Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Warming oceans can increase frequency of extreme rain storms

News

• Rapid climate change, that is causing warming of the tropical oceans, could lead to a substantial increase in the frequency of extreme rain storms by the end of the century, say scientists from NASA.

Findings

• The study found that extreme storms those producing at least 3 millimetres of rain per hour over a 25-km area formed when the sea surface temperature was higher than about 28 degrees Celsius.
• They also found that 21% more storms form for every 1 degree Celsius that ocean surface temperatures rise.
• Currently accepted climate models project that with a steady increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere , tropical ocean surface temperatures may rise by as much as 2.7 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
• If this were to happen, we could expect the frequency of extreme storms to increase by as much as 60 % by that time, the researchers explained.

Last four years hottest on record, U.N. confirms

News

• The last four years were the hottest since global temperature records began, the U.N. confirmed in an analysis that it said was a “clear sign of continuing long-term climate change”.

Findings

• The WMO said that the 20 warmest years in history all occurred within the last 22 years.
• The long-term temperature trend is far more important than the ranking of individual years, and that trend is an upward one.
• The degree of warming during the past four years has been exceptional, both on land and in the ocean.
• The WMO said heightened temperatures also contributed to a number of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, droughts and flash flooding.
• Many of the extreme weather events are consistent with what we expect from a changing climate.
• The U.N. body also said that 2019 had picked up where 2018 left off, with Australia experiencing its warmest January on record. It warned that intense heatwaves “are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change”.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

Linkage of PAN with Aadhaar is mandatory for filing I-T return: SC

News

• The Supreme Court has said that linkage of Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar is mandatory for filing of Income Tax returns

Beyond News

• A Bench said the top court has already decided the matter and upheld the Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act.
• The apex court on September 26, 2018, had declared the Centre’s flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid but struck down some of its provisions including its linking with bank accounts, mobile phones and school admissions.
• Constitution Bench had held that while Aadhaar would remain mandatory for filing of I-T returns and allotment of PAN, it would not be mandatory to link Aadhaar to bank accounts and telecom service providers cannot seek its linking for mobile connections.

Union Cabinet approves amendment to Cinematograph Act to tackle film piracy, copyright infringement

News

• The Union Cabinet approved amendment to the Cinematograph Act for imposing strict penalties to combat the menace of film piracy.

Beyond News

• To check piracy, particularly the release of pirated versions of films on the internet which causes huge losses to the film industry and the exchequer, the government has proposed to make film piracy offences punishable with imprisonment of up to three years and fines that may extend to ₹10 lakh or both.
• The proposed amendment states that any person, who without the written authorisation of the copyright owner, uses any recording device to make or transmit a copy of a film, or attempts to do so, or abet the making or transmission of such a copy, will be liable for such a punishment.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Fall in groundwater hits rabi in many districts

News

• The depletion of groundwater table following uneven spread of rains during the last south-west monsoon season has impacted the cultivation of Rabi crops badly in several districts across Telangana with average fall in the water table below the surface recorded at 1.83 meters or over six feet compared to the last year.

Beyond News

• The impact of groundwater table depletion is seen high on Rabi cultivation in districts where the sources of tank and canal irrigation are comparably less, again due to deficient rainfall.
• The rainfall statistics clearly indicate that although the State’s average rainfall was only 8.09% lesser than the normal during the south-west monsoon period with 15 out of 31 districts recording a deviation ranging from 22.39% to 41.6%.
• The major pulses crop for the season has been sown in about 1.07 lakh ha against the normal of 95,000 ha. By now, Rabi crops were raised in 10.83 lakh ha in 2018 and 11.51 lakh ha in 2017.

J&K-based Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen banned: MHA

News

• The Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM), which has been fighting for “liberation of Kashmir” and involved in a series of terror acts, has been banned by the government, the Home Ministry said.

Beyond News

• In a notification, the Ministry said the Central government believes that the TuM is involved in terrorism as it has committed and participated in various acts of terrorism in India and its members are getting financial as well as logistic support from their handlers based abroad.
• The Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen came into existence in 1990 with the objective of “liberation of Kashmir” and has been actively pursuing the same by way of acts of terror, the Ministry said.
• The TuM has carried out a number of terrorist attacks, besides subversive acts, such as grenade attacks, weapons snatching and supporting other terrorist outfits like the Hizbul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba, in terms of financial and logistic support in the recent past, the notification said.
• The terror group has also committed acts of terrorism and promoting acts of terrorism. It has been engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of youth for terrorist activities in India.
• The notification said a number of cases have been registered by the Jammu and KashmirPolice in the recent past, in which it is found that the TuM has played a major role in commission of terrorist acts and a number of its cadre have been arrested. In the cases, it was also found that the group is running terrorist training centres for Kashmiri youth and is likely to recruit more youth from the Jammu and Kashmir, it said.

India successfully launches communication satellite GSAT-31

News

• India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-31 was successfully launched by European launch services provider- Arianespace’s rocket from French Guiana in the early hours of Wednesday.

Beyond News

• Blasting off from Ariane Launch Complex at Kourou, a French territory located in northeastern coast of South America ,the Ariane-5 vehicle injected GSAT-31 into the orbit in a flawless flight lasting about 42 minutes.
• The GSAT-31 is a “high power” communication satellite with Ku-band, and it is going to serve and replace some of the satellites that are going to expire soon, he said further.
• The Ariane-5 vehicle (Flight VA247) also carried Saudi Geostationary Satellite 1/Hellas Sat 4 along with GSAT-31.
• GSAT-31 separated from the Ariane-5 in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 250 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 35,850 km, inclined at an angle of 3.0 degree to the equator, ISRO said in a release after the launch.
• After separation from Ariane-5, the two solar arrays of GSAT-31 were automatically deployed in quick succession and ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka took over the command and control of GSAT-31 and found its health parameters normal, it said.
• Weighing about 2,536 kg, the Indian satellite, GSAT-31, will provide continuity to operational services on some of the in-orbit satellites.
• The satellite derives its heritage from ISROs earlier INSAT/GSAT satellite series, it will provide communication services to Indian mainland and islands.
• GSAT-31 is the country’s 40th communication satellite which is configured on ISRO’s enhanced ‘I-2K Bus’, utilising the maximum “bus capabilities” of this type.
• This satellite will augment the Ku-band transponder capacity in Geostationary Orbit.
• With a mission life of around 15 years, GSAT-31 will be used for supporting VSAT networks, Television uplinks, Digital Satellite News Gathering, DTH-television services, cellular backhaul connectivity and many such applications.
• It will also provide wide beam coverage to facilitate communication over large oceanic region, comprising large parts of Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, using a wide band transponder.
• HS- 4/SGS-1 will provide telecommunication capabilities, including television, Internet, telephone and secure communications in the Middle East, South Africa and Europe, Arianespace said on its website.

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