PIB Summary- 6th April, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Heat Waves

Context: Heat wave conditions very likely in isolated pockets over Rajasthan, Vidarbha and interior Tamil Nadu.

Details

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heat wave conditions in some pockets over Rajasthan and in isolated pockets over east Vidarbha, and also in interior Tamil Nadu.

What is a heat wave?

• A heat wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature that occurs during the summer season in the North-Western and South Central parts of India.
• According to the IMD, a heat wave is considered if maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40oC or more for the plains and at least 30oC or more for hilly regions.
• Based on departure from normal:
  • Heat wave: Departure from normal is 4.50C to 6.40C
  • Severe heat wave: Departure from normal is >6.40C
• Based on actual maximum temperature:
  • Heat wave: When actual maximum temperature ≥ 450C
  • Severe heat wave: When actual maximum temperature ≥470C
• If the above criteria are met at least in 2 stations in a meteorological sub-division for at least two consecutive days, it declared on the second day.
• In India, heat waves occur mainly during March to June and in some rare cases even in July. The peak month is May.
• Heat waves generally occur over the plains of northwest India, Central, East & north Peninsular India during March to June.
  • It covers Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, parts of Maharashtra & Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
  • Sometimes it occurs over Tamil Nadu & Kerala also.
• Heat waves adversely affect health involving among other issues, dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke.

Definition of Heat Waves

The World Meteorological Organization defines a heatwave as five or more consecutive days during which the daily maximum temperature exceeds the average maximum temperature by five degrees Celsius. For detailed information on WMO – World Meteorological Organisation visit the linked page.

• If the maximum temperature of the affected region continues to be more than 45° C consecutively for two days, it will be declared a heatwave affected area. 
• The heatwave is also called a “silent disaster” as it occurs at a slow pace, but still inflicts large-scale casualties on humans and animals alike.
• In India, heat waves typically occur between March and June, and on rare occasions, in July.
• Heatwaves frequently occur in Northern India, especially in the Gangetic-belt regions.

How can risks from Heat Waves be reduced?

With the help of the following methods, the problems caused by heat waves can be reduced

• Early warning system and inter-agency coordination: Temperature forecasts and heat alerts must be sent as bulk messages on mobile phones not just by the nodal agency in charge but also by the other relief agencies as well.
• Medical up-gradation and administrative measures: Heat treatment wings must be created in hospitals, and an advisory on how to prevent exposure and other heatwave related injuries must circulate in schools and offices
• Public Awareness and community outreach: Raising public awareness messages on how to protect against extreme heat-wave situations must be done through electronic, print as well as social media, and IEC materials.
• Collaboration with NGOs and civil society organizations: Building temporary shelters, wherever necessary, improving water delivery systems in public areas and other innovative measures to tackle heatwave conditions must be implemented
• Assessing the impact: Feedback for reviewing and updating the plan for heatwave disaster risk reduction must be made a regular feature in Government actions as this can help in preparing early prevention plans in accordance with the developing situation.

Advisory by the National Disaster Management Authority of India

The National Disaster Management Authority of India (NDMA) has issued an advisory on what those in a heatwave affected area should do and not. They are as follows:

Do’s

• Drink enough water and whenever possible, even if not thirsty. It is necessary to stay hydrated in these conditions.
• Schedule strenuous jobs to cooler times of the day.
• Increasing the frequency and length of rest breaks when involved in outdoor activities.
• Pregnant workers and workers with a medical condition should be given additional attention and leave if necessary.
• Planting trees and or even smaller plants will reduce the surface and air temperatures by providing shade and cooling around your house.

Don’ts

• Do not leave children or pets in parked vehicles. The metallic bodies of these vehicles will super heat the vehicles resulting in dehydration and at times even death.
• Avoid going out in the afternoons, especially around 12.00 noon and 3.00 p.m.
• Do not wear dark, heavy or tight clothing. Wearing loose clothing is advisable has it allows the body to exhale more easily
• Do not engage in physically demanding activities when the outside temperature is high.
• Do not cook during peak hours. But should you choose to, open doors and windows to ventilate the cooking area adequately?
•  Drinks like tea, alcohol, coffee and aerated drinks, will dehydrate your body faster. So they must be avoided
• Avoid food items high in proteins and completely avoid eating stale food.

BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting

Context: India hosted the First Meeting of BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors.

Details

• This was the first meeting of the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors under India Chairship in 2021.
• BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors discussed financial cooperation agenda set by India for 2021 – Global Economic Outlook and Response to COVID-19 pandemic, New Development Bank (NDB) Activities, Social Infrastructure Financing and Use of Digital Technologies, Cooperation on Customs related issues, IMF reforms, Fintech for SMEs and Financial Inclusion, BRICS Rapid Information Security channel and BRICS Bond Fund.
• As 2021 BRICS Chair, India’s approach is focused on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation based on Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.

Chief Justice of India

Context: Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana appointed as Chief Justice of India.

Chief Justice of India List (1950-2021)

• Who is serving the Office of Chief Justice Of India (CJI) currently? NV Ramana has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of India on 6th April 2021. Sharad Arvind Bobde who took the office of Chief Justice of India on 18 November 2019 is going to retire on 23rd April 2021, the day NV Ramana will take oath as India’s 48th CJI.

About 48th Chief Justice of India

• NV Ramana has practised in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Central and Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunals and the Supreme Court of India in Civil, Criminal, Constitutional, Labour, Service and Election matters.
• He has also functioned as Additional Advocate General of Andhra Pradesh.
• He was elevated as Chief Justice of Delhi High Court in September 2013 and later in February 2014 he was elevated as Supreme Court Judge.

Significance of the CJI Office

• Chief Justice of India is the head of the judiciary system in India. The chief justice is the head of the Supreme Court and is responsible for the allocation of cases and appointment of constitutional benches which deal with important matters of law.
• Article 145 of the Constitution gives the right to the Chief Justice of India to allocate the respective matters of relevance to the bench of judges.

List of Chief Justices of India

There have been 48 Chief justices in India to date. H J Kania served as the First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India. The list of Chief Justice of India is given below:

CJI – Important Pointer

• The President of India appoints the Chief Justice of India and the CJI can hold the office up to the age of 65 years. Also, CJI can be removed only through a process of impeachment by Parliament.
• The Chief Justice of India submits his resignation to the President of India. The President of India administers the oath to the Chief Justice of India.
• The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court receives a salary of Rs.280,000 per month plus other allowances fixed for CJI. Article 125 of the constitution is related to the Salary of CJI of Supreme Court.
• The first Chief Justice of India (Before independence) was Mr Sir Maurice Gwyer. He took charge on 1 October 1937 and remained in office till 25 April 1943. Mr M Gwyer was the CJI in the pre-independence era. Justice Harilal Jekisundas Kania was the first (Indian) Chief Justice of India.
• Kamal Narain Singh was the shortest-serving Chief Justice Of India, he held the Supreme Court Office as CJI just for 17 days from 21st November 1991 to 12th December 1991.
• Justice Y. V. Chandrachud is the longest-serving Chief Justice in India, who served 2696 days.
• The current CJI, Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde is the 47th Chief Justice of India.
• Fatimah Beevi was the first woman judge, as well as the first woman Supreme Court Judge of India. She was from Kerala and held the office of Supre Court of India from 6 October 1989 to 29 April 1992.
• At present (April 2021), there are 29 SC judges of India including the Chief Justice of India. (Total sanctioned strength is 34 including CJI).

Wolf–Rayet stars

Context: Supernova explosion traced to one of the hottest kind of stars.

What’s in News?

• Indian astronomers have tracked a rare supernova explosion and traced it to one of the hottest kind of stars called Wolf–Rayet stars or WR stars.
• A team of astronomers from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, with some international collaborators have conducted optical monitoring of a stripped-envelope supernova called SN 2015dj hosted in the galaxy NGC 7371 which was spotted in 2015.
• They calculated the mass of the star that collapsed to form the supernovae as well as the geometry of its ejection.
• The scientists also found that the original star was a combination of two stars – one of them is a massive WR star and another is a star much less in mass than the Sun.

WR Star

• The rare Wolf–Rayet stars are highly luminous objects a thousand times that of the Sun.
• They are massive stars and strip their outer hydrogen envelope which is associated with the fusion of helium and other elements in the massive core.
• They are a heterogeneous set of stars with unusual spectra showing prominent broad emission lines of ionised helium and highly ionised nitrogen or carbon.
• The surface temperatures of known Wolf-Rayet stars range from 30,000 K to around 210,000 K, hotter than almost all other kinds of stars.
• They were previously called W-type stars.

Prelims Facts

Directorate General of Training

• The Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is the apex organisation for the development and coordination at the national level for programmes relating to vocational training including women’s vocational training.
• DGT also operates vocational training schemes in some of the specialized areas through field institutes under its direct control.
• Major functions of the DGT
  • To frame overall policies, norms and standards for vocational training.
  • To diversify, update and expand training facilities in terms of craftsmen and crafts instructor training.
  • To organize and conduct specialized training and research at the specially established training institutes.
  • To implement, regulate and increase the scope of training of apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
  • To organize vocational training programmes for women.
  • To provide vocational guidance and employment counselling.
  • Assist scheduled castes/scheduled tribes and persons with disabilities by enhancing their capabilities for wage employment and self-employment.