Thursday 26 September 2013

Syrian UNESCO World Heritage sites added to Endangered List

UNESCO, in its annual meeting at Phnom Penh (Cambodia), has added 6 ancient World Heritage Sites of Syria to ENDANGERED World Heritage list.

  • The move was necessitated because of ongoing Syrian Civil War that has caused considerable damage to these websites including city of Aleppo. Fighting between Rebels and also the Syrian government have damaged a number of these sites-- In April, the minaret of Aleppo's ancient Umayyad mosque ( bulit in 8th century) was destroyed. Add illegal excavations, looting of ancient tombs and grave sites that are further threatening their existence.
  • a minimum of 18 ancient mosaics depicting scenes from Homer’s The Odyssey were stolen during illegal excavations on archaeological sites from the northeast Syria
  • The decision is meant to highlight the issue and garner support for that safeguarding of the sites
  • The Six UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Syria- 1) Ancient cities of Damascus 2) Bosra 3) and Aleppo, 4)the oasis of Palmyra,5) the castles of Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din (also referred to as the Fortress of Saladin) and also the 6) ancient villages of northern Syria.
  • Syrian Civil War started in March 2011
  • With this particular : There are 44 Properties now under Listing of World Heritage in danger according to Article 11 (4) around the globe Heritage Convention.
Apart from Syria's six sites Solomon Islands's East Rennell seemed to be included in 2013

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Egypt's Constitutional court rejects draft election laws

Egypt’s High Constitutional Court (HCC) declared five articles of the draft election law to as unconstitutional and sent the written text back to the Shura Council for redrafting that could delay parliamentary poll due in April. What the law states to regulate upcoming elections was drafted through the Shura Council, the Upper House of Parliament, that is currently endowed with legislative powers following a dissolution of the People’s Assembly in June 2012(with a HCC order), and was given to the HCC for approval before so it must be ratified by the President.


A legal court found irregularities in articles regarding the delineation of constituencies and number of seats invested in each governorate to be more proportionate for their population sizes. The Shura Council will need to add amendments to the article before February 25. The Constitution stipulates the law must be approved by the court within 45 times of it being passed by the Shura Council.

Monday 23 September 2013

Amnesty's 'Ambassador of Conscience Award' to Malala Yousafzai

Human rights campaigner Amnesty International group has awarded its highest honour “The Ambassador of Conscience Award” to Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen activist shot within the head last year by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education. She'll share this honour using the Harry Belafonte - American singer and human rights activist also referred to as "King of Calypso" as he popularized someplace sunny and warm musical style to international audience within the 1950s.

OTHER AWARDS TO MALALA : on her courage and determination to talk out in support of equal use of education for every child
  • Tipperary International Peace Prize 2012 : by Ireland (only 2nd Pakistani to obtain the award after late Benazir Bhutto in 2007)
  • World Peace and Prosperity Foundation Award ,UK
  • July 12 continues to be promoted as Malala day By UN
The Ambassador of Conscience Award
  • is Amnesty International's highest honour
  • recognizes folks who suffer from promoted and enhanced the cause of human rights through their life by example
  • aims to promote Amnesty's work by connection to the life, work and illustration of its ambassadors.
  • inspired by a Seamus Heaney’s poem- 'From the Republic of Conscience' (compiled by the late Nobel laureate for Amnesty only)
Previous recipients from the award :
  • First Award : Vaclav Havel (2003) - the final President of Czechoslovakia, and the first President from the Czech Republic ; a human right defender
  • Mary Robinson and Hilda Morales Trujillo (2004)
  • U2 and Paul McGuinness (2005)
  • Nelson Mandela (2006) - Nobel Peace Prize recipient ; guided Nigeria from apartheid to democracy and became in 1994 became its 's first black president
  • Peter Gabriel (2008)
  • Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (awarded 2009, presented 2012 because of her detention) - Nobel Peace Prize recipient
Not awarded in 2007 (last awarded to Suu Kyi in '09)

Amnesty International Secretary General : Salil Shetty
Headquarter : London

Thursday 19 September 2013

GSAT 7 – India’s First Defence Satellite

With the launching of GSAT 7 on August 30, 2012 India gets its first dedicated defence satellite, getting into a subtle civil-defence partnership. It's a spacecraft dedicated to Indian Navy because of its space bound marine communications. The satellite soared for 34 minutes before getting into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) of 249 km perigee, 35,929 km apogee as well as an inclination of 3.5 degree with regards to the equator (Perigee and Apogee are the distances of the satellite from the earth, across the GTO, with former being the nearest and also the latter being the farthest).
  • Inside a five days period (Aug 31st to Sep 4th) the satellite had completed three orbit raising manoeuvres (manned from ISRO) which to set up simple words is the utilization of propulsion systems to change the orbit of the spacecraft. Ending this the satellite was finally injected right into a geosynchronous orbit 36,000 kms over the earth’s surface. The satellite will be positioned in its destination slot of 74 degree east longitude by Sept 14th 2013.
  • The satellite premiered from Kourou spaceport in French Guiana while using French company Ariansespace’s Ariane 5 rocket launcher. (The organization was established in 1980 because the world’s first commercial launch services provider).
  • Together with GSAT 7, the launcher also orbited another spacecraft EUTELSAT 25B/Es'hail.
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO): is medium difficulty orbit used to reach the destined geosynchronous or geostationary orbit while using satellite’s engine. The latitudinal angle of the geosynchronous orbit is maintained with respect to the equator.

Bands based on the satellite: The satellite carries payloads operating in UHF, S, C and Ku bands.

A GSAT uses transponder i.e. a tool which helps in magnifying a frequency signal or changing a frequency from the earth and reflecting it well to any location on earth’s surface.
The microwave spectrum ranges from 1 giga hertz to 100 giga hertz with many common applications lying within 1-40 GHz (L, S, C, X, Ku, K, Ka Bands).
Services Offered: A range of services which would be delivered when the satellite becomes functional ranges from low bit rate voice/fax/data to high bit rate enhanced audio/video/data communication capabilities over vast marine areas and Indian terrestrial areas.

This could come as an aid in search and rescue operations, distress forewarning, weather forecasting, data relaying, etc.
India’s GSLV Programme: India continues to be developing its Geosynchronous Launch Vehicles by means of three generations with all the launches being conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota:

1) GSLV Mark I - 1-2 tonne GSAT launching capacity had following launches under it:

MK I (a) : GSLV D1 didn't place GSAT 1 in GTO in April 2001
Mk I (a) : GSLV D2 placed GSAT2 in May 2003
Mk I(b): GSLV F01 placed GSAT 3 (EDUCAT) in September 2004
Mk I(b): GSLV F02 was unsuccessful in launching INSAT 4C in the year 2006
Mk I(b): GSLV F04 failed partially to produce INSAT-4CR in 2007
Mk I( c ) : GSLV D4 didn't launch GSAT 5P in Dec 2010.
2) GSLV Mark II - 2-3 tonne GSAT launching capacity had following launches under it:

GSLV D3 - It had been the first Indian rocket operated by indigenously built cryogenic engine. It was to place GSAT 4, a 2220 kg communication satellite in GTO in Apr 2010 however was not successful due to non-ignition from the cryogenic stage.
GSLV D5 - It was to put GSAT 14 into 74 degree east longitude to assist provisioning of a number of satellite based services viz. tele-education, telemedicine, etc however the launch was called off as a result of leakage in the second liquid stage throughout the pre-launch pressurisation phase. It has been rescheduled for Dec 2013.
3) GSLV Mark III - Heaviest and many powerful launch vehicle asia which can place 4-5 tonne or heavier satellites.

India’s Three Stage Cryogenic Engine: ISRO is yet to check successfully our indigenous three stage cryogenic engine that is a requisite for launch of heavy satellites for example GSAT 7. Our home grown GSLV is really a three stage vehicle that's 49 metre tall, with a lift-off weight of 414 tonne.

First stage includes S125 solid booster with four liquid (L40) strap-on motors i.e. solid fuel based.
Second stage (GS2) is liquid engine which supplies a better thrust.
Third stage (GS3) may be the cryogenic stage, which is more efficient when compared to liquid stage in PSLV and uses cryogenic fuel - liquid hydrogen at -253 degree Celsius which utilizes surrounding air to boil and expand like a gas to more than 1000 times its volume. It offers one and a half times extra thrust than solid and liquid propellant and also at the same time weighs 50% less thereby enhancing the payload capacity of the launch vehicle.
Initially, India was acquiring Cryogenic Engine from Russian Space Agency. But, Russia refused to own technology to India within the wake of pressure in the USA, fearing that India can use the technology to develop long-range missiles. ISRO has been developing fraxel treatments since 1993. Testing of cryogenic rocket engine in India has been carried out at Liquid Propulsion System Centre (LPSC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu underneath the banner Cryogenic Upper Stage Project (CUSP).

To date, only USA, European Space Agency, Russia, China and Japan happen to be successful at developing their very own cryogenic engine technologies. Hope is the fact that India would join their league soon. Indigenous technologies aside from providing an edge to India would also reduce our expenditures to some great deal. But unless there's two such successful test flights, the hopes are minimal too.

Monday 16 September 2013

Robert Mugabe again sworn in as president of Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe has extended his 33 years stranglehold over Zimbabwe by another Five years having emerged victorious both in the presidential & parliamentry elections 2013. He, being sworn in as president for sixth consecutive term, thus becomes Africa's oldest leader at 89.


2013 Elections:
  • It was the first election held underneath the new constitution approved inside a referendum in March 2013
  • The African Union & Top court of Zimbabwe ruled that the election was "free, fair and credible" some western countries state the end result questionable
Results:
  • Robert Mugabe won 61 percent of the vote to claim a sixth term as president. 
  • Morgan Tsvangirai finished second with 34 percent of the vote
  • Mugabe's Zanu-PF party also dominated the parliamentary election winning 160 seats when compared with Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party 49 seats
Who's he:
  • He is the current President (second to seventh) from the Republic of Zimbabwe since its independence. 
  • Among the leaders of the national liberation movements against white-minority rule, he was elected as Pm, head of government, in 1980. 
  • Served as Pm from 1980 to 1987 (till PM office was abolished by constitution), so that as President (1987-present) ever since.
  • Re-elected in 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008 and today in 2013 (amid claims of widespread vote-rigging and intimidation much like last election). 
Main Opposition:
  • Morgan Tsvangirai
  • He's the second & last Prime Minister of Zimbabwe prior to the position was abolished through the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe. 
  • President from the main opposition party Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai (MDC-T) 
Constitutional trying out office of the PM:
  • It was abolished when the constitution was amended later(to give Mugabe sweeping powers) after which restored in 2009 (result of power sharing arrangements between Mugabe and Tsvangirai because the former could not get majority) simply to be scrapped right before the election
First President:

Wednesday 11 September 2013

RBI increases Marginal Standing Facility rate and Bank rate to 10.25%

Reserve Bank of India finally intervened to stem the flow of falling rupee since it increased the Marginal standing facility rate” to 10.25 % from earlier 8.25%. The present MSF rates are now 3% above Repo rate which was earlier pegged to Repo rate at Repo +1%

  • As Bank Minute rates are now linked to MSF it also adjusted to 10.25 %
Other decisions of RBI to evaluate falling Rupee
  • W.e.f 17th of July 2013, overall allocation of funds beneath the LAF i.e. Repo system (overnight borrowing limit ) might be limited to 1% of net demand and time liabilities (banks’ total deposits) from the whole banking system (approx Rs.75,000 cr). The allocation to banks will probably be made in proportion to their bids beneath the total ceiling.
  • RBI to conduct “open market sales of presidency securities” worth Rs.12,000 crore on July 18 (to take money from market)
Marginal standing facility rate (MSF)
  • Introduced in RBI Monetary insurance plan for 2011 -12; with effect from May 9, 2011
  • operational round the lines of the existing Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF i.e Repo and Reverse repo scheme where commercial banks may take a loan from RBI ) and allows banks to get into funds from the RBI against pledging the approved government securities
  • basic difference with LAF is dependant on the fact that in MSF banks could use the securities under Statutory Liquidity Ratio or SLR to acquire loans from RBI and hence MSF rate was kept 1% greater than repo rate (but now it is 3% more)
Tenor and Amount
  • all banks can avail for overnight (except on Friday when its designed for 3 or more days because of intervening holidays) as much as 1% of the respective Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL- all the deposits of the bank) outstanding following the second preceding fortnight
  • In case when the banks’ SLR holdings fall beneath the statutory requirement up to 1% of the NDTL, banks won’t have the obligation to find a specific waiver for default in SLR compliance arising from use of this facility
Reason to improve MSF

Continuous depreciation in the worth of rupee that is further sliding because of the recent feelers from U.S. that could start slowly pulling out its “quantitative easing” or perhaps the fiscal incentives that it had given to check slowdown of its economy. Because of this investors fear that US economy and for that reason world economy will again slowdown affecting world capital and securities market. Therefore to suit their investments (eg. vast amounts of dollars in portfolio investments ) in stable and safer economy like US they’re taking out from emerging markets like India having uncertain economic history.

Impact
  • Tightening of liquidity and that makes it costlier for banks to get into funds from the central bank
  • loans might get costlier as borrowing by banks from RBI could possibly get more costlier
  • unattractive for banks to get into rupee (at cheap rates) and buy dollars (in the forward markets) and so reduce pressure on the rupee, checking further slide
  • restrict utilization of easy money to prevent speculation inside the currency market

Raghuram Rajan Appointed As Next RBI Governor

The current Chief Economic Adviser inside the Finance Ministry, Raghuram Govind Rajan, has been appointed since the new (23rd) Governor of India’s Central bank- Reserve Bank asia (RBI). He succeeds D. Subbarao in September 2013 and may remain in office for 3 years (which can be extended later by 24 months).

  • An alumni of IIM Ahmedabad , IIT Delhi, MIT (US)
  • former Chief Economist from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
  • Second youngest Governor of RBI (at Fifty years). The youngest was Pm Manmohan Singh appointed in 1982 (within the age of 49 years)
  • credited to own correctly predicted the 2008 global financial trouble in the 2005 paper “Has Financial Development made the earth riskier”
  • Chairman of the high-level committee on Financial Sector Reforms (commissioned by Planning Commission)
  • Chairman of Expert Committee to draw in criteria to determine backwardness of States
CHALLENGES :
High Consumer price inflation- leading to tight Monetary policy Stance of RBI thus lowering growth rates

Economic Growth slowdown - RBI’s growth projections for 2013-14 dipped to five.5%
Sharp depreciation of the rupee (10.76% loss in the US dollar since January 2013 ; worst performer of major currencies)

Widening current account deficit (CAD) - touched 4.Eight percent of GDP accentuated by increasing gold, oil and coal imports