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Daily Current Capsules - 30th May 2019

International Affairs
Eyeing commercial operations in Arctic, Russia launches first of three nuclear icebreakers
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the nuclear powered icebreaker, about northern sea route and about arctic region)

What's the NEWS
  • Russia has launched a nuclear-powered icebreaker, part of an ambitious program to renew and expand its fleet of the vessels in order to improve its ability to tap the Arctic's commercial potential.
Know! more about Ural ship and Russia's ambitions in Arctic region
  • The ship, dubbed the Ural and which was floated out from a dockyard in St. Petersburg, is one of a trio that, when completed, will be the largest and most powerful icebreakers in the world.
  • Russia is building new infrastructure and overhauling its ports as, amid warmer climate cycles, it readies for more traffic via what it calls the Northern Sea Route (NSR) which it envisages being navigable year-round.
  • The Ural is due to be handed over to Russia's state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom in 2022 after the two other icebreakers in the same series, Arktika (Arctic) and Sibir (Siberia), enter service.
  • The Ural together with its sisters are central strategic project of opening the NSR to all-year activity
  • By 2035, Putin said Russia's Arctic fleet would operate at least 13 heavy-duty icebreakers, nine of which will be powered by nuclear reactors.
  • The Arctic holds oil and gas reserves equivalent to 412 billion barrels of oil, about 22 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and gas, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates.
  • Moscow hopes the route which runs from Murmansk to the Bering Strait near Alaska could take off as it cuts sea transport times from Asia to Europe.
  • Designed to be crewed by 75 people, the Ural will be able to slice through ice up to around 3 meters thick.
Know! the Importance of Northern Sea Route (NSR)
  • According to a U.S. Geological Survey estimates, the Arctic region has about 22% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas and it probably holds oil and gas reserves equivalent to 412 billion barrels of oil.
  • The NSR runs from Murmansk to the Bering Strait near Alaska. Russia hopes that this NSR could take off as it cuts sea transport times from Asia to Europe.
Space Awareness
SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites, begins constellation buildout
Relevance IN - Prelims (about starlink constellation for internet ) + Mains ( GS III space awareness)
What's the NEWS
  • SpaceX launched the first 60 satellites for an internet constellation that could ultimately number 12,000 on a Falcon 9 rocket
  • SpaceX launched a rocket carrying the first 60 satellites of its ‘Starlink' constellation, from Cape Canaveral, Florida in US.
  • The rocket took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida and deployed the satellites into a low Earth orbit a little over an hour later.
  • The SpaceX's new array of Starlink communication satellites is intended to provide Internet from space
Know! more about the launch
  • The launch was conducted by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets which began to release the satellites at an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometers).
  • The satellites later separated and used their thrusters to take up their positions in a relatively low orbit of 340 miles (550 kilometers).
  • The satellite orbit is slightly higher than International Space Station (ISS), but below the majority of terrestrial satellites placed. The highest of terrestrial satellites sit in a geostationary orbit of 22,400 miles (36,000 kilometers).
  • Starlink's constellation will become operational once over 800 satellites will be activated, which will require at least 12 launches carrying similar payloads.
  • The 60 launched satellites are among the first of a planned 12,000-satellite mega constellation with aim to provide high-speed internet service from space to customers around the globe.
National Affairs
Orchha Town of Madhya Pradesh added to Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Orchha town and about UNESCO World heritage site)
What's the NEWS
  • The Orchha town of Madhya Pradesh has been included in tentative list of the World Heritage Sites of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
  • The move came after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sent a proposal in this regard to the UNESCO.
Know! more about Orchha Town
  • Situated on the banks of the river Betwa, Orchha is located in Niwari district of Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.
  • The town is celebrated for its rich and ancient architecture of Chaturbhuj Temple, Orchha Fort Complex, and Raja Mahal among others.
  • It is famous for its two elevated minarets - Saavan and Bhadon; and four palaces - Jahangir Palace, Rai Praveen Mahal, Raja Mahal, and Sheesh Mahal.
  • Built by Bundela dynasty's King Rudra Pratap Singh in the 16th century, the Orchha town boasts of Bundela architecture as well as Mughal influence due to the closeness of both the dynasties.
  • Veer Singh Dev, King of Bundela dynasty, was a close friend of Mughal emperor Jahangir. King Dev also fought wars as Mughal emperor Akbar's aid.
Know! the Criteria for inclusion in List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Any heritage or any historical site has to be first on the tentative list to be a part of UNESCO's World Heritage sites. Once it makes it to the tentative list, then the proposal is sent to the UNESCO for inclusion in the final List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, only if the site:
  • Represents a masterpiece of human creative genius
  • Exhibits an important interchange of human values over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world and depicts developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts or town-planning
  • Considered as an exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilisation which is living or has disappeared
  • An archetype of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape that depicts significant stages in human history
  • Showcases traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use, which represents cultural or human interaction with the environment
  • Associates with events, living traditions, ideas, beliefs, and artistic & literary works of outstanding universal significance
  • Contains areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance
  • Represents stages of earth's history - record of life, on-going geological processes, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features
  • Represents on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals
  • Contains significant natural habitats for conservation of biological diversity, including threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation
  • UNESCO's World Heritage Site list
  • A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO for its special cultural or physical significance. The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the international ‘World Heritage Programme', administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is composed of 21 UNESCO member states, elected by the General Assembly.
World Heritage Sites in India
  • The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are important places of cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.
  • There are 37 World Heritage Sites located in India. These include 29 cultural sites, seven natural sites and one mixed site. India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world. Recently, Orchha is enlisted in the tentative list of UNESCO.
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