DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS - (MARCH 04, 2021) - CSE -20201 CSE -20201 - Lukmaan IAS
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DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS
(MARCH 04, 2021)
Admin
[COMPANY NAME]
CSE -20201
CSE -20201
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
INDEX
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. INDIA AND NORWAY ON MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING
ECONOMY
2. ‘INDIA TELECOM 2021’ PLATFORM
ENVIRONMENT
3. AN ARCTIC ISLAND: CONSEQUENCES OF GREEN POWER
4. THE SIMLIPAL FORST FIRE
5. WORLD’S FIRST PLATYPUS SANCTUARY IN AUSTRALIA
AND TECHNOLOGY
6. MADE IN INDIA SPECTROGRAPH ON DOT
7. RUSSIAN SATELLITE FOR ARCTIC CLIMATE MONITORING
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. INDIA AND NORWAY ON MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING
THE CONTEXT: The Union Ministry of Earth Science announced on March 3, 2021 that India have agreed to
work in collaboration with Norway in the area of marine spatial planning of the oceanic space for next five
years.
Analysis
The Earth Science Ministry highlighted that the first project steering committee meeting with
representatives of both the counties was held successfully.
The ministry also stated that the two countries have made a plan to ensure that human activities in sea
take place in a safe, efficient and sustainable manner. The human activities will be taken in the areas
including transportation, energy, aquaculture, tourism and fisheries.
As per the Indian ministry, Lakshadweep and Puducherry have been identified as the sites for this
project.
India-Norway Collaboration
The officials from both the countries also decided to extend their support for the sustainable ocean
resources utilisation so as to advance the economic and social development in the coastal areas.
The ministry informed that, as initiative called “Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)” will be implemented for
India through the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) by the Ministry of Earth Sciences
(MoES). MSP initiative will help in developing the multiple economic sectors and stakeholders in coastal
areas of India.
Background
The agreement regarding the marine spatial planning between both the countries is a part of the Indo-
Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding which was
signed between them in the year 2019.
About NCCR
National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) is the project directorate under the Ministry of Earth
Sciences.
It was set up to develop and improve the capabilities of countries to address the challenging problems
which are prevailing in the coastal regions of India.
It provides a long-term organisational framework in order to do the research activities. Earlier, NCCR had
also developed successful coastal management plans for states like Goa, Chennai, and Gulf of Kachchh.
SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1702137
ECONOMY
2. ‘INDIA TELECOM 2021’ PLATFORM
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
THE CONTEXT: The Telecom Equipment Export Promotion Council (TEPC) organised ‘India Telecom 2021’
on March 3-4, 2021 under the Market Access Initiative Scheme (MAI) of the Department of Commerce and
with the support of the Department of Telecommunications & Ministry of External Affairs.
Analysis
India Telecom 2021 is an exclusive International Business Expo that saw participation from over 1,000
delegates, out of which more than 200 were foreign delegates from over 45 countries.
Significance
The India Telecom 2021 is extremely important for the Indian exporters and has a very high impact on
all the Telecom and IT Stakeholders.
India is a fast-growing telecom market, which is fueled by data growth and this rising local demand
pushes the domestic telecom companies to create innovative, high-quality products and solutions that
can serve the requirements of both India and emerging markets across the globe.
Indian companies along with providing state-of-the-art telecom products and services are open to
partner and provide skill development training to overseas buyers.
India Telecom 2021 provided an ideal platform for the convergence of various technologies and
business exchanges.
What is Telecom Equipment Export Promotion Council?
The Telecom Equipment Export Promotion Council was established by Communications Ministry and
Commerce & Industry Ministry to promote export of telecom equipment and services.
The council undertakes several activities to promote exports such as Commissioning of Studies to find
potential markets and conducting of national and international seminars and facilitating the
participation of exporters in various overseas exhibitions.
The council also makes various recommendations to the Government regarding necessary changes
required in various policies and procedures for the promotion of Exports and Services.
SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1702318
ENVIRONMENT
3. AN ARCTIC ISLAND: CONSEQUENCES OF GREEN POWER
THE CONTEXT: The world’s biggest island has huge resources of metals known as rare-Earths, used to
create compact, super-strong magnets that help power equipment such as wind turbines, electric vehicles,
combat aircraft and weapons systems.
Analysis
The metals are abundant globally, but processing them is difficult and dirty – so much so that the US,
which used to dominate production, surrendered that position to China about 20 years ago.
The world’s biggest deposits of rare Earth metals
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
Aerial view of the town of Narsaq in southern Greenland, located 5 km from the site of a rare Earths mine planned by
Greenland Minerals, which some residents have opposed over environmental concerns, 2020.
As Greenland’s ice sheet and glaciers recede, two Australia-based mining companies – one seeking
funding in the US, the other part-owned by a Chinese state-backed firm – are racing for approval to dig
into what the US Geological Survey (USGS) calls the world’s biggest undeveloped deposits of rare Earth
metals.
The polluting side of clean energy
The contest underscores the polluting side of clean energy, as well as how hard it is for the West to
break free of China in production of a vital resource.
Rare Earth metals have many uses, and last year China produced about 90% of them, according to
Toronto-based consultancy Adamas Intelligence.
As US-China tensions mount, President Joe Biden’s administration said last month it will review key US
supplies, including rare Earths, to ensure other countries cannot weaponise them against the US.
About Greenland
Greenland, a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, has a gross domestic product of
around $3 billion – similar to Andorra and Burundi. With its people living mostly on fishing and grants
from Copenhagen, its government is keen to attract foreign investment.
Greenland’s rare Earth metals are also a chance for America and Europe to regain control of a strategic
resource.
The island’s potential as a source of the raw materials needed for renewable energy technologies gained
momentum in 2010, when China threatened to cut off its supply of rare Earth metals to Japan, and
tightened quotas to international buyers.
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
Greenland’s strategic position
Greenland’s position near the eastern flank of the United States makes it a sensitive location.
Former US President Donald Trump offered to buy the island in 2019, and he was not the first US
president to do so: In 1946, Harry S. Truman offered Denmark $100 million for it.
A defence treaty between Denmark and the US dating back to 1951 gives the US military almost
unlimited rights there, and Greenland houses the northernmost US military base.
SOURCE: https://science.thewire.in/environment/an-arctic-island-finds-green-power-can-be-a-curse/
4. THE SIMLIPAL FORST FIRE
THE CONTEXT: The Simlipal forest reserve area frequently witnesses forest fires during dry weather
conditions. A fire which started in the biosphere reserve area in February and has been raging for nearly a
week now, was finally brought under control.
Analysis
What is the Simlipal Biosphere reserve?
Map showing location and zones of Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Odisha, India.
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
Similipal, which derives its name from ‘Simul’ (silk cotton) tree, is a national park and a tiger reserve
situated in the northern part of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
Similipal and the adjoining areas, comprising 5,569 sq km, was declared a biosphere reserve by the
Government of India on June 22, 1994, and lies in the eastern end of the eastern ghat.
Similipal is the abode of 94 species of orchids and about 3,000 species of plants. The identified species of
fauna include 12 species of amphibians, 29 species of reptiles, 264 species of birds and 42 species of
mammals, all of which collectively highlight the biodiversity richness of Similipal. Sal is a dominant tree
species.
How fire prone is Simlipal forest?
Generally, with the onset of summers and towards the end of autumn, the forest area remains
vulnerable to forest fires. They are a recurrent annual phenomenon, but are also brought under control
due to short span of precipitation. The months of January and February witness rainfall of 10.8 and 21
mm, respectively. The last incident of a major forest fire was reported in 2015.
What causes the fire in Simlipal?
Natural causes such as lighting or even soaring temperatures can sometimes result in these fires, but
forest officials and activists say most of the fires can be attributed to man-made factors.
How are these forest fires controlled and prevented?
Such fires are generally brought under control by natural rains. Forecasting fire-prone days and including
community members to mitigate incidents of fire, creating fire lines, clearing sites of dried biomass, and
crackdown on poachers are some of the methods to prevent fires. The forest fire lines which are strips
kept clear of vegetation, help break the forest into compartments to prevent fires from spreading.
SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/simplipal-forest-fire-explained-7213375/
5. WORLD’S FIRST PLATYPUS SANCTUARY IN AUSTRALIA
THE CONTEXT: Australian conservationists on Wednesday unveiled plans to build “the world’s first refuge
for the platypus,” to promote breeding and rehabilitation as the duck-billed mammal faces extinction due to
climate change.
Platypus Keeper, Rob Dockerill, holds Annie the platypus during a press call at Taronga Zoo.
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
Analysis
The Taronga Conservation Society Australia and the New South Wales State government said they
would build the specialist facility, mostly ponds and burrows for the semi-aquatic creatures, at a zoo 391
km (243 miles) from Sydney, by 2022, which could house up to 65 platypuses.
Concerns about the platypus
Concerns about the platypus going extinct have been heightened since once-in-a-generation wildfires
devastated 12.6 million hectares (31 million acres) of bush, nearly the size of Greece, in late 2019 and
early 2020.
Scientists estimate nearly three billion animals died in what the Prime Minister called the country’s
“black summer”. A government inquiry found bushfires would likely occur more often because of
warming temperatures.
Unlike other famous Australian animals such as the koala or kangaroo, the beaver-like platypus is rarely
seen in the wild due to its reclusive nature and highly specific habitat needs.
Only one of the two “Egg-laying mammals” species
Only two kinds of egg-laying mammals are left on the planet today—the duck-billed platypus and the echidna, or spiny anteater.
The furry, web-footed animal, along with the echidna, is one of just two egg-laying mammals, and
generally lives around small streams and slow-moving rivers in cooler temperatures.
The platypus is classified as a protected species in Australia
SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/australia-building-worlds-first-platypus-
sanctuary/article33977601.ece
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
6. MADE IN INDIA SPECTROGRAPH ON DOT
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
THE CONTEXT: Indian Scientists at Aryabhatta Research Institute of observational sciences (ARIES),
Nainital, have indigenously designed and developed a low-cost optical Spectrograph named as Aries-
Devasthal Faint Object Spectrograph & Camera (ADFOSC). It has been commissioned on the 3.6-m
Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT), in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.
Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT), in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.
Analysis
About the ADFOSC spectroscope
The ADFOSC spectroscope is the largest of its kind among the existing astronomical spectrographs in
India.
The ADFOSC spectrograph can locate sources of faint light from distant quasars and galaxies in a very
young universe, regions around supermassive black-holes around the galaxies, and cosmic explosions.
So far, spectroscopes were imported from abroad at high costs. The ‘Made in India’ optical
spectrograph is about 2.5 times less costly compared to the imported ones and can locate sources of
light with a photon-rate as low as about 1 photon per second.
It is the largest reflecting telescope in India, as well as in Asia.
The largest reflecting telescope in the world
The largest reflecting telescope in the world is the “Gran Telescopio Canarias” in La Palma, Spain, with a
mirror diameter of 34.2 feet (10.4 meters).DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
About ARIES
The ARIES is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government
of India.
ARIES Founded: 20 April 1954.
SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1702133
7. RUSSIAN SATELLITE FOR ARCTIC CLIMATE MONITORING
THE CONTEXT: Russia launched its space satellite Arktika-M on Sunday on a mission to monitor the climate
and environment in the Arctic amid a push by the Kremlin to expand the country’s activities in the region.DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
Analysis
The Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three decades and
Moscow is seeking to develop the energy-rich region, investing in the Northern Sea Route for shipping
across its long northern flank as ice melts.
The satellite successfully reached its intended orbit after being launched from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur
cosmodrome by a Soyuz rocket, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, said in a
post on Twitter.
Russia plans to send up a second satellite in 2023 and, combined, the two will offer round-the-clock, all-
weather monitoring of the Arctic Ocean and the surface of the Earth, Roscosmos said.
The Arktika-M will have a highly elliptical orbit that passes high over northern latitudes allowing it to
monitor northern regions for lengthy periods before it loops back down under Earth.
At the right orbit, the satellite will be able to monitor and take images every 15-30 minutes of the Arctic,
which can’t be continuously observed by satellites that orbit above the Earth’s equator, Roscosmos said.
The satellite will also be able to retransmit distress signals from ships, aircraft or people in remote areas
as part of the international Cospas-Sarsat satellite-based search and rescue programme, Roscosmos
said.
SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/russia-launches-satellite-to-monitor-climate-in-
arctic/article33959352.eceDAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
04th MARCH, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS
Q1. Consider the following statements
1. The ADFOSC spectroscope is the largest of its kind among the existing astronomical spectrographs in
India
2. It is the largest reflecting telescope in India, as well as in the world.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWERS OF 3RD MARCH, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS
Q1. Answer C: Winkel Tripel projectionDAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS LUKMAAN IAS
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