{"id":12244,"date":"2021-07-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/28-07-2021\/facts-in-news-29\/"},"modified":"2024-07-06T15:32:16","modified_gmt":"2024-07-06T10:02:16","slug":"facts-in-news-29","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-07-2021\/facts-in-news-29","title":{"rendered":"Facts in News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Facts in News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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James Webb Space Telescope<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

The <\/span><\/span><\/span>National Aeronautics and Space Administration<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (NASA) is set to launch the <\/span><\/span><\/span>James Webb Space Telescope<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (JWST).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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  • It will be a <\/span><\/span><\/span>large infrared telescope<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> with an approximately 6.5-meter primary mirror.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It will be the<\/span><\/span><\/span> premier observatory <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide and is considered the <\/span><\/span><\/span>successor of the <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>Hubble Space Telescope<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It will <\/span><\/span><\/span>study every phase in the history of the Universe<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of the Solar System.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It was formerly known as the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Next Generation Space Telescope<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (NGST) but was renamed in <\/span><\/span><\/span>2002<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> after a former NASA administrator, <\/span><\/span><\/span>James Webb<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • Under his tenure, NASA launched over 75 space science missions, including probes that were sent to Mars and Venus.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • It is an <\/span><\/span><\/span>international collaboration<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>NASA Goddard Space Flight Center<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> is managing the <\/span><\/span><\/span>development<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> effort.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Main Features<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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        • Primary <\/span><\/span><\/span>mirror<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> made of <\/span><\/span><\/span>18 separate segments<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (made of ultra-lightweight <\/span><\/span><\/span>beryllium<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>) that unfold and adjust to shape.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Its biggest feature is a tennis court-sized <\/span><\/span><\/span>five-layer sunshield<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> that attenuates heat from the Sun more than a million times.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • It has a <\/span><\/span><\/span>cryocooler<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for cooling the mid-infrared detectors of other instruments.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • It will be the <\/span><\/span><\/span>largest<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span>most powerful<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>complex<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> space telescope ever built and launched into space.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • However, NASA has to decide if the telescope <\/span><\/span><\/span>needs to be renamed<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> after the <\/span><\/span><\/span>controversy on alleged discrimination by Webb against the LGBTQIA+ community<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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          • He purged community members from the workforce after he arrived at NASA in 1961.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
          • As part of the \u201clavender scare\u201d thousands of gay employees were fired or forced to resign from the federal workforce because of their sexuality.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            <\/span><\/span><\/span>(Image Courtesy: <\/span><\/span><\/span>NASA<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Buen Retiro Park and Paseo del Prado<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

Recently, UNESCO has added <\/span><\/span><\/span>Madrid’s<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (Capital of Spain) historic <\/span><\/span><\/span>Paseo del Prado<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>Retiro Park<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to its list of <\/span><\/span><\/span>World Heritage Sites<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

Recently, the Maharashtra <\/span><\/span><\/span>Mangrove<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> Cell has proposed the biodiversity-rich <\/span><\/span><\/span>Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (TCFS) to be designated as a <\/span><\/span><\/span>Ramsar site<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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  • TCFS is spread over 1,690.5 hectares and is <\/span><\/span><\/span>one of Mumbai\u2019s biggest open spaces<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is spread across <\/span><\/span><\/span>Mulund, Vikhroli, Bhandup, Kanjur <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>and parts of <\/span><\/span><\/span>Mandale<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> village and <\/span><\/span><\/span>surrounded by highly urbanised areas<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is <\/span><\/span><\/span>home to<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> 12 true mangrove species, 39 mangrove associates, 167 species of birds including flamingos, 45 fish species, 59 species of butterflies, 67 insect species, among other mammals such as jackals.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • In <\/span><\/span><\/span>May 2018<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, the state had declared it a <\/span><\/span><\/span>flamingo sanctuary<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • If approved, it will be the <\/span><\/span><\/span>first such site in Mumbai Metropolitan Region<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (MMR) and <\/span><\/span><\/span>third in Maharashtra<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to be designated as a Ramsar site.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>Nandur Madhameshwar<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> became the first site designated from Maharashtra.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>Lonar Lake<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in the Buldhana district is the second such site in the state.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Ramsar Site: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>It is a wetland area designated to be of international importance under the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Ramsar Convention<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, an intergovernmental environmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Advantages<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • Help in conservation and wise use of the wetland.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • National and international cooperation for conservation and management and also central funding.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Boost tourism, generate employment for locals bringing economic benefits for surrounding areas.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Create awareness for the conservation of other wetlands.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        (Image Courtesy: <\/span><\/span><\/span>Mirror<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Gharib Nawaz Employment Scheme<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Maulana Azad Education Foundation, an autonomous body under the aegis of the Ministry of Minority Affairs implements the<\/span><\/span><\/span> Gharib Nawaz Employment Scheme.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Aim:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> To<\/span><\/span><\/span> provide short term job oriented skill <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>development courses to minorities\u2019 youth in order to enable them for skill-based employment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • This scheme will be implemented as per common norms of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSD&E)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> through the empanelled Program Implementation Agencies (PIAs).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • As per the scheme guidelines, employment opportunities (organized & unorganized Sectors) are being provided to all the beneficiaries.\u00a0 The PIA is mandated to place a minimum of 70% of trainees out of total trained trainees.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Constitutional Provision related to Minorities<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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      • The<\/span><\/span><\/span> Constitution of India <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>does not specify the term<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0 ‘minorities\u2019, however, the Constitution <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>recognizes only religious and linguistic minorities<\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Article 29 and Article 30 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>guarantee certain rights to the<\/span><\/span><\/span> minorities.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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        • Article 29 of the Indian Constitution<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> protects the interests of the minorities by making a provision that any citizen\/section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture have the right to conserve the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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          • It mandates that <\/span><\/span><\/span>no discrimination<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> would be done on the<\/span><\/span><\/span> ground of religion, race, caste, language<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> or any of them.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
          • Article 30 of the Indian Constitution<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> states the right of <\/span><\/span><\/span>minorities to establish <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>and <\/span><\/span><\/span>administer educational institutions.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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            • It says: \u201cAll minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
            • Article 350 B<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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              • There shall be a <\/span><\/span><\/span>Special Officer<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for linguistic minorities to be <\/span><\/span><\/span>appointed by the President<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
              • It shall be the duty of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Special Officer<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to investigate all <\/span><\/span><\/span>matters relating to the safeguards<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> provided for <\/span><\/span><\/span>linguistic minorities<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> under the Constitution and report to the President upon those matters at such intervals as the President may direct.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
              • The President shall cause all such reports to be <\/span><\/span><\/span>laid before each House of Parliament<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, and sent to the Governments of the States concerned.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Phosphatic Rock<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers informed Parliament that India will explore <\/span><\/span><\/span>indigenous deposits of phosphatic rock<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, a step towards becoming Atma Nirbhar in fertilizer production.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    About<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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    • Phosphorus rocks or phosphate rocks are unprocessed ores.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Phosphate rock deposits can be <\/span><\/span><\/span>sedimentary <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>(formed from sediment deposited by water or air) or <\/span><\/span><\/span>igneous <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>(having solidified from lava or magma). However, the easiest way to obtain phosphorus is by <\/span><\/span><\/span>way of mining<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and concentrating <\/span><\/span><\/span>phosphate rock from the phosphate deposits.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • The phosphates may be derived from a variety of <\/span><\/span><\/span>sources<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, including marine invertebrates that secrete shells of calcium phosphate, and the bones and excrement of vertebrates.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • They are available in <\/span><\/span><\/span>high, medium, and low grade<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>s.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Some phosphate rocks are used for <\/span><\/span><\/span>making calcium phosphate nutritional supplement<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>s for animals, while pure phosphorus is used to make chemicals for industrial use. However, the most important use of phosphorus is for the production of fertilizers for agriculture.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Uses:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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        • It is the key <\/span><\/span><\/span>raw material<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for DAP and NPK fertilisers.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Phosphorus cannot be substituted by any other mineral, as it is vital for a number of reasons in agriculture.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • It plays a major role in <\/span><\/span><\/span>photosynthesis and energy transfer in plants<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>. Further, it is essential for the production of seed and root formation.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • It <\/span><\/span><\/span>promotes early plant maturity<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and stalks strength. It is also resistant to <\/span><\/span><\/span>plant root diseases<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • Currently, India is <\/span><\/span><\/span>90 per cent dependent on imports for Rock Phosphate.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Phosphorus Deposits<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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          • Large sedimentary deposits are located in China, Middle East, Northern Africa, and the United States.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
          • Meanwhile, the <\/span><\/span><\/span>igneous deposits<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> are mined in Brazil, Canada, Finland, Russia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n
            • Phosphorus in India<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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              • Phosphate rocks are majorly produced only from two States in <\/span><\/span><\/span>India, namely Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
              • Currently, there exists 30 lakh MT of phosphorite deposits in the country, for which important steps are being taken by the Government to ramp up its production.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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                • These deposits are available in <\/span><\/span><\/span>Rajasthan<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, the central part of peninsular India, Hirapur <\/span><\/span><\/span>(Madhya Pradesh),<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> Lalitpur (Uttar Pradesh), Mussoorie syncline, and Cuddapah basin (Andhra Pradesh).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  Facts in News James Webb Space Telescope The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is set to launch the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It will be a large infrared telescope with an approximately 6.5-meter primary mirror.\u00a0 It will be the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide and is considered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12245,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[76],"class_list":["post-12244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-gs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/5729790current-affairs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12244"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25451,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12244\/revisions\/25451"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}