Daily Current Affairs : 8th January 2024

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

1. Aditya – L1
2. Red Sea trouble and impact on India
3. Landslide Susceptibility Map
4. Facts for Prelims

1 . Aditya – L1

Context: ISRO’s Aditya-L1 successfully placed in a halo orbit around L1 point.  

About the news 

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has placed the Aditya-L1 spacecraft in a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point (L1). 
• The point is located roughly 1.5 million km from earth and enables the spacecraft to view the sun continuously. 

What is the Aditya L1 mission?  

• The Aditya L1 mission is the first space-based observatory Indian solar mission to study the Sun.  
• The spacecraft is placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1), around 1.5 million km from the Earth, of the Sun-Earth system.  
• As per the ISRO, the mission will be launched by PSLV rocket from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR) in Sriharikota. While the spacecraft was initially placed in a low earth orbit. Further, as the orbit is made more elliptical, the spacecraft was launched towards the L1 point by using an on-board propulsion.  
• The ISRO said as the spacecraft moves towards L1, it will exit the Earth’s gravitational Sphere of Influence (SOI), after which the cruise phase will begin. The spacecraft was then injected into a huge halo orbit around L1.  
• The total time of travel from the launch to the L1 point took around four months for Aditya-L1.  
• According to the ISRO, a satellite which will be placed around the L1 will have a significant advantage of continuously having the Sun’s view without being obstructed by any occultation or eclipses.  
• The mission will provides another advantage of observing solar activities and witnessing their impact on space weather in real-time.  
• The spacecraft will be carrying seven payloads in order to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the topmost layers of the Sun (the corona) by using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors.  
• The satellite uses the L1 special vantage point to directly view the sun with four payloads and three payloads will study the particles and fields at the L1 point, “thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium.  

About the Satellite & Payloads

• ISRO categorizes Aditya L1 as a 400 kg-class satellite, that will be launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in XL configuration.  
• Spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors. Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium  
• The suits of Aditya L1 payloads are expected to provide most crucial informations to understand the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particle and fields etc.  
• The mission will be undertaken in collaboration between various labs of ISRO, along with institutions like the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata. Aditya L1 will be ISRO’s second space-based astronomy mission after AstroSat, which was launched in September 2015.  

What are Lagrange points?

• According to the ISRO, for a two-body gravitational system, the Lagrange Points are the positions in space where a small object tends to stay, if put there. 
• These points in space for a two-body system such as sun and earth can be used by the spacecraft to remain at these positions with reduced fuel consumption. 
•  For two-body gravitational systems, there are total five Lagrange points, denoted as L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5. 

What is the L1 point?

• The L1 lies between the sun-earth line which is about 1.5 million km from the earth. 
• The distance of L1 from earth is approximately 1% of the earth-sun distance. 
•  A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the sun without any occultation/eclipse. This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities continuously. 
• There are currently four operational spacecraft at L1 which are WIND, Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVER). 

Importance of Mission

• According to the ISRO, a satellite which will be placed around the L1 will have a significant advantage of continuously having the Sun’s view without being obstructed by any occultation or eclipses.  
• The mission will also provide another advantage of observing solar activities and witnessing their impact on space weather in real-time.  
• What makes a solar mission challenging is the distance of the Sun from Earth (about 149 million km on average, compared to the only 3.84 lakh km to the Moon) and, more importantly, the super hot temperatures and radiations in the solar atmosphere.  

Science Objectives

The major science objectives of Aditya-L1 mission are:  

• Study of Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.  
• Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares  
• Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun.  
• Physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism.  
• Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperature, velocity and density.  
• Development, dynamics and origin of CMEs.  
• Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers (chromosphere, base and extended corona) which eventually leads to solar eruptive events.  
• Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona .  
• Monitoring the Sun: From the  vantage point L1, Aditya L1 can observe the Sun 24X7 using its four remote sensing payloads, and measure in-situ the various parameters of space weather.  
• To understand climate variability: The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) developed by the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics, in close collaboration with the ISRO, the Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India, Mohanpur, the Manipal Academy of Higher Education etc, will observe the UV radiation from different zones of the solar atmosphere. The onboard intelligence system will detect any sudden appearance of bright spots, such as solar flares (a sudden burst of high energy visible light, UV rays, X rays and Gamma rays) on the disc. The automated system will trigger the rapid imaging of different layers, and  will obtain a 3D tomographic view of the Sun.   
• Looking deeper: Usually, the corona is not visible in the glare of the radiant Sun, except during the brief moment of a total solar eclipse.  Hitherto, no space telescope could peer at the inner corona, closer to the Sun. The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) developed by the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics in close collaboration with the ISRO can peek as close as 1.05 solar radii, a region never imaged by any solar telescope.   
• When a solar storm brews: The changes in the solar wind’s density, speed and direction is called space weather. Solar storms result in inclement space weather. Aditya L1 will function as a space weather station. The Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) developed by the ISRO’s Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory, the Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA) developed by the Thiruvananthapuram based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the advanced Tri-axial High-Resolution Digital Magnetometers developed by the Bengaluru based ISRO’s Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems keep a constant watch over the parameters of space weather near Aditya L1. Using the data from these instruments, scientists can predict probable geomagnetic storms and better understand space weather dynamics.  
• The data from Adtiya L1 will aid in making models and predicting storms in advance. 

Why study the Sun

• The Sun produces energy through nuclear fusion in its interior, and emits it from its outer layers. The photosphere, a 6,000-degree Celsius layer, emits all visible and infrared light, crucial for life.  Above is the chromosphere, and higher still is the million-degree Celsius hot corona.
• Interestingly, the corona is much hotter than the inner layers of the Sun — there must be some energy source which provides this heat. However, the processes involved in this are not yet fully understood. Moreover, it also emits ultraviolet and X-ray radiation which would be lethal to life on Earth, without the presence of the atmosphere which absorbs most harmful radiation.
• The Sun also continuously streams electrically charged particles — a stream known as the Solar wind. These charged particles produce the spectacular aurorae, known as the Northern and Southern Lights, seen close to the north and south poles of the Earth.
• There are also sudden bursts and ejections of charged particles from the Sun into interplanetary space, known as Solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These directly affect space weather, space-reliant technologies like satellite communication networks, and can produce electric power blackouts in Earth’s higher latitudes. Notably, they can be extremely difficult to predict.

2 . Red Sea trouble and impact on India

Context: A spate of attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea since November by the Houthi militia of Yemen has turned the quickest marine route linking Asia with Europe through the Suez Canal unsafe. 

What is the impact on Indian trade flowing through the Red Sea? 

• After the attacks, major cargo shipping lines decided they would not operate on this route. Even small feeder vessels have of late stopped plying in these waters. 
• Almost 90% of western hemisphere cargo, both inbound or shipped from India, that used to go through the Red Sea is now getting re-routed through the Cape of Good Hope, according to the Federation of Indian Export Organisations’ Director-General. Whether exporting to Europe, the U.S. east coast and even to countries in North Africa, the longer route is being used. 
•  The remaining 10% of Indian import or export cargo is either not moving or using a transit facility. 
• The impact of this move varies on the type of buyer-seller contract. If it is FOB (free on board), the freight burden is on the buyer, and in CIF (cost, insurance and freight) or C&F (cost and freight) contracts, the freight has to be borne by the exporter. 
• In cases of FOB, and where the buyers have comfortable inventory, they are asking the Indian exporter to hold back consignment. 
• Likewise, exporters who have to bear the freight are requesting their buyers to allow them to hold the consignment given the increase in freight costs, which includes peak season surcharge and contingency surcharge. 
• However, if there is zero inventory, the buyer would insist on shipment of the goods. As per Container Corporation of India, about 25% of its containers are being held back by Indian exporters. 
• While all consignments are likely to be impacted by the increase in freight cost, by up to six-fold in some cases, and the longer voyage time, the pinch would be felt most by low-value, high-volume cargo as well as perishables.  

How does the crisis impact India’s imports? 

• Besides the extra time taken on account of the longer route, the developments could make imports costlier and call for better inventory management. 
• While the impact on some critical imports are being assessed, both import and export cycles have elongated. 
• The crisis could result in final products turning dearer. For instance, the Red Sea crisis could come in the way of any plans to reduce pump prices of petrol and diesel. 
• In fact, India’s import dependence (based on consumption) in the April-September 2023 period was 87.6%, according to the government’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell. 
• Citing the turbulent situation, Petroleum Minister said there was no plan to slash fuel prices. 
• In a note on the impact of the crisis on oil tankers, analytics firm Vortexa’s senior freight analyst observes that though freight rates for impacted routes have increased, this has not been reflected in the overall tanker market, implying that there is as yet no en masse re-routing taking place. 
• Additional war risk premiums in the Red Sea have been partially contributing to the freight-rate increases for the relevant routes, but this surcharge is significantly lower than the costs linked to re-routing via the Cape of Good Hope. Because of the current pricing dynamics, the tankers that are diverting are predominantly the ones chartered from companies announcing diversions as well as the ones operated by U.S. and Israel-linked entities. 

What has been the response? 

• The UN has said “no cause or grievance” could justify Houthi attacks against freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. 
• The U.S. wants more support for the multi-national ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’ it is spearheading to keep the sea lanes open and free of threats.  
• India is closely watching the situation, and the Commerce Secretary is said to have held discussions with officials and trade bodies. 

3 . Landslide Susceptibility Map

Context: IIT-Delhi team makes first hi-res landslide risk map for India. 

About the news 

• The ‘Indian Landslide Susceptibility Map’ is the first of its kind by virtue of being on a national scale, leaving out no locations in the country. 
• The map and the researchers’ study will be published in the journal Catena in its February 2024 issue. 

Map making Process

• IIT Delhi team first collected the data of known landslides in the country. The team obtained nearly 1.5 lakh such events via the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and other, including global, sources. 
• Then, they collected information on the factors that rendered an area susceptible to landslides. Some of them are soil cover (or the type of soil in the area), the number of trees covering the area, and how far it is from any roads or mountains. The fewer trees there are in a place, the closer it is to road-building activity, and the steeper the local slope, the more unstable the place will be and thus more prone to landslides. 
• They gathered information from across the country on 16 such factors, which they called landslide conditioning factors. They said GeoSadak, an online system that has data on the national road network in India, was particularly helpful because it displayed data on roads even outside cities. 
• The researchers were particularly interested in landslide susceptibility in areas for which there was no data about known landslide events. Some of these places were just too uninhabitable or inaccessible, like the treacherous sides of mountains without roads. 
• Finally, they had two things in hand: 150,000 data points for known landslide events and 16 factors that, in their estimate, rendered an area susceptible to landslides. The team had been able to collect information about these factors for the whole country. 
• They decided to use ensemble machine learning methods to analyse the data. Ensemble machine learning is when multiple machine learning models are used together to average out an oversize impact from any one model. 
• Once the models were ready, the researchers used them to make projections for all the areas for which there wasn’t any landslide data. That is, even if a landslide had not (yet) occurred at a particular place, the ensemble could estimate its susceptibility to one based on the 16 factors and patterns in the data. 
• After all the analyses, and with the help of GSI’s extensive collection of landslide data, they developed a high-resolution landslide susceptibility map. Here, they could plot the susceptibility at a resolution of 100 m. That is, they estimated the susceptibility for each 100 sq. m parcel across the whole country. 

Landslide susceptibility Areas

• The map acknowledged some well-known regions of high landslide susceptibility, like parts of the foothills of the Himalaya, the Assam-Meghalaya region, and the Western Ghats. 
• It also revealed some previously unknown places with high risk, such as some areas of the Eastern Ghats, just north of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. 
• The map is also expected to be useful for organisations involved in investigating and mitigating landslides, like the GSI, the Ministry of Mines, and the National Disaster Management Authority. 

4 . Facts for Prelims

 Official Languages of Jammu and Kashmir

• Since 2020, Kashmiri has been made an official language of Jammu and Kashmir along with Dogri, Hindi, Urdu and English. 
• Kashmiri is also among the 22 scheduled languages of India. 

 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs): 

• Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a campaign–public welfare scheme of Government of India. It was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses through special kendras known as Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendra (PMBJK). 
• The scheme’s centres have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded  
  drugs.  
• Bureau of Pharma Public Sector Undertakings of India (BPPI) has been established under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Govt. of India, with the support of all the CPSUs for co-ordinating procurement, supply and marketing of generic drugs through the centres. 

Oxygenic photosynthesis

• Oxygenic photosynthesis is a process in which sunlight catalyses the conversion of water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen. 
• It is unique to cyanobacteria and related organelles within eukaryotes. 
• Cyanobacteria had an important role in the evolution of early life and were active during the Great Oxidation Event around 2.4 billion years ago, but the timings of the origins of oxygenic photosynthesis are debated owing to limited evidence. 
• Thylakoids represent direct ultrastructural evidence for oxygenic photosynthesis metabolism. Thylakoid membranes are dense, mostly galactolipid, protein-containing bilayers in which photosynthesis occurs in photosynthetic organisms. 

Revised Schedule M:

• Aimed at ensuring robust quality control for pharma and biopharmaceutical products, the Union Health Ministry recently notified revised rules under Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. 
• The revised Schedule M prescribes the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and requirements of premises, plant, and equipment for the production of pharmaceutical products. 
• The GMP is the mandatory standard that builds and brings quality into a product by way of control of materials, methods, machines, processes, personnel, facility/environment and so on. 
• GMP was first incorporated in Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 in 1988 and was last amended in June 2005. 
• With the amendment, the words ‘Good Manufacturing Practices’ (GMP) have been replaced with ‘Good Manufacturing Practices and Requirements of Premises, Plant and Equipment for Pharmaceutical Products’. 
• The changes introduced in the revised Schedule M include the introduction of a pharmaceutical quality system (PQS), quality risk management (QRM), product quality review (PQR), qualification and validation of equipment, and a computerised storage system for all drug products. 

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas schemes 

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). 
• The objective of this Skill Certification Scheme is to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood. 
• Individuals with prior learning experience or skills will also be assessed and certified under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). 
• Under this Scheme, Training and Assessment fees are completely paid by the Government. 
• Eligibility : In line with the scheme objectives, the scheme is applicable to any candidate of Indian nationality who is an unemployed youth, college dropout and has a verifiable bank account /Aadhaar and voter ID.