New beaches included in’Blue Beach’ list

Paper 3 – Environment

Why You Should Know?

Recently, two more Indian beaches were included in the list of ‘Blue Beach’

In detail –

• two new beaches in Lakshadweep – Minicoy Thundi Coast and Kadmat Coast – have been awarded the globally recognised and prestigious international eco-label “Blue Flag” for the protection and conservation of the most ancient coastal and marine ecosystem through extensive management of resources.
• With this, the number of beaches certified under Blue Flag certification in India has gone up to twelve (12).
• Thundi Beach is one of the most ancient and panoramic beaches of the Lakshadweep Archipelago. The white sand laid  here is surrounded by the turquoise blue water of the bay or lagoon.
• It is like a paradise for both swimmers and tourists.
• Kadmat Beach is especially popular among cruise tourists, who come to this island for water sports.
• With white beads, the blue water of the bay, moderate climate and friendly locals, this coast is like a paradise for nature lovers.
• cleanliness and maintenance on both coasts;  and designated staff for the protection and protection of swimmers.
• Both beaches comply with all the 33 norms mandated by the Foundation for Environment Education (FEE).

Other Indian Beaches

Other Indian beaches included in Blue Beach –

• Shivrajpur-Gujarat,
• Ghoghla-Diu, Kasarkode and Padubidri-Karnataka,
• Kappad-Kerala,
• Rushikonda- Andhra Pradesh,
• Golden-Odisha,
• Radhanagar- Andaman and Nicobar,
• Kovalam-Tamil Nadu
• Eden- Puducherry

What is Blue Flag Certification?

• ‘Blue Flag’ is an international certification given every year to operators running boat tourism keeping in mind the beaches, marinas and environment.
• The globally recognised eco-label-blue flag certification is awarded by the Foundation for Environment Education (FEE) of Denmark.
• To qualify for this prestigious award,  a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and accessibility criteria must be met and retained.
• Blue Flag’s mission is to promote sustainability in the tourism sector through environmental education, environmental protection and other sustainable development practices.

Standard

• To whom this certification is to be given is decided by an international jury,
• The jury comprises members from the  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Denmark-based NGO Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• Who will be given it is decided on the basis of how the water quality is in the coasts to which it is being given.
• How much work is being done for environmental education and dissemination of information there, as well as the status of environmental management and conservation, protection and service on the beaches.
• At the same time, they are constantly trying to maintain the quality of the environment there.
• For this certification, FEE regularly monitors and audits whether the prescribed 33 norms are being followed.
•  This certificate is proof that these beaches are fully complying with these norms. Also, the quality of water here is better.

Source –All India Radio

 Successful launch of LAWM3-M 2

Paper 3 – Science and Technology

Why You Should Know?

Recently, the mission of Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) heaviest rocket LVM3-M2/OneWeb India-1 was successfully completed.

In detail –

• It was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at 12.07 am on Saturday and Sunday (October 22-23).
• Isro  has deployed 36 ‘OneWeb’ broadband communication satellites for the UK in low orbit (LEO).
• OneWeb is a private satellite communications company, in which India’s Bharti Enterprises is a major investor and shareholder.
• This is a major success of Bharti Space Agency in the field of space research.

About LVM3 M2

• The heavy lift rocket GSLV Mk-III was renamed LVM3 M2.
• It is 43.5 meters long and weighs 644 tons
• The Indian space agency’s newest and heaviest rocket can carry a four-tonne class satellite, equivalent to the weight of a large flatbed truck.
• The rocket has the capacity to carry satellites up to 8,000 kg into space.

Fifth launch

• Earlier, chandrayaan-2 in 2019, GSAT-2 in 2018  , GSAT-1  in 2017 and before that  in 2014, the crew module atmospheric re-entry experiment (CARE) was carried.
• All these missions were associated with the Government of India, but this is the first time that a private company’s satellite is going into this rocket.
• So far, four launches have been made from this rocket. All four have been successful. This is its fifth launch.

First Indian rocket

• It has become the first Indian rocket to go into space with 36 satellites weighing 5,796 kg of OneWeb in  the mission.
• This is the first commercial mission of LVM-3 and also the first of NSIL with the launch vehicle.
• With this successful launch, LVM-3 has got special recognition in the global commercial launch service area.

Deal with OneWeb

• ISRO has a deal with OneWeb. He will do two such launches.
• That is, after this launch, there is another launch. Another set of 36 OneWeb satellites will be launched by LVM3 in the first half of next year.
• These satellites will be deployed in low earth orbit.
• These are broadband communication satellites. Their name is OneWeb Leo .

About Indian Space Research Organisation

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the national space institute of India headquartered in Bangalore.
• In the year 1962, the Government of India entered the space sector by forming the  Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR).
• This marked the beginning of India’s formal space programme with the first sounding rocket from Thumba in 1963.
• Later, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai established ISRO in place of INCOSPAR on 15 August 1969 to develop advanced technology.
• In this sequence , the Government of India constituted the Space Commission in June 1972 and established the Department of Space (DoS ). In September 1972, ISRO was brought under the Department of Space.
• The main task of the institute is to provide space related technology to India. The main objectives of  the space programme include development of satellites, launch vehicles, sounding rockets and earth systems.
•  Isro was awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in 2014.
• Almost a year after the successful launch of Mangalyaan, it established India’s first space observatory as AstroSat on September 29, 2015.

Sources – TH

7th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting

Paper 2 – International Issues

Why You Should Know?

Recently, the 7th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agro-Forestry was held under the co-chairmanship of Union Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar

In detail –

• The 7th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AIMMAF) was held virtually on 26 October 2022 .
• The meeting was also attended by agriculture ministers of Brunei Darussalam,  Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
• The meeting reviewed the progress of implementation of various programmes and activities under the Mid-Term Action Plan (2021-2025) of ASEAN-India Cooperation.
• The meeting also welcomed the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India relations. At the meeting,  the commitment to ASEAN-India cooperation in agriculture and forestry was reaffirmed.
• The meeting noted that in order to end the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring uninterrupted flow of safe and nutritious agricultural products to ASEAN and India, it is necessary to take sustained measures under ASEAN-India cooperation for implementation of post-pandemic recovery measures.
• Union Minister Shri Tomar committed to enhance India’s cooperation with ASEAN in food security, nutrition, climate change adaptation, digital  agriculture, nature-friendly agriculture, food processing, value chain, agricultural marketing and capacity building.

About ASEAN

• ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
• It is an organization of ten Southeast Asian countries is a regional organization established to promote political and social stability amid growing tensions between the colonizing nations of the Asia-Pacific,
• which also work to promote economic development and prosperity among themselves and to maintain peace and stability in the region.
• ASEAN was founded by its founding members – Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore  – on  August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.
• Later Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), and Cambodia (1999) joined the member states.
• Thus, it currently has 10 member countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Objective

• To accelerate economic development,  social progress and cultural development for the prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian countries.
• Promote regional peace and stability through respect for justice and the rule of law and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter.
• Promote active cooperation and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields.
• To cooperate more effectively in greater use of  agriculture and industries, expansion of trade, improvement of transport and communication facilities and improvement of living standards of the people.
• To promote Southeast Asian studies.
• To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organizations.

Source – PIB

‘Bhoot Kola’ Tradition

Paper 1 –  Art and Culture

Why You Should Know?

Recently, a Kannada film ‘Kantara’ was released, in which the culture of Karnataka and the ‘Bhoot Kola’ tradition has been shown,  a controversy has arisen over this ‘Bhoot Kola’ tradition, let’s know what this ‘Bhoot Kola’ tradition is.

In detail –

What’s the matter?

• ‘Kantara’is a Kannada moviemade by actor and director Rishab Shetty.
• The story of this film is inspired by the shared relationship between forests and humans and has been going on for almost two centuries.
• During an interview, Rishab Shetty said that the practice of Bhoot Kola was part of Hindu culture.  That’s what led to the controversy.
• Following Rishab  Shetty’s statement,  actor-turned-social activist Chetan Kumar said bhoot Kola was not part of Hindu tradition but belonged to tribal people,  and was “hijacked” by Aryans who came to India in later years.
• Chetan Kumar’s remarks became controversial and criticised by many.  He was accused of hurting the religious sentiments of the people.
• Due to this, recently the Karnataka Police has registered a case against him for his comments about Bhoot kola.

What is Bhoot Kola tradition

• Bhoot Kola is a local puja. Bhoot Kola (dance for gods) is originally performed in the open ground near the temple of the village deity.
• In the Tulu tradition, the word Bhoot t is considered equivalent to the deity. Kola means performance.
• The people there have been following this tradition for 500 years to protect their land and culture.
• Villagers in Mangaluru and Karnataka and their ancestors believe that some gods still protect their land and take care of their daily affairs.
• Since the gods protect these villages from problems and bad incidents, the people there pray together for the blessings and prosperity of the gods.
• Bhoot Kola is held before moving into a new house, or even before someone’s wedding.
• It starts around 7-7.30 pm and as the evening goes by, it turns into a dance performance and a great experience.
• It is believed that the person who performs bhoot kola i.e. becomes a dancer, the Panjuri deity comes inside him and he resolves the family issues and disputes of the villagers.
• They also issue their instructions to the villagers. The words he speaks are considered paramount and everyone has to follow it.
• Performing bhoot Kola is a family tradition, that is, the person who becomes a dancer, then his son and then his son’s son becomes a dancer.
• Bhoot Kola is held in Karnataka from November to March.

Sources – IE

Printing of Indian currency

Paper 3 – ECONOMY

Why You Should Know?

Recently, the Delhi CM has advocated putting a picture of Ganapati and Lakshmi along with mahatma Gandhi’s picture on the country’s notes.

In detail –

• Delhi Cm Arvind Kejriwal says that this will bring happiness and prosperity in the country and also strengthen the rupee.
• However, Kejriwal says that this change should be made in the new note. There is no need to exchange old notes.
• He also gave the example of Indonesia. Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country with more than 85% Muslim population and less than 2% Hindus, but one of his notes has a picture of Ganesha printed on it.
• Kejriwal has given the example of this note and demanded that Ganesha’s picture be put on Indian notes too.

Printing of  Notes

•  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has the right to  print notes in India.
• The RBI has a rule called minimum reserve system, which was introduced in 1956, according to which notes are printed.
• The RBI, which was established on April 1, 1935, has been handling currency accounts in the country for 87 years and is responsible for printing notes on its shoulders. 
• Section 22  of the  Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, gives the RBI the “sole right” to issue banknotes in India.
• Section 25 states that “the design, form and content of bank notes should be such as approved by the Central Government after considering the recommendations made by the Central Board of [RBI]”.
• RBI’s Currency Management Department has the responsibility of conducting the main function of currency management.
• If the design of a currency note is to be changed, the department works on the design and submits it to the RBI, which recommends it to the central government. The government gives final approval.

Minting of coins

• The Coinage Act, 2011 empowers the central government to design and mould coins of different denominations.
• In the case of coins, the rbi’s role is limited to the distribution of coins supplied by the central government.
• The government decides the quantum of coins based on the indents it receives from the RBI on an annual basis.
•   Coins are minted in four mints owned by the Government of India in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Noida.

The cost of printing

• However, the printing of these notes does not cost less money. It is said that about 4 to 5 thousand crore rupees are spent every year in printing notes.
• Every year, the RBI gives information about the expenditure incurred in printing notes in its report. According to the same RBI report, rs 4,012 crore was spent on printing notes in 2020-21, compared to Rs 4,378 crore in 2019-20.
• The highest expenditure in printing notes in recent years was in 2016-17. That year, rs 7,965 crore had to be spent.
• Then demonetisation took place. At that time, new notes of 500 and 2000 were printed. At present, notes of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 2000 rupees are printed in the country.
• In July 2019, in the Rajya Sabha, the government had informed about the expenditure incurred in printing a note. The government had then said that in 2018-19, it cost 75 paise to print a 10 rupee note.
• While the highest expenditure came in printing 2000 notes. During that time, a note of 2000 was being printed for 3 rupees 53 paise.
• The cost of printing notes increases because the paper and ink used in the printing of notes are purchased from abroad.
• That is, the cost of printing notes is also not reduced. A long budget is fixed for this. What will be the design, what the picture will look like, the strength of the note is also taken care of.

Pictures on the note

• Before independence, when the country was ruled by the British, the  picture of the Kings of Britain was printed on the notes.
• Then after independence, Ashoka Pillar (1949) came on note. 
• The first Mahatma Gandhi’s picture was printed on the note in the year 1969.
• That year, the RBI issued a one rupee note with Mahatma Gandhi’s photo on it. This was done to commemorate the birth centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi.
• 18 years later, in 1987, 500 notes with Mahatma Gandhi’s photo were issued.
• After this, finally from 1996, the picture of Mahatma Gandhi was started printed on all the notes.

Why Gandhiji’s picture  was chosen

• According to the RBI, all the symbols or signs used before Gandhiji’s picture could have been easily copied and prepared.
• It is easy to imitate any inanimate object while it is difficult to exactly duplicate the faces of any human being.
• It was from here that the idea came that a face should be printed on the notes, but why Mahatma Gandhi?  The reason for this was that every freedom fighter was associated with a particular area.
• Choosing one’s face could have created controversy and opposition, while Gandhiji was equally important across the country. This is the reason that the face of the Father of the Nation was chosen to be printed on the note.

Source – IE

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)

Paper 3 – ECONOMY

Why You Should Know?

Recently, the central government  has cancelled the FCRA licences of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) and Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT  ).

In detail –

• Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) and Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) are associated with the Gandhi-Nehru family
• The Home Ministry has  taken this action on the alleged violation of the provisions of the  Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) Act.
• It is noteworthy that an NGO receives foreign donations  only after the permission of FCRA.

What is The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)

• FCRA stands for Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, which is called foreign contribution (regulation) act in Hindi.
• It was created in 1976 and amended in 2010.
• Any NGO that wants to receive donations from abroad for social or cultural work has to register under the FCRA.
• The FCRA not only allows foreign funding but also monitors funding from abroad to ensure that the purpose of the funding that is being received is and whether it is any kind of terrorist funding.
• Apart from this, it is also the job of FCRA to keep security related information.
• If the FCRA finds any wrong funding, then the registration of that particular NGO can also be canceled.

Registration

• NGOs that wish to receive foreign funds will have to apply online in a prescribed format along with the required documents.
• FCRA registrations are granted to individuals or associations that have certain cultural, economic, educational, religious and social events.
• After the application, the Ministry of Home Affairs enquires into the antecedents of the applicant through the Intelligence Bureau, and processes the application accordingly.
• The MHA is required to approve or reject the application within 90 days — failing which the NGO is expected to be informed of the reasons for it.
• Fcra registration is initially valid for 5 years, which has to be renewed later.
• Once registered, the institution has to follow many rules. Such as filing income tax returns every year, renewing on time, etc.
• Political parties, government officials, members of the legislature, judges and the media are banned from collecting donations from abroad.
• However, foreign companies that have more than 50 percent stake in India can donate.

Sources –IE

NavIC System

Paper 3 – Science and Technology

Why You Should Know?

India is planning to expand its regional satellite navigation system NavIC to increase the use of NAVIC (NaVIC)  by ships and aircraft travelling in the civilian sector and away from the country’s borders.

In detail –

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on a series of improvements to the equivalent of NavIC, or India’s Global Positioning System (GPS), so that more and more people are inspired to install and use it.
• On the sidelines of the India Space Congress, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said plans are also underway to globalise its access to a limited area in and around India.
• NAVIC uses seven satellites to provide real-time position and time services in India and has an area of up to 1,500 km from the country’s borders.
• But right now it is not widely in regular use in India because mainly mobile phones have not been adapted to process its signals.
• The Indian government has been pressing manufacturers to add compatibility and has set a deadline of January 2023
• The space agency has also approached the Indian government for permission to launch an additional 12 satellites into medium earth orbit (MEO) to expand the  navigator’s reach.
• Of the seven satellites currently used by NAVIC, three are in geostationary orbit and four are in geosynchronous orbit.
• Also, the current group of satellites operates in L-5 band and S band, which are used for transport and aviation sectors.
• The new satellites will have to be equipped with the L-1 band, which is a specific GPS band for public use. We don’t have it in the NavIC. That is why it has not been able to enter the civilian area easily.
• The new satellites being built for navigator will have better facilities to protect signals for various uses, especially the strategic sector.
• Only short codes are being  provided right now. Now the short code has to become the long code for strategic field use so that the signal cannot be breached and faked or unavailable.
• This is being done so that the user base can increase. Unless you do, it may not be user-friendly.

About the  NavIC

• NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), or Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), is a group of seven satellites
• It is an independent stand-alone navigation satellite system developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO  ).
• It is similar to American GPS, European Galileo and Russian GLONASS, and can be used to track location.
• The NavIC was originally sanctioned in 2006 at a cost of $174 million.
• The first of these satellites (IRNSS-1A) was launched in 2013 and the latest in 2018.
• Currently, NavIC satellites orbit the Earth in  a geostationary or geosynchronous (GEO) orbit or about 36,000 km from earth.

About India Space Congress

• The SatCom Industry Association (SIAIndia)  is organising the three-day India Space Congress 2022 in New Delhi from October 26 to 28.
• The theme of  ISC 2022 is ‘Leveraging Space to Power Next-Gen Communication and Business’.
• It will hold several conferences to discuss development opportunities in India in the space sector.
• The vision of the event is to “bring together all high-level stakeholders from space agencies,  industry and institutions around the world to swap insights, strategies and growing trends for the collaborative development of the space ecosystem in India and bring global and regional economic benefits.”
• ISC 2022 is supported by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ministry of Defence, NITI Aayog, In-Space, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and The Department of Telecommunications.
• The three-day India Space Congress 2022  will have 500+ delegates from 20  countries, 180 speakers, 35 thematic sessions.
• The platform is meant to open dialogue, discuss business models, talk about regulatory challenges and possible learning from other geographies, generate interest in new entrepreneurs.
• All this is towards the goal of making  ‘Self-reliant India’  a reality. Speakers from 30 countries will participate in the in-depth discussion and talk about various aspects of space segments and build a new age space ecosystem in the country.

Source – TH

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Annual Meeting

Paper 3 – Economy

Why You Should Know?

Recently, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman attended the  7th Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank through video conference on October 26, 2022

In detail –

• Every year, the Board of Governors of AIIB meets to take important decisions on important issues related to AIIB and its future vision.
• India is a founding member of AIIB and its second largest shareholder.  India also has the largest project portfolio at AIIB.
• The theme of this year’s annual meeting was ‘Sustainable Infrastructure towards an Interconnected World’.
• The Finance Minister shared his views during the Governor’s Roundtable Discussion on ‘Financing Infrastructure in a Troubled World’.
• Despite external threats, India’s best targeted policies, key structural reforms and a strong external balance sheet have helped in continuing to maintain the pace of economic growth in India.
• To ensure that all of these have meaningful impacts and resources do not disintegrate across multiple sectors, AIIB needs to increase investment in key priority areas
• These include clean energy and energy efficiency, disaster resilient infrastructure, and social infrastructure with a particular focus on  education and health, and digital infrastructure.
• Since public resources alone are insufficient to meet the huge infrastructure needs of member states, the Bank must play a catalytic role in mobilizing not only the diverse resources of the private sector
• Rather, various arrangements should also be explored to augment their own resources, including early implementation of the recommendations of the report of the G20 Expert Panel on Capital Adequacy Framework (CAF) of MDBs.

About AIIB

• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is an international financial institution. Which aims to support the creation of infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region.
• It has been established through a multilateral agreement called AIIB Articles of Agreement (in force from December 25, 2015).
• The bank was first proposed by China in 2013 and the initiative was launched  at a ceremony in Beijing in October 2014.
• By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors, AIIB is better connecting people,  services and markets, which will impact the lives of billions of people over time and build a better future.
• AIIB provides   financing for concrete and sustainable projects in energy and power, transport and telecommunications,  rural infrastructure and agricultural development, water supply and sanitation, environmental protection, urban development and operation.
• The bank currently has 105 members: 42 in Asia, 26 in Europe, 20 in Africa, 8 in Oceania, 8 in South America, and 1 in North America.
• It is headquartered in Beijing and began operations in January 2016.
• The Total Authorised Capital of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is $100 billion, of which India contributes $8 billion while China contributes $29 million.

Sources – PIB

Satellite Phone

Paper 2 – Governance

Why You Should Know?

Recently, a senior Saudi Aramco executive was arrested and jailed in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district for using unauthorised satellite phones. Let’s know what is wrong in carrying satellite phones?   What does the law say in India?

In detail –

•  Fergus McLeod, a senior executive at oil giant Saudi Aramco,  was arrested by police in July on charges of carrying a satellite phone without authorities’ permission during a holiday.
• He spent nearly a week in detention in Uttarakhand after his arrest. He was later released with a fine of Rs 1,000.
• Fergus McLeod was arrested under sections of the Indian Telegraph Act and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act.

Not legal

• Unless you have permission,  it is not legal to carry satellite phones in India. That is why visitors to the country are specifically advised not to carry satellite phones without permission.
• Restrictions on the possession and use of these phones were tightened after Pakistani terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November 2008 used these devices to stay in touch with their Lashkar-e-Taiba handlers.

What is a satellite phone?

• Satellite phone means the phone in which the network is provided through satellite.
• In such a phone, contact can only be made from one satellite phone to another satellite phone.
• When contacted with each other, the signal of the network first goes out of one satellite phone and then to another satellite.
• After this, this signal is sent to another phone through satellite. That is, there is no need for towers for satellite phones.
• Such a phone gets a signal from a satellite sent into space.

How Its work

• Satellites are circling in the earth’s orbit. These send radio signals to receivers on the ground.
• The receiver center transmits the signal to the satellite phone. After which it is possible to talk.
• It is also called ‘sat phone’  in common parlance.
• Earlier, only calling and message facility was available in satellite phones. But now new SAT phones are also coming with internet features.

Who can use it?

• In India, the use of satellite phones has been banned for the common people. The government had banned it in view of national security.
• People use it in large ships coming to Indian ports from other countries. However, they cannot use it in Indian territory.
• If a passenger brings a satellite phone from another country, then his information has to be given to the customs as soon as he arrives. They can’t even use it without permission.
• The agency handling disaster management, police, railways, BSF, army and other government agencies are given satellite phones if needed.
• Apart from this, many big corporates also use satellite phones. The government constantly monitors the illegal use of satellite phones through investigative agencies.
• It can be used with permission from the Department of Telecommunication, Government of India.
• Apart from this, you can also use sat phones with permission under the license given to BSNL.
•  Bsnl launched satellite phone service in May 2017.

Quite expensive

• It costs a lot to use  satellite  phones. If you talk to a satellite phone for a few hours, it costs millions.
• The local call rate of satellite phones is also very expensive compared to ordinary phones.
• BSNL has fixed Rs 18 per minute for government users. At the same time, commercial users have to pay Rs 25 per minute.
• The government provides subsidy to the armed forces on the use of satellite phones.
• The rate of international calls from satellite phones is more than Rs 250 per minute.

Sources – IE

GM mustard

Paper 3 –Agriculture

Why You Should Know?

Recently, the Genetic Engineering Evaluation Committee has approved commercial cultivation of mustard, that is, mustard cultivation will now be done with genetically modified technology.

In detail –

• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), under the Union Environment Ministry, has approved commercial farming.
• Farmers will have to wait for the government’s decision to see whether this variety of mustard will be grown in the current rabi season or not.
• The government has so far approved only one GM crop, Bt cotton, for commercial cultivation in 2002.
• The GEAC, in a meeting on October 18, has recommended environmental testing before commercially releasing GM mustard DMH-11.

About  DMH-11

• DMH-11 was developed by Deepak Pental, a geneticist and former vice-chancellor of Delhi University.
• His research was funded by the National Dairy Development Board, which sells a variety of edible oils under the brand name ‘Dhara’.

What is GM technology?

• According to the World Health Organization,  GM is a technique in which the DNA of animals and plants is changed in an unnatural way.
• Under the GM technique, the genes of one vegetation are extracted and inserted into another unrelated vegetation.
• Male impotence is produced to prevent self-pollination in the mustard flower to amplified GM mustard.
• Then a hybrid is formed by pollination through wind, butterflies,  bees and insects.

Importance-

• Those supporting commercial cultivation of GM crops say that the yield of GM mustard will cost less and the yield will be higher.
• Not only this, it will require less pesticides and it has more ability to resist pests and diseases.

Edible Oils in India

• India has to import a variety of oils, including palm, soybean and sunflower,  to meet 70%  of its domestic demand for cooking oil.
• So far, India has not approved commercial cultivation of transgenic food crops, but it imports large quantities of GM soybean oil from Argentina, Brazil and the US.
• For example, in 2021-22, India imported 4.1 million tonnes of GM soyabean oil,  which is about 70 per cent of its estimated domestic consumption  of 5.8 million tonnes  .
• In 2020-21, India’s edible oil import bill had risen to Rs 1,17,075  crore from Rs 71,625 crore a year ago.

BT brinjal

• In 2009, the GEAC had approved commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal.
• In view of the major opposition, the Environment Ministry banned it in 2010 and started a study on its effects.
• This ban was imposed on Monsanto company’s Bt brinjal. The protesters feared a health impact.

Sources – IE