Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 8th Aug 2023

Incident Response System : NDMA

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) recently said several states and Union territories (UTs) are yet to implement the Incident Response System (IRS).

• Incident Response System is a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedure and communications operating within a common organizational structure, with responsibility for the management of assigned resources to effectively accomplish stated objectives pertaining to an incident.
• In line with administrative structure and DM Act 2005, Responsible Officer (RO) is designated at the State and District level as overall in charge of the incident response management.
• RO may delegate responsibilities to the Incident Commander (IC), who in turn will lead/manage the incident through Incident Response Teams (IRTs).
• IRS functions through Incident Response Teams (IRTs) in the field. An IRT is a team comprising all positions of IRS organization; headed by Incident Commander (IC).
• On receipt of Early Warning, RO activates IRTs. In case of a disaster without any warning, local IRT will respond and contact RO for further support, if required.
• IRTs pre-designated at all levels, i.e. State, District, Sub-Division and Tehsil/Block.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA):

• Parent body: Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Objective is to coordinate response to natural or man-made disasters and for capacity-building in disaster resiliency and crisis response.

Swathi Mountains: Weapon Locating Radar

Indian Army inducted the lighter and more compact version of the indigenously developed Weapon Locating Radar (WLR-M) called “Swathi Mountains.”

• Swathi Mountains WLR is an advanced electronically scanned phased array radar.
• It is specifically designed for operations in mountainous and high-altitude areas.
• It was developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru.
• Weapon Locating Radar stands as a critical asset for modern militaries, employing advanced signal processing techniques to autonomously detect and track hostile artillery, mortars, and rocket launchers.
• It even tracks friendly fire trajectories, enabling precise calculations for more accurate artillery strikes.
• The radar’s sophistication lies in its ability to detect and track small projectiles across the battlefield while factoring in environmental conditions for precise launch and impact point estimations.
• A hallmark of the WLR is its high mobility and swift deployment capabilities, allowing it to adapt to changing operational requirements efficiently.
• Its slewable platform further enhances its agility, enabling the scanning of different areas without the need for physical repositioning.
• The WLR also acts as a potent friendly force multiplier by providing critical information on enemy weapon systems.

Technical Textiles : Report

According to a recent research report, the global Technical Textile market size is expected to reach USD 272.3 billion by 2030.

• Technical Textiles are textile products that are manufactured primarily for their functionality and use rather than aesthetic appeal.
• They are designed to have high levels of physical, mechanical, thermal, and/or chemical properties for use in specific applications within industrial sectors such as earthworks, construction, civil engineering, transport, defense, medical, and healthcare.
• The Ministry of Textiles has launched NTTM to increase the penetration level of technical textiles in India while leveraging the extraordinary growth rate of the sector.
• The aim of the mission is to position India as a global leader in Technical Textiles.
• The mission will comprise the following four components:
  • Research, Innovation and Development;
  • Promotion and Market Development;
  • Export Promotion;
  • Education, Training, Skill Development;
• The NTTM has been approved with an implementation period of four years starting from FY 2020-21 till FY 2023-24. The total outlay of the mission is INR 1480 Cr.
• The Mission has a target to take the domestic market size of the technical textile sector to $ 40-50 Bn by the year 2024 with an average growth rate of 15-20% per annum.

Durand Cup : Inaugurated

The union Ministry of Defence inaugurated the 132nd edition of Durand Cup in Kokrajhar.

• Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third oldest football tournament, in which top Indian football clubs from across the country participate.
• The inaugural edition took place in Shimla in 1888, when it started off as an Army Cup, open only to the British Indian Army troops in India.
• The tournament is named after its founder Sir Henry Mortimer Durand.
• It was begun as a football tournament for different departments and regiments of the Armed forces of India and the princely states.
• Since independence, the army’s presence is maintained by the participation of several clubs of different regiments of the Indian Armed Forces as guest invitees.

GSAT-24 : Communication Satellite

Direct-to-home (DTH) company Tata Play is set to expand its bandwidth capacity by 50% by adding 24 new Ku-band transponders on the communication satellite GSAT-24.

• GSAT-24 was built by ISRO for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) which was successfully placed into geostationary orbit by the Ariane 5 rocket.
• It is a 24-Ku band communication satellite weighing 4,180 kg with pan-India coverage for meeting DTH application needs.
• It was the first demand driven communication satellite mission undertaken by NSIL post space sector reforms.
• It is configured on ISRO’s proven I-3k Bus with a mission life of 15 years.

NewSpace India Limited:

• NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) NewSpace India Limited headquartered in Bengaluru is a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE).
• It is a commercial arm under Department of Space (DoS), Government of India.
• It was incorporated in March 2019 and was set up to take high technology space-related activities in India.

NIDHI Program:

The union Minister of State Science & Technology informed the Rajya Sabha about the NIDHI Program.

• National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing innovations (NIDHI) program was launched in 2016.
• It is an umbrella programme conceived and developed by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship division, Department of Science & Technology.
• Aim is to nurture start-ups through scouting, supporting and scaling innovations.
• Various departments and ministries of the central government, state governments, academic and R & D institutions, mentors, financial institutions, angel investors, venture capitalists and private sectors.
• Funding: By the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB).
• The NIDHI- PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups) program at Proof-of-Concept level provides mentoring and financial support to innovator for converting their ideas into prototypes.
• NIDHI Entrepreneurs-In-Residence (EIR) Program provides fellowships to the students opting for entrepreneurship.
• The NIDHI Seed Support Program provisions availability of early-stage seed support funding to startups and the NIDHI Accelerator program speeds up the investment readiness of the startups.
• The NIDHI program has been helpful in creating state-of-the art infrastructure for incubating startups in technology sectors through Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) and Centres of Excellence (CoE).

38th Meeting Of The Committee Of Parliament On Official Language:

The Union Home Minister chaired the 38th meeting of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language.

• The Committee of Parliament on Official Language was set up in 1976 under Section 4 of The Official Languages Act, 1963.
• Section 4 of the Act says “there shall be constituted a Committee on Official language, on a resolution to that effect being moved in either House of Parliament with the previous sanction of the President and passed by both Houses”.
• Under the provisions of the 1963 Act, the panel submits its report to the President, who “shall [then] cause the report to be laid before each House of Parliament, and sent to all the State Governments”.
• The Committee is chaired by the Union Home Minister, and has, in accordance with the provisions of the 1963 Act.
• The committee consists of 30 members — 20 MPs from Lok Sabha and 10 MPs from Rajya Sabha.
• The mandate of the Committee is to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for official purposes, and to make recommendations to increase the use of Hindi in official communications.
• The first Report of the Committee was submitted in 1987.

World Breastfeeding Week 2023 : Theme

On the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week 2023, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) lauded the progress made by several countries in increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates, while also highlighting the potential for further advancements if breastfeeding is protected and supported, particularly in the workplace.

• World Breastfeeding Week, observed annually during the first week of August in commemoration of the 1990 Innocenti Declaration.
• In 1990, the Innocenti Declaration was signed by government policymakers, UN health agencies, and other organisations to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
• In 1991, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) was formed as a global network, and since 1992, the world has marked Breastfeeding Week, annually.
• Since 2016, WBW has been aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Breastfeeding can help achieve many of the 17 SDGs, including goals on poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, and sustainable consumption.
• Theme 2023: “Let’s make breastfeeding at work, work”.
• UNICEF and WHO called on governments, donors, civil society and the private sector to step up efforts to help eliminate barriers women and families face to achieving their breastfeeding goals and reach the global 2030 target of 70%.

Old Jellyfish Fossils Found:

Researchers have unveiled a collection of jellyfish fossils from the Cambrian period, providing a unique glimpse into their distant past.

• These preserved fossils, found in the Burgess Shale- a renowned fossil-rich site in the Canadian Rockies, offer an improbable pathway to preservation.
• The newly discovered jellyfish fossils retained remarkable features, such as over 90 fingerlike tentacles protruding from their bell-shaped bodies.
• Some specimens even contained stomach contents and gonads, providing invaluable insights into their anatomy and behavior.
• These things help scientists learn about how the jellyfish looked and acted.
• In the 1990s, scientists dug up over 170 jellyfish fossils in a place called Raymond Quarry in British Columbia. These fossils were kept for a long time.
• Researchers re-examined the specimens from the excavation and identified that the fossils actually belonged to a previously unknown species.
• This newly discovered species was named Burgessomedusa phasmiformis.
• The species falls under the medusozoans category.

World Archery Championship : India’s First Ever Gold

The Prime Minister extended congratulations to the Indian women’s compound team comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur, and Aditi Gopichand Swami, for securing India’s inaugural Gold medal at the World Archery Championship in Berlin.

• Aditi Gopichand Swami became the youngest-ever senior world champion and the first Indian to win an individual compound gold medal at the World Archery Championships at the age of 17.
• World Archery is the international federation for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of archery.
• The organization was founded in 1931 and is responsible for regulating and promoting archery around the world.
• World Archery is in the Olympic capital of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Chandrayaan-3 : Enters Lunar Orbit

India’s ambitious lunar mission, has achieved a significant milestone by entering lunar orbit twenty-three days after its departure from Earth.

• Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission and second attempt at achieving a soft landing on the moon’s surface.
• The mission took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) in Sriharikota on July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm.
  Orbits:
• Lunar orbit is the curved path followed by a spacecraft as it revolves around the Moon.
• Translunar is the trajectory that takes a spacecraft from Earth to a point beyond its orbit, en route to the Moon.
• Earth orbit is the elliptical or circular path that a satellite or spacecraft traces around the Earth due to gravitational forces.

BharatNet project : Cabinet Fund Approval

The Cabinet approved ₹1.39 lakh crore for the BharatNet project.

• BharatNet project was launched in 2011.
• Ministry: Ministry of Communications.
• Implemented by: Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL).
• BharatNet project is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up by the Government of India under the Companies Act, 1956 with an authorized capital of Rs 1000 crore.
• Initially, it was under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which was bifurcated into the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in July 2016.
• Currently, it is being implemented by the Department of Telecommunication under the Ministry of Communications.
• BharatNet is one of the biggest rural telecom projects in the world.
• Objective is to facilitate the delivery of e-governance, e-health, e-education, e-banking, Internet, and other services to rural India.
• It seeks to provide connectivity to 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) through an optical fibre.
• The entire project is being funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), which was set up for improving telecom services in rural and remote areas of the country.