Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Climate actions can create millions of jobs

News

• As cities around the world accelerate efforts to meet their commitments to the Paris climate agreement, a new research has shown that ambitious urban climate policies can vastly reduce carbon emissions globally while also generating new jobs.

Findings

• The research has been conducted by C40 Cities, The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and the NewClimate Institute.
• The research estimates that by 2030 a boost in urban climate action can prevent approximately 1.3 million premature deaths per year, generate 13.7 million jobs in cities and save 40 billion hours of commuters’ time plus billions of dollars in reduced household expenses each year.
• Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the report examines a number of effective urban solutions to climate change, including energy efficiency retrofits in buildings, enhanced bus networks and district-scale renewable energy.
• It shows that these climate actions are strong drivers of positive public health and economic outcomes across countries and regions. Its findings show investments in residential energy efficiency retrofits will result in a net creation of 5.4 million jobs in cities worldwide.
• Improved bus services and more extensive networks can prevent the pre-mature deaths of nearly one million people per year from air pollution and traffic fatalities worldwide.

Overall, climate action policies can have proportionally greater outcomes for lower income groups in developing cities, where populations have the most to gain from the introduction of new technologies.

Florence strengthens to Category 4, takes aim at Carolinas

News

• Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 140 mph (220 kph) and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week.

Beyond News

• Communities along a stretch of coastline that’s vulnerable to rising sea levels due to climate change prepared to evacuate the storm, which forecasters expect to be close to Category 5 strength. The South Carolina governor ordered the state’s entire coastline to be evacuated and predicted that 1 million people would flee. And Virginia’s governor ordered a mandatory evacuation for some residents of low-lying coastal areas.
• The storm’s first effects were already apparent on barrier islands as dangerous rip currents hit beaches and seawater flowed over a state highway.
• The storm’s potential path also includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous hog farms that store animal waste in massive open-air lagoons.
• National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham warned that Florence was forecast to linger over the Carolinas once it reaches shore. People living well inland should prepare to lose power and endure flooding and other hazards.
• Two other storms were spinning in the Atlantic. Hurricane Isaac was expected to lose strength as it reaches the Caribbean, and Helene, much farther out to sea, may veer northward into the open ocean as the 2018 hurricane season reaches its peak.
• In the Pacific, Hurricane Olivia triggered warnings for multiple Hawaiian islands as it blew west toward an arrival over the state.
• Preparations for Florence were intensifying up and down the densely populated coast.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

Army plans to reduce force strength

News:

• The force restructuring that the Army is aiming to undertake, thereby reducing its strength by 1.5 lakh men, is expected to save ₹5,000 crore to ₹7,000 crore a year in revenue expenditure, defence sources say.

Beyond News:

• The progress of four independent studies under way will be reviewed by the Chief of the Army Staff, at a conference with the seven Army commanders.
• The studies being carried out by separate groups with seven or eight officers each are tasked with looking into restructuring of the Army headquarters. The restructuring includes cutting down the strength, cadre review of officers and review of terms and conditions of junior commissioned officers and other ranks.
• The reduction in strength, which will be carried out in a phased manner, is expected to save at least ₹5000-7000 crore annually and will add at least 20% to the existing capital expenditure of the budget, the source added.
• The 1.3 million strong Army is facing an increasing burden of revenue expenditure and pensions, leaving very little funds for modernization.
• Apart from reducing the strength to make the force leaner and better equipped, the Army is also mulling doing away with the rank of Brigadier and brigade headquarters as part of the officer cadre review. This is expected to free up significant number of officers who will be available for field duties. Army headquarters too is likely to see a major churn with several departments doing overlapping functions merged or off-loaded away from the headquarters.

Several attempts have been made in the past to restructure the force, but this time it is at a much broader level to undertake a radical reform, one official observed.

Africa should not become theatre of rivalry: Sushma Swaraj

News

• Africa should not become a playground for rival world powers, the External Affairs Minister said . Welcoming an agreement between the Ministry of External Affairs and Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) to launch an e-network project, the minister reiterated that India will intensify diplomatic presence in Africa and work to safeguard the oceans.

Beyond News

• Agreement signed will facilitate two schemes eVidyaBharati and eArogyaBharati  that will benefit African citizens seeking education and health facilities. External Affairs Minister said that the programmes will provide telemedicine and tele-education benefits to African nationals.
• The minister described the tele-medicine and tele-education network as the second phase of India-Africa digital partnership. As part of this, the e-VidyaBharati and eArogyaBharati projects will increase ease of access for students, doctors and other beneficiary groups aimed by the projects.
• External Affairs Minister pointed out that the Government has decided to open 18 new diplomatic missions in Africa that will intensify coordination on crucial issues of common interest like security and counter terror.
• India has been pushing for deeper diplomatic engagement with Africa and during his recent visit to Uganda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid down the renewed vision. External Affairs Minister emphasised the “Bridge of Brotherhood” that exists between the two sides since the era of anti-colonial struggle and pledged continuation of similar ties.

WHO calls for better preparedness in emergencies

News

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called upon countries in the Southeast Asia region to strengthen their emergency medical teams in order to be better prepared to respond to public health emergencies.

Beyond News

• The advisory comes at a time when a large number of emergency medical teams (EMTs) or emergency response teams have been arriving in affected countries to provide emergency care to affected people.
• The Southeast Asia region is vulnerable to various disasters and emergencies such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, landslides and volcanic eruptions. According to the 2016 World Disaster Report, over the past decade, the region disproportionately accounted for 26.8% of deaths in emergencies.
• Prone to natural disaster, the region has been focusing on scaling-up emergency risk management as a flagship priority.
• EMTs can be national, international, government, non-governmental, civilian or military. They have have varied capacities, and their deployment is often not based on assessed needs.
• WHO is helping mentor EMTs to improve their capacities in line with international standards. The WHO EMT-Initiative aims at supporting countries, NGOs and international organisations by identifying minimum standards, best practices, logistics and standard operating procedures for operating field coordination, for saving lives, preserving health, and protecting dignity.
• The initiative seeks to improve timeliness and quality of health services provided by national and international EMTs, and enhance the capacity of the national health system to lead and coordinate such teams.
• WHO urged member countries to develop and implement a national plan for strengthening systems for EMTs in collaboration with all key partners, and establish and strengthen national mechanisms, which supports effective and high-performing national EMTs in line with the WHO’s classification and standards.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

For a safe Mars landing

News

• NASA has launched a sounding rocket from the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to test a supersonic parachute for landing its next rover on Mars.

Beyond News

• The rocket launched carried the Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment (ASPIRE) from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.
• The payload descended by parachute and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean 28 miles from Wallops Island, NASA said. The parachute was successfully recovered and returned to Wallops for data retrieval and inspection.
• The suborbital launch was designed to mimic conditions that the parachute might experience during a Mars landing.
• The payload is a bullet-nosed, cylindrical structure holding a supersonic parachute, the parachute’s deployment mechanism, and the test’s high-definition instrumentation – including cameras – to record data.

India’s first 205 tonne dump truck by BEML launched in Mysuru

News

• The country’s first 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck (BH205-E) designed and developed at the Mysuru plant of Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) was flagged off.

Beyond News

• A premier manufacturer of mining and construction equipment’s, BEML, a PSU under the Ministry of Defense, developed the gargantuan dump truck to reinforce the ‘Make in India’ initiative by addressing the growing demand for higher capacity equipments in the mining industry.
• The dump truck has been developed for use in the project of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), Singrauli.
• BH205-E has been developed for large-scale mining operations. It is powered by Tier-II emission complaint modular common rail electronic engine with 2300HP. The AC drive system has been engineered to provide exceptional haul road performance with reduced maintenance, according to the BEML.
• The truck weighs 335 tonnes when fully loaded but it is easily manoeuvrable with power-steering and short turning radius. It has an ergonomically designed dash board and a tiltable telescopic steering wheel. Other features include good visibility in addition to safety with provisions for emergency steering, breaking and proximity warning.

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