November 2024

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Daily Current Capsules 19th August 2021

Science & Technology
Three online applications related to geospatial mapping online launched

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the launched three online applications) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of science and technology)
What's the NEWS

  • The Department of Science and Technology (DST) launched three online applications to enable users to easily purchase and download products related to geospatial mapping online.
  • The launch of the three applications - Survey of India (SOI) GEO Spatial Data Dissemination Portal, SOI's SARTHI: WEB GIS application, and MANCHITRAN Enterprise Geoportal of National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) - comes after the government unveiled a new geospatial policy in February, erasing all regulations on surveying and mapping.
  • These three online applications were inaugurated, making geospatial data collected by government freely and easily available to citizens and organizations in India for the first time.
  • It is for the first time the data collected by the government starting from SOI and NATMO becomes freely and easily available to the citizens and organizations in India.

Know! more about these launched applications

  • The new Geospatial policy launched in Feb 2021 erased all the regulations on surveying and mapping, thus removing a lot of cobwebs of the past in one sweep.
  • By liberalizing and democratizing the geospatial data, a direct impact of about 1 lakh crore will be created by 2030 with a much bigger indirect impact on the economy

Survey of India (SOI) GEO Spatial Data Dissemination Portal

  • With the launch of this online portal, the users will no longer have to visit the SOI offices, and they can easily purchase and download products online at their doorstep through Bharat Kosh payment gateway of Govt of India
  • This online portal developed by Survey of India is a rich repository of maps and functionalities which will provide easy access and make the geo-spatial data generated out of public funds available to government and private users.
  • The portal provides a range of digital products like Digital Geographical Map, Railway Map, Political Map, Digital Geographical Road Map, and Digital Geographical Physical Map of India as well as Open Series Map Scale and so on to citizens of India.

SOI's SARTHI: WEB GIS application

  • Sarthi Web GIS will bring GIS into the hands of the people and save time and resources in data validation with audit trail, which will facilitate SVAMITVA (Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas), a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
  • Sarthi is a web Geographical Information System GIS application which utilizes the new advancements in web application development with GIS tools like spatial data visualization, manipulation, analysis, etc., and will be easily accessible to the user with less utilization of resources at the client's end.
  • It reduces the need to create custom applications and provides a platform for integrating GIS with other business systems.
  • It enables cross-organizational collaboration in consonance with the new Geospatial Policy and can be accessed in vernacular languages.

MANCHITRAN Enterprise Geoportal of National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO)

  • The enterprise geo-portal of NATMO is a giant leap forward in the arena of geo-spatial data sources, and the setting of infrastructure along with the applications was initiated in the year 2017, and finally it has come to online in the year 2021.
  • It will open a new dimension of extended services for the citizens of India, and different building blocks of the "Manchitran" will serve the requirements of students, researchers, industry, decision-makers, policymakers, administrators, etc.
  • This geo-portal showcases the huge, authenticated, and valuable data that NATMO acquired during its long 65 years' service.
  • Users can see, download and give feedback about the maps and atlases and different geo-spatial data layers in "MANCHITRAN.

National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization(NATMO)

  • It is functioning as a subordinate department under the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, with its headquarter at Kolkata.
  • Since its inception, it is the sole national agency bearing the responsibility of depicting national framework data in the form of thematic maps and atlases to cater the various needs of different sectors.
  • NATMO being a specialized institution of its kind also engaged cartographic and geographical researches at national level.

Main Functions of this organization are :

  • Compilation of the National Atlas of India in Hindi, English and other regional languages .
  • Preparation of thematic maps based on socio-economic, physical, cultural, environmental, demographic and other issues.
  • Preparation of maps/atlases for visually impaired.
  • Digital mapping and training using Remote sensing, GPS and GIS technology.

Environment
Cabinet approves Ratification of Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer for phase down of Hydrofluorocarbons

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol) + Mains ( GS III environment conservation)
What's the news

  • The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, has given its approval for ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer for phase down of Hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) by India, adopted by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on October, 2016 at 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol held at Kigali, Rwanda.

Know! more about the Kigali amendment

  • Under the Kigali Amendment; Parties to the Montreal Protocol will phase down production and consumption of Hydrofluorocarbons, commonly known as HFCs.
  • Hydrofluorocarbons were introduced as non-ozone depleting alternative to Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). While HFCs do not deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, they have high global warming potential ranging from 12 to 14,000, which have adverse impact on climate.
  • Recognizing the growth in use of HFCs, especially in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning sector the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, reached agreement at their 28th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) held in October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda to add HFCs to the list of controlled substances and approved a timeline for their gradual reduction by 80-85 per cent by the late 2040s.
  • India will complete its phase down of HFCs in 4 steps from 2032 onwards with cumulative reduction of 10% in 2032, 20% in 2037, 30% in 2042 and 80% in 2047.
  • All amendments and adjustments of the Montreal Protocol, prior to the Kigali Amendment have Universal support.

Benefits:

  • HFC phasedown is expected to prevent the greenhouse gas emissions, helping prevent climate change and would benefit the people.
  • The industry producing and consuming Hydrofluorocarbons will be phasing out Hydrofluorocarbons as per the agreed schedule under and transition to non-HFC and low global warming potential technologies.

Implementation strategy and targets:

  • National strategy for phase down of Hydrofluorocarbons as per the applicable phase down schedule for India will be developed after required consultation with all the industry stakeholders by 2023.
  • Amendments to the existing legislation framework, the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules to allow appropriate control of the production and consumption of Hydrofluorocarbons to ensure compliance with the Kigali Amendment will be done by mid-2024

Major Impact, including employment generation potential:

  • Hydrofluorocarbons. phasedown is expected to prevent the emission of up to 105 million tonne of carbondioxide equivalent of greenhouse gases, helping to avoid up to 0.5 degree Celsius of global temperature rise by 2100, while continuing to protect the ozone layer.
  • Implementation of HFC phase down under the Kigali Amendment through the adoption of low-global warming potential and energy-efficient technologies will achieve energy efficiency gains^ and carbon dioxide emissions reduction - a "climate co-benefit,"

Know! about Montreal Protocol

  • The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, is an international environmental treaty for protection of the Ozone Layer by phasing out the production and consumption of man-made chemicals referred to as ozone depleting substances (ODS).
  • The stratospheric ozone\ layer protects humans: and the environment from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.India became a Party to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer on 19 June 1992 and since then has ratified the amendments to the Montreal Protocol.
  • Though the present approval of the Cabinet, India will be ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol for phase down of Hydrofluorocarbons.
  • India has successfully met the phase out targets of all the Ozone Depleting Substances as per the Montreal Protocol Schedule

Economy
International Bullion Exchange

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about International Bullion Exchange) + Mains ( GS III Economic development)
What's the NEWS

  • International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), launched the pilot run/soft launch of the International Bullion Exchange which is scheduled to go live on October 1, 2021 the Foundation Day of IFSCA.
  • The International Financial Services Centres Authority (Bullion Exchange) Regulations, 2020 were notified on December 11, 2020 which inter alia cover the Bullion Exchange, Clearing Corporation, Depository and Vaults.
  • Government has also taken steps to notify bullion spot trading and bullion depository receipts with underlying bullion as financial products and bullion related services as financial services.

Know! about the International Bullion Exchange

  • The International Bullion Exchange shall be the "Gateway for Bullion Imports into India", wherein all the bullion imports for domestic consumption shall be channelized through the exchange.
  • The exchange ecosystem is expected to bring all the market participants at a common transparent platform for bullion trading and provide an efficient price discovery, assurance in the quality of gold, enable greater integration with other segments of financial markets and help establish India's position as a dominant trading hub in the World.
  • A holding company, India International Bullion Holding IFSC Ltd (IIBH), has been set up to operationalise the International Bullion Exchange, Bullion Clearing Corporation and Bullion Depository in IFSC, GIFT City,
  • IIBH was set up pursuant to a memorandum of understanding between the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), Multi-Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), India INX International Exchange (INDIA INX), National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL), Central Depository Services (India) Ltd (CDSL),
  • CDSL-IFSC, a foreign depository has been designated as the Bullion Depository for the Bullion Exchange responsible for managing the Vault Manager.
  • CDSL IFSC received recognition from the IFSC regulatory authority and can now provide various functions such as holding and transfer of bullion like gold.
  • The holding and transfer facility will be later extended to silver and any other commodity that is approved by the IFSC Authority.

Bullion

  • It refers to physical gold and silver of high purity that is often kept in the form of bars, ingots, or coins.
  • Bullion can sometimes be considered legal tender, and is often held as reserves by central banks or held by institutional investors.

Prelims Factoids
Traditional Pineapple Agro-forestry Systems(PAFS)


Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ethnic Hmar tribe + PAFS)
What's the NEWS

  • Pineapple-based agroforestry, traditionally practiced by ethnic "Hmar" tribe in southern Assam, can be a sustainable alternative to jhum cultivation for the North East India.
  • This traditional practice can provide twin solutions for climate change and biodiversity loss

Unsustainable Jhum cultivation

  • Jhum cultivation, also called swidden agriculture, the dominant agricultural practice in the region, has become unsustainable primarily due to the reduced fallow cycle resulting in depletion in soil fertility, severe soil erosion, and low agronomic productivity.
  • Hence, North East India and many south Asian countries are shifting to agroforestry and high-value cropping systems from traditional jhum practices over the past decades, which are considered sustainable and profitable alternatives.
  • Researchers are looking for agroforestry options that would also offer high C storage potential and tree diversity to couple this with solutions for challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Pineapple agroforestry systems (PAFS)

  • Pineapple agroforestry systems (PAFS) are dominant land use in the Indian Eastern Himalayas and other parts of Asia and are mostly grown in association with multipurpose trees.
  • The ethnic "Hmar" tribe in southern Assam have been cultivating pineapple for centuries.
  • At present, they practice the indigenous PAFS for, both home consumption and boosting economic benefits. They have applied traditional knowledge to evolve a unique agroforestry system.
  • It was found that farmers apply traditional knowledge for tree selection through prior knowledge and long-term farming experience.
  • Additionally, fruit trees such as Areca catechu and Musa species are planted on farm boundaries as live fences.
  • The live fence reduces soil erosion and acts as a windbreak and shelterbelt.
  • The upper canopy trees regulate light, enhance biomass inputs, and increase farm diversity, resulting in soil fertility and improved plant nutrition.
  • The tree-related management practices promote the conservation of the farmers' favoured indigenous fruit trees.

Prelims Factoids
Visceral Leishmaniasis therapy
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Visceral Leishmaniasis)
What's the NEWS

  • Indian researchers have developed a non-invasive, easy to administer, cost-effective, and patient compliant potential therapeutic strategy against Visceral Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease.
  • Their strategy based on nano carrier-based oral drugs coated with Vitamin B12 enhanced oral bioavailability and efficacy of the therapy by more than 90%.

Know! about Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL)

  • Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a complex infectious disease transmitted by the bite of female Phlebotomine sandflies.
  • It is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions annually, making it the second most common parasitic killer after malaria.
  • The conventional treatment therapy of VL mainly involves painful intravenous administration, which imposes many treatment complications, including prolonged hospitalization, high cost, and high risk of infection.
  • The Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), GoI has developed a smart and intelligent nanocarrier utilizing the natural intrinsic Vitamin B12 pathway present in human body that can mitigate stability challenges and drug-associated toxicity.

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