UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 03-04-2020
iasparliament
May 03, 2020
Gorakhpur Terracotta products
Baked clay or ‘terracotta’ products made from the special soil found in Bhathat area of Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district has received Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
The clay used in the terracotta products is ‘Kabis’ clay which is found in the ponds of Aurangabad (UP), Bharwalia and Budhadih areas.
Also, such clay is found only in the months of May and June, as for the rest of the year, the ponds are filled with water.
No colours are used in this terracotta products, artisans only dip the clay structure in a mixture of soda and mango tree barks, and bake it.
The red colour of terracotta does not fade for years.
The terracotta artists make various structures like bells, vases, Ganeshas, tables, elephants, deer, horses, bullock carts, horse carts, lamps and chandeliers.
Sanklap Scheme
Madhya Pradesh police launches 'Sankalp Scheme' to provide 24-hour help to elderly
Under the Sankalp Scheme, Umaira district Superintendent of Police has instructed all police officers to identify and help one or two elderly families who are living alone and are worried about their everyday needs during the lockdown.
The elders are also happy with this innovative effort of the police.
The Sankalp Scheme is indeed a commendable effort and can become exemplary for many districts.
BoBBLE – Bay of Bengal Boundary Layer Experiment
A team from Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru and UK based University of East Anglia have created a blueprint for accurate prediction of monsoon, tropical cyclones and other weather related forecast.
The Bay of Bengal Boundary Layer Experiment or BoBBLE in short is a project funded by Union Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Natural Environment Research Council of UK.
The team carried out studies of oceanographic properties on board RV Sindhu Sadhana in the southern Bay of Bengal.
Scientists from India and UK plans to release underwater robots in Bay of Bengal to monitor how ocean conditions influence monsoon, which can help in better predictions of the rainfall.
Once out in the ocean, they will release seven underwater gliders to measure ocean properties such as temperature, salinity and current.
RV Sindhu Sadhana
CSIR- NIO acquired India's first multidisciplinary oceanographic research vessel, RV Gaveshani, in 1976.
The vessel enhanced the capabilities of Indian oceanographers and enabled the development of multi-disciplinary oceanographic research in the country.
After rendering commendable service for 18 years, during which time over 200 cruises were undertaken in all parts of the Indian Ocean, R.V. Gaveshani was decommissioned in 1994.
In 2012, a new multi-disciplinary oceanographic research vessel Sindhu Sadhana was acquired by NIO.
It will have capabilities to undertake basin scale observations and will enable Indian oceanographers to take up studies not only in the seas around India, but also in any part of the Indian Ocean.
It is aimed to serve as a stable platform allowing operation of sensible equipment and underway data acquisition.
Another research vessel of NIO is “Sindhu Sankalp”.
CSIR-NIO
The National Institute of Oceanography, founded in 1966 as one of 37 constituent laboratories of the CSIR.
It is an autonomous research organization in India to undertake scientific research and studies of special oceanographic features of the Northern Indian Ocean.
Headquartered in Goa, it has regional centers in Kochi, Mumbai and Vizag.
Key national survey organizations of India are as follows
National Institute of Oceanography - Oceanography
Archeological Survey of India- Archaeology,
Botanical Survey of India - Botany,
Zoological Survey of India - Zoology,
Forest Survey of India - Forests,
Fisheries Survey of India - Fisheries
Geological Survey of India - Geology,
Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment- Ecology
Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India (RGCCI) - Census of India.
