Monday, March 01, 2021
On National Science Day, here’s all about Raman Effect or Raman Scattering
The discovery was significant in the field of physics as it gave proof of the quantum nature of light. It revolutionised multiple different domains of science and still forms the basis of varied applications in these fields. Every year India observes National Science Day on February 28 to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ by physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. It was on this day that the announcement regarding the discovery was made and which led to winning the Nobel Prize in physics. The Indian government also honoured Raman with the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.
Various programs are organised across the country to mark the National Science Day celebrations and motivate the students to opt for science as their career. Department of Science and Technology (DST also started the National Awards for Science Popularisation in February 1987 to recognise contribution in science through awards. The awards are given out on National Science Day under six categories.
This year, the government has decided "Future of STI: Impacts on Education, Skills, and Work" as the theme of this year's celebration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke about the scientist in his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat and advised the youth of the country to read more about Indian scientists. "Today is National Science Day. It is dedicated to the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' by scientist Dr CV Raman. Our youth should read a lot about Indian scientists and understand the history of Indian science."
What is the 'Raman Effect’?
Raman Effect, also known as Raman Scattering, is the change in the wavelength of light that occurs when it is deflected by molecules. A light beam traversing through a transparent sample of a chemical compound sees a small fraction of the light emerging in a different direction to that of the incoming beam. A small part of that light has a differing wavelength from the incident light. This is because of the phenomenon known as Raman Effect.
The discovery was significant in the field of physics as it gave proof of the quantum nature of light. It revolutionised multiple different domains of science and still forms the basis of varied applications in these fields.
Source: HIndustan Times, 28/02/21
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Quote of the Day February 25, 2021
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
Lord Buddha
“ą¤¤ीą¤Ø ą¤ीą¤ें ą¤ ą¤§िą¤ ą¤øą¤®ą¤Æ ą¤¤ą¤ ą¤Øą¤¹ीं ą¤ुą¤Ŗी ą¤°ą¤¹ ą¤øą¤ą¤¤ी: ą¤øूą¤°ą¤, ą¤ंą¤¦्ą¤°ą¤®ा ą¤ą¤° ą¤øą¤¤्ą¤Æ।”
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New Alpine Plant Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
A group of scientists of three institutes have discovered a new species of alpine plant in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The details were published in Biodiversitas: Journal of Biological Diversity.
About the New Alpine Plant Species
- The new species of plant belongs to the family of Himalayan sunflower.
- It has been named as Cremanthodium indicum.
- This species of plant generally flowers from July to August.
- It is endemic to the Penga-Teng Tso Lake of Tawang district.
- As per the IUCN Guideline, this alpine plant species has been listed as critically endangered.
Alpine Plants
The plants that grow in the alpine climate. Many of the plant species and taxon grow as a plant community in such alpine tundra including perennial grasses, forbs, sedges, mosses, cushion plants and lichens. These plants are adapted to harsh alpine climatic of environmental conditions such as dryness, low temperatures, wind, drought, ultraviolet radiation, poor nutritional soil and a short growing season.
Alpine climate
Typical weather for the regions that occurs above the tree line. It is also called as the mountain climate or highland climate.
Tree line
It is the edge of habitat at which trees are capable to grow. Tree line is found at high elevations and high latitudes. It the line beyond which the trees cannot tolerate environmental conditions like extreme snowpack, cold temperatures, or associated lack of moisture.
Tawang District
It is the smallest districts out of the 16 administrative districts of Arunachal Pradesh. It has a population of 49,977 which makes the state as eighth least populous district in India. This district is inhabited by the Monpa people.
NITI Aayog’s Draft National Policy on Migrant Workers
The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) recently published its draft national policy on migrant labours.
Highlights
- The policy was prepared in association with the working subgroup of officials and members of civil society.
- This draft policy is inspired by the rights-based approach which gain momentum during the return migration of around 10 million migrant workers from cities to their respective village during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
Facts regarding draft national migrant labour policy
- The draft migrant workers policy describes two approaches regarding the policy design.
- The first approach focusses on cash transfers, special quotas, and reservations for the labours.
- The other approach seeks to enhance the agency and capability of community. Thus, in turn removes any of the aspects coming in the way of natural ability of the individual to prosper.
- The policy further rejects the handout approach and opts for a rights-based framework.
- Policy also seeks to remove the restrictions on true agency and potential of the migrant workers.
- The policy was formulated with the goal of “not providing any temporary or permanent economic aids as well as the social aids”.
- The policy further maintains that, “Internal Migration should be considered as an integral part of the development and government’s policies should be formulated in such a way that it facilitates the migration”.
What was the need of new policy?
This draft policy was formulated in the light of flaws in the existing laws. A report of 2017 also stated that the migrant workers should be integrated with all other workers so as to overarch the exploitation of workers by contractors. Further, in India the size of the unorganised sector is huge so a comprehensive policy was required to provide them a social protection.
Current Affairs – February 25, 2021
India
There’s no link between deaths and Covid vaccination in India: NAEFI panel
The National Adverse Event Following Immunisation (NAEFI) committee has not found any link between the deaths and vaccination in the cases that it has investigated so far. Out of 39 total deaths, the NAEFI has reviewed 12 cases and has found that the deaths were “unrelated” with no link to the vaccine.
Vijay Sampla is new Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes
BJP leader Vijay Sampla took over as Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on February 24, 2021. Sampla has been the former Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in 2014-19.
Union Cabinet approves a proposal to impose President’s Rule in Puducherry
The Union Cabinet on February 24, 2021 approved a proposal to impose President’s Rule in Puducherry, days after a Congress-led government in the union territory lost power during a vote of confidence. Announcing the Cabinet decision, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters that the decision was taken as no party claimed to form a government in Puducherry following the resignation of the chief minister there.
Prakash Javadekar uses Sanskrit for first time at UNSC on climate change
Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on February 23, 2021 used Sanskrit for the first time in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Debate on climate change. The Union Minister stated that India is the only country on track among the G20 nations to meet its climate change mitigation commitments.
Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill passed
The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on February 23, 2021 passed by voice vote a bill aimed at curbing religious conversions by fraudulent or any other undue means, including through marriage. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2021 seeks to replace the ordinance promulgated in November 2020 that provides for imprisonment up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 50,000 for violators. Under the bill, a marriage will be declared “null and void” if the conversion is solely for that purpose, and those wishing to change their religion after marriage need to apply to the district magistrate.
Economy & Corporate
Cabinet approves Production Linked Incentive Scheme for pharmaceuticals
The Union Cabinet approved Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for pharmaceuticals, and said the move will bring investments of ₹15,000 crore into the sector. The PLI scheme for pharma is expected to promote the production of high-value products in the country and increase the value addition in exports.
Cabinet approves Production Linked Incentive Scheme for IT Hardware
The Union Cabinet approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for IT Hardware. The scheme proposes production linked incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the value chain of IT Hardware. The Target Segments under the proposed Scheme include Laptops, Tablets, All-in-One PCs and Servers. The total cost of the proposed scheme is approximately Rs.7,350 crore over 4 years, which includes an incentive outlay of Rs.7,325 crore and administrative charges of Rs.25 crore.
Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launches National Urban Digital Mission
The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry on February 23, 2021 launched the National Urban Digital Mission, which was aimed at creating a shared digital infrastructure for cities. The Ministry also launched the India Urban Data Exchange, which was developed by the Smart Cities Mission and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. The open-source platform would allow data providers and users to share and access datasets regarding cities.
Fino Payments Bank elevated to the status of scheduled commercial bank by RBI
Fino Payments Bank on February 24, 2021 said it will be able to improve its business prospects further as the RBI has included it in the category of a scheduled commercial bank. The Reserve Bank on February 23 said it has included Fino Payments Bank in the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
World
Indian among 12 winners of US International Anti-Corruption Champions Award
Anjali Bharadwaj, an Indian social activist working on issues of transparency and accountability, is one of the 12 “courageous” individuals named by the Biden administration for the newly-instituted International Anti-Corruption Champions Award. Bharadwaj (48) is the founder of the Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) and is also a convener of the National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information.
Ghana becomes first country to get free Covid vaccines through COVAX scheme
Ghana became the first country on February 24, 2021 to receive a batch of free anti-coronavirus vaccine doses through the COVAX initiative, a vaccine-sharing scheme behind the inoculation drive in poorer countries. The World Health Organization (WHO), which leads COVAX together with Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, said the shipment of 600,000 AstraZeneca doses was the first step in immunizing the West African nation of 30 million.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield appointed US ambassador to the United Nations
The Senate has confirmed President Joe Biden’s choice to lead US diplomacy at the United Nations. Linda Thomas-Greenfield will serve as the United States ambassador to the United Nations. Senators voted 78-20 to confirm Thomas-Greenfield to the post, which will be a Cabinet-level position.
Sports
Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad renamed as Narendra Modi stadium
President Ram Nath Kovind on February 24, 2021 inaugurated the world’s largest cricket stadium that will have seating capacity of 1.32 lakh spectators in Ahmedabad, the refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium, which will now be known as Narendra Modi stadium. The President also performed the ground-breaking ceremony for a sports complex in the stadium, to be named Sardar Patel sports complex, for disciplines like football, hockey, basketball, kabbadi, boxing, and lawn tennis among others.
The disruptive social effects of Hindutva 2.0
It is the electoral hegemony of the BJP which can deepen the sense of betrayal among those who feel short-changed by the side effects of Hindutva 2.0. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was a result of the transformation of three crucial Ms in Indian politics: Mandal, Mandir and Markets.
Almost two years later, the BJP seems to be sticking to the script, but its tactical manoeuvres, even though they have delivered in elections, are beginning to show their disruptive side effects, with the possibility of unrest. Three seemingly disparate events over the past week highlight this trend.
First, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while campaigning in Assam, said that a Congress government, if elected, would not let the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) be implemented in Assam. Gandhi was silent on the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Politically, this makes sense. Assam has had a long and bloody ethnic conflict, which was rooted in Ahoms — the indigenous landed elite — protesting against the large-scale influx of Bengalis in the state. Decades of negotiations and judicial processes ultimately culminated in the decision to update NRC, which was aimed at detecting illegal migrants in the state. Because a large number of Bengalis in Assam — migrants or not — happen to be Muslims, it suited the BJP to appropriate the demand for NRC.
However, the outcome of the NRC process, which is reported to have excluded a large number of Hindu Bengalis, who are current and potential supporters of the BJP, created a challenge. This forced the BJP into rolling out CAA, a law which provides for granting of retrospective citizenship rights to non-Muslims from India’s neighbouring countries. If a large number of Bengali Hindus were to gain from the CAA route, it would leave the Ahoms with a feeling of betrayal, for they oppose immigrants, irrespective of religion. This is the constituency the Congress is seeking to tap, and the BJP is now seeking to reassure by putting CAA on hold.
Second, an Economic Times report said that the Justice Rohini Commission, examining the reorganisation of reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), is likely to propose a segregation of the existing 27% reservations into four bands of two, six, nine and 10%. Immediately after that, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar demanded that a caste census be conducted in the country.
The BJP’s success in the Hindi belt, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, can be attributed to building a rainbow Hindu collation of upper castes and non-dominant OBCs. By championing a narrative that the politically dominant OBCs had usurped most of the benefits of reservation and that the Narendra Modi government will correct this historic injustice by creating sub-categories within OBC quota, the BJP aims to consolidate its base and marginalise traditional Mandal parties such as the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
But this approach has the potential to trigger an adverse side-effect. India does not have sub-caste wise population data. This means that whether or not the new categories of OBC reservation do justice to demographic weights of sub-castes will remain in the realm of speculation. This will create a fertile ground for disputes among various sub-castes who could perceive the new formula as an effective reduction in reservations. There is another possibility, linked to the demand of conducting a caste census, which can create an even bigger challenge. If a caste census shows that the actual population share of communities which are eligible for reservations exceeds 49.5%, there may well be demands to do away with the 50% cap on reservations — which has, in any case, been breached in recent times. Both of these have the potential to create large-scale social unrest.
And finally, facing a backlash in the traditional green revolution belt of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh (UP), and after having performed badly in the local body polls in Punjab, the BJP has begun an outreach programme among Jats. The community supported the BJP in the 2014 and 2017 elections in UP.
In one such outreach event at Soram village of Muzaffarnagar, violence erupted between the supporters of Cabinet minister and the BJP’s important Jat leader, Sanjeev Balyan, and local residents. Earlier, farm protest leaders have issued calls for social boycott of BJP leaders and collective punishment for those who fail to comply with these diktats. Given the maximalist positions which the protesting farmers have taken, such altercations are likely to increase. And since the BJP enjoys power in Haryana and UP, the possibility of the landed elite in these regions seeing the State as an agent of persecution cannot be ruled out.
None of these implies that the BJP will suffer electorally. It has a solid social coalition and is pitted against an emaciated opposition. However, it is exactly this electoral hegemony of the BJP which can deepen the sense of persecution/betrayal among those who feel short-changed by the side effects of Hindutva 2.0 strategy the BJP has unleashed. India’s history tells us that failure to seek grievance redressal through elections can push social groups into pursuing other methods, not all of which have subscribed to laws of the land. The BJP’s political dominance may, paradoxically in some ways, deepen social divisions.
Source: Hindustan Times, 24/02/21
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