Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 26 February 2017

:: National ::

Prime Minister reassured the people of Manipur

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to reassure the people of Manipur that there was nothing in the Naga Peace Accord — signed by his government with the NSCN-IM in 2015 — that would go against the interests of the State.

• Mr. Modi’s assurance follows Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh's statement, asking why the precise terms of the agreement have been kept “secret” by the Centre.

• Mr. Modi said, “Is it not the State government's duty to maintain supply of essential commodities? As per the Constitution, this is the responsibility of the Manipur government and the police.

• “We will not let the blockade continue once our government comes to power in the State,” the Prime Minister said. He accused the Congress of instigating people as well as paying those who organise bandhs.

• Mr. Modi added that a government that kept people hungry to win polls did not have the right to rule even for a minute.

• Mr. Modi defended the November demonetisation drive, saying his government was bringing out hidden money from 70 years of loot in the country and criticised Congress leaders for speaking against him after the note ban.

• Accusing the Congress of keeping the north-east underdeveloped, Mr. Modi hailed the region for producing talented sportsperons, who could be groomed well with training.

NASA to put astronauts on test flight of the deep space capsule Orion

• The U.S. space agency said it is considering putting astronauts on an upcoming test flight of the deep space capsule Orion as it aims to orbit the Moon.

• Orion is being built with an eye to one day ferrying astronauts to Earth’s neighboring planet, Mars, perhaps by the 2030s.

• Until now, the Orion test flight known as Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) was scheduled for 2018 and was expected to be unmanned.

• But NASA’s acting administrator Robert Lightfoot asked on February 15 for the space agency to study the feasibility of putting people on board, and the findings of that study are expected in the coming months.

• The capsule will be propelled to space atop a rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS), which is currently being developed. NASA has described it as the “most powerful rocket in the world”.

• The space capsule also aims to “stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before.”

• The study is evaluating the pros and cons of adding two crew members, and could possibly delay the EM-1 mission until mid-2019.

• The current plan is to send astronauts on Orion’s second flight, EM-2, an eight-day mission in 2021.

About 30-35% of the annual crop yield in India gets wasted because of pests

• About 30-35% of the annual crop yield in India gets wasted because of pests, according to P.K. Chakrabarty, assistant director general (plant protection and biosafety) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

• He said that among such pests, nematodes (microscopic worms many of which are parasites) had recently emerged as a major threat to crops in the country and they caused loss of 60 million tonnes of crops annually.

• He also said that such large-scale crop-loss was having an adverse effect on the agricultural biosafety which was “paramount to food security.”

• “Nematodes, consisting of roundworms, threadworms and eelworms, are causing loss of crops to the tune of almost 60 million tonnes or 10-12 % of crop production every year,” said Mr. Chakrabarty.

• The Dean of Indian Council of Agricultural Research HS Gaur expressed his apprehension about the spread of nematode in the country.

• Citing the instance of a particular kind of nematode which affected plants such as potatoes and tomatoes, he said the Potato Cyst Nematode was first discovered in the Nilgiris and had now spread to various parts of the country.

India targets eliminating measles and controlling congenital rubella syndrome (Register and Login to read Full News)

India’s only active volcano is active again (Register and Login to read Full News)

Govt wants scientists to more focus on ‘science for the benefit of the people’ (Register and Login to read Full News)

:: International ::

Sweden reconsidering immigration policy

• It has been only three years since she came to Sweden from Syria, but Hiba Abou Alhassane already says “we” when speaking about her new home country.

• But recently Swedes also find themselves questioning the wisdom of their generosity to outsiders in need, and its potential limits, leading to the country’s harshest debate ever over immigration.

• Some residents see the clash as a refreshing chance to voice long-held concerns over immigration and its effects. Others see it as racist and redundant, since Sweden is already changing its immigration policies.

• Swedes are not rushing to a hard-line Trump-like approach to immigration, nor are they ready to throw out their country’s humanitarian values when it comes to sheltering refugees.

• Until a year and a half ago, Sweden offered lifetime protection, along with family reunification, to people deemed legitimate refugees.

• In 2015, about 1,63,000 people came and sought that protection, and the sheer numbers led this country of roughly 10 million to tighten the rules.

• Protection is now subject to review after one or three years and family reunification is more difficult, making Sweden less accessible and less attractive to immigrants.

• Even some longtime immigrants concede that integration has not always gone smoothly, and that Sweden needs a more robust debate about what has gone wrong and what could be done better.

:: Business and Economy ::

The Indian Railways is mulling a new metric to measure its performance

• The Indian Railways is mulling a new metric to measure its performance. This comes at a time when it is staring at a five-year high for the operating ratio by the end of this fiscal year.

• The Railways formed a committee of executive directors from its budget, finance efficiency and research departments last week to look at some of the best corporate practices and suggest a new financial ratio.

• The financial performance of the Indian Railways is measured in operating ratio which is expected to be at a five-year high of 94.9% in 2016-17.

• Till December this year, the Railways’ operating ratio in 2016-17 stood at 109% which is expected to improve by March this year. This means, the Railways spent Rs. 109 to earn Rs. 100 from April-December 2016.

• A lower ratio means better efficiency. The ratio touched 91.3% in 2014-15 and has only been lower in other years in the 5-year period.

• The committee has been asked to submit its report within a month, adding that it may also hire a private agency to help with a new performance indicator.

• The Railways’ finances took a hit this financial year due to the Seventh Pay Commission’s pay hike recommendations, Railway Ministry officials said.

Social Security Agreement ratified between India and Germany (Register and Login to read Full News)

:: Science and Technology ::

African black rhinoceros face risk of extinction

• As the value of rhinoceros horn touches $65,000 per kg, poaching has begun to drive the African black rhinoceros to “the verge of extinction” - not just by reducing its population size, but by erasing 70% of the species’ genetic diversity.

• Genetic variation is the cornerstone of evolution, without which there can be no natural selection, and so a low genetic diversity decreases the ability of a species to survive and reproduce.

• Two centuries ago, the black rhinoceros – which roamed much of sub Saharan Africa – had 64 different genetic lineages; but today only 20 of these lineages remain, says the paper.

• The species is now restricted to five countries, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Genetically unique populations that once existed in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Mozambique, Malawi and Angola have disappeared.

• The origins of the ‘genetic erosion’ coincided with colonial rule in Africa and the popularity of big game hunting.

• From the second half of the 20th century, however, poaching for horns has dramatically depleted their population and genetic diversity, especially in Kenya and Tanzania.

• The paper calls for “a complete re-evaluation of current conservation management paradigms” for the black rhinoceros.

• Greater the genetic diversity, the better is the population's ability to respond to pressures such as climate change and diseases.

• “Thus the loss of so much evolutionary potential in the black rhino is worrying for its future adaptability.”

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