EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
4th June 2021
China’s ‘artificial sun’ EAST
Recently, the China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), which mimics the energy generation process of the sun, set a new record after it ran at 216 million degrees Fahrenheit (120 million degrees Celsius) for 101 seconds.
- The “artificial sun” also achieved a peak temperature of 288 million degrees Fahrenheit (160 million degrees Celsius), which is over ten times hotter than the sun.
- In 2020, South Korea’s KSTAR reactor set a new record by maintaining a plasma temperature of over 100 million degrees Celsius for 20 seconds.
China’s ‘artificial sun’ EAST
- The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) reactor is an advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device.
- It is located at the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) in Hefei, China.
- The purpose of the artificial sun is to replicate the process of nuclear fusion, which is the same reaction that powers the sun.
- It is one of three major domestic tokamaks that are presently being operated across the country.
- It first became operational in 2006.
- It is part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) facility, which will become the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor when it becomes operational in 2035.
- The project includes the contributions of several countries, including India, South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States.
Working of China’s ‘artificial sun’ EAST
- It is designed to replicate the nuclear fusion process carried out by the sun and stars.
- The nuclear fusion is a process through which high levels of energy are produced without generating large quantities of waste.
- Unlike fission, fusion does not emit greenhouse gases and is considered a safer process with lower risk of accidents.
- For nuclear fusion to occur, tremendous heat and pressure are applied on hydrogen atoms so that they fuse together.
- The nuclei of deuterium and tritium, both found in hydrogen, are made to fuse together to create a helium nucleus, a neutron along with a whole lot of energy.
- With the help of a strong magnetic field, the plasma is kept away from the walls of the reactor to ensure it does not cool down and lose its potential to generate large amounts of energy.
Importance of record made by China’s ‘artificial sun’ EAST
- The next goal for the scientists behind the experimental reactor is to maintain the high temperature for a long period of time.
- It is a step in the right direction as far as China’s green development is concerned.
- It is more like a future technology that’s critical for China’s green development push.
Equal Access to Green cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) Act
Recently, the Democrat Representative Zoe Lofgren and Republican John Curtis have introduced the Equal Access to Green cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) Act of 2021.
EAGLE Act
- The bipartisan act seeks to phase out the seven per cent per-country limit on employment-based immigrant visas.
- It raises the per-country limit on family-sponsored visas from seven per cent to 15 per cent. It provides for a nine-year period for the elimination of this limit.
- It provides for a nine-year period for the elimination of this limit.
- With the EAGLE Act, the per-country cap would be removed, which may expedite the petitions for those applying for employment-based green cards.
Need for EAGLE Act
- The seven per cent limit was introduced in the mid-20th century, which has led countries with relatively small populations to be allocated the same number of visas as a relatively large-population country.
- A person from a large-population country with extraordinary qualifications who could contribute greatly to our economy and create jobs waits behind a person with lesser qualifications from a smaller country.
- The backlogged Indian workers face an impossible wait of nine decades if they all could remain in the line.
- It implies that more than 200,000 petitions filed for Indians could expire as a result of the workers dying of old age before they receive green cards.
Significance of EAGLE Act
- It will benefit the US economy by allowing American employers to focus on hiring immigrants based on their merit, not their birthplace.
- It ensures that no country may receive more than 25 per cent of reserved visas and no country may receive more than 85 per cent of unreserved visas.
Importance of EAGLE Act for Indians
- It will be advantageous for Indian job-seekers who currently rely on temporary visas or await green cards to work in the US.
- The think-tank Cato Institute had reported in March 2020 that 75 per cent of the backlog for employment‐based visas was made up of Indians.
Predecessors to the EAGLE Act
- The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act (HR1044) was passed by the House of Representatives in July 2019 with a resounding margin.
- The bill sought to implement similar provisions which would remove the seven per cent cap on per-country employee-backed immigrant visas.
- Another version of the bill (S386) was passed by the Senate in the 116th session of the Congress.
- According to the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association, the legislation failed because the differences between the two versions were not reconciled prior to the end of the session.
Supreme Court’s Ruling on Sedition Case
Recently, the Supreme Court has quashed case of sedition filed against journalist Vinod Dua in Himachal Pradesh for allegedly making remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government.
- In a video, Dua had criticised Prime Minster Modi and the Centre for the handling of the migrant crisis last year.
- The government filed a case of sedition against Dua in which section 124A of the IPC penalises sedition as punishable with either imprisonment ranging from three years to a lifetime, a fine, or both.
- The Himachal Pradesh government argued in the Supreme Court that Dua had attempted to spread misinformation or incorrect information and cause panic in the perception of the general public.
- Both the state and the Centre argued against quashing the FIR because the state wanted to investigate whether such statements were “deliberate” or “unintended and innocent assertions”.
Ruling of the Supreme Court
- It held that his remarks constituted genuine criticism of the government and could not be labelled seditious.
- The court has directed that FIRs against persons belonging to the media with “at least 10 years’ standing not be registered unless cleared by a committee to be constituted by every State Government.
- The committee should comprise of the Chief Justice of the High Court or a Judge designated by him, the leader of the Opposition and the Home Minister of the State to prevent misuse of the sedition law.
- It must be clarified that every Journalist will be entitled to protection in terms of Kedar Nath Singh, as every prosecution under Sections 124A and 505 of the IPC must be in strict conformity with the scope and ambit of the above mention sections.
Kedar Nath Singh guidelines
- In the landmark 1962 Kedar Nath Singh case, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the sedition law.
- The apex court attempted to restrict its scope for misuse.
- The court held that unless accompanied by an incitement or call for violence, criticism of the government cannot be labelled sedition.
- The seven principles in the Kedar Nath Singh ruling specify situations in which the charge of sedition cannot be applied:
- The expression ‘the government established by law’ has to be distinguished from the persons for the time being engaged in carrying on the administration.
- The ‘government established by law’ is the visible symbol of the State and the very existence of the State will be in jeopardy if the Government established by law is subverted.”
- Any acts within the meaning of Section 124-A which have the effect of subverting the Government by bringing that Government into contempt or hatred, or creating disaffection against it, would be within the penal statute.
- The feeling of disloyalty to the Government established by law or enmity to it imports the idea of tendency to public disorder by the use of actual violence or incitement to violence.
- The comments without exciting those feelings which generate the inclination to cause public disorder by acts of violence would not be penal.
- A citizen has a right to say or write whatever he likes about the Government, or its measures, by way of criticism or comment, so long as he does not incite people to violence against the Government established by law.
- The provisions of the Sections make it reasonably clear that the sections aim at rendering penal only such activities as would be intended, or have a tendency, to create disorder or disturbance of public peace.
- It is only when the words, written or spoken, etc. which have the pernicious tendency or intention of creating public disorder or disturbance of law and order that the law steps in to prevent such activities in the interest of public order.
- We propose to limit its operation only to such activities as come within the ambit of the observations of the Federal Court.
RBI’s decision to keep repo rate unchanged
Recently, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the RBI has kept the repo rate, unchanged at 4 per cent for the sixth time in a row and slashed the growth rate to 9.5 per cent for fiscal 2021-22.
Reasons for unchanged repo rate
- The panel said that the second wave of Covid-19 has altered the near-term outlook.
- It necessitated urgent policy interventions, active monitoring and further timely measures to prevent emergence of supply chain bottlenecks and build-up of retail margins.
- The policy support from all sides i.e. fiscal, monetary and sectoral, was required to nurture recovery and expedite return to normalcy.
- The MPC decided to retain the prevailing repo rate and continue with the accommodative stance as long as necessary to revive and sustain growth on a durable basis and continue to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the economy.
Reasons for slashing growth rate
- The central bank has scaled down the FY22 (2021-22) gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 9.5 per cent as against the previous projection of 10.5 per cent.
- The urban demand has been dented by the second wave, but adoption of new Covid-compatible occupational models by businesses for an appropriate working environment may cushion the hit to economic activity.
- The panel said domestic monetary and financial conditions remain highly accommodative and supportive of economic activity.
- The vaccination process is expected to gather steam in the coming months and should help to normalise economic activity quickly.
RBI’s observation on the economy
- The central bank’s panel said that the following forces could provide tailwinds to revival of domestic economic activity when the second wave abates:
- The forecast of a normal south-west monsoon;
- The resilience of agriculture and the farm economy;
- The adoption of Covid-19 compatible operational models by businesses; and
- The gathering momentum of global recovery
- The ramping up of the vaccination drive and bridging the gaps in healthcare infrastructure and vital medical supplies can mitigate the pandemic’s devastation.
- The rural demand remains strong and the expected normal monsoon bodes well for sustaining its buoyancy.
RBI’s stand on Inflation
- The panel has projected the retail inflation to be 5.1 per cent, within the RBI’s inflation band of plus/minus four per cent during 2021-22.
- It has forecast 5.2 per cent in Q1, 5.4 per cent in Q2, 4.7 per cent in Q3 and 5.3 per cent in Q4 of 2021-22 with risks broadly balanced.
- The inflation trajectory is likely to be shaped by uncertainties impinging on the upside and the downside.
- The rising trajectory of international commodity prices, especially of crude, together with logistics costs, pose upside risks to the inflation outlook.
- The excise duties, cess and taxes imposed by the Centre and States need to be adjusted in a coordinated manner to contain input cost pressures emanating from petrol and diesel prices.
RBI’s plans on the liquidity front
- It will continue to conduct regular operations for liquidity management.
- It has decided to conduct another operation under G-SAP (government securities acquisition programme) for purchase of G-Secs of Rs 40,000 crore.
- It has also been decided to undertake another G-SAP in Q2 of 2021-22 and conduct secondary market purchase operations of Rs 1.20 lakh crore to support the market.
- It has undertaken regular open market operations and injected additional liquidity to the tune of Rs 36,545 crore in addition to Rs 60,000 crore under the first G-SAP.
Decommissioning of INS Sandhayak
Recently, the Ministry of Defence has announced the decommissioning of INS Sandhayak.
INS Sandhayak
- It is the first of its class indigenously designed and built Hydrographic Survey Ship of Indian Navy.
- It was conceptualised by then Chief Hydrographer to the Govt. of India, Rear Admiral FL Fraser.
- The design was finalised by Naval Headquarters and the construction of the ship began at GRSE Kolkata by laying the keel in 1978.
- It was commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1981.
- It has undertaken approximately 200 major Hydrographic Surveys and numerous minor surveys in both East and West coasts of the country, the Andaman seas and the neighbouring countries too.
- It has been an active participant in many significant operations such as:
- Operation Pawan: Assisting the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka in 1987;
- Operations Sarong and Rainbow: Rendering humanitarian assistance post Tsunami of 2004; and
- Participation in maiden joint INDO-US HADR Exercise ‘Tiger-Triumph’.
Decline in Star Formation Activity
Recently, a team of astronomers from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) in Pune, and the Raman Research Institute (RRI) have discovered the reason behind decline in star formation activity 8 billion years ago.
Key Highlights
- The study stated that the fuel critical to hydrogen formation is atomic hydrogen gas content of galaxies.
- The researchers used the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) to measure the atomic hydrogen gas content of galaxies 9 billion years ago.
- The measurement of the atomic hydrogen gas mass was done by using the GMRT to search for a spectral line in atomic hydrogen, which can only be detected with radio telescopes.
- The star formation in early galaxies was so intense that they would consume their atomic gas in just two billion years and if the galaxies could not acquire more gas, their star formation activity would decline and finally cease.
- It appears likely that the cause of the declining star- formation in the Universe is simply that galaxies were not able to replenish their gas reservoirs after some epoch.
Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)
- It is a unique facility for radio astronomical research using the metre wavelengths range of the radio spectrum.
- It is located at a site about 80 km north of Pune.
- It consists of 30 fully steerable gigantic parabolic dishes of 45m diameter each spread over distances of upto 25 km.
- It has been set up by National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), a center of the school of natural sciences of the TIFR.
Goals of Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)
- To detect the highly redshifted spectral line of neutral Hydrogen expected from proto-clusters or proto-galaxies before they condensed to form galaxies in the early phase of the Universe and
- To search for and study rapidly-rotating Pulsars in our galaxy
- Epoch of Galaxy Formation: Theories of the formation of structure in the Big-Bang Universe predict the presence of proto galaxies or proto clusters of galaxies made up of clouds of neutral Hydrogen gas before their gravitational condensation into galaxies.
- Pulsars and Neutron Stars: GMRT should also be an ideal instrument for the study of Pulsars (rapidly rotating neutron stars with extremely high densities of about 200 million tons per cubic cm).
- Galactic and Extragalactic Radio Sources: Because of its large collecting area and wide frequency coverage, GMRT will be an invaluable and highly versatile instrument for studying many other problems at the frontiers of astrophysics.
Devika Project of Udhampur
Recently, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has said that Devika Project is for all and therefore suggestions are welcome from every Party.
Devika Project
- It is North India’s first- of- its- kind project located in Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir.
- It is Rs.190 Crore project under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) which started in March 2019.
- The activities involved under the project are:
- Bathing “ghats” (places) on the banks of the Devika River will be developed;
- Encroachments will be removed; and
- Natural water bodies will be restored and catchment areas will be developed along with cremation ground.
- The project includes the construction of three sewage treatment plants of 8 MLD, 4 MLD and 1.6 MLD capacities.
Devika River
- It holds great religious significance as it is revered by Hindus as the sister of river Ganga.
- In the Nilmat Puran that was written in the 7th century by Nela Muni, it is mentioned that the Devika River is a manifestation of the mother Goddess Parwati herself to benefit the people of Mader Desha.
- It originates from the hilly Suddha Mahadev temple in Udhampur district and flows down towards western Punjab (now in Pakistan) where it merges with the Ravi River.
Expert Group on Fixation of Minimum Wages and National Floor Wages
Recently, the Ministry of Labour & Employment Government issued an order and has constituted the Expert Group to provide technical inputs and recommendations on fixation of Minimum Wages and National Floor Minimum Wages.
Key Highlights
- It is the second expert committee on minimum wages formed by the government within the last two years.
- The Group has been constituted for a period of three years from the date of notification.
- The Expert Group is chaired by Prof Ajit Mishra, Director of Institute of Economic Growth.
- The national floor wages refers to the minimum level of wage that is applicable to all categories of workers across the country.
- Under the Code on Wages, a National Floor Level Minimum Wage will be set by the Centre to be revised every five years, while states will fix minimum wages for their regions, which cannot be lower than the floor wage.
Purpose of Expert Group on Minimum Wages
- It will give recommendations to the Government on Minimum Wages and National Floor Wage.
- It will look into the international best practices on the wages and evolve a scientific criteria and methodology for fixation of wages.
Green Gold Collection
Recently, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare has launched the Bamboo Market Page ‘Green Gold Collection’ on Govt e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.
Green Gold Collection
- It is a unique initiative of the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and Govt e-Marketplace (GeM).
- It is a dedicated window on the GeM portal for marketing of the Bamboo Goods (Bamboo based products & Quality Planting Materials).
- It showcases a range of exquisitely handcrafted bamboo and bamboo products, handicrafts, disposals and office utility products on the GeM portal.
- It aims to provide bamboo artisans, weavers and entrepreneurs in rural areas with market access to Government buyers.
- The product categories ranging from bamboo poles to bamboo products in furniture, lifestyle & décor, kitchenware, industrial machinery, handcrafted items such as toys and office utility items like agarbatti/ incense sticks, disposables, water bottles, yoga mats, charcoal, etc. are being uploaded on the portal.
Significance of Green Gold Collection
- It will provide an electronic platform for the small manufacturers and niche sellers thereby vastly increasing their reach to attract buyers.
- It will provide niche products from trusted sources to the buyers.
- It would prove to be very useful for giving the bamboo entrepreneurs a much robust market outreach.
- It seeks to promote the adoption and use of bamboo products among Government buyers and usher a sustainable rural economy for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
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