Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Solar tsunami can trigger the sunspot cycle

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/2i7sxx/article26556217.ece/ALTERNATES/FREE_660/17THSOLAR

News

• It is believed that the “solardynamo” a naturally occurring generator which produces electric and magnetic fields in the sun is linked to the production of sunspots. What kick-starts the 11-year sunspot cycle is not known.
• Now, a group of solar physicists suggests that a “solar tsunami” is at work that triggers the new sunspot cycle, after the old one ends.

Findings

• The extreme temperature and pressure conditions that prevail some 20,000 km below the sun’s surface cause its material to form a plasma consisting primarily of hydrogen and helium in a highly ionised state.
• The plasma is confined with huge magnetic fields inside the sun.
• These magnetic fields behave like rubber bands on a polished sphere. They tend to slip towards the poles. Holding these fields in their place requires that there is extra mass (plasma mass) pushing at the bands from higher latitudes.
• Thus, a magnetic dam is formed which is storing a big mass of plasma. At the end of a solar cycle, this magnetic dam can break, releasing huge amounts of plasma cascading like a tsunami towards the poles.
• These tsunami waves travel at high speeds of about 1,000 km per hour carrying excess plasma to the mid-latitudes. There they give rise to magnetic flux eruptions. These are seen as the bright patches that signal the start of the next cycle of sunspots. The tsunami waves can traverse the required distance in a few weeks, unlike in earlier models.
• The solar cycle and sunspot activity are intimately connected with space weather.
• The model provides a sound physical mechanism ,expect the next sunspot cycle 25 to begin in the year 2020, followed by a strong increase in space weather shortly after the trigger of a series of new sunspots in that year.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

5-fold jump in incentive to central govt staff for acquiring higher qualifications while in job

News

• The central government has approved a five-fold increase in one-time incentive given to its employees who acquire higher degrees while serving in their departments.

Beyond News

• The amount of incentive will be increased from a minimum of ₹10,000 to a maximum of ₹30,000 for acquiring higher qualifications like Ph.D.
• The Personnel Ministry has amended a 20-year-old norm in this regard to increase the amount of incentives provided for the employees.
• The government employees acquiring fresh higher qualifications after coming into service were granted incentive in the form of one-time lump-sum amount ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹10,000.
• Now, it has been decided to increase the amount to a minimum of ₹10,000 to a maximum of ₹30,000.
• While ₹10,000 will be given for acquiring degree/diploma of duration of three years or less, ₹15,000 will be given for acquiring degree/diploma having duration of more than three years.
• A sum of ₹20,000 will be given for earning post graduate degree/diploma with one year or less. Such qualification having duration of more than one year will get ₹25,000 to the employees.
• A highest incentive of ₹30,000 will be given to those getting Ph.D or equivalent.
• There are around 41 lakh central government employees.
• The acquisition of the qualification should be directly related to the functions of the post held by him/her, or to the functions to be performed in the next higher post.
• The incentive, however, shall not be admissible where the employee is sponsored by the government or he/she avails study leave for acquiring the qualification.
• Further, the incentive shall be limited to maximum two times in an employee’s career, with a minimum gap of two years between successive grants.

U.S. says door open for India to bring serious trade proposal to table

News

• Observing that trade has been an area of frustration in bilateral ties, the U.S. has said that the door is open if India is prepared to bring a serious proposal to the table to address the issues related to trade and market access.

Beyond News

• The U.S. in last year revoked duty-free concessions on import of at least 50 Indian products, mostly from handloom and agriculture sectors, reflecting the Trump administration’s tough stand on trade-related issues with New Delhi.
• A senior State Department official said that the U.S. is proud to be India’s largest export market and most important economic partner.
• Despite intensive engagement with the Government of India for nearly a year, India did not assure the U.S. that it would provide equitable and reasonable access to its market, which led to its termination from the Generalised System of Preferences(GSP) programme.
• During the just-concluded visit of the Foreign Secretary, while the focus was on strategic, defence and regional issues, in particular, Pakistan and Afghanistan, but the visiting diplomat is believed to have been conveyed that the ball is in India’s court on resolving the trade related issues.
• The GSP notification is still within the 60 days period, after which the benefits would formally be withdrawn, it is reliably learnt that the U.S. has told India that it is not too late. But it is unlikely to happen, given that India is now into an election campaign mode, officials on both sides said.
• During talks with India, America is believed to have said that “there are creative ways of solving” all the trade-related issues that addressed concerns of both the countries.
• For instance, there are creative ways of certifying that the dairy products meet Indian standards, and have believed to have talked about creative solutions to certifying vegetarian cows. Similarly, access to high-end cell phones can be addressed in a way that does not open up the market to China, Americans are believed to have pointed out.
• The United States, it is learnt, had been “extraordinarily clear” since April last year on addressing certain market access issues in the absence of which it reportedly told India that it risked losing GSP privileges. The U.S. still hopes that the issue can still be resolved before the election and certainly after the elections.

India, Maldives agree to cooperate on defence, development, health

News

• India and the Maldives discussed measures to strengthen ties and agreed to collaborate in the fields of defence, development cooperation, capacity building and health as External Affairs Minister held talks with the country’s top leadership, including her Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid.

Beyond News

• External Affairs Minister arrived on a two-day visit, the first full-fledged bilateral trip from India to the island nation after the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power in last year.
• External Affairs Minister and Maldivian Foreign Minister Shahid reviewed progress on important bilateral issues, including implementation of agreed outcomes of President Solih’s visit to India last year.
• External Affairs Minister also called on the Speaker of the Parliament of Maldives, Qasim Ibrahim, and reiterated India’s commitment to supporting the country in its path of peace, development, prosperity and democracy.
• External Affairs Minister unveiled a plaque dedicating the renovated IGM Hospital to the people of Maldives in the city of Male. IGMH is the first and largest government health-care facility in the Maldives, built with Indian assistance.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

New hydro policy to help meet renewables target

News

• While the government’s decision to re-classify large hydroelectric projects as renewable energy will certainly help the sector, the move will also go a long way in meeting the targets set by it for the sector.

Beyond News

• Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet approved a new hydroelectricity policy that, among other things, included large hydro projects within the ambit of renewable energy.
• Prior to the policy, only small hydro projects of a capacity of less than 25 MW were treated as renewable energy. Large hydro projects were treated as a separate source of energy.
• India’s renewable energy sector had an installed capacity of 75,055.92 MW, according to data with the Central Electricity Authority. This made up about 21.4% of the overall energy mix, with the rest coming from thermal, nuclear and large hydro sources.
• With the inclusion of large hydro in renewable energy, the energy mix changes drastically.
• Renewable energy capacity would now be 1,20,455.14 MW or 34.4% of the overall energy mix.
• It must be noted that this is a purely cosmetic change. No additional resources have been created through this policy. It is a reclassification of existing capacity.
• The policy has meant a drastic change in the renewable energy mix as well. Whereas earlier, wind energy contributed nearly 50% of all renewable energy capacity, it will now make up only 29.3%. Similarly, solar energy’s share will fall from 34.68% to 21.61%. The hydro sector, however, will see its share grow from just over 6% to over 41%.
• Other commentators pointed out that another benefit from the policy could be the effect on the stock prices of State-run hydroelectric companies such as NHPC and SJVN at a point when the government is looking to sell its stake in these companies.

Migration in Bengal delta driven by livelihood issues, gender disparity

News

• Economic reasons are the precipitating factor for migration in the Indian Bengal Delta that comprises the Sunderbans reveals an international study.

Findings

• The study also points out that there is huge gender disparity when it comes to those migrating from the region.
• The study which covers 51 blocks of districts of South and North 24 Parganas reveals that 64% people migrate because of economic reasons, unsustainable agriculture, lack of economic opportunities and debt; 28 % of the migration from the region is for social reasons and about 7% for environmental reasons like cyclones and flooding.
• The study, held between 2014 and 2018 focusing on three deltas Ganga Brahmaputra Meghna Delta (India and Bangladesh) Volta (Ghana) and Mahanadi (India) looks into the aspect of climate change, adaptation and migration in these deltas.
• When it comes to migration in the Indian Bengal Delta, the study finds a huge gender disparity, with men outnumbering women by almost five times. It shows that of the people migrating 83% are men and only 17 % are women. While most of the men migrate due to economic reasons, women do so, driven by mostly social factors.
• The DECMA report also finds that most migrants both in case of men and women are young, in the age group of 20-30 years.
• In terms of the destination of migrations, the study finds that 51% of migration from the Indian Bengal Delta is to other areas of the State particularly to the city of Kolkata, 10% to Maharashtra, 9% to Tamil Nadu, 7% Kerala and 6% to Gujarat.
• It shows that 57% of migration is seasonal, where people move once or twice a year; 19% is circular where those migrating move thrice a year irrespective of reasons and 24% permanent where people intend to stay for at least six months in the place they are migrating to.
• According, one of the reasons for migration is failed adaptation in the areas which are under stress due to climate change.
• In the study, experts also map the climate change hot spots and highest risk areas of Sunderbans based on an analysis of climate change hazards. The areas of Gosaba, Basanti, Kultali, Sagar, Kakdwip, Namkhana, Canning and Mathurapur (all in South 24 Parganas) have high levels of agriculture dependency and so are sensitive to climate hazards such as flood and salinity.

World commits to reduce single-use plastics by 2030

News

• The world has laid the groundwork for a radical shift to a more sustainable future, where innovation will be harnessed to tackle environmental challenges, the use of throwaway plastics will be significantly reduced and development will no longer cost the earth.

Beyond News

• After five days of talks at the Fourth UN Environment Assembly in this Kenyan capital, ministers from more than 170 UN member states delivered a bold blueprint for change, saying the world needed to speed up moves towards a new model of development in order to respect the vision laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.
• Noting that they were deeply concerned by mounting evidence that the planet is increasingly polluted, rapidly warming and dangerously depleted, the ministers pledged to address environmental challenges through advancing innovative solutions and adopting sustainable consumption patterns.
• They reaffirm that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and production and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are the overarching objectives of, and essential requirements for, sustainable development.
• As well as pledging to promote sustainable food systems by encouraging resilient agricultural practices, tackle poverty through sustainable management of natural resources, and promote the use and sharing of environmental data, they would significantly reduce single-use plastic products.

Supermassive black holes found

News

• Astronomers have discovered 83 quasars powered by supermassive black holes 13 billion light-years away from the Earth, from a time when the universe was less than 10% of its present age.

Findings

• It is remarkable that such massive dense objects were able to form so soon after the Big Bang.
• This finding, increases the number of black holes known at that epoch considerably, and reveals, for the first time, how common they are early in the universe’s history.
• In addition, it provides new insight into the effect of black holes on the physical state of gas in the early universe in its first billion years.
• The survey revealed 83 previously unknown very distant quasars. Together with 17 quasars already known in the survey region, the researchers found that there is roughly one supermassive black hole per cubic giga-light-year.
• The sample of quasars in this study are about 13 billion light-years away from the Earth.

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