PIB Summary- 4th January, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Indian scientific expedition to Antarctica

Context: 40th Indian scientific expedition to Antarctica launched.

Details of the expedition

• The 40th expedition journey will be flagged off from Goa on January 5, 2021, with 43 members onboard.
• The chartered ice-class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovnin will make this journey and will reach Antarctica in 30 days.
• After leaving behind a team of 40 members, it would return to India in April 2021.
• On return, it will also bring back the winter team of the preceding trip.
• The scientific and logistic activities of the 40th Indian Antarctic expedition are limited due to the existing challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The focus is to support the ongoing scientific projects on climate change, geology, ocean observations, electric and magnetic flux measurements, environmental monitoring; resupplying of food, fuel, provisions and spare; and accomplishing the return of the winter crew.

Indian Antarctic Programme

• The Indian Antarctic expeditions began in 1981.
• The first trip comprised a team of 21 scientists and support staff led by Dr SZ Qasim.
• After a humble beginning, the Indian Antarctic programme has built three permanent research base stations in Antarctica—named Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri, and Bharati.
• As of today, India has two operational research stations in Antarctica named Maitri and Bharati.
• The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, manages the entire Indian Antarctic program. Read more on the Centre and the Indian base stations in Antarctica in the linked article

CSIR-NPL

Context: CSIR-NPL celebrates its 75th Foundation Day.

About CSIR-NPL

• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is one of the premier CSIR laboratories.
• It was established in January 1947 and is located in New Delhi.
• It is the national metrology institute of India and is the major research institute in the field of physical sciences.
• The main aim of the laboratory is to strengthen and advance physics-based research and development for the overall development of science and technology in the country.
• NPL has the responsibility of realizing the units of physical measurements based on the International System (SI units) under the subordinate legislations of Weights & Measures Act 1956 (reissued in 1988 under the 1976 Act).
• NPL also has the statutory obligation to realize, establish, maintain, reproduce and update the national standards of measurement & calibration facilities for different parameters.
• The laboratory is maintaining, at present, six out of seven SI base units. These are metre, kilogramme, second, kelvin, ampere candela. R&D work is under way for realizing and establishing the seventh SI base unit of mole (mol). The SI supplementary units are radian (rad) & steradian (sr).
• The derived units for physical measurement that the laboratory currently maintains are: force, pressure, vacuum, luminous flux, sound pressure, ultrasonic power & pressure and the units for electrical and electronic parameters viz., dc voltage; resistance; current and power; ac voltage; current and power; low frequency voltage; impedance and power; high frequency voltage; power; impedance; attenuation and noise; microwave power; frequency, impedance; and attenuation and noise.

TRIFOOD Parks

Context: TRIFOOD Parks to be set up in Madhya Pradesh.

Details

• TRIFED signs an MoU with Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram to set up TRIFOOD Parks in 5 districts of MP.

TRIFOOD

• It is a joint initiative of TRIFED (under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs) and the Ministry of Food Processing.
• TRIFOOD Parks are food processing centres aiming at promoting value addition to minor forest produce.
• It was launched under the Van Dhan Yojana in 2020.
• The parks procure raw materials from the Van Dhan Kendras and process them to be sold across the country through Tribes India outlets.
• The minimum support price for minor forest produce is fixed by the Tribal Affairs Ministry and it is revised every three years by a pricing cell constituted under the Ministry.

Sagarmala Seaplane Services

Context: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways is kicking off the Sagarmala Seaplane Services (SSPS).

About Sagarmala Seaplane Services

• The Ministry is commencing operations of the Seaplane services, on select routes, under a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) framework through prospective airline operators.
• The project execution and implementation would be through the Sagarmala Development Company Ltd (SDCL), which is under the administrative control of the Ministry.
• The proposed locations under the Hub & Spoke Model are given in the image below:
  
• One such Seaplane Service is already in operation between Kevadia and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, inaugurated in October 2020.
• To provide connectivity and easier accessibility to remote locations, SDCL is exploring plans to leverage the potential of the vast coastline and numerous water bodies/rivers across India by commencing seaplane operations.
• Sea Plane will utilize the nearby water bodies for take-off and landing and thus connect those places in a much economical way as conventional airport infrastructure like a runway and terminal buildings are not required for seaplane operations.
• Benefits of seaplane operations:
  • Provide faster and comfortable transportation across the nation.
  • Improve air connectivity to tourist/religious destinations.
  • Boost domestic and international tourism.
  • Save travel time to remote/hilly areas.
  • Boost business activities in the regions.

GST compensation Shortfall

10th Instalment of Rs.6,000 crore released to the States as back to back loan to meet the GST compensation shortfall.

Details

• The Finance Ministry has released the 10th weekly instalment of Rs.6,000 crore to the States to meet the GST compensation shortfall.
• The amount has been released to 23 states and 3 UTs with legislative assemblies.
• The remaining 5 States, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim do not have a gap in revenue on account of GST implementation.
• Now, more than 50 percent of the estimated GST compensation shortfall has been released to the States & UTs with legislative assemblies.

Background

• The Government of India had set up a special borrowing window in October 2020 to meet the estimated shortfall of Rs.1.10 lakh crore in revenue arising on account of implementation of GST.
• The borrowings are being done through this window by the Government of India on behalf of the States and UTs.
• The borrowings have been done in 10 rounds.
• In addition to providing funds through the special borrowing window to meet the shortfall in revenue on account of GST implementation, GOI has also granted additional borrowing permission equivalent to 0.50 % of Gross States Domestic Product (GSDP) to the states choosing Option-I to meet GST compensation shortfall to help them in mobilising additional financial resources.
• All the states have given their preference for Option-I.

Option-l

• The shortfall arising out of GST implementation will be borrowed by States through the issue of debt under a Special Window coordinated by the Ministry of Finance.
• The objective is to ensure steady flow of resources similar to the flow under GST compensation on a bi-monthly basis.
• The GOI will endeavour to keep the cost at or close to the G-sec yield, and in the event of the cost being higher, will bear the margin between G-secs and average of State Development Loan yields up to 0.5% (50 basis points) through a subsidy.
• A special borrowing permission will be given by the GOI under Article 293 for this amount, over and above any other borrowing ceilings eligible under any other normal or special permission notified by the Department of Expenditure.
• The interest on the borrowing under the Special Window will be paid from the Cess as and when it arises until the end of the transition period.
• After the transition period, principal and interest will also be paid from proceeds of the Cess, by extending the Cess beyond the transition period for such period as may be required. The State will not be required to service the debt or to repay it from any other source.
• The borrowing under the Special Window will not be treated as debt of the State for any norms which may be prescribed by the Finance Commission, etc.
• The Compensation Cess will be continued after the transition period until such time as all arrears of compensation for the transition period are paid to the States. The first charge on the Compensation Cess each year would be the interest payable; the second charge would be the principal repayment. The remaining arrears of compensation accrued during the transition period would be paid after the interest and principal are paid.