Operation “Samudra Setu“
Context :
Indian Navy launched Operation Samudra Setu, meaning Sea Bridge, as a part of a national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas. Indian Naval Ships (INS) Jalashwa and Magar are presently en route to the port of Malè, the Republic of Maldives to commence evacuation operations from 8 May 2020 as part of Phase-1.
Operation Samudra Setu :
- The operation aims to evacuate personnel who repatriate Indian citizens from overseas.
- GoI is monitoring the situation with respect to the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the citizens abroad. The Indian Navy has been directed to make suitable preparations for their evacuation by sea.
- The Indian Mission in the Republic of Maldives is preparing a list of Indian nationals to be evacuated by Naval ships and will facilitate their embarkation after the requisite medical screening.
- Under the operation, a total of 1000 persons are planned to be evacuated during the first trip, catering for COVID-related social distancing norms vis-a-vis the carrying capacity and medical facilities available onboard.
- The ships are provisioned for the evacuation operation. The evacuated personnel will be provided the basic amenities and medical facilities during the sea-passage.
- Stringent protocols have been stipulated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The evacuated personnel will be disembarked at Kochi, Kerala. They will be entrusted to the care of State authorities.
- This operation is done by the Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Home Affairs, Health, and various other agencies of Central/State governments.
Iran approves plan to cut four zeros from falling currency
Context :
Iran’s parliament has passed a bill allowing the government to slash four zeros from the rial and authorizing its replacement with another basic unit of currency called the toman (redenomination).
Under the bill, Iran’s national currency will be changed from the rial to the Toman, which is equal to 10,000 rials.
Highlights :
- Eliminating the four zeros was a necessary action to simplify financial transactions.
- It would vastly simplify financial calculations by eliminating the need for Iranian shoppers to carry loads of rials to make purchases, which they have to do because of inflation.
- According to the Iran’s Students News Agency (ISNA), the bill needs to be approved by the Guardian Council, a body of conservative clerics that supervises the Parliament.
- After its approval, the Central Bank of Iran will have two years to implement the change for removing rial from circulation and issuing toman instead.
Background :
- This move comes after a sharp fall in the value of the currency as a result of crippling US sanctions.
- The currency has been devalued 3,500 times since 1971. It declined steadily since the Iranian Revolution, 1979 brought the religious government to power.
- The idea of removing four zeros has been floated since 2008 but gained strength after 2018 when the US exited Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions and the rial lost more than 60% of its value.
Nigah Scheme
Context :
Himachal Pradesh State Government is to launch the “Nigah” Scheme to properly sensitize and educate family members of people coming from other states so that social distancing is effectively maintained. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
Nigah Scheme :
- Under the scheme, a team of ASHA workers, health workers, and Anganwadi workers would visit the family members of persons arriving from other states. The will educate them about the importance of social distancing so that they could be saved from any possible infection.
- The state government also ordered to mark the people who have come from other states.
- Also, the govt. stated that strict action would be taken against those jumping home quarantine as this would not only harm their family members but also society as a whole.
- The persons entering the state have been asked to download Aarogya Setu App and must also be provided with Information Education Communication (IEC) material regarding the importance of social distancing.
China’s new large rocket
Context :
Recently, China has successfully launched the Long March 5B’ rocket and prototype spacecraft.
Highlights :
- It was launched from the Wenchang launch site in the southern island of Hainan.
- It weighs 849 tonnes.
- It is being considered as China’s successful step to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon.
- India is also planning to launch its own space station.
Unmanned Prototype Spaceship :
- It is expected to transport astronauts to a space station that China plans to complete by 2022 — and eventually to the Moon.
- It will have capacity for a crew of six.
50th Foundation Day of DST
Context :
Recently, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) conducted a webinar on ‘Fighting Corona – Leveraging Scientific Research & Innovation’ on the occasion of its 50th foundation day.
The webinar also mentioned some of the schemes implemented by the DST namely, SUPRA, IRHPA, NIDHI, SATHI and MANAK
Department of Science and Technology :
- The foundation of DST was laid on 3rd May 1971 along the model of National Science Foundation (NSF), USA.
- It provides funding and also makes policies and co-ordinates scientific work with other countries.
- It empowers scientists and scientific institutions and also works with a highly distributed system permeating stakeholders ranging from school college, PhD, Postdoc students, young scientists, startups and NGOs working in Science & Technology.
- DST’s budget has increased over the years by 100%, which has allowed initiation of new programmes in a wide range of areas.