Science and Technology
India launched the 40^th scientific expedition to Antarctica.

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the 40th expedition highlights + about Indian Antarctic expeditions + about NCPOR) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of science and technology)
What's the NEWS

• This Indian expedition marks four decades of country's scientific endeavour to the southern white continent.
• The 40^th expedition journey will be flagged off from Goa on January 5, 2021, with 43 members onboard.
• The chartered ice-class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovnin will make this journey and will reach Antarctica in 30 days.
• After leaving behind a team of 40 members, it would return to India in April 2021. On return, it will also bring back the winter team of the preceding trip.

Indian Antarctic expeditions

• The Indian Antarctic expeditions began in 1981.
• After a humble beginning, the Indian Antarctic programme has now credited to have built three permanent research base stations in Antarctica-named Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri, and Bharati.
• As of today, India has two operational research stations in Antarctica named Maitri and Bharati.
• The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, manages the entire Indian Antarctic program.
• 40^th Indian Antarctic expedition
• The focus is to support the ongoing scientific projects on climate change, geology, ocean observations, electric and magnetic flux measurements, environmental monitoring; resupplying of food, fuel, provisions and spare; and accomplishing the return of the winter crew.
• India is committed to maintaining the continent of Antarctica free of COVID-19.
• The expedition will duly follow all protocols for the deployment of men and material as per Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs(COMNAP).

Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs(COMNAP).

• COMNAP is the international association, formed in 1988, which brings together its Members, who are the National Antarctic Programs.
• National Antarctic Programs are those organizations that have responsibility for delivering and supporting scientific research in the Antarctic Treaty Area on behalf of their respective governments and in the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty.
• COMNAP's purpose which can be found in its Constitution is to "develop and promote best practice in managing the support of scientific research in Antarctica"
• COMNAP consists of 30 National Antarctic Program Members including India

Know! about India's National Antarctic Program

• India began its National Antarctic Program under the aegis of Department of Ocean Development (DOD) of the Government of India in 1981.
• A Centre dedicated to Antarctic Expeditions, named as ‘Antarctic Study Centre (ASC)' was established at Goa in 1988.
• The ASC was subsequently upgraded into an autonomous institute ‘National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) under DOD (now known as Ministry of Earth Sciences).
• In August 2018, the Ministry of Earth Sciences changed the name of NCAOR to the National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOR).
• The main goals of the NCPR are to plan, promote and execute the entire gamut of polar sciences and logistic activities of the country in Antarctica, the Arctic and in the Southern Ocean.
• NCPOR is also responsible for construction on new research stations and maintenance of existing stations in Polar Regions.
• The year round station, Maitri was built in 1989 on the Schirmacher Oasis in Queen Maud Land.
• Previously, India operated the station Dakshin Gangotri from 1983 - 1989 which was abandoned after being buried in ice.
• India extended its Antarctic presence by building a new station in the Larsemann Hills region about 3,000 kilometers from Maitri.
• The new station is named Bharati and has been operational since 18th March 2012.
• NCPR also manages India's flagged Oceanographic Research Vessel Sagar Kanya.
• This vessel was commissioned in 1983 and has an endurance of approximately 45 days.
• It is a versatile ocean research platform equipped with advanced scientific equipment and related facilities for carrying out marine geological and geophysical surveys, meteorological, biological, physical and chemical oceanographic research in the deeper parts of the Indian Ocean region.

Dakshin Gangotri Station

Maitri Station

Bharati Station, officially opened on 18 March 2012

• The NCPR also charters different research vessels from local and international operators for its multifarious oceanographic research in coastal, tropical and Southern oceans.
• The activities of NCPOR in Polar Regions and other mandated spheres are fully met by the Grant-in-aid by the Government of India.

Infrastructure Development
Sagarmala Seaplane Services (SSPS)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about SSPS and its destination - location ) + Mains ( GS III infrastructure development + inclusive development)
What's the NEWS

• Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is initiating the process of commencing operations of the Seaplane services, on the select routes, under a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) framework through prospective airline operators.
• The project execution and implementation would be through Sagarmala Development Company Ltd (SDCL), which is under the administrative control of the Ministry.
• Several destinations are envisaged for seaplane operations.

The proposed Origin-Destination pairs under Hub and Spoke model include

• Islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep
• Guwahati Riverfront & Umranso Reservoir in Assam
• Yamuna Riverfront / Delhi (as Hub) to Ayodhaya, Tehri, Srinagar(Uttrakhand), Chandigarh and many other tourist places of Punjab & HP
• Mumbai (as Hub) to Shirdi, Lonavala, Ganpatipule
• Surat (as Hub) to Dwarka, Mandvi & Kandla
• Khindsi Dam, Nagpur & Erai Dam, Chandrapur (in Maharashtra)

• One such Seaplane Service is already in operation between Kevadia and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad
• The joint development and operation of "Sagarmala Seaplane Services (SSPS)" will be undertaken by forming a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL).

Social Issues
Trifed Signs MoU with Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram for Setting up of TRIFOOD Parks in Madhya Pradesh

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the MoU - highlights + about TRIFOOD parks + about Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra +Van Dhan Scheme)
What's the NEWS

• TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs has decided to explore a convergence and build a partnership with Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra, a pioneering organization that has been working for the welfare of tribals in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand since 1952.

Know! all about the MoU highlights

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged between the two organisations to work together for setting up of TRIFOOD Parks in 5 districts in Madhya Pradesh.
• The two organisations will work together by undertaking various initiatives all aimed at improving the livelihood of tribal people and implementation of the Van DhanYojana through the mobilization of Self Help Groups (SHGs) / VanDhanVikas Kendra (VDVKs) / VPCs / TRIFOOD Parks.
• With TRIFED as the mentoring organization, it has been agreed that VanvasiKalyan Ashram would form new Van DhanKendras in tribal areas by identifying SHGs, organize training, building infrastructure, provide machinery and equipment and other support.
• Among other scope of activities, Kalyan Ashram will include other areas, viz agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, handlooms, crafts to keep the operations running year-long and make the VanDhan scheme all-inclusive and viable.

VANVASI KALYAN KENDRA

• It is a voluntary organization to serve and engaged in creating complete awareness for neglected sections of our population was registered as a society in 1969.
• The tribal society mostly habitants in remote and destitute villages, where development could not reach yet after independence.
• Tribes remained illiterate, unaware about health hazards and so remained cut off from the main stream of the society.
• Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra, which is a registered State body of Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, which is the largest voluntary organization of our country, dedicated to voluntary works among tribals.
• Keeping the objective of rectifying the neglect and bringing this vast segment of our society to mainstream of Indian polity.
• AKHIL BHARTIYA VANVASI KALYAN ASHRAM was established in 1952 in Jashpur in the state of MP now Chhatisgarh.

The Van Dhan Scheme

• The Van Dhan Scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED. It was launched on 14th April, 2018 and seeks to improve tribal incomes through value addition of tribal products.
• The scheme will be implemented through Ministry of Tribal Affairs as Nodal Department at the Central Level and TRIFED as Nodal Agency at the National Level.
• At State level, the State Nodal Agency for MFPs and the District collectors are envisaged to play a pivot role in scheme implementation at grassroot level.
• Locally the Kendras are proposed to be managed by a Managing Committee (an SHG) consisting of representatives of Van Dhan SHGs in the cluster.

Science and Technology
National Atomic Timescale and Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about National Metrology Conclave 2021 + Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya Pranali + CSIR-NPL National Atomic Timescale
What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister delivered inaugural address at the National Metrology Conclave 2021.
• The National Metrology Conclave 2021 is being organised by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NOL), New Delhi, which is entering into its 75th year of inception.
• He dedicated National Atomic Timescale and Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya Pranali to the Nation and laid the Foundation Stone of National Environmental Standards Laboratory
• The theme of the conclave is ‘Metrology for the Inclusive Growth of the Nation'.

CSIR-National Physical Laboratory

• CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, India (NPLI) ensures the quality of products in every manufacturing and consumer sector by providing SI traceable measurements and enhancing quality life of citizens through metrology.
• Reference materials (RM) play pivotal role in maintaining the quality infrastructure of any economy through testing and calibration with precise measurements traceable to SI units.
• NPLI has recently released two very important certified RMs as Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravyas (BNDs) i.e BND®-4201 for 4N purity gold and BND®-5101A for Bituminous coal.
• NPLI has started Certified Indian Reference Material program around 1986 and more than 31 certified reference materials are already in the market.
• Recently, the Govt of India (GoI) has supported NPLI to strengthen its BND® program by developing BNDs in the area of AYUSH, Materials, Nanotechnology, Medicine, Food & Agriculture and Biologics.
• The availability SI traceable BNDs® are poised to boost "Make in India" program and harmonize the quality infrastructure of the country.

Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya

• Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya is supporting testing and calibration of laboratories for quality assurance, at par with international standards.
• The National Environmental Standards Laboratory will aid self-reliance in the certification of ambient air and industrial emission monitoring equipment.
• Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya would help the industry to make quality products in sectors like Heavy metals, Pesticides, Pharma and Textiles by drafting a 'Certified Reference Material System'.

CSIR-NPL National Atomic Timescale

• India has become self-reliant in measuring the time within the range of a nano second.
• The National Atomic Timescale generates Indian Standard Time with an accuracy of 2.8 nanoseconds.
• Achieving the accuracy level of 2.8 Nano Second is a huge capability in itself.
• Now Indian Standard Time is matching the International Standard Time with the accuracy range of less than 3 nano second.
• This will be a big help for organization like ISRO who are working with cutting edge technology.
• Modern technology related Banking, railways, defense, health, telecom, weather forecast, disaster management and many similar sectors will be benefited greatly from this achievement.

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