Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE
Topics Covered
- Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitrary Tribunal (CSAT).
- 5G
- National Clean Energy Fund
- Bhogali Bihu
- Farm to Port Project
- Formation of a blackhole / Collapse of a star
- Rythu Bandu Scheme
- Facts for Prelims
1 . Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitrary Tribunal (CSAT)
Context : Justice A.K. Sikri, the Supreme Court judge whose vote in the Prime Minister-led high-power committee became decisive for the removal of Alok Verma as CBI Director, on Sunday turned down an offer from the government to nominate him to the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitrary Tribunal (CSAT).
About CSAT
- The CSAT was established to meet the requirements of the Agreed Memorandum on the Commonwealth Secretariat (1964) which was revised by governments in 2005.
- In fulfilment of its obligations under the Agreed Memorandum, the United Kingdom Government passed the Commonwealth Secretariat Act 1966 which, among other things, gives the Commonwealth Secretariat legal personality and accords it certain immunities and privileges.
- In keeping with the requirements of the Agreed Memorandum, every contract entered into by or on behalf of the Commonwealth Secretariat contains a provision for any dispute arising out of any such contract to be submitted to the CSAT for settlement.
- The judgment of the Tribunal shall be final and binding on the parties and shall not be subject to appeal”
Composition of CSAT
- The CSAT has a full complement of eight members comprising the President and seven other members.
- The members are selected by Commonwealth Governments on a regionally representative basis from among persons of high moral character who must hold or have held high judicial office in a Commonwealth country or who are jurisconsults with at least ten years experience.
- The members are appointed on a four year term which may be renewed only once. To consider a case before it, the Tribunal is normally composed of a panel of three including the President and two other members selected by the President.
Competence & Jurisdiction
- The CSAT is competent to hear applications brought by three categories of persons namely:
- a member of staff of the Commonwealth Secretariat
- the Commonwealth Secretariat
- any person who enters into a contract in writing with the Commonwealth Secretariat.
- The Tribunal may also hear applications arising out of disputes involving other Commonwealth international or intergovernmental organizations which agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the CSAT.
2 . 5 G Technology
Background
- Fifth-generation wireless (5G) is the latest iteration of cellular technology, engineered to greatly increase the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks.
- With 5G, data transmitted over wireless broadband connections could travel at rates as high as 20 Gbps by some estimates — exceeding wireline network speeds — as well as offer latency of 1 ms or lower for uses that require real-time feedback.
- 5G will also enable a sharp increase in the amount of data transmitted over wireless systems due to more available bandwidth and advanced antenna technology.
How 5G works
- Wireless networks are composed of cell sites divided into sectors that send data through radio waves. Fourth-generation (4G) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless technology provides the foundation for 5G.
- Unlike 4G, which requires large, high-power cell towers to radiate signals over longer distances, 5G wireless signals will be transmitted via large numbers of small cell stations located in places like light poles or building roofs.
- The use of multiple small cells is necessary because the millimeter wave spectrum — the band of spectrum between 30 GHz and 300 GHz that 5G relies on to generate high speeds — can only travel over short distances and is subject to interference from weather and physical obstacles, like buildings.
- Previous generations of wireless technology have used lower-frequency bands of spectrum. To offset millimeter wave challenges relating to distance and interference, the wireless industry is also considering the use of lower-frequency spectrum for 5G networks so network operators could use spectrum they already own to build out their new networks.
- Lower-frequency spectrum reaches greater distances but has lower speed and capacity than millimeter wave
Advantages of 5G Technology for India
- The key argument in favour of 5G is congestion relief. Network operators can use 5G to alleviate the mobile and video congestion that often occurs when large numbers of users are concentrated in one place, such as transit hubs, sporting events or shopping areas. For users, this means being able to seamlessly stream videos wherever they are, regardless of how many other people are doing the same thing.
- Once IoT gains momentum, the largest opportunity will be in manufacturing, energy and utilities, followed by public safety and health sectors. “This will be over and above the revenue generated from traditional services which is expected to grow up to $63 billion by 2026,” a BGR report states.
Challenges of Implementing 5G Technology in India
- There is no compelling, near-term business case for 5G
- Implementing 5G will require enormous and unjustifiable capital investments
- The main reason to invest in 5G is to reduce costs or, at least, improve unit economics, but not to increase revenues.
3 . National Clean Energy Fund
Context : The 42nd standing committee on energy in its report on stressed gas-based power plants tabled in Parliament earlier this month has pulled up the government for diverting coal cess to compensate States for revenue loss post-GST, and recommended financial support to the stressed gas-based power projects in the country from National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF).
About National Clean Energy Fund
- The National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) is a fund created in 2010-11 using the carbon tax – clean energy cess – for funding research and innovative projects in clean energy technologies of public sector or private sector entities, upto the extent of 40% of the total project cost.
- Assistance is available as a loan or as a viability gap funding, as deemed fit by the Inter-Ministerial group, which decides on the merits of such projects.
- The Fund is designed as a non lapsable fund under Public Accounts
Procedure
- An Inter-Ministerial Group, chaired by the Finance Secretary in Ministry of Finance (and comprising of Secretaries of Departments of Expenditure and Revenue at Ministry of Finance, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, a representative of Planning Commission and a Representatives of Ministry sponsoring the proposal and other Ministries concerned with that specific proposal) recommends projects eligible for funding under NCEF.
- Upon recommendation by NCEF, the final approval is given by the Minister of the concerned nodal Ministry (which initially approved and decided to take the project submitted by the public or private entity to NCEF) if the project cost is below Rs. 150 Crore; by Minister of Finance and the Minister of the concerned nodal Ministry if the project cost is between Rs. 150 Crore and 300 crore; and by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs if the project cost is above Rs. 300 Crore.
Usage of fund
Any project/scheme relating to Innovative methods to adopt to Clean Energy technology and Research & Development are eligible for funding under the NCEF. An indicative list of such projects is as follows:
- Projects supporting the development and demonstration of integrated community energy solutions, smart grid technology renewable applications with solar, wind, tidal and geothermal energy;
- Projects in critical renewable energy infrastructure areas such as Silicon Manufacturing;
- Projects which result in replacing existing technology in energy generation with more environmentally sustainable approach;
- Projects related to environment management, particularly in the geographical areas surrounding the energy sector projects;
- Renewable/Alternate Energy: This would include advanced solar technologies, geothermal energy, bio-fuels from cellulosic biomass/algae/any waste, offshore Marine Technologies (Wind, Wave & Tidal) & Onshore wind energy technologies, Hydrogen & fuel cells.
- Clean Fossil Energy: This would include power, oil, gas and coal technologies including coal gasification, shale oil/ gas, lignite/Coal Bed Methane, advanced turbine and technology for IGCC power plants, methane hydrates, enhanced recovery from unconventional resources and fossil energy advanced research, carbon capture and sequestration as also carbon capture and reformation.
- Basic Energy Sciences: This would include energy storage for hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles, solid state lighting, catalysis, biological and environmental research, advanced computing, high energy and nuclear physics etc.
- The Fund may also support pilot & demonstration projects for commercialization in the relevant field.
- Mission projects identified in the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and projects relating to R&D to replace existing technologies with more environment friendly ones under National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC).
- The projects relating to creation of power evacuation infrastructure for renewables.
4 . Bhogali Bihu
About Bhogali Bihu
- Magh Bihu also called Bhogali Bihu or Maghar Domahi is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam, India, which marks the end of harvesting season in the month of Maagha (January–February)
- Bhogali Bihu is to Assam what Pongal is to Tamil Nadu and Lohri to Punjab.
5 . Farm to Port Project
Context : Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu announced here on Sunday that the UAE and Saudi Arabia had decided to use India as a base to address their food security concerns.
About Farm to Port Project
- This project will be in the style of corporatised farm where crops would be grown keeping a specific country market in mind
About the News
- UAE and Saudi have decided to use India as a base for food security… Exports have been identified. India produces 290 million tonnes of foodgrain and 305 to 310 million tonnes of horticulture.
- Investment in Indian logistics sector is expected from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and 15-20 countries from other parts of the world
6 . Formation of a blackhole / Collapse of a Star
Context : In a first, scientists may have seen the birth of a black hole
What happens when a star collapses
- Massive nuclear reactions at the centre of a star are what hold it up, preventing it from collapsing in on itself due to the mass of the material it is made of.
- When those reactions come to an end, the star will collapse and become a smaller, denser object. Stars the size of our Sun, which is a relatively small one, will collapse to about one-hundredth of its original size, forming what is known as a white dwarf.
- However, when stars about five times bigger than the Sun collapse, there will be a supernova — the ejection of some outer material into space.
- What is left will be a highly dense, but exponentially smaller object in which the atoms of the matter the star was made of gets completely crushed. Such an object is called a neutron star.
- But if a collapsing star is bigger still, then the result of the collapse will likely be a black hole. A black hole is unimaginably dense and the gravitational pull of it will be so strong that not even light will be able to escape it.
7 . Rythu Bandhu Scheme
Context : The Centre is weighing a host of options to provide income support (cash transfers) to farmers and other low-income population with an underlying notion that the huge financial resources for the venture will be shared between it and the state governments. The fiscal burden will shift to the next fiscal year, giving room for the Centre to simultaneously rework some subsidies being given to farmers such as that on fertilisers and crop loans.
About Rythu Bandhu Scheme
- Telangana government launched ‘Rythu Bandhu’ investment support scheme for farmers.
- The Rythu Bandhu (Agriculture Investment Support Scheme) takes care of initial investment needs of every farmer.
- Aimed at relieving farmers of debt burden and cease them from falling into the debt trap again, the scheme provides a grant of Rs 4,000 per acre per farmer each season for the purchase of inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, labour and other investments in the field operations of farmer’s choice for the crop season.
8 . Facts for Prelims
- Nobel laureate James Watson, co-discoverer of the DNA helix and father of the Human Genome Project, has been stripped of honours by his laboratory following “reprehensible” remarks on race and ethnicity.