Kerala Affairs
State must reassess governance system
Economist and former director ofCentre for Development Studies(CDS)Prof KP KannansaidKeralashould re-examine its Governance system and rise to the challenges posed by a Society with high . Kannan, an honorary fellow ofCDS, has just completed a working paper titled Kerala Model of Development Revisited, A Sixty-Year Assessment of Successes and Failures.
Kannan cited three examples to illustrate Keralas spectacular failure: a declining efficiency in revenue collection, persisting loss in public sector enterprises and waste of public Resources due to time and cost overruns in public investments (basic infra).
These are thwarting Keralas ability to enhance Capital Expenditure, tackle Unemployment. Detailed studies will be required to pinpoint the nexus between the political-bureaucratic class and the business-contractor class which is aggravating the lapses in revenue collection. The outbreak of Covid in 2020 after the massive floods in Aug 2018 was the beginning of a new challenge for Keralas development trajectory, he said.
National and International Affairs
Agni Prime ballistic missile
Agni Prime ballistic missile was successfully tested off the coast of Odisha recently.
The recent test is the third consecutive test flight of the Agni Prime missile. It marks the completion of development trial.
It confirmed the accuracy and reliability of the indigenous missile system.
The first flight test of the Agni Prime was conducted in June 2021, with the second one taking place six months later in December.
These two tests also saw the missile successfully meeting the mission objectives with high level of accuracy.
Two more Indian beaches get Blue Flag
Two more beaches, both in Lakshadweep, have been accorded the Blue Flag tag, putting them in an elite list of the worlds cleanest and most eco-friendly beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators.
The Blue Flag is an exclusive eco-label or certification that is given to coastal locations around the world as a badge of environmental honour. The Blue Flag programme is run by the Copenhagen, Denmark-headquartered Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a nonprofit which, through its work, contributes to the Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
The Blue Flag programme started in 1987, initially in Europe. Certification is awarded annually. A total 5,042 beaches, marinas, and tourism boats in 48 countries have been awarded the label so far. A marina is a small harbour where mainly pleasure boats and yachts dock.
The certification is given by an international jury comprising members of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), besides FEE.
Amendments to the IT Rules, 2021
Recently, government notified amendments to theInformation Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.
These areaimed at making Internet-open, safe & trusted and accountable,for the digital nagriks of the country.
India to expand NaVIC, make signals more secureIndia plans to expand its regional satellite navigation system NaVIC in a bid to increase its use in the civilian sector and also by ships and aircraft travelling far from the country’s borders.
The with Indian Constellation (NaVIC) uses seven satellites to provide real-time positioning and timing Services in India and an area extending up to 1,500 km from the country’s borders.
NASA to Set Up Independent Study on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
NASA is commissioning a study team to start early in the fall to examine unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) that is, observations of events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective. The study will focus on identifying available data, how best to collect future data, and how NASA can use that data to move the scientific understanding of UAPs forward.
The study is expected to take about nine months to complete. It will secure the counsel of experts in the scientific, aeronautics, and data analytics communities to focus on how best to collect new data and improve observations of UAPs.
China launches third and final space station component
China’s third and final module docked with its permanent space station to further a more than decade-long effort to maintain a constant crewed presence in orbit, as its competition with the U.S. grows increasingly fierce.
The name of China’s final space station module, Mengtian, translates to dreaming of the heavens. The roughly 18-meter-long module will link to the Tianhe core module and the Wentian experiment module to complete China’s Tiangong space station.