Prelim Bits 16-08-2017

GeM Samvaad

Government eMarketplace (GeM) and confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has established an industry forum named GeM Samvaad.
It promotes participative and collaborative approach for promoting Indian industry and entrepreneurship.
It aims at

INS Kalvari

It is a Scorpene class submarine currently undergoing its last stages of sea trials.
It is first of the six submarines developed by the French DCNS under Project 75.
The submarines of Scorpene class are propelled by diesel-electric engines and Torpedo is mounted as a primary weapon.
It will have both anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare.
It also features an additional air-independent propulsion (AIP) system.
Conventional diesel-electric submarines have to surface every few days to get oxygen to recharge their batteries. With AIP systems, they can stay submerged for much longer periods.

TAPI gas Pipeline

India will host the next steering committee meeting of TAPI gas pipeline.
It is 1800 Kilometre long trans-country natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI).
The project will be funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB).
It is expected to be operational by 2019.
It start from the Galkynysh gas field in Turkemistan and passes along Kandahar–Herat Highway in western Afghanistan and Multan in Pakistan.
The final destination will be the Indian town of Fazilka, in Punjab near the Pakistan-India border.

Startup India Web Portal

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has launched a ‘Startup India’ Web portal to support promising start-ups.
Under the scheme, MRPL will support and fund projects in the energy sector.
Some of the focus areas for start-ups are automation/robotics in hydrocarbon area, development of device for cracks/leak detection in pipelines, low-cost model for waste to energy, bio-fuel manufacturing, low-cost process for desalination of sea water, innovative waste disposal, and other open areas related to petroleum refining and alternate energy.

Black Carbon

According to a new study by climate researchers, airplanes may be ejecting significant amounts of black carbon (BC).
They have evidence of such particles existing up to 18 km into the stratosphere.
Black carbons derive from emissions from aviation fuel and can linger long enough to provide a fertile ground for other chemical reactions that can deplete the ozone layer.
BC particles strongly absorb solar and terrestrial radiation and heats up the atmosphere it can upset the monsoon system.
If deposited on snow, it could accelerate the heating of snow and quicken the melting of glaciers.
Black Carbon as a pollutant known to aggravate breathing disorders.

Brown Carbon

Brown Carbon or organic carbon comes from complex organic reactions in the airborne atmospheric particles. This includes
- Tar materials form smoldering fires or coal combustion.
- Breakdown products from biomass burning.
- A mixture of organic compounds emitted from soil and volatile organic compounds given off by vegetation.
Black Carbon is inorganic in nature consisting of soot particles that directly come out of combustion processes.
Both Black carbon and Brown carbon absorbs sunlight and thus in turn warms the atmosphere and when inhaled, causes severe health hazards.
Black carbon absorbs light in the visible spectrum whereas Brown carbon is light brown in colour and absorbs light in the ultraviolet region.
Brown Carbon leads to the formation of ground level ozone in the atmosphere.

Videotaping of courts

A Supreme Court Bench has mooted the possibility of having audio and video recordings of proceedings in the Supreme Court and the High Courts.
Earlier this year, SC has directed that two districts in every State/Union Territory, CCTV cameras (without audio recording) may be installed inside the courts.
It also made it clear that the footage of the CCTV camera will not be available under the RTI Act and will not be supplied to anyone without permission of the High Court concerned.