Prelims Focus – 10th February 2024

1.Kaladan Project

Recent news: The Arakan Army, a rebel group in Myanmar, gained control over the important area of Paletwa in January 2024, which has had a major negative effect on the advancement of the Kaladan project.

Details:

• The project has experienced higher costs than expected and its future economic sustainability is uncertain due to competition from similar projects in the region.
• Additionally, political instability has arisen in Myanmar as a result of conflicts of interest among different religious and ethnic groups, causing concerns about human rights and creating an unstable environment.

About the project:

• The Kaladan project is a transportation project between India and Myanmar aimed at creating a multi-modal route connecting the seaport of Kolkata with Mizoram.
• The project was launched in 1991 under the “Act East Policy” and construction started in 2010 with a deadline of 2014, which has been extended to 2024 due to various issues.
• The project includes a sea route from Kolkata to Sittwe port in Myanmar, an inland waterway from Sittwe port to Paletwa via the Kaladan River, and a road from Paletwa to the India-Myanmar border and then to Mizoram.
• The project is significant as it will reduce the distance between Kolkata and Mizoram, leading to faster and cheaper transportation of goods.
• It also has strategic importance for India as it provides an alternative route to its northeastern states, bypassing the narrow Siliguri Corridor.
• Additionally, the project is expected to boost economic development in India’s northeastern states by improving their access to international trade.

2.Quantum Internet

Recent news: Stony Brook University physicists and their collaborators have made a significant advancement in creating a functional quantum internet.

Details:

• Quantum computing and quantum networks seek to utilise the principles of quantum mechanics to address intricate problems and securely transmit data.
• A quantum internet would involve quantum computers, sensors, and communication devices that can generate, manipulate, and transmit quantum states and entanglement.
• Researchers are working on developing a quantum repeater, which is a device that can extend the distance over which quantum information can be transmitted.
• This technology could have significant implications for secure communication and quantum computing.
• Quantum repeaters are necessary for expanding the reach of quantum communication over many nodes and extended distances.
• The development of quantum repeaters is a difficult task in the field of physics research.
• Room-temperature quantum memories are a type of technology that can store and retrieve quantum information at normal room temperatures.
• The researchers have made a breakthrough in quantum repeater technology by developing room-temperature quantum memories.
• This makes the system more affordable and faster compared to those operating at extremely low temperatures.
• They used the Hong-Ou-Mandel Interference process to measure the similarity of stored photon properties in these memories.

3.Safe City Project

In News: U.N. Women to provide technical assistance for the Safe City project

• Safe City Projects were permitted by using the Ministry of Home Affairs with centrally subsidized investment .
• The Empowered Committee beneath Nirbhaya Fund has authorised Safe City projects in 8 decided cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow).
• Objectives: It aims to create a safe, secure and empowering environment for women in public places, to permit them to pursue all opportunities without the risk of gender-based violence and/or harassment.
  • It also pursues to prevent and decrease all types of crimes towards women and girl children in public places by presenting more secure urban infrastructure and efficient access to law enforcement organizations.

4.Kaladan Project

In News:  Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project has faced a definite setback after an important town in Myanmar was captured recently by a rebel group.

• Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project is geared toward connecting the port of Kolkata with the port of Sittwe in Rakhine which could then be connected to Mizoram by road and the Kaladan river which flows through Paletwa.
• India entered right into a Framework Agreement in 2008.
• Aim: It targets to create a multi-modal mode of transport for shipment of cargo from the jap ports of India to Myanmar as well as to the North-Eastern part of India through Myanmar.
• Road Connectivity: It includes constructing roads to connect Mizoram kingdom in northeastern India to the port of Sittwe in Myanmar’s Rakhine kingdom.
• Development of Inland Waterways: The challenge consists of the improvement of inland waterways alongside the Kaladan River, imparting an opportunity mode of transportation for cargo between India and Myanmar.
• Construction of a Multi-Modal Terminal: A multi-modal terminal is being constructed at the port of Sittwe to facilitate the transfer of goods among exceptional modes of transportation, consisting of ships and vehicles.

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