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THE ART AND CULTURE

1. SANGEET NATAK, LALIT KALA AKADEMI AWARDS GIVEN

THE CONTEXT: Forty-three artists were presented Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and Sangeet Natak Awards for 2018, while Lalit Kala Akademi’s Fellowship and National Awards for 2021 were given to 23 by Vice-President.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are national honours bestowed by the government on performing artists and teachers and scholars in the field of performing arts. The awards were given in the categories of music, dance, and theatre. In addition, one category was reserved for traditional, folk, and tribal dance, music, theatre and puppetry.

About Sangeet NatakAkademi:

• It was the first national academy of arts set up by the Government of India in 1952. It is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1986.
• It functions as the apex body of the performing arts in the country, preserving and promoting the vast intangible heritage of India’s diverse culture expressed in the forms of music, dance and drama.
• It also collaborates with an international organization like UNESCO to save the cultural heritage of the country.

About Lalit Kala Akademi:

• It is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture, established in 1954, by the then Minister for Education, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. It is fully funded by the Ministry of Culture.
• It is the Government’s apex cultural body in the field of visual arts in India.
• It has headquarters at New Delhi and regional centers at Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Garhi (Delhi), Kolkata, Lucknow and Shimla.

THE GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT

2. BENGAL COAST FACES THE MOST EROSION

THE CONTEXT: The Ministry of Earth Sciences, in a response to a question, informed the Lok Sabha earlier this week that of the 6,907.18-km-long coastline of the Indian mainland, about 34% is under varying degrees of erosion, while 26% is of an accretional nature and the remaining 40% is in a stable state.

THE EXPLANATION

• The National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Chennai, an attached office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), is monitoring shoreline erosion since 1990 using remote sensing data and GIS mapping techniques.
• In terms of percentage, West Bengal, located on the eastern coast of the country, with a 534.35-km-long coastline, suffered erosion along about 60.5% of the coast (323.07 km) over the period from 1990 to 2018. This is followed by Kerala on the west coast, which has 592.96 km of coastline and 46.4% of it (275.33 km) faced erosion.
• Another organisation under the Ministry, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has prepared and published an atlas of Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) maps for the entire coastline of India at a 1:100000 scale.

3. RHINO POPULATION UP BY 200 IN KAZIRANGA

THE CONTEXT: The population of the greater one-horned or Indian rhinoceros in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has increased by 200 in four years to 2613, the latest census of the World Heritage Site’s flagship animal has revealed.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The last rhino census conducted in 2018 had put the number at 2,413.
• This year’s census had a first — the use of drones for the recheck of 26 park compartments where the sample survey was done.

INDIAN RHINO VISION 2020 (IRV 2020)

• Launched in 2005.
• Initiative led by Forest Department, Government of Assam, in partnership with WWF India, International Rhino Foundation, and several other organizations.
• Goal of IRV2020 was to increase the rhino population in Assam to 3,000 by establishing populations in new areas.
• Rhinos are now found in four Protected Areas in Assam: Pabitora Wildlife Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Kaziranga National Park, and Manas National Park.

ABOUT ONE-HORNED RHINOS

• Only the Great One-Horned Rhino is found in India.
• Also known as Indian rhino, it is the largest of the rhino species.
• It is identified by a single black horn and grey-brown hide with skin folds.
• They primarily graze, with a diet consisting almost entirely of grasses as well as leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruit, and aquatic plants.

CONSERVATION STATUS:

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.

FIVE SPECIES OF RHINO IN THE WORLD:

1. Sumatran Rhino: The Sumatran rhino has been on earth longer than any other living mammal. IUCN status- Critically endangered.
2. Javan Rhino: The Javan rhino is possibly the rarest large mammal on earth. IUCN status- Critically endangered.
3. Black Rhino: Black rhinos are the smaller of the two African species.
4. Greater one-horned Rhino: Greater one-horned rhinos are semi-aquatic and often take up residence in swamps, forests and riversides. IUCN status- Vulnerable
5. White Rhino: The White rhino is also known as the Square-lipped rhino. There are two subspecies of White rhino:

• Southern: Ceratotheriumsimumsimum approximately between 19,666 and 21,085 individuals exist. The Southern white rhino can be found mostly in South Africa, with smaller translocated populations found in Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
• Northern: Ceratotheriumsimumcottoni (only two animals remain). The Northern White Rhino is critically endangered. The sub-species was declared extinct in the wild in 2008, and there are only two individuals remaining in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.

THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

4. MODI, BIDEN TO DISCUSS BILATERAL TIES AT SUMMIT

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joseph Biden will hold a virtual meeting prior to the “2+2” Foreign and Defence ministerial meeting in Washington on 11th April 2022, to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the U.S. White House announced.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India and the U.S. will hold their fourth annual “2+2” Defence and Foreign Ministry dialogue in Washington on 11^th April 2022, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine looming over the discussions and occupying a prominent place on the agenda. The last meeting in this format was in October 2020.
• The two sides will discuss defence, science and technology (particularly emerging technology), climate and public health (particularly cooperation on managing the COVID-19 pandemic), fortifying and building supply chains, as well as people-to-people ties, as per the readouts of the talks from the U.S. State and Defence Departments.
• India has raised the issue of commodity price impacts of the war, including at the United Nations. It has also purchased oil at a discounted price from Moscow — a move that has ruffled feathers in the Biden administration. The U.S. has said it is willing to help provide alternatives to India’s sourcing of oil from Moscow — which accounts for 1–2% of its energy imports.
• Several big-ticket defence deals are in the pipeline, especially for the Navy. The purchase of 30 Predator armed drones for the three Services is in advanced stages but has been delayed pending approval from the Defence Acquisition Council.
• Another major deal is a Navy tender for around 26 deck-based fighter aircraft for its existing INS Vikramaditya and the indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant, which is scheduled to be commissioned in August.

ABOUT 2+2 DIALOGUE

·         The 2+2 dialogue is held between the foreign and defence ministers of two countries and is generally seen to be aimed at creating a mechanism under which the bilateral relationship takes a decisive strategic turn with greater integration of defence, security and intelligence apparatus.

·         A 2+2 ministerial dialogue enables both sides to understand each other’s strategic sensitivities more deeply, while taking into account the political nuances of the relationship, and also enabling the building of a more strategic grouping in a rapidly changing global environment, diplomatic and strategic.

• India has 2+2 dialogue with USA, Japan, Australia and Russia.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. IMPROVED GSLV TO BE READY BY THIS YEAR

THE CONTEXT: The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with improvements added to its cryogenic upper stage (CUS) is expected to be ready in the second half of this year.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A high-level panel that examined last year’s failed GSLV-F10/EOS-03 mission had recommended measures for making the CUS more robust. Indian Space Research Organisation’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) is tasked with making the required modifications to the cryogenic engine-powered upper stage of the GSLV Mk II rocket.
• The GSLV-F10 mission on August 12, 2021, was designed to place the earth observation satellite EOS-03 in a geosynchronous transfer orbit, but the upper stage of the rocket malfunctioned, forcing the space agency to abort the mission. A national-level Failure Analysis Committee (FAC) later concluded that a leak in a Vent and Relief Valve (VRV) had led to a lower build-up of pressure in the Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) propellant tank, leading to a failed mission.
• Modifications planned to include a mechanism to ensure sufficient pressure in the tank before the engine burns and strengthening of the VRV to avoid leaks.

WHAT IS A GEOSYNCHRONOUS SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE (GSLV)?

• Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is an expendable space launch vehicle designed, developed, and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to launch satellites and other space objects into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits. GSLV is 49.13 m tall and the tallest among all other vehicles of Isro. It is a three-stage vehicle with a lift-off mass of 420 tonnes.

STAGES IN GSLV

• The first stage comprises S139 solid booster with 138-tonne propellant and four liquid strap-on motors, with 40-tonne propellant. The second stage is a liquid engine carrying 40-tonne of liquid propellant. The third stage is the indigenously built Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) carrying 15-tonne of cryogenic propellants.
• GSLV rockets using the Russian Cryogenic Stage (CS) are designated as the GSLV Mk I while versions using the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) are designated the GSLV Mk II. All GSLV launches have been conducted from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

 Difference between PSLV and GSLV

• GSLV has the capability to put a heavier payload in the orbit than the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). PSLV can carry satellites up to a total weight of 2000 kg into space and reach up to an altitude of 600-900 km. GSLV can carry weight up to 5,000 kg and reach up to 36,000 km.
• PSLV is designed mainly to deliver earth observation or remote sensing satellites, whereas, GSLV has been designed for launching communication satellites. GSLV delivers satellites into a higher elliptical orbit, Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO).

 GSLV Launches

• Isro first launched GSLV on April 18, 2001 and has made 13 launches since then. The GSLV has had 8 launches successfully reaching its planned orbits, three outright failures and two partial failure, yielding a success rate for GSLV Mk I at 29% and 86% for Mk II. All launches have taken place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, known before 2002 as the Sriharikota Range (SHAR).

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q. Which of the following animals in India receive the same level of protection as the tiger under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972?

1. Lion-tailed maquaque
2. One-horned rhinoceros
3. Spotted Dear
4. Andaman Wild Pig

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2, 3 and 4 only

d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 9TH APRIL 2022

Answer: C

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The standing deposit facility (SDF) is the basic tool available with RBI to absorb excess liquidity.
• The SDF has its origins in a 2018 amendment to the RBI Act and is an additional tool for absorbing liquidity without collateral.
• The Reserve Bank on 8th April 2022, took steps towards normalization of liquidity management to pre-pandemic levels, with the introduction of the standing deposit facility (SDF) as the basic tool to absorb excess liquidity.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The SDF would be at 3.75%, i.e., 0.25% below the repo rate and 0.5% lower than the marginal standing facility (MSF) which helps the banks with funds when required.
• At both ends of the LAF corridor, there will be standing facilities – one to absorb and the other to inject liquidity. Accordingly, access to SDF and MSF will be at the discretion of banks, unlike repo/reverse repo, OMO and CRR which are available at the discretion of the Reserve Bank.