Prelim Bits 01-03-2018

Qal’at al-Bahrain

The Qal'at al-Bahrain is an ancient harbor and Capital of Dilmun heritage site in Bahrain, near its capital city of Manama.
It comprises four main elements - an archaeological tell, a sea tower near the tell, a sea channel near the sea tower and palm groves.
A typical tell is an artificial mound created by many successive layers of human occupation.
It is believed to have been occupied for over 4,000 years and is considered the capital of the Dilmun civilization.
Dilmun (Telmun) was a civilization located in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula which was contemporary to Indus and Mesopotamian civilization.

The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Excavation was carried out in this region that found a fortification wall around the tell.
Other artifacts found during the process were barbar pottery, relics of copper and ivory, pots and vessels, fishing tools and a socketed spearhead.

Central Electricity Authority (CEA)

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has set up a task force that will formulate testing standards and procedures, and identify requirement of infrastructure up gradation, by creating a separate test bed for cyber security in power sector.
A test bed is a restricted ecosystem where various experiments can be conducted without affecting the entire set up.
The CEA is the apex policy advisory body in the electricity sector that urges to develop a cyber security framework to address security needs in the country’s power sector especially after the advent of smart grids.
Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is a statutory organization originally constituted under repealed Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, since substituted by Electricity Act 2003.
The functions and duties of CEA are delineated under the Electricity Act, 2003.

4G network on moon

Vodafone partners with Nokia, Audi to bring 4G network on moon in 2019.
It will be the first privately-funded moon landing mission.
Vodafone testing indicates that the base station should be able to broadcast 4G using the 1800 MHz frequency band and send back the first ever live HD video feed of the Moon’s surface.

The network will support the operations of audi rovers collecting scientific data and reporting back from the astral body’s surface.
A 4G network is highly energy efficient compared to analogue radio and that will be crucial to Mission to the Moon and is the first step to building communications infrastructure for future missions.

North Atlantic Right Whale

The North-Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered of all large whales, with a long history of human exploitation and no signs of recovery despite protection from whaling since the 1930s.
The dwindling North Atlantic right whale population is on track to finish its breeding season without any new births.
They primarily feed on phytoplankton.
The North-Atlantic right whale is mostly found along the Atlantic coast of North America, where it is threatened by entanglement in fishing gear and ship collisions.
The combination of rising mortality and declining fertility is now seen as potentially catastrophic.

It was once the target of major commercial whaling, but now it is not harvested.
There are estimated to be as few as 430 North Atlantic right whales left in the world, including just 100 potential mothers.
It is classified as endangered under the IUCN Red list.

Illegal mining in Rajasthan

Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its report on economic sector that was tabled in Rajasthan assembly pulled up the state for rampant illegal mining in the state.
About 98.87 lakh tones of minerals worth Rs. 204.5 crore were illegally excavated in five districts of Rajasthan between 2011-12 and 2016-17.
The mining violated rules and regulations and flouted the Supreme Court's direction to stop degradation of environment in the State’s Aravalli hills.
It also pointed out that the Mines Department could recover only Rs. 25.57 crore against the total recoverable amount of Rs. 204.50 crore.
There were inadequacies in preventive measures as well as in the follow-up of the illegal mining cases detected ,further policy measures framed in 2011 for curbing illegal mining were not implemented.
The districts where illegal mining took place during the five years are Alwar, Jaipur, Sikar, Rajsamand and Udaipur.

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has doubled the credit limit of agri cooperative NAFED to undertake procurement of pulses and oilseeds.
NAFED undertakes procurement operation of pulses and oilseeds under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) of the government to help farmers when market rates.
NAFED is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act and was established in 1958.
NAFED was set up with the object to promote co-operative marketing of agricultural produce to benefit farmers.
The objectives of the NAFED shall be

To organize, promote and develop marketing, processing and storage of agricultural, horticultural and forest produce.
To distribute agricultural machinery, implements and other inputs.
To undertake inter-state, import and export trade, wholesale or retail.
To act and assist for technical advice in agricultural production.

Agricultural farmers are the main members of NAFED, who have the authority to say in the form of members of the General Body in the working of NAFED.

Source: The Hindu, Business Standard, Bussinessline