Goaltide Daily Current Affairs 2020
Current Affair 1:
Sentinel-6 Satelite
The Sentinel-6 program includes two identical satellites, to be launched five years apart, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, which launched on 21 November 2020 and Sentinel-6B, which will launch in 2025.
European Space Agency is developing a new family of missions called Sentinels specifically for the operational needs of the Copernicus programme. Each Sentinel mission is based on a constellation of two satellites to fulfil revisit and coverage requirements, providing robust datasets for Copernicus Services. These missions carry a range of technologies, such as radar and multi-spectral imaging instruments for land, ocean and atmospheric monitoring:
ABOUT SENTINEL-6
The Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission implemented through two satellites (Sentinel-6 Michael Freihlich and Sentinel-6B), aims to continue high precision ocean altimetry measurements in the 2020–2030 timeframe.
A secondary objective is to collect high-resolution vertical profiles of temperature, using the GNSS Radio-Occultation sounding technique, to assess temperature changes in the troposphere and stratosphere and to support Numerical Weather Prediction.
Who is involved?
The partners involved in the Sentinel-6 mission are the European Commission, EUMETSAT, the European Space Agency, NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with the support of the French Space Agency (CNES).
In January 2020, the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS A satellite was renamed the Sentinel-6 “Michael Freilich” in honour of the former Director of NASA’s Earth Science Division.
Why is Copernicus Sentinel-6 important?
The Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission will extend the unique record of mean sea level rise that began in 1992 with the TOPEX/Poseidon mission (1992-2006) and continued with the Jason (2001-2013), Jason-2 (2008) and Jason-3 (2016) satellites. These are other satellites launched to measure Ocean.
Copernicus Sentinel-6A will take over from Jason-3 as the reference altimetry mission. This means its measurements will be those against which other satellite altimetry data are cross-calibrated, to ensure accuracy.
Learn in brief also about Copernicus Programme?
Current Affair 2:
P. K. Mohanty Committee Report for Indian Private Sector Banks
The Reserve Bank of India had constituted an Internal Working Group (IWG) on June 12, 2020 to review extant ownership guidelines and corporate structure for Indian private sector banks. The composition of the Working Group is as under:
The Terms of Reference of the IWG inter alia included review of the eligibility criteria for individuals/ entities to apply for banking license; examination of preferred corporate structure for banks and harmonization of norms in this regard; and, review of norms for long-term shareholding in banks by the promoters and other shareholders.
The IWG has since submitted its report. The key recommendations of the IWG are as follows: We have mentioned just few recommendations. The points which you don’t understand, just leave it. Don’t worry too much.
- The cap on promoters’ stake in the long run (15 years) may be raised from the current level of 15 per cent to 26 per cent of the paid-up voting equity share capital of the bank.
- As regards non-promoter shareholding, a uniform cap of 15 per cent of the paid-up voting equity share capital of the bank may be prescribed for all types of shareholders.
- Large corporate/industrial houses may be allowed as promoters of banks only after necessary amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and strengthening of the supervisory mechanism for large conglomerates, including consolidated supervision.
- Well run large Non-banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), with an asset size of ?50,000 crore and above, including those which are owned by a corporate house, may be considered for conversion into banks subject to completion of 10 years of operations and meeting due diligence criteria.
- For Payments Banks intending to convert to a Small Finance Bank, track record of 3 years of experience as Payments Bank may be considered as sufficient.
- The minimum initial capital requirement for licensing new banks should be enhanced from ?500 crore to ?1000 crore for universal banks, and from ?200 crore to ?300 crore for small finance banks.
The report is placed on the RBI website today for comments of stakeholders and members of the public. Comments on the report may be submitted by January 15, 2021 through email. RBI will examine the comments and suggestions before taking a view in the matter.
Current Affair 3:
What are the five technologies recommended by the Technical Committee of Jal Jeevan Mission?
A multi-disciplinary Technical Committee in the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has recommended five technologies specifically three technologies for drinking water and two technologies for sanitation.
The main motive is: Innovative Technology infusion for better implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission
Why we need this?
The Ministry of Jal Shakti gives primacy to the infusion and deployment of innovative technological solutions to realize the ambitious objective of the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide Functional Household Tap Connection to every rural home by 2024 with speed & scale while tackling the diverse challenges encountered during implementation.
Under the Mission, innovative proposals are sought online for assisting the States/UTs to adopt innovative technologies to deliver drinking water services to rural communities of adequate quantity and prescribed quality. Various challenges being faced during implementation of the Mission include variations in regional endowment of water resources& levels of service provision, water quality challenges, convergence with sanitation sector and dealing with grey water/ sludge issues, etc.
The Five technologies that have been recommended are:
- a solar energy-based water treatment plant based on ultra-filtration
- an IoT based electric vehicle based on GPS location to enable delivery of safe water to the doorstep of households
- a non-electricity dependent online chlorinator for disinfection of water for removal of bacterial contamination
- an inbuilt packaged black (sewage) and grey water (Kitchen and bath water) treatment system having advanced anaerobic-aerobic configuration that can be installed underground
- a site assembled decentralized sewage treatment system using fixed filter media. The Committee has requested the other five applicants to carry out accreditation process/ pilots/ share field data before they can be reconsidered.
The recommendation by the Committee would help the States/ UTs so that they can use these technologies depending on their requirement and suitability.
About Jal Jeevan Mission
This scheme comes under the aegis of Jal Shakti Ministry.
About new Ministry:
The new ministry has been formed by merging the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Mission: The scheme ensures Har Ghar Jal (piped water supply) to all rural households by 2024.
Now, let’s see what Constitution talks about Water.
- Water is a State List Subject (Entry 17).
- Inter-state Rive Water dispute is a Union List subject (Entry 56)
Therefore, Irrigation, water storage, Water Management, Water Harvesting, Water supply, etc. comes under state government.
Now about the Mission:
- It aims at integrated Water Management- focus on Groundwater, Rainwater and focus on Wastewater
- It is a decentralized mission, i.e., Central government will have less powers, promoting decentralization.
- Promoting sustainable Water usage.
Now the most important points for exam:
Three focuses: All three focuses together can be called as Integrated water management.
Groundwater
Wherever sufficient quantity and good quality of groundwater exists, these schemes would be managed by the community itself through the setting up of a village water and sanitation committee, a sub-committee of the gram panchayat on drinking water and sanitation.
Surface water
If quality and quantity is poor, the government will not focus on ground water, instead in those areas surface water-based multi-village schemes will be promoted.
Wastewater
Mission for the effective channeling and treatment of household wastewater (known as grey water), through appropriate and low-cost drainage and treatment systems.
This is more than sufficient for the Exam.
Current Affair 4:
Cord blood banking
What is it?
Cord blood is the blood from the baby that is left in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. Cord blood banking involves taking the umbilical cord blood, which is a rich source of stem cells, and preserving it for future use.
It contains special cells called hematopoietic stem cells that can be used to treat some types of diseases. Hematopoietic stem cells can mature into different types of blood cells in the body.
Globally, cord blood banking is recommended as a source of hematopoietic stem cell (derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood) transplantation for haematological cancers and disorders where its use is recommended.
For all other conditions, the use of cord blood as a source of stem cells is not yet established.
However, according to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), there is no scientific basis for preservation of cord blood for future self-use and this practice therefore raises ethical and social concerns. The ICMR does not recommend commercial stem cell banking.
Stem cell
What is stem cell?
Stem cells are special human cells that have the ability to develop into many different cell types, from muscle cells to brain cells. (We will understand type of stem cell by pictures, we in goal tide IAS academy want to make you guys to remember all issue for long time )
Stem cells are divided into two main forms- Embryonic stem cells and Adult Stem Cells.
Current Affair 5:
India to host G20 Summit in 2023
If we read history, when G-20 came into existence:
List of Summits:
The Group of Twenty, or G20, is the premier forum for international cooperation on the most important aspects of the international economic and financial agenda. It brings together the world’s major advanced and emerging economies.
The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier international forum for global economic cooperation. The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and the European Union.
G20 members account for 85 per cent of the world economy, 75 per cent of global trade, and two-thirds of the world's population, including more than half of the world's poor. G20 leaders meet annually at the G20 Summit.
The G-20's primary mandate is to prevent future international financial crises and shape the global economic agenda.
Few points we will see about G-20 Summit in 2020 in Saudi Arabia
The Summit under Saudi Presidency centered on the theme "Realizing Opportunities of 21st Century for All” which has assumed greater importance in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
PM called for a new Global Index for the Post-Corona World that comprises four key elements – creation of a vast Talent Pool; ensuring that Technology reaches all segments of the society; Transparency in systems of governance; and dealing with Mother Earth with a spirit of Trusteeship. Based on this, the G20 can lay the foundation of a new world.
PM underscored that in the past few decades, while there has been an emphasis on Capital and Finance, the time has come to focus on Multi-Skilling and Re-skilling to create a vast Human Talent Pool. This would not only enhance dignity of citizens but would make our citizens more resilient to face crises.
PM called for greater Transparency in governance systems which will inspire our citizens to deal with shared challenges and enhance their confidence.
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