Seventy per cent afforestation achieved in Arunachal

Arunachal Pradesh Environment and Forest Department has achieved 70 per cent afforestation in the state.

This high percentage of Afforestation comes at a time when forest areas are decreasing alarmingly in the country.

The afforestation programme was undertaken under the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in 2010 in the areas where trees were cut by user-agencies for various purposes.

Arunachal Pradesh government generated the fund resources for CAMPA from the user-agencies who are proposing various developmental activities.

Supreme Court in its judgement on 12^th March, 2014 had directed states for the release of 10 per cent amount from adhoc "Compensatory Afforestation Funds Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)" for completing the task of compulsory afforestation.

The judgement had also directed that the state concerned would have to make available land on which afforestation could take place.

The state CAMPA, compensatory afforestation was the primary target and the fund was obtained particularly for protection and preservation of forests

In this afforestation, local species were taken up for plantation as indigenous species were more successful.

Why such high percentage of afforestation is necessary for Arunachal Pradesh?

Arunachal Pradesh has total 83,743 sq km geographical area. This state has 51,540 sq km under forest cover out of which 10,089.99 sq km fall under reserve forests.

The state forest has rich bio-diversity with more than 5,000 species of flowering plants, 600 species of orchids, 89 species of bamboos, 18 species of canes, 400 species of ferns, 24 species of gymnosperms and equally high number of unexplored algae, fungi, lichens, bryophytes and micro-organism.

Moreover, it is home to more than 100 species of mammals, 650 birds, 83 reptiles, 130 fishes and seven non-human primates and innumerable species of insects, mirco-organisms and other life forms.

Arunachal Pradesh with its rich bio-diversity has been listed as one of the 18 biodiversity hotspots in the world.

In this state slash and burn agriculture as "Jhum" or "Jhoom cultivation" was practiced.

This system of cultivation involves clearing a piece of forest land by setting fire or clear felling and using the area for growing crops of agricultural importance such as upland rice, vegetables or fruits.

After a few cycles, the land loses fertility and a new area is chosen.

This Jhum cultivation is mostly practiced on the slopes of hills in thickly forested landscapes. This practice has resulted in decline in Forest cover in the North eastern states of India.

Afforestation on this scale will definitely help states to preserve it diverse Bio-diversity.

On 28^th August 2014, Turkey's outgoing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will swear as President.

He had won presidential elections on August 10.

His office to President will extend his more than decade-long political domination of the country.

Erdogan will take oath in Ankara (Turkey’s capital) and usher in a new era for Turkey.

He is expected to push for a new constitution and seek to further transform the country with development projects.

Heads of state from a dozen nations in Eastern Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East will attend the ceremony, including Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko.

Erdogan Political Journey and Future Prospects

Erdogan, was Prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014.

He won presidential elections on August 10 against a weak opposition.

He is also chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

The negotiations for Turkey's accession to the EU gained momentum during Erdogan's tenure as Prime Minister.

Parallel to this, the civil–military relationship moved towards normalization in which the influence of the military was reduced.

When he was Prime Minister, his foreign policy vision is claimed to rest on Neo-

Ottomanism, the policy according to which Turkey should maintain and increase its presence in the lands formerly ruled by the Ottoman Empire.

Under his premiership, the country has consolidated its position as a regional power with global ambitions.

He also had served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998.

Neo- Ottomanism is a Turkish political ideology that, in its broadest sense, promotes greater political engagement of the modern Republic of Turkey within regions formerly under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, its predecessor state.

Ottoman Empire (1299–1923) included the states of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, the Caucasus, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa.

India to Develop Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile

India is working on developing a man-portable anti-tank guided missile capable of being fired from shoulders.

Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister Avinash Chander made this statement in International conference on advanced avionics, held in Hyderabad.

Avinash Chander is also the Chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

He made following statements in the International Conference:

• India working on man-portable anti-tank missile which can be fired from shoulders. We are planning to bring out these systems within the next four years.
• Our cycle-time used to be 8 years to 10 years for the systems, now we are talking of delivering it in 4-5 years.
• The aim is (in the) next five years is to see at least five different types of missiles covering different spectrums altogether including surface-to-surface, anti-tank, cruise, longer range and strategic.
• India aim’s to have adequate capability in this field by 2020-22, adding, an infra-red (IR) seeker detector facility would be set up in the country.
• Our target is thereafter (2022) we should not have to import any class of missiles."
• DRDO is working on multi-range missiles, and also on short-range surface-to-air missiles.
• Surface-to-air short-range missile would have two vehicle configuration - one for search and tracking and other for multiple missiles being fired.
• It will be given to the Army but it can be used by other forces as well. It is going to be a potent missile.

What is Anti-Tank Guided Missile?

• An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily Armored military vehicles.
• ATGMs range in size.

1. It can be shoulder-launched weapons, which can be transported by a single soldier.
2. It can be larger tripod-mounted weapons, which require a squad or team to transport and fire, to vehicle and aircraft mounted missile systems.

• Man-portable ATGMs with larger warheads has given infantry the ability to defeat light and medium tanks at great ranges, though main battle tanks using composite and reactive armors have proven to be resistant to smaller ATGMs.
• Earlier infantry anti-tank weapons, such as anti-tank rifles, anti-tank missiles and magnetic anti-tank mines, had limited armor-penetration abilities and/or required a soldier to approach the target closely.

Following countries have anti-tank guided missile (ATGM):

1. United States.
2. China
3. Israel
4. United Kingdom
5. Australia
6. France
7. Russia etc.

DRDO successfully launch K-4 undersea missile

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested an underwater-launched missile called K-4 with a range of about 3,000 km on March 24, 2014.

The launch took place from a pontoon submerged more than 30 metres deep in the sea off the Visakhapatnam coast.

The two-stage missile will carry nuclear warheads, forming the lethal payload of India’s nuclear-powered submarines, which are under construction.

DRDO is planning to do many more missions to prove the missile’s sub-systems capability and increase their 

reliability.

India is the fifth country in the world to have a missile launched underwater. Other countries are United States, Russia (having maximum number of these 

missiles operational), China and United Kingdom.

K family of missiles

The K family of missiles is a series of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) developed by India to boost its second-strike capabilities and thus the nuclear deterrence.

Information about this family of missiles has mostly been kept classified. The classified 'K' missile family is known as the "Black Project" which DRDO officials are covertly working on.

It is reported that the top secret indigenous "K" missiles are faster, lighter and stealthier.

K series missiles

1. K-15 or Sagarika K-15 missile

The Sagarika/K-15 missile is the SLBM version of the land-based Shaurya missile.

Nearly 10 development trials of K-15 missile have already been completed from pontoons submerged in the Bay of Bengal over the past few years.

The last developmental test of the missile was conducted on January 27, 2013 from an underwater launch platform off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

2. K-4 missle

K-4, named after former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

This missile is actually a SLBM Version of the Agni-III missile.

The Missile is said to have two variants to arm with future nuclear submarines of the Arihant class.

• One with a range of 3,500 km that is 10 m long.
• Other with a range of 5,000 km will be 12 m long.

3. K-5 Missile

K-5 missile is reportedly being developed by DRDO for the Indian strategic forces underwater platforms.

It will arm the future variants of Arihant class submarines of the Indian Navy.

DRDO is in the process of developing a submarine-launched solid fuel missile with a maximum range of 6,000 kilometers and a payload of one tonne.

Significance K series missiles

These 'K' missiles are important for India's nuclear deterrent arsenal because they provide 

India with a much needed ideal and invulnerable second-strike capability as stated in India's Nuclear Doctrine.

Chinese military has developed HJ-12 anti-tank missile which could hit targets at four km range.

This state of the art anti-tank missile is similar to the  similar to the weapon’s marketed by the US and Russia.

This missile will provide People's Liberation Army (PLA) ground force with new state-of-the-art weapon in its arsenal-the HJ-12 anti-tank missile.

The missile is developed by China North Industries Group Corp which is the one of the major defence contractors of China.

The HJ-12 is much more advanced than the anti-tank missiles currently used by the PLA ground force.

It has a host of cutting-edge technologies that have been adopted by its most powerful counterparts in Western armies.

Globally, the market for portable, anti-tank missiles is dominated by Western and Russian products, such as the United States' FGM-148 Javelin and Russia's AT-13 Saxhorn-2.

The lack of a portable antitank missile has compromised the PLA's ability to attack enemy tanks and hindered efforts to modernize the arsenal for its infantry.

This missile will provide PLA to catch up with the anti-tank combat capability of its Western and Russian counterparts and help it gain a bigger share in the international military equipment market.

Features of HJ-12 anti-tank missile:

• The HJ-12 is a fire-and-forget system utilizing Lock-On Before Launch (LOBL) and is capable of being fired within buildings and bunkers due to its soft launch system.
• The fire-and-forget technology does not require further guidance after launch, such as illumination of the target or wire guidance.
• Once launched, it will home autonomously onto its target, allowing the operator to immediately take cover or reload to engage another target.
• The warhead uses a tandem shaped charge design with an estimated penetration capability of up to 1,100 mm of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) after penetrating explosive reactive armor.
• HJ-12 features fire-and-forget capability and automatic self-guidance instruments, and it can be fired within buildings and bunkers due to its soft launch system.

India widens N-fuel base, signs up agreement with Uzbek mining firm for Uranium supplies

Uzbekistan state-owned mining company NMMC (Navoi Mining & Metallurgy Combine) has signed up contractual agreement to supply 2,000 metric tonnes of Uranium ore concentrate to India over the next four years (2014-2018).

NMMC is considered as one of the world’s top ten uranium and gold producers.

NMMC, $3.5 billion firm from Uzbekistan is a first-time entrant in the Indian atomic fuel market and joins a list of suppliers from France, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Importing uranium from Uzbekistan is India’s strategy to diversify its uranium suppliers’ list is part 

to counterbalance the fuel risk for the country’s nuclear reactors that are eligible to use imported uranium.

Why India needs to diversify its Nuclear Sources?

Since April 2011, India has bought over Rs 2,600 crore worth of uranium ore concentrate from NAC 

Kazatomprom of Kazakhstan and natural uranium di-oxide pellets from Russia’s state-owned firm JSC TVEL Corporation.

These uranium imports have enabled the capacity factor or operational efficiency of the 20 nuclear reactors currently running in India to raise a record 83 per cent in 2013-14.

In quantitative terms, in the last four years, India received a total of 2,215 tonnes of uranium from 

Kazakhstan and Russia, including a shipment of 118 tonnes from Russia early this fiscal.

Till March 2011, India had received 868 tonnes of uranium from France, Russia and Kazakhstan comprising 300 tonnes of natural uranium concentrate in following way:

·         Areva- 58 tonnes as enriched uranium dioxide pellets from Areva(France),

·         210 tonnes as natural uranium oxide pellets from Russia’s TVEL.

·         300 tonnes as natural uranium from Kazatomprom.

The Department of Atomic Energy estimates the annual fuel requirement for operating the indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) at 85 per cent capacity is about 45 tonnes of uranium dioxide.

It is especially needed for the older 220 MWe units, 100 tonnes for the 540 MWe units and 125 tonnes for the new 700 MWe units.

There is also requirement of 6 tonnes, low enriched uranium for operating the imported light water reactors (LWRs) at 85 per cent capacity factor for the 160 MWe Tarapur units and 27 tonnes for 

1,000 MWe for Russian-built units at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu.

Under the “separation plan” announced by the government in March 2006, negotiated after the July 2005 nuclear deal with the US, India was required to 14 reactors under IAEA safeguards in a phased manner.

Ten of these reactors RAPS 2 to 6 at Rawatbhata, Rajasthan, KAPS 1 and 2 at Kakrapar, Gujarat, and TAPS 1 and 2 at Tarapur, Maharashtra are already under IAEA safeguards, and eligible to run on imported fuel.

Thus the new operational plants will help in nuclear energy generation and add cumulative capacity of up to 4,780 megawatt electric (MWe), leading to meet energy demand.

Indian languages will get their 'domain'

From 27^th August 2014, Indian domain names will make their debut with the extension .Bharat which will be in Devanagari script.

Indian languages will finally get their due in the web world.

This .Bharat in Devanagari script will come to service on the World Domain Day 2014.

NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India) announced this initiative.

The main intention of this initiative is step towards a multi-lingual Internet to connect people in every corner of the country.

The domain names ending with .Bharat in Devanagri script cover Indian languages like Boro, Hindi, Dogri, Konkani, Maithalai, Marathi, Nepali and Sindhi.

For example, gktimes.bharat will be in all above languages.

Soon it will be followed by domain names in other languages including Bengali, Telugu, Gujarati, Urdu, Tamil and Punjabi.

NIXI is also working towards promoting Internet in rural areas as internet governance is coming up in a big way.

About National Internet Exchange of India

The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a government non-profit company established in 2003. It was established to provide neutral Internet Exchange Point services in India.

It was established under section 25 of the Companies Act 1956, with the Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI) to become the operational meeting point of Internet service providers (ISPs) in India.

Main functions of NIXI are:

·         To facilitate the handing over of domestic Internet traffic between the peering ISP members, rather than using servers in the United States or elsewhere.

·         By using domestic servers it enables more efficient use of international bandwidth and saves foreign exchange.

·         It also improves the Quality of Services (QoS) for the customers of member ISPs, by being able to avoid multiple international hops and thus lowering delays.

·         Utilising servers routed through, and administered by India also reduces the chances of Indian data being intercepted unlawfully by the NSA and the GCHQ.

NIXI is managed and operated on a Neutral basis, in line with the best practices for such initiatives globally.

NIXI currently has seven operational NOC located in   

1. Delhi (Noida), 
2. Mumbai (Vashi), 
3. Chennai, 
4. Kolkata, 
5. Bangalore, 
6. Hyderabad, 
7. Ahmedabad.

Since 2005, NIXI has also created IN Registry (.IN domain) as its autonomous body for maintenance of .IN domain.

Since December 2012, NIXI is also manages the National Internet Registry of the country delegation Internet Protocol addresses (IPv4 and IPv6) and Autonomous System numbers to its Affiliates. 

China developing Supersonic Submarine

China has moved a step closer to creating a supersonic submarine. This submarine is capable to travel from Shanghai to San Francisco i.e. covering nearly 9,900 kms in less than two hours.

This new technology is being developed by a team of scientists at Harbin Institute of Technology's Complex Flow and Heat Transfer Lab.

Team's innovative approach meant they could now create the complicated air "bubble" required for rapid underwater travel.

This technology will make easier for a submarine or torpedo, to travel at extremely high speeds underwater.

How this Technology works?

• This technology has an innovative means to address problems like designing a submerged vessel to travel at high speeds to generate and maintain the air bubble with a rudder placed within it to avoid direct contact with water.
• In practical application this technology is so far limited to unmanned vessels, such as torpedoes. In practical working all of these torpedoes were fired in a straight line because they had limited ability to turn.
• Once in the water, this supercavitation vessel would constantly "shower" a special liquid membrane on its own surface.

• Although this membrane would be worn off by water, in the meantime it could significantly reduce the water drag on the vessel at low speed.
• After its speed had reached 75 km/hr or more the vessel would enter the supercavitation state.
• The man-made liquid membrane on the vessel surface could help with steering because, with precise control, different levels of friction could be created on different parts of the vessel.
• This technology will use vector propulsion or thrust created by an engine.
• By combining liquid-membrane technology with supercavitation, this technology will significantly reduce the launch challenges and make cruising control easier.
• However, many problems are still needed to be solved before supersonic submarine travel became feasible.
• For the control issue, a powerful underwater rocket engine still had to be developed to give the vessel a longer range.
• The effective range of the Russian supercavitation torpedoes, for example, was only between 11 km and 15 km.
• This supercavitation technology was not limited only to military use. In future, it could benefit civilian underwater transport, or water sports such as swimming.

Besides Russia, countries such as Germany, Iran and the United States have been developing vessels or weapons using supercavitation technology.

Despite many scientists worldwide working on similar projects, the latest progress remains unclear because they are regarded as military secrets.

What is Supercavitation?

• Supercavitation is the use of cavitation effects to create a bubble of gas inside a liquid large enough to encompass an object travelling through the liquid.
• It reduces the skin friction or drag on the object which enables to achieve very high speeds.
• Current applications are mainly limited to projectiles or very fast torpedoes, and some propellers, but in principle the technique could be extended to include entire vehicles.
• During the Cold War, the Soviet military developed a technology called supercavitation, which involves enveloping a submerged vessel inside an air bubble to avoid problems caused by water drag.
• The supercavitation, torpedo called Shakval was able to reach a speed of 370km or more - much faster than any other conventional torpedoes.

An object (black) encounters a liquid (blue) at high speed. The fluid pressure behind the object is lowered below the vapour pressure of the liquid, forming a bubble of vapour (a cavity) that encompasses the object.

Sierra Leone makes hiding Ebola patients illegal

Sierra Leone's parliament has passed a new law making it a criminal offence to shelter Ebola patients.

As per the new law, those caught may face up to two years in prison.

This bill is yet to be approved by the president of Sierra Leone.

Earlier, Ivory Coast closed its land borders to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus on to its territory.

The World Health Organization says the measures taken by other countries as well  are counterproductive.

So far 1,427 people have died - more than in any other Ebola outbreak.

WHO says Ebola outbreak underestimated because:

• Many families keep sick people at home, as there is no cure.
• Many health centres have closed because medical staffs have fled.
• In Liberia, treatment centres are overwhelmed.
• The existence of "shadow-zones", areas where there are reports of Ebola but which cannot be accessed because of local resistance or lack of staff.

About Ebola virus:

• Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
• Fatality rate can reach 90% - but current outbreak has mortality rate of about 55%
• Incubation period is two to 21 days
• There is no vaccine or cure
• Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery
• Fruit bats, a delicacy for some West Africans, are considered to be virus's natural host

Panama Canal is now 100 years old

On 15^th August 2014, Panama Canal became 100 years old.

Panama Canal was opened on 15 August 1914 after 23 years of construction work.

A century later it is still considered one of the largest and most successful engineering feats ever built.

It is even considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

Panama Canal has remained one of the busiest waterways in the world.

Canal provides a direct shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans which is a vital link in world trade and transport by allowing ships and boats. It saves 8,000 mile route round Cape Horn, the most southern tip of South America.

About Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a 77.1-kilometre ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean.

The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade.

There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 metres (85 ft) above sea level.

The current locks are 33.5 metres (110 ft) wide. A third, wider lane of locks is currently under construction and is due to open in 2015.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has named the Panama Canal one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Importance of Panama Canal

The Panama Canal greatly reduced the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

It enabled ships to avoid the lengthy, hazardous Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America via the Drake Passage or Strait of Magellan.

It provides shorter, faster, and safer route to the U.S. West Coast and to nations in and around the Pacific Ocean.

It even helped surrounding Latin American countries to become more integrated with the world economy.

It takes between 20 and 30 hours to traverse the canal.

When the work of Panama Canal did begin?

In 1881, France began work on the canal but had to stop because of engineering problems and high mortality due to disease.

United States took over the project in 1904, and took a decade to complete the canal.

It was officially opened on August 15, 1914.

Panama Canal ownership issues?

Panama Canal is considered as one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken.

During construction, ownership of the territory that is now the Panama Canal was first 

Colombian, then French, and then American.

The US continued to control the canal and surrounding Panama Canal Zone until the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties provided for handover to Panama.

After the treaty was signed, joint American–Panamanian control was there over the canal.

It was taken over by the Panamanian government in 1999.

Currently it is managed and operated by the Panama Canal Authority, a Panamanian government agency.

Traffic in canal

Annual traffic has risen from about 1,000 ships in 1914, when the canal opened to 14,702 vessels in 2008.

By 2008, more than 815,000 vessels had passed through the canal. In 2013, 13,660 vessels passed through this canal.