Current affairs- April 22, 2016
President’s Rule set aside by the HC
The Uttarakhand High Court has quashed the order of the Central
government that had put the State under President’s Rule on March 27.
What the court said?
Coming down heavily on the Centre for the March 27 proclamation
under Art 356, the court said the imposition of the President’s rule was
contrary to the law laid down by the Supreme Court.
What next?
Following this, the Harish Rawat government will be reinstated and
will be asked to prove majority in the state assembly.
Options before the Centre:
Move Supreme Court challenging HC’s order.
Background:
In March, just one day before Mr Rawat was scheduled to prove his
majority in the legislature, the Centre declared that it would govern
Uttarakhand through Governor KK Paul.
Bird hit: NGT halts Tawang hydro power project
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has suspended the Union
Environment Ministry’s clearance for the Rs. 6,400-crore hydro power
project in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. The clearance by the
centre was granted in 2012.
Why?
This move was particularly aimed at protecting the vulnerable black-necked
crane in the region.
Background:
The project was planned on the Nyamjang Chhu river and was the largest of 13 hydro power projects to be built in the
Tawang basin.
About the species:
- Black-necked crane is a
species that breeds
on the Tibetan plateau and migrates to Tawang for the winter.
- The bird, most commonly
found in China, is legally protected in Bhutan and India and is considered sacred to certain Buddhist traditions.
- It is rated as ‘vulnerable’ in the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list of endangered species.
- It is also listed
in India’s Wildlife Act as a Schedule 1 species,
which gives animals and birds the highest legal protection.
Other species that are found in the region include the red panda,
the snow leopard and the Arunachal macaque Macaca munzala, a recently-described
primate species in the area.
US Senate passes legislation for a modern energy
landscape
The US Senate has passed the first broad energy Bill that reflects significant changes in U.S. oil and natural gas
production over the past decade and boosts alternative energy sources such as
wind and solar power.
Details:
- The bill would boost
renewables such as solar and wind power, as well as hydropower, geothermal
energy and even critical minerals such as cobalt, beryllium and lithium
that are used in cell phones, computers and other electronics.
- The bill also would
encourage so-called clean-coal technology, including projects to capture
carbon dioxide generated by coal-fired power plants, and increase
public-private partnerships to develop advanced nuclear technologies.
- The bill would update
building codes to increase efficiency, strengthen electric-grid safety
standards and reauthorize a half-billion-dollar conservation fund that
protects parks and other public lands.
- The bill also would speed
federal approval of projects to export liquefied natural gas to Europe and
Asia, where prices are higher than in the U.S. following a yearlong boom
in domestic gas production.
Earth Day
Earth Day 2016 is being celebrated around the world today (April
22).
Theme for Earth Day 2016: Trees for the Earth!
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970. The idea for it was first
proposed at a UNESCO conference a year earlier, when activist John McConnell
suggested a day to honour the planet and the idea of peace. US senator Gaylord
Nelson founded Earth Day in the US. It was made into an international day in
1990 and now is celebrated by over 193 countries every year.
The aim of the day is to bring attention to environmental issues
to spark changes that will result in a healthy, sustainable environment. This
includes addressing climate change and finding ways to protect the planet for
future generations.
Significance of Earth Day 2016:
Earth Day 2016 is particularly important as it will see nations
across the world sign the Paris Agreement on climate change, set out in COP21 last year. The historic agreement saw countries
pledge to limit global warming to below 2C on pre-industrial levels. From 22
April, it will be open for signatures for one year. The agreement will come
into effect in 2020.
India Overtakes China As Top FDI Destination
India has replaced China as the top FDI destination for the year 2015.
Key facts:
- India attracted FDI worth
$63 billion in 2015, emerging as the highest-ranked country by capital
investment.
- Five Indian states were
among the top 10 destination states for FDI in 2015. Gujrat
emerged as top state for FDI with $12.4 billion in investment, while Maharashtra attracted FDI worth $8.3 billion in 2015.
- Domestic market growth
potential and proximity to markets are the two main reasons for rising
FDI.
ISRO’s New Light-As-Air Gel Can Keep Indian
Soldiers Warm In Siachen Snow
ISRO scientists have developed the world’s lightest synthetic
material called ‘silica aerogel’ or ‘blue air’ or ‘frozen smoke’.
What is Silica Aerogel?
Silica aerogel is a nano-structured material with high specific
surface area, high porosity, low density, low dielectric constant and excellent
heat insulation properties.
About the material:
- This material has
excellent thermal resistance and if used as a filler in soldiers’ uniforms
it can possibly help save many lives at the Siachen glacier.
- The material has uses both
in space and on Earth.
- It can also be used in
thermal jacket, foot insoles, as well as in window glazing. It is
extremely useful for people working in very cold environments, in a very
strategic way.
What are aerogels?
Aerogels are a unique class of open-pore polymer foams that can be
prepared from either organic or inorganic precursors. Aerogels are typically
prepared using sol-gel chemistry, starting with liquids that form tiny sol
particles, which eventually connect together in chain-like fashion to make a
semi-solid gel.
When the solvent is removed from the wet gel and replaced by air
in a manner that does not collapse the delicate gel structure, a solid aerogel
results. What makes the aerogels unique is their nano-sized structure; they
consist of particles and pores both of which are smaller than wavelengths of
visible light. This unique nano-structure is responsible for many of the
unusual acoustic, mechanical, optical and thermal properties observed for
aerogels.
Aerogel properties:
With the lowest density, highest thermal insulation, lowest
refractive index, dielectric constant and sound speed, and highest surface area
per unit volume of any solid, aerogels exhibit an amazing range of properties
which are not observed in any other kind of material.
Facts
- China’s President Xi
Jinping has taken on a new military title, in his latest move to exert
greater control over the armed forces. Mr Xi is now Commander-in-Chief
of the Joint Battle Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
- The commerce and industry
ministry has launched a ‘Twitter Seva’ to address queries and
grievances on matters relating to the ministry. Through this Twitter Seva,
queries on matters relating to Department of Commerce (DoC) and Department
of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will be answered. In particular,
queries regarding the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT),
Directorate General of supplies and Disposals, SEZs, tea, coffee, rubber,
spices, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority (APEDA) would be addressed by the ministry. Issues related to
manufacturing policy, industrial corridors, investment promotion, Make in
India, Start up India, FDI, intellectual property rights will be addressed
by the DIPP.
