GS Analyst
Daily Current Affairs

The first phase of India’s Atmospheric Research Testbed in Central India (ART-CI) was inaugurated at Silkheda in Sehore district, located about 50 km northwest of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

1: Dimension- Significance of Atmospheric Research Testbed (ART)

• The ART is an open-field, focused observational and analytical research programme at Silkheda
• The facility aims to conduct ground-based observations of weather parameters like temperature, wind speeds, etc. and in-situ (on-site) observations of the transient synoptic systems – like low-pressure areas and depressions that form in the Bay of Bengal – during the southwest monsoon season from June to September.
• Studying these systems and their associated cloud parameters will be used to generate high volumes of data over a long period.
• It can then be compared with the existing weather models so that improvements can be made to obtain accurate rainfall predictions.

2: Dimension-Need of having an Atmospheric Research Testbed

• At present, 45% of India’s labour force is employed in the agriculture sector. Much of Indian agriculture is rain-fed, as is cultivation along the Monsoon Core Zone (MCZ), which spans the central India region from Gujarat to West Bengal.
• The southwest monsoon season accounts for 70 per cent of the country’s annual average rainfall (880mm). Throughout India, the majority of Kharif cultivation is undertaken between July and August, which see an average monthly rainfall of 280.4mm and 254.9mm (1971–2020 average), respectively.
• During this four-month-long season, several rain-bearing synoptic systems, namely the low pressures or depressions, develop in the Bay of Bengal. Inherently, these systems move westwards/northwestwards over to the Indian mainland and pass through the MCZ, causing bountiful rainfall.
• Though IMD issues rainfall forecasts, there is still limited understanding about the role of these synoptic systems, their associated cloud physics, cloud properties and their overall role in enhancing the monsoon rainfall.

3: Dimension-Reason for choosing Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal)

• The location Silkheda, falls directly in line with the path of major rain-bearing synoptic systems. This will facilitate direct monitoring and tracking.
• Besides, the locality is pristine and free of anthropogenic and other pollutants, making it the best site in central India for setting up sensitive, high-end meteorological instruments and observatories for recording data.

A wind power project being executed by Adani Green Energy in northern Sri Lanka has run into controversy, with locals and environmentalists raising concern over its possible impact on the coastal region and livelihoods.

1: Dimension- Issues highlighted in the Project

• Threat to biodiversity: The Adani wind energy project could spell danger to the biodiversity of the area and impact people’s livelihoods that are tied to the coastal environment.  Fishermen worry that changes in the coastal landscape may affect marine biodiversity and therefore their catch
• Avian habitat protection: Mannar is part of the Central Asian Flyway, an important migration route for many waterbird species around the world. 

• The Central Asia Flyway covers Eastern Europe all the way to far Eastern Russia. Mannar is in fact one of the main entry points and around a million birds remain there.

Impact on human lives: Scores of families in the island’s Tamil-majority north and east, are still struggling to rebuild their lives, this project can hinder their progress.

2: Dimension-India’s interests in Sri Lanka’s renewable sector

• Sri Lanka’s north and east have significant potential for renewable energy.
• This renewable energy deal is the third India-backed energy project coming up in Sri Lanka’s north and east. 
• India has an interest in maintaining a foothold and dominating the two provinces given the proximity to India as well as Trincomalee harbor, which is located in a strategic area.

India's foreign exchange reserves jumped by USD 10.47 billion to USD 636.1 billion, as per the latest data by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This is the biggest surge since the week ended July 14, 2023.

1: Dimension- Impact of Indian Forex Reserve on the Economy

Positive Impact

• Stabilisation of Currency: The Indian forex reserves help stabilise the native currency by allowing the government to intervene in the foreign exchange market.
• Enhanced Creditworthiness: Having substantial reserves improves India's credit rating, attracting foreign investments.

Negative Impact

• Opportunity Cost: Holding large reserves means funds are not invested elsewhere, leading to potential opportunity costs.
• Inflationary Pressures: Excessive resources can lead to inflationary pressures within the economy.

2: Dimension- Reason for surge

• Over the years, India's forex reserves have been driven by various factors, including a surge in foreign direct investments, growth in IT and service exports, and prudent economic policies.
• The Indian government and Reserve Bank of India utilise reserves to manage exchange rates and monetary policies effectively.

The Indian Railways will create mega railway terminals with multi-modal connectivity in aspirational cities with population of more than 10 lakh across the country.

About the Programme

• The programme is part of the infrastructure being developed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ initiative. 
• At present, the project will be implemented in cities with more than 10 lakh population
• However, the project could also be extended to cities where sizeable population was expected.

Significance of multi-modal transit system

• A multi-modal transit system is a network that connects multiple public transport modes by making provision for transit hubs.
  • A transit hub is a junction where people and cargo can switch between multiple transport vehicles.
• This eases the transportation effort while saving time and improving the speed of movement.
• Transit hubs integrate transportation with allied passenger services such as ticketing, waiting areas, and canteens to assist in effective crowd management during transit.

The Indian Army raised its first squadron of Apache attack helicopters in Rajasthan's Jodhpur with the aim of supporting ground operations near the Pakistan border.

About Apache

• Developed by the US aviation giant Boeing, Apache choppers are known as the 'tanks in the air'.
• They are advanced multi-mission helicopters with the latest technology and have come to be known the best attack helicopters in the world.
• The Army Aviation Corps, which currently operates utility helicopters such as the Dhruv and Chetak, previously inducted the indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) Prachand at Assam's Missamari last year.
• Notably, the IAF already operates a fleet of 22 Apache helicopters which have been deployed on the eastern and western fronts.

A pair of Chinese satellites (DRO-A and DRO-B) failed to reach a planned orbit on their way to the moon after experiencing abnormalities, a rare setback for Beijing's high-profile space programme.

• The satellites, DRO-A and DRO-B, were carried by A Yuanzheng-1S (Expedition-1S) upper-stage aircraft, attached to a Long March-2C carrier rocket.
• The first and second stages of the rocket operated normally, while the upper stage encountered an abnormality during flight, causing the satellites to fail to enter the preset orbit accurately.

The government has withdrawn its mandate for artificial intelligence (AI) models, LLMs (large language models), and algorithms having to mandatorily seek explicit permission before deploying it for Indian users.

The new advisory

• In a fresh advisory, the ministry of electronics and information technology said that unreliable AI foundational models, LLMs, generative AI software or algorithm or any such model should be made available to Indian users only after “appropriately labelling the possible inherent fallibility or unreliability of the output generated,”.
• The IT ministry has, while doing away with the mandate for explicit permission, retained the “consent popup” need and said that such mechanisms should be used by intermediaries, AI models, LLMS, and generative AI softwares, among others to inform the users of the output being false or unreliable.
• The intermediaries and platforms were often ‘negligent’ when it came to undertaking due diligence obligations.
• All intermediaries and platforms should ensure that the use of AI models, LLMs, Gen AI, software or algorithms on their platforms does not allow users to share any unlawful content as outlined in Rule 3(1)(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Rules.
  • Rule 3 (1)(b) of the IT Rules prohibits displaying, hosting, transfer or generation of certain kinds of content such as pornography, child sexual abuse material, obscene, grossly defamatory or unlawful in any manner.

India will lower import taxes on certain electric vehicles for companies committing to invest at least USD 500 million and setting up a local manufacturing facility within three years, a policy shift that could potentially bolster Tesla’s plans to enter the South Asian market.

Impact of the move

• India currently levies a tax of 70% to 100% on imported cars depending on their value. The policy change is likely going to pave the way for Tesla to enter India.
• The move also aligns with India’s goal to boost the adoption of EVs and reduce its dependence on oil imports, with the country setting a target of achieving 30% electric car sales by 2030.
• The new policy will:
• provide Indian consumers with access to latest technology
• boost the Make in India initiative
• strengthen the EV ecosystem by promoting healthy competition among EV players leading to high volume of production, economies of scale, lower cost of production, reduce imports of crude oil, lower trade deficit, reduce air pollution, particularly in cities

A study of researchers has discovered four new species of spiders from the Western Ghats region of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The new species

• Total: Indopadilla kanniyakumari, Tetragnatha jaculator, Tetragnatha lauta and Tetragnatha serra
• Jumping spiders: Indopadilla kanniyakumari mimicks spider belongs to the group of jumping spiders.
• Long-jawed spiders: Three species of long-jawed spiders were identified as their first report from the country. These three species of web-building spiders, Tetragnatha jaculator, Tetragnatha lauta and Tetragnatha serra, possess very long jaws which are used for handling the prey, so the name Tetragnatha (long-jaw).

National Panda Day is celebrated annually on 16 March to save the species (only 1,864 Panda remaining in the wild).

• Pandas are unique bears that are native to China and are easily identifiable by their white face and black eyes and body. There are two sub-species of

Panda-Giant Panda (Ailuridae)

• • The giant panda belongs to the Ursidae family (Bears)
  • The giant panda inhabits the six major mountain ranges in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces of China.
  • IUCN Status: Vulnerable

Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens)

• • The red panda belongs to its own taxonomically unique Family: Ailuridae.
  • Nearly 50 percent of the red panda's habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas, including Nepal, Tibet, India, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
  • IUCN Status: Endangered 

• Convergent evolution: The giant panda and the red panda do however share some of the same characteristics and a common ancestor. This is called “convergent evolution”.