DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ON 18TH AUGUST 2018 - IAS Exams
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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ON
18TH AUGUST 2018
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Table of Contents
Topic: Science and Technology; Space Programmes ......................................................................... 4
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) project ........................................ 4
Topic : International Relations; Indian Economy ................................................................................ 6
Turkey Crisis and its impact .............................................................................................................. 6
Topic:Environment and Biodiversity; Animal conservation............................................................... 8
Animal in news: Humboldt penguin ................................................................................................ 8
Topic : Economic Development ........................................................................................................... 8
Steel imports from Japan, South Korea surge ................................................................................ 8
Topic : Environment............................................................................................................................10
Odisha to showcase its biodiversity .............................................................................................. 10
Topic : Science & Technology.............................................................................................................11
German astronaut directs humanoid robot from space .............................................................. 11
Topic : polity & Governance ...............................................................................................................13
SC: Consider bringing down Mullaperiyar dam water level by 3 feet .................................................. 13
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Topic: Science and Technology; Space Programmes
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory
(LIGO) project
News:
Gravitational wave observatory, LIGO – may come up in Maharashtra’s
Hingoli district
A new gravitational wave detector to measure ripples in the fabric of space
and time is set to be built in India by 2025
Environment Ministry has allowed scientists to test the suitability of land
in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district to host the LIGO project.
The new Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)
detector will add to the two already operational in the US.
Do you know?
Three American physicists Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne and Barry Barish won
the Nobel Prize for their contribution towards Laser Interferometer
Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, experiment.
Currently LIGO operates three gravitational wave detectors-One is at
Livingston in Louisiana and other two are at Hanford in Washington and
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the detectors are located about 3,000 km apart in L shape. The overall
project is funded by National science foundation.
About LIGO
It is a large scale physics experiment observatory established in 2002 to
detect gravitational waves.
The present telescopes could detect objects which emit electromagnetic
radiations like X-ray, gamma rays etc. However, merger of black holes and
many other cataclysmic events do not emit electromagnetic waves rather
gravitational waves.
Thus, LIGO was established to unfold the many unknown phenomenon in
universe through the gravitational waves detection.
India and LIGO
Indian participation in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, was done under
the umbrella Initiative –IndIGO, which is a consortium of Indian
gravitational-wave physicists.
Bala Iyer of the Raman Research Institute has made immense contribution
towards setting up of this consortium.
The consortium especially under Bala Iyer facilitated international
collaborations in gravitational-wave- physics and astronomy and initiating
a strong experimental gravitational-wave research program in India.
Hosting such a detector in India, scientists have said, will improve the odds
of detecting more such phenomena.
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The proposed LIGO-India project aims to move one Advanced LIGO
detector from Hanford to India. The LIGO-India project is an international
collaboration between the LIGO Laboratory and three lead institutions in
the LIGO-India consortium: Institute of Plasma Research, Gandhinagar;
IUCAA, Pune; and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore.
The project, piloted by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and
Department of Science and Technology (DST), reportedly costs 1,200 crore
and is expected to be ready by 2025.
Topic : International Relations; Indian Economy
Turkey Crisis and its impact
News:
Trade wars between Turkey and USA has lead to a currency crisis for
Turkish Lira.
Why crisis in Turkey?
US has doubled steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey, as US has been
pushing for the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson, who was being held by
Turkey on terrorism charges.
Turkey retaliated by increasing import taxes on US goods, such as
automobiles by 120 per cent, alcohol by 140 per cent and tariffs on coal,
cosmetics and rice.
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The Turkish currency, lira has fell steep (depreciating around 80 percent
against the US dollar so far in 2018) – This has rattled investors globally,
with the currencies of other emerging markets too coming under pressure.
High debt – Turkey’s economy is grappling with high levels of debt in the
private sector and significant foreign funding in the banking system.
Its impact:
Indian markets along with some Asian markets have seen some volatility
due to the Lira crisis.
This is typical as foreign investors will fear higher risk assets in emerging
markets and will dump the local currency for US Dollars.
In other words, the foreign funds that freely flowed into emerging markets
may dry up.
India is less vulnerable relative to other emerging markets (EMs) in terms
of external debt and current account deficit. But if the crisis continues, it
could hurt India.
India’s exports would slow down if the global situation deteriorates.
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Topic:Environment and Biodiversity; Animal
conservation
Animal in news: Humboldt penguin
News:
Mumbai’s Byculla zoo gives India its first baby penguin (Humboldt
penguin).
Humboldt penguin is a South American penguin that breeds in coastal
Chile and Peru.
The penguin is named after the cold water current (Humboldt current) it
swims in.
IUCN status: Vulnerable
Topic : Economic Development
Steel imports from Japan, South Korea surge
India is being hit by a wave of steel from producers in Japan and South
Korea as mills there redirect supply after U.S. President Donald Trump
slapped an import duty on the alloy earlier this year.
The United States imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum
imports in March.
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During the first quarter of the fiscal year starting in April, India’s steel
imports from South Korea rose 31% from a year earlier, while those from
Japan climbed 30%.
With the increase, the South Asian nation has now passed the United
States as South Korea’s third-largest market for steel.
South Korea was the fourth-biggest steel exporter to the U.S. and Japan
the tenth largest.
The flood of imports is so big that the government in New Delhi is
considering measures to control imports.
Under World Trade Organization rules, safeguards are temporary
restrictions on imports of a product to protect a domestic industry.
Indian steel manufacturers are also impacted by the tariffs and the
country will retaliate with duties on products from the United States that
will take effect from September.
However, renewed government measures would take place despite
India’s domestic steel industry being unable to meet the country’s
demand for high-end steel products needed for railroads and structural
steel used in construction projects.
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Topic : Environment
Odisha to showcase its biodiversity
The Odisha government is setting up a world-class interpretation centre
at Dangamal near Bhitarkanika National Park to showcase its efforts in
protecting crocodiles and preserving its rich mangrove diversity.
The project, which has been approved under the Integrated Coastal Zone
Management Project, will be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.3 crore.
The plan is to develop the centre both as a tourist attraction and a place
for students to learn about the environment.
Experts are being consulted for adding value to the project.
Bhitarkanika National Park
It is located in Kendrapara district of Odisha.
Bhitarkanika, one of the State’s finest biodiversity hotspots, receives close
to one lakh visitors every year. The tourist inflow has seen an increase
lately.
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The park is famous for its green mangroves, migratory birds, turtles,
estuarine crocodiles and countless creeks.
It was designated as national park in 1998 and as a Ramsar site in 2002.
It is said to house 70% of the country’s estuarine or saltwater crocodiles,
conservation of which was started way back in 1975.
In 1999 when coastal Odisha was battered by Super Cyclone, the rich
mangrove forests had then acted as a bio-shield. There was very little
impact of the cyclone in the mangrove-forested regions.
In fact, Kalibhanjdia Island spread over 8.5 square km, a place in
Bhitarkanika, has attracted the attention of foreign scientists as its
possesses 70% of the total mangrove species of the world.
Topic : Science & Technology
German astronaut directs humanoid robot from
space
Justin is a humanoid robot being trained to carry out tasks that could
eventually assist man's efforts to set up shop on Mars.
Gerst, currently serving a stint as commander on the European Space
Station ISS, on Friday (August 17) conducted a variety of tasks with Justin,
directing the robot from space using a tablet.
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This is the third experiment the German Aerospace Centre has carried
out. To create a realistic scenario, Gerst and Justin had to work entirely
alone without contact with the ground crew.
"In principle it works like this: Mister Gerst has a tablet up there and on
this tablet he has a user interface that he uses to direct the robot. This
interface has been kept very general.
There are only very broad directives. He can say, for example, 'Justin,
Justin, drive to this place' and then Justin has to go there and orient
himself. Justin would then put the plug in the solar panel to get
diagnostics and the robot would have to carry out all these things itself,"
Gerst said.
A highlight of several successfully carried out tasks was Justin managing
to successfully replace a smoking solar battery in a station module.
According to the Aerospace Centre the aim of the robots is to allow a
realistic potential exploration of Mars in preparation for the possible
introduction of man to the planet.
The technology being tested by Gerst and the Institute for robotics could
also be used for other more earthly problem solving, for example in
construction and repair works that are dangerous for humans.
In May the Institute introduced their SMiLE project that uses robotics ti
assist people working in the care sector to help aging patients or people
with physical disabilities.
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Gerst started his second mission 'Knowledge for Tomorrow' aboard the
ISS on June 6.
Until his return in December 2018 Gerst will take part in 67 European
experiments, which are looking for solutions in health management,
climate change and digitalisation.
Topic : polity & Governance
SC: Consider bringing down Mullaperiyar dam water
level by 3 feet
Supreme Court asks National Crisis Management Committee and Kerala's
sub-committee to explore reducing Mullaperiyar Dam water level to 139
feet, asks Kerala and Tamil Nadu to abide by National Crisis Management
Committee's directions on rehabilitation and water level reduction; Apex
court was hearing a plea seeking Centre's intervention to mediate
between Kerala and Tamil Nadu on issue of rising water in Mullaperiyar.
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the National Crisis Management
Committee (NCMC) and a sub-committee set up by Kerala to deal with the
flood situation in the state to coordinate and explore the possibility of
reducing the water level at the Mullaperiyar Dam by three feet.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice D Y Chandrachud asked
Kerala and Tamil Nadu to abide by the directions given by NCMC on the
rehabilitation of displaced people and the reduction of water level from
the existing 142 feet to 139 feet at the dam.
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The bench observed that it was not an expert to deal with such severe
natural calamity and was leaving to the executive to contain the crisis.
The top court asked Kerala to submit the report on the steps taken on
disaster management and rehabilitation measures.
The death toll in the monsoon fury in the southern state has crossed 167,
while rains and flood water have caused extensive damage.
Rise in flood waters in Periyar River due to the rains and opening of the
shutters of all major dams including Mullaperiyar, Cheruthoni, part of
Idukki reservoir and Idamalayar, have severely affected the lives of
people in downstream areas.
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