Daily News Simplified – DNS

14 10 22
Notes
THE
SL. HINDU
TOPICS
NO.
PAGE NO.

1 Falling reserve and RBI’s role 08

2 Next Generation Launch vehicle 01

Text and
3 Interpol
context

4 Snow Leopard 12

5 Stubble burning 12
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1. UPSC Current Affairs: Falling reserve and RBI’s role | Page 08

UPSC Syllabus: Mains: GS Paper III –Economy

Sub Theme: RBI | UPSC

Context: RBI has depleted India’s forex reserves from $642 billion to $537 billion, i.e., from
September 8,2021,1 to September 30, 2022, by intervening (selling dollars) in India’s interbank forex
market.
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2. UPSC Current Affairs: Next Generation Launch vehicle | Pg 01

UPSC Syllabus: Mains: GS Paper III – Science and technology

Sub Theme: ISRO | UPSC

ABOUT NGLV:
• ISRO’S NEXT GENERATION LAUNCH VEHICLE
• OBJECTIVE: TO REPLACE PSLV FOR LAUNCHING SATELLITES
FEATURES:
1. MORE COST EFFICIENT
2. ONLY THREE STAGE
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3. REUSABLE
4. HEAVY WEIGHT CARRIER (10 TONS)
5. GEOSTATIONARY TRANSFER ORBIT
6. SEMI CRYOGENIC PROPULSION (CHEAPER)

3. UPSC Current Affairs: Interpol | Page Text and context

UPSC Syllabus: Mains: GS Paper II – National security

Sub Theme: International organisation | UPSC

Context: The General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) is meeting in
Delhi for four days from October 18 for its 90th General Assembly. This is the second time since 1997 in
India.

4. UPSC Current Affairs: Snow Leopard |Page 14

UPSC Syllabus: Prelims: Environment

Sub Theme: Vulnerable species | UPSC

• Scientific name; Panthera Uncia

• Popular name: Ghost of the mountain (hiding in snow)
• Indicator species (health of the mountains)
• IUCN status: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix 1
• Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule 1
• Habitat: Himalayas, Tibet and central Asia
• Largest presence in India: Hemis National Park
• Threat: Largely threatened because of the loss of natural prey species, retaliatory killing due to
conflict with humans, and illegal trade of its fur and bones.
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Conservation efforts:
• Identified as Flagship species
• India is also party to the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP)
Programme since 2013.
• HimalSanrakshak: community led programme
• 2019: Snow Leopard Population Assessment
• SECURE Himalaya: Funded by (GEF) and (UNDP)
• Project Snow Leopard since 2009
• Breeding programme is undertaken at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling,
West Bengal.
• Bishkek Declaration: protecting at least 20 snow leopard landscapes by 2020.

5. UPSC Current Affairs: Stubble burning |Page 12

UPSC Syllabus: Mains: GS Paper III - Indian Economy and environment

Sub Theme: air pollution |UPSC

Context: With winter approaching and instances of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana rising, the Union
Environment Ministry announced a ₹50 crore scheme to incentivise industrialists and entrepreneurs to set up
paddy straw pelletisation and torrefaction plants.

The Technology
• Paddy straw made into pellets or torrefied can be mixed with coal in thermal power plants.
• This saves coal as well as reduces carbon emissions that would otherwise have been emitted were the
straw burnt in the fields, as is the regular practice of most farmers in Punjab and Haryana.
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Air pollution in the Indo - Gangetic Plains is a complex phenomenon that is dependent on a variety of factors.

The first and foremost is the input of pollutants, followed by weather and local conditions. Straw as the primary
source of energy is used in most countries and accounts for 14% of the total energy consumption in the world.
After converting into rice straw pellets by rice straw pellet machine, it can be used as fuel for cooking, drying
agricultural products, and stable bedding for animals or as a material in industrial processes.

Therefore the application of rice straw pellet machines for recycling energy from rice straws has gained
popularity since the energy crisis and global warming threat.

Why does air pollution rise in October each year?

• October usually marks the withdrawal of monsoons in Northwest India.
o Once monsoon withdraws, the predominant direction of winds changes to north
westerly. According to a peer reviewed study conducted by scientists at the
National Physical Laboratory, 72 per cent of Delhi’s wind in winters comes from
the northwest, while the remaining 28 per cent comes from the Indo-Gangetic
plains.
• Reduction in Temperatures
o As temperature dips, the inversion height — which is the layer beyond which
pollutants cannot disperse into the upper layer of the atmosphere – is lowered. The
concentration of pollutants in the air increases when this happens.
• Reduction in wind speed during winters
o High-speed winds are very effective at dispersing pollutants, but winters bring a
dip in wind speed over all as compared to in summers.
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The combination of these meteorological factors makes the region prone to pollution. When factors such as
farm fires and dust storms are added to the already high base pollution levels in the city, air quality dips further.

What roles do farm fires play in Delhi’s air pollution?

• Farm fires have been an easy way to get rid of paddy stubble quickly and at low cost for several
years. With the use of combine harvesters, the practice became more common as the harvester
leaves behind tall stalks, which have to be removed before replanting. But the practice gained
widespread acceptance starting 2009, when the governments of Punjab and Haryana passed laws
delaying the sowing of paddy.
• The aim of passing this law was to conserve groundwater as the new sowing cycle would coincide
with monsoons and less water would be extracted.
• This, however, left very little time for farmers to harvest paddy, clear fields and sow wheat for the
next cycle. The paddy straw and stalks have high silica content and are not used to feed livestock.
• The easiest, but the least productive, way to get rid of it is to set it on fire.

Steps taken by the government to counter Delhi's Air Pollution

• Notification of graded response action plan for Delhi identifying source wise actions for various
levels of air pollution, etc
• Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI standards for vehicles by 1st April 2020;
• Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards and sector-specific emission and effluent
standards for industries;
• Setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality;
• Introduction of cleaner gaseous fuels like CNG, LPG etc and ethanol blending;
• Launching of National Air Quality Index (AQI);
• Banning of burning of biomass;
• Promotion of public transport network;
• Issuance of directions under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981;
• Installation of on-line continuous (24x7) monitoring devices by 17 highly polluting industrial
sectors;
• Regulating the bursting of pollution-emitting crackers;
• Smog towers to tackle pollution problem