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Type: Prelims Only

  • Kalasa-Banduri Dam Project

    India is on the brink of an acute water crisis, which has, to an extent, fabricated a looming threat of trans-boundary water conflicts. The conflict on the Mandovi / Mahadayi River— flowing through Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra— is one such example.

    Try this PYQ:

    What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati?

    (a) Recently discovered uranium deposits

    (b) Tropical rain forests

    (c) Underground cave systems

    (d) Water reservoirs

    Kalasa-Banduri Project

    • The project undertaken by the Karnataka government proposes to divert Mandovi river water from Kalasa and Banduri canals into the Malaprabha river in the state.
    • The project received clearance from the Centre in 2002. It aims to construct a total of 11 dams on the river Mandovi.
    • The diversion of water from Kalasa and Banduri nullahs, however, has been the point of contention between Karnataka and Goa, with the latter claiming it would strip the state of its flora and fauna.

    The conflict

    • The Mandovi originates from Karnataka’s Belgaum district.
    • The Mandovi river basin falls into the states of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
    • The river is 81 kilometres (km) in length; 35 km of which flows in Karnataka, 1 km in Maharashtra and 45 km in Goa.
    • The seeds of the conflict were sowed over 40 years ago: In 1985, Karnataka initially explored a 350 megawatt-hydro-electric project to divert 50 per cent of the Mandovi river water in Karnataka for irrigation.
    • The plan was also to allow a steady flow of water from the power project’s storage dam after using the water for irrigation purposes in Karnataka.
    • This would have served to drinking water and irrigation purposes in Goa as well.

  • Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM)

    As a first step towards Greening the Indian short term power market, the  Ministry of Power and New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched pan-India Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) in electricity.

    About GTAM

    • GTAM is an alternative new model introduced for selling off the power by the renewable developers in the open market without getting into long term PPAs.
    • This would promote RE merchant capacity addition and help in achieving RE capacity addition targets of the country.

    Benefits of GTAM

    • It would lessen the burden on the RE-rich States and incentivize them to develop RE capacity beyond their own RPO.
    • It will benefit buyers of RE through competitive prices and transparent and flexible procurement. It will also benefit RE sellers by providing access to the pan- India market

    Key features

    • Transactions through GTAM will be bilateral in nature with clear identification of corresponding buyers and sellers, there will not be any difficulty in accounting for RPO.
    • GTAM contracts will be segregated into Solar RPO & Non-Solar RPO as RPO targets are also segregated.
    • Further, within the two segments, GTAM contracts will have Green Intraday, Day Ahead Contingency, Daily and Weekly Contracts
    • Green Intraday Contract & Day Ahead Contingency Contract – Bidding will take place on a 15-minute time-block wise MW basis.
    • Daily & Weekly Contracts – Bidding will take place on an MWh basis.
    • Price discovery will take place on a continuous basis i.e. price-time priority basis. Subsequently, looking at the market conditions open auction can be introduced for daily & weekly contracts.
    • Energy scheduled through GTAM contract shall be considered as deemed RPO compliance of the buyer.

  • Special Frontier Force: The Vikas Battalion

    There have been reports that a Special Frontier Force (SFF) unit, referred to as Vikas Battalion, has been instrumental in occupying some key heights on the LAC.

    Try this question for mains:

    Q.“It cannot be business as usual with China after the border clash.” Critically comment.

    What is the Special Frontier Force (SFF)?

    • SFF was raised in the immediate aftermath of the 1962 Sino-India war.
    • It was a covert outfit which recruited Tibetans (now it has a mixture of Tibetans and Gorkhas) and initially went by the name of Establishment 22.
    • It was named so because it was raised by Major General Sujan Singh Uban, an Artillery officer who had commanded 22 Mountain Regiment.
    • He, therefore, named the new covert group after his regiment. Subsequently, the group was renamed as Special Frontier Force.
    • SFF now falls under the purview of the Cabinet Secretariat where it is headed by an Inspector General who is an Army officer of the rank of Major General.

    Is SFF a part of the Army?

    • Strictly speaking, the SFF units are not part of the Army but they function under the operational control of the Army.
    • The units have their own rank structures which have equivalent status with Army ranks.
    • However, they are highly trained Special Forces personnel who can undertake a variety of tasks which would normally be performed by any Special Forces unit.
    • The SFF units, therefore, function virtually as any other Army unit in operational areas despite having a separate charter and history.

    Major operations conducted

    • There are several overt and covert operations in which SFF units have taken part over the years.
    • They took part in operations in the 1971 war, Operation Blue Star in Golden Temple Amritsar, Kargil conflict and in counter-insurgency operations in the country.
    • There are several other operations too in which the SFF has participated but the details are classified.

  • Pinaka Missile System

    The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed contracts with three Indian companies for supply of six regiments of the Pinaka Rocket System to be deployed along borders with Pakistan and China.

    Following things are crucial to know about the Pinaka Missile System:

    1) It’s development and manufacture

    2) Fire Range and other capabilities

    3) Latest technology enhancement

    Pinaka Missile System

    • Pinaka is an indigenously developed rocket system named after Lord Shiva’s mythological bow.
    • It is used for attacking the adversary targets prior to the close-quarter battles which involve smaller range artillery, armoured elements and the infantry.
    • The development of the Pinaka was started by the DRDO in the late 1980s, as an alternative to the multi-barrel rocket launching systems of Russian make, called like the ‘Grad’, which are still in use.
    • After successful tests of Pinaka Mark-1 in late 1990, it was first used in the battlefield during the Kargil War of 1999, quite successfully.
    • Subsequently, multiple regiments of the system came up over the 2000s.

    Its versions and capabilities

    • The Pinaka, which is primarily a multi-barrel rocket system (MBRL) system, can fire a salvo of 12 rockets over a period of 44 seconds.
    • One battery of the Pinaka system consists of six launch vehicles, accompanied by the loader systems, radar and links with network-based systems and a command post.
    • It can neutralize an area one kilometre by one kilometre.
    • The Mark-I version of Pinaka has a range of around 40 kilometres and the Mark-II version can fire up to 75 kilometres.
    • The Mark-II version of the rocket has been modified as a guided missile system by integrating it with the navigation, control and guidance system to improve the end accuracy and increase the range.
    • The navigation system of the missile is linked with the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.

  • Exercise Indra 2020

    Amid high operational alert by the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) India and Russia are scheduled to hold the bilateral naval exercise, Indra 2020, in the Andaman Sea, close to the strategic Strait of Malacca.

    [Prelims Spotlight]: Various Defence Exercises in News

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/prelims-spotlight-various-defence-exercises-in-news/

    Exercise Indra

    • It is a joint, tri-services exercise between India and Russia
    • This series of exercise began in 2003 and the First joint Tri-Services Exercise was conducted in 2017.
    • Company sized mechanized contingents, fighter and transport aircraft, as well as ships of respective Army, Air Force and Navy, participate in this exercise of ten days duration.

  • What is Carbon-14 (C14) Battery?

    A California-based company has made a self-charging battery, which can run for 28,000 years on a single charge, by trapping carbon-14 (C14) nuclear waste in artificial diamond-case.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.The known forces of nature can be divided into four classes, viz. gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force. With reference to them, which one of the following statements is not correct?

    (a) Gravity is the strongest of the four

    (b) Electromagnetism act only on particles with an electric charge

    (c) Weak nuclear force causes radioactivity

    (d) Strong nuclear force holds protons and neutrons inside the nuclear of an atom.

    What is C14?

    • Carbon-14 (14C), or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons.
    • There are three naturally occurring isotopes of carbon on Earth: carbon-12, which makes up 99% of all carbon on Earth; carbon-13, which makes up 1%; and carbon-14, which occurs in trace amounts.
    • Its presence in organic materials is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and colleagues (1949) to date archaeological, geological and hydrogeological samples.

    C14 battery

    • The battery works by generating electricity on its own from a shower of electrons as a result of radioactive decay scattered and deposited in the artificial diamond-case.
    • The battery can be used in electric vehicles, mobile phones, laptops, tablets, drones, watches, cameras, health monitors and even sensors.
    • It is also said to be extremely safe and tamper-proof as it is coated with a non-radioactive diamond which prevents radiation leaks.

    Best example of nuke waste recycling

    • It is estimated that 33 million cubic metres of global nuclear waste will cost over $100 billion to manage and dispose of.
    • And a lot of this waste is graphite that is one of the higher risks of radioactive waste and one of the most expensive and problematic waste to store.

    Its applications

    • The company says its battery can be used to powerhouses, and that any excess electricity generated can be sold to the grid.
    • As the new battery need not be replaced, it can be installed in hard to reach places like pacemakers and implants, where a regular change of battery is not possible.
    • Another area of use is space electronics. The battery is said to power space equipment in rockets.
    • It can power the electrical needs of space crafts, like providing power to cockpits and assisting launch into the upper atmosphere.

  • Renati Chola Era Inscription

    A rare inscription dating back to the Renati Chola era has been unearthed in a remote village of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.In the context of the history of India, consider the following pairs:

    Term: Description

    1. Eripatti: Land revenue from which was set apart for the maintenance of the village tank
    2. Taniyurs: Villages donated to a single Brahmin or a group of Brahmins
    3. Ghatikas: Colleges generally attached to the temples

    Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

    (a) 1 and 2

    (b) 3 only

    (c) 2 and 3

    (d) 1 and 3

    Who are the Renati Cholas?

    • The Telugu Cholas of Renadu (also called as Renati Cholas) ruled over Renadu region, the present-day Kadapa district.
    • They were originally independent, later forced to the suzerainty of the Eastern Chalukyas.
    • They had the unique honour of using the Telugu language in their inscriptions belonging to the 6th and 8th centuries.
    • The earliest of this family was Nandivarman (500 AD) who claimed descent from the family of Karikala and the Kasyapa gotra.
    • He had three sons Simhavishnu, Sundarananda and Dhananjaya, all of whom were ruling different territories simultaneously.
    • The family seems to have had its origin in Erigal in the Tunmkur district, situated in the border between Pallava and Kadamba regions.

    About the inscription

    • The inscription so found was engraved on a dolomite slab and shale.
    • The inscription was written in archaic Telugu which is readable in 25 lines — the first side with eleven lines and the remaining on the other side.
    • It was assigned to the 8th Century A.D. when the region was under the rule of Chola Maharaja of Renadu.
    • The inscription seems to throw light on the record of a gift of six Marttus (a measuring unit) of land gifted to a person Sidyamayu, one of the Brahmins serving the temple at Pidukula village.
    • It says the people who safeguard this inscription for future generations will acquire the status of conducting Aswamedha Yajna and those destroying it will incur sin equivalent to causing death in Varanasi.

  • Exercise Kavkaz 2020

    India has turned down Russia’s invitation to participate in the multilateral defence exercise Kavkaz 2020.

    Go through the list for once. UPSC may ask a match the pair type question asking exercise name and countries involved.

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/prelims-spotlight-defence-exercises/

    Exercise Kavkaz 2020

    • The Kavkaz 2020 is also referred to as Caucasus-2020.
    • The exercise is aimed at assessing the ability of the armed forces to ensure military security in Russia’s southwest, where serious terrorist threats persist and preparing for the strategic command-staff drills.
    • The main training grounds that will be involved are located in the Southern Military District.
    • The invitation for participation has been extended to at least 18 countries including China, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey apart from other Central Asian Republics part of the SCO.

    Why didn’t India participate?

    • While it is learned that China has confirmed its participation, Pakistan is also likely to send its troops for the exercise.
    • In the response communicated to Russia, New Delhi cited Covid-19 as the official reason to skip ‘Exercise Kavkaz 2020’.
    • The move comes in the backdrop of a border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.

    Earlier instances

    • Exercise Tsentr last year had the participation of India, Pakistan and all Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member-nations.
    • India had participated in SCO peace mission exercise in 2018, and in 2019, for the first time, was involved in a strategic command and staff exercise as part of Exercise Tsentr.

  • [pib] Historic City of Hampi

    The Ministry of Tourism organised their latest webinar titled Hampi- Inspired by the past; Going into the future under Dekho Apna Desh Webinar series.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Building ‘Kalyaana Mandapas’ was a notable feature in the temple construction in the kingdom of-

    (a) Chalukya

    (b) Chandela

    (c) Rashtrakuta

    (d) Vijayanagara

    Facts about Hampi

    • Its name is derived from Pampa which is the old name of the Tungabhadra River on whose banks the city is built.
    • In 1336 CE, the Vijayanagara Empire arose from the ruins of the Kampili kingdom.
    • It grew into one of the famed Hindu empires of South India that ruled for over 200 years.
    • The Vijayanagara rulers fostered developments in intellectual pursuits and the arts, maintained a strong military and fought many wars with sultanates to its north and east.
    • They invested in roads, waterworks, agriculture, religious buildings and public infrastructure.
    • The site used to be multi-religious and multi-ethnic; it included Hindu and Jain monuments next to each other.
    • The buildings predominantly followed South Indian Hindu arts and architecture dating to the Aihole-Pattadakal styles.
    • The Hampi builders also used elements of Indo-Islamic architecture in the Lotus Mahal, the public bath and the elephant stables.

    Major attractions

    • One of the major attractions of Hampi is the 15th Century Virupaksha temple which is one of the oldest monuments of the town.
    • The main shrine is dedicated to Virupaksha, a form of Lord Shiva.
    • Hemkunta Hill, south of the Virupaksha temple contains early ruins, Jain temples and a monolithic sculpture of Lord Narasimha, a form of Lord Vishnu.
    • At the eastern end, there is the large Nandi in stone; on the southern side is the larger than life Ganesha.
    • Large single stone carvings seem to have been the fashion of the day in Hampi, for there is a large image of Narasimha (6.7m high), the half-lion half-man incarnation of God, as well as a huge linga.

  • Person in news: Noor Inayat Khan

    World War II spy Noor Inayat Khan is now the first woman of Indian origin to be commemorated by the distinct blue London plaque.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.A recent movie titled “The Man Who Knew Infinity” is based on the biography of-

    (a) S. Ramanujan
    (b) S. Chandrasekhar
    (c) S. N. Bose
    (d) C. V. Raman

    Noor Inayat Khan

    • A descendant of Tipu Sultan, Noor Inayat Khan became a secret agent during the Second World War.
    • She was the first woman radio operator to be infiltrated into occupied France in 1943 and worked under the code name ‘Madeleine’.
    • Renowned for her service in the Special Operations Executive, an independent British secret service set up by Winston Churchill in 1940.
    • Noor was Britain’s first Indian Muslim war heroine in Europe and the first female radio operator sent into Nazi-occupied France.
    • She was killed at the Dachau concentration camp in 1944 and was posthumously awarded the George Cross in 1949.

    What are Blue Plaques?

    • The idea of placing commemorative plaques on historically significant buildings was first mooted in 1863.
    • The idea was to honour important people and organisations that have lived or worked in London buildings.
    • Currently, the blue plaque scheme is being run by the charity organisation, English Heritage that takes care of historic sites and buildings in England.
    • While Khan is the first woman of Indian origin to be honoured with a blue plaque, it has been erected on houses and venues associated with several Indian men including Mahatma Gandhi, Raja Ram Mohun Roy, B R Ambedkar, Sardar Patel and Swami Vivekananda among others.