08 Feb Daily Current affairs 8th Feb 2021

Hydrogen: A Step towards  Cleaner, Renewable Fuel

Context:

• Recently, researchers from IIT Delhi have found a way to generate clean fuel hydrogen from water.
• Not only it’s a significant way towards cleaner and greener energy sources but also, it comes up with a process that is low cost.
• It involves the splitting of water by a process known as the Sulphur-Iodine (SI) thermochemical hydrogen cycle.
• This is a clean Hydrogen fuel for industrial consumption.

Why Hydrogen:

• Hydrogen gas is a viable choice as a renewable substitute for fossil fuels and it can help mitigate emissions as well.
• Hydrogen can be produced through multiple methods. One of the most established ways is by split water.
• The process of producing Hydrogen fuel is low cost as well.
• The growing acceptance drives the potential growth of hydrogen upwards in the political and business arena.
• An estimation provides that Hydrogen fuel will supply 18 percent of the world’s total energy requirement in the future.
• Carbon emissions can be controlled with the use of Hydrogen fuel.

Paris Climate Agreement:

• It is a landmark international accord that was adopted by nearly every nation in the year 2015.
• It aims to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, limit the global temperature increase in this century to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
• It provides a pathway for developed nations to assist developing nations in their efforts to mitigate emission levels and shift to renewable energy sources.

Various Global Agreements: A Timeline

-Ajit Satapathy

 Avalanche Disaster And Glacial Lake Outburst

Context:

• Glacial Lake OutBurst led to disaster in the crisis situation in uttarakhand, where 7 people died and several others are missing.
  Some Events of recent Past
• Kedarnath Disaster.
• Floods in Kashmir region.

What is Glacial Lake OutBurst

• After the snow fall, snow accumulated at one place after some point of time when snow starts melting it leads to formation of a temporary lake which is known as glacial lake. These lakes are bounded by the glaciers and when these glaciers break, it leads to sudden outburst of water and some time converts into a disaster in the downward areas, e.g. kedarnath disaster.

What Glacial outbursts are coming frequently?

• Global warming causes increase in temperature and snow starts melting at a greater rate which further enhances the possibility of glacier outburst.

Why glacial outburst and avalanche disaster is a challenge and Nature of Challenge

• Snowfall pattern not recognised actively
• Overhang of snow, accumulation of snow even don’t know how much and the thickness
• Geographical problems like in shamsabadi region is where mountain slopes are very steep and avalanches occur frequently.

Medical challenge

• Climate change so the pattern of snow is frequently changing.
• Need to get medical treatment as soon as possible in golder hour.
• Hypothermia
• Hypoxemia

Rescue challenges

• Generally all conventional equipment stops at altitude like 11000 ft
• Rescue teams are generally not equipped with a good number of resources as they have to.

SASE (Snow avalanche study establishment)

is at chandigarh which studies the pattern of snow with their remote sensing equipment. they behave like a research organisation so generally comes up with a year of repeating maps. It needs to work in the weather department (Link is missing), which early warning system really did a commendable job in the recent past.

Addressing the challenge

• Early warning system.
• SASE needs to do a more appropriate job.
• Better resource planning for army troops which generally they are lacking.
• Capacity building .

Some Experts say:

glacier lakes will ->increase in most regions in the coming decades.
Climate change-> erratic weather patterns e.g. increased snowfall and rainfall + warmer winters-> led to the melting of a lot of snow.

-Swarn Rajpoot

Índia-EU trade pact

Context:

Brexit led to E.U. to see towards east with much more optimistically e.g. recently vietnam and EU finalises the trade pact in the during this pandemic and india-EU.

Holistic View about relations:

• The EU is India’s largest single trade partner.
• The EU and India have strategic partnerships.
• European Investment bank has an office in delhi.
• India is member of E.B.R.D
• Negotiations over BATIA ( Broad Based trade and investment agreement.

Common Interest between Both :

• Sea Lanes of Communication.
• To contain terrorism.
• Abide by the world rules and order.
• Increase trade of goods and services for further development.
• UNCLOS
• India and EU convergence in the development of Africa
• Both have similar positions on Belt and Road Initiatives.

Issues in the relation

• India wants the EU to decrease the tariff on agriculture products, ease in technical measures on food, ease in the norms of service trade and ease in the mobility of indians.
• The EU wants India to decrease tariffs on automobiles, enhancing I.P.R. Protection.
• Data protection.

Way Forward

• India gives access to the automobile sector in order to increase the trade but technology transfer etc can be taken into consideration.
• India must have more access to the agriculture market so that the rotten grain problem, further development of the Food processing industry can take place.
• Many indian companies are working in the I.T. sector in E.U. Data protection is an emerging issue and must be tackled accordingly.
• India has the upper hand in trade services so movement of indian into E.U. should be the priority of india while negotiating.

-Swarn Rajpoot

Atal Bhujal Yojna

Context-

Recently in the Lok Sabha The Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Social Justice and empowerment has presented the status report of Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal)

About the Scheme-

• This is a Central Sector Scheme to facilitate sustainable groundwater management with an outlay of INR 6000 Crore.
• The scheme is funded by the World Bank with 50% contribution and rest from the Government of India.
• The Implementation Period for the scheme is 5 years.
• The scheme will lay emphasis on community participation and demand side interventions for sustainable groundwater management in identified water stressed areas in seven States of the country.

Objective-

• It envisages improved source of sustainability for Jal Jeevan Mission,
• The target of the Government of India is to double the farmer’s income by the help of this kind of scheme.
• The scheme aims to inculcate behavioral changes in the community to facilitate optimal water use

Implementing Body-

The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

-Khyati Khare

Beggar Free Rajasthan…

• Rajasthan government has launched a new scheme for the rehabilitation of beggars.
• Government will provide vocational training to them so that beggars can lead a dignified life.
• Life skills training to beggars are also being provided by the Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation.
• In the first phase, 40 Beggars from West Bengal, odisha and uttarakhand who visited Jaipur for job but end up as beggars are provided with shelters where they are learning Yoga, Meditation, Sports and Computer.
• Psychological counselling and emotional training is also being provided to beggars at residential training centers in Jaipur.
• Suitable jobs would also be provided to beggars after training
• The Rajasthan government has also planned to set up similar camps for women.
• Chief Minister of Rajasthan has also announced to make Rajasthan beggars free and more centres would be opened for rehabilitation and to provide adequate training to beggars.

—-Ayush Babu

PRELIMS FACTS-

1.FedFirst’ savings account scheme for children launched by Federal Bank

A special savings account scheme for children below 18 years of age “FedFirst” launched by Federal Bank.

Importance of Account-

The importance of money management learned by children-

FedFirst contactless Debit Card with a daily cash withdrawal limit of ₹2,500 and POS/e-com limit of ₹10,000.

2. International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation : 6 february

Female genital mutilation-

Girls who undergo female genital mutilation face short-term complications such as severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections, and difficulty in passing urine, as well as long-term consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and mental health.

3. First ‘Energy Island’ built by Denmark

In European countries The Government of Denmark built a first energy island to store enough green energy to produce electricity.

About the hub:

It is the long-term ambition to be able to store green electricity on the island, convert it to liquid green fuel, and send it via subsea cables to Denmark and neighbouring countries.

-Alokit Kapoor

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