India launches “Green Crackers” in its bid to curb air pollution; First Indigenous Fuel Cell System launched
DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill - 2019 passed in Lok Sabha India adopted redefined global units of measurement of kilogram, Kelvin, mole and ampere from 20th May 2019 i.e. the World Metrology Day Posted On: 01 JAN 2020 2:40PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Science Congress (ISC), 2019 held at Jalandhar
Indian Science Congress (ISC) 2019 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 3rd January. The 106th Session of Indian Science Congress, 2019 was held from January 3-7, 2019 at Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, and Punjab.
During the Congress, significant lectures from three Nobel Laureates; 20 Plenary Sessions & several sectional symposia with top authorities from DRDO, ISRO, DST, ICAR, CSIR, ICMR, AICTE, NAAC, UGC, ISCA, the USA, UK Universities, were attended by nearly 30,000 participants. More than fifteen thousand delegates participated at this scientific meet.
“The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill - 2019” passed in Lok Sabha: In a landmark decision, the Lok Sabha passed “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill - 2019” on 8th January, 2019. The Bill has been formulated recognizing the need for regulation of the use and application of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) technology, for establishing identity of missing persons, victims, offenders, under trials and unknown deceased persons.
MoU signed for Inter-Ministerial Cooperation for Promotion and Facilitation of Agricultural Biotechnology Research and Education: The DBT and ICAR entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 15th January, 2019 for much-needed emphasis on multi-disciplinary R&D activities and nurturing innovations in Agricultural Biotechnology Research and Education.
Highlighting the importance of the MoU, Secretary DBT, Mrs. Renu Swarup said that five to ten focused programmes both short, medium and long term will be developed and implemented. Major facilities and technology platforms created by both the agencies will be accessible to the National systems and a joint working group will be constituted to take the partnership forward.
Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation addresses Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC): On 16th January, the Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation, Professor Mark Walport, during his two-day visit to Delhi, at the invitation of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Professor K. Vijay Raghavan met and addressed the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
Chaired by Professor K. Vijay Raghavan, the PM-STIAC is an overarching body that assesses specific science and technology domains in India, and formulates interventions and roadmaps. It advises the India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on all matters of science, technology and innovation.
One Health India Conference, 2019 held: Two-day long One Health India Conference, 2019 was inaugurated on 18th February in New Delhi. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology in partnership with the Departments of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) and Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DAHDF), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare; the Departments of Health Research (DHR) and Health & Family Welfare (DHFW), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, hosted the “One Health India Conference”. The conference aimed to launch India's new One Health Initiative - an inter-sectoral approach to tackling the most urgent health threats in India as well as in low and middle income countries across South and South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Department of Biotechnology celebrates its 33rd Foundation Day: The Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, celebrated its 33rd Foundation Day in New Delhi on 26th February with the theme as "Celebrating Biotechnology: Building Indian as an Innovation Nation". On the occasion, Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan gave away the Biotechnology Research Innovation and Technology Excellence (BRITE) awards.
The Minister announced key missions at the foundation day ceremony including Atal JaiAnusandhan Biotech Mission - Undertaking Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI), which is expected to transform Health, Agriculture and Energy sectors during the next 5 years. This mission included GARBH-ini - A Mission to promote Maternal and Child Health and develop prediction tools for pre-term berth, IndCEPI - A Mission to develop affordable vaccines for endemic diseases, Development of Biofortified and Protein Rich wheat - contributing to POSHAN Abhiyan, Mission on Anti Microbial Resistance for Affordable Diagnostics and Therapeutics and Clean Energy Mission - Innovative Technology interventions for Swachh Bharat.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and UK on Cancer Research Initiative: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7th March, 2019, has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and U.K. on Cancer Research Initiative. The MoU was signed on 14th November 2018.
Photo Exhibition titled "Celebrating Indian Women in Science: An Incredible Journey" organised: The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India in Partnership with India International Centre, New Delhi, organized a Photo Exhibition on 7th March, 2019, titled "Celebrating Indian Women in Science: An Incredible Journey". The aim of the exhibition was to remember, acknowledge and showcase the stories of great Indian women scientists on International women’s day, who have contributed to the development of science through their outstanding work.
Cabinet approves five years’ extension of Biomedical Research Career Programme: The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 27th March approved the continuation of the Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP), and Wellcome Trust (WT)/DBT India Alliance beyond its initial 10-year term (2008-09 to 2018-29) to a new five year phase (2019-20 to 2023-24) with Department of Biotechnology (DBT) increasing its commitment to two times that of WT. The total financial implication will be Rs. 1092 crore with DBT and WT contributing Rs.728 crore and Rs.364 crore respectively.
Government and IIT-Delhi to set up a Centre of Excellence for Waste to Wealth Technologies: The Principal Scientific Advisor to the Govt of India, Prof K. Vijay Raghavan and Director, IIT Delhi, Prof V. Ramgopal Rao signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 2nd May, in New Delhi for setting up a Centre of Excellence for Waste to Wealth Technologies for implementation of sustainable, scientific and technological solutions for waste management, through validation and deployment of available technologies for transformation of waste to wealth.
MoU for Joint Collaboration on Cancer Research: The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), M/o Science and Technology and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India on 22nd May signed an MoU for supporting joint collaborative research programmes in the area of Cancer. This MOU shall help strengthen the various initiatives specifically for cancer viz. Strategizing and prioritizing cancer research, development of new and affordable technologies, jointly design and fund clinical trials, coordinate and collaborate for translational research, interventions, training of manpower and infrastructure development.
Launch of electronic collection facility of Non-Tax Receipts of Survey of India The electronic collection facility for the costs of maps and other publications will now be available at all the sale counters of Survey of India (SoI). This will help students, researchers and other customers to buy what they would need using credit/ debit cards etc.
Cabinet approves signing of Memorandum of Understanding between India and Thailand in the field of Astronomy (12th June): The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, was apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation between India and Thailand in the field of Astronomy / Astrophysics / Atmospheric Science. The MoU will lead to new scientific results, human resource development through increased scientific interaction and training, joint use of scientific infrastructure etc. The MoU was signed in November, 2018.
Cabinet approves Intimation of Letter of Intent between India and Costa Rica in the field of Biotechnology: The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, was apprised of signing of Lotter of Intent (LOI) between India and Costa Rica in the field of Biotechnology.
Cabinet approves Inter-Institutional Agreement between India and USA for cooperation in the field of medicine: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17th July gave ex-post facto approval to the Inter-Institutional Agreement between India and the USA in the areas of regenerative medicine and 3D bioprinting, new technologies, exchange of scientific ideas/information and technologies, and joint use of scientific infrastructure.
Drones to undertake Large scale Mapping of Village areas in Maharashtra: Survey of India, the national mapping agency of the country under the Min of Science & Technology has signed an MoU with Department of revenue & Land records, Govt of Maharashtra to undertake the Large scale Mapping of Village Gaothan (Aabadi) areas in the State of Maharashtra using drones.
India joins the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Development Hub: India joined the Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research and Development (R&D) Hub as a new member on 12th September. This expands the global partnership working to address challenges and improve coordination and collaboration in global AMR R&D to 16 countries, the European Commission, two philanthropic foundations and four international organisations (as observers).
National Centre for Clean Coal Research & Development inaugurated at Bengaluru: Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, inaugurated the National Centre for Clean Coal Research and Development at Indian Institute of Science (IISc)-Bengaluru on 16th September. Government of India through Department of Science & Technology, has set up the National Centre for Clean Coal Research and Development (NCCCR&D) as a national level consortium on clean coal R&D, led by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)-Bengaluru.
Government launches ‘UMMID’ initiative to tackle inherited genetic diseases of new born babies: The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 23rd September launched UMMID (Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders) initiative and inaugurated NIDAN (National Inherited Diseases Administration) Kendras.
25th edition of DST-CII India Netherlands Technology Summit inaugurated at New Delhi on 15th October: Inaugurating the 25th edition of DST-CII India Netherlands Technology Summit at New Delhi by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, expressed their pleasure at the successful collaboration in Science & Technology between the two countries. ‘NEXUS’ was the central theme of the summit, discussing how to co-create on pioneering innovative solutions for global challenges related to water, food and good health for all.
Cabinet approves proposal for Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation between India and the United States of America: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23rd October approved the proposal for Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation between India and the United States of America. The Agreement would provide an opportunity to promote ‘high quality’ and ‘high impact’ research and innovation partnerships as well as broadening and expanding relationships between the extensive scientific and technological communities.
Guidelines Released for Evaluation of Nanopharmaceuticals in India on 24th October: While releasing the guidelines, Dr. Harsh Vardhan informed that these “Guidelines for Evaluation of Nanopharmaceuticals in India” is one of the most important steps for delineating quality, safety and efficacy assessment of the novel nanoformulations. He further added that these guidelines are intended to provide transparent, consistent and predictable regulatory pathways for nanopharmaceuticals in India. The guidelines will pave the way for significant benefits through such cutting edge technology and contribute to the mission on “Affordable Health Care for All”.
India and Netherlands launched the second phase of the LOTUS-HR (Local Treatment of Urban Sewage streams for Healthy Reuseplant) as a part of joint collaboration: During the visit of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty, Queen Maxima of the Kingdom of the Netherlands a joint launch of the second phase of the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS-HR) program was done by the Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 5th October. The launch programme was held during the visit of Netherlands King & the Queen to the India-Netherlands water laboratory at the Barapullah drain in Delhi.
5th India International Science Festival held in Kolkata from 5th to 8th November, 2019: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated via video conference, the 5th India International Science Festival at Kolkata on 5th November. Addressing on the occasion, Prime Minister said the theme of the festival “RISEN: Research, Innovation and Science Empowering the Nation” reflects the aspirations of 21st century India. He said science and technology has a major impact on society, and therefore government is providing the Institutional Support for both Invention and Innovation. Advocating for a strong ecosystem supporting Science and Technology, he said every effort is being taken to support innovation in the country.
India’s first-ever global Mega-Science exhibition, ‘Vigyan Samagam’, inaugurated at the Science City in Kolkata (4th November): This multi-venue Science Exhibition, after its successful journey in Mumbai and Bengaluru, opened for public in Kolkata from 4th November till December 31, 2019. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), the funding agencies of these projects and the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, who are venue partners and having expertise in design and hosting such exhibitions, have joined hands to organize this prestigious Science Exhibition.
3-day Global Bio-India Summit, 2019 inaugurated (21st November): Union Ministers Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also inaugurated the Global Bio-India Exhibition. Global Bio-India is one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders conglomerate being held in India for the first time. Over 3,000 delegates from around 25 countries and over 15 states of India are participating in the mega event.
5th Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) The 5th Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States’ Heads of Ministries and Departments of Science and Technology and Permanent Working Group on S&T Cooperation concluded in Moscow, Russia on 21st November. Secretary, DSIR & DG, CSIR, Dr. Shekhar C. Mande, led the Indian delegation. India will be the host of Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of SCO Member States in 2020, which will approve the Draft SCO Roadmap on cooperation between research institutions of SCO Member States for the period 2021-2023.
Global Bio-India Awards presented on 22nd November: Presenting the awards, the Union Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal said the Government has simplified the Patents regime for Start-ups, MSMEs among others to encourage innovation. He assured the Department of Industrial will extend all support to new and emerging enterprises in Biotechnology sector.
8th Foundation Day of Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA) (PPP between Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)) held on 28th November: Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan recognized and felicitated the exceptional performance of GITA project in contributing towards enhancing the country’s innovation ecosystem. The theme of the event was ‘Making India Future Ready’.
Prime Minister confers Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) prizes for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018: The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi conferred Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) prizes for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018 in New Delhi on 28th February. The SSB prize is awarded each year on the basis of conspicuously important and outstanding contributions to human knowledge and progress, made through work done primarily in India during the five years, preceding the year of the prize.
Redefined units of measurement of kilogram, Kelvin, mole and ampere implented in India by CSIR-NPL: After decades of ground-breaking laboratory works, the world’s scientific and technical community, in a landmark and historic decision taken in the recent open session of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) at BIPM on 16th November 2018, has unanimously adopted the resolution to redefine four of the seven base units, the kilogram (SI unit of weight), Kelvin (SI unit of temperature), mole (SI unit of amount of substance), and ampere (SI unit of current). The new SI is being implemented worldwide from 20th May 2019 i.e. the World Metrology Day by CSIR-NPL in India.
NSG facility inaugurated at CSIR-CCMB: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the Next Generation Sequencing (NSG) facility at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMC) in Hyderabad on 20th July. The facility includes technology for high genome sequencing and also diagnostic sequencing of clinical samples. The state of art machine, acquired at a cost of Rs. 8 crore can sequence 18,000 samples in 8 minutes. The NGS would help prenatal genetic screening and counselling, thereby generating large scale genomic data critical for diagnosis and therapy.
First Indigenous Fuel Cell System developed by CSIR launched on CSIR Foundation Day on 26th September 2019: The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, on 26th September unveiled the first Indigenous High Temperature Fuel Cell System developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in partnership with Indian industries under India’s flagship program named “New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)” on the occasion of CSIR Foundation Day in New Delhi. A unique example of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) among CSIR’s three Laboratories [CSIR-NCL, Pune; CSIR-NPL, New Delhi & CSIR-CECRI, Karaikudi (Chennai Center)] and two Indian industries; M/s Thermax Limited, Pune and M/s Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai exemplified exploiting materials of science developments at CSIR laboratories into practice by Industry.
President of India presents awards for outstanding contributions in Science and Technology on the occasion of CSIR Foundation Day on 26th September: The President lauded the accomplishments of CSIR and its technological interventions towards the socio-economic development of the nation. The President presented the CSIR Technology Awards to teams of CSIR and the G.N. Ramachandran Gold Medal to Prof. Amitabha Chattopadhyay of CSIR-CCMB.
Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launches “Green Crackers” developed by CSIR in a bid to curb air pollution on 5th October: Green logo and QR coding system was also launched to track manufacture & sale of counterfeit crackers. Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan announced that Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs have been successful in developing various environment-friendly fireworks such as sound emitting crackers, flowerpots, pencils, chakkar and sparklers.
CSIR conducts Whole Genome Sequencing of over 1,000 Indians for Biomedical Applications: The CSIR has conducted Whole Genome Sequencing of 1,008 Indians from different populations across the country. Announcing details of the IndiGen Genome project, the Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the whole genome data will be important for building the knowhow, baseline data and indigenous capacity in the emerging area of Precision Medicine.
CSIR signs MoU with KVIC on promotion of honey production Khadi outlets to also display CSIR products on 5th December: The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to leverage the expertise available in CSIR with the effort of KVIC for promotion of honey production and also to enable wider outreach of the CSIR technologies and products.
MOU signed between Ministry of AYUSH and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research on 22nd April 2019 A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Ministry of AYUSH and CSIR, New Delhi for cooperation in research and education in areas of traditional systems of medicine and its integration with modern science.
CSIR signs MoU with Indian Navy on 5th April 2019 The Indian Navy and CSIR signed a MoU to undertake joint research and development of advanced technologies for the Indian Navy. This will be a collaborative arrangement between labs of CSIR, the Indian Navy and Indian industry.
HPCL & CSIR have developed BND HPCL and CSIR–NPL released 26 Petroleum BNDs (Bharatiya Nideshak Dravya or Indian Reference Material) coinciding with the occasion of World Metrology Day. These will be of immense use for BS VI fuels and will save foreign exchange through import substitution for Certified Reference Materials (CRMs). This will provide traceability for all vital parameters of Petroleum products testing and certification comprising of 13 physical properties, 2 Physicochemical properties and 11 Chemical properties, including BND for sulfur content measurement at lower concentrations which will be of immense use for BS VI fuels.
CSIR and IIT Delhi Signed an MoU on 16th July 2019 CSIR and IIT Delhi, have entered into an agreement with five of the renowned National Laboratories of CSIR Viz CSIR-Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, CSIR-Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory. As a part of MoU, IIT Delhi plans to promote collaborative research, exchange of ideas, development of knowledge, enhancing high quality research throughput. IIT Delhi and CSIR aspire to leverage the mutual expertise to contribute to the socio economic needs of the country.
Union Minister of S&T Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a demonstration plant for converting plastic waste to diesel Honourable Union Minister of S&T Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a demonstration plant for converting plastic waste to diesel based on technology developed by CSIR-IIP. This plant can convert one tonne of plastic waste into 800 liters of diesel every day that is of automotive grade and is in collaboration with Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) India.
CSIR-NPL designated as the National Verifciation Agency for Air quality monitoring instruments Union environment ministry has designated CSIR-NPL as the national verification agency for certifying instruments and equipment for monitoring emissions and ambient air quality, which will assist in maintaining standards of instruments and data of air quality being collected.
CSIR-IICT has signed a global licensing pact with Sun Pharma CSIR-IICT has signed a global licensing pact with Sun Pharma for patents on dermatology, ophthalmology and oncology. Sun Pharma will pay upfront and milestone linked payments upto Rs 240 crore and royalties to CSIR-IICT from commercialization.
Joint Workshops conducted by CSIR and Fraunhofer, Germany Series of workshops were conducted between CSIR and Fraunhofer Institute, Germany towards Indo - German collaboration in Research and Innovation towards leapfrogging in Frontier Technologies.
CSIR and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (National Institutes of Health) USA, signed an MoU The MoU was to strengthen and develop research cooperation related to environmental health sciences with emphasis on understanding the health effects associated with exposure to air poluttants and other environmental chemicals.
Smart Aerospace Composite Manufacturing Facility was inaugurated, by Union Minister of S&T and ES Smart Aerospace Composite Manufacturing Facility was inaugurated, by Hon’ble Union Minister of S&T and ES which will produce high quality lightweight polymer composite airframes for the HANSA-NG program of CSIR-NAL and the present prototyping facility shall produce 3 to 4 aircraft per year.
Union Minister of S&T and ES inaugurated at CSIR-NCL Venture Center, a MedTech clean room facility Hon’ble Union Minister of S&T and ES inaugurated at CSIR-NCL Venture Center, a Med Tech clean room facility which is designed for the manufacture of medical devices and diagnostic services for undertaking clinical study and testing purposes. This has the potential to boost the innovation ecosystem and startups in the medical devices sector.
International training programme on Petroleum Refining Technology and Petrochemicals conducted by CSIR-IIP A eight weeks international training programme on Petroleum Refining Technology and Petrochemicals was conducted by CSIR-IIP, Dehradun. About 15 foreign Government officials mainly from African countries participated in the programme under Indian Technical Economic Cooperation.
CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur launched the Indian air quality Interactive Repository or IndAIR CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur launched the Indian air quality Interactive Repository or IndAIR which has archived approximately 700 scanned materials from pre-internet era (1950-1999), 1215 research articles, 170 reports and case studies, 100 cases and over 2,000 statues, to provide the history of air pollution research and legislation in the county. Such a repository on the subject of air pollution is one of the first in the world.
CSIR-TKDL (Traditional Knowledge Digital Library) signs Agreement with Asiam Agri History Foundation An agreement with Asian Agri History Foundation, at Pant Nagar was signed by TKDL for cooperation related to digitization and inclusion of information on traditional Indian agriculture and allied domains
CSIR has signed MoU with CNRS, France MoU signed with CNRS, France for Promotion & Support of Scientific & Technological Research in areas of mutual interest including including plant and marine biotechnology; health research; environment and climate change studies; engineering science and technology; material science and technology; energy science and technology and water research.
CSIR-IHBT, Palampur and Ladakh Farmers and Producers Co-operative Limited (LFPCL) have entered into an MoU The MoU is to grow saffron in Ladakh using tissue culture technology for production of disease free, healthy and flowering sized saffron corms in the non-traditional areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Leh, North East and hilly regions of Tamil Ladu.
Zero Waste Potash technology developed by CSIR-CSMCRI The efforts of CSIR scientists from CSIR-CSMCRI who have developed a technology for recovery valuable potash from spent wash and saves foreign exchanges and prevents hazardous spent wash being discarded was appreciated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Alerts for various cyclone storms during the year Low cost device for ocean states forecast and mapping potential fishing zones launched Silver Jubilee celebrations of National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) held in Chennai Posted On: 01 JAN 2020 2:27PM by PIB Delhi
Alerts for various cyclone storms during the year: During the year, various alerts and timely warnings were issued regarding Cyclonic storms, Heavy rainfall warning, Sea condition, Storm Surge Warning, Damage Expected, pre-cyclone alerts and expected damage, etc.
The alerts were issued for Cyclonic Storm ‘PABUK’ over Andaman Sea & neighbourhood, Cyclone ‘FANI’ over Southwest Bay & adjoining Southeast of Bengal, Cyclone Alert for Odisha, West Bengal & Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram Districts of Andhra Pradesh Coasts, Cyclonic Storm ‘VAYU’ over Northeast & adjoining East central Arabian Sea, Depression over northwest Bay of Bengal off north Odisha – West Bengal coasts, Cyclonic Storm ‘HIKAA’ over northeast and adjoining east central Arabian sea and Cyclonic Storm ‘BULBUL’ over northwest and adjoining West-Central Bay of Bengal. Other alerts like Snowfall over hills, hailstorms and Western Disturbance were also disseminated by issuing press releases.
Low cost device for ocean states forecast and mapping potential fishing zones launched: For seamless and effective dissemination of emergency information and communication on disaster warnings, Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ) and Ocean States Forecasts (OSF) to fishermen, the Government on 9th October launched the Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information (GEMINI) device. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), joined hands with Airports Authority of India (AAI) to utilize the GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation) satellite system to transmit the PFZ, OSF and disaster warnings to fishermen with GAGAN system consisting of three geosynchronous satellites (GSAT-8, GSAT-10 and GSAT-15). GAGAN foot-print covers the entire Indian Ocean round the clock.
Government launched Special Weather Services for Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj The government on 14th January launched special weather services for the benefit of people visiting Prayagraj during Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh Mela 2019 was held at Prayagraj during January-March 2019. A mobile application named "Kumbh Mela Weather Service" was developed to disseminate the live weather information (temperature, humidity, rainfall and winds) as observed in all the above four sites. The Mobile App was available for downloading from Google Store.
3-day International Symposium on “Advances in Agro-meteorology for managing climatic risks of farmers” organised at New Delhi: Considering the urgent need of sharing the agro-meteorological knowledge among researchers, policy makers, industry and farmers to learn from each other, identify the technologies/practices and develop a roadmap for risk management, the Association of Agro Meteorologists (AAM) organized a 3-day International Symposium on “Advances in Agro Meteorology for Managing Climatic Risks of Farmers” (INAGMET-2019) at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (India) beginning 11th February, 2019. The symposium was jointly organized with India Meteorological Department, Indian Centre of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Agricultural Research Institute and Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Vice President addressed the Silver Jubilee celebrations of NIOT in Chennai; sought innovative solutions to conserve water and tackle climate change, pollution: Inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai on 3rd November, the Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu said technology was needed for protection of coastal areas from negative impacts of climate change and for development of blue coastal infrastructure for the benefit of society.
The NIOT was established in November 1993 as an autonomous society under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India by the then Department of Ocean Development. NIOT has established itself as one of the premier institutes in the world, working on various ocean technologies.
Visit of UK’s Prince Charles to India Meteorological Department Prince Charles visited the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on 13th November, 2019. Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD welcomed His Royal Highness Prince Charles to IMD. DGM IMD highlighted the evolution of cyclone warning system aftermath of Odisha Super Cyclone in 1999 which led to loss of 10,000 human deaths to the current modernised early warning system of IMD which has minimised the loss of lives to less than 100 due to very severe cyclonic storms crossing the coast since 2013. The modernised system has not only helped India, but also the 13 countries in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea region to minimize loss of lives to less than 100. His Highness appreciated the accurate predictions during cyclone FANI which crossed Odisha coast in May, 2019 and recent cyclone Bulbul which crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coast in November, 2019.
MoU between India and the UK on Cooperation in Weather and Climate Sciences: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28th February was apprised of the MoU between India and United Kingdom (UK) on Cooperation in Weather and Climate Sciences. The MoU was signed on 28th January 2019, under which, an Implementation Agreement on Weather and climate science for service partnership will also be signed between India and the UK.
MoU on Antarctic cooperation between India and Argentina: The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 27th March was apprised about an MoU signed in February, 2019 between India and Argentina on Antarctic cooperation. The MoU will help scientific cooperation on projects in the fields of Earth sciences, as well as those related to the protection and conservation of the natural environment of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans.
What happened on October 26? As per the Indian Independence Act, 1947, British India was divided into India and Pakistan and the roughly 580 princely states that had signed subsidiary alliances with the British had their sovereignty restored to them. In essence, these princely states were given the option to remain independent or to join the Dominion of India or Pakistan.
According to Section 6(a) of the Act, before joining India or Pakistan, these states had to sign an Instrument of Accession, in which they would specify the terms on which they were becoming part of the new dominions.
What is Instrument of Accession of J&K? It is a legal document executed by Maharaja Hari Singh, the then ruler of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir, on October 26, 1947.
It declared that the state of Jammu and Kashmir accedes to India. The IoA gave India’s Parliament the power to legislate in respect of J&K only on the matters of defence, external affairs and communications.
Apart from defence, communications and external affairs, the IoA mentions ancillary subjects that include elections to the dominion legislature and offences against laws with respect to any of the said matters. Using IoA, Article 370 was incorporated in the Constitution of India.
What are the types of committees? Most committees are ‘standing’ as their existence is uninterrupted and usually reconstituted on an annual basis; some are ‘select’ committees formed for a specific purpose, for instance, to deliberate on a particular bill. Once the Bill is disposed of, that select committee ceases to exist. Some standing committees are departmentally related.
Financial control is a critical tool for Parliament’s authority over the executive; hence finance committees are considered to be particularly powerful. The three financial committees are the Public Accounts Committee, the Estimates Committee and the Committee on Public Undertakings.
Powers: Parliamentary committees draw their authority from Article 105 (on privileges of Parliament members) and Article 118 (on Parliament’s authority to make rules for regulating its procedure and conduct of business).
Significance: Committee reports are usually exhaustive and provide authentic information on matters related to governance. Bills that are referred to committees are returned to the House with significant value addition. Parliament is not bound by the recommendations of committees.
Why have parliamentary committees? Parliament is the embodiment of the people’s will. Committees are an instrument of Parliament for its own effective functioning. Committees are platforms for threadbare discussion on a proposed law.
The smaller cohort of lawmakers, assembled on the basis of the proportional strength of individual parties and interests and expertise of individual lawmakers, could have more open, intensive and better-informed discussions. Committee meetings are ‘closed door’ and members are not bound by party whips, which allows them the latitude for a more meaningful exchange of views as against discussions in full and open Houses where grandstanding and party positions invariably take precedence.
Members of Parliament may have great acumen but they would require the assistance of experts in dealing with such situations. It is through committees that such expertise is drawn into lawmaking.
Executive accountability to the legislature is enforced through questions in Parliament also, which are answered by ministers. However, department standing committees go one step further and hear from senior officials of the government in a closed setting, allowing for more detailed discussions.
This mechanism also enables parliamentarians to understand the executive processes closely.
How can these committees be made more effective? Parliamentary committees don’t have dedicated subject-wise research support available. The knowledge gap is partially bridged by expert testimony from government and other stakeholders. Their work could be made more effective if the committees had full-time, sector-specific research staff.
The national commission to review the working of the Constitution has recommended that in order to strengthen the committee system, research support should be made available to them.
Currently, the rules of Parliament don’t require every bill to be referred to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny. While this allows the government greater flexibility and the ability to speed up legislative business, it comes at the cost of ineffective scrutiny by the highest law-making body. Mandatory scrutiny of all bills by parliamentary committees would ensure better planning of legislative business.
The requests comes in the aftermath of the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank scam.
What is deposit insurance? How is it regulated in India? Deposit insurance is providing insurance protection to the depositor’s money by receiving a premium.
The government has set up Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) under RBI to protect depositors if a bank fails. Every insured bank pays premium amounting to 0.001% of its deposits to DICGC every year.
What happens to depositors’ money when a bank fails? When a bank is liquidated, depositors are entitled to receive an insurance amount of ₹1 lakh per individual from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (DICGC). The ₹1 lakh insurance limit includes both principal and interest dues across your savings bank accounts, current accounts, fixed deposits and recurring deposits held with the bank.
What is the procedure for depositors to claim the money from a failed bank? The DICGC does not deal directly with depositors. The RBI (or the Registrar), on directing that a bank be liquidated, appoints an official liquidator to oversee the winding up process. Under the DICGC Act, the liquidator is supposed to hand over a list of all the insured depositors (with their dues) to the DICGC within three months of taking charge. The DICGC is supposed to pay these dues within two months of receiving this list.
Who are insured by the DICGC? The corporation covers all commercial and co-operative banks, except in Meghalaya, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Besides, Only primary cooperative societies are not insured by the DICGC.
The DICGC does not include the following types of deposits: Deposits of foreign governments. Deposits of central/state governments. Inter-bank deposits. Deposits of the state land development banks with the state co-operative bank. Any amount due on account of any deposit received outside India. Any amount specifically exempted by the DICGC with previous approval of RBI.
Reforms necessary? Enhance the insurance cover and the insured amount. Allow private players to provide insurance cover. Reduce the time delay in settling claims.
The General Assembly approved the resolution sponsored by Russia and backed by China, which would set up a committee of international experts in 2020.
Why the US is worried about this? A new UN treaty on cybercrime could render the Budapest Convention obsolete, further alarming rights groups. The Budapest Convention was drafted by the Council of Europe, but other countries have joined, including the United States and Japan. Russia has opposed the Budapest Convention, arguing that giving investigators access to computer data across borders violates national sovereignty.
What is Budapest convention? Also known as the Convention on Cybercrime, it is the first international treaty seeking to address Internet and computer crime by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques, and increasing cooperation among nations.
It was drawn up by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, with the active participation of the Council of Europe’s observer states Canada, Japan, South Africa and the United States. It is open for ratification even to states that are not members of the Council of Europe. As of September 2019, 64 states have ratified the convention.
What it does? The Budapest Convention provides for the criminalisation of conduct, ranging from illegal access, data and systems interference to computer-related fraud and child pornography, procedural law tools to make investigation of cybercrime and securing of e-evidence in relation to any crime more effective, and international police and judicial cooperation on cybercrime and e-evidence.
India’s concerns over signing of this agreement: India did not participate in the negotiation of the Convention and thus is worried about it. The Convention — through its Article 32b — allows for transborder access to data and thus infringes on national sovereignty.
The regime of the Convention is not effective, “the promise of cooperation not firm enough,” or that there are grounds for refusal to cooperate.
Key findings: Total tree and forest cover in the country increased by 5,188 square kilometer in the last two years. There is an increase of 42.6 million tonnes in the carbon stock of the country as compared to the last assessment of 2017.
There is a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 765 sq km (0.45 per cent) in northeast India region. Except Assam and Tripura, all states in the region show decrease in forest cover. The loss in the North East is attributed primarily due to the traditional farming practice of Shifting Cultivation.
The mangrove cover in the country has increased by 54 sq km (1.10 per cent) as compared to the previous assessment. Karnataka tops the country in growing the maximum amount of forest in the last two years.
Karnataka is followed by Andhra Pradesh (990 sq km) and Kerala (823 sq km). Total bamboo bearing area of the country is estimated as 1,60,037 sq km. There is an increase of 3,229 sq km in bamboo bearing area as compared to the previous estimate.
Context: US astronaut Christina Koch has set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman when she reached, and crossed, 289 days in her current mission.
Koch has already made history once in her stay aboard the ISS. In October, she was part of the first all-female spacewalk, together with Jessica Meir. The previous record for women was set by another American, Peggy Whitson, in 2016-2017.
It is the body of water between South America’s Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean (Scotia Sea) with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean and extends into the Southern Ocean.
It is the shortest crossing from Antarctica to any other landmass. There is no significant land anywhere around the world at the latitudes of Drake Passage, which is important to the unimpeded flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current which carries a huge volume of water through the Passage and around Antarctica.
The passage is named after Sir Francis Drake, who was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
It is Russian military’s first Avangard hypersonic intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
It can fly 27 times the speed of sound. The missile system is a reentry body carried atop an existing ballistic missile, which has the capability to manoeuvre. It’s manoeuvring capability makes it difficult to predict its trajectory and gives it the ability to protect itself from the air and ballistic missile defences by delivering nuclear warheads to targets
The Avangard missiles have a range of over 6,000 km, weigh approximately 2,000 kg and can withstand temperatures of over 2000 degree celsius.
Objective: To enable online auction by banks of attached assets transparently and cleanly for the improved realization of value.
Key features: It is framework for promoting online auction of assets attached by the banks. It is equipped with the property search features and contains navigational links to all PSBs e-auction sites.
The framework aims to provide single-window access to information on properties.
Context: Madhya Pradesh gets its first elephant colony.
Located in Bandhavgarh forest. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve: In 1968, it was notified as a national park and in 1993 was declared a tiger reserve- under the Project Tiger Network.
It resides on the extreme north eastern border of Madhya Pradesh and the northern edges of the Satpura mountain ranges.