08 February 2019: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

Read the daily PIB update and stay up-to-date on current affairs for the UPSC exam

Sela Tunnel Foundation

Context

• Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Sela pass tunnel will be constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

Significance

• It will provide all weather connectivity to Tawang Valley for civilians as well as security forces throughout the year.
• The tunnel will reduce travel time to Tawang by an hour
• The Central government emphasized that the tunnel will ensure the swift and fast movement of army troops in Tawang which is a strategically-located district located near the border of China.
• It will boost tourism and related economic activities in the region.
• The Sela pass tunnel will also provide a great boost to road-networks and infrastructure in the region

MOU for training 1800 Bangladesh civil servants in National Centre For Good Governance

• India and Bangladesh have signed an MOU for training 1800 Bangladesh Civil Servants at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) an institute under the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
• The MOU was signed between the NCGG and the Ministry of Public Administration, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
• Bangladesh Civil Servants will be trained in e-Governance and service delivery, public policy and implementation, information technology, decentralization, urban development and planning, Ethics in Administration and challenges in implementation of SDGs.

Mega Silk Event

Context

• Ministry of Textiles, in association with Central Silk Board, is organizing an event, Surging Silk – Accomplishment and way forward, in New Delhi

Details

• The event is being organized to highlight the growth of silk industry in India over the past 4 years.
• It focusses on distribution of Buniyaad Tasar Silk Reeling Machines to women reelers from tribal areas, as part of total eradication of the age old practice of thigh reeling
• In order to eradicate thigh reeling practice in tasar silk sector and to ensure rightful earning to the poor rural and tribal women reelers, Central Silk Technological Research Institute has developed a machine in association with an entrepreneur from Champa, Chhattisgarh
• The machine developed is known as Buniyaad Reeling machine. This machine will improve the quality and productivity of tasar silk yarn and reduce the drudgery of women.

Significance

• Women reeler using the traditional method earns approximately Rs.125/- per day while a tasar reeler using Buniyaad reeling machine can earn Rs.350/- per day.
• The machine is available with solar power and pedal attachments.

Cutlass Express

Context

• INS Trikand, a front-line warship of the Indian Navy, participated in a multinational training exercise ‘CUTLASS EXPRESS – 19’

Details

• Cutlass Express is an exercise sponsored by S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), and conducted by Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF) to assess and improve maritime law enforcement capacity, promote national and regional security in eastern Africa, inform planning and operations, and shape security force assistance (SFA) efforts.
• The aim of the exercise was to improve law enforcement capacity, promote regional security and progress inter-operability between the armed forces of the participating nations for the purpose of interdicting illegal maritime activity in the Western Indian Ocean.
• During the exercise, Naval, Coast Guard and Marine Police personnel from a number of East African countries were jointly trained by mentors from USA, India, and Netherlands, with support of international organisations like the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Combined Maritime Force (CMF) and European Naval Forces (EUNAVFOR).
• The participating nations will be testing their ability to combat illicit trafficking, piracy, illegal fishing, as well as conduct search and rescue operations.

Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman

• He was a king (or maharaja) of Tripura State.
• Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman is considered the father of modern architecture in Tripura
• He built the first airport in Tripura
• He is credited with planning of Agartala city.

Context

• Prime Minister will unveil the statue of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, Agartala.

Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR)

Context

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the second indigenously developed ‘Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR)’ propulsion based missile system from ITR, Chandipur, Odisha

Details

• It will pave the way for development of long-range air-to-air missiles in the country
• The ramjet propulsion system used in the SFDR acts as an oxidizer and the solid propellant reacts as air flows through a solid propellant duct.
• Unlike conventional rockets that carry propellant and oxidizer, Ramjet uses the air as an oxidizer just like a jet engine. Therefore the weight of the fuel required is eliminated.
• The SFDR propulsion is designed in such a way that it allows for an up and down throttling.
  • This further lets the missile to amplify its speed until it reaches the terminal phase of the flight.
  • The speed increases until the point when sharp turns are required to search for highly manoeuvring targets.

Background

• The first flight of SFDR, developed under a joint Indo-Russian R&D project, was tested in 2018. It had achieved the speed of Mach 3.
• The Indian SFDR will be used as variants of missiles such as the advanced version of ASTRA.

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