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Daily Current Capsules - 10th May 2019

Environment Conservation
Sand and Sustainability: UNEP Report on Sand Mining
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the report findings on sand mining ) + Mains ( GS III environment conservation)

What's the NEWS
  • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recently a report on sand mining and its consumption.
  • The report published with title - Sand and sustainability: Finding new solutions for environmental governance of global sand resources. It emphasises on the changing pattern of sand consumption, demand and role in growing population.
  • UNEP report on sand resources indicates that global demand for sand and gravel is at 40 to 50 billion tonnes per year.
  • It also highlights the issues caused by illegal sand mining from rivers such as flooding, rising level of pollution, lowering of water aquifers and worse drought occurrences.
Know! about the global findings of the report
  • Report informs that sand and gravel are the second largest natural resources extracted after water but least regulated.
  • A growing trend of irresponsible and illegal extraction in marine, coastal and freshwater ecosystems makes this a sustainability challenge of significant proportions.
  • China and India head the list of critical hotspots for sand extraction impacts in rivers, lakes and on coastlines, most likely because these countries also lead globally on infrastructure and construction.
  • Report explores that ecological damage has been witnessed due to large sand mining as it breaks the natural system. Hydro-electricity production or irrigation is reducing the amount of sediment flowing downstream.
  • There is no global monitoring or reporting for sand. However, countries are reporting their cement production.
Know! about the findings specific to India
  • Two thirds of global cement production occurs in China (58.5%) and India (6.6%), as per United States Geological Survey.
  • China stands out for aggregates production at 14.3 tonnes/capita per year. In total, China, India and Asia represent 67% of global aggregates production.
What's the Way forward
  • Improving sustainable consumption and production of sand resources does not imply waiting for new global laws or rules to enable international cooperation.
A hierarchy of three major strategies emerged that could lay new foundations for improved governance of sand resources in 2019 and thereafter:
  1. Avoiding unnecessary natural sand consumption in construction
  2. Using alternative materials to replace natural sand in construction
  3. Reducing sand extraction impacts with existing standards and best practices.
Space Awareness
Japan's first private rocket ‘Momo-3' launched
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Momo -3 ) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of space)

What's the NEWS
  • Interstellar Technologies (IST) have become Japan's first private company who launched its own rocket momo-3 into space.
  • Interstellar Technologies launched Momo-3 rocket from Hokkaido space centre.
  • Objective of this test is to bring cost at minimum level, plus, lesser use of fuel.
  • After Momo-3 launched it was found that engines burned its liquid fuel for two minutes and reached at height of 113.4 kilometres.
Know! the key highlights of the launch
  • Total flight duration was 515 seconds while reached at height of 113.4 kilometres.
  • Interstellar Technologies is coming with ZERO rocket with objective of providing affordable, flexible access to space.
  • ZERO will carry 100 kilograms of payload to an altitude of 500 kilometres.
  • Interstellar Technologies revealed in a press release that Momo series rockets are development and experimental rockets their eventual goal is to prepare ZERO rocket.
Know! about Interstellar Technologies
  • It is a Japanese Space company; making a low cost launching vehicle named Momo. Interstellar Technologies first tried to launch private launch vehicle Momo-1 in year 2017 but failed.
  • Second attempt was made in year 2018 with Momo-2 but it was crashed just four seconds after its launch.
  • This company is planning to build a full scale rocket that can launch small satellites into orbit by 2020
Social Services
NIOS, NHMPH sign pact to provide quality training to multipurpose health workers
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the objective of the MoU ) + GS II issues relating to development and management of social services like health care)
What's the NEWS
  • The National Institute of Open Schooling under the Ministry of Human Resources Development signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maharashtra state government's National Health Mission of Public Health Department.
Know! the Objective
  • The agreement aims to provide vocational programmes to the health service providers of the providers of the National Health Mission (NHM) through National Institute of Open Schooling.
  • The key objective is to impart uniform structured and quality training to multipurpose health workers class lll, male health workers and community health workers followed by their assessment, evaluation and certification.
  • The MoU will also enable certification of Secondary, Senior Secondary Vocational Education and Community Health Workers for ASHAs.
Know! about National Institute of Open Schooling
  • The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) was established in November 1989 as an autonomous organisation by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.
  • The institute provides a number of vocational, life enrichment and community oriented courses besides general and academic courses at the secondary and senior secondary level. It also offers Elementary level Courses through its Open Basic Education Programmes (OBE).
  • The key aim of the institute is to enable sustainable inclusive learning with universal and flexible access to quality school education and skill development.
Miscellaneous Events
Global Road Safety Week 2019 
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the road safety week and its key findings)

What's the NEWS
  • Fifth global road safety week is being celebrated between May 06 to 12, 2019.
  • Theme for this year is -"Leadership for road safety".
Know! more about the report and key findings about road accidents
  • World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a report during road safety week.
  • This report highlights that road accidents are the major concern for death among people age group between 5 to 29 years.
  • Report also indicates that 1.35 million people die each year due to road accidents worldwide.
  • Motorcycle riders and passengers account for 28% while pedestrians and cyclists account for 26% of total road accident deaths.
  • Low income countries have more risk of a road accident death than high income countries.
  • Africa (26.6 per 1,00,000 population) has highest death rate while Europe has lowest (9.3 per 100 000 population) death rate. In India road crashes kill about 1,50,000 people each year.
  • United Nation believes that global goals can be achieved only if precious life is safe. To make it sure, UN has launched action through the ongoing campaign: Save Lives #SpeakUp.
  • The #SpeakUp campaign runs on the philosophy of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
  • Many countries started adopting the first global Decade of Action on May 10, 2011.
  • This project seeks to mitigate number of road accident deaths and injuries as reports indicating that 1.9 million people will be affected by 2020.
  • The Global Plan for the Decade of Action outlines steps towards improving road safety within 5 pillars of activity: road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response.
Prelims Practise Questions
Consider the following statements about NIOS
1. The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) was established in November 1989 as an attached body of the Human Resource Development Ministry
2. The key aim of the institute is to enable sustainable inclusive learning with universal and flexible access to quality school and higher education and skill development.
Find the correct statement from the options given below
a. 1 only 
b. 2 only
c. Both
d. None 

Consider the following statements about road accidents
1. The first ever Fifth road safety week is being celebrated between May 06 to 12, 2019 with the theme of -"Leadership for road safety". 
2. United Nation Development Program has released a report during road safety week. 
3. This report highlights that road accidents are the major concern for death among people age group between 5 to 29 years.
4. Low income countries have more risk of a road accident death than high income countries.
Find the correct statements from the options given below 
a. 3 and 4
b. 2 and 4
c. 1 2 and 4
d. All 

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