional readings, navigate to:

    https://mofpi.nic.in/Schemes/operation-greens

  • [pib] Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)

     

     

    The INCOIS Hyderabad has launched a trio of products for users in the marine realm.

    About INCOIS

    • The institute is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
    • INCOIS prioritises requests for specific services from its diverse user community that ranges right from fishermen to offshore oil exploration industries.

    Products launched:

    Small Vessel Advisory and Forecast Services System (SVAS)  

    The SVAS is an innovative impact-based advisory and forecast service system for small vessels operating in Indian coastal waters.

    • The SVA system warns users about potential zones where vessel overturning can take place, ten days in advance.
    • The advisories are valid for small vessels of beam width up to 7 m.
    • This limit covers the entire range of beam widths of the fishing vessels used in all the 9 coastal states and union territories of India.
    • The warning system is based on the  ‘Boat Safety Index’ (BSI) derived from wave model forecast outputs such as significant wave height, wave steepness, directional spread and the rapid development of wind at sea which is boat-specific.

    Swell Surge Forecast System (SSFS)

    SSFS is an innovative system designed for the prediction of Kallakkadal/Swell Surge that occurs along the Indian coast, particularly the west coast.

    • Kallakadal/Swell surge are flash-flood events that take place without any noticeable advance change in local winds or any other apparent signature in the coastal environment.
    • Hence the local population remains totally unaware of these flooding events until they actually occur. Such events are intermittent throughout the year.
    • Kallakkadal is a colloquial term used by Kerala fishermen to refer to the freaky flooding episodes and in 2012 UNESCO formally accepted this term for scientific use.
    • Kallakkadal are caused by meteorological conditions in the Southern Ocean, south of 30°S.
    • These swells once generated, travel northward and reach the Indian coasts in 3-5 days time, creating havoc in the coastal areas.
    • The system will now predict Kallakkadal and warnings will be given to concerned authorities at least 2-3 days in advance, which will help the local authorities for contingency plans and to reduce damage.

    Algal Bloom Information Service (ABIS)

    • The increasing frequency of algal blooms is a major concern due to its ill effects on the fishery, marine life and water quality.
    • INCOIS has developed a service for “Detection and Monitoring of Bloom in the Indian Seas”.
    • The target users are fishermen, marine fishery resource managers, researchers, ecologists and environmentalists.
    • The service also complements INCOIS’ marine fishing advisories i.e. Potential Fishing Zone advisories.
    • INCOIS-ABIS will provide near-real-time information on spatio-temporal occurrence and spread of phytoplankton blooms over the North Indian Ocean.
    • In addition, four regions have been identified as bloom hotspots viz.

    a) North Eastern Arabian Sea

    b) coastal waters off Kerala

    c) Gulf of Mannar and

    d) coastal waters of Gopalpur

  • [pib] ‘1000 Springs’ Initiative

     

     

    Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has launched “1000 Spring Initiatives” and an online portal on GIS-based Spring Atlas with hydrological and chemical properties of the Springs on the occasion.

    ‘1000 Springs’ Initiative

    • The ‘1000 Springs Initiative’ aims at improving access to safe and adequate water for the tribal communities living in a difficult and inaccessible part of rural areas in the country.
    • It is an integrated solution around natural springs.
    • It includes the provision of infrastructure for piped water supply for drinking; provision of water for irrigation; community-led total sanitation initiatives; and provision for water for backyard nutrition gardens, generating sustainable livelihood opportunities for the tribal people.
    • It will help in harnessing the potential of perennial springs’ water to address the natural scarcity of water in tribal areas.

    Spring Atlas

    • Springs are natural sources of groundwater discharge and have been used extensively in the mountainous regions across the world, including India.
    • However, in the central and eastern Indian belt with more than 75% tribal population, it remains largely unrecognized and under-utilized.
    • An online portal on GIS-based Spring Atlas has been developed to make these data easily accessible from an online platform.
    • Presently, data of more than 170 springs have been uploaded on the Spring Atlas.

  • [pib] Responsible AI for Social Empowerment (RAISE) 2020

     

     

    The Govt. has announced the mega event, RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020,’ to be held in April in New Delhi.

    RAISE 2020

    • RAISE 2020 is a first of its kind, a global meeting of minds on Artificial Intelligence to drive India’s vision and roadmap for social empowerment, inclusion and transformation through responsible AI.
    • It is India’s first Artificial Intelligence summit to be organized by the Government in partnership with Industry & Academia.
    • The summit will be a global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and charter a course to use AI for social empowerment, inclusion and transformation in key areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility amongst other sectors.
    • It will facilitate an exchange of ideas to further create a mass awareness about the need to ethically develop and practice AI in the digital era.

  • 28th February 2020| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement

    Important Announcement: In the month of February, we will be covering UPSC Mains GS questions of 2019. This will give you real time experience of attempting GS questions of UPSC Mains.

     

    Question 1)

    Are we losing your local identity for the global identity? Discuss. (15 Marks)

    Question 2)

    What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s national self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. (15 Marks)

    Question 3)

    The cross-border movement of insurgents is only one of the several security challenges facing the policing of the border in North-East India. Examine the various challenges currently emanating across the India-Myanmar border. Also, discuss the steps to counter the challenges. (15 Marks)

    Question 4)

    Edward Snowden, a computer expert, and former CIA administrator released confidential Government documents to the press about the existence of Government surveillance programs. According to many legal experts and the US Government, his action violated the Espionage act of 1971, which identified the leak of State secret as an act of treason. Yet, despite the fact that he broke the law, Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act. He gave a justification for his “whistleblowing” by stating that he had a duty “to inform the public as to that which is done in there name and that which is done against them.” According to Snowden, the Government’s violation of privacy had to be exposed regardless of legality since more substantive issues of social action and public morality were involved here. Many agreed with Snowden. Few argued that he broke the law and compromised national security, for which he should be held accountable. Do you agree that Snowden’s actions were ethically justified even if legally prohibited? Why or why not? Make an argument by weighing the competing values in this case (20 Marks)  

    Reviews will be provided in a week. (In the order of submission- First come first serve basis). In case the answer is submitted late the review period may get extended to two weeks.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed in a week, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. If Parth Sir’s tag is available then tag him.

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment, check  here: Click2Join

  • Species in news: Henneguya Salminicola

     

     

    Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered a non-oxygen breathing animal, which significantly changes one of science’s assumptions about the animal world — that all animals use aerobic respiration and therefore, oxygen.

    Henneguya Salminicola

    • The organism is Henneguya salminicola, a fewer-than-10-celled microscopic parasite that lives in salmon muscle.
    • It relies on anaerobic respiration (through which cells extract energy without using oxygen).
    • In the case of this non-oxygen breathing organism, evolution turned it into a simpler organism that shed “unnecessary genes” responsible for aerobic respiration.
    • Other organisms such as fungi and amoebas that are found in anaerobic environments lost the ability to breathe over time.
    • The new study shows that the same can happen in the case of animals, too.

    What is Aerobic respiration?

    • Animals, including humans, need energy to perform the various tasks that are essential for survival.
    • Aerobic respiration is one such chemical reaction through which organisms take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
    • Through this mechanism, energy is transferred to cells, which can use it for multiple purposes — for instance, to burn food.
    • Mitochondria is the “powerhouse” of the cell, which captures oxygen to make energy — its absence in the H. salminicola genome indicates that the parasite does not breathe oxygen.

  • Still no finality, the third time round

    Context

    There are indications that the new Bodo accord does not spell closure of the statehood movement by Bodo groups.

    Power-sharing experiment under the Sixth Schedule

    • Sixth Schedule expected as a panacea: The experiment of power-sharing and governance under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution was expected to be the panacea of the ethno-nationalist identity questions in the Northeastern States.
    • Complexities of exclusion: Euphoria, as well as anger over the third Bodo Accord, have, however, held the mirror reflecting the complexities of exclusion of communities in such ethnocentric power-sharing and governance model.

    Specifics of the new Accord

    • The new Accord was signed by the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), United Bodo People’s Organisation and all the four factions of the insurgent outfit- National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) with Delhi and Dispur on January 27.
      • It promises more legislative, executive and administrative autonomy under the Sixth Schedule to Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and expansion of the BTC territory in lieu of statehood.
    • The Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD), the autonomous region governed by BTC, will be known as Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) after demarcation of the augmented territory.

    The emergence of the faultlines in the new Accord

    • What went wrong in the previous Accord? The previous Bodo Accord signed by the erstwhile insurgent outfit, Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) with Delhi and Dispur on February 10, 2003, led to the creation of the BTC as a new experiment of territorial autonomy under the Sixth Schedule.
      • No assent by the Governor to any BTC legislation: The constitutionally mandated legislative power of the BTC has been reduced to a farce as the Assam Governor has not given assent to any of the legislation passed by the BTC Legislative Assembly.
    • Intensification of demand for Kamatapur State: Bodo groups have suspended their statehood movement.
      • The new Bodo Accord has triggered the intensification of the movement for Kamatapur State by organisations of the Koch-Rajbongshi community.
      • Overlapping territory: The territory of the demanded Kamatapur State overlaps with the present BTAD, proposed BTR and demanded Bodoland.
    • Demand for ST status: Clamour for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status by the Koch-Rajbongshis, Adivasis and several other non-ST communities has also grown.
    • Faultlines over ST status: Deeper ethnic faultlines in an ethnocentric power-sharing model will become exposed when the Koch-Rajbongshis and the Adivasis are granted ST status, as promised by the government.
      • For, the reservation of seats of BTC is for the STs and not exclusively for the Bodos.
      • The new accord has no clear answer to such critical questions.
      • In BTAD, the ST communities account for 33.50% of the total population and the Bodos account for over 90% of the ST population in the BTAD.
      • The ST populations are an overwhelming majority in territories overseen by nine other autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.
    • Minority governing majority: Such a demographic composition in the BTAD has allowed the space for political mobilisation of other non-Bodo communities.
      • It also allowed the articulation of the campaign that the BTC is a faulty model as it allows the minorities to govern the majorities.
      • Exclusion demand: The organisations of these communities have been demanding exclusion of villages with less than 50% Bodo population from the BTAD.
    • Counter argument by Bodos: Bodo organisations have a counter-argument that non-Bodo is a political identity construction articulated to capture power in the BTAD by certain political forces.
    • The new accord promises to increase the current strength of BTC to 60 from 40 but “without adversely affecting the existing percentage of reservation for tribal[s]”.
    • Constitutional provision for dealing with such situations: Sub-paragraph 2 of the first paragraph of the Sixth Schedule provides that, “If there are different Scheduled Tribes in an autonomous district, the Governor may, by public notification, divide the area or areas inhabited by them into autonomous regions.”
      • However, constitutional amendments were made following the previous Bodo Accord to ensure that this provision shall not apply in respect of the BTAD.
    • What could be the solution to the present situation? The provision of setting up regional autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule can be explored to create the space for communities aggrieved by exclusion from the power-sharing model of BTC.

    Provision of commission

    • The new accord promises to appoint a commission by the Assam government.
      • What the commission will deal with? It will look into the demands for inclusion of villages with ST majority and contiguous to the BTAD, and exclusion of villages which are contiguous to non-Sixth Schedule areas and have majority non-ST population.
      • However, the core area of the BTAD will continue to have many villages with majority non-ST population which were included for contiguity.

    Evaporating of euphoria over the accord

    • Failure in uniting the four factions: Euphoria among the Bodos over the accord is also fast evaporating with efforts to unite all the four factions of NDFB having turned futile.
      • The factions are divided into two camps.
      • The new accord will be the pivot of political mobilisation in the BTAD during the forthcoming BTC elections due in April.
    • Revival in homeland demand: A shift in the political equilibrium in the BTC resulting from a likely expansion of the ST list in Assam has the potential to keep the Bodos out of power in the BTC and push Bodo organisations to revive their homeland demand

    Conclusion

    Peace will continue to be fragile in Assam’s Bodo heartland until an all-inclusive power-sharing and governance model is evolved under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule.

     

     

     

     

  • *URGENT- Mock Interview this week(29 Feb & 1 Mar 2020)- Register now!

    We hope your preparation is going well. 

    Mock Interviews at Civilsdaily form a crucial part of UPSC interview preparation. The quality and diversity of the panel helps prepare an aspirant for the actual interview at UPSC. 

    Aspirants have benefited greatly from the mock interview and the feedback they got from the panel members after their mock interview. At the same time, we work with the aspirants to improve upon the areas highlighted by the panel.  

    Aspirants will also get a personalized DAF based questionnaire based on extensive research and linkages with the issues of national and international importance. 

    The schedule of Mock Interviews for this week has been fixed. 

    Date: 29th Feb and 1st March 2020 (Book your slot)   

    Time: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.  

     Venue: Civilsdaily HQ, 1LGF, Apsara Arcade, Karol Bagh 

    Interview slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.  

    Special lectures and Group Discussion sessions have been planned at the Civilsdaily Center. Details will be updated soon on the website.

    Panelists for Mock Interviews: 

    1. Lt. Gen (retd.) Rameshwar Roy
    2. Shri R. P. Singh, IPS (retd.)
    3. Shri V. P. Singh, IRPS
    4. Shri T. N. Thakur, IAAS (retd.)
    5. Dr.MakhanSaikia, Senior Editor, The Pioneer  
    6. Mr. Rakesh Dalal, Core Faculty, Civilsdaily 
    7. Mrs.AditiGupta, Corporate Leadership Specialist 
    8. Mr. Himanshu Arora, Economist, JNU, PMEAC  

    Tentative: Shri Harsh V. Pant (Observer Research Foundation), Shri SN Tripathi, IAS (Director IIPA), Shri Yogesh Narain (Retd. Defence Secretary), Shri Dipankar Gupta (Indian Sociologist) and others.   

     You all are supposed to submit your DAFs and selfie videos answering four questions provided to you. These will form the basis for mock interviews, DAF analysis, and personalized DAF-based questionnaire.  

     Note- For any query/sending DAFs and videos reach out to atul@civilsdaily.com 

      

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