The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 22nd March 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Water, an instrument to build world peace 

Water is super important for life. In the United States, we’re lucky because we can easily get water from our taps. But, in many places worldwide, lots of people don’t have clean water. On March 22, we celebrate World Water Day to focus on the problems people face everywhere and help out as much as we can.

How to Celebrate This Day

1. Clean up Your Local Water: Help Your Community Even though we might think it’s not a big deal, picking up trash near water is a huge help. Trash is bad for animals, and the small streams and rivers around you connect to bigger bodies of water. If we don’t clean up, trash can end up in the ocean and harm fish and birds.
2. Use Less Water: Small Changes Make a Big Difference We might not notice, but we use a lot of water every day. Taking shorter showers and using toilets that don’t need as much water can save a ton. There are products like low-flow toilets and showerheads that can help us use less water without a big effort.
3. Get People Talking: Raise Awareness in Your Community If you want to make a big impact, you can organize events in your community. All over the world, people do things for World Water Day. You could just talk about the water issues we face, or even collect money to help areas that really need it.

World Water Day 2024 Theme

World Water Day 2024 focuses on “Leveraging Water for Peace,” emphasizing the pivotal role of water in promoting international cooperation and harmony. This theme underscores the need for shared responsibility in managing transboundary water resources, encouraging water diplomacy to navigate challenges through dialogue, and recognizing the interconnectedness of water, the environment, and global peace.

By promoting water education, advocating for sustainable policies, and engaging in diplomatic initiatives, individuals and communities can actively contribute to building a more peaceful world where water serves as a catalyst for unity rather than conflict.

Significance of World Water Day

1. Affects Millions of People: Many Don’t Have Clean Water Can you believe that about 780 million people don’t have clean water to drink? Drinking dirty water can make people very sick. And it’s not just a problem in faraway places – even in the United States, like in Flint, Michigan, we’ve seen how water problems can happen.
2. Water Pollution Hurts Animals: Not Just People It’s not just humans who need clean water. Every year, many animals suffer because of water pollution. Trash, dirty water, and chemicals make water toxic for animals. This hurts not just them but also the balance of nature.
3. Connected to Other Environmental Problems: Everything’s Tied Together World Water Day has a theme each year, like “Nature for Water,” which focuses on finding natural solutions. Many of the problems we have with the environment – like climate change and harming ecosystems – are connected to water issues. Fixing water problems is a big part of making the world a better place.

Conclusion

World Water Day shows us that clean water is something we all need to care about, no matter where we live. By doing small things in our communities, spreading the word, and understanding how everything is connected, we can help make sure everyone has enough clean water for a long time.

New capabilities

On March 11, Prime Minister Modi announced the successful flight test of an Agni V ballistic missile with Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.

Brief History of India’s Missile Technology

• Before Independence, several kingdoms in India were using rockets as part of their warfare technologies.
• Mysore ruler Hyder Ali started inducting iron-cased rockets in his army in the mid-18^th
• By the time Hyder’s son Tipu Sultan died, a company of rocketeers was attached to each brigade of his army, which has been estimated at around 5,000 rocket-carrying troops.

Post-Independence

• At the time of Independence, India did not have any indigenous missile capabilities. The Union Government created the Special Weapon Development Team in 1958.
• This was later expanded and became Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in 1961.
  • DRDL is now a part of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
• In 1972, Project Devil, for the development of a medium range Surface-to-Surface Missile was initiated.
• The development of components / systems for Project Devil formed the technology base for the future Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme.

Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme (IGMDP)

• IGMDP was a Ministry of Defence programme for the research and development of the comprehensive range of missiles.
• The project started in 1982–83 under the leadership of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who oversaw its ending in 2008 after these strategic missiles were successfully developed.
• Nodal agencies: DRDO and Ordnance Factories Board
• The 5 missiles developed under this program are:
  • Prithvi: Short range surface to surface ballistic missile
  • Trishul: Short range low level surface to air missile
  • Nag: Anti-tank guided missile
  • Akash: Medium range surface to air missile
  • Agni: Surface to surface ballistic missiles with different ranges

Agni Ballistic Missile System

• The first missile of the series, Agni-I was developed under the IGMDP and tested in 1989.
• The Agni missile family consists of four deployed variants, i.e. Agni-I, Agni-II, Agni-III and Agni-IV are already in service with the Indian Army.
• Agni-V was successfully test-fired in December, 2018.
• All Agni missiles are nuclear-capable ballistic missile system.

List of Agni missiles with their range

• Agni-I: 700-800 Km
• Agni-II: 2000 Km
• Agni-III: 3000 Km
• Agni-IV: 4000 Km
• Agni-V: 5000 Km
  • The Agni-V is an intercontinental range ballistic missile with three solid fuel stages.

About BrahMos Missile

• The BrahMos Missile is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by DRDO and Russia.
  • It is named after the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva.
• Brahmos is a multiplatform i.e., it can be launched from land, air, and sea.
• It became operational in 2006.
• Range: 300-500 Km

Missile Systems & future technologies under various stages of development

• Astra: Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile. It is under induction.
• Rudram: New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile. It has cleared initial tests.
• India is also testing Hypersonic technology.
  • Hypersonic missiles travel at Mach 5, five times the speed of sound.
• Under Mission Shakti, India had successfully tested anti-satellite missile system in April, 2019.
  • Only three other countries, United States, Russia and China, have anti-satellite capabilities in the world.

Mission Divyastra

• On March 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the successful flight test of an Agni V ballistic missile with Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.
• Under ‘Mission Divyastra’, DRDO test fired Agni V ballistic missile.
• At present, the US, UK, France, China, Russia and India are among the elite group that possesses the technology.

About Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) Technology

• The MIRV have revolutionized the concept of ballistic missile payloads by enabling a single missile to carry multiple warheads, each capable of targeting enemies at different locations.
• The technology was first introduced in the US with the successful test of the Minuteman III in 1968, which brought the technology into actual use in the 1970.
• The Soviet Union developed their own MIRV-enabled ICBM and SLBM technology by the end of the 1970s.
• The strategic shift started by MIRV has enabled many nations to greater target damage and reduce the effectiveness of enemy missile systems, altering the landscape of global nuclear deterrence.
• The warheads on MIRVs can be launched at different speeds and in different directions. Some MIRVed missiles can hit targets as far as 1,500 km apart.
• The technology requires a delicate combination of large missiles, small warheads, precise guidance, and a complex mechanism for releasing warheads sequentially during flight.