MARS CURIOSITY ROVER'S ANALYSIS

Evidence that water once existed on Martian soil found

Ø In the first series of the Curiosity rover’s analysis of fine Martian soil samples, scientists have found that two per cent of it is water by weight. They have also found other evidence that hint at liquid water having once existed on the planet.

Ø Soil samples were picked up from a patch of sand, silt and dust called Rocknest. They were heated to 835 degrees Celsius and studied by instruments onboard the rover.

Ø “The major gases released were water – about 2 per cent by weight of the sample – and carbon dioxide, oxygen and sulphur dioxide,”

Ø Analysis by the rover’s instruments found that, locked up in every cubic foot of Martian dirt, there were almost two pints of water. “That’s a real resource for future explorers. We can access it with just a little bit of heating,” 

Ø It was  also found carbonates, which are formed in the presence of water, and alumino-silicates, ferric compounds, and sulphates.

Ø Scientists notes that oxygen could have come from the breakdown of a perchlorate mineral. Perchlorates are markers of past climate and could have participated in the transformation of Martian organic matter. Because of similarities between the compounds in the soil and the atmosphere, the ‘dirt’ collected by the rover seems to have acted as a sponge for the atmosphere, which is where the volatile materials could be derived from.

Hydrogen

Ø “We can see that especially in the amount of the different types, or isotopes, of hydrogen. We know that the atmosphere contains extra heavy hydrogen, called deuterium. And we see that same thing in the water bound in the soil,”

Ø Thus, these minerals are constantly blown around by winds, and they mix with dust from other parts of the planet. This finding is supported by other papers in the report, which found most minerals to be of basaltic origins.

Ø There was a notable exception. A lone, loose rock dubbed Jake M, found on the plains along Curiosity’s path from its landing point, had a chemical composition unlike any other encountered on Mars.

Ø Scientists think it could have originated from a water-rich environment based on its similarities to rocks found in Earth’s rift zones. 

ENVIRONMENT

IPCC report affirms reality of 2⁰Celsius rise over industrial-age levels

Ø  The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded on Friday(27-09-2013)that it is now more certain than ever before that human-caused climate change is real, and greenhouse gas emissions are causing changes to the planet that could possibly trigger dangerous consequences by the turn of the century.

Ø These conclusions came as part of the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) on the physical science of climate change.

Ø  The report was formally adopted in Stockholm on Friday27-09-2013). The last such report was brought out in 2007.

Ø The panel concluded that the “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. 

Ø The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased.”

Ø  “Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850.”

Ø Greatest alteration to climate is caused by the cumulative carbon dioxide emissions, as compared to other short-lived, climate-forcing gases.

Ø In the relative short-run, global mean surface temperatures are likely to increase in the range of 0.3-0.7 degree Celsius over the 1986-2005 average. Over the long run, between 2081 and 2100, the temperatures are likely to rise anywhere between 0.3-4.8 degree Celsius depending upon how much more emissions are released.

Ø  Unless strong emission reduction measures are taken in coming years the likelihood of temperature increase as compared to industrial-age levels remaining below 2 degree Celsius are less than likely. The 2 degree Celsius increase is taken as a tipping point beyond which scientists believe dangerous levels of climate change would be unleashed.

Ø  Limiting the warming to less than 2 degree Celsius with a 66% confidence level requires that cumulative carbon dioxide emissions are restricted to 840 giga tonnes of carbon (GtC). The cumulative carbon dioxide emissions had touched 545 GtC by 2011.

Ø  Indicators of climate change, such as seal level rise, arctic ice cover are showing a monotonous trend of things getting worse with rise in emissions.

Land Acquisition bill gets President's nod

President’s nod for Land Acquisition Bill

Ø The Land Acquisition Bill, passed by Parliament during the monsoon session to replace a 119-year-old legislation, became a law with President Pranab Mukherjee giving assent to it on Friday ( 27-09-2013)

Ø “The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2013 has received the assent of the President of India”.

Ø The legislation would provide just and fair compensation to farmers while ensuring that no land could be acquired forcibly

Ø  The new law stipulates mandatory consent of at least 70 per cent for acquiring land for public-private-partnership projects and 80 per cent for acquiring land for private companies

News in The Hindu today

SC directs Election commission to provide voters the right to reject

Ø With a view to bringing about purity in elections, the Supreme Court on Friday (27-09-2013) held that a voter could exercise the option of negative voting and reject all candidates as unworthy of being elected.  

Ø The voter could press the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) button in the electronic voting machine.

Ø “For democracy to survive, it is essential that the best available men should be chosen … for proper governance of the country.

Ø This can be best achieved through men of high moral and ethical values who win the elections on a positive vote.”

Ø Thus the NOTA option would indeed compel political parties to nominate sound candidates, said a Bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam and Justices Ranjana Desai and Ranjan Gogoi,

Ø “Giving right to a voter not to vote for any candidate while protecting his right of secrecy is extremely important in a democracy. Such an option gives the voter the right to express his disapproval of the kind of candidates being put up by the parties.

Ø Gradually, there will be a systemic change and the parties will be forced to accept the will of the people and field candidates who are known for their integrity.”

Ø The Bench said the NOTA option “will accelerate effective political participation in the present democratic system and the voters will in fact be empowered.”

Ø The right to cast a negative vote, “at a time when electioneering is in full swing, will foster the purity of the electoral process and also fulfil one of its objectives, namely, wide participation of people.”

Ø Not allowing a person to cast a negative vote would defeat the very freedom of expression and the right to liberty, it said.

Ø The Bench held that Election Conduct Rules 41(2) and (3) and 49-O of the Rules were ultra vires Section 128 of the Representation of the People Act and Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution to the extent they violate secrecy of voting.
Ø Already Election commission has provided the provision of Rule 49-O to the voters  by which one can record a ‘no-vote’ option by signing a form in the presence of election officials, in the hope that a large number of such negative votes would induce political parties to field candidates known for their integrity.
Ø  A doubt arises as to what will happen if a very large percentage of voters go in for the no-vote option. Even a meagre turnout is considered good enough to declare a valid result now, but a heavy quantum of negative votes may affect the legitimacy of the election process. Perhaps, the EC could fix a limit beyond which the percentage of NOTA votes would entail re-polling. 

ECONOMY

Raghuram Rajan committee report on backwardness of the states

Ø A panel headed by Raghuram Rajan constituted by the Union government in May this year (2013) has recommended a new index of backwardness to determine which States need special assistance.

Ø The new methodology ranks Odisha as India’s most backward State, Bihar, which has been seeking ‘special’ status, as the second most backward, and Gujarat as one of the “less developed” States.

Ø Goa is India’s most developed State.

Ø The committee was constituted to suggest ways to identify indicators of the relative backwardness of the States for equitable allocation of Central funds.

Ø Central allocations are governed by the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula that places the greatest weight on the State’s population, followed by other factors like per capita income and literacy.

Index of backwardness proposed by the committee

Ø It is composed of 10 equally weighted indicators

1.     Monthly per capita consumption expenditure

2.     Education

3.     Health

4.     Household amenities

5.     Poverty rate

6.     Female literacy

7.     Percentage of SC/ST population

8.     Urbanisation rate

9.     Financial inclusion

10.  Physical connectivity.

Composite Index

Scores out of 1,

Ø States having scores above 0.6 indicates “Least developed’ states.

Ø 0.4 to 0.6 indicates “Less developed”

Ø Less than 0.4 indicates “Relatively developed”

At present 10 States are under Least developed category, 11 states comes under “less developed” category and 7 states are “relatively developed”.

LEAST DEVELOPED STATES

1.     Odisha ( Most backward)

2.     Bihar

3.     Madhya Pradesh

4.     Chhattisgarh

5.     Jharkhand

6.     Arunachal Pradesh

7.     Assam

8.     Meghalaya

9.     Uttar Pradesh

10.     Rajasthan

MOST DEVELOPED STATES

1.     Goa ( Most developed)

2.     Kerala

3.     Tamilnadu

4.     Punjab

5.     Maharashtra

6.     Uttarkhand

7.     Haryana

Report also recommends that

Ø Each of  28 states get 0.3 percent of overall central fund allocated.

Ø In remaining 91.6 %, three – fourths be allocated based on need and one-fourth based on the states’s improvements on its performance, which is to be reviewed every five years.

The classification of Special category states  are deleted.

India’s position in  UNICEFs 2013 report on Infant Mortality Rate

Ø  2.1 Million Infant deaths occur in the South Asian Region.

Ø  India alone accounts for 1.4 million deaths.

Ø  Two thirds of the Neonatal deaths occur in just 10 countries.

Ø  India accounts for more than a quarter of those deaths.

Ø  Nearly half of the all the new born deaths globally occur during first 24 hours.

Ø  India ranks number one in terms of death on the very first day of death.

Ø  Birth asphyxia is the single-most important cause of mortality.

Ø  Millennium Development Goals for under-5 mortality is less than 38 deaths per one thousand live births.

Ø   under 5 mortality rate in India is 56 in 2012. In Bangladesh and Nepal the rate of deaths is 41 and 42 respectively.   

Infant Mortality Rate refers to the number of deaths per one thousand live births.

What are Millennium Development Goals ?

Ø  The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are set of  international development goals which were established following the Millennium ummit of the United Nations in 2000.

Ø  All the member states of the United Nations have agreed to achieve these goals by the year 2015. 

Ø  Every goal has a specific target and date for achieving these targets.

Eight Millennium development goals are

Why Asthma severity in kids exposed to diesel exhaust ?

A study finds that increased asthma severity in children with high diesel smoke exposure is due to increased blood levels of IL-17A.

IL-17 A is a protein linked to severe inflammatory diseases.

In this study while neutralising IL-17A has prevented airway inflammation.

News in The Hindu

Ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers from disqualification passed

The Union cabinet on 24-09-2013 cleared an ordinance that will protect convicted MPs and MLAs from immediate disqualification, provided their appeal against the conviction and sentence is admitted by a higher court within 90 days and both the conviction and sentence are stayed.

The Representation of the people ( Second Amendment and Validation ) Bill, 2013

Highlights

Ø  MP or MLA will not be entitled to vote.

Ø  They cannot draw salary and allowances.

Ø  They may continue to participate in the proceedings of Parliament or the Legislature of the State.

Ordinance making power of the President

Ø  Article 123, Part V of the constitution empowers the President to promulgate ordinances during the recess of the parliament.

Ø  Ordinance have same  force and effect as an act of Parliament ,but they are temporary.

Ø  President can promulgate ordinance only when both the houses of the Parliament are not in session or when either of the two houses of Parliament is not in session.

Ø  President can promulgate ordinance only when he is satisfied that the circumstances exists that render it necessary for him to take immediate action.

Ø  An ordinance can be issued only on those subjects on which the Parliament can make laws.

Ø  It is subject to the same constitutional limitations as an act of the Parliament.

Ø  Every ordinance issued by the President should be laid before the Houses of the Parliament when it reassembles.

Ø  It should be approve by both the houses within 6 weeks after reassembly.

Ø  President can withdraw an ordinance at any time.

              RBI RELAXES TRADE CREDIT NORMS

Ø  RBI HAS RELAXED THE NORMS TO RAISE FUNDS FROM ABROAD.

Ø  Earlier ,only companies in the infrastructure sectors were allowed to raise such trade credits.

Ø  Now all types of companies can avail of trade credit facility.

Ø   

Ø  Trade credit should not exceed $20 million upto a maximum of five years for import of capital goods as classified by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)                              

Scale to measure and predict wildfires

U.S. researchers have been working on a system to measure and predict the destructiveness of wildfires similar to the way officials use the magnitude scale for earthquakes .

Ø  The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hopes its Wildland Urban Interface Hazard Scale will tell residents the likely intensity of a wildfire burning into their neighbourhood.

Ø   It would allow city planners to assign better building codes for the millions of people who live in fire-prone areas in the U.S. West.

Ø  The proposed scale would range from E1 to E4 with E4 being a location’s highest exposure to fire.

Ø  Building codes and buffer zones between homes and forest could then be set.