News for the Day (23rd July, 2024)

Current Affairs


 23-Jul-2024

Current Affairs

INDIAN NAVY SHIP (INS) BRAHMAPUTRA (F31)

Why in the News?

  • INS Brahmaputra caught fire during maintenance at Mumbai dockyard.
  • It had caused severe damage to the vessel, which is now tilting heavily to one side.

About INS Brahmaputra

  • Launched: 29th January 1994
  • Commissioned: 14th April 2000.
    • It was the first indigenously built ‘Brahmaputra’ class guided missile frigate.
    • The ship’s name has been derived from the famous river Brahmaputra which flows in the Northeastern region of India.
    • The ship’s crest depicts a grey coloured one-horned Indian rhinoceros, native to the Brahmaputra valley on a brown background over white and blue sea waves.
    • The ship’s war cry ‘Dushman ko Khatra, Jab aage Brahmaputra’ meaning the enemy faces grave danger when Brahmaputra leads the fray, embodies the ship’s indomitable spirit.

Note

1. Frigate is a medium size square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries.

2. They are smaller and faster than ships of the line (the principal vessels of naval warfare) and served as scouts or as escorts protecting merchant convoys. 

INS Brahmaputra

ECONOMIC SURVEY 2023-24

Why in the News?

  • Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey of India 2023-24, along with a statistical appendix, in both Houses of Parliament.
  • According to the report, India’s GDP is likely to grow at 6.5 to 7% in the current fiscal year amid global challenges which may impact exports.
  • The growth projected for 2024-25 is lower than the economic growth rate of 8.2% estimated for the previous financial year.

Note

1. The Economic Survey is an official report card on the government’s financial performance and the state of the economy during the year ending March 31.

2. It is released by the Ministry of Finance a day before the Union Budget is tabled and provides an outlook on future policy changes.

About Nirmala Sitharaman

  • She is an Indian economist, politician and serving as the Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs of the Government of India since 2019.
  • She is a member of the Rajya Sabha representing Karnataka since 2016 and previously represented Andhra Pradesh from 2014 to 2016.
  • Previously, she served as the 28th Defence Minister thereby becoming India's second female defence minister and the second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi and the first full-time female minister to hold each of those portfolios.
  • She was ranked 32nd in the Forbes 2023 list of World's 100 most powerful women.
  • Fortune named her the most powerful woman in India.

Nirmala Sitharaman

COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH (COSPAR) HARRIE MASSEY AWARD 2024

Why in the News?

  • Indian astrophysicist Prahlad Chandra Agrawal has been awarded the COSPAR Harrie Massey Award 2024.
  • He has been involved with Indian space programmes including the AstroSat space telescope and the Chandrayaan 1 lunar mission.
  • He received the award at the opening ceremony of the 45th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Busan, South Korea.
  • Along with a medal and citation, a minor planet will be named after him as ‘20064 Prahladagrawal’.

About COSPAR

  • It was established in 1958 by the International Science Council (ISC) after the launch of the first artificial satellite by the Soviet Union in 1957.
  • Its first Space Science Symposium was organized in Nice, January 1960.
  • Location: Paris, France
  • President: Pascale Ehrenfreund
  • Mission
    • To share the results of their research and build bonds and encourage collaborations with scientists from around the world, and by doing so enhance their own career development.
    • To participate in exerting influence on the conduct of space research, communicating to the public the exciting results from space research, and extending the benefits of space research to society.
    • To engage with and benefit from the interaction with science-based global industry interested in applying scientific discovery to real-world challenges and opportunities.
    • To support engagement with the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs on projects of mutual interest such as planetary protection, space weather and space debris.
    • To support efforts to enable space programs under development to reach their full potential, thereby spreading the benefits of space research to all nations.
    • To support the developed space programs through opportunities for direct interactions with space agency leaders, essential guidance on planetary protection requirements and advice on future missions.

AstroSat Space Telescope

  • It was launched in September 2015 onboard PSLV-C30 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
  • It is India’s first specialized multi-wavelength space observatory.
  • Aim: To study celestial sources in X-ray, optical and UV spectral bands simultaneously.
  • Operations Center: STRAC Bengaluru
  • Major Scientific Observations
    • Spotted stars forming in gas streams, offering insights into how galaxy clusters behave.
    • It found over 75,000 young stars in the Andromeda Galaxy's bulge, a first discovery.
    • Black holes in a binary system were seen spinning almost as fast as possible by LAXPC and SXT payloads.

AstroSat Space telescope

OLYMPIC ORDER

Why in the News?

  • The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has honored Abhinav Bindra with the Olympic Order for his outstanding contributions to the Olympic movement.

Abhinav Bindra

  • He is a member of the IOC Athletes Commission and is the first Indian to receive Olympic Order.
  • Achievements
    • He is India’s first individual Olympic gold medalist, winning the gold in the men's 10-meter air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
    • He also secured gold medals at the 2006 World Championships (10m air rifle) and the Commonwealth Games in 2002, 2006, 2010 (pairs events), and 2014 (individual event).
    • At the Asian Games, he won silver in the 10m air rifle team event (2010), bronze in the team event (2014), and an individual bronze (2014).

Olympic Order Award

  • Established: 1975
  • It is the highest award presented by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
  • This honor can be bestowed upon IOC members, athletes, and other individuals who have made contributions to the development and promotion of the Olympic Games and its ideals.
  • The recipients of the award are chosen by the IOC’s Executive Board.

NATIONAL BROARDCASTING DAY 2024

  • It is annually observed on 23rd July.
  • The day marks the start of organised radio broadcasts in India.
  • History
    • On July 23, 1927, the Indian Broadcasting Company initiated its first radio transmission from Bombay (Mumbai).
    • In 1930, the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS) was established which later became All India Radio (AIR) in 1936.
    • In 1937, AIR came under the Department of Communications and four years later came under the Department of Information and Broadcasting.
    • In 1956 the name AKASHVANI was adopted for the National Broadcaster.
    • The Vividh Bharati Service was launched in 1957 with popular film music as its main component.
    • AKASHVANI has been serving to inform, educate and entertain the masses.
      • Motto: ‘Bahujana Hitaya, Bahujana Sukhaya’
    • Currently, AIR operates an impressive 591 stations, reaching 98% of India’s population and broadcasting in 23 languages and 146 dialects.

All India Radio/ AKASHVANI

General Knowledge

INDIAN METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT (IMD)

  • Establishment: 1875
  • Headquarter: New Delhi
  • Head: Director General of Meteorology (DGM)
  • Current DGM: Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
  • About
    • It works as an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
    • It is also one of the six Regional Specialized Meteorological Centers of the World Meteorological Organization.
  • Mission
    • To provide weather and climate-related services for the people's safety and well-being.
    • To support the national economy through meteorological, hydrological and climate services.
  • Objectives:
    • To monitor and forecast weather conditions across the country.
    • To provide early warnings for severe weather events, including cyclones, floods, and heatwaves.
    • To offer climate services and support climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.
    • To conduct research in meteorology, climatology, and atmospheric sciences.
  • Major Initiatives
    • National Monsoon Mission (NMM): Government of India launched NMM in 2012 with a vision to develop dynamical prediction system for monsoon rainfall on different time scales.
    • Mausam App: Tool for dissemination of weather information and warnings in an attractive and user-friendly manner.
    • Doppler Weather Radars: Based on Doppler principle, the radar is designed to improve precision in long-range weather forecasting and surveillance using a parabolic dish antenna and a foam sandwich spherical radome.
  • Regional Meteorological Centers: Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi.

Logo of Indian Meteorological Department

NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMME (NMHP)

  • It was initiated in 1982 and restructured in 2003.
  • Aim: To modernize mental health facilities and upgrade psychiatric wings in medical institutions.
  • Initiatives
    • District Mental Health Program (DMHP)
      • It was launched under NMHP in the year 1996 (in IX Five Year Plan).
      • It was based on ‘Bellary Model’.
      • It offers mental health services at the district level.
    • National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP)
      • It was launched in October 2022
      • It further improves access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country.
      • Provides remote mental health services via telemedicine.
    • Mental Health Care Act
      • Enacted: 2017
      • Objective: It provides Legal rights for mental health patients.
      • Key Features: Rights to care, informed consent, advance directives, decriminalization of suicide.
    • National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS)
      • Establishment: 1974
      • Role: Acts as a premier research and training institute for mental health.
      • National Apex Centre: Bengaluru
    • Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System (MANAS) Mobile App
      • Launched: 2021
      • It was launched by Government of India to promote mental wellbeing across age groups.
      • It was endorsed as a national program by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
    • National Mental Health Mission
      • Launched: 2014
      • It expanded NMHP to include new strategies for mental health improvement.
    • Mental Health Awareness Campaigns
      • Public campaigns to raise awareness and reduce stigma.
      • Initiatives like “#BreakTheStigma, Kiran Helpline, Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram.

DYSON SPHERE

  • Origin: 1960
  • Proposed by: Freeman Dyson
  • Publication: Search for Artificial Stellar Sources of Infrared Radiation
  • About: It is a hypothetical structure designed to capture and utilize the energy output of a star.
  • Mechanism: Converts stellar energy into usable forms like electricity.
  • Types: Swarm, Bubble, Shell, Ring
  • Detectability: It is potentially detectable through infrared radiation.
  • Kardashev Scale
    • Type I Civilization: Uses all available resources on a planet.
    • Type II Civilization: Harnesses the energy of an entire star (the Dyson Sphere is a Type II civilization concept).
  • Popular Culture
    • "Star Trek” - A Sci-fi series
    • " "The Three-Body Problem” - Novel by Liu Cixin
    • “Civilization VI” - Video game

Dyson Sphere

MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (MSMEs)

  • MSMEs are businesses that produce, process, and preserve goods and commodities.
  • The sectors are categorized based on the investment in plant and machinery or equipment and annual turnover.

CATEGORY

 INVESTMENT ANNUAL TURNOVER

Micro

Up to ₹1 crore

 Up to ₹5 crore

Small

₹1 crore to ₹10 crore

 ₹5 crore to ₹50 crore

Medium

₹10 crore to ₹50 crore

 ₹50 crore to ₹250 crore

  • The MSME Development Act of 2006 defines MSME categories, creates a National Board, and authorizes the Central Government to boost MSME competitiveness.
  • They currently contribute approx. 30% to India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
  • They provide employment to over 11 crore people in India.
  • MSMEs contribute nearly 45% of India's total exports.
  • Key Initiatives
    • Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), 2015
    • Government e-Marketplace (GeM), 2016
    • MSME Samadhaan, 2017
    • Udyami Mitra Portal, 2017

WESTERN GHATS

  • Location: Western coast of India, from Gujarat to Kerala.
  • Highest Peak: Anamudi
  • Extent: The range runs approximately 1,600 kilometers from the Tapi River in the north to the southern tip of the Indian Peninsula.
  • Formation: 150 million years ago, during the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana.
  • They are also known as the Sahyadri Hills.
  • It is one of the eight hotspots of biological diversity in the world due to its high level of biological diversity and endemism.
  • They are rich in iron, manganese and bauxite ores.
  • It is estimated that they neutralize around 4 million tonnes of carbon every year.
  • States covered: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat
  • Rivers:
    • West flowing: Periyar, Bharathappuzha, Netravati, Sharavathi, Mandovi
    • East flowing: Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Tunga, Bhadra, Bhima, Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, Hemavathi, Kabini.
  • Flora: Tropical rainforests, shola forests, grasslands.
  • Fauna: Endemic species include Nilgiri Tahr, Lion-tailed Macaque, Malabar Giant Squirrel.
  • Climate: Heavy monsoon rains on the western slopes; drier on the eastern slopes.
  • Tribes: Gowlis, Kunbis, Halakki Vakkala, Kare Vakkala, Kunbi, and Kulvadi Marathi.
  • Committees: Gadgil Committee (2011), Kasturirangan Committee (2013).
  • Key Parks and Sanctuaries
    • Silent Valley National Park (Kerala)
    • Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala)
    • Bandipur National Park (Karnataka)
    • Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala)
    • Matheran (Maharashtra)
  • Passes:
    • Thal Ghat Pass (Kasara Ghat): connects Mumbai to Nashik
    • Bhor Ghat Pass connects Mumbai to Pune via Khopoli
    • Palakkad Gap (Pal Ghat) connects: Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to Palakkad, Kerala
    • Amba Ghat Pass connects: Ratnagiri district to Kolhapur.
    • Naneghat Pass connects Pune district with Junnar city.
    • Amboli Ghat Pass connects Sawantwadi of Maharashtra to Belgaum of Karnataka.

Western Ghat