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18th July 2022

  • Published
    18 July 2022

Indian Navy’s INS Sindhudhvaj Decommissioned

Context

The Navy’s Kilo-class submarine, INS Sindhudhvaj, has been decommissioned at Visakhapatnam after 35 years in service.

About

About INS Sindhudhvaj

  • Commissioned into the Navy in June
  • It was one of the 10 Kilo-class submarines India acquired from Russia between the year 1986 and 2000.
  • The submarine crest depicts a grey colour nurse shark and the name means flag bearer at sea.
  • Sindhudhvaj was the flag bearer of indigenisation and Indian Navy’s efforts towards achieving Atmanirbharat in the Russian built ‘Sindhughosh’ class submarines.
  • It was the only submarine to be awarded the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) rolling trophy for Innovation by Prime Minister.
  • Key-features:
  • The submarines have a displacement of 3,000
  • It has a maximum diving depth of 300 meters, top speed of 18 knots, and they are able to operate solo for 45 days with a crew of 53.
  • It has anti-ship cruise missiles with a range of 220 km.
  • After the decommissioning of Sindhudhvaj, Indian Navy now has 15 conventional submarines in service.

What are kilo-class submarines?

  • Kilo is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines originally designed in the 1970s and built in the Soviet Union for the Soviet Navy.

Operations Credited to Sindhudhvaj

  • Operationalization of Indigenised sonar USHUS
  • Indigenised Satellite Communication systems Rukmani and MSS
  • Inertial Navigation System
  • Indigenised Torpedo Fire Control System


Sindhughosh class Submarines in India Navy

  • Sindhughosh-class submarines are Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines in active service with the Indian Navy.
  • Their names are mainly in Sanskrit.
  • The Sindhughosh submarines, were designed as part of Project 877, and built under a contract between Rosvooruzhenie (Russian firm) and the Ministry of Defence (India).

Some Submarines under Sindhughosh are;

  • INS Sindhudhvaj 
  • INS Sindhuratna
  • INS Sindhukesari

Ozone depletion over the Tropics

Context

Recently a study done by AIP Advances claimed that a new ozone hole has been detected over the tropics, at latitudes of 30 degrees south to 30 degrees north.

Background
  • Ozone depletion consists of two related events observed since the late 1970s;
  • A steady lowering of about four per cent in the total amount of ozone in Earth's atmosphere, and
  • A much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone (the ozone layer) around Earth's Polar Regions.
  • The latter phenomenon is referred to as the ozone hole.
  • The main causes of ozone depletion and the ozone hole are manufactured chemicals, especially manufactured halocarbon refrigerants, solvents, propellants, and foam-blowing agents (chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HCFCs, halons), referred to as ozone-depleting substances(ODS).
  • Hence, several measures have been taken worldwide for conserving ozone depletion.
  • In 2019, NASA reported that the ozone hole was the smallest ever since it was first discovered in 1982.

Key highlights of the study

  • According to the study the ozone hole is located at altitudes of 10-25 km over the tropics.
  • The tropical ozone hole is about seven times larger than
  • The hole has become significant since the 1980s, and makes up 50 per cent of Earth’s surface.
  • It appears across all seasons, unlike that of Antarctica, which is visible only in the
  • It is likely to cause skin cancer, cataracts and other negative effects on the health and ecosystems in tropical regions.
  • Cause: Chlorofluorocarbon’s (CFC) role in depleting the ozone layer over Tropics also.
  • Evidence: The tropical stratosphere recorded a low temperature of 190-200 Kelvin (K), which is lower than the normal tropical stratospheric levels.
  • Procedure Adopted: Comparative study of the relative ozone changes in per cent in the 2000s with those in
  • These observed results were then compared to datasets from combined ground-based and satellite measurements used by other researchers.

Different definitions to Ozone Hole

  • Normally, a region of marked thinning of the ozone layer in high latitudes, chiefly in winter, attributed to the chemical action of CFCs and other atmospheric pollutants.
  • According to NASA, an ozone hole is an area where ozone levels drop below the historical threshold of 220 Dobson Units(DU is the measure of ozone concentrations).
  • Mechanism of Ozone depletion:
  • The pollutants are transported into the stratosphere by turbulent mixing after being emitted from the surface, mixing much faster than the molecules can settle.
  • Once in the stratosphere, they release atoms from the halogen group through photo dissociation, which catalyse the breakdown of ozone (O3) into oxygen (O2).


Is this study accepted worldwide?

  • Other experts not involved in the study have raised doubts about the study’s claims.
  • Issues aroused:
  • There were very few observations in the 1960s, from which the study’s data has been compared for tropical ozone depletion.
  • There are other better ozone datasets which are used widely in the community to determine ozone trends from the 1960s. They do not show this large drop in ozone.

Birmingham 2022: How the Commonwealth Games were born

Context

The 2022 Commonwealth Games, commonly known as Birmingham 2022, is an international multi-sport event that is scheduled to be held in Birmingham, England from 28 July to 8 August 2022.

About
  • It is officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games.
  • The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games, is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations.
  • The creation of the Games was inspired by the Inter-Empire Championships, as a part of the Festival of Empire, which were held in London in 1911
  • The event was first held in 1930 and has taken place every four years since then.
  • Earlier, the Commonwealth Games were known as;
  • The British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950,
  • The British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966, and 
  • British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974.
  • Athletes with a disability are included as full members of their national teams, making the Commonwealth Games the first fully inclusive international multi-sport event.
  • In 2018, the Games became the first global multi-sport event to feature an equal number of men's and women's medal events.

About

  • There are currently 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
  • 72 teams currently participate in the Commonwealth Games, as it is a feature of the Commonwealth Games that a number of dependent territories who do not compete separately at the Olympic Games, compete in the Commonwealth Games under their own flags.
  • The four Home Nations of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) also send separate teams.
  • Only six nations have participated in every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales.
  • And nineteen cities in nine countries (counting England, Scotland and Wales separately) have hosted the games.

Which are Commonwealth Countries?

  • Commonwealth, also called Commonwealth of Nations, formerly (1931–49) British Commonwealth of Nations, a free association of sovereign states comprising the United Kingdom and a number of its former dependencies who have chosen to maintain ties of friendship and practical cooperation and who acknowledge the British monarch as symbolic head of their association.
  • Criteria to be among common wealth countries: It must have an empire in its own right, it had a viceroy, a separate secretary of state in London, its own army, and even, to a certain degree, its own foreign policy.

Common wealth Games and India

  • When India and Pakistan were granted independence in 1947, they became members of the Commonwealth.
  • In 1949 India announced its intention to become a republic, which would have required its withdrawal from the Commonwealth under the existing rules, but at a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in London in April 1949 it was agreed that India could continue its membership if it accepted the British crown as only “the symbol of the free association” of Commonwealth members.
  • India has competed in all but four editions of the Commonwealth Games; starting at the second Games in 1934.
  • India has also hosted the games once, in 2010.
  • The most successful event for India in these games is 
  • India with an overall total of 503 medals (181 gold, 173 silver, 149 bronze) is ranked 4th at the All-time Commonwealth Games medal table.

The History behind Anayoottu: paved way from Asian Games

Context

Anayoottu is an annual ritual celebrated at Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple at Thrissur

About
  • This ritual was started to help elephants paraded at 1982 Games’ opening ceremony held in
  • Accordingly, Kerala’s elephants were selected, along with other cultural forms of the country, for display at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games held in Delhi in 1982.
  • Many of them belonged to the Guruvayur temple from Punnathur Kotta.
  • After participating successfully in the parade at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games, the elephants returned.
  • But the long journey made many of them sick and weak.
  • To help them regain health, Anayoottu was started at the Sree Vadakkunnathan temple, where special nutritious food was fed to the

Asiad Appu

  • The elephants included Kuttinarayanan of Guruvayur Devaswom, later came to be known as ‘Asiad Appu’
  • They are now the mascot of the Asian Games.

About Anayoottu

  • The Aanayoottu(feeding of elephants) is a festival held in the precincts of the Vadakkunnathan temple in City of Thrissur, in Kerala.
  • The festival falls on the first day of the month of Karkkidakam (timed against the Malayalam calendar), which coincides with the month of July.
  • It involves a number of unadorned elephants being positioned amid a multitude of people for being worshipped and fed.
  • Aanayoottu, gaja pooja, is conducted every year.
  • It is believed that offering poojas and delicious feed to the elephants is a way to satisfy Lord Ganesha—the god of wealth and of the fulfilment of wishes.
  • The Vadakkunnathan temple, which is considered to be one of the oldest Shiva temples in southern India, has hosted the Aanayottoo event for the past few years.

Malayalam filmmaker honoured with JC Daniel Award 2022

Context

Malayalam filmmaker KP Kumaran has been honoured with Kerala's highest film award, the ‘JC Daniel Award’.

About

Key Points

  • The  C. Daniel Awardis Kerala's highest award in Malayalam cinema.
  • The Government of Kerala created the award to commemorate the contribution of Indian filmmaker J. C. Daniel, who is often regarded as the "father of Malayalam cinema".
  • It is presented annually by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, a non-profit institution under the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Kerala, India.
  • Recipients are selected by an independent jury established by the Academy and the Department of Cultural Affairs.
  • As of 2019, the honourees receive a statuette, a citation, and a cash prize of 500,000.
  • They are honoured at the Kerala State Film Awards ceremony.
  • The award was first presented to film distributor and producer  E. Vasudevan in 1992. 

About

  • Kumaran won the award for his contribution to the Malayalam film industry.
  • He is a philosopher, poet, social reformer and an industrialist.
  • The award comprises of a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a citation, and a plaque.
  • The filmmaker made his directorial debut with Athithi in 1975.
  • He earned fame for his films like Rugmini, which won the National Award for Best feature film in Malayalam and the Kerala State Film Award in
  • He is also known for films like Thenthulli, Laxmivijayam and Thottam.

An orderly transition from coal to renewables: The National Coal Index

Context

Since the onset of the pandemic and after the Ukraine-Russia war, commodity prices, especially that of energy, have surged worldwide.

  • With inflation at unprecedented levels in many countries, concerns over energy security have gained centre stage.
About
  • Recently, there have been several policy initiatives in the coal sector in
  • One which has gone largely unnoticed is the introduction of the National coal index (NCI).
  • This index was created to provide a benchmark for revenue-sharing contracts being executed after the auctions for commercial mining of coal.
  • This development shows the importance of increasing domestic coal production to reduce the exposure of the domestic economy to the price volatility of international markets.
  • Anticipating these problems, a big effort toward permitting commercial mining has been made to get the private sector to produce more coal.
  • After taking preparatory action, about 50 contracts have been finalised in the last two years.
  • Several other steps have been taken to increase domestic coal production.

National Coal Index (NCI)

  • About: It is a price index which reflects the change of price level of coal in a particular month relative to the fixed base year.
  • The base year for the NCI is Financial Year 2017-18.
  • Compilation:
  • Prices of coal from all the sales channels of coal, including import, as existing today are taken into account for compiling the NCI.
  • The amount of revenue share per tonne of coal produced from auctioned blocks would be arrived at using the NCI by means of defined formula.
  • Sub-Indices: NCI is composed of a set of five sub-indices;
  • Three for Non Coking Coal and two for Coking Coal.
  • The three sub-indices for Non Coking Coal are combined to arrive at the Index for Non Coking Coal and the two sub-indices for Coking Coal are combined to arrive at the Index for Coking Coal.
  • Thus, indices are separate for Non Coking and Coking Coal.
  • As per the grade of coal pertaining to a mine, the appropriate sub-index is used to arrive at the revenue share.

Coal Sector Reforms in India

Unlocking coal mining for private players is a step forward to attain self-reliance in the coal sector. However, for sustainable utilization of coal, there is a need to look into these reforms from a multidimensional viewpoint.

Announced Reforms in Coal Sector

  • Commercial mining of coal allowed, with 50 blocks to be offered to the private sector.
  • Entry-norms will be liberalised as it has done away with the regulation requiring power plants to use “washed” coal.
  • Coal blocks to be offered to private companies on revenue sharing basis in place of fixed cost.
  • Coal gasification/liquefaction to be incentivised through rebate in revenue share.
  • Coal bed methane (CBM) extraction rights to be auctioned from Coal India’s coal mines.

Editorial

Green Technology

Context:

A new study has flagged emerging green technologies could have a major impact on marine biodiversity over the next 5-10 years.

What is Green Technology?

  • Green tech–or green technology–is an umbrella term that describes the use of technology and science to reduce human impacts on the natural environment. 
  • Green technology encompasses a wide area of scientific research, including energy, atmospheric science, agriculture, material science, and hydrology.
  • Membrane filtration, microbial fuel cells, nanotechnology, the creation of biological treatments, and natural treatment systems like wetlands are a few significant advancements.

How is this technology beneficial?

  • Purification of natural resources: Carbon emission and availability of clean drinking water are some examples of major global concerns. Green technology has the potential to purify water and air, paving a new way of solution to the global concerns.
  • Waste management and Rejuvenation of environment: Green technology can be used for management and recycling of waste material, allowing it to be used for beneficial purposes. Through the use of this technology tress are replanted, waste is managed and recycled. This ensures that the affected ecosystem is able to start again, and this time remains conserved. This helps to ensure that a lot of plant and animal species don’t go extinct.
  • Energy conservation: Energy is being conserved through the use of such technology.
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ThinkQ

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QUIZ - 18th July 2022

Mains Question:

Q1. The phasing out of coal is fundamental to meet net-zero goals by 2050 globally. Comment (150 words)

Approach

  • Introduction- brief about net-zero goals
  • Need to phase out coal
  • List important renewables
  • Discuss how this transition is an opportunity for the world
  • Required measures 
  • Wrap up by suggesting a way forward 
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