November 2024

Download PDF
Daily Current Capsules - 07th May 2020

Space Awareness
Russia to launch first Arktika-M satellite for monitoring Arctic climate

Relevance IN - Prelims(about Arktika -M satellite) + Mains(GS III awareness in the field of space)
What's the NEWS
  • Russia will launch its first Arktika-M satellite for monitoring the Arctic climate and environment at the end of the year,
Know! about Arktika-M satellite (objective + benefits)
  • As of now, the number one Arktika-M spacecraft has been developed and is undergoing radio-electronic testing and the second Arktika-M satellite is still under development and will be launched in 2023.
  • The first Arktika-M satellite from the Baikonur space center will be launched using a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the Fregat booster.
  • Russia`s Arktika-M remote-sensing and emergency communications satellites will gather meteorological data in the polar regions of the Earth, which will allow to improve weather forecasts and will enable scientists to better study climate change.
Prelims Factoids
GARUD portal

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about GARUD portal )
What's the NEWS
  • The Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) launched GARUD portal for fast-track approval to COVID-19-related drone operations.
Know! more about GARUD
  • The objective of the GARUD (Government Authorisation for Relief Using Drones) portal is to assist state-owned entities in seeking exemption from central government for coronavirus related drone operations.
  • This will also help in addressing the challenges posed by COVID-19 and will remain in force until further orders.
  • The portal has been operationalised collectively by the MoCA, DGCA, AAI and NIC
Corona-Killer
  • Garuda Aerospace, a drone start-up from Chennai, manufactured drone to spray disinfectants and sanitise public spaces to contain spread of COVID-19.
  • Named as 'Corona-Killer', these drones can be used to spray disinfectants on buildings up to 450 feet.
  • Drone operations are faster, longer and safer than manual spraying by workers who can become potential carriers of COVID-19.
Environment Conservation
Namdapha Tiger Reserve

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Namdapha Tiger Reserve + about NBWL + river Noadihing + Lisu community) + Mains ( GS III Environment conservation)
What's the NEWS
  • The National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) recommended for a realigned road through Namdapha Tiger Reserve
  • The Standing Committee of the NBWL in its 57th meeting discussed the proposal for approving the realignment at two stretches of the Road.
Know! the reason behind this (benefits of having a road)
  • It is seen as a necessary evil to connect a strategic settlement on the border with Myanmar.
  • The road could help save the banks of the river Noadihing used as a shortcut by locals and porters to move through the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The road could improve patrolling in the reserve, 90% of which is inaccessible and thus not monitored
  • The proposed realignment will also reduce the length of the road by 11.88 km to 88.62 km, and increase the area under protection by 7.616 hectares.
  • The entire stretch of the proposed road should have wildlife crossing structures every 4-5 km, and underpass for elephant corridors every 10 km.
Know! about the road
  • The foundation stone for a two-lane road was laid in 2013 following a proposal by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
  • The total length of the road is 156 km with 100.5 km passing through the reserve.
  • The project did not progress as ecologists flagged the road as a bad idea for Namdapha, which is a meeting point of Himalayan, Indo-Burmese and Indo-Chinese flora and fauna.
Know! about the Lisu community
  • The proposed alignment will provide the opportunity for creating anti-poaching camp and watchtower facilities nearby the habitations of Lisu community residing in the reserve so that necessary check can be kept on poaching till the relocation of this community outside
  • A majority of the Lisu people, called Yobin in India, live in Myanmar. They have traditionally survived on hunting.
Namdapha Tiger Reserve
  • The Namdapha Tiger Reserve was declared in 1983 as the 15th Tiger Project of the country with a core area of 1808 sqkm and a buffer area of 177 sqkm.
  • Namdapha is in fact the name of a river which originates from Daphabum (Dapha is the name of hill, Bum means peak of hill) and meets Noa-Dehing river.
  • This river flows right across in a North-South direction of the National Park and hence the name Namdapha has been given.
  • The Namdapha Protected area is located in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Know! about Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA) and its provisions
  • Under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA), the NBWL can constitute a Standing Committee, but the board has to meet at least twice a year. But the board hasn't met even once since 2014
  • The NBWL is chaired by the Prime Minister according to the WLPA.
  • The NBWL which is a statutory policy level body has 47 members including the chairperson. Among these, 19 members are ex-officio members.
  • Every new government constitutes a new board, based on the provisions of the WLPA, with the new PM as the chair.
  • The Standing Committee's function is to regulate land diversion within Protected Areas and Eco Sensitive Zones, making it a purely project clearance body.
  • The NBWL, on the other hand, has the power to deal with policy-level decisions on wildlife.
Know! about the Standing Committee of NBWL
  • While the NBWL had not met, policy level decisions were being taken by the Standing Committee
  • While the members of the Standing Committee are also part of the NBWL, the committee is a much smaller body in terms of membership.
Prelims Factoids
AarogyaSetu Mitr
Relevance IN - Prelims (about AarogyaSetu Mitr)
What's the NEWS
  • Aarogya Setu and now there's AarogyaSetu Mitr. - The two are different and not related to one another at all.
Know! all about Aarogya Setu Mitr
  • The AarogyaSetu Mitr is a new initiative initiated carried out by the offices of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the PM, NITI Aayog, various other organisations, industry coalitions, and startups.
  • Under this initiative, the government is providing the Indian citizens with key services like free teleconsultations, home collection of samples for diagnostics and medicine delivery. The idea is to bring doctors at your fingertips.
  • To use the AarogyaSetu Mitr service, people are required to first head to its official website (https://www.aarogyasetumitr.in/). The service provides citizens with three options: Consult Doctor, Home Lab Test and ePharmacy.
Prelims Factoids
African swine fever
Relevance IN - Prelims (about African swine fever)
What's the NEWS
  • In the first instance of African swine fever in India, the disease has killed around 2,500 pigs across 306 villages in Assam.
  • The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, has confirmed that it is African Swine Fever (ASF).
Know! about African swine fever
  • ASF is a highly contagious haemorrhagic viral disease of domestic and wild pigs.
  • It is responsible for serious economic and production losses, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
  • The ASF is caused by a large DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family, which also infects ticks of the genus Ornithodoros.
  • Although signs of ASF and classical swine fever (CSF) may be similar, the ASF virus is unrelated to the CSF virus.
  • Unlike swine flu that can spread from animals to humans, swine fever does not, and therefore is not a public health threat.
  • Currently, there is no approved vaccine for ASF.
  • The virus spreads through pig's meat, saliva, blood and tissue. So there will also be no transportation of pigs between districts
Prelims Factoids
Pulse oximeter
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Pulse oximeter)
What's the NEWS
  • Pulse oximetry is a test used to measure the oxygen level (oxygen saturation) of the blood.
  • The device, used to measure oxygen levels in the blood, is being recommended for the early detection of ‘Covid pneumonia'
Know! more about pulse oximeter
  • It is an easy, painless measure of how well oxygen is being sent to parts of your body furthest from your heart, such as the arms and legs."
  • The device is generally used to check the health of patients who have known conditions that affect blood oxygen levels, such as heart and lung conditions, and for those who show symptoms such as shortness of breath.
  • The device measures the saturation of oxygen in red blood cells, and can be attached to a person's fingers, toes, nose, feet, ears, or forehead. It can be reused or disposed of after use.
  • Based on the information from the blood oximeter, a healthcare provider can take a decision about whether a person needs extra oxygen.
  • A pulse oximeter can help identify a potentially deadly condition in Covid-19 patients called ‘Covid pneumonia'(most severe condition of COVID 19) sooner and more effectively, and thus help save more lives.
Silent' or ‘happy' hypoxia
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about silent hypoxia and how it can be detected using pulse oximeter)
What's the NEWS
  • Medical practitioners while treating people for Covid-19, have reported a condition called ‘silent' or ‘happy' hypoxia.
  • It is a condition in which patients have extremely low blood oxygen levels, yet do not show signs of breathlessness.
  • Its early detection is vital to avoid a fatal illness called Covid pneumonia.
Know! about hypoxia
  • Hypoxia is a condition wherein there is not enough oxygen available to the blood and body tissues.
  • Hypoxia can either be generalised, affecting the whole body, or local, affecting a region of the body.
Know! about silent hypoxia
  • A serious medical condition found in severe Covid-19 patients
  • It is a form of oxygen deprivation that is harder to detect than regular hypoxia.
  • In ‘silent' or ‘happy' hypoxia, patients appear to be less in distress.
  • Many Covid-19 patients, despite having oxygen levels below 80 per cent, look fairly at ease and alert
  • In many cases, Covid-19 patients with silent hypoxia did not exhibit symptoms such as shortness of breath or coughing until their oxygen fell to acutely low levels, at which point there was a risk of acute respiratory distress (ARDS) and organ failure.( that is the reason to detect the cases of silent hypoxia as early as possible by the help of pulse oximeter)
  • A medical device called a pulse oximeter- used to detect oxygen level in the blood- could help in the early detection of silent hypoxia.
KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL IAS