Learn with NITISH KUMAR

■ One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) : • Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have launched a transnational grid initiative ‘Green grids’ initiative—the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) project on the sidelines of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-26) summit which held at Glasgow in Scotland. • The idea of the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) initiative was proposed by PM Narendra Modi at the First Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in October 2018. • The OSOWOG initiative aims at interconnecting global grids to harness solar energy. • One Sun One World One Grid" will be the first international network of global interconnected solar power grid which will combine large-scale solar power stations, wind farms and grids with rooftop solar and community grids to ensure a reliable, resilient and affordable supply of clean energy for all. • The vision of OSOWOG is ‘The Sun Never Sets’. In simple terms, OSOWOG will establish a single global grid to share solar energy across different countries, power the world with clean & renewable energy, and reduce dependence or usage of non-renewable energy such as coal. • It will also help decarbonise energy production, which is today the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions. • The proposal is aimed at addressing the issue of reliability of supply from solar power plants, which do not generate electricity after the sun has set. • This transnational grid would allow countries to source solar power from regions where it is daytime to meet their green energy needs even when their own installed solar capacity is not generating energy. • The grid is expected to be set up over the next few years by the International Solar Alliance (ISA). Once operational, it will transport solar power to different countries under the Green Grid Initiative. • It will be implemented in three phases. In the first phase, it will entail interconnectivity within the Asian continent. In the second phase, it will add Africa. In the third phase, it is about global interconnection. • OSOWOG is also aimed at addressing the issue of high cost of energy storage. • Experts have pointed out that transmission across great distances can potentially be very expensive. • They have, however, noted that the first step of OSWOG would be solar power transfer between neighbouring countries. • India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal already share transmission capacity for energy transfer across borders which can be expanded further and utilised for the transfer of solar power between these countries. • The International Solar Alliance has commissioned a study the feasibility of the OSOWOG project. • The study will make an assessment on a country-by-country basis, examining projected power demand and supply as well as the renewable energy resource potential.

■ In NEWS (04-11-2021) : ● Covaxin gets WHO’s emergency use nod : • India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, was granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO). • The Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is a prerequisite for the COVAX initiative in vaccine supply, and allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer COVID-19 vaccines. • It is developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology, Pune. • Covaxin is a whole virion-inactivated vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. • This inactivated vaccine is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) high containment facility. • Inactivated vaccines do not replicate and are therefore unlikely to revert and cause pathological effects. They contain dead virus, incapable of infecting people but still able to instruct the immune system to mount a defensive reaction against an infection. • The WHO has already approved six vaccines for emergency use: AstraZeneca's Covishield, Moderna's mRNA-1273, Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV, Sinovac's CoronaVac, Pfizer/BioNTech's Comirnaty, and Johnson & Johnson's vaccine. ● Ayodhya city is situated on the banks of Sarayu river. ● The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Air Force (IAF) have jointly carried out two flight tests of the indigenously developed smart anti-airfield weapon. The intended target was hit with high accuracy. The system is designed for a maximum range of 100 kilometres.”

📰 News : CoP26 summit : Leaders pledge to cut methane and save forests. • Leaders at the CoP26 global climate conference in Glasgow have pledged to stop deforestation by the end of the decade and slash emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane to help slow climate change. • The inability of major powers so far to agree more broadly on rapid reductions in the use of fossil fuels, the main cause of man made global warming, has upset the poorer, smaller countries likely to suffer its worst effects. • Nearly 90 countries have joined a U.S.-and EU-led effort to slash emissions of methane 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels. • Methane is more short lived in the atmosphere than carbondioxide but 80 times more potent in warming the earth. • The Global Methane Pledge, first announced in September, now covers emissions from two-thirds of the global economy. • Among the signatories to be announced on Tuesday is Brazil — one of the five biggest emitters of methane, which is generated in cows’ digestive systems, in landfill waste and in oil and gas production. •Three others — China, Russia and India have not signed up, while Australia has said it will not back the pledge. • According to the non-profit World Resources Institute, humanity has also boosted the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by hacking away at the forests that absorb roughly 30% of carbon dioxide emissions. • In 2020, the world lost 258,000 sq km (100,000 sq miles) of forest — an area larger than the United Kingdom, according to WRI’s Global Forest Watch. The conservation charity WWF estimates that 27 football fields of forest are lost every minute. • CoP26 aims to keep alive a receding target of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

■ In NEWS (02-11-2021) : ● COP-26 : • Conference of the Parties (COP-26) held at Glasgow in Scotland. • India set few targets. They are : • Reach non-fossil energy capacity of 500GW by 2030. • Fulfil 50% energy requirements via Renewable Energy by 2030. • Reduce 1 billion carbon emissions by 2030. • Reduce carbon intensity below 45% by 2030. • India will achieve the target of Net-Zero by 2070. ● GST : • Good and Services Tax (GST) was introduced by the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016. • It's an indirect tax which has replaced many indirect taxes in India such as the excise duty, VAT, services tax, etc. • It came into effect on 1st July 2017. • France was the first country to implement GST. ● The National Mission for Clean Ganga set a Guinness World Record on the first day of the Ganga Utsav for the highest number of photos of handwritten notes uploaded on Facebook in an hour. ● Ganges River Dolphins : • Ganger River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) is the National Aquatic Animal of India. • It is listed as ‘Endangered’ under IUCN Red List Assessments, Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972), Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). • The species, whose global population is estimated at 4,000, are (nearly 80%) found in the Indian subcontinent. • It is found throughout the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India and Bangladesh, the Ganges River Dolphin is a global priority and is also an indicator of healthy aquatic systems. ● Covaxin gets Australia nod : • Covaxin is India's 1st indigenous COVID-19 vaccine. • It is a two dose vaccine. • It is developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV). • This inactivated vaccine is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) high containment facility. • The vaccine is developed using Whole-Virion Inactivated Vero Cell derived platform technology. • Inactivated vaccines do not replicate and are therefore unlikely to revert and cause pathological effects. They contain dead virus, incapable of infecting people but still able to instruct the immune system to mount a defensive reaction against an infection.

■ In NEWS (01-11-2021) : ● Punjab bats for Conservation of Indus river dolphin : • The Indus river dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor) is a freshwater dolphin. • The Indus river dolphin is classified as "Endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and, until recently, it was believed that these dolphins were endemic to Pakistan. • But in 2007, a remnant but viable population of Indus dolphins was discovered in Punjab's Harike wildlife sanctuary and in the lower Beas river. • Indus river dolphin was declared the State aquatic animal of Punjab in 2019. • Extension programmes will be held to develop a group of dedicated individuals, called 'Beas Dolphin Mitras' [friends and protectors] of the river Beas. The project also will embark on dolphin eco tourism. ● Ahead of COP26, Indian site highlights emissions gap : • The 26th United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) in Glasgow, Scotland, India has officially endorsed a website, made by Indian climate experts, that lists the historical carbon dioxide emissions of developed countries. • The database aims to highlight the disparity between the emissions of developed and developing countries with countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and in Western Europe shown as having a net carbon debt while developing countries, including India and China, having net credit. • India is the third largest emitter of carbon emissions annually but the sixth largest when historical emissions are considered, and when accounting for the size of its population it is among the lowest per capita emitters. • The 'Climate Equity Monitor,' as the site is called, is aimed at monitoring the performance of Annex-I Parties under the UNFCCC (developed countries) based on the “foundational principles” of the Climate Convention. • The performance and policies of the Non Annex-I Parties (developing countries) will be also provided for comparison, the statement notes. • The website was conceptualised and developed by the Climate Change Group at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering department at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) Bengaluru, with other independent researchers. ● Navy takes delivery of guided missile destroyer Visakhapatnam : • The first ship of the four Project-15B state-of-the-art stealth guided missile destroyers, Visakhapatnam, being built at the Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Navy. • The four ships are named after major cities from all four corners of the country — Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat, the Navy said. • These ships are equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and long-range Surface-to-Air missiles (SAM). ● Immunological memory : • The immune system retains a memory of the virus. If a person gets exposed to the SARS COV-2 virus again, the immune cells recognise the viral pathogen and kill the pathogen. This is called immunological memory. ● Zycov-D : • Zydus Cadila's ZyCov-D is the first vaccine cleared by India's drug regulator for inoculation of those aged 12 years and above. • The three doses are to be administered 28 days apart. • The indigenously developed world's first DNA-based needle-free COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D received emergency use authorisation from the drug regulator in August.

■ Places, Species, Other names in News (October 2021) PART - 2 : ● Hybrid immunity : • Hybrid immunity refers to a combination of natural infection with a single dose or vaccine. ● Rat hole mines : • Rat-hole mining is the primarily practiced mining technique in Meghalaya. • In which deep vertical shafts with narrow horizontal tunnels of 3 to 4 feet diameter are dug and miners are sent down to extract coal till 100 to 150 metre and in some case even more than that. ● Russia became the first country to shoot a movie in space. The name of the movie is "The Challenge". ● Samudrayaan - India's first manned ocean mission. ● Matsya 6000 - India's first manned submersible vehicle. ● FFMA App : • The offline Fisher Friend Mobile Application (FFMA). • It alerts fishermen about no-fishing zones in the Bay of Bengal. • It also provides information regarding weather, potential fishing zones, ocean state forecasts, disaster alerts, etc. • The app will not require any cellular network coverage and will work in offline mode in the outer sea. ● Bridgmanite - Bridgmanite is the most volumetrically abundant mineral of the Earth's interior. • It is present in the lower mantle (from 660 to 2700km). • Bridgmanite consists of magnesium, iron, calcium aluminum oxide and has a perovskite structure. ● Strip cropping : • Strip cropping is a method of cultivating crops to prevent soil erosion. • In strip cropping, different crops are grown on the same field in different strips or patches, usually alternatively. • It is very useful. It helps the soil to retain it's nutrients. This happens because usually the crops grown require different nutrients and thus the soil doesn't gets exhausted with a particular nutrient. • In addition such crops can also be grown that adds certain nutrients to the soil. It is usually done on slopes where there is a chance of washing away of nutrients. ● Relay cropping/Relay planting : • Relay cropping means the planting of different crops in the same plot one right after another, in the same season. • Examples of such relay cropping would be planting rice (or wheat), cauliflower, onion and summer gourd (or potato onion, lady's fingers and maize), in the same season. ● Soil mulching : • Mulching is the process or practice of covering the soil/ground with straw, leaves to make more favourable conditions for plant growth, development and efficient crop production. Mulch technical term means 'covering of soil'. • Its benefits are : Reduction in soil erosion, less compaction, moisture conservation, increased control of soil temperature, and a reduction in weed growth. ● No-tillage or zero tillage : • No-tillage farming is an agricultural technique for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage. No-till farming decreases the amount of soil erosion. • It is a farming system in which the seeds are directly deposited into untilled soil which has retained the previous crop residues. •It is also referred to as no-till. • Special no-till seeding equipment with discs (low disturbance) or narrow tine coulters (higher disturbance) open a narrow slot into the residue covered soil which is only wide enough to put the seeds into the ground and cover them with soil.

■ Places, Species, Other names in News (October 2021) PART - 1 : □ Places : ● Daintree rainforest : • It is in Australia. It's the world's oldest tropical forest (135 million year old tropical rainforest). • Diantree National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ● The Lukha river : • The Lukha river is located in the southern part of east Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya where most of Meghalaya’s rat-hole coal mines are located. • The river is mainly fed by monsoon rain. It ends up in the floodplains of Bangladesh. ● Ringdi river is in Meghalaya. ● Asia’s first open air ‘Floating cinema’ launched at Srinagar's Dal Lake in Jammu & Kashmir. □ Species (Flora & Fauna) : ● Edayur Chilli & Kuttiattoor Mango are the latest agricultural products from Kerala to get GI tag. • Edayur chilli has very low pungency. • Kuttiattor mango is also called as Nambiar Manga, Kannapuram Manga, Kunjimangalam Manga, Vadakkumbhagam Manga. ● Kanniyakumari clove, Karuppur kalamkari paintings & Kallakurichi wood carvings get GI tags. ● Uronema africanum : • It's a microalgae commonly found in Africa, Asia & Europe. • It can digest low density plastic sheets. • In Rangoon, Burma, it was noted to be an epiphyte, attaching itself to other algae and plants. • This microalgae produces different kinds of extra cellular polysaccharides, enzymes, toxins such as cyanotoxins, hormones which react with the polymer sheets (polymer bonds) and break then up into the simpler monomers which will not have harmful effect in the atmosphere. ● Joro spider (Trichonephila clavata) : • It's a large spider native to East Asia. • It's common jn Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. • Recently, it's found at North Georgia in USA. □ Other names : ● Non-Resident Indian (NRI) - An NRI is an Indian Citizen residing abroad. ● Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) - An OCI is a foreign national of Indian origin who is registered as an OCI cardholder under Section 7A of the Citizenship Act. ● Vikrant - Indigenous Aircraft carrier. It was built by Cochin Shipyard Limited. ● Langa & Manganiyar are hereditary communities of Muslim musicians residing in Rajasthan. ● Molnupiravir : • It's an anti viral capsule. It is under Phase 3 trial. • It shows consistent efficacy across COVID-19 variants Gqmam, Delta and Mu. • The company name for Molnupiravir is "EIDD 2801". ● Assam Accord : • The Accord was signed in 1985 between the Rajiv Gandhi government at the Centre, Government of Assam and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leadership to end of the 6 years Assam Agitation for driving out Illegal migrants. • The Clause 6 of the Accord pertains to the constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to “protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people”. ● Captive mines - The coal mines that produce solely for their own use, known as Captive mines.The company cannot sell coal or mineral outside. ● Non Captive Mines : Non captive Mines are mines from which the produced coals of minerals could be used for its own consumption and as well as for selling it. ● SC120-LOX : It is a semi-cryogenic tank. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) delivers this heaviest semi-cryogenic tank (SC120-LOX) to ISRO. ● C32-LH2 : It is the biggest ever cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank. Last year, HAL delivered this to ISRO. ● RTS,S/AS01 or Mosquirix - World's first malaria vaccine approved by WHO. ● Phytoremediation method is used to detoxify the river, where Algae was used to remove major toxic contents from the water. [Aquatic life functions at the optimal pH range of 6.5 to 8.5].

■ In NEWS (31-10-2021) : ● Asia’s first open air ‘Floating cinema’ launched at Srinagar's Dal Lake in Jammu & Kashmir. ● FFMA App : • The offline Fisher Friend Mobile Application (FFMA). • Tho Odisha Government in collaboration with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) has come up with customized mobile application called FFMA. • It alerts fishermen about no-fishing zones in the Bay of Bengal. • It also provides information regarding weather, potential fishing zones, ocean state forecasts, disaster alerts, etc. • The app will not require any cellular network coverage and will work in offline mode in the outer sea. • Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, located off the Odisha coast, has been declared a no-fishing zone. Each year turtles congregate near the Dhamara, the Devi, and the Rushikulya river mouths and along the sanctuary for mass nesting. ● Bridgmanite : • Bridgmanite is the most volumetrically abundant mineral of the Earth's interior. • It is present in the lower mantle (from 660 to 2700km). • Bridgmanite consists of magnesium, iron, calcium aluminum oxide and has a perovskite structure. ● Strip cropping : • Strip cropping is a method of cultivating crops to prevent soil erosion. • In strip cropping, different crops are grown on the same field in different strips or patches, usually alternatively. • It is very useful. It helps the soil to retain it's nutrients. This happens because usually the crops grown require different nutrients and thus the soil doesn't gets exhausted with a particular nutrient. • In addition such crops can also be grown that adds certain nutrients to the soil. • It is usually done on slopes where there is a chance of washing away of nutrients. ● Relay cropping/Relay planting : • Relay cropping means the planting of different crops in the same plot one right after another, in the same season. • Examples of such relay cropping would be planting rice (or wheat), cauliflower,  onion and summer gourd (or potato onion, lady's fingers and maize), in the same season.

■ Samudrayaan mission : • Recently, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology Jitendra Singh launched the Samudrayaan project of the Ministry of Earth Sciences for deep ocean exploration for rare minerals. • The ‘Samudrayaan’ is a part of the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ pilot project for deep ocean mining for rare minerals. • Samudrayaan mission is India's first manned ocean mission. • An unmanned deep sea vehicle "Matsya 6000" is used in the Samudrayaan project to send humans underwater for deep sea exploration. • The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) have indigenously developed the manned submersible MATSYA 6000 with a depth capability of 6000 metres. • This mission makes India one among the handful of powerful nations that already have dedicated ocean studies and missions, including the US, Japan, France, Russia and China. • This will open up more growth avenues to explore ocean resources for clean energy, drinking water, and blue economy. • The Samudrayaan mission is a part of the Rs 6000 crores Deep Ocean Mission. • The Deep Ocean Mission aims to explore the deep ocean for resources, develop deep sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean resources, and support the Blue Economy Initiatives of the Indian Government. • India's Exclusive Economic Zone spreads over 2.2 million square kilometres. • India has been allocated a site of 75,000 sq km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin by the International Seabed Authority for exploration of polymetallic nodules from seabed. □ International Seabed Authority : • The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an intergovernmental body based in Kingston, Jamaica. • It was established to organize, regulate and control all mineral related activities in the international seabed area beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, an area underlying most of the world's oceans. • It is an organization established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

■ Agni - V successfully test fired : • Recently, India successfully test fired its longest range surface to surface ballistic missile, Agni-V (Agni 5). • It has been tested seven times earlier. • In June, India test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni Prime ballistic missile - a more advanced version of the Agni class of missiles  • Agni-V test comes after a new-generation two-stage missile called Agni-Prime, with a strike range of 1,500-km, was tested on June 28. • The Agni-Prime, also a canister-launch missile, will eventually replace the Agni-I (700-km) missiles in the arsenal of the SFC, which also has the Prithvi-II (350-km), Agni-II and Agni-III with 2,500 km to more than 3,500 km range. □ About Agni-V missile : • Agni V is a nuclear capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of 5,000 km. • Officially, an ICBM needs a missile to have a range of at least 5,500 km. • Though the government has claimed that it has a maximum range of around 5,000 km, several reports suggest that it can hit targets as distant as 8,000 km.  • It is a long range surface to surface ballistic missile. • It was developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) of India. • The missile uses a three-stage solid fuelled engine and can strike targets with a very high degree of accuracy. • The Agni-V is transported in a truck and is launched by a canister. • The canister is made of maraging steel. The maraging steel is known for its superior toughness and strength without losing its ductility. They have low carbon. The maraging steel canister provides a sealed atmosphere for the missile. This increases the life of the missile. When the missile is fired, the canister absorbs 300 to 400 tonnes of stress to eject the 50 tonnes of missile. • The missile is guided by a ring laser gyroscope based inertial navigation system. • The ring laser gyroscope operates on the principle of Sagnac effect. • The inertial navigation system uses a computer, rotation sensors and motion sensors. It continuously calculates the orientation and velocity of a moving object without an external reference. • Agni-V is also equipped with another guidance system called the MINGS (Micro Inertial Navigation System). • The MINGS is a back up guidance control system to Agni-V. • All these systems are capable of contacting the satellite navigation systems (both Indian and non-Indian). □ No First Use policy : • This missile has further strengthened India’s deterrence capability and is in line with India’s commitment to ‘No First Use’ and its policy to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’. • No First Use is a pledge by a nuclear power to not use the nuclear weapons unless it is attacked by an adversary (with nuclear weapon). • India applies the same policy to chemical and biological warfare as well. • China was the first country to propose the policy. However, India was the first to adopt the policy after Pokhran-II test in 1998.

■ Mullaperiyar dam issue : • Recently, the Supreme Court has directed the Supervisory Committee to take an immediate and firm decision on the maximum water level that can be maintained at Mullaperiyar dam amidst torrential rains in Kerala. • The SC constituted a permanent Supervisory Committee in 2014 to oversee all the issues concerning Mullaperiyar dam. The dam is a source of friction between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. • Kerala said the water level should not go above 139 feet, the same as what the court had ordered on August 24, 2018, when the State was hit by floods. It is because the lives of 50 lakh people would be in danger if the water level in the dam is raised. • However, Tamil Nadu objected to this decision citing the Supreme Court judgments of 2006 and 2014, which fixed the maximum water level at 142 feet. • A report by United Nations has stated that the Mullaperiyar dam, situated in a seismically active area, faces the risk of failure. • There is a delay in the finalisation of the "Rule curve" for the dam. • Rule curve in a dam decides the fluctuating storage levels in a reservoir. The gate opening schedule of a dam is based on the rule curve. • The rule curve level is fixed to avoid emergency opening of dam shutters in case of a flood-like situation. It helps in controlling the water level in the dam during peak monsoon. □ About Mullaperiyar dam : • The Mullaperiyar dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar river. • It is situated at the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar rivers. • The dam is located on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Idukki district of Kerala. • It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by John Pennycuick. • The dam stands at the height of 53.66 metres and 365.85 metres in length. • The dam is located in Kerala but it is operated and maintained by the Tamil Nadu for meeting the drinking water and irrigation requirements of five of its southern districts. • According to a 999 year lease agreement made during the British rule, the operational rights were handed over to Tamil Nadu. • The dam intends to divert the waters of the west flowing river Periyar eastward to the arid rain shadow regions of the Tamil Nadu. □ About Periyar River : • The Periyar River is the longest river in the state of Kerala. • It is also known as ‘Lifeline of Kerala’ as it is one of the few perennial rivers in the state. • A perennial river is a channel that has continuous flow in parts of its stream bed all year round. • Periyar River originates from Sivagiri hills of Western Ghats and flows through the Periyar National Park. • The main tributaries of Periyar are Muthirapuzha, Mullayar, Cheruthoni, Perinjankutti.