National Science Day.

 28th February -is National Science Day.

Objectives :

(i) To widely spread a message about the Importance of science used in the daily life of the people.
(ii) To encourage the people to think scientifically and to popularize the Science and Technology.

BACKGROUND :

(a) National Science Day is celebrated in India on 28 February each year to mark the discovery of the Raman effect by Indian physicist Sir Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman on 28 February 1928.
(b) For his discovery, Sri C.V. Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
(c) The nation has been celebrating National Science Day on 28th February every year since 1999, although it was declared in 1986.

THEME :

The theme of the Natioanl Science Day for year 2017 is :
"Science and Technology for Specially-abled Persons".

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International Women's Day

March 8th -is International Women's Day.

MOTIVE :

(i) To celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
(ii) The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

BACKGROUND :

(a) The earliest organized Women's Day observance was held on February 28, 1909, in New York, organized in remembrance of the 1908 strike of the International Ladies Garment Worker's Union.
(b) In 1917 demonstrations marking International Women's Day in Saint Petersburg which fell on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar.
(c) After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the state council proclaimed that March 8 would be made an official holiday with women in China given a half-day off.
(d) International Women's Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women's rights and world peace.

UN THEME FOR IWD-2017 :

(a) Since 1996, every year UN commemorates IWD with a specific theme.
(b) This year's theme is "Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030".

World Consumer Rights Day.

Today- March 15th -is World Consumer Rights Day.

SIGNIFICANCE :

(i) It is an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers, demanding that those rights are respected and protected.
(ii) It's also a chance to protest against the market abuses and social injustices which undermine those rights.

BACKGROUND :

(a) WCRD was inspired by President John F Kennedy, who gave an address to the US congress on 15 March 1962, in which he formally addressed the issue of consumer rights.
(b) It was celebrated for the first time on 15 March 1983, since then it became an important opportunity to activate citizen role.
(c) Also, it was adopted by the United Nations on the 15 of March 1985.
(d) World Consumer Rights Day is an annual occasion for celebration and solidarity within the international consumer movement.

THEME THIS YEAR :

The theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2017 is
‘Building a Digital World Consumers can Trust’.

world’s first fluorescent frog

Scientists have discovered the world’s first fluorescent frog in Argentina.

ABOUT THE GLOWING FROG :

(i) Researchers found a South American polka dot tree frog (Hypsiboas punctatus) that uses fluorescent molecules, totally unlike those found in other animals.
(ii) The newly discovered frog sports a muted palette of greens, yellows and reds under normal light but gives off a bright blue and green glow in the dark.
(iii) Scientists expected to find red fluorescence in these frogs from a pigment called biliverdin.

ABOUT FLUORESCENCE :

(a) The ability to absorb light at short wavelengths and re-emit it at longer wavelengths is called fluorescence. The phenomena is rare in terrestrial animals.
(b) Many ocean creatures exhibit fluorescence, including corals, fish, sharks and one species of sea turtle. On land, fluorescence was previously known in only parrots and some scorpions.

Why animals have this ability :

 It is unclear why animals have this ability but some explanations include communication, camouflage and mate attraction etc.

HYPERLOOP TECHNOLOGY

HYPERLOOP TECHNOLOGY :

(i) It is a system where magnetically levitating capsules are sent at high speeds through low-pressure tubes.
(ii) The technology is expected reduce the transport time, of goods and people, by more than 80%.
(iii) Brainchild of Elon Musk, the system is now being developed to connect Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

HYPERLOOP AND INDIA :

(a) Hyperloop One, the company developing the technology, has begun an online vote for people to suggest and choose the best route to deploy a hyperloop in their countries.
(b) The route choices for India are:
Bengaluru-to- Chennai (334 km in 20 minutes),
Bengaluru-to- Thiruvananthapuram (736 km in 41 minutes),
Delhi-to- Mumbai via Jaipur and Indore (1,317 km in 55 minutes), Mumbai-to- Chennai via Bengaluru (1,102 km in 50minutes), and Bengaluru to Chennai (334 km in 20 minutes).
(c) Hyperloop One has announced its intentions to begin operations in India by 2021.

PROS & CONS :

1. If approved, such plans would enable India to jump forward in its transport infrastructure and could revolutionise the way business is conducted.
2. In a country like India where railway infrastructure is abysmal and the airline industry is priced beyond the abilities of most of the populace, it is doubtful if India can really afford another expensive transport system.

World Forestry Day

Today- March 21- is the World Forestry Day.

MOTIVE : To increase the public awareness among communities about the values, significance and contributions of the forests to balance the life cycle on the earth.

BACKGROUND :

(i) The World Forestry Day was established in the year 1971 at the 23rd General Assembly of European Confederation of Agriculture.
(ii) It was decided to be celebrated as an annual event celebration on 21st of March by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
(iii) International Day of Forests was first established in the year 2012 to be celebrated on 21st of March every year by the decision of the UNGA by uniting the two international commemorations; the World Forestry Day and Forest Day.

SIGNIFICANCE :

(a) It provides a big opportunity to all the people to learn more about their contributions in maintaining the well-being of people.
(b) During this event celebration people share their views and ideas by working together to incorporate the forests into future climate change strategies.

THEME THIS YEAR :

Theme for World Forestry Day 2017 is - “Forests & Energy”.

Assam’s ancient herbal ink ‘mahi’

By unravelling the science behind Assam’s ancient herbal ink ‘mahi’, researchers are planning to recreate the lost techniques of manuscript writing.

BACKGROUND :

(i) ‘Mahi’ was used in early and medieval Assam for writing on ‘sancipat’ (folios made of the bark of the sanci tree) manuscripts.
(ii) Some folios were gifted by Kumar Bhaskar Barman, the then King of Pragjyotishpura (ancient Assam) to Harshavardhana(ruled 606-647 CE)

ENDURANCE & DURABILITY :

(a) The endurance of the ink is proven by the stability of sancipat manuscripts.
(b) The key factor for this long-lasting bond between ‘mahi’ and ‘sancipat’ is the herbal ink’s resistance to aerial oxidation and fungal attacks.
(c) This is due to its raw materials, including astringent fruits and cow urine, which seems to have a protective effect on cellulosic sancipat against fungal attack in the hot and humid climate of Assam.

TECHNIQUE & CONSTITUENTS :

1. The technique involves extracting ‘mahi’ using cow urine from a cocktail of fruit pulp and tree bark such as haritaki, amla, bibhitakhi or bhomora, mango and jamun which is often infused with the blood of eels or catfish.
2. The major phytochemical constituents in ‘mahi’ have been identified as phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins and their complexes with iron.

World Water Day.

Today- 22nd March -is World Water Day.

MOTIVES :

(i) To focus attention on the importance of universal access to clean water & to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
(ii) To highlight the need for improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, especially in developing countries.

BACKGROUND :

(a) This day was first formally proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.
(b) The United Nations (UN) designated 22 March as International World Water Day in 1992 at the same conference.
(c) In 1993, the first World Water Day was designated by the UNGA and each year since then has focused on a different issue.

SIGNIFICANCE :

1. It is meant to inspire people around the world to learn more about water-related issues.
2. It aids the people to tell others about these issues such as water crisis and take action to make a difference, particularly in developing countries.

THEME THIS YEAR :

The theme of World Water Day 2017 is – "Why Waste Water?"

Shaheedi Diwas

Today- 23rd March -is "Shaheedi Diwas", to commemorate the sacrifices of Bhagat SIngh, Sukhdev and Rajguru.

Killing of John Saunders :

(i) Bhagat Singh & Rajguru assassinated ASP John Saunders in December 1927.
(ii) They mistakenly believed Saunders to be Scott, the police officer responsible for brutally assaulting Lala Lajpat Rai-that ultimately led to his death.
(iii) Since nobody could identify Bhagat Singh at the scene, he was not mentioned in the FIR as well.

1929 Assembly Bomb Incident :

(a) Bhagat Singh was arrested for throwing bombs into the Central Assembly. Since the bombs were not meant to kill, it was unlikely that he would charged with a capital punishment.
(b) The police arrested many other revolutionaries-some of whom broke down in the face of torture and disclosed Bhagat Singh's role in the Saunders assassination case.
(c) A Special Tribunal was therefore constituted to try the case, especially to expedite the process under law.
(d) The Tribunal found Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging.
(e) An appeal to the Privy Council was turned down by Lord Dunedin.

The three were hanged on 23rd March, 1931.

Human Development Report (HDR)

India slipped down one place from 130 to 131 among the 188 countries ranked in terms of human development, says the 2016 Human Development Report (HDR) released by UNDP.

BACKGROUND :

(i) India’s human development index (HDI) value of 0.624 puts it in the “medium human development” category, alongside countries such as Congo, Namibia and Pakistan.
(ii) It is ranked third among the SAARC countries, behind Sri Lanka (73) and the Maldives (105), both of which figure in the “high human development” category.
(iii) The world’s top three countries in HDI are Norway (0.949), Australia (0.939) and Switzerland (0.939).

India’s Report Card :

(a) India’s public health expenditure was quite low at 1.4% of the GDP.
(b) However, India made some gains between 1990 and 2015, improving life expectancy by 10.4 years in this period.
(c) Child malnutrition also declined by 10 percentage points from 2015 and there was a modest gain in infant and under-five mortality rates.
(d) UNDP has called the progress in India’s HDI score impressive and lauded the success of national development programmes like Skill India, Digital India, Make in India and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao aimed at bridging gaps in human development will be crucial in ensuring the success of Agenda 2030.
(e) The HDR also hailed the national rural employment guarantee programme as a prime example of ‘combining social protection with appropriate employment strategies’.
(f) The report noted with approval India’s progressive laws, especially the Right to Information, National Food Security, and Right to Education Acts

World Tuberculosis Day

Today- 24th March -is World Tuberculosis Day.

MOTIVE :

To build public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate the disease.

BACKGROUND :

(a) March 24 commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch addressed to a small group of scientists at the University of Berlin's Institute of Hygiene that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus.
(b) In 1982, on 100th anniversary of Robert Koch's presentation, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) proposed that March 24 be proclaimed an official World TB Day.
(c) The first World TB Day celebration meeting was held by the WHO and the Royal Netherlands Tuberculosis Foundation in the year 1995 in Den Haag, Netherlands & became an annual event.

SIGNIFICANCE :

(a) World TB Day is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO),
(b) Since 1990, the mortality rate of TB has decreased by 40% all over the world.
(c) Invention of various new TB tools has occurred for rapid diagnostic tests of TB. All this have become possible only because of this awareness campaign.

THEME THIS YEAR :

Theme of World TB Day 2017 is - “Unite to End TB”

Scientists launch campaign to restore Pluto to the planet club.

Scientists launch campaign to restore Pluto to the planet club.

THE NEWS :

(i) A team of scientists seeking to restore Pluto to planethood launched a campaign to broaden the astronomical classifications which led to its demotion to a “dwarf planet” a decade ago.
(ii) Six scientists from institutions across the United States argued that Pluto deserves to be a full planet, along with some 110 other bodies in the solar system, including Earth’s moon.
(iii) The scientists explained that geological properties, such as shape and surface features, should determine what constitutes a planet.

BACKGROUND :

(a) In 2006, the International Astronomical Union, struggling with how to classify a newly discovered icy body beyond Pluto, adopted a definition for a planet based on characteristics that include clearing other objects from its orbital path.
(b) Pluto and its newfound kin in the solar system’s distant Kuiper Belt region were reclassified as dwarf planets, along with Ceres (the biggest object in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter).

THE TWILIGHT ZONE :

1. Pluto is the biggest object in the icy Kuiper Belt, also known as the third zone after the inner rocky planets and outer gaseous giants.
2. It’s also called the Twilight Zone because of its great distance from the sun.
3. The Kuiper Belt (pronounced KIE-per) is full of comets and other small frosty objects.

Traditional Knowledge Database Library(TKDL)

Traditional Knowledge Database Library(TKDL), Ancient knowledge hub, faces grim future.

ABOUT TKDL :

(i) The Traditional Knowledge Database Library (TKDL) is an umbrella organisation of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research that has fought biopiracy for decades.
(ii) TKDL is an online repository of about 300,000 formulations from Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems.
(iii) Over two decades, the body translated, scanned and digitised texts from their Sanskrit, Arabic and Urdu originals.
(iv) This was then made searchable, allowing patent offices in India, Europe, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Japan to check if patent applicants of herbal concoctions, creams and drugs were basing their claims on available traditional knowledge.

SIGNIFICANCE :

(a) Between 2009 and 2015, 219 patents were denied to Indian and foreign companies based on TKDL’s challenges, including Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, Avesthagen, the government’s Central Council For Research in Unani Medicine, and Yale University in the U.S.
(b) The organisation was seen in pharmaceutical circles as a patent blocker and over the years, it made it hard for companies to acquire patents.

THREAT ON EXISTENCE :

The organisation will cease to exist in its current form as it has no committed funds, most of its workforce has been removed and these staffers are litigating against CSIR.

TKDL's FUTURE :

1. According to officials of CSIR denied reports that TKDL was dying.
2. They termed that TKDL would be aligned with India’s National Intellectual Property Rights Policy cleared by the Centre.
3. This would allow public research institutions and private players to use TKDL for research and development purposes.

Ram Setu is a natural or man-made phenomenon.

The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is set to undertake an archaeological exploration to find out whether the Ram Setu is a natural or man-made phenomenon.

ABOUT RAM SETU :

(i) Ram Setu is a stretch of limestone shoals running from Pamban Island near Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to the Mannar Island near the northern coast of Sri Lanka.
(ii) While there are geological theories on its natural formation, many Hindus believe it was built by the army of Lord Ram to go to Lanka to wage war with its king, Ravana.

CONTROVERSY :

(a) The bridge between the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka has been at the centre of controversy since the Sethusamudram shipping canal project was planned, requiring dredging in the area.
(b) The plan for a Sethusamudram shipping canal project to cut travel time for ships— as they could not cross the shallow Ram Sethu otherwise — is hanging fire as both Hindu groups and environmentalists have opposed it.

Why Environmentalists are protesting the project?

1. Gulf of Mannar is the richest biosphere reserve in South Asia. It holds bountiful coastal and marine flora, and is also an inhabitation site for over hundred species of corals and endangered sea animals.
2. It is also argued that canal will raise the level of water table around it. This will directly affect the water used for irrigation purposes around the coast. So, not only the marine life but also the crop productivity will be hampered.
3. Coral reefs here are also called as ‘underwater tropical rainforest’. It is also praised for its pearl banks.

Earth Hour

For the 11th year running, cities worldwide turned their lights off on Saturday(yesterday) to mark Earth Hour in a global call to action on climate change.

EARTH HOUR :

(i) Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
(ii) The event is held annually encouraging everyone to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. towards the end of March,
(iii) The moment of darkness should also serve as a reminder of another problem that gets far less attention i.e. light pollution.

LIGHT POLLUTION :

(a) More than 80% of humanity lives under skies saturated with artificial light.
(b) In the United States and western Europe, that figure goes up to 99 percent of the population, most of whom cannot discern the Milky Way in the night sky.
(c) Components of light pollution include :
1. Glare – excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort
2. Skyglow – brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas
3. Light trespass – light falling where it is not intended or needed
4. Clutter – bright, confusing and excessive groupings of light sources.

EFFECTS :

1. Artificial lighting has been shown to disturb the reproductive cycles of some animals and the migration of birds that navigate using the stars and to disorient night-flying insects.
2. For humans, circadian rhythms that regulate hormones and other bodily functions can also be thrown out of whack by too much light at night.
3. Even the most ardent critics of light pollution are not saying cities should go dark, or that lighting is not an essential element of urban life.

Trump to gut Obama climate policy

Trump to gut Obama climate policy.

BACKGROUND :

(i) Last US President Barack Obama had taken many federal measures in order to meet American commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement.
(ii) Collectively, these measures could have moved the U.S. closer to its commitment of reducing its carbon emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, though they were not sufficient.
(iii) One of the measures was the Clean Power Plan that sought to nudge the U.S. power industry from coal to renewable energy.

TRUMP'S MOVE :

(a) The current President Donald Trump is set to issue a sweeping executive order to reverse those measures, including undoing the previous regulations on fossil fuel.
(b) This will bring about a total turnabout in America's climate policy.
(c) With this, more federal land will be open to mining and power plants will be allowed to continue on coal without facing curbs imposed by previous climate regulations.
(d) Trump says that the climate related policies devalued American workers and caused unemployment, especially in fossil fuel related industries.

REACTIONS :

1. Trump voters and many people unemployed due to climate regulations are happy with his steps.
2. However, environmental are protesting. They point out to the last three years being the three hottest years on record. They say Trump is reversing the biggest steps US has taken to fighting climate change.

INDIA'S TAKE :

For its part, India said that regardless of what America does to combat climate change, India would remain firm on its Paris Agreement commitments.

Supreme Court bans sale of BS-III vehicles from April 1.

Supreme Court bans sale of BS-III vehicles from April 1.

BACKGROUND :

(i) The Supreme Court observed ordered a freeze on the registration and sale of BS-III fuel compliant vehicles.
(ii) The SC said that health of the citizen is more important than the commercial interests of the automobile industry.
(iii) No registration and sale of BS-III fuel compliant vehicles will be allowed from April 1.
(iv) On April 1, the next level and environmentally friendly BS-IV fuel emission standards are scheduled to kick in, and all new vehicles have to be BS-IV compliant.

MANUFACTURERS & SC :

(a) Vehicle manufacturers argued that they were entitled to make BS-III vehicles till March 31. So, the sale and registration of these vehicles should not be prohibited after April 1 with the introduction of BS-IV norms.
(b) The court asked why manufacturers decided to sit back and not take pro-active steps despite knowing way back in 2010 that BS-IV norms would kick in by April 2017.
(c) The court had pointed out that the new fuel was cleaner and the oil refineries had spent about ₹30,000 crore since 2010 to produce it.
(d) Though the number of the existing stock was 8.24 lakh, it was miniscule compared to over 19 crore BS-III vehicles already plying on the roads.

BS-IV SIGNIFICANCE :

1. Bharat Stage-III emission norms vary widely from their Bharat Stage-IV compliant engines. They differ in the electronics, sensor system, the engine’s ability to process low-sulphur fuel and their after-exhaust system that determines emissions.
2. BS-IV engines also require that the sulphur content of the fuel they use be less than 50 part per million (ppm) whereas BS-III ones can run on 350 ppm fuel.
3. The Centre for Science and Environment said that the transition to BS-IV can lead to `substantial reductions in particulate matter emissions. From new trucks, the emissions can dip by 80% and from cars by half.

SINGLE ACTUATOR WAVE-LIKE ROBOT

Scientists have developed a tiny, ingestible 3D-printed snake-like robot that can navigate through the small intestines. The robot could one day be used to visualise the digestive system in real time.

SINGLE ACTUATOR WAVE-LIKE ROBOT :

(i) A tiny, swallowable robot that snakes its way through the small intestines could one day be used to actively visualize the digestive system.
(ii) The robot, called SAW (single actuator wave-like robot), moves in a wave-like motion and can travel through the extremely squishy environment of the small intestine, researchers said.
(iii) The external shape of the robot is a 2D projection of a rotating helix. The result is a continuously moving wave.
(iv) In tests, it seems to move incredibly fast and can cross a wide array of terrains, from water to rough, rocky soil.

Why snake-like Robot?

(a) The scientists are hoping to create an ingestible robot that could carry a camera through the small intestines, which could ultimately be used for colonoscopies. Currently, endoscopes can access only the large intestines.
(b) There are pill cameras that can reach the small intestines, but they float passively through the digestive system, and take typically take 12 hours to travel its entirety.
(c) The pill cameras can sometimes get stuck at certain points in the intestines, at which point the battery dies, leaving no data for a doctor to analyze. Passive camera pills also can't take tissue samples.
(d) The simplest version of the robot would hold a camera and could be steered by doctors through the intestines to look at certain spots.

UDAN SCHEME

Beginning April, passengers may be able to fly on as many as 128 routes connecting 70 big and small airports across the country by paying ₹2,500 for an hour’s flight.

BACKGROUND :

(a) The Centre announced a list of routes awarded to five airlines which will operate flights under its regional connectivity scheme, named UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik).
(b) The regional airlines will connect these destinations with their nearest bigger airports such as Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur, among others.

UDAN SCHEME :

(i) Under this scheme, half of the seats on the plane will be capped at ₹2,500 per hour’s flight.
(ii) As per the scheme, the Centre will subsidise the losses incurred by airlines flying out of dormant airports to help airlines charge ₹2,500 for an hour’s flight to passengers.
(iii) 80% of the subsidy will be collected by charging a levy of up to ₹8,500 on each departing flight of domestic airlines and the rest 20% will come from the respective State governments.
(iv) Government will provide subsidy to airlines for first three years of operations when they will have exclusive flying rights on the selected routes.

ADVANTAGES :

1. It will create affordable yet economically viable and profitable flights on regional routes so that flying becomes affordable to the
common man even in small towns.
2. This scheme will stimulate growth in the regional aviation market and will connect underserved and unserved airports that really didn’t have flight services.