Latest News
12th April 2021
NanoSniffer
Recently, the Union Minister of Education has launched ‘NanoSniffer’.
Recently, the researchers at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg have said that fears related to Doomsday Glacier’s melting ice are worse than previously thought.
Doomsday Glacier
Recently, Egypt has announced the discovery of what is being touted as the most important find since the unearthing of King Tutankhamun’s tomb almost 100 years ago.
Lost Golden City of Egypt
- It is the world’s first Microsensor based Explosive Trace Detector (ETD).
- It is developed by NanoSniff Technologies which is an IIT Bombay incubated startup.
- It is a 100% Made in India product in terms of research, development & manufacturing.
- It gives visible & audible alerts with sunlight-readable color display.
- It will reduce India’s dependency on imported explosive trace detector devices.
- It will encourage other institutions, startups and medium-scale industries to research & develop products indigenously.
- It is a step towards Prime Minister’s vision of a self-reliant India.
- It can detect explosives in less than 10 seconds and it also identifies and categorizes explosives into different classes.
- It detects all classes of military, conventional and homemade explosives.
- It provides trace detection of nano-gram quantity of explosives & delivers result in seconds.
- Both Iran and the United States insist that they want to return to the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.
- The signatories want to restore compliance with an agreement that put strict controls on Iran’s nuclear enrichment.
- The talks aim to ensure that it cannot build a nuclear weapon, in return for the lifting of punishing economic sanctions.
- In 2018, the then US President pulled out of the accord by calling it “the worst deal ever negotiated”.
- Iran responded in part by enriching uranium significantly beyond the limits in the agreement, building more advanced centrifuges, and acting more aggressively in support of allies.
- The Vienna talks are intended to create a road map for a synchronized return of both Iran and the United States to compliance with the 2015 deal.
- The accord was the outcome of years of negotiations with Iran.
- Under the chairmanship of the European Union, Britain, France and Germany made the first overtures to Iran, joined by the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: Russia, China and the United States.
- The Iranian regime was established by a revolution more than four decades ago that replaced the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran with a complicated government overseen by clerics.
- The then US President imposed many economic sanctions on Iran beyond those originally lifted by the deal and tried “maximum pressure” to force Iran to negotiate much more stringent terms.
- The deal was widely criticized as too weak by many in Congress and by Israel, which saw Iran’s possible reach for a nuclear weapon.
- The Europeans tried to keep the deal alive, but proved unable to provide Iran the economic benefits it was due after Trump restored U.S. sanctions that had been lifted under the deal’s terms.
- The meeting of senior diplomats is formally a session of the Joint Commission of the deal, called by the European Union as chairman.
- The diplomats from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran will meet, with an EU chair, and start to discuss how to revitalize the accord.
- The Europeans suggest that they will either meet the Americans with proposals, or that the Iranians will leave the room before the Americans enter because Iran refuses to meet face-to-face with American diplomats.
Recently, the researchers at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg have said that fears related to Doomsday Glacier’s melting ice are worse than previously thought.
Doomsday Glacier
- It is also known as Thwaites Glacier located in Antarctica.
- It is 120 km wide at its broadest, fast-moving, and melting fast over the years.
- It contains enough water to raise the world sea level by more than half a metre because of its size (1.9 lakh square km).
- It is important for Antarctica as it slows the ice behind it from freely flowing into the ocean.
- The Gothenburg study used an uncrewed submarine to go under the Thwaites glacier front to make observations.
- The submersible called “Ran” measured among other things the strength, temperature, salinity and oxygen content of the ocean currents that go under the glacier.
- The researchers have been able to identify three inflows of warm water, among whom the damaging effects of one had been underestimated in the past.
- The researchers discovered that there is a deep connection to the east through which deep water flows from Pine Island Bay.
- The study shows that warm water is approaching the pinning points of the glacier from all sides, impacting these locations where the ice is connected to the seabed.
- But the Punjab Chief Minister has said that the State Food Department has amended the procurement software so that the Arhtiyas will continue to be involved even in the direct payment process.
- The arhtiyas, who are extending critical support to the ongoing farmers’ agitation, are often referred to as “bichauliya” or middlemen.
- It is not a trader holding title to the grain bought from a farmer.
- He/she facilitates the transaction between a farmer and actual buyer, who may be a private trader, a processor, an exporter, or a government agency.
- In Punjab, there are around 28,000 registered Arhtiyas and each of them has 20 to 200 farmers associated with them.
- Earlier, the farmers’ payments used to come in the accounts of the Arhtiyas who used to give cheques to individuals.
- The modification will include that the amount will come directly in the accounts of the farmers, but after the Arhtiyas has clicked a pay now button.
- The Arhtiyas have to click on the ‘Pay Now’ option within 48 hours, failing which the amount will be credited directly to the accounts of farmers in 72 hours.
- The Arhtiyas will get a message on the portal that the amount of a farmer linked with him is ready for transfer with the modification on the Anaaj Kharid Portal.
- The Arhtiyas will get to know about the payment of the farmers and thus get back the advance paid to these farmers.
- They argued that the move will only create “doubt in the minds of farmers by informing the Arhtiyas before making the payment”.
- They said that the modification has no relevance as the farmers and Arhtiyas work on trust which is old and deep.
- The farmer leaders said most of the Arhtiyas have already got the advance cheques signed from the farmers when they give money to them on loan.
- The farmers will also have the bargaining power if Arhtiyas overcharge because earlier everything was in the hands of the Arhtiyas who used to make payment.
- The farmers are in favour of direct payment but the timing which the Centre has chosen is not right given the ongoing farmers’ protest which has the support of the Arhtiyas.
Recently, Egypt has announced the discovery of what is being touted as the most important find since the unearthing of King Tutankhamun’s tomb almost 100 years ago.
Lost Golden City of Egypt
- It is a three-millennia-old city from the era of 18th-dynasty king Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt from 1391 to 1353 B.C.
- It was found in the southern province of Luxor, near some of the country’s best-known monuments.
- It is called as ancient Egyptian Pompeii because the mud-brick houses, artefacts, and tools discovered from the reign of the Pharaohs.
- The city was once the largest administrative and industrial settlement of the Pharaonic Empire and many foreign missions who were looking for the settlement had not been able to find it.
- The newly discovered city is located on the west bank of the Nile river, close to the Colossi of Memnon, Medinet Habu and the Ramesseum.
- The archaeologists had been excavating in this area to look for a mortuary temple of King Tutankhamun.
- The legend of Tutankhamun, whose tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 by British archaeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon, is famous on account of the vast treasure discovered at the location.
- The archaeologists are said to have found city walls and even rooms filled with utensils used in daily life.
- They have found clay caps of wine vessels, rings, scarabs, coloured pottery, and spinning and weaving tools.
- The mud bricks discovered bear the seal of Tutankhamun’s grandfather King Amenhotep III, who is considered to be one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs.
- The city is also believed to have been used by Tutankhamun and his successor Ay during a period widely believed to be the golden era of ancient Egypt.
- The site contains a large number of ovens and kilns for making glass and faience, along with the debris of thousands of statues.
- It has alleged that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has not set up any purchasing counters in the capital to buy wheat on MSP from farmers.
- The Delhi government wants the FCI to open purchase centres in mandis where farmers bring their produce.
- The Economic Survey of Delhi 2020-21 has estimated that the gross cropped area has increased to 43,569 hectares from 36,445 hectares in 2011-12.
- Agricultural land is mostly spread in villages in the outer regions of the capital, away from the centre.
- Many villages have been urbanised over the years, with the 2011 census finding that around 25 per cent of the total area of Delhi was rural and 75 per cent was urban.
- Out of a total of 357 villages, at least 174 have been declared ‘urban’ over the last two years by Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
- The farmers claim that their purchase is bought below the MSP rate by traders.
- The farmers also state that they are unable to sell produce to the FCI because they do not have the girdawari document.
- The farmers have alleged that crops have not been purchased on MSP at Najafgarh and Narela mandis since 2015.
- The FCI’s Delhi unit said that the farmers prefer to sell their wheat produce to private traders instead of bringing it to FCI procurement centres.
- Wheat and dhan (paddy) of Delhi region is generally of good quality and is bought by traders at or above the MSP.
- The cutouts and banners have been placed at Najafgarh mandi, and at Narela and Mayapuri depots, inviting farmers to sell their produce at MSP rates.
- Girdawari is a document issued by the revenue department that contains details of the land, its owner, the type of crop grown there and the total production that year.
- The document is required by the FCI to verify the identity of farmers and to remove middlemen and traders from the procurement process.
- The urbanisation of Delhi’s villages by invoking Section 507 of the DMC act has resulted in farmers not being issued the girdawari document for at least two years.
- The Delhi’s two revenue laws which govern the girdawari process i.e. the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954, and the Delhi Land Revenue Act, 1954 do not apply to the area after Section 507 is invoked.
- He was born in 1899 to a poor family at Agarpada village in Balasore.
- He was inspired by the ideals of Bagha Jatin and was influenced by Ramakrishna Mission.
- He went on to become the first chief minister of the state from 1946 to 1950 and was re-elected in 1956.
- He earned the sobriquet ‘Utkala Keshari’.
- He is credited with setting up Bhubaneswar as the capital of the state, along with the construction of the Secretariat building, Raj Bhawan and Assembly buildings.
- He translated Valmiki’s Ramayan from Sanskrit into Oriya and also wrote the Oriya version of the Gita.
- In 1946, during his stay at Patna camp jail, he published poems collected from political prisoners called “Bedira Jan Jan”.
- He was the architect of modern Utkala and pioneer of a new dawn of Odisha.
- He was highly inspired by the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.
- In 1930, he was elected president of Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee and was the driving force behind the success of salt Satyagraha in Orissa.
- The idea behind publishing a book on the history of Odisha took shape when Mahatab was imprisoned in Ahmadnagar for participating in the Quit India Movement.
- Nehru showed Mahatab some lines from Edward Thomson’s book ‘The Beginning of Indian Princes’.
- It was then that Mahatab decided to explore the history of Odisha, especially to know about the ancient history of Lord Jagannath.
- He conducted a special session of the Indian Historical Record Commission in Odishato address important historical issues from the state and initiate a dialogue between historians and prominent people from across the state.
- It is a software-driven automated storage used for the storage of various objects.
- It is the first such system in the country for storage of antiquities.
- It has been used for storage of industrial equipment but the decision of Goa’s DAA to use it for storing valuable antiquities is the first such in the country.
- The AAMS placed at Goa’s DAA in Panaji, looks like a large, closed container, about 3 metres tall.
- The system that catalogues 83 antiquities at present is aimed at:
- Providing quick information about an antiquity linked to the software;
- Saving storage space; and
- Ensuring improved preservation of the objects of historical significance.
- It will ensure safety of antiquities, clean storage space, access control and data management and also enhance utilisation of space.
- It will provide access to antiquities in one place with the help of a screen on which the preserved antiquities can be searched and accessed within the system for viewing.
- It will provide information about the age of the antiquity, the material it is made of and its brief history.
- The system will mostly benefit researchers and students permitted access by the Directorate of Archives and Archaeology (DAA) in Goa and officials of the department.
- The students researching various archaeological subjects often seek access to antiquities in the care of the Directorate.
- The system will give the user information about the antiquity immediately and it can also be updated based on latest information about the antiquity.
- It provides easy, omni-channel access to various trade related processes and enquiries at the touch of button.
- DGFT is standing up for businesses as a true leader with e-issuance of certificates, QR scan process to validate documents.
- It will reduce transaction cost and time for imports and exports related processes, and usher in transparency.
- The features of DGFT Trade Facilitation App are:
- Real-time trade policy updates, notifications, application status alert, tracking help requests;
- Explore item-wise Export-Import policy & statistics, Track IEC Portfolio;
- AI-based 24*7 assistance for trade queries;
- DGFT services made accessible to all; and
- Trade Dashboard accessible anytime & anywhere
- It is launched for promoting ease of doing business and providing quick access to information to importers/exporters.
- The tech-enabled governance will play a key role in determining India’s growth and competitiveness.
- It is a single-window approach which has liberated last-mile beneficiary from location based constraints, and enhanced ease of doing business.
- It is a symbol of India’s idea of Aatmanirbharta i.e. making governance easy, economical & accessible.
- It will significantly contribute to export target of $1 Trillion by 2025 and GDP target of $5 Trillion.
Additional Information
Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)
- It is an attached office of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- It is headed by Director General of Foreign Trade.
- It is responsible for formulating and implementing the Foreign Trade Policy with the main objective of promoting India's exports.
POSTED ON 12-04-2021 BY ADMIN
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General Studies
Political Science and International Relations
Some Reference Essays
List of previous year essay topics (1997-2019)
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