[Newsbits] 6.10.2023 Current Affairs

Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles mind map
Context: Vehicle fumes in Delhi
Illness potential: Acute
Study highlights
Period analyzed: April-June and October-November 2021
Major source: Vehicular emissions
Human body transport: From respiratory system
Illness types: Chronic and acute
Source types: Natural or human activities
Urban road contribution: Combustion in automobiles
Urban particle contribution: Up to 90% (1-100 nanometers)
Influence factors
Meteorology
Concentration
Increase: Relative humidity rise
Peaks: Morning and evening (vehicular emissions)
Nanoparticle definition
Size range: 1 to 100 nanometers
Visibility: Invisible
Origin types: Natural or combustion by-products
Physical properties (3 major)
Mobility: Highly in free state
Surface area: Enormous specific
Effects: Quantum effects
Applications
Aerospace inclusion
Environmental preservation
Cosmetic industries utilization
Sports industries importance
Products: Towels, mats
Plastic garden chair feature
Developer use: Nano-titanium dioxide
Purpose: Self-cleaning
Photovoltaics (PV) types
Size, shape, material control: Allows design
Products: Different solar thermal

National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)

National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) mind map
Context: $600 m India-Japan Fund
Partnership
NIIF and JBIC
Primary investors
GoI and JBIC
Fund amount: $600 million
GoI: 49%
JBIC: 51%
Focus
Environmental sustainability
Low-carbon emission strategies
Objective
Preferred partner for Japanese investments in India
About
Establishment: 2015
Objective: Maximize economic impact
Focus: Commercially viable projects
India’s first sovereign wealth fund
Setup by: Government of India
Function: Infrastructure sector investment in India
Stake distribution
Indian government: 49%
Others: Foreign and domestic investors
Fund management: Three funds
Registration: Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) with SEBI
Incorporation: Under Companies Act, 2013
Role: Investment manager for NIIF
Governance
Governing Council
Chair: Hon’ble Finance Minister of India
Members: Eminent (corporates, investments, policy sectors)
Meeting frequency: Annually
Role: Guidance on NIIF strategy
Functions
Fund raising
Instruments: Off-shore credit enhanced bonds
Anchor investor participation
Investor servicing
Candidate selection
Companies/institutions/projects
Monitoring: Periodic
Corpus investment
Focus: Asset Management Companies (AMCs)
Type: Private equity
Infrastructure projects
Services: Preparing, advisory

Global Internet freedom

Global Internet freedom mind map
Report by Freedom House
13th year of decline
Decline in 29 countries
Improvement in 20 countries
Report title
"Freedom on the Net 2023: The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence"
Use of AI for
Censorship
Disinformation spread
Key findings
Iran
Increase in digital repression
China
Worst for Internet freedom
9th consecutive year
Followed by Myanmar
55 countries
Legal consequences for online expression
Elections
Trigger for digital repression
India
IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules
Use of AI-based moderation tools
Concerns
Impact on democracy
Expanding censorship regime
Evaluation methods
Internet connectivity restrictions
Social media platform blocks
Website blocking
Forced content removal
Score: 50 out of 100
Higher scores mean greater freedom
Iceland: 94
Highest Internet freedom

Andhra Pradesh: New Guaranteed Pension Scheme (GPS)

Andhra Pradesh: New Guaranteed Pension Scheme (GPS) mind map
Context
Andhra Pradesh GPS Bill 2023
Introduction reason
Criticism of NPS
Negative fiscal impact of OPS
Comparison of schemes
Old Pension Scheme (OPS)
Pension Guarantee
Fixed pensions
Contribution
Funded through budget
Pension Amount
Based on salary and service length
Fiscal Impact on States
Unsustainable growth in liabilities
New Pension Scheme (NPS)
Pension Guarantee
Returns based on market condition
Contribution
Employee and employer contributions
Pension Amount
Variable, dependent on corpus returns
Fiscal Impact on States
Fiscally sustainable
Guaranteed Pension Scheme (GPS)
Pension Guarantee
Fixed pension component
Contribution
10% basic salary contribution
State government matching
Pension Amount
50% of last drawn basic salary
Fiscal Impact on States
Government funds NPS return shortfall
States contemplating return to OPS
Chhattisgarh
Rajasthan
Himachal Pradesh
Punjab
Delhi
Future potential
Hybrid model like GPS

Solar Geo-Engineering

Solar Geo-Engineering Mind Map
Context
Potential climate change solution
Definition
Reflect sunlight to cool Earth
SRM methods
Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI)
Injecting reflecting particles
Marine cloud brightening (MCB)
Sea salt stimulates cloud formation
Paris Agreement target
Limit temperature increase
Below 2°C
Efforts for 1.5°C
Net global CO2 emissions zero by mid-century
Potential
Cost-effective
$18 billion per cooling degree
Carbon dioxide removal comparison
Requires more money
Implications
Polar Warming and Ice Melt
Temperature increases around poles
Impact on Monsoon Patterns
Potential rainfall and weather system disruptions
Moral hazard
Slow emission reductions risk
Delay low-carbon economy transition
Little is known about impacts
Computer-based modelling
Natural observations (e.g., volcanic eruption)
Uncoordinated Efforts
Risks of uncoordinated actions
Private companies' unregulated experiments
Example: "Make Sunsets" releases sulphur dioxide
USA’s plan
Public or private actors
Aerosols and MCB sunlight reflection
Research focus
Assess potential risks and benefits
Climate policy components
Mitigation
Adaptation
Way ahead
International governance need
Experimentation source
Only from governments
Public involvement in decision-making
Conclusion
Ethical and environmental risks
Need for public scrutiny and debate
Primary solutions
Mitigation and Adaptation

2023 Nobel Prize for Literature

2023 Nobel Prize for Literature mind map
Jon Olav Fosse
Norwegian author
Award reason
Voice to unsayable human experiences
Features of his work
Radical reduction
Language
Dramatic action
Expresses human emotions
Anxiety
Powerlessness
Language
Norwegian Nynorsk
Genre
Novels
"Red Black" (1983)
Themes of identity and journey
"Melancholy I" (1995)
19th-century artist Lars Hertervig's life and death
Plays
"Someone Is Going to Come"
Minimal dialogue
Human relationships exploration
"And Never Shall We Part"
Love and loss themes
Minimalist impact
"The Name"
Modernist concerns
Unspoken human interaction aspects
Poetry Collections
Significant Norwegian contributions
Essays
Varying titles and themes
Children’s Books
Diverse body of work
Translations
Other languages into Norwegian Nynorsk
Famous quotes
"Happiness in unhappiness?"
"Poetry and listening relationship"
2022 Nobel Prize in Literature
Annie Ernaux (French author)
Award reason
Exploration of personal memory
Origins
Estrangements
Collective constraints
Clinical precision and courage
About the Nobel Prize
Categories
Peace
Literature
Physics
Chemistry
Physiology or Medicine
Economic Sciences
Nobel Foundation (1900)
Oversee prize administration
Ensure independence of awarding institutions
About the Nobel Prize in Literature
Award frequency
Every year
Purpose
Honour idealistic works
First recipient
Sully Prudhomme (1901)
Awards till 2023
116 times to 120 Laureates
Indian Nobel Prize Laureates
Rabindranath Tagore (1913)
Literature
Poetic and Artistic Contributions
C V Raman (1930)
Physics
Raman Effect Discovery
Hargobind Khorana (1968)
Medicine
Genetic Code Interpretation
Mother Teresa (1979)
Peace
Humanitarian Work
Services to Poor
Subramanian Chandrashekhar (1983)
Physics
Stellar Structure and Evolution
The Dalai Lama (1989)
Peace
Peace and Human Rights Advocacy
Amartya Sen (1998)
Economics
Welfare Economics
Poverty Alleviation
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009)
Chemistry
Ribosome Structure and Function
Kailash Satyarthi (2014)
Peace
Child Rights
Anti-Child Labor Activism

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