7th, 8th & 9th AUG, 2022

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ISRO’S MAIDEN SMALL SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE (SSLV) FLIGHT FAILS TO DEPLOY
SATELLITES

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Satellites were injected into a wrong elliptical orbit (instead of

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circular).
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORBITS
An orbit is curved path that an object in space (such as a star, Satellites in GEO circle Earth above the
planet, moon, asteroid or spacecraft) takes around another equator from west to east following Earth’s
Geostationary
object due to gravity. orbit (GEO) rotation. This makes satellites in GEO appear
About SSLV to be ‘stationary’ over a fixed position.

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It is a three-stage all solid vehicle with the capability to
launch up to 500 kg satellite mass into 500 km low earth orbit An orbit that is relatively close to Earth’s
(LEO). Low Earth orbit surface. It is normally at an altitude of less
(LEO) than 1000 km but could be as low as 160 km
It aims to cater to the emerging market for the launch of
above Earth.
small satellites into LEOs.

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It is the smallest vehicle at 110-ton mass at ISRO.
Satellites in polar orbits usually travel past

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Advantages of SSLV Earth from north to south rather than from
Polar Orbit west to east, passing roughly over Earth's
Reduced turnaround time (take only 72 hours to integrate,
unlike the 70 days taken now). poles.
Cost-effective (cost will be only around Rs 30 crore).

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Requires lesser infrastructure and manpower, as it can be It is a particular kind of polar orbit. Satellites
assembled by of team of six experts within seven days. Sun-synchronous in SSO, travelling over the polar regions, are
orbit (SSO) synchronous with the Sun.

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Unlike PSLV and GSLV, SSLV can be assembled both vertically
and horizontally.
Accommodate multiple satellites e.g., nano, micro, and small satellites.

GOVT CAN’T DICTATE WHERE CORPORATE BOARDS MUST SPEND CORPORATE SOCIAL

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RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) FUNDS: FINANCE MINISTER (FM)
FM asserted that CSR are Board level decisions and companies are aware of local priorities that should be taken up.
As per Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) data, in FY21, over 17,000 businesses spent close to ₹25,000 crore in CSR.
Also, 9,374 companies have spent more than prescribed amount.
Improvement in CSR spending coincides with amendments to CSR related provisions in 2021 that included impact assessment
of large CSR projects, more leeway in the utilisation of CSR funds etc.
About CSR
It is a commitment by businesses to integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations.
It requires companies with a net worth of ₹500 crore or more, or turnover of ₹1,000 crore or more or a net profit of ₹5 crore or
more during immediately preceding three years to spend 2% of their average net profit on CSR activities.
Government monitors CSR compliance through disclosures made in
MCA 21 portal. In a related News, MCA has clarified that spending
of funds towards the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign
Noncompliance has been notified as a civil wrong. would be considered an eligible CSR activity.
No specific tax exemptions extended to CSR expenditure. Har Ghar Tiranga campaign is to encourage people
Contributions to following funds are admissible as CSR expenditure: to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark
Swachh Bharat Kosh, Clean Ganga Fund, PMNRF, PM CARES etc. the 75th year of Independence.

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CLIMATE CHANGE MAKING WEATHER PREDICTION DIFFICULT ACROSS WORLD: INDIA

METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT (IMD) DG
IMD Director General (DG) stated that climate change is leading to an increase in extreme weather events -- thunderstorms,
lightning and heavy rainfall- which is posing a challenge to forecasters.
IMD (under Ministry of Earth sciences) is nodal agency that tracks weather developments across India.
IMD uses INSAT series of satellites along with Real-Time Analysis of Products and Information Dissemination (RAPID)
application that provides quick interactive visualisation along with 4-Dimensional analysis capabilities.

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IMD also collaborates with ISRO for ground-based observations that measure temperature, sunshine, wind direction, speed and
humidity.
Forecasting models used by IMD
Statistical Ensemble Forecasting system (SEFS) based on following parameters:

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Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Gradient between North Atlantic and North Pacific
Equatorial South Indian Ocean SST

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East Asia Mean Sea Level Pressure
Northwest Europe Land Surface Air Temperature
Equatorial Pacific Warm Water Volume
Dynamical global climate forecasting system that simulates land, atmosphere and ocean state on supercomputers.
Multi-Model Ensemble forecasting system based on coupled global climate models from different global climate prediction and
research centers.

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ELECTRICITY (AMENDMENT) BILL 2022 SENT TO THE PETITION TO RECOGNISE
STANDING COMMITTEE FOR FURTHER DELIBERATION MINORITIES AT DISTRICT
Bill proposes changes in the power distribution sector by enabling competition,
LEVEL IS CONTRARY TO LAW:

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strengthening payment security and more power to regulatory commissions.
It also proposes to end distribution monopolies to improve choices of
consumers and to improve viability of business.
SUPREME COURT (SC)

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It will amend Electricity Act of 2003. SC, while hearing a petition to identify
minorities district wise, stated that it
Key Provisions of the bill
cannot entertain such a prayer as it is
Provision Impact Concern/Criticism contrary to the precedents which hold
Choice to Electricity buyers that such identification must be carried out

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A new supplier can use existing Choice of power Urban areas will have at State level.
infrastructure to supply power. supply to consumers. many licenses, while In Re Kerala Education Bill case (1958),

Power regulators must decide
in 90 days or application
deemed to be approved.
Consumers will be able to
choose from multiple
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Presently regulators loss-making areas will SC had rejected the argument that
sit over applications be underserved. minorities should be identified at block
for licenses. Indirect privatisation. or district level.
Predatory pricing. Also, in TMA Pai Case (2002), SC held
that linguistic and religious minority

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electricity providers.
New Responsibilities and check on regulators
Qualifying criteria of members
of regulatory bodies tightened.
Promotion to Green Energy.
Ensure DISCOMs buy Centre-
mandated portion of power
from renewable sources.
Extra power to load dispatch centres
National and state dispatch
centres will cut power
supplies from plants against
which DISCOMs have not
maintained bank guarantees.
Strengthen functioning of the
National Load Despatch Centre
for ensuring the safety and
security of the grid.
are determined by taking state as a unit
and not by taking into consideration
population of country as a whole.
Will improve regulatory Opposition from
mechanism and states as they might Minority status in India
ensures independence loose. Constitution does not define the word
of regulators. Minority and only refers to Minorities.
Meeting India’s Too much Rights of minorities have been spelt out
green energy intervention by under Article 29 and 30.
commitments. centre, stepping on
state prerogative. Also, Article 350B mentions about
special officer for linguistic
minorities.
Force discipline Could cause supply However, Centre, using National
among DISCOMs. disruptions/ grid Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act,
instability. 1992, has declared Muslims, Christians,
Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and
Zoroastrians as 'minority'.
National Commission for Minority
Educational Institutions (NCMEI) Act,
2004 has been enacted to safeguard
educational rights of minorities.

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GREAT BARRIER REEF’S (GBR) RECOVERY AND

VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE THREATS
A recent report stated that highest levels of coral cover, within the past 36 years, have
been recorded in northern and central parts of GBR.
Recovery was fuelled largely by increases in fast-growing Acropora corals.
Incidentally, these fast-growing corals are also most susceptible to environmental
pressures such as rising temperatures, cyclones, pollution etc.

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Coral reefs are large colonies of invertebrate, tiny soft-bodied animal called Coral
polyps, that lives in symbiotic relationship with small algae like organism called
zooxanthellae.
Coral polyps provide protection to zooxanthellae in return of nutrient. Zooxanthellae

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also provide them clourful hues.
Corals are of two types: Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral

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Hard corals: act as building blocks for reef. They extract calcium carbonate from reef system in the world. It is located
seawater to build hard, white coral exoskeletons. off the coast of Australia, in Coral Sea.
Soft Corals: are flexible because they lack a solid skeleton. Reef, which is large enough to be
Coral reefs are some of the most bio diverse and productive ecosystems. They also act as visible from space, is made up of
natural barriers to shorelines, provides food source to more than 500 million people nearly 3,000 individual reefs.

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and livelihood to individuals in tourism industry. It was declared a World Heritage
In India, Coral reefs are present in Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Andaman & Nicobar, Area in 1981 because of its
Lakshadweep Islands and Malvan (Maharashtra). 'outstanding universal value'.

ALSO IN NEWS

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Jagdeep Dhankhar has been elected as the 14th VP of India.

14th Vice-President (VP) of
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VP is the second-highest constitutional post, provided under Article 63 of the constitution.
He is elected by, method of indirect election, members of an electoral college consisting of the
members of both Houses of Parliament.
He holds office for a term of five years but can resign and can be removed before completion of
5 years.

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India
He acts as the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

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Russia halted US inspections of nuclear arsenal under New START treaty.
New START is an agreement (entered into force in 2011) for nuclear arms reduction between US
and Russia, and establishes a limit on deployed strategic warheads.
New Strategic Arms

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New START caps to 1,550 the number of nuclear warheads that can be deployed by US and
Reduction Treaty (New
Russia.
START) Treaty
Taiwan is focusing on porcupine strategy to fight back in case China attacks it.
Porcupine is a strategy of asymmetric warfare focused on fortifying a weak state’s defences to
exploit enemy’s weaknesses rather than taking on its strengths.
It was proposed in 2008 by US professor William S Murray.
Aim is to make Taiwan’s defence so secure that any attacker faces a ruinous cost.
Three defensive layers in this approach are:
Outer layer is about intelligence and reconnaissance.
Porcupine strategy
Guerrilla warfare at sea.
Innermost layer relies on geography and demography of island.

Ministry of Communications hosted the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) RSF

for Asia and Oceania region.
ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies
– ICTs.
ITU’s- Regional RSF is a platform for exchange of ideas, discussing standardization topics like Sustainable
Standardization Forum Digital Transformation and Role of ITU Standards, Harnessing Technologies for Digital and
(RSF) Financial Inclusion in Emerging Markets, evolving Data Value Chain and Digital Health.

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SEBI has proposed the concept of blue bonds as a mode of sustainable finance.
A blue bond is a relatively new form of debt instrument that is issued to support investments in
healthy oceans and blue economies.
Blue Economy is sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods,
and jobs.
Blue bonds offer an opportunity for private sector capital to be mobilized to support the blue
Blue Bonds economy.
India can deploy blue bonds in various aspects of blue economy like oceanic resource mining,

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sustainable fishing, national offshore wind energy policy etc.
It refers to the idea that changes in money supply in an economy causes redistribution of
purchasing power among people, disturbs relative prices of goods and services, and leads to
misallocation of scarce resources.

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Although, money has largely been considered to be neutral by economists today, in the sense
that changes in its supply have no real effect on the economy.

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It is named after 18th century French economist Richard Cantillon who published his ideas in
Cantillon effect 1755 book Essay on Nature of Trade in General.
PM recently talked about IVH.
IVH is a database of dried plants that maximizes the usefulness of the collections.
Apart from digital images, label data on each species include all information about the
herbarium specimen such as family, genus, species etc.

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Herbarium specimens are considered important tools for plant taxonomy, conservation,
habitat loss and even climate change.
Indian Virtual Herbarium Developed by: Botanical Survey of India (BSI).
(IVH) BSI, under Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, is apex taxonomic research

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organization of the country.
India begins cooperation with Bahrain-based CMF.

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CMF is a multi-national naval partnership to promote security, stability and prosperity across
international waters, which encompass some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
34 nation grouping (India still not a member) is commanded by a U.S. Navy Vice Admiral.
CMF’s main focus areas include counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy,
encouraging regional cooperation etc.

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Combined Maritime Forces It is comprised of following task forces: CTF 150 (maritime security and counter-terrorism), CTF
(CMF) 151 (counter piracy), CTF 152 (Arabian Gulf security and cooperation), CTF 153 (Red Sea Maritime

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Security).
Data from ECOsystem and Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station
(ECOSTRESS) can help in understanding why wildfires affect certain areas more than others.
NASA’s ECOSTRESS is a multiple wavelength imaging spectrometer to study effectiveness of

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water use by vegetation.
It measures combined evaporation and transpiration, known as evapotranspiration.
It identifies plants’ thresholds for water use and water stress, giving insight into their ability to
ECOSTRESS adapt to a warming climate.
Rate at which plants release water can help predict the intensity of subsequent wildfires.
According to Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), revamped GRAP to deal with air
pollution (in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) will come into force from October 1.
GRAP institutionalised measures to be taken when air quality deteriorates.
Unlike the old plan, which was invoked when particulate matter concentrations reached a certain
threshold, revised GRAP will be pre-emptive and will be invoked three days in advance.
Graded Response Action CAQM is a statutory body to function as an umbrella organization for better coordination of
Plan (GRAP) research, identification, and resolution of problems related to air quality in NCR and adjoining
areas.

It is an Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise.

Ex Vajra Prahar 2022

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