DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

Recently, an under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand collapsed trapping 40 workers inside.

What are the possible reasons for the collapse of the tunnel?

• The collapsed section is located around 200-300 metres from the mouth of the tunnel.
• Loose patch of rock - It could have happened due to a loose patch of rock, which wasn’t visible during the construction.
• The patch might have consisted of fractured or fragile rock with a lot of joints that may have made it weak.
• Water seepage- Water could have entered through loose patch, eroding the loose rock over time creating a void on the top of the tunnel, which can’t be seen.
• Shear zone- It is created when there is movement between two rocks and the rock gets crushed.
• This crushed rock can change its behaviour, it may have clay, or it may get weathered over time.

How the tunnel can be excavated?

• Rescue operation- Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) deployed the Remote Operated Vehicle - Daksh that is specifically designed to be used on a pan-tilt platform to help reach the risky terrain.
• It can operate continuously for 3 hours, covering distances ranging from 100 to 500 meters.

What are the challenges in constructing tunnel in Himalayan region?

• Young mountain- Himalayas are still growing due to the collision between the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plate.
• Geological complexity- They are characterized by a complex combination of rock types, fault lines, and seismic activity.
• Extreme weather variations - Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures in winter to intense monsoons and landslides during rainy season significantly impact tunnel construction projects.
• High altitude- The challenges include logistical complexities, limited accessibility and increased transportation costs for manpower and construction materials.
• Seismic vulnerability- The Himalayas are situated in a seismically active zone, making earthquake preparedness a top priority during tunnel construction.

The 59th International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC) was held at Pattaya, Thailand in 2023.

• ITTC – It is the governing body of the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) which meets once a year.
• Objectives – To promote sustainable tropical forest management and the trade of sustainably produced tropical timber.
• To develop forest-related policies and approve and finance field-level projects.
• Membership – It comprises all the 75 ITTO’s members.
• Assisted by 4 committees
  • Committee on Economics, Statistics and Markets.
  • Committee on Reforestation and Forest Management.
  • Committee on Forest Industry.
  • Committee on Finance and Administration.

International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO)

• It is an intergovernmental organization based on International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006 that entered into force in 2011.
• Objectives – To promote sustainable forest management (SFM) and conservation of tropical forests.
• To expand and diversify international trade in tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested forests.
• Membership – It consists of 75 members including India and EU.
• ITTO’s membership represents about 90% of the global tropical timber trade and more than 80% of the world’s tropical forests.

Atmospheric Waves Experiment will determine the combination of forces that drive space weather in the upper atmosphere.

• AWE is a Mission of Opportunity under NASA’s Heliophysics Explorers Program that studies the Sun and its interactions with the Earth and the solar system, including space weather.
• Objectives
  • To study the interactions between terrestrial and Space weather
  • To study colourful bands of light in Earth’s atmosphere, called airglow
• Features - Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (ATMT) will be mounted on the exterior of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS) to record the airglow at mesopause in the infrared bandwidth.

Mesopause is a region between the mesosphere and thermosphere at about 85 to 87 km above the Earth’s surface where the atmospheric temperature dips to -100° C.

• Functions
  • Continuously image airglow in Earth’s atmosphere
  • Study atmospheric gravity waves (AGW) which are vertical wave of displaced stable air produced during thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, regional orography, etc. in the lower atmosphere and continue all the way to Space contributing to the Space weather

Space weather

• It is the environment around the earth and other planets.
• They remains constantly under the influence Sun-bound emissions along with other matters surrounding the space.
• Earth’s influence – When the weather over Earth turns rough or extreme, space weather too can suffer extreme events.
• Importance – They have a direct impact on vital installations on Earth, like satellite-based communication, radio communication, and Space-based aircraft orbits or stations.

Langlands program, the world’s biggest Math project provides a beautifully intricate set of connections between various areas of mathematics, pointing the way toward novel solutions for old problems.

• It is a mathematical exercise to find connections between two far-flung areas of mathematics - number theory and harmonic analysis.
• Launch year – 1967
• Number theory – It is the arithmetic study of numbers and the relationships between them.
  • A famous example of such a relationship is the Pythagoras theorem (a² + b² = c² )
• It deals with discrete arithmetics like integers.
• Harmonic analysis – It studies the periodic phenomena and deals with mathematical objects more continuous in nature like waves.
• Significance – It could be crucial to prove the Ramanujan conjectures (speculations), many of which remain unsolved.
• It has also evolved into its own field of mathematics,
• One offshoot, Geometric Langlands investigates connections between algebraic geometry and representation theory.

Dr. Langlands was awarded the Abel Prize, one of the highest honours for mathematicians in 2018 for his visionary program connecting representation theory to number theory

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the risk weight of commercial banks and non-banking financial companies’ (NBFC) unsecured loans from 100% to 125% as a preventive measure against possible NPAs.

• Risk Weights – It is the risk associated with every rupee lent by the bank on its capital position.
• Risk Asset Ratio System – It was introduced by RBI in 1992 for banks including foreign banks as a capital adequacy measure in line with the Capital Adequacy Norms prescribed by Basel Committee

Capital Adequacy Ratio, known as Capital to Risk (Weighted) Assets Ratio (CRAR) is the proportion of a bank’s capital to its current and risk-weighted liabilities.

• Calculation – It depends on the nature of the loan and the inherent risk associated with it.
• Role in loan pricing - Lower the risk, lower the rate of interest on the loans provided.
  • For instance, home loans have the lowest interest rate among retail products while personal loans and credit cards have the highest interest rate based on their risk profile.
• In case of higher risk weights, the lenders must set aside more capital when making loans, thereby lowering their growth potential.
• Impact of RBI’s move – The increase in risk weights by the RBI will elevate funding costs for NBFCs and impact capital requirements.
• The immediate impact will likely affect lending partners like Paytm.
• In the long run, the overall financial system is expected to become more cautious in disbursing unsecured loans thus preventing over-leveraging.

Unsecured loan is a loan provided without any collateral which include credit cards, consumer durable loans and personal loans.

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, cyber technology, etc. are vital for Indian military and defence organisations.

What is emerging technology?

• Emerging technologies - It refers to innovative advancements or developments that have the potential to significantly change the way we live and work.
• These technologies arise from cutting-edge research and offer new opportunities for industries, economies, and societies.

What steps were taken to use emerging technologies in Indian defence sector?

• Chanakya Defence Dialogue- It was held in 2023 which serves as a forum to enhance national and regional security by discussing contemporary issues, including the impact of emerging technologies.
• Integrated Unmanned Roadmap- It is a comprehensive plan for the development and deployment of unmanned systems in the Indian Navy that aims to achieve standardization, interoperability and jointness.
• Project Swavlamban- It is an initiative to promote Atmanirbhar (self-reliance) in the defence sector by encouraging indigenisation of defence equipment and technology.
• AIDef- Artificial Intelligence in Defence is a symposium held in 2022 that showcased cutting edge AI enabled solutions developed by industry, start-ups etc.,
• It includes Defence AI Council and Defence AI Project Agency that facilitates AI integration in defence.
• Defence Cyber Agency- It was launched in 2018 to handle cyber security threats and to develop cyber warfare doctrine.
• Defence Space Agency- It is responsible for operating space warfare and satellite intelligence assets of India.

What are the challenges in utilising emerging technologies in India?

• Financial crunch- India’s defence spending is around 2.1% of GDP, which is insufficient to meet the requirement of armed forces and the defence industry.
• Lack of innovation- India invests very little in research and development in emerging technologies compared to its global leaders.
• Poor governance- India’s defence acquisition and procurement system is plagued by delays, corruption and red tapism.
• Outdated- The system is unable to cope with the fast paced and dynamic nature of emerging technologies, which require constant innovation and upgradation.
• Lack of skills- India faces a brain drain of its talent to foreign countries and industries and faces shortage of skilled and qualified personnel in emerging technologies.
• Inefficiency- India’s armed forces operate in silos and lack interoperability among themselves and with the civilian sector.
• It hampers the effective integration and utilisation of emerging technologies, which require seamless coordination and collaboration across domains and platforms.
• Lack of standardization- India lacks a clear and coherent strategic vision and doctrine for the use of emerging technologies in defence.
• India has not articulated its objectives, priorities, and principles for the development and deployment of these technologies.
• It has not defined its thresholds, norms, and rules of engagement for their employment in conflict scenarios.

• The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a strategic project that aims to improve economic development by connecting Asia, the Persian Gulf, and Europe.
• The IMEEC will consist of 2corridors:
  • East corridor - Connects India to West Asia/Middle East
  • Northern corridor - Connects West Asia/Middle East to Europe
• The IMEEC was unveiled at the G-20 summit in New Delhi. The route runs through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Greece.

• I2U2is a strategic partnership between four countries: India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
• The group's goal is to work together on global challenges and economic opportunities.

• It is an annual forum organized by United Service Institution of India in collaboration of International Committee of the Red Cross and the Centre for UN Peacekeeping Operations.
• The 2023 forum will be organized in New Delhi with focus on the importance of adhering to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) principles in complex peacekeeping situations.
• United Service Institution of India –It is the country's oldest think-tank established in 1870 for research and debate on national security and military affairs.

• A high-level committee has been formed to improve Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIF) programme, intending to include more SATHIs.
• SATHIs - Launched by - Department of Science & Technology (Ministry of Science and Technology)
• Aim - To provide professionally managed services with efficiency, accessibility and transparency under one roof to meet the demands of industry, start-ups and academia.

• 14^th Edition of the exercise “VAJRA PRAHAR 2023” commenced in Umroi, Meghalaya recently.

It is a joint military special force exercise between India and U.S.A

• Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH) is India's first national assessment regulator.
• PARAKH was established in 2020 as a standard-setting body in line with the National Education Policy (NEP).
• It will create standards and criteria for student assessment and evaluation for all nationally recognized educational boards.

It aims to help remove disparities in scores of students enrolled with different State boards.

• North Korea recently claims that it has successfully placed a 1^st military spy satellite, Malligyong-1 into orbit.
• The satellite was launched on a new carrier rocket, “Chollima-1”.

North Korea has also developed a class of experimental satellites called the Kwangmyongsong program.

• Ahead of the 15^th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Israel has declared the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba as a terror organization.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is an Islamist militant group particularly active in the Kashmir region.