Insights Daily Current Affairs, 01 October 2016
Paper 3 Topic: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Aircraft with Indian airborne warning system set for induction
The DRDO has fitted its own airborne early warning and control system (AEW & CS) on a modified Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft imported from Brazil. With this, the first of the two small surveillance aircraft carrying the first Indian airborne early warning system is slated to be inducted into the Air Force in about two months.
About airborne early warning and control system (AEW & CS):
The AEW&C system is developed to serve the Indian Air Force in detection and tracking, identification and classification of threats, guidance and interception control, display of air situation picture and multisensor data integration.
- It is developed by DRDO in collaboration with CAB(Cantre for Airborne Systems) that provides an airborne surveillance system.
- The system enables the armed forces to communicate with fighter jets and other AEW&C assets, while it also allows for Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, mission planning as well as record and replay for post mission analysis.
- It also allows for Search and Rescue Operations,mission planning as well as record and replay for post mission analysis.
Sources: the hindu.
Paper 3 Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
T.N. tops list of endemic flowering plants
According to a recent publication by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI)- Endemic Vascular Plants of India, almost one of every four species of flowering plants found in India is endemic to the country.
Key facts:
- Tamil Nadu accounts for the highest number of species with 410, followed by Kerala with 357 and Maharashtra with 278.
- Of the 18,259 flowering plants reported in the country, 4,303 (over 23%) are found only in India.
- When it comes to the geographical distribution of endemic plants, the Western Ghats tops the list with about 2,116 species, followed by the Eastern Himalayas with 466 species.
- Scientists of the BSI have listed at least 37 species of Black plum Syzyguim (Jamun), 10 varieties of Musa (banana), along with 274 species of orchids, which are found only in the country. Four different varieties of roses, two herbs and two climbers and 12 species of jasmines are exclusively found in India.
- Spices list includes 45 species belonging to the common black pepper family, 19 species of ginger and 13 different kinds of large cardamom. There are also 40 species of bamboos (Bambusoideae), which are endemic to India.
- Further some of these endemic species are restricted to only certain areas of the country, like Nepenthes khasiana, an insectivorous plant only found in the Khasi hills of Meghalaya. A total of 58 generea of flowering plants have been found to be endemic to India.
- As far as endemism regarding vascular plants in India is concerned, the publication reveals that of the 19, 635 vascular plants found in the country, 4,381 are endemic. This includes 4,303 angiosperms or flowering plants, 12 gymnosperms – mostly Cycads, and 66 ferns and fern allies which come under the group Pteridophytes.
- Among the Gymnosperms, non-flowering plants, at least six species of Cycas are found in the country. These plants are known to have existed from the Jurassic era and are commonly referred as living fossils as they grow very slowly.
Pterocarpus santalinus - Around 53% of all endemic flowering plants are herbs, 20% are shrubs and 15% are trees.
- Among the most widely exploited endemic plants in country is Pterocarpus santalinus, commonly known as red sandal wood, which is found only in the southern parts of the Eastern Ghats. This plant is classified as critically endangered under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category because of its dwindling habitat due to economic over-exploitation.
Sources: the hindu.
Paper 2 Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
‘Citizenship amendment bill communally motivated’: Activists
Civil society groups are opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, terming it “communally motivated humanitarianism.”
Why is it being opposed?
The proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955, seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Muslim majority countries, namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
According to activists, this would mean, for instance, that the sizeable population of Hindu migrants from Bangladesh living in Assam would become citizens while Muslims who migrated to Assam from East Bengal a century ago would continue to be harassed as ‘illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
The new Bill also violates Article 14 of the constitution, say activists. Since Article 14 of the Constitution guarantees equality to all persons, citizens and foreigners, differentiating between people on the grounds of religion would be in violation of the constitution.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016- Highlights of the Bill:
- The Bill amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship.
- Under the Act, one of the requirements for citizenship by naturalisation is that the applicant must have resided in India during the last 12 months, and for 11 of the previous 14 years. The Bill relaxes this 11 year requirement to six years for persons belonging to the same six religions and three countries.
- The Bill provides that the registration of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders may be cancelled if they violate any law.
Sources: the hindu.
Facts for Prelims
- INDOSAN: INDOSAN is envisaged as an annual national event, that brings together all stakeholders working in sanitation government, NGOs, academicians, researchers, partner agencies, corporates on one platform for a shared vision. Bringing together all such stakeholders, will create an opportunity for collective vision, collective understanding of the key elements of the Swachh Bharat Mission programme. INDOSAN is the platform, where unfolding story of Swachh Bharat will actually happen, where each state will share their approaches most suitable to them to reach ODF. INDOSAN will discuss on all these approaches, emerging innovations, learnings are cross shared, for the benefit of all. It was recently held in New Delhi.
- Sports Sector Gets the Infrastructure Status: Sports infrastructure will be included under the Harmonized Master List of Infrastructure Subsectors. This is mainly aimed at addressing the issue of deficit of sports infrastructure in the country. The sports sector now becomes eligible for obtaining long term financial support from banks and other financial institutions on the same principle as is available to other infrastructure projects. This inclusion would encourage private investment in a public good which has socio-economic externalities in a country with young population. It will also bolster investment in sports infrastructure sector which will contribute to the economy and help in promotion of health and fitness of the people of this country as also provide opportunities for employment in the new and exciting sectors.
- ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Andolan Yatra’: It is a nation-wide campaign to make society liquor free. It would be launched at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on October 2 to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
