Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Cyclone Nisarga + about the naming of cyclone + colour coded weather warning +Mains GS I (Important Geophysical phenomena )
What's the NEWS

• A low pressure is currently over east-central Arabian Sea and the Lakshadweep Islands.
• It is likely to intensify into a depression in the next 12 hours and a cyclonic circulation in the next 24 hours
• A low pressure area is the first stage of any cyclone.
• It is likely to cross north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts between Harihareshwar town in Maharashtra''s Raigad district and Daman as a severe cyclonic storm

Know! about Nisarga (named by Bangladesh)

• India is now bracing to face another cyclone (last week Cyclone Amphan caused widespread destruction in West Bengal and parts of Odisha) which is headed towards the coastline of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• ''Nisarga'', which is currently brewing in the Arabian Sea, means nature and was termed by India''s neighbouring country -- Bangladesh.
• The name was accorded in a list formulated by a group of countries.
• Bangladesh had also suggested ''Fani'', which had made a landfall in Odisha on May 3, 2019. The extremely severe cyclone had caused extensive damage.

Know! about the naming of Cyclone

• The naming of cyclones in the Indian Ocean began in 2000 and a formula was agreed in 2004.
• The next few cyclones will be named Gati (named by India), Nivar (Iran), Burevi (Maldives), Tauktae (Myanmar) and Yaas (Oman).
• Tropical cyclones are named to help the scientific community and disaster managers to identify cyclones, create awareness and effectively disseminate warnings to wider audiences.
• The World Meteorological Organisation and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific had, at its twenty-seventh Session held in 2000, agreed to assign names to the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
• Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand were part of the panel. Later in 2018 Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen were added to the list.
• Cyclones around the world are named by Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres.
• There are a total of six RSMCs and five TCWCs, including the India Meteorological Department.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has been mandated with the duty to name cyclones that develop over the North Indian ocean, including Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, by following a standard procedure.
• As suggested by the 13 countries, IMD released a list of cyclone names in April, 2020.
• The names like Arnab, Nisarga, Aag, Vyom, Azar, Prabhanjan, Tej, Gati, Lulu among 160 other names were listed.
• The new list included the last name from the previous list ''Amphan'' as it remained unused at the time of release.
• After ''Amphan'', ''Nisarga'' name was picked up for the ensuing cyclone.

The Indian Meteorological Department classifies Cyclones based on their wind speeds.

• When the wind speed is around 31-50 km/hr, it is called depression.
• When the wind speed is between 51-62 km/hr, it is called Deep Depression. Beyond these speeds, the depression becomes storm.

The wind speeds of different storms as follows

• Cyclonic Storm: 63-88 km/hr
• Severe Cyclonic Storm: 89-117 km/hr
• Very Severe Cyclonic Storm: 118-165 km/hr
• Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm: 166-220 km/hr
• Super cyclonic Storm: greater than 220 km/hr

Why Is The Bay of Bengal So Prone To Cyclones?

• Tropical cyclones-also called typhoons or hurricanes-are intense water-rotating systems formed by strong winds (of speeds at least 62 kilometres/hour) around low-pressure areas.
• They have a spiral, anticlockwise movement. Additional weather conditions like high sea surface temperature, vertical changes in wind speed inside the spiral, and high relative humidity help cyclones form and intensify.
• Since sea surface temperatures and humidity both directly correlate with chances of cyclone formation, the Bay of Bengal is a more likely target because it gets higher rainfall, and because the sluggish winds around it keep temperatures relatively high: about 28 degrees around the year.
• Warm air currents enhance this surface temperature and aid the formation of cyclones.
• In addition, the Bay receives higher rainfall and constant inflow of fresh water from the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
• This means that the Bay's surface water keeps getting refreshed, making it impossible for the warm water to mix with the cooler water below, making it ideal for a depression.
• On the other hand, the Arabian Sea receives stronger winds that help dissipate the heat, and the lack of constant fresh water supply helps the warm water mix with the cool water, reducing the temperature.

Mumbai's low risk from cyclones

• The reason for Mumbai's low risk lies in the weather dynamics of the Arabian Sea.
• When they do form, they tend to go west towards Oman and the Gulf of Aden.
• Some go north towards Gujarat, like 2017's Cyclone Vayu. Very rarely does a cyclone turn east towards Mumbai, like it happened in 2017 with Cyclone Ockhi. However, Ockhi, weakened into a storm by the time it made landfall, a not unusual phenomenon.
• Most cyclones that form in the Arabian Sea tend to head west towards Oman, as in 2019 when Cyclone Kyarr struck.
• This typical north/west trajectory springs from a few factors. Easterlies nudge the system away from the northwestern coast,
• A pre-monsoon formation of an area of high pressure, known as a subtropical ridge, along the western coast also creates a barrier. Cyclones tend to move along the ridges. Even when a strong cyclone forms, it can weaken as it approaches land

Colour Coded Weather Warnings

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red-colour coded warning to coastal Maharashtra and Gujarat for June 4 in view of a cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea.

Know! more about colour coded weather warning

• IMD issues weather warnings using colour codes.
• These warnings are mainly meant for administrators to keep ready and position their resources to handle situations arising out of weather related disastrous events.
• The following colour codes are used by IMD to provide inputs to disaster management authorities for management of severe weather events:
  
  

Four colour codes are issued to indicate various categories of alerts.
Green (All is well):

• No advisory is issued

Yellow (Be aware):

• Severely bad weather is possible over the next few days, plan ahead thinking about possible travel delays and disruption of day-to-day activities possible.
• It indicates the weather may change or worsen in the next few days.

Orange/Amber (Be prepared):

• There is an increased likelihood of extremely bad weather, which could potentially cause travel delays, road and rail closures, and interruption of power supply.
• There could be risk to life and property.
• Amber means people need to be prepared to change plans and protect themselves, their family and community from the impacts of the severe weather based on the forecast from the Met Office.

Red (Take action):

• Extremely bad weather is expected. People need to take action to keep themselves and others safe.
• Widespread damage, travel and power disruption and risk to life are likely.
• People must avoid dangerous areas and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.

Know! about India Meteorological Department (IMD)

• IMD was established in 1875. It is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
• It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.

Infrastructure Development

PM SVANIDHI scheme
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about PM SVANIDHI - Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's Atmanirbhar Nidhi + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What's the NEWS

• To provide affordable loan to street vendors, the Union Government today launched PM SVANIDHI - Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's Atmanirbhar Nidhi - a special micro-credit facility scheme.

Know! more about the Scheme

• The scheme is aimed at enabling the street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to COVID-19 lockdown.
• Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched the scheme in pursuance of the announcement made by Finance Minister last month.
• The scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh street vendors, who had been vending on or before March 24, 2020, in urban areas.
• The duration of the scheme is until March 2022.
• The street vendors belonging to the surrounding peri-urban or rural areas are being included as beneficiaries under the urban livelihoods programme for the first time.
• The vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year.
• On timely and early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy at the rate of seven per cent per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on six monthly bases.
• Urban Local Bodies will play a pivotal role in the implementation of the scheme.
• The lending institutions under the Scheme include Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Small Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, NBFCs, Micro Finance institutions and Self Help Group banks.
• In order to ensure fast implementation of the scheme with transparency, a digital platform with a web portal and mobile app is being developed to administer the scheme with an end-to-end solution.

Science & Technology
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP)

Relevance IN -Prelims( about the formulation of national Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP 2020) + about PSA + PM-STIAC + Mains( GS III - developments in the field of Science & Technology)
What's the NEWS

• The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (Office of PSA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) have jointly initiated a decentralized, bottom-up, and inclusive process for the formulation of a new national Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP 2020).
• The government is working on a new National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, to replace the existing policy framed in 2013, which will be forward-looking and have both a vision document as well as an action plan on the fundamental research required in crucial areas such as space, health, atomic physics and bio-technology

Challenges - Private investment in India in R&D

• The private investment in India in R&D was still very low and a suitable environment needed to be created to induce entities to invest.
• Restoring the 200 per cent income tax deduction for in-house R&D spend, which was reduced to 150 per cent from April 1 2017, could be one way to encourage investment in the area. T
• Of the total R&D investments made in the country, 70 per cent is made directly by the government while 30 per cent of the investment comes from the industry.
• As much as 90 per cent of the industry investment is also made by the public sector units with private sector accounting for just 10 per cent (of 30 per cent)

Know! about Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA)

• The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) is the chief advisor to the government on matters related to scientific policy.
• It is currently a Secretary level position created in 1999 by the AB Vajpayee government.
• At the time, the position was a Cabinet rank position, with the first PSA being APJ Abdul Kalam.
• The 'Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser', through the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) helps scientific cross-sectoral synergy across ministries, institutions and the industry.
• The vision of PSA is to facilitate, enable and empower all spheres of science, technology and innovation towards effective execution of programmes meant for the enhancement of the society and betterment for the economy.
• To translate the vision of into strategy and action, the Prime Minister has constituted the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM's STIAC). The PSA is Chair of the PM's STIAC.

PM-STIAC

• The PM-STIAC is an overarching Council that facilitates the PSA's Office to assess the status in specific science and technology domains, comprehend challenges in hand, formulate specific interventions, develop a futuristic roadmap and advise the Prime Minister accordingly.

Agriculture
Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) campaign launched for 1.5 crore dairy farmers

Relevance IN - Prelims(about the features of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) + Mains ( GS III e-technology in the aid of farmers + inclusive growth + GS II Government policies and interventions

What's the NEWS

• The Government will provide Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to 1.5 crore dairy farmers belonging to Milk Unions and Milk producing Companies within the next two months (1st June-31st July 2020) under a special drive.
• Under the dairy cooperative movement, approximately 1.7 crore farmers are associated with 230 Milk Unions in the country.
• Finance Minister on 15 May 2020 has announced to cover 2.5 crore new farmers under the KCC scheme.
• This will provide an additional liquidity of Rs.5 lakh crore in the hands of farmers, who are suffering from the recent downturn of economy.

The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme

• It is a credit scheme introduced in August 1998 by Indian banks. This model scheme was prepared by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on the recommendations of R.V.GUPTA committee to provide term loans for agricultural needs.
• Owner cultivators, tenant and small farmers, marginal farmers, Self Help Groups (SHGs) or Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) can avail loans to meet their agricultural needs under this scheme at attractive rates of interest.
• Regional Rural Banks, Cooperative Banks and Public Sector Commercial Banks have implemented the Kisan Credit Card scheme in India.
• Its primary objective is to provide easily attainable short term loans to farmers.

The basic features associated with the card are mentioned below:

• Credit to meet the financial requirements of agricultural and other allied activities.
• Ancillary credit for crop production and other contingencies.
• Investment credit for agricultural requirements such as dairy animals, pump sets etc.
• Produce marketing loans.
• Post-harvest expenses.
• Insurance coverage for Kisan Credit Card holders, including asset insurance and personal accident insurance scheme (PAIS).

KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL IAS