What’s in today’s article?

• Background
• Why is Warming Over India Lower?
• Polar Regions are Warming Faster Than Tropical Regions
• What are the Reasons for Faster Warming of Polar Regions?

 

Background

• The annual mean temperature of the world is known to have increased by 1.1 degree Celsius from the average of the 1850-1900 period. But this increase, as can be expected, is not uniform.
• It varies in different regions and also at different times of the year.
• This single number denoting global temperature increase, very effective for communicating the dangers of climate change, is built on top of several layers of averages.
  • For example, temperature rise over land is much higher than over oceans.
• The warming trends over the Indian region are very different.
• An assessment of climate change over the Indian subcontinent, published by the Ministry of Earth Sciences in 2020, said annual mean temperatures had risen by 0.7 degree Celsius from 1900.
  • This is significantly lower than the 1.59 degree Celsius rise for land temperatures across the world.
• It could give the impression that the problem of climate change over India was not as acute as other parts of the world.

 

Why is Warming Over India Lower?

• The relatively lower rise in temperatures over India is not a surprise. Also, India is not a special case.
• The increase in temperatures is known to be more prominent in the higher altitudes, near the polar regions, than near the equator.
• This is attributable to a complex set of atmospheric phenomena, including heat transfers from the tropics to the poles through prevailing systems of air circulation.
• Geographically, India is located in the tropical region, quite close to the equator.

 

Image Caption: India’s Mean Max Temp. Image Caption: India’s Mean Min Temp.

• Impact of Aerosols –
  • Aerosols refer to all kinds of particles suspended in the atmosphere.
  • These particles have the potential to affect the local temperature in multiple ways.
  • Many of these scatter sunlight back, so that lesser heat is absorbed by the land.
    • Aerosols also affect cloud formation. Clouds, in turn, have an impact on how much sunlight is reflected or absorbed.
  • Aerosol concentration over the Indian region is quite high, due to natural as well as man-made reasons.
  • Due to its location in the tropics and the arid climate, India is no stranger to dust.
  • But it also happens to be experiencing heavy pollution right now.
  • Emissions from vehicles, industries, construction, and other activities add a lot of aerosols in the Indian region.
• A reduction in warming could be an unintended but positive side-effect.

 

Polar Regions are Warming Faster Than Tropical Regions

 

Image Caption: Warming of Earth Map

• The planet as a whole has warmed by 1.1 degree Celsius compared with preindustrial times.
• But, as mentioned earlier, this is just the average. Different regions have seen very different levels of warming.
• The polar regions, particularly the Arctic, have seen significantly greater warming.
• The IPCC report says the Arctic region has warmed at least twice as much as the world average.
• Its current annual mean temperatures are about 2 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial times.

 

What are the Reasons for Faster Warming of Polar Regions?

• As mentioned earlier, heat transfers from the tropics to the poles through prevailing systems of air circulation, leading to warming of polar regions faster.
• Another prominent cause is what is known as the Albedo Effect –
  • Albedo is an expression of the ability of surfaces to reflect sunlight (heat from the sun).
  • Light-coloured surfaces, such as ice, return a large part of the sunrays back to the atmosphere (high albedo).
  • Dark surfaces absorb the rays from the sun (low albedo).
  • The ice cover in the Arctic is melting, because of which more land or water is getting exposed to the Sun.
• Other reasons for faster warming of polar regions are changes in clouds, water vapour and atmospheric temperatures.

 

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Q1) What are Trade Winds?

The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region.

 

Q2) What are Greenhouse Gases?

A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy at thermal infrared wavelengths, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

 

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Source: Global warming: Why India is heating up slower than the world average

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Indian aviation sector
• How big is the Indian aviation sector?
• Is the sector financially viable?
• What are the regulatory frameworks for the aviation sector?
• What are the challenges faced by the aviation sector in India?

 

Why in news?

• After low-cost carrier GoFirst’s insolvency filing recently, the aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed the airline to stop selling air tickets immediately.
• The DGCA issued GoFirst a show-cause notice for its failure to continue the operation of the service in a safe, efficient and reliable manner.
• It gave the airline 15 days to reply before the regulator decides on revoking the airline’s permit to offer commercial flights.
• The unprecedented distress call by the airline raises concerns about the health of the Indian aviation industry already reeling from pandemic losses.

 

Indian aviation sector

How big is the Indian aviation sector?

• Domestic air traffic
  • India’s domestic air traffic has been recovering in the past few months after being severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic. 
  • In March, domestic carriers flew 13 million passengers, which according to the DGCA was 11% more than the same month in the pre-pandemic years of 2018 and 2019. 
  • As per the Civil Aviation Ministry, India will have more than 140 million passengers in FY2024 alone.
• Airports and seat capacity
  • There are currently 148 airports in the country and it is the third-largest domestic market in the world in terms of seat capacity.
• Market shares of different airlines
  • As of March 2023, IndiGo remained the domestic market leader with 56.8% of the market share, followed by Vistara (8.9%) and Air India (8.8%).
  • AirAsia had 7.6% of the market, while GoFirst was at 6.9%, followed by SpiceJet at 6.4%. 
  • The newest player AkasaAir, which began operations in August 2022, managed to capture a 3.3% share.

 

Is the sector financially viable?

• The struggle for survival
  • The past decade saw two full-service airlines, Kingfisher and Jet Airways, exit the aviation industry after running into financial trouble.
  • In 2019-20, IndiGo was the only airline to make a profit, while all other players posted losses led by then state-run Air India at ₹4,600 crore.
  • Despite being touted as the fastest growing aviation sector in the world, airlines in the country have struggled to survive in the highly competitive and unforgiving aviation industry.
• Airline losses not a pandemic phenomena
  • While India’s airlines cumulatively suffered huge losses (₹15,000 crore) in the financial year 2020-2021 owing to the pandemic, losses are not a post-COVID phenomenon.
• Tough for smaller airlines to capture the market
  • The consolidation of four carriers including Air India and Vistara under one umbrella by the Tatas is going to make it even tougher for smaller airlines to capture the market.
    • AirIndia was bad for competition in its earlier state-owned version.
    • However, with the current consolidation, 75-80% of the market will be captured by Indigo and Air India combined.
    • This will leave just about 20% for players like SpiceJet, GoFirst (if it revives), and the newest entrant Akasa.

 

What are the regulatory frameworks for the aviation sector?

• National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016 guides the Indian aviation sector.
• Aviation policy is broad-based in India and is dealt with by the Ministry of Civil Aviation under the legal framework of the Aircraft Act 1934, and Aircraft Rules 1937. 
• The DGCA is the statutory regulatory authority which comes in for issues related to safety, licensing, airworthiness, and so on.

 

What are the challenges faced by the aviation sector in India?

• Tax burden
  • India’s airfares are 15% below the break-even point.
  • However, heavily-taxed ATF contributes to the single biggest expenses of carriers, amounting to anywhere between 40-50% of operational expenses.
  • Some Indian States impose provincial taxes of as much as 30% on jet fuel.
• Indian aviation policy
  • Indian aviation policy has also posed barriers to entry and growth while also not affecting players uniformly.
  • From 2004 to 2016, new airlines in the country had to be in operation for at least five years and have a fleet of at least 20 aircraft to be able to fly internationally, which stabilises the operations and viability of carriers.
  • This changed with the NCAP 2016, which removed the five-year domestic experience rule but kept in place the 20 aircraft fleet requirement.
    • Legacy carriers who had to meet the earlier requirements to go international opposed the change as being bad for competition.
• Ownership of fleets
  • Most Indian airlines do not own entire fleets as their financials do not allow them to shell out huge one-time payments to buy planes but lease them from companies based out of India instead.
    • About 80% of India’s total commercial fleet is leased.
  • However, leasing ends up adding high costs to operations as these leases of about six months each are denominated in U.S dollars. 
    • Airlines have to pay annual lease rents of about ₹10,000 crore to lessors, making up nearly 15% of the revenues of Indian Airlines.
  • The costs of these leases go up further when the Indian rupee depreciates during short and long term global financial developments.
• Highly competitive
  • Airlines also have to bear costs in terms of airport fees for the use of airport facilities including aircraft landing, freight and other charges.
  • Internationally, airlines pass on the bulk of these charges to passengers.
  • However, carriers in India to must remain competitive have to offer lower ticket fares to increase reach.
• Other factors
  • Aviation experts argue that India has not kept pace with modern technology in aerospace and increasing costs to the industry which ultimately affects passenger growth.
  • There are also high costs associated with the training of airline crew. 
  • Besides, the crunch in pilots is also reflective of the inadequate number of Flight Training Organisations.

 

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Q1) What is the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)?

DGCA is the national regulatory body of India responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation activities in the country. The DGCA is responsible for implementing policies and regulations related to aviation safety, airworthiness, pilot training, and licensing of airlines and other aviation-related personnel. It also manages air traffic control and provides meteorological services to support safe and efficient air travel in India. The DGCA operates under the Ministry of Civil Aviation of the Government of India..

 

Q2) What is the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016?

The National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016 is a comprehensive policy framework launched by the Government of India in June 2016 to promote the development of the civil aviation sector in the country. The NCAP 2016 aims to make air travel affordable and convenient for the common man while ensuring safety, security, and sustainability in the aviation industry.

 

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Source: Explained | The troubles of India’s aviation industry

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is National Technology Day?
• News Summary: National Technology Day - PM to virtually lay LIGO foundation stone today
• Key scientific projects to be unveiled
• LIGO – India
• Rare Earth Permanent magnet Plant in Visakhapatnam
• The Molybdenum-99 production facility
• The National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility

 

Why in news?

• Today, on National Technology Day, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory – India (LIGO-India).
•  The LIGO-India facility is being constructed in Hingoli district in Maharashtra.

What is National Technology Day?

• About
  • National Technology Day is observed annually on May 11 in India.
  • This day is observed to commemorate the significant achievements and contributions made by Indian scientists, engineers, and technologists towards nation building.
  • It is celebrated with a new and different theme every year.
• History
  • The celebration of this day was started in 1999 to honour Indian scientists, engineers and technologists, who ensured the successful conduct of Pokhran tests in May 1998.
  • On May 11, 1998, India successfully conducted its first nuclear tests under Pokhran-II, codenamed Operation Shakti.
    • The series of nuclear tests marked a major milestone in India's technological prowess and showcased its capability to develop and deploy nuclear weapons.
• Objective
  • The primary objective of National Technology Day is to promote scientific temper and inspire the younger generation to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. 
  • It serves as an occasion to raise awareness about the importance of technology in addressing societal challenges and fostering economic growth.
• Theme for 2023
  • This year's theme is ‘School to Startups- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’.

 

News Summary: National Technology Day - PM to virtually lay LIGO foundation stone today

• PM Modi will inaugurate the programme marking National Technology Day 2023.
• Also, to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1998 nuclear tests, the Prime Minister would launch several projects of the atomic energy department.

 

Key scientific projects to be unveiled

• The projects whose foundation stone would be laid include: 
  • Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory – India (LIGO-India), Hingoli; 
  • Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jatni, Odisha; and 
  • Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.
• The projects that will be dedicated to Nation include: 
  • Fission Molybdenum-99 Production Facility, Mumbai; 
  • Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Plant, Visakhapatnam; 
  • National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility, Navi Mumbai; 
  • Radiological Research Unit, Navi Mumbai; 
  • Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Visakhapatnam; and 
  • Women & Children Cancer Hospital Building, Navi Mumbai.

 

LIGO – India

• LIGO-India will be an advanced gravitational-wave observatory to be located in India as part of a worldwide network.
  • Two existing LIGO observatories in the United States detected gravitational waves for the first time in 2015.
  • Since then, two more similar detectors have come onboard, one in Italy and the other in Japan. 
  • LIGO India would be the fifth node of this network, and possibly the last.
• The LIGO facility involves the construction of two 4-km long vacuum chambers in L-shape along with other structures. The facility is set to become operational by 2030.
  • It is set to become the largest scientific facility in India.
• This facility will be capable of sensing gravitational waves generated during the merger of massive astrophysical objects such as black holes, and neutron stars.

 

Rare Earth Permanent magnet Plant in Visakhapatnam

• The new magnet plant would produce rare earth magnets like Samarium-Cobalt and Neodymium-Iron-Boron.
  • This plant has been built inside an existing facility of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Visakhapatnam.
• These magnets are critical components for a variety of high technology products in telecommunications, electric vehicles, microelectronics, wind turbines, airplanes and also in weapons.
• As of now, the supply chains of these magnets are highly dependent on China. India plans to use locally sourced rare earth elements to produce these magnets.
• With this plant, India will join a select group of nations with capacity to produce such magnets.

 

The Molybdenum-99 production facility

• This Facility located in Trombay Campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
• This facility is expected to enable about 9 to 10 lakh patient scans per year.
  • Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) decays to create technetium-99m (Tc-99m), a radioisotope used by hospitals and medical centres. 
  • Tc-99m is used worldwide in nuclear medicine procedures to diagnose heart disease and other diseases.
    • Roughly 85% of medical imaging in nuclear medicine uses this isotope (Tc-99m).

 

The National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility

• The National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility of Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai works to undertake highly precise delivery of radiation to the tumour with minimal dose to the surrounding normal structures. 
• The precise delivery of dose to target tissue reduces the early and delayed side effects of radiation therapy.

 

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Q1) What is Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)?

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India's premier nuclear research facility headquartered in Trombay, Mumbai. It was established in 1954 by Homi Jehangir Bhabha, a renowned Indian nuclear physicist, to conduct research and development in the field of atomic energy. BARC's primary mandate is to develop nuclear technology for peaceful applications, including power generation, medicine, agriculture, and industry.

 

Q2) What is Operation Shakti?

Operation Shakti was a series of five nuclear bomb tests conducted by India in May 1998 at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan. The tests were conducted under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and represented India's first nuclear weapons test since its "peaceful nuclear explosion" in 1974.

 

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Source: National Technology Day: PM to virtually lay LIGO foundation stone today | PIB | LIGO-INDIA | NDTV

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Anganwadi Ecosystem in India
• Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0
• What is the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi Programme?

 

Why in News?

• The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) recently launched the Centre’s flagship programme ‘Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi’, which will focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at anganwadis across the country.
• ECCE is an important component of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0) and envisaged under the National Education Policy 2020.

 

Anganwadi Ecosystem in India:

• Considering global evidence that 85% of brain development is achieved by the age of 6 years, the Anganwadi eco-system becomes a critical access point for building the children’s base.
• Close to 13.9 lakh operational Anganwadi centres across the country are providing supplementary nutrition and early care and education to around 8 crore beneficiary children (under the age of 6 years).
  • This makes it the largest public provisioning of such services in the world.
• MoWCD has allocated Rs 600 crore for the training of anganwadi workers to implement the ECCE.
  • The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) has been roped in for the training of Anganwadi workers.

 

Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0:

• It is an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme approved for implementation during the 15th Finance Commission period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• It seeks to address the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers through -
  • A strategic shift in nutrition content and delivery and
  • Creation of a convergent eco-system to develop and promote practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity.
• The existing components (of the on-going nutrition programme) have been re-organised (to improve implementation) under Poshan 2.0 into the primary verticals given below:
  • Nutrition Support through Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) for children (06 months to 6 years), pregnant women and lactating mothers (PWLM); and for Adolescent Girls (14 to 18 years) in Aspirational Districts and North Eastern Region (NER);
  • ECCE [3-6 years] and early stimulation for (0-3 years);
  • Anganwadi Infrastructure including modern, upgraded Saksham Anganwadi; and
  • Poshan Abhiyaan: Launched in 2018, its focus is to lay emphasis on nutritional status of adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers and children from 0-6 years age.

 

What is the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi Programme?

• It is a pathbreaking ECCE program to ensure that India has the world’s largest, universal, high-quality pre-school network, as suggested by the NEP 2020.
• The aim is not only to make anganwadi centres nutrition hubs but also education-imparting centres - providing at least two hours of high-quality preschool instruction on a daily basis.
• Under this, the government will target children’s development in every domain mentioned in the National Curriculum Framework, viz., physical and motor development, cognitive development, socio-emotional-ethical development, etc.
• It will also ensure the use of developmentally appropriate pedagogies and emphasising the links with primary education as well as early childhood health and nutrition services.
• It will help build a Jan Andolan, to involve communities in strengthening the foundations of the country’s future generations.

 

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Q1) What is POSHAN Abhiyaan (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition)?

Principal goal of the POSHAN Abhiyaan is to improve nutritional status of children (0-6 years), adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. It is a three-year programme to ensure a holistic approach, covering all 36 states and UTs.

 

Q2) What are National Curriculum Frameworks (NCFs)?

The National Education Policy 2020 aims to devise four NCFs, for which a comprehensive strategy has been worked out jointly by the Ministry of Education and NCERT. They will serve as a guideline for designing the syllabus, and textbooks, and inform teaching practices in the country.

 

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Source: Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi Anganwadi scheme for early childhood care, education launched | PIB