Daily Current Affairs : 6th January 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

1. India’s maritime security
2. Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell-based Power System (FCPS)  
3. Deep Tech Policy
4. Prithvi Vigyan Programme
5. Facts for Prelims

1 . India’s maritime security

Context: Indian Navy thwarts hijacking attempt in Arabian Sea. 

About the news

• In a positive end to a hijacking attempt in the North Arabian Sea, Indian Navy MARCOS (Marine Commandos) secured and safely evacuated all 21 crew members, including 15 Indians, from the merchant vessel Lila Norfolk after it came under a hijacking attempt. 
• The bulk carrier Lila Norfolk had sent a message on UKMTO (U.K. Maritime Trade Operations) portal, when it was 460nm off the coast from Eyl, Somalia, indicating boarding by approximately five to six unknown armed persons. 
• Responding to the call, the Indian Navy diverted destroyer INS Chennai which was on anti-piracy patrol in the region while an MPA overflew the vessel in the morning and established contact, ascertaining the safety of the crew. 

Strategic importance of Arabian Sea

• Trade and Economic Activity: India’s western coastline is bordered by the Arabian Sea, providing access to key ports like Mumbai, Kandla, and Kochi. These ports are crucial for India’s trade with the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The sea route is vital for the transportation of oil, natural gas, and other goods essential to India’s economy.
• Energy Security: India heavily relies on oil imports, and a significant portion of this oil comes via the Arabian Sea. Securing this route is critical for India’s energy security, and disruptions in this area can have significant economic impacts.
• Maritime Security: Given the vulnerability to piracy, smuggling, and other security threats, India has a keen interest in maintaining security in the Arabian Sea. The Indian Navy actively patrols these waters to safeguard trade routes and protect against potential threats.
• Strategic Naval Presence: India has strategically located naval bases and facilities along the Arabian Sea, such as in Mumbai, Karwar, and Kochi. These bases enhance India’s maritime capabilities and allow for a quicker response to regional security challenges.
• Geopolitical Importance: The Arabian Sea serves as a meeting point for major powers’ strategic interests. India’s position along this sea influences its relations with countries in the Middle East, Africa, and even with global players like the United States and China.
• Natural Resources and Fisheries: The Arabian Sea’s rich marine resources support India’s fishing industry, providing livelihoods to coastal communities. It also hosts potential mineral resources, contributing to India’s economic and industrial development.

 Effectiveness of India’s maritime security measures:  

•  Naval Capabilities: India has bolstered its naval capabilities with modern ships, submarines, and aircraft. The Indian Navy conducts regular patrols, surveillance, and exercises to monitor and protect its maritime borders. The effectiveness of these measures depends on the fleet’s strength, operational readiness, and deployment.
• Coastal Security: After the 2008 Mumbai attacks, India initiated the Coastal Security Scheme, aiming to strengthen surveillance along the coastline. This involved setting up coastal police stations, deploying patrol vessels, and establishing coordination mechanisms. The effectiveness depends on the coordination among multiple agencies and the adequacy of resources provided.
• International Cooperation: India collaborates with other countries and participates in maritime security initiatives, such as joint exercises, information sharing, and capacity building. Cooperation with countries like the US, Japan, and those in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) enhances the effectiveness of maritime security efforts.
• Anti-Piracy Measures: India actively contributes to anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. Deploying naval assets, participating in multinational task forces, and escorting merchant ships have helped mitigate piracy threats in these regions.
• Legal Framework and Policies: India has enacted laws and policies to address maritime security threats, including piracy, terrorism, smuggling, and illegal fishing. The effectiveness of these measures relies on their implementation, enforcement, and adaptation to evolving challenges.
• Technology and Surveillance: Utilizing technology like maritime domain awareness systems, radar networks, satellite monitoring, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) enhances surveillance capabilities. The effectiveness depends on the integration of these technologies into a comprehensive surveillance network.
• Challenges and Evolving Threats: Effectiveness also hinges on addressing challenges like resource constraints, vast maritime borders, and the evolving nature of security threats, including cyber threats and non-traditional security challenges.

Challenges faced by India in safeguarding its waters against piracy and other threats

• Fragmented Approach to India’s Maritime Border Management: A diffused approach gives rise to overlapping jurisdiction and lack of unity of command in maritime border guarding.  
• Conflates Policing with Maritime Border Guarding: Border guarding is part of the Union List while public order and Police are part of the State List. The former falls under the purview of the MHA with CAPFs assigned the task to guard the borders. However, in the maritime domain, assigning responsibility for patrolling and surveillance of coastal areas up to 12 nautical miles (presently limited to 5 nm because of capacity constraints) to the SCP under the nine coastal states/UTs, firstly fragments the maritime border guarding and secondly, erroneously conflates the responsibility of law and order (State List) with maritime border guarding (Union List). This also leads to the problem of overlapping jurisdiction between the IN, ICG and the SCP and a lack of unity of command at the ministry and force level. 
• Coastal Security Not Addressed Comprehensively by Task Force: While the Task Force made comprehensive recommendations in respect of land border management, the same was not evident in its recommendations for coastal security. 
• IN and ICG under Different Departments in MoD: while the Army, Navy and Air Force were placed under the Department of Military Affairs , in a conspicuous anomaly, the ICG was placed under the MoD. This was despite the GoM Report noting the requirement for coordination between the IN and the ICG in both peace and war. 
• Security of Maritime Borders is not ICG’s Primary Duty: Another fundamental deficit is that ensuring the security of maritime borders is not the primary duty of ICG. This is prescribed in the governing Act of every other border guarding force in India, whether AR, BSF, Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) or the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Instead, ICG is mandated for ensuring the security of the maritime zones of India with a view to the protection of maritime and other national interests.  
   

2 . Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell-based Power System (FCPS)

Context: ISRO tests fuel cell-based power system in space.  

About the news

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully tested a 100 W-class Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell-based Power System (FCPS) in its orbital platform, POEM3, which was launched on board PSLV-C58. 
• The objective of the experiment was to assess Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel cell operation in space and to collect data to facilitate the design of systems for future missions. 
• During the short duration test onboard POEM, 180 W power was generated from Hydrogen and Oxygen gases stored on onboard in high pressure vessels. 
• It provided a wealth of data on performance of various static and dynamic systems that formed part of the power system and the physics at play.  

About Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

• Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, also called proton exchange membrane fuel cells, use a proton-conducting polymer membrane as the electrolyte.
• Hydrogen is typically used as the fuel. These cells operate at relatively low temperatures and can quickly vary their output to meet shifting power demands. PEM fuel cells are the best candidates for powering automobiles. They can also be used for stationary power production.
• However, due to their low operating temperature, they cannot directly use hydrocarbon fuels, such as natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or ethanol. These fuels must be converted to hydrogen in a fuel reformer to be able to be used by a PEM fuel cell.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell

• Hydrogen Fuel Cells produce electricity directly from Hydrogen and Oxygen gases, along with pure water and heat.
• It is an electric generator which works on electrochemical principles, as in batteries, as against the combustion reactions employed in conventional generators.
• The ability to produce electricity directly from fuels without any intermediate step renders them very efficient. With water as the only byproduct, they are totally emission free.
• These features make them ideal candidates for space missions involving humans where electric power, water and heat are essential since a single systems can meet multiple requirements in the mission.
• Fuel Cells also possess significant societal application potential. They are also considered to be the most appropriate solution to replace the engines of various types vehicles in use today and to power standby power systems.
• Fuel Cells can provide range and fuel recharge time equaling that of today’s conventional engine, which gives them a distinct advantage over batteries, and are expected to facilitate emission free transportation. Fuel cell is ideal power source for Space Station as it provides both power and pure water.

3 . Deep Tech Policy

Context: Deep tech’ policy to be sent to Cabinet for approval, says scientific adviser.  

About the news

• Government unveiled a draft of the policy for public comment. Following feedback from industry, a final version is reportedly ready. 

About the Policy

• It is a strategic and well-thought-out policy aimed at fostering the growth and sustainability of deeptech startups. 
• It aims to help startups overcome challenges relating to funding, access to the right talent, and scaling their research and development operations 
• As the policy moves from a draft to implementation, its success will be measured by the tangible impact it has on startups 

Key Features

• Funding and innovation: The strategy attempts to give financial assistance to deeptech firms through a variety of means such as grants, loans, and venture capital. It also aims to foster innovation by simplifying regulatory processes and encouraging collaboration between academia and industry.  
• It suggests measures such as a centralised platform, fiscal incentives, specialised financial instruments, and technology impact bonds all aimed at boosting the growth and sustainability of deeptech business.  
• It also recommends expert panels for economic evaluation and cooperative funding options to enhance technical infrastructure, thereby optimising funding for select startups.  
• Talent development: Recognising the importance of human resources in the deeptech sector, the policy promotes steps to cultivate a skilled workforce. This includes promoting STEM education, offering training possibilities, and attracting international talent. 
• Access to advanced infrastructure and technology: The strategy emphasises the importance of deeptech startups having access to advanced infrastructure and technology. It suggests that deeptech incubation centres and testing facilities be established across the country, it also emphasises strengthening the existing tie-ups with IIT and IISc, etc to provide shared infrastructure resources at nominal fees. The policy also provides for the creation of domain expertise for data interpretation through a fee service model as well as network standardisation and field test sites to further facilitate testing of deep-tech startups.  
• Public procurement and market opportunities: The strategy pushes government agencies to embrace deeptech solutions and opens up new markets for businesses as well as become the first market for such deeptech startups. It also encourages international cooperation and market access. 
• Intellectual Property (IP) protection: The policy recognises the necessity of IP protection for deeptech businesses. It suggests the establishment of a uniform IP framework and the implementation of strong cybersecurity measures. It further aims to support deeptech startups by building in-house capabilities and granting government-purpose rights for strategic technologies. 

4 . Prithvi Vigyan Programme

Context : Union Cabinet Chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the overarching scheme “PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI)” of Ministry of Earth Sciences, for implementation during the period from 2021-26 at an overall cost of Rs. 4,797 crore.

About the Scheme

• The scheme encompasses five ongoing sub-schemes namely “Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)”, “Ocean Services, Modelling Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART)”, “Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER)”, “Seismology and Geosciences (SAGE)” and “Research, Education, Training and Outreach (REACHOUT)”.
• Earth System Sciences deal with all the five components of the earth system: atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere and their complex interactions.
• The overarching scheme of PRITHVI will holistically address all the five components of earth system to improve the understating of the Earth System Sciences and to provide reliable services for the country. Various components of PRITHVI scheme are inter-dependent and are carried out in an integrated manner through combined efforts of the concerned Institutes under MoES.
• The overarching scheme of Prithvi Vigyan will enable development of integrated multi-disciplinary earth science research and innovative programs across different MoES institutes.
• These integrated R&D efforts will help in addressing the grand challenges of weather and climate, ocean, cryosphere, seismological science and services and explore the living and non-living resources for their sustainable harnessing

Major Objectives

• Augmentation and sustainance of long-term observations of the atmosphere, ocean, geosphere, cryosphere and solid earth to record the vital signs of the Earth System and change
• Development of modelling systems for understanding and predicting weather, ocean and climate hazards and understanding the science of climate change
• Exploration polar and high seas regions of the Earth towards discovery of new phenomena and resources;
• Development of technology for exploration and sustainable harnessing of oceanic resources for societal applications
• Translation of knowledge and insights from Earth systems science into services for societal, environmental and economic benefit.    

5 . Facts for Prelims

 Paleolithic age and features

• Paleolithic Period or Old Stone Age; the earliest period of human development, last until approx 8000 BC.  
• The Paleolithic Period  is divided into two eras: the Lower Paleolithic (to 40,000 BC) and the Upper Paleolithic (40,000–8000 BC). 
• Features: Stone Tools: People of the Paleolithic Age primarily used tools made of stone, such as handaxes, cleavers, and blades. These tools were crafted from rocks like quartz, chert, and jasper. 
• Hunter-Gatherer Lifestyle: Paleolithic communities were nomadic hunter-gatherers. They relied on hunting animals for food, as well as gathering fruits, nuts, and roots. Their survival depended on the availability of natural resources. 
• Cave Dwellings: Many Paleolithic communities in India lived in caves, utilizing natural shelters for protection against the elements and wildlife. Some famous examples include the Bhimbetka caves in Madhya Pradesh. 
• Art and Symbolism: Evidence of early artistic expression, including cave paintings and rock engravings, has been found in various locations. These artistic endeavors suggest a developing sense of symbolism and possibly religious or cultural practices. 

IMAC  

• The Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) was approved in 2012 and inaugurated on 23 November 2014.  
• Located in Gurugram, it is the nodal agency for maritime data fusion that links information from the high seas and Indian’s coastline and island territories. 
• IMAC tracks only non-military shipping, whereas the Directorate of Naval Operations tracks military vessels on another classified network. 
• A multi-agency center named as National Maritime Domain Awareness centre (NMDA centre) is also raised for specific military purpose under Indian Navy.