Relevance IN - Prelims (about first all-electric experimental aircraft, the X-57 "Maxwell) + Mains (GS III Science and Technology)
What's the NEWS

• NASA, most prominent for its many Florida-launched exploits into space, showcased an early version of its first all-electric experimental aircraft, the X-57 "Maxwell," at its lesser-known aeronautics lab in the California desert.

Know! more about the electric plane

• Adapted from a Italian-made Tecnam P2006T twin-engine propeller plane, the X-57 has been under development since 2015 and remains at least a year away from its first test flight in the skies over Edward Air Force Base.
• But after attaching the two largest of 14 electric motors that will ultimately propel the plane - powered by specially designed lithium ion batteries - NASA deemed the Maxwell ready for its first public preview.
• NASA also showed off a newly built simulator that allows engineers, and pilots, to get the feel of what it will be like to manoeuvre the finished version of the X-57 in flight, even as the plane remains under development.
• The Maxwell will be the agency's first crewed X-plane to be developed in two decades.

Current challenges and future modifications

• The final modification, or Mod IV, of the aircraft will feature narrower, lighter-weight wings fitted with a total of 14 electric engines - six smaller "lift" props along the leading edge of each wing, plus two larger "cruise" props at the tip of each wing.
• The lift propellers will be activated for take-off and landings, but retract during the flight's cruise phase.
• Because electric motor systems are more compact with fewer moving parts than internal-combustion engines, they are simpler to maintain and weigh much less, requiring less energy to fly. They also are quieter that conventional engines.
• One challenge is improving battery technology to store more energy to extend the plane's range, with faster re-charging.
• Due to current battery limitations, the Maxwell's design is envisioned for use in short-haul flights as an air-taxi or commuter plane for a small number of passengers.

Infrastructure Development
Gujarat government gives nod for world's first CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar
Relevance IN - Prelims (about world's first CNG port terminal) + Mains (GS III infrastructure development)
What's the NEWS

• Gujarat Government has given its nod to the world's first CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar.
• The U.K. based Foresight group and Mumbai based Padmanabh Mafatlal group joint venture will invest Rs.1900 crore to set up a CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar port.
• Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board- GIDB under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has also approved this proposal.

Know! more about the port

• The proposed CNG port terminal will have annual capacity of 6 million matric tone, which will increased the total handling capacity of the port to 9 million matric tones.
• Memorandum of Understanding- MoU for this project between Gujarat government arm Gujarat Maritime Board(GMB) and London based Foresight Group was signed during the 2019 Vibrant Gujarat summit.
• The new facility will be developed in the Northern side of present port, under which RoRo terminal, liquid terminal and container terminal will be developed in future.
• The consortium has proposed an investment of Rs.1,900 crore in two phases with Rs 1,300 crore in the first phase and Rs 600 crore in the second phase through the 'Swiss challenge' method.
• The GMB manages the existing port at Bhavnagar, having a capacity to handle three MMTPA cargo, and the new terminals would take the overall capacity to nine MMTPA
• To develop CNG and other terminals on the north side of the existing port would require major modifications in the existing infrastructure, including dredging in water channel of port basin, construction of two lock gates and off-shore infrastructure for CNG transportation

Environment Conservation
J&K govt sets up panel to declare Dal Lake as ESZ

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Dal lake and ESZ) + Mains (GS III environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• The Jammu and Kashmir government has set up a ten-member committee to declare Srinagar's famous Dal Lake and its surrounding areas as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), following concerns over its shrinking size.

What's the present status of Dal lake

• Pollution and encroachments have resulted in the Dal Lake shrinking from its original area of 22 square kilometres to about 10 square kilometres, according to an assessment by the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) in 2017.
• The DCI also found that the world-famous lake's capacity has shrunk to about 40 per cent and that its water quality has deteriorated.
• The DCI assessment also found that intense pollution by untreated sewage and solid wastes that flow into the lake, encroachments of water channels and clogging has diminished the circulation and inflows into the lake, leading to extensive growth of the weed water hyacinth which has emerged as a health hazard.
• Further, it established that the depth of the lake has reduced at many places due to siltation and encroachment, and that continuing night soil discharge from the 800 to 900 houseboats causes extreme pollution in the water body.

Know! about the committee

• The committee shall finalize the draft notification within a period of one month,
• The committee comprises of Chief Conservator for Forests, Director of the Tourism Department, Vice-Chairman of the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, Director of Industries Department, Commissioner of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Kashmir's Regional Wildlife Warden, Regional Director of the State Pollution Control Board, Director of the Agriculture Department, the Chief Town Planner and a representative of the Law Department

Know! about ESZ

• Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India around Protected Areas , National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of "shock absorbers" to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
• They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.

Know! about DCI

• Dredging Corporation of India Limited, or DCI, is unit engaged in the business of dredging does dredging for Indian seaports exclusively.
• It occasionally dredges at foreign seaports in countries such as Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Dubai.
• It is mainly involved in maintenance dredging. Almost all the maintenance dredging in Indian seaports is carried out by DCI due to government regulations.
• DCI is also involved in capital dredging, beach nourishment, and land reclamation.
• The main seaports in which DCI does business are Visakhapatnam Port, Haldia, Kandla, Cochin Port and Ennore Port.
• DCI is headquartered at Visakhapatnam and has project offices at many seaports in India. It reports to the Ministry of Shipping.
• Lat year the Union Cabinet approved the sale of the central government's 73.47 per cent stake in DCI to a consortium of four cash-rich major port trusts - Visakhapatnam Port Trust, Paradip Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Kandla Port Trust.

Know! about Dal lake

• Dal is a lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The urban lake, which is the second largest in the union territory, is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the " Lake of Flowers, Jewel in the crown of Kashmir or Srinagar's Jewel
• The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.

Foreign Policies
PM Modi proposes Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Indo - Pacific Oceans initiative) + Mains ( GS II bilateral regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interest
What's the NEWS

• PM Narendra Modi outlined global challenges facing the world today including rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region and highlighted the need for working together to find out common solutions.

Know! the objective of this initiative

• The PM proposed an "Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative" for safe, secure and stable maritime domain.
• The Focus areas include creating partnerships among interested states in Enhancing maritime security; Sustainably using marine resources; Disaster prevention & management.
• India will organize a Indo-Pacific Conclave in Chennai early next year to further boost this initiative
• Japan, Australia and Thailand support the initiative already. And many more ASEAN countries are expected to express their support to the initiative in the near future.
• The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative is considered by the experts as an incremental step to the Shangri la dialogue.
• This initiative will ensure the confidence to minor players of ASEAN that their role in the region will not be diluted and will ensure freedom of navigation, freedom of overflights and the disputed are resolved as per international conventions

Some outcomes of East Asia Summit

• East Asia Summit is a leaders-led platform, where discussions are held on various developments in the region. The agenda for this edition of the summit was to review the future direction of East Asia Summit co-operation and exchange views on regional and international issues.
• The Prime minister said that he eagerly looked forward to welcoming the Japanese prime minister in India next month for the annual India-Japan summit. The maiden India-Japan 2+2 (Foreign + Defence) Minister Dialogue will be held in Delhi later this month.
• Senior officials from India-Japan-USA-Australia (popularly known as Quad) met in Bangkok for consultations on regional and global issues of common interest.
  
  

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