Daily Current affairs: 06 Nov2020

Table of Content :

1. Gov Tech-Thon 2020

2. Cybercrime-related Communication Services

3. Myanmar Citizenship Law

4. India-Italy relationship

5. Fast Radio Burst (FRB)

6. Hazira-Ghogha Ro-Pax ferry service

7. Melanistic 'Black' Tiger 

8. Operation Blue Star

1. GOV TECH-THON 2020 :

Recently, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has organised the 'Gov Tech-Thon 2020'.

About Gov Tech-Thon 2020

• It is a pan-India virtual hackathon organized by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), National Informatics Centre (NIC) and Oracle.
• The five challenges seeking innovative solutions from Gov Tech-Thon 2020 were:
• Suggest alternate crops or crop rotation for farmers during different seasons using artificial intelligence technology, considering the terrain and local challenges to increase the productivity
• Seed supply chain is a complex ecosystem involving various stakeholders. Address the issues of poor seed quality effectively by tracing the seeds using BlockChain technology
• A mobile/web based application for scanning, resizing and uploading documents (as required) in a single flow
• A tool for monitoring online exams from homes/institutions through a combination of remote-supervision software and web cam. System should ensure necessary authentication, control, fraud detection and compliance, using appropriate technology like AI/ML etc.
• A self-learning tool for automating Vehicle Fitness Test procedures transparently

National Informatics Centre (NIC)

• It is an attached office of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• It was established in 1976, and has rich experience in providing ICT and eGovernance support to the Government for the last 4 decades.
• It has emerged as a promoter of digital opportunities for sustainable development.
• NIC spearheaded “Informatics-Led-Development” by implementing ICT applications in social and public administration.
• NIC facilitates electronic delivery of services to the government (G2G), business (G2B), citizen (G2C) and government employee (G2E).
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• It is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.
• IEEE and its members inspire a global community to innovate for a better tomorrow through its more than 419,000 members in over 160 countries.
• IEEE members collaborate on world‐changing technologies, from computing and sustainable energy systems to aerospace, robotics, communication, healthcare, and more.

Source: PIB

2. CYBERCRIME-RELATED COMMUNICATION SERVICES:

Recently, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has created two Cybercrime-related Communication Services i.e. Cybercrime Knowledge Exchange (CKE) and Cybercrime Collaborative Platform-Operation.

About Cybercrime Knowledge Exchange (CKE)

• It handles the general, non-police information and is open to all relevant users.
• It is open to law enforcement, governments, international organisations and cybersecurity industry experts to exchange non-police operational information on cybercrime.
• It is a dynamic communication channel that enables users around the world to discuss the latest cybercrime trends, prevention strategies, detection technologies and investigation techniques with authorized colleagues globally.
• The system is expected to foster an international network of subject matter experts to share knowledge and experience in this field.
• The law enforcement officers and members of the Interpol National Central Bureaus (NCBs) are invited to join the Cybercrime Knowledge Exchange workspace.

About Cybercrime Collaborative Platform-Operation

• It is first of its kind a centralised information database for coordination of global law enforcement operations against cybercrime.
• It assists in the law enforcement operations with access restricted to the operational stakeholders only.
• The platform would enable the member countries to see the bigger picture of cyberthreats and trends and better focus their resources and avoid duplication of effort.
• The vetted platform members from the NCBs and law enforcement authorities, besides international or regional organisations and private partners that the Interpol has cooperation agreements with, would be invited to join specific workspaces.

Source: The Hindu

3. MYANMAR 1982 CITIZENSHIP LAW

The Myanmar Army Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has said that the issue of the citizenship of Rohingya is solely a matter of domestic law.

About:

• He said that the citizenship process in Myanmar is subject to the 1982 citizenship law which identifies only 135 indigenous ethnic groups and Bengalis or Rohingya are not among these.
• He further said that Myanmar does not object to the Rohingya living inside the Myanmar territory. However, the issue of citizenship, definition of indigenous people and their rights are matters of domestic law. Refusing to accept international intervention, he said Myanmar is proceeding according to its own domestic law on this issue.

Source: All India Radio

4. INDIA-ITALY RELATIONS

A Virtual Bilateral Summit between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Italy Prof. Giuseppe Conte was held on 6th November, 2020.

About:

• Prime Minister Modi recalled the 2018 visit of Prof. Giuseppe Conte to India and appreciated the rapid growth in India-Italy relationship in recent past.
• On regional and international issues, both sides agreed to coordinate closely at multilateral fora especially G-20. Italy will assume the Presidency of G-20 in December 2021 followed by India in 2022. Together, India and Italy will be part of the G20 Troika from December, 2020.
• India welcomed Italy’s decision to join ISA as soon as the ratification process is completed.
• 15 MoUs/Agreements in various sectors such as energy, fisheries, ship building, design etc. were signed coinciding with the Summit.
• Both countries are keen to firmly put behind the 2012 killing of two Indian crew members of a fishing boat off the coast of Kerala by Italian marines guarding an oil tanker Enrica Lexie, an incident that took bilateral ties to an all-time low.

Additional Information :

Italy is currently India’s fifth largest trading partner in the EU, and bilateral trade was worth 9.52 billion Euros in 2019. India, however, ranks 16th as country of origin for Italian imports, and experts believe there is potential for considerable growth.

Source : Hindustan Times

5. FAST RADIO BURST (FRB)

NASA has reported that on April 28, it observed a mix of X-ray and radio signals never observed before in the Milky Way. Significantly, the flare-up it observed included the first fast radio burst (FRB) seen within the galaxy.

About:

• Essentially, FRBs are bright bursts of radio waves (radio waves can be produced by astronomical objects with changing magnetic fields) whose durations lie in the millisecond-scale, because of which it is difficult to detect them and determine their position in the sky.
• The source of the FRB detected in April in the Milky Way is a very powerful magnetic neutron star, referred to as a magnetar, called SGR 1935+2154 or SGR 1935, which is located in the constellation Vulpecula and is estimated to be between 14,000-41,000 light-years away.
• Before April this year, scientists did not have any evidence to show that FRBs could be blasted out of a magnetar. Therefore, the observation is especially significant.

What is a magnetar?

• As per NASA, a magnetar is a neutron star, “the crushed, city-size remains of a star many times more massive than our Sun.”
• The magnetic field of such a star is very powerful, which can be over 10 trillion times stronger than a refrigerator magnet and up to a thousand times stronger than a typical neutron star’s.
• Neutron stars are formed when the core of a massive star undergoes gravitational collapse when it reaches the end of its life.

Source : Indian Express

6. HAZIRA-GHOGHA RO-PAX FERRY SERVICE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Ro-Pax terminal at Hazira and flag off Ro-Pax service between Hazira and Ghogha in Gujarat on Sunday.

About:

• Hazira-Ghogha Ro-Pax ferry service will work as a Gateway to South Gujarat and Saurashtra region. It will reduce the distance between Ghogha and Hazira from 370 Kilometres to 90 Kilometres.
• The reduced cargo travel time will result in huge savings of fuel approximately 9000 litres per day and will lead to reduction in CO2 emission by approximately 24 million tonnes per day.
• With the onset of Ferry services, the port sector, furniture and fertilizer industries in Saurashtra and Kutch region will get a big boost.
• The benefits of enhanced connectivity through this ferry service will also result in increased inflow of tourists in the famous Asiatic lion wildlife sanctuary at Gir.

Source : All India Radio

7. MELANISTIC 'BLACK' TIGER :

Recently, an extremely rare Melanistic 'Black' Tiger has been spotted in Odisha.

About Melanistic 'Black' Tiger

• The black tiger species known as the melanistic tiger is found only in India.
• The species derives its name because of a gene defect, which means that their thick black stripes, with little space between them, hide the orange fur.
• It is believed that inbreeding results in their thick black stripes.
• The black tigers are actually Bengal tigers with pseudo-melanism.
• The increased development of melanin pigment in the body causes black stripes.
• The Simlipal Tiger Reserve is the only tiger habitat in the world with melanistic tigers, which have broad black stripes running across their bodies and thicker than those seen on normal tigers.
• According to the 2018 Tiger Census report, there has been a drastic reduction in black-striped tigers.

Source: The Hindu

8. RARE BUTTERFLIES SPOTTED :

Recently, the butterfly season has begun and there is excitement among naturalists as a wave of rare sightings surface along peninsular India.

About Branded Royal Butterfly

• It made news when it fluttered through the Nilgiris after a gap of over 130 years.
• The Branded Royal (Tajuria melastigma) is a rare butterfly of lycaenid species.
• It was last recorded in the Nilgiris in 1888 by G.F. Hampson and there is only one other record in Tamil Nadu.
• It is found in the Indo-Malayan realm i.e. in India, Assam, Burma and Thailand.
• The Branded Royal is very rarely seen in India, with only four or five records in existence i.e. in the Nilgiris, Dindigul and two in Kerala and Karnataka.
• It is legally protected in India under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

About Blue Mormon

• Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) is a species of butterflies in the family swallowtail butterflies.
• It is only found in Sri Lanka, the western ghats of Maharashtra, South India and coastal belts of the country.
• It is most common in heavy rainfall areas, such as evergreen forests.
• In 2015, it was declared as the state butterfly of Maharashtra.

About Spotted Angle Butterfly

• The spotted angle butterfly, with the scientific name Caprona agama, was spotted in the Bharamdeo reserve forest in Kawardha district in Chhattisgarh.
• The species is migratory in nature.
• It is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae.
• It is found from southern India to Myanmar and in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, southern China, Java and Sulawesi.

About Liliac Silverline Butterfly

• It is a rare butterfly protected under Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
• The species has been reported first time from Aravali ranges in Kumbhalgarh in Rajasthan.
• Aphnaeus lilacinus, the lilac silverline, is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in Asia.
• The lilac silverline is found in India, Myanmar and Northern Thailand.
• In India, this butterfly is found from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to southern Karnataka, with also one record each from Rajasthan and Assam.

Source: The Hindu

9. OPERATION BLUE STAR :

Recently, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has allowed the Centre to withhold a list of documents and precious material seized during Operation Blue Star.

About Operation Blue Star :

• The 1984 Operation Blue Star was the biggest internal security mission ever undertaken by the Indian Army.
• Operation Blue Star was Indira Gandhi's solution to the haywire going law and order situation in Punjab.
• It took birth after the rise of Khalistan movement in India.
• The Khalistan movement was a political Sikh nationalist movement which aimed at creating an independent state for Sikhs inside the current North-Western Republic of India.

The Operation Blue Star was divided into two parts:

1. Operation Metal: It was limited to Golden Temple but it also led to Operation Shop - the capturing of suspects from outskirts of Punjab.

2. Operation Woodrose:  was launched throughout Punjab. The operation was carried out by Indian Army, using tanks, artillery, helicopters and armored vehicles.

• Operation Blue Star was launched to eliminate Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other sikh militants who had taken cover in the Amritsar Harmandir Sahib Complex.
• Right to Information (RTI) and documents seized during Operation Blue Star
• An RTI applicant had demanded from the Union Home Ministry list of all the material seized during the operation and its present status as well as all records related to the operation.
• It also called for list of all the persons who died during the operation conducted by the Army to flush out militants holed up inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
• The ministry had said in its RTI response that about 4000 documents/books/files and gold/gold ornaments, silver/silver ornaments, precious stones currency, coins etc. were recovered by a central agency during the Operation Blue Star.
• The Section 8 1(a) of the RTI Act allows the government to withhold information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State.

Source: Economic Times

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