UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 14-09-2024

Mission Mausam

The Union Cabinet recently approved Mission Mausam with a budget outlay of 2,000 crores over two years.

• Mission Mausam - It aims to make India ‘Weather Ready’ and ‘Climate Smart’.
• The mission seeks to enhance the country’s weather and climate observations, understanding, modelling and forecasting.
• Mission Period - 2024-26.
• Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Implementing Agencies
  • India Meteorological Department(IMD), Mausam Bhavan, New Delhi
  • National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida
  •  Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune
• Objectives
  • Develop Cutting Edge Weather Surveillance Technologies & Systems
  • Implement Higher resolution atmospheric observations with better temporal and spatial sampling/coverage
  • Implement Next-generation radars, and satellites with advanced instrument payloads
  • Implement High-Performance Computers (HPC).
  • Improve understanding of weather and climate processes and prediction capabilities
  • Develop improved earth system models, and data-driven methods (use of AI/ML)
  • Develop Technologies for weather management
  • Develop state-of-art dissemination system for last mile connectivity
  • Capacity building
• Features – The mission will establish
  • 50 Doppler Weather Radars (DWR)
  • 60 Radio Sonde/Radio Wind (RS/RW) stations
  • 10 Wind Profilers
  • 25 radiometers
  • 1 Urban testbed
  • 1 Process testbed
  • 1 Ocean Research station
  • 10 Marine Automatic Weather Stations with upper air observation.
  • 100 disdrometers.

A disdrometer is a device that measures the size and velocity of falling raindrops, snowflakes, and hail. It can also differentiate between different types of precipitation.

• Benefits – Mission will  improve forecasts on both spatial and temporal scales and air quality data and help strategize weather management/intervention in the long run.
• Improved services for weather, climate, and natural hazards

References

PIB | Project Mausam

Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VLSRSAM)

Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully conducted back-to-back flight tests of the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VLSRSAM).

• VL SRSAM – It is the  indigenously built short-range surface-to-air missile.
• It is a ship-borne weapon system designed to neutralise various aerial threats at close ranges, including sea-skimming targets.
• Missile Developed by - Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Operational range – 80 Km
• Flight altitude - 16 km (52,000 ft)
• Maximum speed - Mach 4.5
• Guidance Technology- During mid-course flight, the missile uses fibre-optic gyroscope based inertial guidance mechanism while in terminal phase uses active radar homing.
• VLS - Each Vertical Launch System (VLS) can hold forty missiles in a twin quad-pack canister configuration.
• Replacing Barak - VL-SRSAM intended to replace older Barak 1 surface to air missile system onboard Indian Navy warships.
• Flight Test - The flight test was carried out from a land-based vertical launcher, targeting a high-speed aerial target flying at a low altitude.
• The missile system successfully tracked and engaged the target.
• Testing site - Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.

Reference

PIB | VL-SRSAM

G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting

India Participated in G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting in Cuiabá, Brazil.

• 2024 G 20 Presidency - Brazil has assumed the presidency of the G20 until November 2024.
• G20 Countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.

• Agriculture Ministerial Meeting - It is aimed to promote international cooperation in addressing critical issues for global agriculture such as food security, sustainable agriculture, technological innovation, and climate change adaptation.
• Venue - Cuiabá, Brazil.
• Priority Areas – The meeting centred around Four key priority areas for global agriculture.
• Sustainability - Sustainability of agriculture and food systems in their multiple paths
• International Trade - Enhancing international trade's contribution to food security and nutrition
• Inclusiveness - Elevating the essential role of family farmers, smallholders, indigenous peoples and local communities in sustainable, resilient and inclusive agriculture and food systems
• Aquaculture - Promote the integration of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture into local and global value chains.

Reference

PIB | India Participates in G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting

Herpetofauna Survey

The first-ever preliminary herpetofauna survey conducted in Grass Hills National Park and Karian Shola National Park.

• Key Findings- The survey revealed rich biodiversity, identifying 20 species of reptiles and 34 species of amphibians.
• Grass Hills National Park
  • It is a protected area located in the Anamalai Hills of Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Recorded 11 reptile species and 12 amphibian species.
  • Montane shola grassland ecosystem unique to the Western Ghats.
• Karian Shola National Park
  • It is part of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, featuring tropical rainforest ecosystems.
  • Recorded 9 reptile species and 22 amphibian species.
  • Grassland surrounded by semi-evergreen and deciduous forest.

Anamalai Tiger Reserve is located in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India.  It also encompasses important ecological zones like the Grass Hills and Karian Shola.

• Critically endangered and endangered species
  • Anaimalai flying frog (Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus).
  • Deccan night frog (Nyctibatrachus deccanensis).
  • Cold stream torrent frog (Micrixalus frigidus).
  • Resplendent Shrubfrog (Raorchestes resplendens).
• Rare and newly described reptiles
  • Three-lined Shieldtail (Platyplectrurus trilineatus), last seen in 2018.
  • Anamudi dwarf gecko (Cnemaspis anamudiensis), first report since discovery.
  • Newly described species: Cnemaspis anaimalaiensis and Tail-spot Shieldtail (Uropeltis caudomaculata).
• Other notable amphibians
  • Star-eyed ghat frog (Ghatixalus asterops).
  • Green-eyed bush frog (Raorchestes chlorosomma).
  • Kodaikanal bush frog (Raorchestes dubois).
  • Yellow-bellied bush frog (Raorchestes flaviventris).
  • Legless amphibian Ichthyophis tricolor.
  • Tadpoles of the evolutionary distinct Purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis).
• Ecological significance- Nearly 85% of the species recorded are endemic to the Western Ghats.
• Many species are restricted to the Anamalai sub-cluster, highlighting the region's unique biodiversity.

Reference

The Hindu | Herpetofauna Survey

Poltava

49 people killed in Ukraine's Poltava after Russia Launches 2 Ballistic Missiles recently.

• Poltava is a city in east-central Ukraine.
• It is located 300 kilometres east of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
• It lies along the Vorskla River.
• History
  • Archaeological evidence dates the city from the 8^th to the 9^th century, although the first documentary reference is from 1174, when it was variously known as Oltava or Ltava.
  • Destroyed by the Tatars in the early 13^th century, it was the centre of a Cossack regiment by the 17^th century.
  • In 1709 Peter I the Great inflicted a crushing defeat on Charles XII of Sweden outside Poltava after Charles had laid siege to the town for 3 months.
  • In 1802 it became a provincial centre.

• The modern city of Poltava is largely new, having been reconstructed after it suffered severe damage during World War II.

Reference

NDTV | Ukraine's Poltava after Russia Launches 2 Ballistic Missiles