ETEN Enlightens-Daily current capsules

(Prelims Prominence) – 13thJan 2018

NATIONAL
INS Nirbhik and INS Nirghat

Decommissioned by Indian Navy

  Indian Navy has decommissioned INS Nirbhik and INS Nirghat
warships at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai (Maharashtra), after a glorious
30 and 28 years respectively in the service of the nation.

 INS Nirbhik and INS Nirghat in their new avatars were commissioned
at Poti in erstwhile USSR (now in Russia) in December 1987 and
December 1989 respectively.

Ministry of Culture
7th ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2018’

To be held in Karnataka from 14th to 20th January, 2018

 To celebrate the idea of unity in diversity, the Ministry of Culture is

organising the 7th edition of the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav under
the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat matrix in Karnataka beginning
January 14, 2018.
 The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme was launched by the
Prime Minister on 31st October, 2016 to promote engagement
amongst the people of different states/UTs so as to enhance
mutual understanding and bonding between people of diverse
cultures, thereby securing stronger unity and integrity of India.
 The State paired with Karnataka is Uttarakhand.
 The Mahotsav will cover a profusion of art forms from classical and
folk, music and dance, theatre to literature and the visual arts and
would offer the chance to experience the best in established and
emerging virtuosity.
 A handloom and handicrafts-utsav is part of the proposed event.
The gastronomic culture of several partnering states will be
showcased through a food festival.

SCIENCE & TECH (SPACE)

ISRO workhorse PSLV-C40 puts 31 satellites in space

ISRO successfully sent up a rocket carrying India’s 100th satellite

along with 30 others, four months after failed launch.

What -
 The 42nd Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) -
 Launched on Friday by The Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO)
Where -
 The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV lifted off from Sriharikota
in Andhra Pradesh.
 The PSLV-C40 placed 31 satellites, originating from seven countries.
 This is the 42nd flight of the PSLV.
 The 30 other satellites onboard include two other satellites from India
and 28 satellites from six countries — Canada, Finland, France,
Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
 The Cartosat-2 satellite, the third in the series, was deployed to relay
high resolution scene specific spot imageries.
 The images will be useful for cartographic applications, urban and
rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, road network
monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps and change
detection to bring out geographical Land Information Systems and
Geographical Information System applications.
Enlighten about multiple burn technology
 The mission is a unique one, since the satellites were launched in
two orbits.
 Thirty of the satellites were launched in an orbit 550 km about, and
one 359-km above the Earth.
 This was done through what scientists call the “multiple burn
technology” under which the rocket’s engine is switched off and then
switched on to control its height.
NATIONAL/MoU
Water Resources Ministry Signs MoU with Bihar and Jharkhand for
Completion of North Koel Reservoir Project

 A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Ministry

of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,
Government of India, State of Bihar and State of Jharkhand for
completion of balance works of North Koel reservoir project

 A supplementary Memorandum of Agreement has also been signed

between Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation, Government of India, National Water Development
Agency, NABARD with State Governments of Bihar and Jharkhand for
funding of the state share under Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) for
North Koel reservoir project.
 The construction of North Koel project was started in 1972 but was
later halted in 1993.
  The project situated on North Koel river, a tributary of Sone river will
provide irrigation to 1,11,521 hectares of land annually in the most
backward and drought prone areas of Palamu and Garhwa districts in
Jharkhand and Aurangabad and Gaya districts in Bihar.

Funding

 The project is at the estimated cost of Rs. 1622.27 crores.

 Scheduled to be completed in 30 months
 Of this Rs. 1013.11 crores will be borne by Union Government as grant
from LTIF under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY).
 60% will be financed by Central Government from LTIF and remaining
40% of cost will be borne by the States through loan financed by
NABARD.

Enlighten about North Koel Reservoir Project

 The project is situated on North Koel river, tributary on Sone River.

 It aims to provide irrigation to 111,521 hectares of land annually in
most backward and drought prone areas in Jharkhand and Bihar.
 The construction of the projected originally had started in 1972 and
continued till 1993 when it was stopped by the Bihar forest department
over environmental concerns.
 The Mandal dam as part of the project had threatened to submerge
portions of the Palamau Tiger Reserve and Betla National Park.
  The National Wildlife Board (NWB) had cleared the project in June
2017 with certain conditions.

North Koel River

 North Koel River rises on Ranchi plateau in Jharkhand.

 It joins the Sone River (only right bank tributary of Ganga River) a few
miles north-west of Haidarnagar. Its principal tributaries are the
Auranga and the Amanat.
 It meanders through the northern part of Betla National Park

MEETINGS
Fourth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture & Forestry

held in Delhi

 It was attended by representatives from 10 ASEAN countries.

 The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Minister of Agriculture &
Farmers’ Welfare Radha Mohan Singh and Thailand’s Minister of
Agriculture and Cooperatives Grisada Boonrach.
  The aim of the meeting was to facilitate promotion of joint research
for development of technologies for increasing production and
productivity of crops, livestock and sherie, and natural resources
management, among others in the region.
 It also aimed at development of joint ventures, exchange of
technologies, expertise and material.
 It was announced that 5th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on
Agriculture and Forestry will be held in 2019 in Brunei Darussalam.
ASEAN
 ASEAN is a regional organisation that aims to promote
intergovernmental cooperation and economic integration amongst its
members.
 It consists of 10-member countries Cambodia, Brunei, Laos,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam. It came into existence on August 8, 1967, after adoption of
ASEAN declaration (also known as Bangkok Declaration).
 It is headquartered in Jakarta,

Sources – the hindu, pib, livemint