Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative (AGNI)
Context:
The Ministry of Ayush’s Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS) launched the “Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative” (AGNI) to encourage Ayurveda practitioners to research and innovate.
About AGNI
- The Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative (AGNI) aims to chronicle and authenticate Ayurvedic medical practises, promote evidence-based practises, and support scientific research.
- Ayurveda practitioners can discuss their new practises, promoting evidence-based practise.
- Scientific research to validate pragmatic Ayurvedic practises is also supported.
Key functions
- In conjunction with the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, CCRAS shall report medical practises and therapy regimens for educational and scholarly objectives.
- Ayurveda practitioners can share their new methods and experiences across illness situations on AGNI.
- The project promotes evidence-based practise in Ayurveda, guaranteeing that their approaches are scientific.
- AGNI wants proposals from Ayurveda practitioners interested in establishing a comprehensive database.
- Good clinical practise training and research capacity building will be provided.
AGNI will validate and evaluate pragmatic Ayurvedic practises to mainstream them.
NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC)
Context:
- NASA’s recent achievement in the DSOC experiment aboard the Psyche spacecraft marks a breakthrough in the successful transmission of data using near-infrared laser signals from deep space to Earth.
- This technological advancement addresses the significant challenge of efficiently transmitting large volumes of data over extensive distances from high-speed spacecraft in deep space.
Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC)
- The DSOC experiment by NASA introduces a cutting-edge communication method for spacecraft, employing near-infrared laser signals.
- DSOC boasts data rates at least 10 times faster than traditional radio communication systems, promising improved data transfer rates, higher-resolution imagery, expanded scientific data capacity, and the potential for real-time video streaming.
- The impact of DSOC’s laser communication technology is likened to the transformative effect of fiber optics on Earth-based telecommunications.
Psyche Spacecraft and DSOC
- The Psyche spacecraft stands as the pioneer in carrying a DSOC transceiver, dedicated to testing high-bandwidth optical communication with Earth throughout its initial two-year journey to the asteroid belt.
- DSOC achieved a significant milestone, known as “first light,” when its transceiver successfully locked onto a potent laser beacon transmitted from NASA’s Table Mountain Facility in California.
- The precision required for high data rates involves accurate pointing, comparable to hitting a distant target while both the spacecraft and target are in motion.
- Maintaining this precision is critical, and the spacecraft must isolate the transceiver from vibrations.
Key Components for Success
- To ensure success, the spacecraft must effectively shield the transceiver from vibrations, allowing for sustained precision during data transmission.
- DSOC systems dynamically adjust as Earth and the spacecraft change positions, guaranteeing accurate pointing.
The extraction of information from weak laser signals transmitted across vast distances in space necessitates the implementation of innovative signal-processing techniques.
Can the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) have a significant impact?
Context:
- Since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the global community has faced difficulties in securing ample funding for biodiversity conservation.
- Nevertheless, a promising development occurred on August 27, 2023, with the creation of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), marking a pivotal moment in addressing biodiversity funding challenges.
Overview:
- The GBFF was officially established during the 7th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Vancouver, Canada, with its primary goal being to support countries in achieving the 23 targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
- Adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the KMGBF asserts that a minimum of $200 billion per year until 2030 is necessary to fund global biodiversity protection programs.
Distinctive Features of GBFF:
- Unlike its predecessor, the GEF, which relied on a limited number of donors, the GBFF is designed to draw funds from private, philanthropic, and government investments.
- The GEF will manage the GBFF, enhancing its robustness and versatility. The GBFF’s cumulative budget for 2022-26 is $5.25 billion, with 36% allocated for biodiversity and the rest dedicated to projects addressing climate change, pollution, land, and ocean health.
- Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Chairperson of GEF, emphasizes not only the need for increased funds but also for strategic utilization to maximize impact.
- The GBFF may also receive contributions from a proposed multilateral fund generated from fees related to digital genetic sequence information, potentially yielding over $15 billion annually.
Challenges:
- Despite the establishment of the GBFF, a significant funding gap for biodiversity conservation persists, with global spending on this front falling below the estimated need in 2019.
- Relying on domestic funds is particularly challenging for developing countries, and the world faces a projected financing gap of $4.1 trillion for biodiversity by 2050, necessitating sustainable funding mechanisms.
Significance of Domestic Funding:
- KMGBF’s Target 19 suggests various nature-based solutions, such as payment for ecosystem services, green bonds, and benefit-sharing mechanisms, to mobilize domestic funding.
- Blended financing, where public resources catalyze private investment, may not be an ideal solution and takes time to implement.
- Biodiversity credits (biocredits) have gained popularity and have the potential to generate the funds needed to meet KMGBF targets, although challenges in their infancy, including regulation, certification schemes, and policy systems, are still being discussed.
Challenges in Achieving KMGBF Targets:
- Achieving the 30×30 target of protecting 30% of land and waters faces challenges, considering the effectiveness of existing protected areas and the inclusion of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs).
Limited available data on the effectiveness of existing protected areas and concerns about the designation of OECMs without proper evaluation further complicate this goal.
The Way Forward:
- Indigenous peoples and local communities play a crucial role in conservation, with the KMGBF explicitly emphasizing the need to respect their rights in achieving targets.
- The GEF Assembly has allocated up to 20% of donor funds to support indigenous communities in conservation efforts. Substantial investment in building the capacity of indigenous communities is necessary to avoid human rights violations.
- Stricter norms should ensure that biodiversity-rich areas are not diverted for other purposes, such as plantations, which cannot replace old-growth forests.
Conclusion:
The establishment of the GBFF signifies a significant step toward addressing long-standing financial challenges in biodiversity conservation.
However, challenges, including securing adequate funds and ensuring equitable conservation practices, persist.
India-EU Semiconductor Pact
Context:
On Friday, India and the European Union inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) pertaining to semiconductors, aiming to establish a resilient supply chain and promote innovation.
Key Objectives of the MoU –
- Comprehensive Information Exchange: The MoU facilitates in-depth information exchange between India and the EU, concentrating on their semiconductor ecosystems. It encourages collaborative insights and knowledge-sharing for mutual development.
- Emphasis on Research, Development, and Innovation: The agreement prioritizes collaboration in critical areas such as research, development, and innovation. It involves active participation from universities, research bodies, and businesses in both regions.
- Addressing Semiconductors as a Strategic Commodity: Recognizing the strategic importance of semiconductors, the MoU aims to highlight their significance in diversifying global supply chains and reducing dependence on key players like China.
Current State of Semiconductor Production in India
- Investing in Semiconductor Fabrication: India has strategically allocated substantial funds to semiconductor fabrication through Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, acknowledging its pivotal role across industries.
- Underutilized Funds and Strategic Concerns: Despite financial backing, concerns arise due to the underutilization of these funds, prompting a critical evaluation of the strategy’s effectiveness.
- Strength in Design, Gaps in Manufacturing: While India excels in semiconductor design, attention is needed to bridge gaps in the manufacturing ecosystem. Strengthening this aspect is crucial for a comprehensive and successful semiconductor strategy in the country.
India Semiconductor Mission and PLI Schemes
- Strategic Mission for Semiconductor Ecosystem: The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) serves as a pivotal initiative. Despite significant fund allocation, the mission faces challenges requiring careful consideration.
- PLI Schemes’ Limited Impact: Existing Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, despite substantial funding, exhibit limited promise concerning employment generation and value addition. A more comprehensive approach is needed as the impact falls short of expectations.
Challenges with Large Manufacturing Emphasis: The emphasis on incentivizing large manufacturing plants raises concerns about the limited scope of these incentives. Multinational chipmakers show hesitancy in making substantial commitments, emphasizing the need for a nuanced and adaptable strategy.
Reflection of Earthquake waves in Ionosphere
Context:
Recent research found that even mild earthquakes can modify coseismic ionospheric perturbations (CIP) in amplitude and time, impacted by parameters such as geomagnetism and line-of-sight geometry.
Coseismic Vertical Crustal Movements and Acoustic Waves:
- Small earthquakes cause vertical crustal movements that cause atmospheric acoustic waves (AWs).
- GNSS sensors and satellites experience disruptions in electron counts due to upward waves reaching the ionosphere.
- Near-field coseismic ionospheric perturbations (CIP) occur within 500-600 km of the earthquake source.
Challenges with Previous Assumptions:
- For near-field CIP modelling, previous research assumed point sources and a single auditory pulse based on maximal vertical displacements.
The single-source assumption is challenged by large earthquakes that break several fault segments across hundreds of km.
- The Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) scientists analysed the near-field CIP of the February 2023 Turkey Earthquakes, both lower than 8 Mw, for verification.
- The earthquakes included a severe Mw 7.8 (EQ1) on the Turkey-Syria border and a Mw 7.7 (EQ2) to the north.
