IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-01

IMD issues a Statement on Climate of India during 2020

Source: PIB india

News

  • The Climate Research and Services (CRS) of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Statement on Climate of India during 2020.

Temperatures

  • The 2020 annual mean land surface air temperature for the country was +0.290C above the 1981-2010 period average, thus making the year 2020 as the eighth warmest year on record since 1901.
  • It may be mentioned that 12 out of 15 warmest years were during the recent fifteen years (2006-2020).
  • Past decade (2001-2010/ 2011-2020) was also the warmest decade on record with anomalies of 0.230C /0.340C.
  • The country averaged annual mean temperature during 1901-2020 showed an increasing trend of 0.620C/100 years with significant increasing trend in maximum temperature (0.990C/100 years) and relatively lower increasing trend (0.240C/100 years) in minimum temperature.

Rainfall

  • The annual rainfall over the country was 109 % of long period average (LPA) of 117.7 cms.
  • Rainfall over the country as a whole during the SW monsoon season (June-September), which is the principal rainy season of the country, was above normal (109 % of LPA of 88 cms).
  • During this season, among the four broad geographical regions of the country, Central India, South Peninsular and East & Northeast India received seasonal rainfall of 115%, 129% and 106% of its LPA respectively, while Northwest India received seasonal rainfall of 84% of itsLPA.
  • The 2020 Northeast monsoon season (October-December) rainfall over the country as a whole was normal (101% of LPA).

Tropical Storms in the Indian Seas

  • During 2020, 5 cyclones formed over the North Indian
  • These are Super cyclonic Storm AMPHAN, Very Severe Cyclonic Storms NIVAR & GATI, Severe Cyclonic Storm NISARGA, and Cyclonic Storm ‘BUREVI’.
  • Of these, NISARGA &GATI formed over Arabian Sea, while the remaining 3 cyclones viz. AMPHAN, NIVAR & BUREVI formed over the Bay of Bengal.
  • Out of these five most devastating cyclones, the Super Cyclonic Storm AMPHAN formed in the pre-monsoon season and crossed West Bengal coast over Sundarbans. It claimed 90 lives & about 4,000 livestock mainly in West Bengal.
  • The Severe Cyclonic Storm NISARGA, formed in the Monsoon season, crossed Maharashtra coast on 3rd June claimed 4 lives & 2000 livestock in Maharashtra.

High Impact Weather Events

  • The country also experienced other high impact weather events like, extremely heavy rainfall, floods, landslide, thunderstorm, lightning, cold waves, etc.
  • Bihar & Uttar Pradesh were the most adversely affected states during the year which reportedly claimed more than 350 deaths from each state mainly due to thunderstorm, lightning & cold wave events.
  • Heavy rainfall & flood related incidents reportedly claimed over 600 lives from different parts of the country during pre-monsoon, monsoon & post-monsoon seasons.
  • Thunderstorms and lightning reportedly claimed 815 lives from different parts of the country.
  • Cold wave conditions mainly prevailed over central parts the country especially in the month of January. It caused deaths of about 150 people.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-02

UN member States, leaders welcome India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway to UNSC

News

  • UN leaders and member States welcomed India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway to the UN Security Council and said they look forward to working with the five new non-permanent members to help advance peace and security globally during their 2021-22 term in the powerful world body.
  • Flags of the five new UNSC members were installed at the Security Council stakeout during a solemn ceremony organised by the Kazakhstan Mission to the UN.

At nearly 60,000, India records highest number of babies born on New Year’s Day: UNICEF

News

  • More than 371,500 babies were born worldwide on New Year’s Day and India is estimated to have recorded the highest number of births at around 60,000, according to the UN’s children’s agency.

Highest birth

  • UNICEF said that an estimated 371,504 babies were born around the world on New Year’s Day.
  • Globally, over half of these births are estimated to have taken place in 10 countries: India (59,995), China (35,615), Nigeria (21,439), Pakistan (14,161), Indonesia (12,336), Ethiopia (12,006), the United States (10,312), Egypt (9,455), Bangladesh (9,236) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (8,640).
  • In total, an estimated 140 million children will be born in 2021 and their average life expectancy is expected to be 84 years.
  • The year 2021 will also mark the 75th anniversary of UNICEF.
  • Over the course of the year, UNICEF and its partners will be commemorating the anniversary with events and announcements celebrating three-quarters of a century of protecting children from conflict, disease and exclusion and championing their right to survival, health and education.
  • In response to the global pandemic, UNICEF launched the Reimagine campaign, a global effort to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from becoming a lasting crisis for children.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-03

World Bank Signs $105 Million Project to Improve Waterways in West Bengal.

Source: PIB india

News

  • The Government of India, the Government of West Bengal and the World Bank today signed a $105 million project to improve the inland water transport infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Project to Improve Waterways

  • The West Bengal Inland Water Transport, Logistics and Spatial Development Project will facilitate passenger and freight movement across the Hooghly river; undertake spatial planning to improve accessibility in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area; enhance the quality of life of its residents; and contribute to the growth of the state’s logistics sector.
  • West Bengal’s ferries can provide an efficient, flexible mode of public transport for both passengers and freight, saving on operating costs and travel time when compared with road journeys.
  • Developing the river transport infrastructure will enable a large population of the state to utilize its waterways, have alternative, multi-modal options for transportation for both freight and passengers, connect the hinterland with Kolkata Metropolitan Area’s markets and job centers and emerge as a logistics hub.
  • In the first phase, the project will enhance the capacity and improve the safety of the Inland Water Transport system; including rehabilitating existing jetties, buying new ferries with enhanced design; and installing electronic gates in 40 locations.
  • In the second phase, it will support long-term investments for passenger movements, including in terminals and jetties; improve the design of the inland water transport vessels; ensure night navigation on the most hazardous and trafficked routes and crossing points; and encourage the private sector to invest in Ro-Ro vessels that will allow easier movement of trucks across the Hooghly river.
  • To better cope with increased precipitation and flooding, climate-smart engineering solutions will be applied, including modular floating designs for ferry access points at the passenger terminals.
  • The project will facilitate disable-friendly amenities, ensure women’s safety and encourage women’s employment in the IWT Department as well as with the ferry operators.

The $105 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 17 years, including a grace period of 7 years.

Sunquakes may originate more than 1,000 km beneath Sun’s surface, says NASA

News

  • Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have a new theory about the seismic activity on the Sun during solar flares, which are also known as sunquakes.

Sunquakes

  • Earlier, scientists used to believe that the reason behind it is the magnetic forces or heating of the outer atmosphere of the Sun.
  • A new study based on data provided by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) suggests that sunquakes are a result of something that lurks beneath the surface of the Sun.
  • Sunquakes release acoustic energy in the form of waves that ripple along the Sun’s surface, like waves on a lake, in the minutes following a solar flare – an outburst of light, energy, and material seen in the Sun’s outer atmosphere.

PM Modi inaugurates 450 km Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline

News

  • Prime Minister inaugurated the 450-km Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline built at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore via video conferencing.
  • The pipeline will carry natural gas from Kochi in Kerala through Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts to Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.
  • GAIL pipeline project connecting Kochi and Mangaluru will connect four lakh houses in the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in Coastal Karnataka region providing natural gas.