Top News Highlights-19 November 2024

DRDO Test-Fires India’s First Long-Range Hypersonic Missile

• India successfully tested a hypersonic missile with a range of over 1,500 km, making it among the first nations to develop this technology, along with the US, Russia, and China.
• Hypersonic weapons, when flying at over Mach 5, boast extreme maneuverability, which makes them difficult to intercept.
• Scramjet propulsion and aerodynamic stability at hypersonic speeds have also been established.
• Other important products are BrahMos, Agni series, and Nag missiles for the Indian defense arsenal.

Global Methane Emissions Report Highlights Major Concerns

• Methane emissions account for one-third of global warming; 60 per cent of these emissions result from human activities such as agricultural and fossil fuel consumption.
• Emissions from the oil and gas sector are high, though abatement measures are not expensive for industries such as steel.
• UNEP’s MARS, or Methane Alert and Response System, has elicited very weak responses-the alerts have been acted upon globally at a mere 1%.
• India has Gobar-Dhan Scheme and NICRA project to reduce methane emissions.

ICRIER Recommends Overhauling India’s Public Distribution System (PDS)

• 28% of the grains under PDS do not reach the intended beneficiaries, with an estimated financial loss of ₹69,108 crores.
• Reforms such as Aadhaar linking and PoS installation improved distribution but failed to remove the leakages in the northeastern states.
• Recommendations include reducing PDS coverage, introducing Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), and transforming Fair Price Shops (FPS) into nutrition hubs.
• India has upgraded from Targeted PDS (1997) to the National Food Security Act (2013).

BSNL Launches India’s First Direct-to-Device Satellite Connectivity

• BSNL launches India’s first D2D connectivity.
• Direct-to-Device technology enables direct satellite-to-device communication, thus guaranteeing internet access in remote areas.
• Some highlights include reliable connectivity support for UPI transactions and emergency calls in deprivation regions.
• The widespread application is challenging in terms of latency, spectrum allocation, and compatibility issues of devices.
• Global companies in this space include SpaceX-Starlink and AST SpaceMobile.

India Successfully Conducts Trilateral Power Trade in South Asia

• Nepal exported 40 MW power to Bangladesh through India’s grid, which demonstrates energy cooperation in South Asia.
• This transaction involved NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, Nepal Electricity Authority, and Bangladesh Power Development Board.
• Regional energy security and mutual economic benefits are strengthened because of infrastructure sharing.
• Aligns with India’s vision to become a regional energy hub.

Quantum Computing in India: Advances in Mechanical Qubits

• Mechanical qubits endure longer lifespans and have lower quantum error rates than electromagnetic virtual qubits do.
• India’s initiatives such as the National Quantum Mission (2023) and Quantum Computer Simulator named QSim strengthen India’s position on quantum technologies.
• Applications range from high-power computation to quantum encryption, an essential component of cybersecurity.
• This is in line with India’s aim to become a global quantum leader.

UNEP Highlights Role of Microplastics in Climate Change

• Microplastics serve as ice nucleating particles, causing the modification of cloud properties and altering the tendencies of precipitation.
• Their presence changes the intensity of rain, leading to global warming through increased ratios of liquid to ice within clouds.
• India’s efforts include Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016) and KVIC’s Project REPLAN for minimizing plastic waste.
• Frameworks at a global level, such as the UN Environment Assembly resolution, target the complete eradication of plastic pollution.

RBI Guidelines to Counter Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing

• RBI Internal Risk Assessment Guidance emphasizes data-driven approaches toward ML and TF.
• Estimates from the UN say that global ML accounts for 2-5% of GDP, $800 billion-$2 trillion annually.
• India’s PMLA (2002) and FIU-IND play crucial roles in detecting and preventing financial crimes.
• Initiatives align with global frameworks like FATF’s AML/CFT standards.

Key Terms and Concepts

• Hypersonic Missiles – Advanced weapons traveling at speeds above Mach 5, combining speed and maneuverability for enhanced deterrence.
• Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) – UNEP’s system to identify and mitigate methane emissions globally.
• D2D (Direct-to-Device) Satellite Technology – Technology that enables direct communication between satellites and devices with no traditional cell towers.
• Quantum Superposition – A quantum mechanical principle by which qubits exist as both 0 and 1 at the same time.
• PMLA, 2002 – India’s primary legislation against money laundering and financial crimes.