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Daily Current Affairs: 07-8-23

Home Minister Chairs Committee Of Parliament On Official Language Meeting

Home Minister Amit Shah, during the meeting on August 4, 2023, emphasized the gradual, unopposed acceptance of Hindi. The meeting in question was the 38th meeting of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language.

Background Of The Committee

  • The Committee of Parliament on Official Language was established in 1976 as per Section 4 of The Official Languages Act, 1963.
  • The Union Home Minister presides over the Committee.
  • The Committee comprises 30 members: 20 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

Functioning Of The Committee

  • The Committee submits its report to the President who then presents it to both Houses of Parliament and all State Governments.
  • The Committee’s mandate is to examine the development in the usage of Hindi for official purposes and suggest ways to enhance its usage in official communications.

Incident Response System (IRS)

Several states and Union territories (UTs) are yet to implement the Incident Response System (IRS), which is crucial for disaster response, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has said.

  • Recent natural disasters, including floods in Northern India and the Biparjoy cyclone in Gujarat, have resulted in significant human and economic losses.
  • The estimated economic impact of these events ranges between ₹10,000 crore and ₹15,000 crore, highlighting the significant toll on infrastructure.
  • India’s geographical features and location make it susceptible to various natural hazards, escalating concerns about infrastructure damage.
  • The Incident Response System (IRS) is recognised as an effective strategy for mitigating haphazard responses, promoting a structured team approach to manage all potential response requirements.
  • Despite emphasis from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on the importance of IRS notification and adoption, many states/union territories have not yet implemented the IRS at the state/district level.
  • A significant number of stakeholders, particularly at the grassroots level, are unaware of their responsibilities under the IRS.
  • Based on multi-state or state-level mock exercises, the implementation of IRS-based coordinated responses, including the operation of staging areas, relief camps, command posts, and emergency operation centers (EOCs), requires improvement.

Read More About: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA); Disaster Management Act, 2005

Swathi Mountains

In order to enhance the nation’s battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, the Indian Army has introduced the “Swathi Mountains,” a lighter and more compact version of the indigenous Weapon Locating Radar (WLR-M).

  • Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru has developed this advanced phased array radar, designed for operations particularly in mountainous and high-altitude areas.
  • The Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) is a crucial asset for today’s militaries. With advanced signal processing techniques, it can autonomously detect and track hostile artillery, mortars, and rocket launchers. It can also trace friendly fire trajectories to calculate more accurate artillery strikes.
  • The WLR is renowned for its high mobility and rapid deployment capabilities, making it highly adaptable to changing operational requirements.
  • The Swathi radar comes in two versions: the Swathi Plains (WLR) and the Swathi Mountains (WLR-M).
  • The Swathi Plains version is designed to locate hostile guns, mortars, and rockets, and track the fall of shot from friendly weapons, primarily on flat terrains.
  • The newly introduced Swathi Mountains edition is a compact and mobile version, custom-built for operations in mountainous and high-altitude terrains. This advanced variant is capable of detecting mortar shells, rockets, and tracking projectiles with precision. Its design ensures optimal performance and maneuverability in challenging environments.

UK Gov To Continue Carbon Capture And Storage (CCS)

  • The UK government reiterated its support for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects on August 7.
  • The initiative is part of the government’s strategy to achieve net zero targets.
  • Two additional projects have received approval to start negotiations.
  • The UK announced in March a £20 billion ($25.7 billion) investment in CCS technology over the next 20 years. No further funding was announced on Monday.
  • There are two primary types of CCS: Point-source CCS and Direct Air Capture (DAC).
  • Point-source CCS captures CO2 directly at the source, such as a smokestack.
  • DAC involves the removal of CO2 already released into the atmosphere.

Additional Reading: Read More About Carbon Capture And Storage (CCS), Net Zero Target, India’s Net Zero Ambition