Prelim Bits 15-09-2018

ICESat-2

• The Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) satellite has been launched recently by NASA.
• It is a laser-armed satellite which measures changes in the heights of Earth’s polar ice.
• It will measure the average annual elevation change of land ice covering Greenland and Antarctica to within the width of a pencil, capturing 60,000 measurements per second.
• Its Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) measures height by timing how long it takes individual light photons to travel from the spacecraft to Earth and back.
• NASA started the ICESAT mission in the year 2003 and continued in 2009 with NASA’s Operation IceBridge.
• ICESat-2 will also measure the height of ocean and land surfaces, including forests.

Mangkhut Typhoon

• It is a super storm of category 5, with winds of more than 200 kph (124 mph) which tore across the northern tip of the Philippines.
• It brought heavy rain and causing widespread power and communications outages.
• A hurricane is a storm that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and north eastern Pacific Ocean, a typhoon occurs in the north western Pacific Ocean,  a cyclone occurs in the south Pacific or Indian Ocean, a willy-willy in south-west Australia.

India Post Payments Bank

• Indian postal department has started India Post Payments Bank (IPPB).
• It will offer zero-balance savings accounts with multiple benefits, including unlimited withdrawals and deposits besides doorstep banking.
• As per RBI rules, one can’t hold more than Rs 1 lakh in all payments bank accounts but one can open a post office bank account where any amount in excess of Rs 1 lakh will be transferred.
• IPPB savings accounts provides a QR card which is used to avail the benefits of cheque book, debit card or ATM card.

Click here to know more about IPPB.

G-20 Meeting

• G-20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting is being held in Mar del Plata in Argentina.

• The Ministerial Meeting discuss about building an inclusive trade system that contributes to sustainable and shared growth.
• G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting was held at Salta, Argentina last month.

• G-20 is made up of 19 countries and the EU.
• G-20 members represent 75% of international trade, half of foreign direct investment flows, half of foreign flows and 80% of global production.

Paryatan Parv 2018

• Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments is organizing the second edition of “Paryatan Parv”.
• Paryatan Parv is being organized with the objective of drawing focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism for All”.
• The three components of Paryatan Parv, are:

1. Dekho Apna Desh: To encourage Indians to visit their own country
2. Tourism for All: Tourism Events at sites across all States in the country are being organised
3. Tourism & Governance: Interactive Sessions & Workshops with Stakeholders on varied themes will be organised across the Country

Tuberculosis

• In a first, British scientists have developed a non-antibiotic drug that may in future treat tuberculosis (TB) in humans effectively.
• The drug works by targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ defences rather than the bacteria itself.
• TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a species of pathogenic bacteria that is spread through air.

e-VidyaBharati& e-ArogyaBharati Network

• India has recently launched digital bridge called e-VidyaBharati& e-ArogyaBharati Network between India and Africa.
• The network covers 48 african countries and operates based on satellite technology.
• It aims at providing quality tele-education and tele-medicine facility by linking select Indian Universities, Institutions and Super Specialty Hospitals to African educational institutions and hospitals.

Source: PIB, The Hindu, Livemint