Current Affairs - 4 April 2015

National Geoscience Awards 2013 Announced

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  The Steel & Mines Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar announced the winners of the National Geoscience Awards – 2013 in New Delhi today. Congratulating the winners, he said, it is indeed a great pleasure for me to honouring renowned geoscientists in India who have made considerable achievements in this field.
  
  Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said, Ministry of Mines confers the National Geoscience Awards for honouring and recognising individuals and teams of scientists for their extraordinary achievements, outstanding contributions in the field of fundamental or applied geosciences, mining and allied areas at the National Level every year. The National Geoscience Award for Excellence carries an award money of Rs 5,00,000/-, National Geoscience Awards carry an award money of Rs.2,00,000/- each and the award money for Young Researcher Award is Rs. 50,000/- The award includes award money, a certificate, a trophy and a citation.
  
  The National Geoscience Awards-2013 presentation ceremony will be held at Cultural Center, Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi on 6th April 2015. Shri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India will be conferring the awards in the presence of Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Steel & Mines, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, Minister of State for Steel & Mines, Secretary Mines & Chairman, Award Making Authority, Dr. Anup K Pujari, senior officials and Heads of organizations related to geoscientific fields.
  
  For the year 2013, twenty three geoscientists are being given the awards in eight fields covering five awards for Mineral Discovery and Exploration field, five awards for Coal, Lignite and Coal Bed Methane Discovery and Exploration field, three awards for Groundwater Exploration field, two awards for Mining Technology field, two awards for Geo-Environmental studies and one award each for Mineral Beneficiation field, Sustainable Mineral Development field, Basic Geosciences field, Ocean Development field and Geo-Information System field. Dr. Indra Bir Singh, a 72 year Professor from Lucknow University is being conferred with Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions made by him in the field of Sedimentary Geology. 
  
  National Geoscience Awards
  
  The National Geoscience Awards are the prestigious awards in the field of geosciences in the country. Earlier known as National Mineral Awards, these were instituted in the year 1966 by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India. In the year 2009, these were rechristened as National Geoscience Awards (NGA) and their scope was expanded. The objective of these awards is to honor individuals and teams of scientists for their extraordinary achievements and outstanding contributions in the field of fundamental / applied geosciences, mining and allied areas to provide incentive for striving towards excellence. Any citizen of India who is a professionally qualified geoscientist / engineer / technologist / academician with significant contribution in any field of earth sciences is eligible for the award. The awards are conferred on persons/teams who, in the opinion of the Award Making Authority, have made outstanding contributions in the particular field of their endeavor with due consideration to the totality of the achievements of the nominee(s).
  
  Nominations are invited annually for NGA under three categories viz. Award for Excellence (one no.), National Geoscience Awards (19 nos. in 16 fields) and Young Researcher Award (one no.).  The Award for Excellence is conferred on an outstanding geoscientist / engineer / technologist / academician with an exceptionally high lifetime achievement for a sustained and significant contribution in any of the 16 disciplines. The National Geoscience Awards are given to persons/teams in recognition of their meritorious contribution in any of the 16 disciplines.
  
  The selection of the awardees is a three tier process involving screening by expert committees at two levels and the final selection by the Award Making Authority, chaired by the Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Mines.
  
  Till date i.e. NGA-2012, 698 geoscientists have been conferred with the National Geoscience Awards.

  The list of the awardees of National Geoscience Awards – 2013:

  
  

  	RECIPIENT OF AWARD	DISCIPLINE
  1	Prof. Indra Bir Singh	AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
  2	Shri  Israil Khan	Mineral Discovery & Exploration
  3	Dr. Prabodha Ranjan Sahoo	Mineral Discovery & Exploration
  4	Shri D. Boopathi	Mineral Discovery & Exploration
  5	Dr. Shubhabrata Mukhopadhyay	Mineral Discovery & Exploration
  6	Shri Dinesh Kumar Rai	Mineral Discovery & Exploration
  7	Shri Jyoti Sankar Roy	Coal, Lignite and Coal Bed Methane Discovery & Exploration
  8	Shri Subrata Kumar Sardar	Coal, Lignite and Coal Bed Methane Discovery & Exploration
  9	Mrs. Anima Gogoi	Coal, Lignite and Coal Bed Methane Discovery & Exploration
  10	Mrs. Resmi R.C.	Coal, Lignite and Coal Bed Methane Discovery & Exploration
  11	Shri Mohan Das Roy	Coal, Lignite and Coal Bed Methane Discovery & Exploration
  12	Dr. D. Gnanasundar	Groundwater Exploration
  13	Dr. M. Senthilkumar	Groundwater Exploration
  14	Shri N. Ramesh Kumar	Groundwater Exploration
  15	Dr. Krishna Kant Kumar Singh	Mining Technology
  16	Dr.  Debasis Deb	Mining Technology
  17	Dr. Ashok Kumar Sahu	Mineral Beneficiation
  18	Dr. Akshaya Kumar Sarangi	Sustainable Mineral Development
  19	Dr. Santanu Bose	Basic Geosciences
  20	Dr. Rajesh Agnihotri	Geo-Environmental Studies
  21	Dr. Abhay Kumar Singh	Geo-Environmental Studies
  22	Dr. Parthasarathi Chakraborty	Ocean Development
  23	Prof. Shakil Ahmad Romshoo	Geo-Information System

  
  

  
  

Information is not lost when it enters black hole: Study

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  Contrary to what some physicists have argued for years, information is not lost once it has entered a black hole, scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have claimed.
  Many physicists believe black holes suck in information and then evaporate without leaving behind any clues as to what they once contained.
  “According to our work, information isn’t lost once it enters a black hole. It doesn’t just disappear,” said Dejan Stojkovic, associate professor of physics at the University at Buffalo (UB).
  Stojkovic’s new study with UB PhD student Anshul Saini, as co-author outlines how interactions between particles emitted by a black hole can reveal information about what lies within, such as characteristics of the object that formed the black hole to begin with, and characteristics of the matter and energy drawn inside.
  This is an important discovery, Stojkovic said, because physicists who believed information was not lost in black holes have struggled to show, mathematically, how this happens.
  The new study presents explicit calculations demonstrating how information is preserved, Stojkovic said.
  The research marks a significant step toward solving the “information loss paradox,” a problem that has plagued physics for almost 40 years, since Stephen Hawking first proposed that black holes could radiate energy and evaporate over time.
  This meant that information inside a black hole could be permanently lost when the black hole disappeared – a violation of quantum mechanics, which states that information must be conserved.
  In the 1970s, Hawking proposed that black holes were capable of radiating particles, and that the energy lost through this process would cause the black holes to shrink and eventually disappear.
  Hawking further concluded that the particles emitted by a black hole would provide no clues about what lay inside.
  Though Hawking later said he was wrong and that information could escape from black holes, the subject of whether and how it’s possible to recover information from a black hole has remained a topic of debate.
  Instead of looking only at the particles a black hole emits, the new study published in the journal
  Physical Review Letters, also takes into account the subtle interactions between the particles.
  By doing so, the research found that it is possible for an observer standing outside of a black hole to recover information about what lies within.
  Interactions between particles can range from gravitational attraction to the exchange of mediators like photons between particles. Such “correlations” have long been known to exist, but many scientists discounted them as unimportant in the past.
  “Our explicit calculations show that though the correlations start off very small, they grow in time and become large enough to change the outcome,” Stojkovic said.

PM Modi: Future is in mobile governance

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  BENGALURU: Reviving his digital In dia vision mantra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government will slowly take the country towards mobile governance.
  "Where there is mobile governance, there is good governance," Modi said addressing a rally here on the first day of the BJP's national executive meeting. 
  
  He said mobile governance holds the future for country since there are cell phones everywhere in the country. Outlining the achievements during the 10month rule, Modi said, "We understand the people of this country have great hope in our government. We will definitely fulfill all their aspirations." On the black money issue, Modi said: "They (Congress) taunted us on black money asking when it'll come back. But in the first cabinet meeting itself we decided to form an SIT, which was reporting regularly on its investigations on black money ."

Maharashtra tops in solid waste generation

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  PUNE: Maharashtra generates over 26,820 tonne solid waste per day, more than any other state in the country, a recent Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report has said. The report was compiled after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the board to submit an independent comment in relation to formulating a national policy concerning collection and disposal of municipal solid waste. 
  
  The report said that cities like Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Agra, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Nagpur and Surat, among others, have an estimated waste generation of more than 500 tonne per day. The estimated solid waste generation in the country is around 1.43 lakh tonne per day. 
  
  CPCB officials, however, told TOI that it was difficult to gauge the exact reasons why the data shows Maharashtra as the highest generator of solid waste in the country. "It may be possible that states which are affluent or have better solid waste collection and detection systems may show a higher quantity of waste generation," a board official said. 
  
  A Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) official said the state has better waste collection and treatment facilities, apart from meticulously documenting the waste generated. "The state's generation of municipal solid waste has been shown the way it is. Perhaps, other states do not have facilities to correctly determine the amount of municipal solid waste generated," he said. 
  
  However, in 2011, a report by the Earth Engineering Center, Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council, Columbia University, had said that Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh generate the highest amount of municipal solid waste in India. 
  
  Another CPCB official said the board had also recently reported to the green tribunal that a few states did not report complete data on the waste they generated. "However, it is difficult to provide reasons as to why Maharashtra generates the highest amount of solid waste. As the number of big cities in a state grows, the waste generated also increases," he said. 
  
  Environmentalist Gopal Krishna of Toxics Watch Alliance said, "A 2012-13 report by the MPCB showed that the total municipal solid waste generated in Maharashtra that year was over 18,900 tonne per day. The recent projection by the central pollution control board (of 26,820 tonne solid waste per day) is a huge jump, which means the state's generation of waste has not only increased but also, perhaps, waste is collected more efficiently now. The increase in waste generated here can also be attributed to rapid urbanization and population increase," he said. 
  
  The CPCB's report suggested that each state formulate an action plan to tackle waste, which may include providing advice to local bodies and finalizing modalities for setting up individual or combined waste processing and disposal facilities based on a regional or cluster-based approach. It suggested that each municipal body prepare an action plan after assessing the status of waste generation and its composition. 
  
  Among other things, the report said that it is recommended that cities generating more than 500 tonne per day solid waste formulate an action plan which may include modernization of waste storage and transportation facilities; contracts with 'operators' for collection of waste from various sources and its transportation; and, support of private entrepreneurship in setting up of waste processing and disposal facility.
  
  Generation of municipal solid waste of some states as on February 6, 2015 (tonne per day) 
  
  Maharashtra 26,820 
  
  Uttar Pradesh 19,180 
  
  Tamil Nadu 14,532 
  
  Andhra Pradesh/Telangana 11,500 
  
  Gujarat 9,227 
  
  Karnataka 8,784 
  
  Delhi 8,390 

Should India look to boost export of defence items?

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  To speak about defence exports from India at a time when we routinely lament the fact that India imports nearly 70% of its defence hardware, would seem incongruous. But as they say, sometimes improbable ideas, if followed up with persistence and implementable plan, can come to fruition and so it is with the wish to turn India into a defence export hub in the next decade.

  Defence export scenario in India, pre or post liberalization, has not achieved anything spectacular despite India having one of the largest defence industrial bases in the developing world. It has 41 Ordnance Factories (OFs), 9 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and a fledgling private sector. And yet, the Indian defence industry has not managed to attain self-reliance or even self-sufficiency in the need that the armed forces have. Exports therefore become secondary in the list of priorities. As the figures indicate, India’s exports in the defence sector are around 4% of the hardware that is imported.

  So, what should be India's defence export strategy?
  To begin with the MoD has already put up on its website, a startegy for defence exports, aligning it with the Foreign Trade Policy. As a next step
  perhaps, a policy framework that encompasses all aspects has to be evolved. The framework will have to take into consideration views of not only the government agencies but also private sector players and foreign manufacturers wishing to make India a production base. Indian laws, international conventions, ethical issues, bottlenecks and technological capabilities or lack of it will have to be examined before arriving at a comprehensive policy.

  Before suggesting a possible future policy framework, some facts need to be reviewed.  Currently, India is ranked 28th in the arms exporters list based on the volume of arms transferred. With an import: export ratio of 194:1, as compared to 1.3:1 in the case of Israel, 8.8:1 in the case of South Korea and 19.7:1 in the case of Singapore, India is not a big player in the export market. Another depressing figure often cited is that the average share of Indian arms exports in the total world’s arms exports pie stands at a measly 0.8%. 
   
  So far all that India exports is restricted to old variants of aircraft, ships and armoured vehicles, but the main revenue generation coming from supply of spare parts.

  So what should be India's export policy consist of?  
  To start with, constitute an Indian Defence Exports Agency (IDEA) with participation of industry and other stake holders as a commercial arm of MoD. This can be a professionally run company duly registered under the Companies Act of 1956.

  The company can be funded by the MoD through a separate budget allocation for establishment and business development. IDEA will thereafter create business models for self-sustenance. IDEA will be driven by clearly defined targets for promotion of exports from Defence sector.

  IDEA can be tasked to identify suitable export markets, participate in various exhibitions abroad, be a part of all International Delegations of the GoI, Integrate with industry, create and sustain synergy with industry, integrate Life Cycle Support concepts, Integrate Services support and maintenance, create synergy between DRDO, design agencies, Engineering design houses, manufacturing houses and formulate a holistic approach towards exports of defence goods and services. The commercial arm IDEA will have to be empowered to establish JVs with industries (both National and International companies), where ever considered essential to have an access to market.

  MoD has already talked about constituting a Defence Exports Steering Committee (DESC), under Secretary, defence production with representatives from HQ IDS, Services, MEA, MoC, DGFT, DDP, DRDO and IDEA. The role of DESC will be to make policies, review export clearance norms, formulate incentive schemes, and support IDEA for exports. 

  MoD can also establish an Export Clearance Authority (ECA). This will report to the DESC for guidance and higher direction for clearances of exports and issue of NOC. Fundamental principle of operation of the ECA will be guided by time-bound clearances and expeditious decision-making. Towards this IDEA will be armed with information of industry capabilities vis-a-vis export opportunities. IDEA will support the ECA with timely information and pro-active involvement with industry to be able to predict cases of exports.

  In conclusion, the Commercial Arm (IDEA) can interface with the ECA and DESC for enhancing exports. Exports can be target driven through the corporate entity with full freedom and independence of action, duly enabled by the government. The government can formulate policies and procedures and IDEA can focus on enhancing exports.