Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Asian summer monsoon weakening unprecedented: Study

News

• Rainfall from the Asian summer monsoon, which influences water availability, ecosystems and agriculture in India, has been decreasing over the past 80 years, according to a study.

Findings

• Man-made atmospheric pollutants are likely the reason for the decline unprecedented in the last 448 years, said researchers from the University of Arizona in the U.S.
• The study, used tree ring records to reconstruct the Asian summer monsoon back to 1566.
• The study found the monsoon has been weakening since the 1940s, resulting in regional droughts and hardships.
• The 80-year decline in the monsoon coincides with the ongoing boom in industrial development and aerosol emissions in China and the northern hemisphere that began around the end of World War II, according to the study.
• Previous studies have looked at tree ring chronologies from this region but the new study surpasses in terms of the timespan covered and the number of trees involved.
• Nearly half of the world’s population is affected by the Asian summer monsoon, which dumps the majority of the continent’s rainfall in a few short, torrential months.
• Summer rainfall has been declining in recent decades, influencing water availability, ecosystems and agriculture from India to Siberia.
• Instrumental and observational records of monsoon strength and annual precipitation only go back about a hundred years.
• The study uses an ensemble of 10 tree ring chronologies collected from the western Loess Plateau in north central China to track precipitation trends over the last 448 years.
• In wetter years, trees tend to grow thicker rings and precipitation records can be gleaned by measuring the thickness and density of the individual layers.
• The new study found that the 80-year declining rainfall trend is unprecedented in the last 450 years, with more thin growth rings in the last 80 years than any other period.
• Several factors are thought to affect the strength of the Asian Summer Monsoon, including solar variability, volcanic eruptions and anthropogenic aerosols.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

Iran, India discuss visa extension

News

• Two days after the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, India held the 11th Consular Committee Meeting with Iran which dealt with smoothening visa and legal matters essential for bilateral ties.

Beyond News

• Both sides discussed issues of mutual interest, including early conclusion of Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance on civil and commercial matters, extending longer duration of e-Visa for each other nationals on reciprocity, visa facilitation for greater people-to-people contact.
• Iran at present provides visa-on-arrival to Indian travellers which is given as a paper visa. Iranian visas are also given to Indians online and through missions.
• Iran has been conducting talks with various countries for bilateral visa arrangements to help facilitate smooth travel as the country is facing international sanctions that can potentially affect the free movement of business travellers. India provides e-visa facilities to Iranian travellers. It is understood that Iran wishes longer duration e-visas from India.
• In recent months, the Iranian paper visa was welcomed by business travellers as it ensured smooth movement through third countries that do not have good ties with Tehran. Streamlined visa processes are aimed at ensuring smooth travel for Indians to Iran where the U.S. sanctions are already disrupting the normal flow of trade.
• International tension has impacted India’s business with Iran as nearly 50 containers from Afghanistan meant for Indian market have been stuck at the port of Chabahar as of 15 May reportedly due to new restrictions imposed under the U.S government-backed sanctions.

Global Drug Survey: Indians lead world in seeking help to reduce drugs intake

News

• A global survey of recreational drug-use, which for the first time polled respondents from India, has found that Indians more than from other nationalities are seeking help to reduce their alcohol intake.

Findings

• Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis were the most common stimulants used by Indians. Of the nearly 1,00,000 respondents from 30 countries,
• Indians reported ‘being drunk’ on an average of 41 times in the last 12 months behind the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia and Denmark in that order but well above the global average of 33 times.
• The Global Drug Survey (GDS) is an anonymised, online survey that uses a detailed questionnaire to assess trends in drug use and self-reported harms among regular drug users and early adopters of new trends.
• Though the survey is not designed to determine the prevalence of drug behaviour in a population, it throws light on “stigmatised behaviours and health outcomes of a hidden population that is otherwise difficult to reach and can be used to inform targeted interventions.
• Indian respondents to the survey, conducted online, appeared more than other nationalities eager for help with reducing their alcohol intake. According to the 2019 GDS, 51% of the respondents wanted to ‘drink less’ in the following year and 41% ‘wanted help to do so’ again the highest percentage among other countries.
• About 6% of the female Indians surveyed reported seeking ‘emergency medical treatment’ in the last 12 months. The global female average was about 13%.
• None of the males in India reported seeking medical treatment, compared to the global average of 12%.
• Indians said they ‘enjoyed being drunk’ on 71% of the occasions close to the global average of 74% and 15 spots below world leader Portugal, whose respondents enjoyed 82% of the occasions.
• While 43% of about 250 Indians surveyed reported using cannabis and 44% of them said they sourced it from ‘known dealers’, 21% said they got their fix ‘from friends.’
• Alcohol and tobacco apart, the most used drugs globally were cannabis, MDMA (or Ecstacy), cocaine, amphetamines, LSD (or ‘acid’), magic mushrooms, benzodiazepines, prescription opioids, ketamine, nitrous oxide.

India gives 2 attack helicopters to Afghanistan

News

• India handed over two Mi-24 attack helicopters to 

Beyond News

• These helicopters are a replacement for the four attack helicopters gifted by India to Afghanistan in 2015.
• The Mi-24 helicopters shall boost the capability of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) and enhance the effectiveness of the Afghan National Defence and Security Force in combating the scourge of terrorism.
• Under a tripartite agreement, India has agreed to purchase the attack helicopters from Belarus and supply them to Afghanistan.

 Earlier, India had gifted four Mi-24 attack helicopters drawn from the inventory of the Indian Air Force and three Cheetal utility helicopters manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

RBI envisions fourfold growth in digital transactions by 2021

News

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has envisaged four times growth in digital transaction in two years, in the payment system vision document for 2019-2021 released.

Beyond News

• Payment Systems Vision 2021, with its 36 specific action points and 12 specific outcomes, aims to achieve a ‘highly digital’ and ‘cash-lite’ society through the goal posts of competition, cost effectiveness, convenience and confidence (4Cs).
• The RBI expects accelerated growth in individual retail electronic payment systems, both in terms of number of transactions and increased availability.
• Payment systems like UPI and IMPS are likely to register average annualised growth of over 100%, and NEFT at 40%, over the vision period. The number of digital transactions is expected to increase more than four times from 2,069 crore in December 2018 to 8,707 crore in December 2021.
• A 35% growth has been targeted in use of digital modes of payment for purchase of goods and services through increase in debit card transactions at point-of-sale terminals during the vision period.
• Use of debit cards in PoS transactions is expected to be at least 44% of total debit card transactions.
• It is expected that there will be 5 million PoS machines by 2021. Mobile based transaction are projected to increase by 50%, considering lower base.
• Interestingly, no specific target has been considered for reducing cash in circulation.

Navy s first full-fledged SSB opened at Kolkata

News

• The Indian Navy’s first full-fledged Services Selection Board (SSB) was inaugurated by Navy Chief Admiral at Diamond Harbour near Kolkata.

Beyond News

• This is the fifth SSB of the Indian Navy and will cater for selection of both permanent and short service commission (SSC) officers.
• The other boards are located in Bhopal, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Coimbatore.
• Spread over 27 acres on the banks of the Hooghly, the SSB (Kolkata) has the capacity to screen 5,000 officer-candidates annually.

India signs ‘Christchurch Call to Action’

News

• India signed the ‘Christchurch Call to Action’. The agreement came in the backdrop of the attacks on mosques and is aimed at stopping abuse of the Internet by extremists.

Beyond News

• The dissemination of such content online has adverse impacts on the human rights of the victims, on our collective security and on people all over the world, declared a statement issued by the 17 signatory countries.
• The meeting held in Paris was attended by representatives of online giants like Microsoft, Google, Twitter, Facebook and Amazon.

Bandipur safari point to be shifted

News

• The safari point at Bandipur Tiger Reserve will shift to Melakamanahalli with effect from June 2 in a move to reduce vehicle density in the core region.

Beyond News

• The safari counter is currently located near the Forest Department office, guest house and cottages in the core area on the road leading to Ooty.
• Being a popular tourist destination famed for tiger and elephant sightings, the area around the safari counter used to be heavily crowded.
• The decision will help reduce motor vehicle density by almost 80% as only those who want to proceed towards Mudumalai and Ooty will henceforth use the road.
• The destination of a majority of the tourists used to be Bandipur but it was discovered that some of them would only use the parking area.
• The move to shift the safari counter to Melakamanahalli will help reduce the anthropogenic impact on the habitat and wildlife.
• Melakahamahalli is on the same route as one approaches from Gundlupet but is a few kilometres from where the current safari counter is.
• The new counter will be at the Special Tiger Protection Force quarters. To start with, there will only be a ticketing counter with internet, toilet and facility to park about 20 to 25 vehicles.The existing dormitories and cottages will remain where they are at present.

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