PIB Summary- 15th January, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Doppler Weather Radar Network

Context
Doppler Weather Radar Network by 2025.

Details

• Delivering the keynote address on the occasion of the 148th foundation day of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh informed that the entire country will be covered by Doppler Weather Radar Network by 2025 to predict extreme weather events more accurately.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has increased its network of Doppler Radars (instruments that peak inside air masses for improved rain, snow and storm forecasts) from 15 in 2013 to 37 in 2023 and will add 25 more over the next two years.
•  The plan to augment the Doppler radar network comes at a time when weather scientists have documented an increase in the annual average extreme weather events — floods, tropical cyclones, heat waves, cold waves and short but intense spells of rain.
• The minister dedicated four weather radars for Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and also dedicated 200 Agro Automated Weather Stations to the Nation.
• Under Agro Meteorological Services, the centre aims to establish 660 District Agro Meteorological Units (DAMUs) by 2025. 
• The accuracy for different weather events forecasts has increased by about 20-40% during the last five years. The weather department is making best use of space based observation of INSAT-3D and 3DR, OceanSat Satellite for predicting weather events.
• IMD has made significant contributions to global safety and economic development by acting as regional centres and global centre for weather and climate forecasting.

Army Day, 15th January

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75th Army Day celebrated in Bengaluru.

Details 

• January 15 marks the Indian Army Day as the Indian people and the Indian Army honour Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa who in 1949 on this day, took Francis Roy Butcher’s post as Army Chief Officer.
• Shri Rajnath Singh, the Defence Minister paid rich tributes to Field Marshal KM Cariappa,  the first Commander-in-Chief of Independent India, who hailed from Karnataka and  made a significant contribution in strengthening the Indian Army. 
• It was the first time that Army Day was held outside the National Capital, Delhi.
• The minister recalled the bravery of the Armed Forces during 1962, 1965, 1971 & 1999 wars and the recent incidents in Galwan & Tawang.

Vande Bharat Express

Context
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express train connecting Secunderabad with Visakhapatnam via video conferencing.

Details

• This is the eight Vande Bharat Express introduced by the Indian Railways and the first one connecting two Telugu speaking states- Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This is the advanced version of the earlier ones. 
• It will cover a 700 km distance in eight and a half hours (from 12 and a half hours). It will have halts at Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada stations in Andhra Pradesh and at Khammam, Warangal and Secunderabad stations in Telangana.
• The earlier 7 Vande Bharat Trains have covered the cumulative distance of 23 lakh kilometres, equivalent to 58 rounds of earth.
• The Vande Bharat Express, indigenously designed is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities providing faster and more comfortable travel experience to its rail users.
• Vande Bharat 2.0 is equipped with more advanced features like reaching a speed of 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in just 52 seconds, and a maximum speed of up to 180 kilometres per hour. It is also equipped with KAVACH – indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System.
• A photocatalytic ultraviolet air purification system is installed in the Roof-Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification. It will also have a Wi-Fi content on demand facility.