Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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India yet to find reason for darkening Siang

News: 

• The Union government has conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities, including at the highest levels of the government, on the unusual darkening of the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh.

Possible Reasons:

• The reason for change in water of River Siang may possibly be because of any landslide/earthquake /any other activity in upstream region of Tuting site across the international border with China for which information is not available.
• Reports from Arunachal Pradesh and Assam blamed tunnel construction by China in Tibet.

Beyond News: 

• The change in colour came to light in November, and China holds an earthquake in Tibet responsible for it.
• Official reports of the colour of water in the Siang changing emerged from the Arunachal Pradesh office of the Central Water Commission (CWC) on November 10, attributing it to excess silt.
• Another report from the Arunachal Pradesh Water Supply Department showed that iron levels were beyond permissible limits and samples from the river beyond Pasighat and Jonai showed higher aluminium and iron levels.
• Government has conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities, including at the highest levels of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, and has urged them to ensure that the interests of downstream States are not harmed by any activities in upstream areas.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

China s ban on waste import a global warning: Greenpeace. 

News

• Environmental organisation Greenpeace said that,China’s ban on importing 24 types of waste that comes into force on January 1, will serve as a wake-up call to countries that export waste to seek more sustainable methods.

Beyond News

• The measure, announced in July, prohibits the entry into China of 24 types of waste grouped into four categories: domestic plastics, unsorted paper, various types of mine slag and textile waste.
• For Greenpeace, this prohibition will send warnings around the world and will promote the search for methods to generate less waste and to treat them adequately in the country of origin just as within China.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

ISRO to launch 31 satellites in one go aboard PSLV on Jan. 10

News

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it would launch 31 satellites, including India’s Cartosat-2 series earth observation space craft, in a single mission on January 10.

Beyond News

• The mission will be the first ‘Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’ (PSLV) mission after the unsuccessful launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in August this year.
• The mission’s main payload would be India’s Cartosat-2 series earth observation satellite.
• PSLV-C40 will be used for the launch from the spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota, about 100 kilometres from Chennai.
• The mission would be a combination of 28 nano satellites from abroad, including Finland and the U.S., one micro and one nano satellite from India along with one Cartosat satellite.

Sun-like star found eating its own ‘‘offspring’’

News:

• Researchers have found evidence to show that a Sun- like star 550 light years from Earth is slowly consuming its “offspring” – crushing one or more planets in its orbit into vast clouds of gas and dust.

Findings of the Study

• The discovery that the star, RZ Piscium – located in the constellation Pisces .
• The researchers found the star’s temperature to be about 5,330 degrees Celsius – only slightly cooler than our Sun’s.
• The study also showed that the star could be relatively young.
• This discovery really gives us a rare and beautiful glimpse into what happens to many newly formed planets that don’t survive the early dynamical chaos of young solar systems
• The discovery may shed light on a brief but volatile period in the history of many solar systems, including our own.
• In the case of RZ Piscium, the material near the Sun-like star is being slowly pulled apart to create a small circle of debris about the same distance from the star as the planet Mercury’s orbit is from our sun.
• In the study, the researchers determined the gravitational strength near RZ Piscium’s surface and the observation helped shed light on the star’s radius and brightness, both of which suggest a young star in the midst of a freewheeling solar system with unstable planets.

Hyderabad welcomes ‘Robocop’ prototype

News:

• Hyderabad may soon get its first ‘robocop’, with the launch of a prototype in the city .

Beyond News:

• It can take complaints, record audio and video clips, identify suspects, detect metals, and monitor temperature.
• The policing robot has been made by H-BOTS, a Hyderabad-based artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning start-up.
• The robot is expected to be familiar with basic policing work, regulation of traffic, and details of the Indian Penal Code.
• On subjects it is not familiar with, the robot will reply to queries by sourcing information from Wikipedia or Google, it has an AI unit inside.
• Its makers say it can be showcased as an advance in policing technology and eventually be introduced to carry out basic police work such as registering cases.
• In its present form, the smart police robot can assist people at malls, streets, airports and railway stations.

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