DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: June 4, 2022

51st Session of Standing Committee for Promotion of Exports (Shipping)

Tags: Economics/Business

The Standing Committee for Export Promotion (Shipping) held its 51st session on June 3, 2022 at Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi.

• It was presided over by the Special Secretary, Logistics Division, DPIIT Amrit Lal Meena.

• The Chairman advised shipping associations to implement uniform best practices across the country to make Indian exports more competitive in global markets.

• There was active participation of industry associations and organisations like INSA, FFFAI, CFSAI AMTOI, IPA, FICCI, CBIC and FIEO in this session.

• Since the launch of PM Gatishakti on 13 October 2021, focusing on resolving user issues has been an essential commitment of the Government.

• The Forum's first meeting took place after India successfully crossed the US$ 400 billion target for exports in FY 2021-22.

• During the meeting all the issues were classified into three major groups -

1. Procedural issues

2. Issues impacting logistics costs

3. Technology related issues to enhance EXIM efficiency

• About Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)

• In the year 2019, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) was renamed as Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

• It is administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• It is a nodal government agency to formulate and implement development strategies for the industrial sector, along with other socio-economic objectives and national priorities.

INS Akshay and Nishank decommissioned after 32 years of glorious service

Tags: Defence

INS Akshay and INS Nishank were decommissioned on 4 June after rendering excellent service to the nation for 32 years.

• The ceremony was conducted at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai in a traditional ceremony.

• INS Nishank and INS Akshay were constructed and commissioned at Poti Shipyard in Georgia.

• These fine and lethal warships were inducted in the Indian Navy in 1989 and 1990.

• INS Nishank and Akshay were part of 22 Missile Vessel Squadron and 23 Patrol Vessel Squadron respectively under the control of Flag Officer Commanding, Maharashtra Naval Area.

• Both participated in several naval operations including Operation Talwar during the Kargil War and Operation Parakram in 2001.

• Operation Parakram was launched consequent to the Parliament attack in 2001.

• INS Nishank, the fourth of the Veer class missile corvette killers, will be displayed as a war relic at a historic place.

• INS Nishank

• It was inducted into the Indian Navy on 12 September 1989.

• It is a Veer class corvette ship, it has a length of 184 feet and a beam of 34 feet.

• It used to move in the sea at a speed of 59 kilometres per hour.

• It had 4 P-15 Termit missiles.

• INS Akshay 

• It was inducted into the Navy on 10 December 1990.

• It is an Abbey class corvette battleship

• It is 183.7 feet long, has a beam height of 33 feet and a draft of 11 feet.

• This warship used to move in the sea at a speed of 52 kilometres per hour.

• It had 1 quad surface to air missile Strela-2M, 1 AK-76 machine gun, 4 torpedo tubes.

Telemedicine service 'eSanjeevani' integrated with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

Tags: National News

The National Health Authority (NHA) on June 3 announced the integration of eSanjeevani (telemedicine service of the Union Health Ministry) with its flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

• This integration allows the existing users of e-Sanjeevani to easily create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) and use it to add and manage their existing health records like prescriptions and lab reports etc.

• Users will also be able to share their health records with doctors on e-Sanjeevani which will help in better clinical decision making and ensure continuity of care.

• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission aims to build a digital route to bridge the gap between existing digital health solutions and stakeholders in India.

• The integration of e-Sanjeevani with ABDM is one such example where 22 crore ABHA holders can directly link and store their health records created through e-Sanjeevani in the health locker of their choice.

• Users can share their already linked health records with doctors on e-Sanjeevani, making the entire consultation process paperless.

• About e-Sanjeevani

• It was started in November 2019

• It is also called the National Teleconsultation Service

• Its aim is to provide healthcare services to patients in their homes. 

• It was conceptualised by the Mohali branch of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) as a Doctor-to-Doctor telemedicine platform.

• In March 2020, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched another variant of e-Sanjeevani for patient-to-doctor telemedicine.

• On 13th April 2020, e-Sanjeevani OPD was launched to provide health services to the patients at their homes.

SC objects to frivolous PIL petitions

Tags: National News

The Supreme Court has urged courts to be cautious while examining the locus standi in PILs to ensure that frivolous or private interests are not presented as genuine claims.

• Supreme Court Justice B.R. Gavai and Hima Kohli initially imposed a fine of Rs 18 lakh on the plaintiff, i.e. Rs 1 lakh for each minute of the total 18-minute hearing.

• However, the court later, in its order, reduced the amount to ₹ 2 lakh at the request of the plaintiff's counsel.

• The bench criticised the highly derogatory practice of filing frivolous petitions wasting valuable time of the judiciary.

• Court said this time can otherwise be utilised for addressing genuine concerns.

• The petition alleges illegal excavation and construction work at the famous Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri.

• What is Public Interest Litigation (PIL)?

• Public interest litigation is the use of law to advance human rights and equality or to raise issues of wider public concern.

• It was initiated by Justice PN Bhagwati in 1979.

• The first reported case of PIL was Hussainara Khatoon vs. State of Bihar (1979).

• This is in line with the principles enshrined in Article 39A [a] of the Constitution to protect speedy social justice with the help of law.

• Filing of PIL

• Any citizen can raise a public matter in the court by filing a petition-

1. Under Art 32 of the Indian Constitution, in the Supreme Court

2. Under Art 226 of the Indian Constitution, in the High Court

3. Under section 133 of the Criminal Procedure Code, in a Magistrate’s Court

Supreme Court Mandates Minimum 1 KM ESZ For Protected Forests

Tags: National News

In a significant order, the Supreme Court on 3 June directed that each protected forest,  national park and wildlife sanctuary should have an Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of 1 kilometre.

• Directions of the court

• The Court also directed that no permanent structure shall be allowed within the ESZ.

• Mining cannot be permitted within a National Wildlife Sanctuary or a National Park.

• If the existing ESZ extends beyond the 1 km buffer zone or if any statutory instrument prescribes a higher limit, such extended limit shall prevail.

• The Chief Conservator of Forests of each state has been directed to make a list of the existing structures in the ESZ and submit a report to the court.

• A three-judge bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, BR Gavai and Aniruddha Bose, in its 60-page judgment, highlighted how the country's natural resources have been depleted over the years by mining and other activities.

• What are the Eco-sensitive Zones (ESZs)?

• ESZ are also called Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs).

• These are areas notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

• They also act as transition zones from areas of high security to areas of low security.

• An ESZ can go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area, as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.

D2M Technology

Tags: Science and Technology

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Prasar Bharati are exploring the feasibility of ‘direct-to-mobile’ (D2M) broadcasting.

• What is D2M Technology?

• This technology is based on the convergence of broadband and broadcast, using which mobile phones can receive terrestrial digital TV.

• This would be similar to how people listen to FM radio on their phones, where a receiver within the phone can tap into the radio frequency.

• Using D2M, multimedia content can also be beamed to phones directly.

• Benefit and need of D2M Technology

• It allows video and other forms of multimedia content to be transmitted directly to mobile phones without the need for an Internet connection.

• It improves consumption of broadband and utilisation of spectrum.

• This technology can be used to directly broadcast content related to citizen-centric information. 

• It can also be used to combat fake news, issue emergency alerts and provide assistance in disaster management.

• In addition, it can be used to broadcast live news, sports, etc. on mobile phones.

• Government's initiative to facilitate D2M technology

• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has constituted a committee to study the feasibility of a spectrum band to provide broadcast services live on users' smartphones.

• Band 526-582 MHz is envisaged to work in sync with both mobile and broadcast services.

• Currently, this band is used by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for TV transmitters across the country.

India to contest for re-election to International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council

Tags: International News

The Ministry of Communications said in a statement on June 4 that India will contest for re-election to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council.

• As a member since 1869, India is contesting re-election, to the International Telecommunications UnionCouncil (ITU), for the term 2023-2026.

• Devusinh Chauhan led the Indian delegation to WSIS 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland which was held from May 31 to June 3, 2022.

• Chouhan said that India is a connected society and shares ITU's vision to enable ICT to meet SDG 2030.

• WSIS 2022 is co-organized by International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

• About International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

• ITU is the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.

• It was established in the year 1865 to facilitate international connectivity in communications networks.

• It is committed to connecting all the world's people.

• In line with its mandate and the WSIS outcome documents, it continues playing a key role in WSIS implementation.

• Its members come from all over the globe.

• Its global membership includes 193 Member States as well as 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organisations. 

India’s First Liquid Mirror Telescope

Tags: Science and Technology

The country's and the world's first Liquid Mirror Telescope has been set up in Uttarakhand. This telescope has been set up on top of a hill in Devasthal Observatory located in Nainital.

• Through this telescope, it will be helpful to take information about supernova, gravitational lens and asteroids etc. in space.

• The Indian Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) will help in surveying the sky. 

• This will also make it easy to observe many galaxies and other astronomical sources.

• In 2017, with the help of countries like Belgium, Canada, Poland, Aeries started the International Liquid Mirror Telescope Project with the help of 500 million.

• What is a Liquid Mirror Telescope (LMT)?

• It has been made by India with the help of astronomers from Belgium and Canada.

• It is like a 4 metre diameter rotating mirror made of a thin film of liquid mercury, which collects and focuses the light.

• It has been installed at Devasthal Observatory at an altitude of 2450 metres above sea level.

• This observatory is situated in the Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational Science (ARIS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science, Government of India.

• To prepare the telescope, scientists created a pool of mercury, which is a reflective liquid. This causes the surface of the telescope to become curved.

• This is ideal for focusing light.

• A thin transparent film over it protects the mercury from the air.

• It also has a large electronic camera, which records the images.

• The telescope was designed and built in Belgium by the Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems (AMOS) Corporation and the Center Spatial de Lige.

• This telescope has taken a clear picture of the NGC 4274 galaxy, 95 thousand light years away.

• Along with this, it has also easily captured the stars of the Milky Way in the camera.