Daily News Digest 17 Jan 2024

Table of content

• India’s Foreign policy of multi alignment
• Why Kashmir and Ladakh are without snow this winter, its implications
• Defence Research and Development Organisation
• National Essential Diagnostics List
• Light-emitting Diodes (LEDs)
• MPLADS e-SAKSHI Mobile Application
• Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL)
• Trade Connect ePlatform
• Namma Yatari App
• Parkash Utsav

India’s Foreign policy of multi alignment

Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins

Why in News?

India’s Prime Minister spoke to Russia’s president and external affairs minister is on a visit to Iran showing India’s policy of multi alignment.

Background

• India's foreign policy has evolved significantly since its independence.
• Initially, it adopted a policy of non-alignment (NAM), advocating for neutrality during the Cold War and refusing to be drawn into the ideological battles between the United States and the Soviet Union.
• This stance was driven by a desire to protect national sovereignty, promote peace, and pursue economic development without external interference.
• However, the post-Cold War era saw a shift in India's approach. The emergence of new global powers, particularly China, and the changing geopolitical landscape necessitated a more proactive and pragmatic foreign policy.

Current power rivalry in the world

• The current global order is characterized by intense competition between the United States, China, and Russia.
• The US, despite its waning hegemony, remains a dominant force in global affairs.
• China, with its rapid economic rise and assertive regional ambitions, poses a significant challenge to US dominance and prevailing world order.
• Russia, though facing internal challenges, remains a formidable military power and seeks to assert its influence in the former Soviet sphere and beyond.
• The economic, technological, and strategic competition among these powers has created a challenging environment for countries to formulate their foreign policies.
• The ongoing conflicts in Europe and West Asia – between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Hamas further complicate the scenarios.

What are the various facets of India’s Multi-alignment strategy?

• Engagement with the US: India participates in Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) with the US, Japan, and Australia, aimed at balancing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.
• Strategic Partnership with Russia:India continues to purchase military equipment from Russia and maintains close diplomatic ties, despite its differences on the Ukraine war.
• Maintaining relations with Iran: India has invested in Chabahar port development in Iran, boosting trade and connectivity in the region.

Independent Initiatives:India promotes initiatives like International Solar Alliance and G20 reforms, showcasing its leadership aspirations.

What are the enabling factors for India’s position in the Global order?

• Economic growth: India's rapidly growing economy makes it an attractive partner for trade and investment.
• Democratic credentials: India's vibrant democracy and commitment to human rights enhance its international standing.
• Strategic location: India's geographic position in the Indo-Pacific region makes it a key player in regional security.
• Soft power: India's rich cultural heritage and historical ties with various countries strengthen its global influence.

Why Kashmir and Ladakh are without snow this winter, its implications

Time to Read :🕑 7 Mins

Why in news?

This article highlights the issues why there has been negligible to nil snowfall in the Kashmir Valley this winter and the factors behind a declining trend in snowfall in Kashmir in the recent years

More about the issue

• Winter precipitation in Jammu and Kashmir, and also Ladakh, is mainly in the form of snowfall. Normally, the region gets its first snowfall in the first half of December, and then through most of January.
• Jammu and Kashmir saw 80% rainfall deficit in December, and 100% deficit in January so far, while Ladakh has had no precipitation at all in December or January.
• Snowfall in Kashmir is crucial for the local climate, winter crops and horticulture, availability of waters in streams and rivers, and for the local economy.

Factors Responsible for Declining Trend

• Western disturbances: Western disturbances have been showing a declining trend in recent times. The mean frequency of strong and extreme Western Disturbances, that results in rainfall or snowfall, had declined as much as 43 percent in recent years.
• Rising Temperature: The temperatures in these regions are rising. The rate of increase of temperature is seen to be higher in the upper elevation areas than in the plains. On many days, Srinagar temperatures are comparable to those of Delhi.
• EL Nino: For the past few months, El Niño has persisted. It affects the global atmospheric circulation, and might be contributing to the deficit precipitation in J&K and Ladakh.
• Climate Change: As Climate Change affects global weather its impact is quite visible in Kashmir. It is causing long term weather shifts in Kashmir.

Repercussions

• Forest Fire: A dry spell can result in an increase in forest fires, agricultural drought, and a drop in crop production.
• Impact on Glaciers With the temperature rising to 15-16 degrees Celsius this winter, it will add to over-shrinking of glaciers. The lack of snowfall could hit the recharging of glaciers, and it might end up in the drying up of snow-fed rivers.
• Impact on Rivers: The rivers flowing out of the glaciers will be adversely impacted. Initially, the water flow would be sufficient due to the rapid melting of glaciers. But if the trend continues, the rivers will gradually dry up.
• Impact on Water cycle: Scanty snowfall means very little recharge of groundwater; it could impact the water cycle in the region and beyond.
• Local Economy:The absence of snow painted a grim picture of tourist hotspots like Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam. The hospitality industry and adventure sports in the region have been hit the worst.
• Less Production: Dry Spell can lead to an early spring, which means early flowering, which can cause a reduction in yield. Yields of apples or saffron, important ingredients of the local economy, are badly affected in the absence of snowfall.

Way Forward

• There is a need to achieve the goal of limiting global warming, since pre-industrial times to 1.5 degrees to avert the worst consequences of climate change.
• This episode serves as acrucial reminder of the escalating impacts of climate change and the imperative for immediate and concerted action to address this global challenge.

Defence Research and Development Organisation

Time to Read :🕑 7 Mins

Why in news?

Recently, Vijay Raghavan Panel has submitted its report to the government.

More about the news.

DRDO

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was set up in 1958. It is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, Govt of India.
• It has a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems while equipping our armed forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment in accordance with requirements laid down by the three Services.
• The nine-member Vijay Raghavan committee was set up by the government to review the functioning of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The government’s decision to review the functioning of DRDO comes against the backdrop of several of its projects suffering from huge delays.
• The committee has observed that the DRDO should focus on its original goal of research and development for defence and refrain from involving itself in productization, production cycles, and product management, tasks that are more suitable for the private sector.
• The panel has suggested the creation of the Defence Technology Council headed by the Prime Minister, to play a pivotal role in identifying the right players for specific defence technologies and deciding on major projects and their execution.
• The panel has also suggested the creation of a separate department under the Defence Ministry, the Department of Defence Science, Technology, and Innovation.

Issues with the DRDO

• Long delays:The CAG often pulls up DRDO for delay in the completion of projects and failure to achieve key parameters. The CAG in its 2022 report has found that 67 percent of the DRDO’s projects did not adhere to deadlines.
• Cost escalation:Another problem with DRDO is that it is big on promise and small on delivery. There is no accountability. The Kaveri Engine for ICA is running late by 16 years and the cost has escalated by around 800 percent.
• Lack of Budgetary Support: India’s spending on defence research continues to be stagnant over the last five years and accounts for less than one per cent of the country’s GDP. India is far behind China in spending on defence research.
• Inadequate Manpower: The current manpower is grossly insufficient for committed research and development projects. Thepercentage of scientists in DRDO is 30 percent of the total strength of DRDO.
• Lack of expertise:There are numerous technologies that DRDO doesn’t necessarily need to get into. For example, drone development, there is a necessity to identify expertise within India and internationally for various technologies.

Way Forward

• P. Rama Rao committee has said DRDO should be restructured and in a manner to cut long delays and there is a need to make a commercial arm of the organisation to make it a profitable entity.
• Former DRDO chief V.K. Saraswat has called for the setting up of a Defence Technology Commission as well as a bigger role for DRDO in picking production partners for products developed by the agency.
• The Parliament Standing Committee on Defence has recommended that DRDO should seek additional funds at revised estimates, supplementary stage so that their research and development activities progress as per the timeline set.
• Delays have implications for the defence services in their operational planning. Therefore, the government should increase the frequency of DRDO’s project reviews with enhanced participation from the armed forces.
• The Ministry of Defence should be allocated a fixed budget of about 3% of GDP to ensure adequate preparedness of the armed forces.

National Essential Diagnostics List

Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins

Why in news?

Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has begun the process of revising the current National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL).

Definition of Essential Test

• Essential diagnostic tests are defined as those "that satisfy the priority healthcare needs of the population and are selected with due regard to disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and accuracy, and comparative cost-effectiveness” .

Recent updates on NEDL

• The ICMR has invited relevant stakeholders to offer suggestions on adding or deleting diagnostic tests to the current list by the end of February.
• ICMR has now asked stakeholders to consider factors such as how essential a test is, the disease burden, and the alignment with Indian public health standards before proposing any additional tests to the existing list.

About National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL)

• In 2018, the World Health Organisation had recommended the development and implementation of an NEDL to facilitate the availability of in-vitro diagnostics across the various tiers of the healthcare pyramid, in facilities with or without an onsite laboratory.
  • ICMR then released India’s first NEDL in 2019 to make the availability of diagnostics an essential component of the healthcare system.
• The NEDL lists the essential and most basic tests that should be available at various levels of healthcare facilities in the country, including at the village level, in sub-health centres, health and wellness centres, and primary health centres.
• The inclusion of diagnostic tests in the NEDL was based on careful consideration of the disease burden data across different States of India, alignment with national programs and adherence to Indian public health standards.

Light-emitting Diodes (LEDs)

Time to Read :🕑 9 Mins

Why in news?

The Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014 acknowledged the significance of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the lighting source for the 21st century.

Background

What is Diodes?

• About diode: A diode is a semiconductor device with one PN junction or alternatively one metal-semiconductor junction. It has two terminals called anode and cathode.
  • It has the property of a switch that allows current to flow or not to flow depending on the direction of the voltage applied between the anode and cathode. This action is called rectification.
• About P-N Junction: A P-N junction is created by embedding both the P-type and N-type into the same semiconductor crystal. The majority of charge carriers in the P-type are positively charged holes, while the majority of charge carriers in the N-type are negatively charged electrons.
  • To maintain a neutral charge condition around the junction due to the electron-hole pair, the overall charge on both sides of a P-N Junction must be equal and opposite. The depletion region is the layer between the P-type and N-type where the charge carriers are replicated multiple times.
• About Anode and Cathode: The anode terminal is connected to the p-type material, while the cathode is connected to the n-type material. These terminals define the diode’s directionality.

What is an LED?

• Electroluminescence: An LED is a diode that emits light. Inside the diode’s p-n junction, the electrons have more energy than the holes. When an electron meets and occupies a hole, it releases energy into its surroundings. If the frequency of this energy is in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, the diode will be seen to emit light. The overall phenomenon is called electroluminescence.
• Band Gap: The energy of a wave is proportional to its frequency. So making sure the light emitted by an LED is visible is a matter of ensuring the electron-hole recombination releases a certain amount of energy, not more and not less. This is possible to achieve thanks to the band gap.

Significance of Band Gap

• Energy Levels: Only specific energy values and levels can be occupied by electrons. These electrons often occupy the lowest energy levels that are accessible, resulting in materials with a band gap, insulators, and conductors.
• The Function of Band Gap: The energy threshold that must be crossed by electrons for materials to conduct electricity is known as a band gap.
• LEDs and Band Gap: The colour of an LED is determined by the energy released during electron-hole recombination, which is correlated with the band gap.

What colours can an LED produce?

• Background of the Color Palette of LEDs:Red and green LEDs were developed almost forty years before blue LEDs were produced. Producing gallium nitride crystals with the right characteristics for electroluminescence was the difficult part.
• Primary Colors: LEDs have a flexible colour pallet because they can create red, green, and blue light. Display boards and screens can have a wide range of colours because of the combination of multiple LEDs.
• Breakthrough: : Using gallium nitride, Japanese researchers Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura achieved a breakthrough in the late 1980s by producing a vivid blue LED. They were awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for their accomplishment.

What are the advantages of LEDs?

• Efficiency: In terms of luminous efficacy, LEDs perform better than fluorescent and incandescent bulbs, emitting more light per watt of power.
• Durability: Because LEDs require less maintenance and waste less materials, they are very durable.
• Various Uses: LEDs are used in a wide range of industries, including air quality monitoring, greenhouse illumination, consumer electronics, and signs.
• Color Versatility: A wide range of applications can be served by the different colours and frequencies that LEDs can emit.

MPLADS e-SAKSHI Mobile Application

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

Recently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) launched the e-SAKSHI Mobile Application for the revised fund flow procedure under the MPLAD Scheme.

About e-SAKSHI application

• The mobile app is set to revolutionize the way MPs engage with and manage development projects in their constituencies.
  • Offering convenience and accessibility, the application allows MPs to propose, track, and oversee projects at their fingertips.
• Under the revised guidelines, the entire process of project recommendation will operate through both the web portal and the mobile application.
• Real-time Access for Informed Decision-Making
• The e-SAKSHI mobile application provides real-time access, enhancing decision-making processes for MPs.
• This feature enables swift responses to emerging needs or issues, streamlining communication between MPs and relevant authorities.
• The innovation ensures a more efficient exchange of information, contributing to the overall effectiveness of the MPLAD scheme.

Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL)

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

Recently, the State-owned KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd) has signed an agreement with Argentina to explore and develop its lithium blocks.

About Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL)

• KABIL was incorporated on 8th August 2019 under the Companies Act 2013.
• KABIL is a Joint Venture Company among the three Government Enterprises: National Aluminium Company Ltd. (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and Mineral Exploration & Consultancy Limited (MECL).
• KABIL was formed to identify, acquire, develop and process strategic minerals overseas for use in India.
• KABIL is the first Indian company to explore lithium and mining projects in a foreign country.
• Recent agreement:
  • KABIL has obtained Exploration and Exclusivity Rights for 5 blocks to evaluate, prospect and explore and after the existence/discovery of lithium mineral, exploitation rights for commercial production.
  • KABIL will start the exploration and development of 5 lithium brine blocks viz 1. Cortadera-I, 2. Cortadera-VII, 3. Cortadera-VIII, 4. Cateo-2022-01810132 and 5. Cortadera-VI covers an area of about 15,703 hectares, located in the Catamarca province of Argentina.
  • Argentina is the part of “Lithium Triangle” along with Chile and Bolivia with more than half of the world’s total lithium resources and the distinction of having 2nd largest lithium resources, 3rd largest lithium reserves and 4th largest production in the world.

Trade Connect ePlatform (KABIL)

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

Recently, the Union commerce minister announced the launch of the Trade Connect ePlatform.

About Trade Connect ePlatform

• Trade Connect ePlatform is an intermediary platform providing the facility to connect Indian exporters and entrepreneurs with various stakeholders in international trade.
• The portal will also help new exporters access key information and opportunities for MSME traders, which is not easily accessible for small traders due to restricted knowledge about the mechanism.
• The platform will be designed in such a way that anyone can get all the information for export promotion activities, including contact details of all resource persons.
• Trade Connect ePlatform will increase the participation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), and startups in exports, a move aimed at promoting exports with the involvement of small and medium traders.
• The ePlatform, expected to be operational in 3-4 months, will provide new and aspiring exporters with crucial information on market regulations, sector trends, and benefits under free trade agreements (FTAs).

Namma Yatari App

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

Recently, the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)-enabled ride-hailing app Namma Yatri launched its services in New Delhi.

About Namma Yatri App

• Launched in Kochi as “Yatri” in 2020, the Namma Yatri family of apps currently operates in seven cities in the ONDC network.
  • The open and community-driven ride-booking app, which works on zero commission model.
• The app has been built on the Open Network for Digital Commerce protocol.
• Backed by Juspay, it serves over 1.7 lakh drivers and over 40 lakh customers.
• The app also provides detailed data about the number of trips, ride searches and drivers’ earnings, registered users and drivers, and others.

Parkash Utsav

Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins

Why in news?

Recently, the PM has paid homage to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on his Parkash Utsav and recalled his courage as well as compassion.

About Guru Gobind Singh Ji

• Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, also known as Parkash Utsav, is a significant Sikh festival commemorating his birth anniversary.
• Guru Gobind Singh Ji, born Gobind Das, was the tenth and last human Sikh Guru.
• His father Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth Sikh Guru.
• His four biological sons died during his lifetime – two in battle and were two executed by the Mughal governor Wazir Khan.
• Guru Gobind Singh was also a prolific poet and writer, contributing significantly to Sikh literature.
• Before his passing in 1708, he declared the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred Sikh scripture, as the eternal Guru.