UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 29-08-2024

National Industrial Corridor Development Programme

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved 12 new project proposals under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP).

• NICDP – It is India's most ambitious infrastructure programme.
• Aim- To transform the industrial landscape by creating a network of industrial nodes & new industrial cities as "Smart Cities" and to converge next generation technologies.
• Mission - To make India, a global manufacturing and investment destination using a high-capacity transportation network.
• Vision - Creation of state-of-the-art world class infrastructure to promote local commerce, enhance investment, generate employment and attain sustainable development.
• Budgetary allocation – It is estimated about ₹28,602 crore.
• Coverage – It spans across 10 states and strategically planned along 6 major corridors.
• Implementation – It is monitored by Apex monitoring Authority with Finance Minister as Chairperson.
• National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC), a special purpose vehicle is the implementing agency.
• National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) to carry out the project development and implementation activities.
• Projects - It has already seen the completion of four projects, with another four currently under implementation.
• Importance - Attracts investments from large industries and MSMEs, towards achieving $2 trillion in exports by 2030.
• The New industrial cities will be developed as green field smart cities with features like 'plug-n-play' and 'walk-to-work' concepts.
• It will integrate with the PM Gati Shakti programme and align with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and will bolster India’s position in Global Value Chains.

PM Gati Shakti, a National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity for seamless movement of people, goods, and services.

• It is expected to generate approximately 1 million direct jobs and up to 3 million indirect jobs through planned industrialization.
• They prioritize sustainability, using ICT-enabled utilities and green technologies to reduce environmental impact.

References

1. PIB| 12 new projects under NICDC
2. NICDC| National Industrial Corridor Development Programme

Security alert system based on Piezo-electric polymer nanocomposite

Recently, the researchers from Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) and National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) have developed a security alert system based on piezoelectric polymer nanocomposite.

• Piezoelectricity – It is a property of certain materials that induces an electric current when mechanically stressed.
• These materials can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa.
• Piezoelectric polymer nanocomposite material – It is a type of composite material that combines a piezoelectric polymer with nanoparticles or nanomaterials to enhance its piezoelectric properties.
• Polymer nanocomposites – These are materials composed of polymer matrices and small amounts of nanometer-sized additives.
• Producing polymer nanocomposites improves the properties of polymers, including mechanical, thermal, and electrical.
• Recent Findings – It lies in the use of metal oxide nanomaterials as fillers, which enhance the piezoelectric response of the polymer composite.
• The research involved synthesizing zirconia-based metal-organic frameworks (UiO-66 and UiO-67), converted to zirconia nanoparticles.

Zirconia is the most durable monolithic ceramic, which is a ceramic made without added materials.

• The nanoparticles were integrated into poly (vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) to create nanocomposite films.
• Polymer nanocomposite with monoclinic zirconia nanoparticles produced from UiO-66 outperformed other derivatives and had greater piezoelectric output performance than pure polymer.
• Application in security alert systems- A laboratory-scale security alert system was demonstrated using the piezoelectric nanocomposite.
• The system employed a Bluetooth-based wireless communication module activated by footsteps on the piezoelectric pavement.
• The prototype demonstrated both security alert functionality and energy generation capabilities.

References

1. PIB | Piezoelectric polymer nanocomposite
2. Science Direct | Piezoelectricity

Ancient Glacier Viruses in Tibet

A team of American and Chinese scientists has discovered as many as 1,705 genomes of viruses beneath the ice sheets in Tibet’s Gulya Glacier.

• Glacier-preserved ancient viruses - Glacier ice is an important reservoir for bacteria and viruses.
• Some of these microorganisms were trapped in the ice for hundreds or thousands of years and are now being released into the environment as a result of ongoing climate change.
• Novel Virus - Many of these viruses are novel that their existence hasn’t been recorded in science so far.
• Stability - These viruses haven’t disintegrated biochemically even after major shifts in Earth’s climate over millennia.
• Glaciers Climate - Glaciers, formed from the gradual accumulation of snow, can be continuous records representing past environments and recognized as a time capsule of our planetary evolution.
• They archive time-structured information on climates and ecosystems.
• Guliya Glacier - It is located above 20,000 feet in the northwestern Tibetan Plateau and has historically been an active site for paleoclimate research.
• Evolution of Earth Climate - Discovery of unrecorded viruses can shed light on evolution of Earth’s climate over millennia.
• Colder/Warmer era Viruses - Viruses differed significantly between colder and warmer eras.
• A distinct community of viruses formed during these climatic shifts, at the end of the last ice age some 11,500 years ago.
• Virus & Climate Change - This indicates the potential connection between viruses and climate change.
• Potential health threat - Long-dormant viruses mostly infected other microbes rather than animals.
• Hence, excavating prehistoric ice sheets usually don’t pose hazards for present-day human populations.
• Adaptations of these viruses could have compromised their hosts’ ability to survive harsh weather conditions.

Reference

Down-to-earth | Ghosts of the past

Joint Russian- Indian Commission meeting

The 2^nd meeting of the Joint Russian-Indian Commission on Cooperation in the Field of Emergency Management was held recently.

• Origin - India and Russia had signed the Agreement for cooperation in the field of Emergency Management during the 11^th Indo-Russian Annual Summit held in 2010 in New Delhi.
• Main areas of co-operation – Exchange of information, early warning, and assessment of risks.
• Conducting joint conferences, seminars, workshops and training.
• Providing mutual assistance in technical facilities and equipment.
• Enhancing capacity building in emergency preparedness, prevention and response etc.
• Regulations – It was designed in 2013 to determine the structure and procedure of the meeting.
• 1st meeting – It was held in 2016 in New Delhi where, Joint Implementation Plan on cooperation in the field of prevention and elimination of emergencies for 2016-2017 was signed.
• Joint Implementation Plan 2018-2019 – It was signed in 2017.

2^nd Joint Russian- India Commission Meeting

• It held in Moscow, Russia in 2024.
• Key agreement- A working plan for 2025-2026 was signed, focusing on cooperation in emergency management.
• Main areas of cooperation
  • Use of space monitoring technologies for risk forecasting and emergency response.
  • Exchange of experiences in responding to large-scale disasters.
  • Training of fire and rescue specialists.
• Agreements- To intensify joint efforts in emergency management and to extend cooperation between educational & research institutions.
• 3rd meeting – They agreed to conduct the next meeting of the Indo-Russian Joint Commission in India in 2026.

India reaffirmed its commitment to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Prime Minister 10-point agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction.

References

1. PIB | Meeting of Joint Russian- Indian Commission
2. NDMI| Indo-Russia collaboration in Emergency Management