1. Industrial parks

News:

TWELVE INVESTMENT-READY “PLUG AND PLAY” INDUSTRIAL PARKS TO BE CREATED UNDER NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: UNION BUDGET 2024-25

What are Industrial Parks?

Industrial Parks are designated areas specifically developed to accommodate clusters of industrial activities. They offer specialized infrastructure and facilities to support manufacturing and business operations.

Examples from India:

Sri City, Andhra Pradesh: A large Special Economic Zone (SEZ) providing world-class infrastructure to attract global investments in various industries.
Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh: An industrial park focusing on sectors like electronics, IT, and textiles, enhancing regional economic growth.

Examples from the World

Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, China: An industrial park that transformed Shenzhen into a major global manufacturing hub, boosting economic development and innovation.
Silicon Valley, USA: A renowned industrial park for technology and innovation, housing numerous tech companies and startups, driving significant advancements in the tech industry

Currently, the Government of India has approved the development of 11 industrial corridors, comprising 32 projects organized into four phases. The current list of industrial corridors includes:

Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC)
Extension of CBIC to Kochi via Coimbatore
Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC)
Hyderabad Nagpur Industrial Corridor (HNIC)
Hyderabad Warangal Industrial Corridor (HWIC)
Hyderabad Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (HBIC)
Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC)
East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) with Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) as Phase-1
Odisha Economic Corridor (OEC)
Delhi Nagpur Industrial Corridor (DNIC)

The National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) oversees these projects, aiming for systematic, multi-modal connectivity across economic zones to enhance logistics and economic activities.

Despite decades of development, these clusters have not propelled India to replicate China’s manufacturing success.

About PM Gati-Shakti National Master Plan

PM Gati Shakti Master Plan (2021), is a Rs. 100 lakh-crore project for developing ‘holistic infrastructure’. It aims to ensure the speed (Gati) and Power (Shakti) of infrastructure projects in the next four years, with a focus on expediting works on the ground, saving costs and creating jobs, and bringing down the logistics cost.

Launched in 2020, it is a digital platform that connects 16 ministries — including Roads and Highways, Railways, Shipping, Petroleum and Gas, Power, Telecom, Shipping, and Aviation.

It aims to ensure holistic planning and execution of infrastructure projects.

It aims to boost multimodal connectivity and drive down logistics costs.
PM Gati Shakti will cover the infrastructure projects worth over Rs 500 crore of various Ministries of the Union and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik – subsidies for facilitating air travel), etc.

2.Sangameshwara temple

CONTEXT

The ancient Sangameshwara temple in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, is once again submerged due to recent heavy rains and rising water levels in the Srisailam project.

About Sangameshwara temple:

The Sangameshwara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, has recently been submerged in the backwaters of the Srisailam project in Nandyal district due to heavy inflow from the Krishna River.
The temple was originally built in 740 AD by Chalukya ruler Pulakesin II on the Krishna River bank.
It was originally situated where the Tungabhadra and Krishna Rivers merge, 10 km from its current location.
To prevent submersion from the Srisailam Dam’s construction, the temple was dismantled and rebuilt at its current site in 1979, maintaining its historical and religious significance.

3.Aditya-L1 Mission

NEWS

The Aditya-L1 spacecraft has successfully completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point L1.

This journey requires precise modelling of dynamics and an understanding of perturbing forces.
The successful execution of these manoeuvres has validated the state-of-the-art flight dynamics software developed by URSC-ISRO.

It is an Indian solar observatory at Lagrangian point L1, launched on September 2, 2023, and was inserted in its targeted halo orbit on January 6, 2024

Aditya-L1 spacecraft in the Halo orbit takes 178 days to complete a revolution around the L1 point.

What are the instruments present on Aditya L1?

Aditya-L1 is an observatory-class solar mission that will study the sun with the following instruments:

VELC, a coronagraph to study the uppermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere;
SUIT, an ultraviolet imaging telescope;
SoLEXS and HEL1OS, to study solar flares and coronal mass ejections;
ASPEX and PAPA, to study the solar wind and plasma;
Set of digital magnetometers to measure properties of the magnetic field around the spacecraft.

4.INDIA’S ILLEGAL COAL MINING PROBLEM

Syllabus

Mains – GS 2 & GS 3

Context: Recently, three workers died asphyxiation inside an illegal coal mine in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district.

Background:

The Surendranagar incident is not an isolated case. In June 2023, an illegal mine collapse in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand tragically claimed the lives of three people, including a ten-year-old child. Similarly, in October 2023, at least three individuals perished in Paschim Bardhaman district, West Bengal, due to a coal mine collapse during illegal extraction.

About Coal mining in India

Coal in India was nationalised in two phases: first with the coking coal (used for the production of coke in the steel industry) in 1971-72; and then with the non-coking coal mines in 1973.
The Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973 is the central legislation that determines eligibility for coal mining in India.
Illegal mining constitutes a law and order problem, which is a State list subject. Hence, the onus of dealing with it falls on State governments.

Why is illegal coal mining rampant in India?

According to the Ministry of Coal, illegal mining in India is mostly carried out in abandoned mines or shallow coal seams in remote or isolated places.

Several factors contribute to illegal coal mining in India:

Coal, the most abundant fossil fuel in India, meets 55% of the country’s energy needs. The high demand for power often exceeds the legal supply of coal, leading to illegal mining.
Coal-rich areas are often near impoverished communities, leading to illegal mining due to poverty and unemployment.
In remote areas, inadequate monitoring and lack of resources lead to weak enforcement of regulations. This fosters the rise of “coal mafias,” as seen in multiple illegal coal mining cases in India. For instance, in 2018, activist Marshall Biam of the North East Indigenous People’s Federation accused a “police-backed” coal gang of threatening him. Mining tragedies are common in coal-rich Meghalaya.
Illegal coal mining often receives tacit support from political leaders, making it difficult to curb. Despite a 2014 NGT ban, illegal rat-hole mining persists in Assam, Meghalaya, and other northeastern states, allegedly with political and official collusion.
Illegal mining often employs rudimentary techniques like surface mining and rat-hole mining instead of the scientific methods used in legal operations. In areas with shallow coal seams, illegal miners use limited safety equipment. The low operational costs and high profits make illegal mining lucrative.
Illegal coal mining is not new; it predates coal nationalization. In many areas, local economies depend on mining, and when official mining operations end, illegal mining supports the community.

5.KARGIL VIJAY DIWAS

Syllabus

Prelims & Mains – SECURITY ISSUES

Context: Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on 26th July, commemorates India’s victory over Pakistan and honors the sacrifices of soldiers who overcame immense challenges to achieve victory in Kargil.

Background:-

India’s hard-fought victory in the Kargil War illustrated the timeless challenges posed by combat at high altitude – challenges which are as deadly, if not more, than the enemy itself.

The Kargil War

The conflict began when Pakistani infiltrators crossed the LoC and occupied high positions in Kargil, Ladakh. Initially reported to the Indian Army on May 3, these infiltrators were thought to be jihadists. However, over the following weeks, the scale of the invasion revealed undeniable involvement by the Pakistani state.
Between mid-May and July, the Indian forces slowly recaptured critical positions from the Pakistanis, in the face of heavy casualties. The Army announcing the complete withdrawal of all Pakistani regular and irregular troops from Kargil on July 26.
Beyond the enemy infiltrators, who were well-armed and supported by non-stop shelling from the Pakistani side, the conditions of Kargil were a challenge in and of themselves.

Trial by altitude

Kargil is located at the northern edge of the LoC, some 200 km northeast of Srinagar and 230 km west of Leh. Kargil town lies at an altitude of 2,676 m (8,780 ft), Dras lies at a height of 3,300 m (10,800 ft), and the surrounding peaks rise to altitudes of 4,800 m (16,000 ft) to 5,500 m (18,000 ft).
These extreme heights cause severe physiological effects on the one’s body — and equipment.
The first challenge was the crippling cold. The battlefield in Kargil lay in a cold desert where winter temperatures dropped to as low as -30 degrees Celsius. Even in summer, frigid winds and a barren landscape made it inhospitable. The cold affected both men and machines, with guns jamming and soldiers expending great energy to stay warm.
The second challenge was the thin air and reduced oxygen levels, causing acute mountain sickness (AMS) among soldiers, with symptoms like headaches, nausea, and fatigue. This low air pressure weakened soldiers and impacted weapon and aircraft performance. While it increased projectile range, accuracy suffered, and aircraft engines produced less power, with helicopters experiencing reduced rotor efficiency.
Lastly, the terrain imposed significant restrictions on soldiers. It reduced mobility, provided cover to the enemy, and limited the scope of operations. During the Kargil War, the Indian Army was at a particular disadvantage with the enemy occupying high positions overlooking the positions held by Indians.

Victory against all odds

Against relentless enemy fire and unforgiving conditions, the Indian Army freed Kargil’s peaks of Pakistani intruders.
The early stages of the war revealed crucial lessons, as both the Army and Air Force found themselves unprepared for large-scale high-altitude combat. Many soldiers suffered from AMS, leading to some casualties, and inadequate cold-weather gear posed additional challenges. Meanwhile, the difficult terrain and Pakistan’s persistent shelling of NH 1A created significant logistical issues.
The Army adapted its methods to address these challenges by implementing acclimatization and training programs for soldiers. Improved cold-weather equipment was procured, though shortages persisted. High-altitude assault techniques were refined, shifting from daytime frontal attacks to small groups scaling near-vertical terrain.
The Army’s key strategy involved combining overwhelming firepower with daring maneuvers. Massive artillery barrages preceded all attacks. Given limitations of providing air cover to the ground forces due to the altitude and the terrain, the Army relied heavily on artillery, particularly the Bofors gun, whose range nearly doubled in Kargil’s thin air.

6.DARK OXYGEN

Syllabus

Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Researchers have discovered “dark oxygen” being produced in the deep ocean.

Background:

The recent study published in Nature Geoscience, a journal dedicated to Earth sciences research, shows oxygen emitted from mineral deposits 4,000 meters (about 13,000 feet) below the ocean’s surface on the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ).

Key takeaways

Oxygen is essential for life on Earth, and we’ve long associated it with photosynthesis—the process by which plants and algae produce oxygen using sunlight.
However, recent discovery challenge this understanding. Scientists have found evidence of an additional source of oxygen called dark oxygen.

What Is Dark Oxygen?:

Dark oxygen is produced deep under the sea without sunlight.
Polymetallic nodules, which are naturally occurring mineral masses found on the ocean floor, play a crucial role in this newly discovered process. These nodules, made up of metals like manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium, can generate oxygen through electrochemical activity even in the absence of light.

Implications and Significance:

Until now, we believed that all oxygen came from photosynthetic organisms (plants and algae).
Dark oxygen challenges this notion, suggesting that there might be alternative oxygen sources.
It raises intriguing questions about the origins of life on Earth.

Where Did Dark Oxygen Come From?:

Scientists discovered dark oxygen at a depth of 4,000 meters (about 13,000 feet) below the ocean’s surface , specifically from the pacific ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ).
The fact that it’s produced without sunlight implies that life might have existed before photosynthesis emerged.