21 Sep 2021: PIB Summary & Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. National Steering Committee for the Development of National Curriculum Frameworks
2. Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)
3. Blue Flag Certification

1. National Steering Committee for the Development of National Curriculum Frameworks

Context:

Ministry of Education forms a National Steering Committee for the Development of National Curriculum Frameworks.

Details:

• The committee is chaired by a former head of ISRO K Kasturirangan. He was also the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of NEP, 2020.
• The committee will engage in the development of four National Curriculum Frameworks:
  • National Curriculum Framework for School Education
  • National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education
  • National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education
  • National Curriculum Framework for Adult Education
• It will focus on all the recommendations of NEP 2020 related to these four areas for proposing curriculum reforms.
• The Committee will draw inputs from State Curriculum Frameworks received on the Tech Platform for the National Curriculum Frameworks.
• The tenure of the National Steering Committee will be three years from the date of its notification.

2. Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

Context:

A recent study has shown how conditions and events in the solar atmosphere like coronal mass ejections influence the accuracy of space weather prediction, which is crucial for the health of our satellites. This understanding will aid the interpretation of data from the upcoming Aditya-L1, India’s first solar mission.

Who conducted the Study?

• Astronomers led by Dr. Wageesh Mishra of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.

What is Space Weather?

• Space weather refers to the conditions in the solar wind and near-Earth space, which can adversely affect the performance of space-borne and ground-based technological systems.
• The space weather near the Earth is mainly due to Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).
• An example of a space weather event is the geomagnetic storm, a perturbation in the Earth’s magnetic field, which can last for a few hours to a few days.
• Understanding of how events in the solar atmosphere influence space weather is necessary for monitoring and maintaining our satellites.

Coronal Mass Ejections:

• Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona.
• CMEs travel outward from the Sun at speeds ranging from slower than 250 kilometres per second (km/s) to as fast as near 3000 km/s.
• The fastest Earth-directed CMEs can reach our planet in as little as 15-18 hours. Slower CMEs can take several days to arrive.
• They expand in size as they propagate away from the Sun and larger CMEs can reach a size comprising nearly a quarter of the space between Earth and the Sun by the time it reaches our planet.
• CMEs most often originate from active regions on the Sun’s surface, such as groupings of sunspots associated with frequent flares.
• The largest recorded geomagnetic perturbation, resulting presumably from a CME hitting the Earth’s magnetosphere, was the solar storm of 1859, known as the Carrington Event.

3. Blue Flag Certification

Context:

Two more Indian beaches get the coveted International Blue Flag Certification, making the total tally of Indian beaches with this certification to ten.

What is Blue Flag Certification?

• The Blue Flag is an eco-label (certification) awarded to beaches, marinas and sustainable boat tourism operators that meet a comprehensive set of requirements.

Know more about the Blue Flag Certification in the linked article.

Which two beaches received the certification?

• Kovalam Beach in Tamil Nadu
• Eden Beach in Puducherry

Eight other beaches in India have already got the certification, they are:

1. Golden Beach – Odisha
2. Shivrajpur Beach – Gujarat
3. Kappad Beach – Kerala
4. Ghoghla Beach – Diu
5. Radhanagar Beach – Andaman and Nicobar
6. Kasarkod Beach – Karnataka
7. Padubidri Beach – Karnataka
8. Rushikonda Beach – Andhra Pradesh

BEAMS:

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in its pursuit of “Sustainable Development” of the coastal regions of India embarked upon the Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services (BEAMS) programme.
• It is one of the initiatives under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) approach that the MoEF&CC has undertaken for the sustainable development of the coastal regions of India.
• Its prime objective is to protect and conserve the pristine coastal and marine ecosystems through the holistic management of resources.

Know more about BEAMS in PIB dated Oct 11, 2020.

Read previous PIB here.

September 21st, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here