Connect to Current -Daily Current Capsules - 02nd April 2019

Space Awareness
ISRO's PSLV-C45 places EMISAT, 28 foreign satellites in orbits

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about PSLV -C45 and EMISAT) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of space)

What's the NEWS

• The Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday placed Defence Research Development Organisation-developed electronic intelligence satellite EMISAT and 28 foreign satellites in orbits.

• EMISAT, weighing 436kg, is meant for helping the military locate hostile radars.

• PSLV-C45 - carrying EMISAT, 28 foreign satellites and three scientific instruments - lifted off from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. PSLV placed Emisat in an orbit in a 748 km altitude

• PSLV-C45 successfully injected EMISAT in a 748-km orbit and 28 other satellites in a 504-km orbit as sought by the customers

What's so unique about this launch

• The launch vehicle's fourth and final stage - PS4 - restarted and shut down twice, as the rocket manoeuvred to a 504km orbit.

• A new fourth variant of the launcher, called the QL, was used in this mission. Its first stage was fitted (or 'strapped on') with two additional rockets.

• PS4 heads to the third and final orbit plunging from a 508km elliptical orbit to a 485km circular orbit after the thrusters of the stage were restarted and shut down twice.

• Around two hours after the mission started, the PS4 placed 28 foreign satellites - belonging to the US, Lithuania, Spain and Switzerland - in their orbits.

Know! more about the launch

• It was the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle's 47th flight and was one of the longest missions of the launch vehicle around the Earth, lasting nearly three hours.

• The previous longest mission was that of PSLV-C40 in January 2018 which lasted two hours and 21 minutes.

• The launch has many ‘firsts' to its credit - PSLV used a new variant with four strap-on boosters with each carrying 12.2 tonne of propellent for lift-off, and the rocket moved to three different orbits with the PS4 being restarted four times.

• The four-stage rocket's final and fourth stage will stay alive for the next six months along with three scientific instruments that will collect data and relay them to the ground station.

 

 

• ISRO used a multiple-burn technology where the engine shut down and restarted multiple times within a short period of time allowing the rocket to course to the next orbit with the payloads.

• ISRO has already demonstrated multiple burn technology in at least four previous PSLV launches -- PSLV C-35 in September 2016, PSLV-C34 in June 2016 and PSLV-C29 in December 2015 and PSLV-C40 in January 2018.

Know! more about the fourth stage

• The fourth stage has three scientific instruments made by three laboratories for three different applications -- an automatic identification system (AIS) developed by ISRO for maritime applications, an automatic packet repeating system (APRS) developed by AMSAT or Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, India, to assist amateur radio operators and an Advanced Retarding Potential Analyser for Ionospheric Studies (ARIS) made by the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) for atmospheric studies.

• The PS4 stage will remain as an orbital platform, circling the Earth, for the instruments to collect data and relay them to the ground station for the next six months.

• This is the second time that ISRO is converting PS4 as a satellite-like orbital platform. On January 24, PSLV-C44 carried a student satellite in its PS4 which was alive for several hours - powered by batteries - helping the payload conduct microgravity tests.

Economic Developments
Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank to become Bank of Baroda from Apr 1

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the merger ) + Mains ( GS III economic developments)

What's the NEWS

• In a first three-way amalgamation, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will merge with Bank of Baroda (BoB) from April 1 to create the third-largest lender of the country.

• As a result, branches of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will function as BoB outlets from Monday onwards.

• Customers including depositors of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will be treated as customers of Bank of Baroda with effect from April 1, 2019.

• To make merger a smooth affair, the government last week decided to infuse Rs 5,042 crore in BoB to enhance its capital base to meet additional expense.

• According to the Scheme of Amalgamation, shareholders of Vijaya Bank will get 402 equity shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares held. In the case of Dena Bank, its shareholders will get 110 shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares.

Know! more about the consolidation of banks

• The government in September last year announced the first-ever three-way consolidation of banks in India, with a combined business of Rs 14.82 lakh crore, making it the third-largest bank after State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank.

• The announcement of the three-way merger was among several reforms initiatives undertaken by Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar to make public sector banks (PSBs) healthy, robust and globally competitive.

• As part of the reform process, the government had also announced transfer of majority 51 per cent stake to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) in IDBI Bank in August last year to transform the Mumbai-based lender.

• Besides, the Department of Financial Services made a record capital infusion of Rs 1.06 lakh crore in the PSBs in the current fiscal.

• As a result five public sector banks including Bank of India, Corporation Bank and Allahabad Bank were out of the prompt corrective action framework of the RBI earlier this year.

• Non-performing assets (NPAs) have shown negative trend in 2018-19 and have reduced by Rs 23,860 crore between April-September 2018.

 

India imposes anti-dumping duty on import of solar cell component
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about anti dumping duty) + Mains ( GS III economic developments)

What's the NEWS
• India has levied anti-dumping duty worth up to USD 1,559 per tonne on imports of a certain type of sheet used in solar cell making from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand for five years to safeguard domestic players against cheap shipments.

• The information was shared by the Department of Revenue through a notification. The anti-dumping duty has been imposed after considering the recommendations of the commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).

Know! about anti-dumping duty

• Nations across the world carry out anti-dumping probes to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.

• Following which, anti-dumping duties are imposed as a counter measure to safeguard their domestic market under the multilateral regime of WTO.

• Hence, the anti-dumping duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers with regard to foreign producers and exporters.

• The duty, which is in the range of USD 537 to USD 1,559 per tonne, will be imposed on the imports of "Ethylene Vinyl Acetate sheet for solar module" from the select four nations.

• It shall be effective for a period of five years unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier.

• The Directorate General of Trade Remedies had initiated the probe in April 2018 following a complaint by a domestic company.

• In its probe, the directorate had concluded that imposition of the duty is required to offset dumping and injury caused by dumped imports from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.

• The product is a polymer based component used in the manufacturing of solar PV (Photo Voltaic) modules.

Know! about India's Solar mission
• The imports of components used in solar industry have increased as India launched an ambitious national solar policy named Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in January 2010.

• Under this, the country has a target of generating 20,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power by 2022.

• Several countries are interested in supplying solar equipment to tap into the growing sector in India.

Environment Conservation
Earth Hour Day 2019: Switch Off The Lights And Join Millions To "Connect To Earth"
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Earth Hour Day)

What's the NEWS
• Earth Hour 2019 India: Earth Hour is an opportunity to focus on long-term changes that everyone can make to do their part for the planet.

• Earth Hour 2019 was witnessed on March 30 by turning off lights at 8:30 pm local time for an hour as a call for global action on climate change.

• The theme of Earth Hour 2019 is #Connect2Earth.

Know! more about Earth Hour
• Earth Hour is a global movement that encourages people to conserve power.
• People are encouraged to switch off the lights for half an hour from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM on Saturday, their local time.
• Famous monuments across the world will also observe Earth Hour by switching off the lights.
• Keeping in mind environment and climate change, people are encouraged to switch off unnecessary lights and appliances like fridges, freezers, hot water cylinders, lights, and dryers to conserve energy. Earth Hour is also an opportunity to focus on long-term changes that everyone can make to do their part for the planet.

Origin of Earth Hour:
• Earth Hour was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. Since then, it has grown to engage more than 7,000 cities and towns across 187 countries and territories to raise awareness for energy consumption and effects on the environment.

• World Wide Fund for Nature has partnered with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to create connect2earth movement.

Prelims Practise Question

Consider the following statements

1. PSLV-C45 successfully injected EMISAT in a 748-km orbit and 28 other satellites in a 504-km orbit

2. The launch vehicle's fourth and final stage - PS4 - restarted and shut down twice, as the rocket manoeuvred to a 504km orbit.

3. A new fourth variant of the launcher, called the QL, was used in this mission. Its first stage was fitted (or 'strapped on') with two additional rockets.

4. ISRO used for the first time a multiple-burn technology where the engine shut down and restarted multiple times within a short period of time allowing the rocket to course to the next orbit with the payloads.

Find the correct statement from the option given below

a. 1,2 and 3
b. 2 and 4
c. 1 3 and 4
d. All

Consider the following statements

1. Last year the government had also announced transfer of majority 51 per cent stake to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) in IDBI Bank

2. The Department of Financial Services made a record capital infusion of Rs 1.06 lakh crore in the PSBs in the current fiscal.

3. As of now five public sector banks including Bank of India, Corporation Bank and Allahabad Bank were out of the prompt corrective action framework of the RBI.

4. Non-performing assets (NPAs) have shown negative trend in 2018-19 and have reduced by Rs 23,860 crore between April-September 2018.

Find the correct statement from the option given below
a. 1 and 3
b. 2 and 4
c. 1 2 and 3
d. All

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