Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

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India, Russia sign $5.43 billion S-400 missile deal

News

• India and Russia concluded the contract for five S-400 ‘Triumf’ missile systems, one of the biggest defence deals in recent times, after the annual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• The announcement of the deal, that could attract sanctions from the United States, was made in a joint statement issued by both sides.

Beyond News

• The sides welcomed the conclusion of the contract for the supply of the S-400 Long Range Surface to Air Missile to India.
• However, the two sides failed to conclude two other major deals, for Stealth frigates and assault rifles, that were reportedly ready, as officials said further negotiations were needed.
• Significantly, the agreement for the estimated US $5.43 billion (₹40,300 Crores) S-400 system was not referred to by either leader in their press statements.
• Deliveries of the S-400 will begin in 24 months, at the end of 2020 .
• As per the procedure, India would pay about 15% in advance, likely through the rupee-rouble mechanism both countries use for trade in their own currencies.
• The eight agreements that were signed spanned diverse areas ranging from space and nuclear cooperation to railways and agriculture. The two countries set a target of $30 billion bilateral trade by 2025.
• Russia also agreed to assist India with training for its Gaganyaan project to put a human in space by 2022.

India, Vietnam hold joint drill in Bay of Bengal

News

• The Indian Coast Guard conducted its maiden joint exercise with the Vietnam Coast Guard in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Chennnai.

Beyond News

• The exercise Sahyag HOP TAC-2018 was aimed at enabling the Coast Guard units of the two countries to acquaint themselves with each other’s capabilities, strengthening the working-level relationship to rescue lives at sea and refining joint operation procedures, a press release said.
• Three Indian Coast Guard ships ICG Shaurya, Arnvesh and C-431 and two helicopters, ICG Dornier and Chetak, took part in the exercise showcasing the search and rescue (SAR) capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard.
• Vietnam Coast Guard vessel, CSB 8001, arrived in Chennai to take part in the joint exercise and to enhance interoperability.
• The joint exercise simulated a scenario involving rescue of crew from a hijacked oil tanker, interdiction of a pirated vessel, joint boarding operation and external fire-fighting to salvage burning ships.

India ranked 5th in pictorial warning on tobacco products

News

• India has been ranked fifth in the listing of countries that have pictorial health warning on tobacco products, with experts here quick to add that the country is making tremendous progress towards creating public awareness on the health hazards of tobacco abuse.

Beyond News

• ‘The Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report’ was released recently by the Canadian Cancer Society which documents global progress on plain packaging.
• It has ranked 206 countries and territories on the size of their health warnings on cigarette packages, and lists countries and territories that require graphic picture warnings.
• East Timor is ranked first with 85% of the front and 100% of the back of the packaging being used for pictorial warnings. Nepal follows with 90% coverage on both sides. Indian packaging has the warning on 85% of both sides.
• India, meanwhile, is the only SAARC country to have a Quit-Line number on tobacco products and the fourth in Asia after Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
• “The pack warning will help to warn people, especially the illiterate and children, about the harms of tobacco consumption.

12 States reduce their VAT rates on fuel

News

• Rajasthan had last month cut its state VAT by Rs. 2.5 per litre, while Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh both had cut their VAT rates by Rs. 2 per litre.
• West Bengal and Kerala had cut their VAT rates on petrol and diesel by Rs. 1 per litre in September and May, respectively.
• Karnataka and Kerala refused to cut rates further following development.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Alphonso Mango gets Geographical Indication tag

News

• The Alphonso mango from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and other adjoining areas in Maharashtra have been accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, the Ministry of Commerce announced .

Beyond News

• A Geographical Indication or a GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
• Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality.
• Other examples of products from India with a GI tag are Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi Sarees, and Tirupati Laddus.
• The first product to get a GI tag in India was Darjeeling tea in 2004. There are a total of 325 products from India that carry this indication.

ICMR recommends vaccine for lions

News

• The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed that the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) was responsible for lion deaths in the Gir forest of Gujarat and recommended that the remaining lions be vaccinated to prevent further outbreaks.

Beyond News

• Though 21 lions reportedly died between September and October, the Pune-based ICMR-NIV found CDV responsible for the death of 5 Asiatic lions in Gir. The genetic sequence of the virus was compared to available CDV sequences and it was found to be related to the East African strains.
• Administering a vaccine at best, could protect unaffected animals.
• CDV causes a highly contagious and life-threatening disease in dogs. It also affects different wild carnivores viz., wolves, foxes, raccoons, red pandas, ferrets, hyenas, tigers, and lions.
• The prevalence of this virus and its diversity in wildlife of India has not been studied.
• Considering the threat posed by CDV, ICMR has requested the Government of India to take immediate steps to save the Gir lions, which are heading towards extinction.
• As a precautionary measure, 300 shots of CDV vaccine have been imported from the U.S.. ICMR has also recommended that the animals should be placed in 2-3 different sanctuaries.

Parker Solar Probe completes first Venus flyby: NASA

News

• NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mankind’s first mission to ‘touch’ the Sun successfully completed a flyby of Venus at a distance of about 2,415 kilometres during its first gravity assist from the planet, according to the US space agency.

Beyond News

• These gravity assists will help the spacecraft tighten its orbit closer to the Sun over the course of the mission.
• Detailed data from the flyby will be assessed which allows the flight operations team to prepare for the remaining six Venus gravity assists which will occur over the course of the seven-year mission.
• Parker Solar Probe was successfully launched on August 12 on an unprecedented, seven-year long journey to unlock the mysteries of the Sun’s fiery outer atmosphere and its effects on space weather.
• The mission’s findings will help researchers improve their forecasts of space weather events, which have the potential to damage satellites and harm astronauts on orbit, disrupt radio communications and, at their most severe, overwhelm power grids.

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