K-9 Vajra
Why in news?
- Defence Minister flagged off the 51st K-9 Vajra-T gun at the Larsen and Toubro NSE -1.14 % Armoured Systems Complex at Hazira, Surat.
Key facts
- The Larsen and Toubro officials showed the minister the different manoeuvres of the K-9 Vajra-T, a tracked self-propelled howitzer. Singh sat in the vehicle on which the gun was mounted and was driven around the Hazira complex.
- The gun weighs 50 tonnes and can fire 47kg bombs at 43-kilometre distant targets. It can also turn around at zero radius.
- Larsen and Toubro had in 2017 won the Rs 4,500-crore contract from the Ministry of Defence to supply 100 units of K9 Vajra-T 155 mm/52 calibre tracked self-propelled gun systems to the Indian Army under the Centre’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.
- The K9 Vajra contract involves delivery of 100 such systems in 42 months, which is the largest contract awarded to a private company by the Ministry of Defence.
World Meteorological Organization report
Why in news?
- According to World Meteorological Organization (WMO), The past decade (2010-2019) was the hottest on record and 2019 was the second warmest year ever, just shy of 2016, since records began.
About:
- The data from the Geneva-based WMO crunches several datasets including from NASA and the UK Met Office. It showed that the average global temperature in 2019 was 1.1 degree Celsius (34°F) above pre-industrial levels.
- Australia had its hottest, driest year on record in 2019, setting the scene for the massive bushfires.
- The hottest year on record was in 2016 due to the warming impact of a strong El Nino event.
- Since the 1960s, each decade has been warmer than the previous one, by significant amounts. While the 2010s continued this trend, the second half of the decade was especially warm — the five hottest years ever have occurred during that span.
World Meteorological Organization report
Why in news?
- According to World Meteorological Organization (WMO), The past decade (2010-2019) was the hottest on record and 2019 was the second warmest year ever, just shy of 2016, since records began.
About:
- The data from the Geneva-based WMO crunches several datasets including from NASA and the UK Met Office. It showed that the average global temperature in 2019 was 1.1 degree Celsius (34°F) above pre-industrial levels.
- Australia had its hottest, driest year on record in 2019, setting the scene for the massive bushfires.
- The hottest year on record was in 2016 due to the warming impact of a strong El Nino event.
- Since the 1960s, each decade has been warmer than the previous one, by significant amounts. While the 2010s continued this trend, the second half of the decade was especially warm — the five hottest years ever have occurred during that span.
Tightens debit, credit card usage norms
Why in news?
- RBI has issued directions under Section 10(2) of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007) to increase the security of card transactions. These shall come into effect from March 16, 2020.
Key highlights of the direction:
- RBI has asked banks to allow only domestic card transactions at ATMs and point of sale (PoS) terminals in India at the time of issuance or reissuance of a card.
- The RBI has also asked banks to offer all cardholders the facility to switch on or off and set or modify transaction limits within the overall card limit.
- Issuers should provide cardholders the facility for enabling ‘card not present’ (domestic and international) transactions,
‘card present’ (international) transactions and contactless transactions. - ‘Card not present’ transactions involve furnishing of card number and CVV (card verification value) in transactions executed online.
- ‘Card present’ transactions need the card for use in PoS or ATM terminals.
- Contactless transactions are done using RFID technology or near-field communication (NFC).
Hallmarking made must for gold jewellery
Why in news?
- Consumer Affairs Minister announced that from January 15, 2021, onwards, No jeweller will be allowed to sell gold jewellery or artefacts without hallmark from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Key facts
- Gold hallmarking is a purity certification. Mandatory hallmarking will protect the public against lower caratage and ensure consumers do not get cheated while buying gold ornaments.
- Consumers have to watch out for four marks on hallmarked gold jewellery: (1) BIS mark, (2) purity in carat, (3) assay centre’s name and (4) jewellers’ identification mark.
- Jewellers will be allowed to sell only 14, 18 and 22 carat gold jewellery. Instead of 10 grades earlier, hallmarked gold
jewellery will now be available in three caratage of 14 carat, 18 carat and 22 carat. - Jewellers have been given a year’s time (i.e. till January, 2021) to register themselves with the BIS.
- If jewellery or artefacts made of 14, 18 and 22 carat gold are sold without a BIS hallmark, then the jeweller could be charged penalty five times the cost of the object or even given imprisonment up to one year.