Environment

1) Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA)

About Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA):

• It was set up as a specialised non-banking finance agency for the renewable energy sector.
• It is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1981.
• REDA has been notified as a “Public Financial Institution” under section 4 ‘A’ of the Companies Act, 1956 and registered as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• It is formed to promote, develop and extend financial assistance for setting up projects relating to new and renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency/conservation.
• Objectives:
• To give financial support to specific projects and schemes for generating electricity and/ or energy through new and renewable sources and conserving energy through energy efficiency.
• To maintain its position as a leading organisation to provide efficient and effective financing in renewable energy and energy efficiency/ conservation projects.

Defence & Security

2) What is S-80FP?

About S-80FP:

• It is an 80mm unguided rocket developed primarily for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
• It is an air-to-surface rocket intended for both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
• It was designed by Splav Corporation, Russia.
• It is designed to hit sole and multiple targets, unarmored and lightly-armoured military hardware, as well as surface ships.
• The S-80FP can detonate before hitting the target, on impact or after penetrating the target.
• It has a total weight of 17 kg and a warhead of 9.5 kg.

Defence & Security

3) INS Vaghsheer

About Vaghsheer:

• INS Vagsheer (S26) is the sixth submarine of the first batch of six Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy.
• It is named after the sandfish, a deadly deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean.
• It is designed by the French naval defence and energy group Naval Group and manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited.
• It is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force.

What are Kalvari-class submarines?

• The Kalvari class is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines based on the Scorpène-class submarine being built for the Indian Navy.
• The submarines are designed by the French naval defence and energy company DCNS and are being manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
• It has been constructed with technology transfer from the French firm Naval Group under a programme called Project 75.
• The state-of-the-art technology used in the Scorpene class has superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels and the ability to launch crippling attacks with precision-guided weapons on board.
• They can attack by launching torpedoes and anti-ship missiles while underwater or on the surface.

Economy

4) What are Global Depository Receipts (GDRs)?

About Global Depository Receipts (GDRs)?

• It is a foreign currency-denominated negotiable financial instrument issued by a depositary bank.
• GDRs are certificates issued by a depository bank, which purchases foreign company shares and deposits them in the account.
• GDRs are commonly used to raise capital from international investors through public stock offerings or private placement.
• Purpose:
• Indian companies can only get their shares listed on foreign exchanges through Global Depository Receipts (GDR).
• GDRs help Indian companies get foreign funds and gain access to international capital.
• The depository bank is the intermediary that acts as the custodian of the shares issued by the Indian company.
• The depository bank can convert GDRs into shares and trade them on the domestic stock exchanges.
• GDRs are instruments denominated in foreign currencies. The shares are denominated in the deposit receipt issuer's local currency.
• The value of a GDR depends on the value of the underlying share.
• GDRs are issued to investors throughout the country since they can be denominated as multiple forms of freely convertible currency.
• Only companies with a three-year sound financial record can get access to GDRs.
• Thus, Indian companies should get clearance from the Ministry of Finance and Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to obtain GDRs

Economy

5) What are Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)?

About Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs):

• It is a special investment category that differs from conventional investment instruments.
• AIF is any fund established in India that is a privately pooled investment vehicle that collects funds from sophisticated investors, both Indian and foreign, for investing.
• It pools funds from investors and invests them under different categories of investments as specified by the SEBI for the benefit of investors.
• These investment vehicles adhere to the SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012.
• AIFs can be formed as a company, Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), trust, etc.
• It is an investment option for high rollers, including domestic and foreign investors in India.
• Generally, institutions and high net-worth individuals invest in AIF as it needs a high investment amount.
• Categories Of AIF:
• Category I AIFs:
• They can invest in start-ups, early-stage ventures, social ventures, SMEs and sectors that the government or regulators consider as socially or economically desirable.
• They include venture capital funds like angel funds, SME Funds, social venture funds, infrastructure funds and other AIFs as may be specified.
• Category II AIFs:
• They are those which are not classified under Category I or Category III.
• They do not undertake leverage or borrowing other than to meet day-to-day operational requirements and as permitted in the regulations.
• Various types of funds, such as real estate funds, debt funds, private equity funds, funds for distressed assets, etc., are registered as Category II AIFs.
• Category III AIFs:
• They are funds that employ complex or diverse trading strategies and may employ leverage, including through investment in listed or unlisted derivatives hedge funds, PIPE Funds, etc., registered as Category III AIFs.
• Category I and II AIFs are required to be close-ended and have a minimum tenure of three years. Category III AIFs may be open-ended or close-ended

Science & Technology

6) Himalayan Chandra Telescope

About Himalayan Chandra Telescope:

• It is a 2-meter optical-infrared telescope named after Nobel laureate Subramaniam Chandrasekhar.
• Location: It is at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) in Hanle near Leh in Ladakh.
• It is currently the tenth-highest optical telescope in the world, situated at an elevation of 4,500 meters.
• The telescope remotely operated using a dedicated satellite communication link from the Centre for Research & Education in Science & Technology (CREST), Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore.
• Imaging instruments include a Faint Object Spectrograph, a near infra-red and an optical CCD camera.

What is a Blazer?

• It is a type of galaxy that is powered by a humongous black hole and is among one of the brightest and most powerful objects in the universe.
• They are known for emitting highly energetic particles and radiation, including gamma rays, X-rays, and radio waves

Science & Technology

7) Spitzer Telescope

About Spitzer Telescope:

• It is an S. satellite, the fourth and last of the NASA fleet of “Great Observatories” satellites.
• It was the third space telescope that was dedicated to infrared imaging and was launched in 2003.
• The satellite telescope orbits the Sun about one astronomical unit (AU) in an Earth-trailing orbit.
• It studied the cosmos at infrared wavelengths.
• It spent more than 16 years gathering information on the origin, evolution, and composition of planets and smaller bodies, stars, galaxies, and the universe as a whole.
• It was named in honour of Lyman Spitzer, Jr., an American astrophysicist who, in a seminal 1946 paper, foresaw the power of astronomical telescopes operating in space.

What is Spitzer Resurrector Mission?

• It is designed to “restart” the telescope.
• Right now, the telescope is about two AU away from the Earth. In its current location, direct communications with Earth are not possible.
• The Mission will confirm that Spitzer has been restored to its original performance capabilities.
• After that, it will remain near the telescope to act as a high-rate data relay to our planet. This can restore Spitzer to its full efficiency.
• The telerobotic Spitzer-Resurrector spacecraft would travel around 300 million kilometres to the telescope to restore its service.

Economy

8) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

About European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD):

• It is an international financial institution with the mandate to promote the transition towards a sustainable, open market economy and to foster innovation.
• The EBRD was created in April 1991 to help Eastern European and ex-Soviet countries transition into democracies by developing free-market economies after the fall of communism.
• Headquarters: London
• It provides project financing mainly for private enterprises, usually together with other commercial lending partners, in countries that are committed to and apply democratic principles.
• It also works with public partners to support privatisation, restructuring and improvement of municipal services.
• It prioritises support for countries in Central and West Asia and North Africa.
• It focuses on advancing developmental goals in finance and policy reform.
• The organisation also promotes environmentally sustainable development and gender equality and promises to be fully transparent.

Environment

9) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve

About Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve:

• Location:
• It is located at the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Erode District of Tamil Nadu.
• Its area is contiguous with the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) and BR Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka).
• Together, these reserves — forming the Nilgiris biosphere landscape — have the biggest tiger population in the world, at over 280 tigers.
• Terrain: It is hilly and undulated, with altitudes ranging between 750m and 1649m.
• Vegetation: It consists of southern tropical dry thorn forests, mixed deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests, and Riparian forests.
• Flora: Common Species of trees and shrubs found are Albizzia amara Chloroxylon swictenia, Gyrocarpus jacquini, Neem, Tamarind, Sandalwood, Randi dumetorum, Zizyphus and associates.
• Fauna: The major species are Elephant, Tiger, Panther, Sloth bear, Gaur, Black Buck, Spotted deer, Wild boar, Black napped hare, Common langur, Nilgiri langur, Striped neck mongoose and Bonnet macaque

Polity & Governance

1) Centre writes to States to curb the trend of unnecessary hysterectomies

Context

What is a hysterectomy?

· Hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the uterus and sometimes surrounding organs and tissues.

· Main types of hysterectomy include:

· Total hysterectomy: The entire uterus, including the cervix, is removed. The ovaries and fallopian tubes may or may not be removed along with the uterus.

· Partial hysterectomy: This surgery involves removing the upper part of the uterus while leaving the cervix intact.

· Radical hysterectomy: It involves the removal of the uterus, cervix, the upper part of the vagina, and nearby tissues, such as lymph nodes.

· These procedures may be done through the vagina (with no incisions in the abdomen) or through an incision (cut) in the abdomen.

· The procedure is carried out under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana as well as other government schemes related to healthcare.

What is the issue?

· Health threats (due to unawareness): Women who could have been offered alternative treatments were unnecessarily subjected to hysterectomies, posing significant risks to their health.

· Most women who were subjected to hysterectomies of this kind belonged to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, or Other Backward Communities.

· Misuse: Several healthcare institutions misuse the procedure only to claim high insurance fees from governments under various health insurance schemes.

· Threat to health rights: There has been a serious violation of the fundamental rights of the women (Article 21) who underwent unnecessary hysterectomies

Ecology and Environment

2) Gujarat is working to become India’s green hydrogen hub

Context

Why is the focus on ‘green hydrogen’?

· India has set its sight on becoming energy independent by 2047 and achieving Net Zero by 2070.

· To achieve this target, increasing renewable energy use across all economic spheres is central to India's Energy Transition.

· Green Hydrogen is considered a promising alternative for enabling this transition.

· Hydrogen is the simplest and smallest element in the periodic table. No matter how it is produced, it ends up with the same carbon-free molecule.

· Hydrogen can be utilized for:

· long-duration storage of renewable energy

· replacement of fossil fuels in industry

· clean transportation

· decentralized power generation, aviation, and marine transport

National Green Hydrogen Mission

· The National Green Hydrogen Mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on 4 January 2022, with the intended objectives of:

· Making India a leading producer and supplier of Green Hydrogen in the world

· Creation of export opportunities for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives

· Reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock

· Development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities

· Attracting investment and business opportunities for the industry

· Creating opportunities for employment and economic development

· Supporting R&D projects

· In April 2022, the government launched the country’s only pure green hydrogen pilot plant with an installed capacity of 10kg per day at its Jorhat pump station in Assam.

World History

3) Jerusalem Day

Context

What is Jerusalem Day?

· During the 1967 war, Israel fought a number of Arab armies and captured territories, including East Jerusalem.

· Israel has since annexed East Jerusalem in a move that has not been recognised internationally and considers the entire city to be its everlasting and undivided capital.

· Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

· The day's celebrations conclude in a flag-waving march through downtown Jerusalem before entering the fortified Old City, which is home to Christian, Jewish, and Muslim holy sites.

· In recent years, the parade has become a show of force by Jewish nationalists and a blatant provocation aimed at undermining Palestinian links to the city for Palestinians.

How has the event led to violence in recent years?

· Hamas has warned of an "explosion" if right-wing marchers violate the status quo at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound or attack Palestinians.

· Palestinians have also organised flag marches in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, with some processions set to take place near the Israel-Gaza separation fence

International Relations

4) SCO Nations: Enhance collaborations in Science & Tech

Context

Key highlights:

· Science and Technology Minister of India addressed the SCO meeting through virtual mode and urged the member countries to address the emerging challenges of the Eurasian region jointly.

Why is there a need for collaboration in the field of Science and Technology?

· India mentioned that SCO countries are exposed to identical challenges such as ensuring food, challenges emerging due to climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, affordable healthcare, environmental issues and energy access for its people.

· In order to resolve these challenges, it is imperative for us to join hands to innovate affordable scientific solutions.

Role of Science and Technology

· Global economic recovery: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the global scenario of the economy. Science and technology have played a greater role in global economic recovery.

· The SCO scientific community needs to cooperate in the field of technology-based solutions for social and economic challenges.

· Healthcare: The Government of India has focused on innovative interventions for affordable healthcare, and by 2047, India aims to be one of the world’s top markets in medical devices.

· Research & Innovation: India is moving along the mantra -‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, and Jai Anusandhan,’ which essentially believes in the coordination of various sectors to make India a global centre of research and innovation.

· According to the NSF database: India has now climbed to 3rd position in research and development.

· During the last 8 years, the number of registered start-ups has grown from a mere 400 to an astounding 97,000. India has also reached 3rd position in terms of the number of PhDs.

· National Hydrogen Energy Mission: India is progressing ahead to meet its commitment at COP 26 of achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and fulfilling 50 per cent of energy requirements by utilising renewable energy by 2030.

Economy

5) World Development Report: Wave of Migration

Context

Key highlights of the report:

· Distress migration: The first migration, which happened some 70,000 years ago, could be called a distress migration based on geological and paleoclimate evidence.

· Human beings moved out from Africa, seeking food, water and a suitable climate to prosper.

· Back then, the planet was an open geographical mass without political boundaries.

Current Status:

· The 184 million migrants in the world are 2.3 per cent of the population, with 80% of them being economic migrants.

· Since 2014, nearly 50,000 people have died while attempting to migrate, showing the desperation of people to migrate for survival.

· This is due to the demographic change in the world, where there is a scarcity of people who can work and have the skills to do so.

· For Example, Italy will have its population cut in half by the end of the century. Globally, the number of people over age 65 is already larger than the number of children under age 5.

Estimation by World Bank:

· Demographic changes have caused global competition for workers and talent, with rich countries having to open up again, middle-income countries having to compete with those brought in from outside, and poor and developing countries having to undertake massive skill-development exercises to grab the opportunity.

· This has caused the world to seek out the suitable among its own species in a desperate way.

Polity & Governance

6) Tracking SDG progress the Bhopal way

Context:

India’s Progress

· Centre Efforts: NITI Aayog presented India’s second VNR (Voluntary National Review) in 2020. Also, the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) published a National Indicator Framework (NIF) for the review and monitoring of the SDGs.

· State efforts: At least 23 States and Union Territories have prepared a vision document based on SDGs. Almost all of them have initiated steps to localise the SDGs.

· Cities efforts: Cities are the most important stakeholders in Agenda 2030 as at least 65% of the 169 targets could not possibly be achieved without their engagement. It is desirable to align a city’s VLR to the State-level action plan (where available) and the country’s VNR.

The Bhopal plan

· Collaboration: Bhopal’s VLR (Voluntary Local review) is the result of a collaboration between the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, Un-Habitat and a collective of over 23 local stakeholders. It has mapped 56 developmental projects to the SDGs across the pillars of people, planet and prosperity.

· Objective: The objectives of building basic infrastructure and resilience emerge as a priority for the city from the number of projects mapped to the SDGs.

International Relation

7) Group of Seven (G7) Meet

International Affairs

1) Bakhmut in Ukraine Conflict

Denial of Claims and the Status of Bakhmut

Ukraine’s President, Vlodymyr Zelensky, has firmly denied the claims made by the mercenary Wagner Group and Russia of capturing Bakhmut. According to President Zelensky, the city is not occupied by the Russian Federation. This statement contradicts the earlier announcement made by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, who declared the capture of Bakhmut by Russian forces.

Symbolic Importance of Bakhmut

Although Bakhmut does not possess significant strategic value in terms of industry or location, its symbolic importance cannot be overlooked. Analysts suggest that Russia considered Bakhmut an important target primarily to achieve a much-needed victory after months of military operations. Additionally, a competitive dynamic within the Russian forces likely contributed to the decision to target Bakhmut.

Strategic Considerations and Proximity to Important Roads

Bakhmut’s proximity to multiple important roads does offer some strategic value to the Russian advance. The control of these routes could potentially facilitate further Russian movements in the region. However, it is worth noting that this aspect applies to several towns in the area, emphasizing the symbolic nature of Bakhmut’s significance.

Ukrainian Perspective: Wearing Down Moscow’s Troops

For Ukrainians, the battle over Bakhmut has been seen as a means to wear down Moscow’s troops and deplete their supplies. By making Russian forces fight for every block, Ukrainians aimed to weaken their opponent and hinder Moscow’s offensive capabilities. The prolonged conflict over Bakhmut has been part of Ukraine’s strategy to exhaust and hamper Russian military operations.

Potential Implications and Future Targets

If Russian forces have indeed captured Bakhmut, it could serve as a stepping stone for further advances. Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, two larger cities in the Donetsk region, might be the next targets. Moscow aims to conclude what it refers to as the “liberation” of the “People’s Republic of Donetsk” by gaining control over these cities. Additionally, the control of Bakhmut could aid in advancing toward Chasiv Yar, a nearby town west of the city.

Legal & Constitution Affairs

2) What is Article 239AA?

Article 239AA: Insertion and Special Status of Delhi

Article 239AA was inserted into the Constitution by the 69th Amendment Act in 1991. It conferred special status on Delhi, following the recommendations of the S Balakrishnan Committee. The provision grants Delhi an administrator and a Legislative Assembly, along with specific powers and limitations.

Powers of the Legislative Assembly

According to Article 239AA, the Legislative Assembly of Delhi has the power to make laws for the entire city or any part of it. The legislative authority extends to matters in the State List or Concurrent List, excluding police, public order, and land. This provision provides the Assembly with a certain degree of legislative autonomy within its jurisdiction.

Federalism and Delhi’s Status

The Constitution Bench ruling in 2018 emphasised that although Delhi cannot be granted the status of a state, the concept of federalism applies to it. The ruling recognised the importance of cooperative federalism in the governance of Delhi, highlighting the unique nature of the city’s administration.

Executive Power and the Role of the Centre

The executive power over police, land, and public order in Delhi rests with the Centre (Union of India). While the Legislative Assembly has legislative authority, the Centre retains exclusive executive control over these crucial areas. This division of power ensures a balance between the regional administration and central oversight.

The Proviso to Article 239AA

The proviso to Article 239AA states that in case of a difference of opinion between the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and the ministers, the matter shall be referred to the President for a decision. This provision ensures that disputes are resolved through a proper constitutional process, with the ultimate decision lies with the President.

Limitations on the Government of NCT of Delhi

The Government of NCT (National Capital Territory) of Delhi operates within the limitations imposed by the Constitution. While it has a certain degree of independence and legislative power, its actions must conform to the laws made by Parliament. This ensures that the regional government operates within the framework of the constitutional scheme.

Emphasis on Participatory Governance

Justice Chandrachud’s separate judgment highlighted that Article 239AA provides for institutional governance based on participatory, representative, and responsive government. This emphasis underscores the democratic principles underlying the governance structure of Delhi.

The Supreme Court’s Unanimous Ruling

On May 11, a unanimous ruling by a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court addressed the power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre. The ruling reiterated the federal model established by Article 239AA, outlining the limited involvement of the Union of India in the administration of NCTD.

Science & Technology

3) Root Mean Square Granulation Contrast

The Fascination with the Sun

The study of the Sun holds prominence due to its proximity and the dynamic events that occur on its surface. Flares, prominences, and coronal mass ejections have made the Sun a focal point of astronomical research.

Limitations of Ground-Based Telescopes

Ground-based telescopes face a major disadvantage when observing the Sun—the light from the Sun passes through Earth’s atmosphere, leading to random fluctuations and distortions. This phenomenon necessitates the development of techniques to mitigate atmospheric disturbances.

Overcoming Atmospheric Distortions

Scientists from IIA propose the use of an adaptive optics (AO) system, which can measure and correct atmospheric distortions in real time. By employing AO, telescopes can compensate for the bending of light caused by refractive index fluctuations, enhancing image quality.

Introducing the Root Mean Square (RMS) Granulation Contrast

The scientists from IIA put forth a novel metric called the root mean square (rms) granulation contrast to quantify the image quality of ground-based solar telescopes. This metric enables a comprehensive assessment of the quality of solar images.

Simulations and Evaluation

To evaluate image quality, scientists conducted simulations comparing ideal conditions (no atmospheric turbulence) with perturbed images affected by atmospheric distortion. They also examined images after AO correction. These comparisons facilitated a thorough understanding of image quality and performance.

Efficiency Factors

Through their simulations, scientists computed efficiency factors for two crucial metrics: the Strehl ratio and contrast. The Strehl ratio exhibited an efficiency range of 40-55%, while the contrast achieved a lower bound of 50%. These factors provide valuable insights into the performance of solar telescopes and associated AO systems.

Significance and Implications

The proposed metric and obtained results hold immense significance for the field of astronomy. It allows for a standardised assessment of solar telescopes, enabling researchers to analyze the image quality of the Sun quantitatively. Furthermore, these findings contribute to the development and improvement of AO systems, ensuring more precise observations and measurements.

Science & Technology

4) Indian Astronomical Observatory Observes BL Lacertae

Unveiling the Fascinating Blazar

Blazars are a distinct type of galaxy that derives its immense power from a massive black hole. Known for their extraordinary brightness and the emission of highly energetic particles, blazars stand as some of the most captivating objects in the universe. Astronomers have been captivated by their dynamic nature, making them a subject of great interest.

Decades of Observation

The study of BL Lacertae has a rich history. It was first discovered almost a century ago and has since gradually approached its maximum brightness. Scientists, led by post-doctoral fellow Aditi Agarwal from the Raman Research Institute, have embarked on an in-depth examination of this extraordinary blazar.

Exploring the Spectrum of Emissions

To shed light on BL Lac’s behaviour, the research team utilised a global network of telescopes to capture electromagnetic emissions across a wide range of wavelengths. These observations encompassed radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, optical light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and even gamma rays. The vast array of data collected from this comprehensive study offers valuable insights into the blazar’s characteristics and behaviour.

A Multitude of Telescopes

During this extensive research endeavour, a total of 11 telescopes were aimed at BL Lacertae. Among them was the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, located at the Hanle site in Ladakh. These telescopes provided invaluable observations for a remarkable duration of 84 days, enabling researchers to monitor the blazar’s behaviour and fluctuations in brightness closely.

Maximum Brightness and Magnetic Field Calculations

As the observations progressed, it became evident that BL Lacertae was gradually growing brighter, indicating increased activity. On August 21, 2020, BL Lacertae reached its maximum brightness, a significant milestone captured by the Modified Dall-Kirkham telescope situated in Kraków, Poland. The team of researchers also calculated the magnetic field of BL Lacertae during the flare, which ranged from 7.5 Gauss to 76.3 Gauss.

A Gateway to Future Exploration

This study’s findings provide critical parameters for future multispectral investigations of BL Lacertae. The availability of vast datasets obtained from the telescopes involved in the study enabled the calculation of these essential parameters. By characterising the performance and behaviour of BL Lacertae, scientists are unlocking new frontiers in understanding the complexities of blazars.

Science & Technology

5) First Evidence of Wolf-Dog Hybridization in India

Spotting the Suspected Hybrid Animal

The journey of discovery began when a group of nature lovers near Pune in Maharashtra captured a photograph of a peculiar animal with an unusually tawny coat. Suspecting it to be a wolf-dog hybrid, they embarked on an in-depth investigation.

Collecting Clues: Hair Samples and DNA Analysis

To gather more evidence, citizen scientists meticulously collected hair strands shed by the animal. These hair samples became crucial for DNA extraction and subsequent scientific analysis.

Genomes at Play: Wolf and Dog Contributions

The researchers utilised a remarkable set of genomic data, including 11 wolf whole genomes and 16 dog genomes. The wolf genomes represented various regions, such as North America, Europe, and India, while the dog genomes encompassed countries like Kenya, Nepal, India, China, and East Asia. This comprehensive data allowed for a thorough analysis of the samples and the finding of compelling evidence of dog genome introgression within the wolf population in peninsular India.

Potential Consequences of Wolf-Dog Hybridization

The implications of wolf-dog hybridisation extend beyond mere genetic curiosity. The research suggests that this process could disrupt the social structure of wolf packs, contribute to population turnover, and even pose a risk of extinction through hybridisation.

Urgency in Conservation Efforts

With this newfound understanding, the researchers emphasise the need to prioritise conservation efforts. Tracking, monitoring, assessing prey populations, and comprehending human-wildlife interactions are crucial for effective conservation strategies, especially considering the extensive interactions between humans and wildlife in India.

Unlocking the Mysteries of Wolves and Dogs

The findings of this research not only shed light on the intricate relationship between wolves and domestic dogs but also pave the way for further exploration and conservation initiatives. By unravelling the secrets of wolf-dog hybridisation, scientists aim to understand better and protect these remarkable species, ensuring their coexistence in a changing world.

International Relations

6) FIPIC Summit, 2023

Why in News?

• The third forum for India-Pacific Islands co-operation (FIPIC Summit), which was held today at Port Moresby, was jointly hosted with Papua New Guinea.
• The prime minister of India co-chaired the summit with the PM of Papua New Guinea.
• The discussions encompassed various areas of cooperation, including commerce, technology, healthcare, and climate change.

About FIPIC:

• Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) is a multinational grouping for cooperation between India and 14 Pacific Islands nations.
• It includes 14 islands named- Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
• All Heads of state/heads of government of the above countries met in Suva, Fiji, in November 2014 for the first time, where the annual summit was conceptualised.
• The FIPIC initiative marks a serious effort to expand India's engagement in the Pacific region.
• A major part of India's engagement with these countries is through development assistance under South-South Cooperation, mainly in capacity building (training, scholarships, grant-in-aid and loan assistance) and community development projects.
• In 2015, the FIPIC Trade Office at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) promoted Trade & Investment opportunities between India & Pacific Island Countries.

Economy

7) What is the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)?

About Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC):

• It is an open-source network set up to enable buyers and sellers to transact with each other irrespective of the e-commerce platform on which either of them is registered.
• It will enable local commerce across segments, such as mobility, grocery, food order and delivery, hotel booking and travel, among others, to be discovered and engaged by any network-enabled application.
• It is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It comprises buyer-side apps where consumers can place orders, seller-side apps that onboard merchants and display their listings, and logistics platforms that handle deliveries.
• Aim:
• To promote open networks for all aspects of the exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
• To create new opportunities, curb digital monopolies and by supporting micro, small and medium enterprises and small traders and help them get on online platforms.
• It seeks to democratise digital or electronic commerce, moving it from a platform-centric model to an open network.
• Benefits:
• It offers small retailers an opportunity to provide their services and goods to buyers across the country through an e-commerce system.
• ONDC enables merchants to save their data to build credit history and reach consumers.
• It is expected to digitise the entire value chain, promote the inclusion of suppliers, derive efficiencies in logistics and enhance value for consumers.
• ONDC protocols would standardize operations like cataloguing, inventory management, order management and order fulfilment.

Defence & Security

7) What is IRIS-T Surface-Launched-Missile (SLM) system?

About IRIS-T Surface-Launched-Missile (SLM) system:

• It is the medium-range version of the IRIS-T SL air defense missile system designed and produced by the German company Diehl Defense.
• The system provides comprehensive 360° protection against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and guided weapons.
• It enables simultaneous engagement of multiple targets from very short to medium-range within extremely brief reaction times.
• It is suited for both mobile and stationary deployment.
• Features:
• Each system comprises three vehicles: a missile launcher, a radar, and a fire-control radar, with integrated logistics and support.
• It is equipped with a radar with a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles).
• The missiles, which use infrared imaging to identify targets, are said to have a range of 40 kilometres (25 miles) and a maximum altitude of 20 kilometres (12.4 miles).

Indian Polity

1) e-Malkhana

What is e-Malkhana?

• e-Malkhana is a scientific way of storing property and evidence recovered from the crime scene.
• The facility was first commissioned in July 2021 at Narsipatnam Police Station (presently in the Anakapalli district).
• Need: According to police officers, earlier recovered properties and evidence used to be stored in storerooms, and it was difficult to find them.
• How does it work?
• The property seized, and evidence collected from the crime scene can be stored in standard-size cardboard boxes, which will be numbered with other details. A dynamic QR code will be generated and pasted on the box.
• A dedicated website is also hosted, and all details pertaining to the case and property will be uploaded. All one has to do is scan the code to get the details.

Indian Polity

2) Operation Dhvast

About:

• The massive crackdown — codenamed ‘Operation Dhvast’ — had seen simultaneous, day-long raids by NIA, Punjab police and Haryana Police at 324 locations across Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan etc.
• The NIA has arrested three persons in connection with the multi-state raids conducted in three cases relating to the nexus among terrorists, gangsters and drug dealers.
• The nexus has been linked to targeted killings, extortion and terror funding of pro-Khalistan outfits with earnings from the smuggling of drugs and weapons.
• NIA investigations have so far revealed that conspiracies were being hatched in jails of different states and executed by an organised network of operatives based abroad.

Defence & Security

3) INS Sindhuratna

In News

About

• The submarine underwent a Medium Refit Life Certification (MRLC) process in Russia, which extended its life.
• The submarine, with its modernised weapon and sensor suite, will enhance the force level in the Western Seaboard, opening a new & exciting chapter in submarine operations in the Indian Ocean Region.

Indian Navy Submarines

• The Navy has 16 conventional submarines in service. These are seven Russian Kilo-class submarines, four German-origin HDW submarines and five French Scorpene-class submarines.
• India’s submarine fleet is based at two locations: Visakhapatnam on the east coast and Mumbai on the west coast.
• Kalvari Class: INS Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene class submarines built under Project 75. The Submarine was commissioned in 2017.
• Sindhughosh Class: Sindhughosh class submarines are Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines. They are designated 877EKM and were built under a contract between Rosvooruzhenie and the Ministry of Defence (India).
• The submarines have a displacement of 3,000 tonnes, a maximum diving depth of 300 meters, a top speed of 18 knots, and are able to operate solo for 45 days with a crew of 53.
• Shishumar Class: The Shishumar class vessels (Type 1500) are diesel-electric submarines. These submarines are developed by the German yard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW).
• The ships were commissioned between 1986 and 1994. These submarines have a displacement of 1660 tons when surfaced, a speed of 22 knots (41 km/h), and a complement of 40, including eight officers.

Environment

4) Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary

About New Species:

• The Visakhapatnam limbless skink (Barkudiamelanosticta), a small reptile renowned for its unique limbless body and extraordinary adaptations, has long eluded scientific observations.
• It is believed to be endemic to this region.

Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary is a vast forest reserve located near Vishaka- Putnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• The name of the place refers to the local hill, Kambalakonda.
• The sanctuary has been under the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department since 1970.
• Topography: It is considerably hilly with steep slopes.

• Flora:
• The forest cover in the sanctuary is mostly considered a dry evergreen forest mixed with scrub and meadows.
• One of the most stunning flowers found in the region includes the Indian screw tree. Other flowers and fruits, like flowers of the Bush plum tree and Jungle berry bunches, can be found all across the landscape.
• Fauna:
• Quite a few animals are extremely rare; these animals include the Indian leopard, Indian pangolin, Madras treeshrew, Barking Deer, Jackal etc.
• Russel’s viper or Daboia russelii (Rare breed of snake).
• Some uncommon birds include the Indian Golden oriole, Indian peafowl, and Banded bay cuckoo.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

5) ISO Committee on Consumer Policy (COPOLCO)

About Event:

• This event is being organised by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the national standards body of India.
• It is anticipated that the ISO COPOLCO Plenary will be an event that will have a significant impact on the global economy and on the lives of people.
• ISO COPOLCO is reckoned as the major international event that brings together representatives from ISO member countries to discuss and develop strategies for accelerating the development of standards for the world.

What is Committee on Consumer Policy?

• It is a committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) responsible for promoting consumer interests in the standardisation process and for ensuring that standards are developed with the needs of consumers in mind.
• COPOLCO members are ISO members.
• Objectives:
• To study means of helping consumers to benefit from standardisation and means of improving consumer participation in national and international standardisation.
• To provide a forum for the exchange of information on the experience of consumer participation in the development and implementation of standards in the consumer field.
• To advise ISO Council as to the consolidated viewpoints of consumers on matters relevant to ISO's current and potential standardisation and conformity assessment work.
• To advise ISO Council on the need for new or revised policies or actions within ISO as they relate to consumers' needs.

About International Standards Organisation (ISO):

• ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organisation made up of members from the national standards bodies of 168 countries.
• Central Secretariat is in Geneva, Switzerland.
• India is one of the founding members of ISO.

Culture

6) Thirukkural

About Thirukkural:

• Tirukkural (Tamil: “Sacred Couplets”), also called Kural, is a classic Tamil text written by Thiruvalluvar, believed to have lived sometime between the 2nd century BCE and the 5th century CE.
• It has had an immense influence on Tamil culture and life.
• It is a collection of 1,330 couplets (kurals) that offer timeless wisdom on various aspects of life, including ethics, governance, love, and spirituality.
• Structure and Themes:
• Thirukkural is divided into three main sections or books: Aram (Virtue), Porul (Wealth), and Inbam (Love).
• Each section covers a wide range of topics and imparts moral, ethical, and practical guidance to the readers.
• The couplets are composed in a concise and poetic form, making them easily memorable and quotable.
• Aram:
• It discusses virtues such as righteousness, truth, gratitude, and compassion.
• It emphasizes the importance of leading a righteous life and upholding moral values in all circumstances.
• Porul:
• It provides insights into worldly affairs, including governance, economy, and friendship.
• It offers wisdom on topics like wealth management, administration, and the value of good company.
• Inbam:
• It delves into the complexities of human emotions, love, and family life.

Health

7) What is a Septic Shock?

About Septic shock:

• It is a serious medical condition that can occur when an infection in your body causes extremely low blood pressure and organ failure due to sepsis.
• Septic shock is life-threatening and requires immediate medical treatment.
• It’s the most severe stage of sepsis.
• It occurs most often in the very old and the very young. It may also occur in people with weakened immune systems.
• It is typically diagnosed when the signs of severe sepsis are present, along with low blood pressure and signs of organ dysfunction.
• Risk factors for septic shock include:
• Diabetes;
• Diseases of the genitourinary system, biliary system, or intestinal system;
• Diseases that weaken the immune system, such as AIDS;
• Leukaemia;
• Heart failure;
• Kidney failure;
• Abnormal blood clotting;

What’s the difference between Septic shock and Sepsis?

• Sepsis occurs when your body has an extreme reaction to an infection.
• This reaction causes drastic changes in the body and can be very dangerous and potentially life-threatening.
• Doctors have identified three stages of sepsis:
• Sepsis. An infection reaches the bloodstream and causes inflammation in the body.
• Severe sepsis. The infection is severe enough to affect organ function.
• Septic shock. There’s a significant drop in blood pressure that can lead to respiratory or heart failure, stroke, dysfunction of other organs, and possibly death.
• Sepsis is most often caused by bacterial infections, but almost any infection can cause sepsis if left untreated.
• The transition from the onset of sepsis to severe sepsis and septic shock can happen quickly, and once the condition has transitioned, the mortality rate increases.

Defence & Security

7) What is GBU-57?

About GBU-57:

• It is known as the “Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)".
• It is a GPS-guided, earth-penetrating strike weapon for use against hard and deeply buried targets.
• MOP is one of the most powerful non-nuclear bombs in the world.
• It is manufactured by Boeing and used by the United States Air Force.
• It is used to destroy deeply entrenched enemy bunkers, such as those concealing a supply of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
• Features:
• The bomb is 20.5 feet long with a diameter of 31.5 inches.
• Weight: 14,000 kg
• The warhead case is made from a special high-performance steel alloy that can reportedly penetrate up to 200 feet of concrete.
• MOP is carried by the B-2 Spirit bomber, which can carry two of bombs at a time
• The bomb is equipped with a delayed-action fuse, allowing the warhead to survive the impact, not detonating until the bomb has stopped travelling underground.

Defence & Security

8) What is NVS-01?

Why in the news?

• The GSLV-F12/NVS-01 mission is designed to deploy the NVS-01 navigation satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).

About NVS-01:

• It is the first in the series of second-generation navigation satellites built by ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.
• At present, India uses its Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) series of satellites for civilian and defence navigation in the Indian mainland and even 1500 kms beyond India's borders.
• NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features.
• This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services.
• For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock will be flown in NVS-01.

What is Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC):

• It is a regional navigation satellite system established by the ISRO to meet the positioning, navigation and timing requirements of the nation.
• NavIC was erstwhile known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
• It is a constellation of seven satellites that work with a 24X7 network of ground stations while orbiting above Earth.
• Three satellites are placed in geostationary orbit, and four in inclined geosynchronous orbit.
• Coverage: The NavIC coverage area includes India and a region up to 1,500km beyond the nation’s boundary.
• Services offered:
• It offers two services -- Standard Position Service for civilian users and Restricted Service for strategic users.
• The system is used in terrestrial, aerial, marine transportation, location-based services, personal mobility, resource monitoring, surveying and geodesy, scientific research etc.

What is Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)?

• To attain geosynchronous (and also geostationary) Earth orbits, a spacecraft is first launched into an elliptical GTO.

Geography

9) Niti Pass

About Niti Pass:

• Location:
• It is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.086m (16,686ft) located on the border of India and China.
• It connects Uttarakhand and southern Tibet.
• It was an ancient trade route between India and Tibet.
• It has remained closed since the 1962 China-Sino-Indian War.

Key facts about Niti Valley:

• It is a remote valley located in the northernmost region of the Garhwal Himalayas in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
• The valley’s major river is the Dhauliganga which flows south-southwest.
• Due to the high altitude at Niti Valley, the winter season is hard. Due to that, most residents leave the Niti Valley during winter and come back in April.
• There are 24 villages in the Niti Valley. The majority of the population belongs to members of the Bhotiya scheduled tribe.
• Niti, located at an elevation of 3,600 m, is the most important village in the valley.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

1) PARAKH

Why in the news?

• The workshop will study school assessments, examination practices and equivalence of boards across the country.
• The main component of this plan is PARAKH or the National Assessment Centre, which has been set up as an organisation under the National Council of Educational Research and Training.

What is PARAKH?

• The benchmark assessment framework - PARAKH, has been proposed by the NEP 2020.
• It will function as a standard-setting body for student assessment and evaluation for all school boards in the country and will put an end to the emphasis on rote learning.
• The mandate of PARAKH is to work on bringing the school boards across the States and the Union Territories to a common platform.
• “As a first step, a workshop on PARAKH will act as a common platform for interaction of all concerned stakeholders in order to develop a holistic approach that ensures a fair assessment system that promotes equity in performance and equivalence in the assessment of students.
• The aim is to establish a unified framework that enables seamless transitions for students moving between different boards or regions.
• This includes aligning curriculum standards, grading systems, and evaluation methodologies to enhance the credibility, recognition of certificates, and grades obtained across boards,

History & Culture

2) Sengol

About Sengol:

• Origin:
• It was used on August 14, 1947, by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru when the transfer of power took place from the British. It was kept in a museum in Allahabad.
• The word Sengol is derived from the Tamil word 'Semmai', meaning 'righteousness'. It is a civilisational practice from the Chola kingdom, which was among the leading kingdoms in the Indian sub-continent for centuries.
• Symbolic:
• According to Tamil tradition, a high priest presents a sceptre to a newly crowned king as a symbolic gesture of power transition.
• The one accorded the 'sengol' is expected to impart a just and impartial rule. C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor General of India, suggested that this tradition, observed by the Chola dynasty, could serve as a significant symbol of India's freedom from British rule.
• Features:
• The 'Sengol' was crafted by a renowned jeweller in Madras Vummidi Bangaru Chetty. This impressive sceptre measures five feet in length and features a 'Nandi' bull at the top, representing the concept of justice.

International Affairs

3) 76th World Health Assembly

About the event:

• The ‘Heal by India’ initiative is designed with the intent to increase health workforce mobility from India to different parts of the world to serve the world as per the Indian Philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (The World is One Family).
• ‘Heal in India’ initiative seeks to provide “integrated and holistic treatment” to the world in India and enhance patient mobility for access to world-class, affordable and quality healthcare services”.

World Health Organization (WHO)

• WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
• It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It was established on 7 April 1948, which is commemorated as World Health Day.
• Work: the agency leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage and direct and coordinate the world’s response to health emergencies.
• The World Health Assembly (WHA), composed of representatives from all 194 member states, serves as the agency's supreme decision-making body.
• Funding: Voluntary donations from member states.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

4) National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA)

About workshop:

• The objective of this move is to encourage the legislatures of all states and union territories to move towards the NeVA platform and bring in transparency, accountability and responsiveness in their conduct of house business through the use of technology.
• It is the second workshop. The first workshop was organised in September 2018.

What is National e-Vidhan Application?

• National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) is one of the 44 Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) under the “Digital India Programme” of the Government of India.
• Aim: to make the functioning of all the State Legislatures paperless by transforming them into a ‘Digital House’.
• It is a device-neutral and member-centric application created to equip them to handle diverse House Business smartly by putting entire information regarding member contact details, rules of procedure, notices, bills, starred/unstarred questions and answers, committee reports etc., in their handheld devices/ tablets.
• Present Status:
• Till now, 21 State legislatures have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the NeVA, and the project has been sanctioned for 17 Legislatures.
• Among them, 9 Legislatures have already become fully digital and are Live on the NeVA platform.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Environment

5) Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary

About Tal Chhapar Sanctuary:

• Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Sujangarh tehsil of Rajasthan’s Churu district and spans 7.1977 square Km.
• It is situated on the border of the Great Indian Thar Desert.
• It was established as a “Reserved area” in 1962 and was given the status of a sanctuary in 1966.
• Topography: This Sanctuary has nearly flat territory and a combined thin, low-lying region.
• Fauna:
• The sanctuary is home to over 4,500 Blackbucks, Chinkara, and more than 250 species of birds, including migratory raptors.
• It is a distinctive shelter of the most graceful Antelope seen in India, “the Blackbuck”.
• It is one of the top halting places for migratory birds such as harriers. The migratory birds come from Central Asia and Europe.
• Flora: It has got open and wide grasslands with spread Acacia and Prosopis plants that offer it a look of a characteristic Savanna.

What is Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)

• In order to manage and conserve biodiversity across the Protected Areas, MoEF Change notifies Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around the Protected Areas.
• In the year 2002, it was decided that an area around each Protected Area was required to be notified as Eco-Sensitive Zone for creating a buffer as further protection around Protected Areas (PAs) under the Environment protection act 1986.
• Eco-sensitive Zone could go upto 10 Km around a Protected Area.
• The Supreme Court, on 3 June 2022, modified its previous order mandating a minimum 1 km eco-sensitive zone around national parks or wildlife sanctuaries.

Health

6) What is Multiple Sclerosis?

About Multiple Sclerosis:

• It is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.
• In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibres and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body.
• Eventually, the disease can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the nerve fibers.
• There are many possible causes of MS, including:
• Autoimmune disorders;
• Infectious agents, such as viruses;
• Environmental factors;
• Genetic factors;
• Signs and symptoms:
• It varies widely between patients and depends on the location and severity of nerve fibre damage in the central nervous system.
• Some people have mild symptoms, such as blurred vision and numbness, and tingling in the limbs.
• In severe cases, a person may experience paralysis, vision loss, and mobility problems.
• Treatment: There's no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, there are treatments to help speed the recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.

What is the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)?

• It is one of the most common human viruses in the world.
• It spreads through bodily fluids, especially saliva (spit).
• Symptoms: Fatigue, fever, inflamed throat, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, enlarged spleen, swollen liver, rash.
• EBV can cause infectious mononucleosis, also called mono, and other illnesses.
• There is no vaccine to protect against EBV infection.

Defence & Security

7) INS Mormugao

About INS Mormugao:

• It is an indigenous guided missile destroyer of the Indian Navy.
• It was named after the historic port city of Goa on the West coast. Mormugao coincidentally undertook her first sea sortie on December 19, 2021, when Goa celebrated 60 years of liberation from Portuguese rule.
• Features:
• It measures 163 m in length and 17 m in breadth.
• Displacement: 7,400 tonnes
• The ship is propelled by four powerful Gas Turbines in a Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) configuration.
• It is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots.
• The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS).
• The ship is fitted with a modern Surveillance Radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems of the ship.
• It is packed with sophisticated weapons and sensors such as Surface to Surface Missile and Surface Air Missiles.
• Its Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities are provided by indigenously-developed Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers and ASW helicopters.
• It is equipped to fight under nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.

Polity & Governance

8) What is the Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIB)?

About the Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIB):

• IIB was established by the insurance regulator, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), in the year 2009 as a data repository and analytics body.
• It was registered as an independent nonprofit earning society on 21st November 2012 under the Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act 2001.
• IIB was mandated to be market neutral and provide independent and non-judgmental analysis to all stakeholders.
• It acts as the Sole Repository and Analytics Body for the entire Insurance Sector in India.
• All the registered Insurance Companies in India are mandated to submit data under Life, Motor, Health, Fire and Other Miscellaneous lines of Insurance business to IIB.
• It handles huge data and provides analytical insights and services to the stakeholders through web services and applications.

Key facts about the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI):

• It is an autonomous and statutory body established under the IRDA Act 1999.
• It is the apex body that supervises and regulates the insurance sector in India.
• Objective: To protect the interests of policyholders, to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the insurance industry in India.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Finance
• Head Office: Hyderabad.
• Composition: IRDAI is a 10-member body- a Chairman, five full-time members, and four part-time members appointed by the Government of India.

What is a Ransomware?

• It is a type of malware (malicious software) that locks a victim’s data or device and threatens to keep it locked—or worse—unless the victim pays a ransom to the attacker.

Science & Technology

9) What are Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)?

About Small Modular Reactors (SMRs):

• They are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
• SMRs, which can produce a large amount of low-carbon electricity, are:
• Small– physically a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor.
• Modular – making it possible for systems and components to be factory-assembled and transported as a unit to a location for installation.
• Reactors – harnessing nuclear fission to generate heat to produce energy.
• Advantages:
• Relatively small physical footprints;
• Reduced capital investment;
• Can be factory-built, unlike the conventional nuclear reactors that are built on–site;
• Ability to be sited in locations not possible for larger nuclear plants;
• Provisions for incremental power additions;
• It also offers distinct safeguards, security and nonproliferation advantages.
• They can be used for power generation, process heat, desalination, or other industrial uses.
• SMRs can offer a carbon-free, clean energy alternative to fossil fuels.

Geography

10) Key Facts about Papua New Guinea

About Papua New Guinea:

• Location: It is an island country that lies in the southwestern Pacific.
• It includes the eastern half of New Guinea (the world’s second-largest island) and many small offshore islands.
• Neighbours: Indonesia to the west, Australia to the south and the Solomon Islands to the southeast.
• Capital: Port Moresby
• Terrain: It is mainly mountainous but has low-lying plains in southern New Guinea.
• The islands that constitute Papua New Guinea were settled over a period of 40,000 years by a mixture of peoples who are generally referred to as Melanesians.
• Language:
• English is the main language of government and commerce. In most everyday contexts, the most widely spoken language is Tok Pisin.
• Linguistically, it is the world's most diverse country, with more than 800 languages.
• Religion: The majority of Papua New Guinea’s people are at least nominally Christian.
• Government:
• Papua New Guinea became self-governing on 1 December 1973 and achieved independence on 16 September 1975.
• The country is a constitutional monarchy and a member of the Commonwealth.
• The British monarch, represented by a governor-general, is the head of state, and the Prime Minister is the head of government.

What is Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)?

• It is a multinational grouping for cooperation between India and 14 Pacific Islands nations.
• It includes 14 islands named- Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
• The FIPIC initiative marks a serious effort to expand India's engagement in the Pacific region.

Environment

1) People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR)

What is the People’s biodiversity register?

• PBR serves as a comprehensive record of various aspects of biodiversity, including the conservation of habitats, preservation of landraces, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals, micro-organisms, and the accumulation of knowledge related to the area's biological diversity.
• So far, 2,67,608 PBRs have been prepared by Biodiversity Management Committees in different states.
• There is a plan to set up PBR in every village across the country under Mission LiFE (lifestyle for the environment) which is conceived to conserve the planet Earth through mindful utilisation of natural resources and various other actions at individual and community levels in the country.

Biodiversity Management Committees

• As per the Biological Diversity Act 2002, BMCs are created for “promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity” by local bodies across the country.
• BMCs have been constituted by the local bodies in the States and Union Territories and are entrusted with the preparation of the PBRs in consultation with local communities.

Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)

• Led by India, mission LiFE is a global plan of action that aims to save the planet from the disastrous consequences of climate change.
• Vision: This mission envisions replacing the prevalent ‘use-and-dispose’ economy with a circular economy.
• Objective: To promote an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on ‘mindful and deliberate utilisation’ instead of ‘mindless and wasteful consumption’.

Polity & Governance

2) Forum shopping

What is the practice of forum shopping?

• When litigants or lawyers attempt to deliberately move their case to a particular judge or Court where they think the judgment could be more favourable, they are said to be “forum shopping.”
• Lawyers think about which is the right forum to approach as part of their litigation strategy.
• For example, one could directly approach the Supreme Court via a public interest litigation case instead of the concerned High Court because the issue could get more eyeballs. However, an obvious effort to circumvent the process or avoid a particular judge is frowned upon.
• The Supreme Court, in its 1988 ruling in ‘Chetak Construction Ltd. vs. Om Prakash’ said, “A litigant cannot be permitted a choice of the forum” and that every attempt at forum shopping “must be crushed with a heavy hand.”
• Most common law countries use the “forum non-conveniens” principle to prevent forum shopping, which gives the court discretionary powers to refuse to exercise its jurisdiction over a matter where another court or forum may more conveniently hear a case. Using this power, the court can dismiss a case in the interests of justice and the parties while allocating it to the appropriate bench.

Science & Technology

3) AIRAWAT

About Supercomputer 'AIRAWAT':

• The supercomputer has been named in the 61st edition of the Top 500 Global Supercomputing List released recently.
• The AI supercomputer AIRAWAT’ is installed at C-DAC, Pune. The system is installed under National Program on AI by the Government of India.
• AIRAWAT's manufacturer is Netweb Technologies.
• Airawat PSAI stands as India’s largest and fastest AI supercomputing system, with a remarkable speed of 13,170 teraflops.
• Benefits:
• It will empower the Academia, Research Labs, Scientific Community, Industry and Start-Ups to develop indigenous AI-enabled products/solutions,       especially for solving India-specific grand challenges and complex real-life problems.
• It has the potential to revolutionize various sectors, including weather forecasting, drug discovery, climate modelling, and artificial intelligence research.

About the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC):

• It is a prominent R&D organisation under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• It focuses on research and development in various domains, including information technology, electronics, and supercomputing.
• It was established in the year 1988.
• It was set up to build Supercomputers in the context of the denial of the import of Supercomputers by the USA.
• C-DAC built India’s first indigenously built supercomputer Param 8000, in 1991.

Environment

4) New Species of Gecko

About New Species:

• The first ever sighting of this gecko and the new species has been named Hemidactyluspakkamalaiensis, after the hill where it was recorded.
• It belongs to the genus Hemidactylus, and it is having large-body size (101–109 mm).
• The new species is closely related to graniticolus from which it can be distinguished by its lower femoral pores count.

About Pakkamalai hills:

• It is located in the Villupuram district of Tamilnadu near Gingee.
• It is a biodiversity-rich area and has large mammals, including leopards and sloth bears.
• It is an ecologically important area in the Eastern Ghats.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

5) UDAN 5.1 Scheme

About UDAN 5.1 Scheme:

• After 4 successful rounds of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN), the Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched UDAN 5.1 further to enhance the connectivity to remote areas of the country and achieve last-mile connectivity through helicopters.
• The main features include:
• An increase in the scope of operations for operators wherein the scheme will now allow routes where one of the origin or destination locations is in a priority area. Earlier, both points had to be in priority areas.
• Airfare caps have been reduced by as much as 25% to make flying in helicopters more affordable for passengers.
• Viability Gap Funding (VGF) caps for the operators have been increased substantially for both single and twin-engine helicopters to enhance financial viability for operating the awarded routes.
• Previous rounds of the scheme have already operationalised 46 helicopter routes, benefiting hilly and North-East states. The current round aims to cover an even larger number of routes, expanding the reach of air connectivity.

About UDAN Scheme:

• UDAN- Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik is an innovative scheme to develop the regional aviation market.
• The scheme was initiated in October 2016 with the objective of fulfilling the aspirations of the common citizen with an enhanced aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in tier II and tier III cities.
• The scheme UDAN envisages providing connectivity to un-served and under-served airports of the country through the revival of existing air strips and airports.
• Nodal Ministry- Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Polity & Governance

6) Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023

Why in News?

• The Supreme Court recently ruled that the Delhi Govt will have legislative and executive control over administrative services in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) except with regard to public order, police and land.
• Now, the Centre has brought the ordinance, which nullifies the SC order.

About Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023:

• The ordinance seeks to establish for the first time the National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA).
• NCCSA Composition: It will be headed by the Chief Minister of Delhi, with the Chief Secretary and Principal Home Secretary of Delhi being the other two members.
• Functions of NCCSA:
• It will make recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) regarding the transfer, posting, vigilance and other incidental matters of all Group ‘A’ officers and officers of DANICS serving in the Government of NCTD.
• All matters required to be decided by the NCCSA shall be decided by the majority of votes of the members present and voting.
• This means that, in effect, the decision of the elected chief minister of Delhi can be overruled by the two senior bureaucrats.
• Role of LG:
• The ordinance stated that the LG would pass orders to give effect to the recommendations passed by the NCCSA.
• However, LG can ask for the relevant material with regard to officers belonging to All India Services and DANICS serving the Delhi government.
• In case the LG differs from the recommendation made, he/she may return the recommendation to the Authority for reconsideration by the Authority. For this, reasons will have to be recorded in writing.
• However, as per the ordinance, in case of a difference of opinion, the decision of the LG shall be final.
• There is no specific provision in the ordinance regarding the transfer posting, discipline etc., of Group B and Group C officers, which seems to indicate that the elected government of Delhi would continue to have control over these officers.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

7) Har Shikhar Tiranga (HST) Mission

About Har Shikhar Tiranga (HST) Mission:

• It is a unique expedition to hoist the national flag on the highest point of every state of India for the first time.
• It is a campaign under the aegis of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to take the tricolour to all the states of the country and hoist it on the summits to mark the 75th year of independence and to commemorate India's G20 presidentship.
• It is the brainchild of Colonel Jamwal, who is a veteran of more than 52 successful expeditions and is the only Indian to have summited Mount Everest three times and climbed the Seven Summits, touching the highest points of the seven continents.
• The summit will begin by summiting Mt. Reo Purgyil in Himachal Pradesh and end at Mt Jongsong in Sikkim.
• The lowest in terms of elevation will be Someshwar Fort in Bihar which is around 800 m.
• Highest climbable mountain in India:
• The highest peak under Indian control is Kanchenjunga (8,586 m) in Sikkim, but it is closed for climbs.
• The next is Nanda Devi (7,816 m), but it’s a world heritage site and national biosphere reserve.
• Thus, the highest climbable mountain in India is Mt Kamet (7,756 m) in Uttarakhand.

Health

8) What is Leprosy?

About Leprosy:

• Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria, Mycobacterium leprae.
• The disease predominantly affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Left untreated, the disease may cause progressive and permanent disabilities.
• It is more common in tropical and subtropical areas.
• It is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that still occurs in more than 120 countries, with more than 200 000 new cases reported each year.
• It is known to occur at all ages ranging from early childhood to old age.
• Transmission: It is transmitted via droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close and frequent contact with untreated cases.
• Symptoms:
• The main symptom of leprosy is disfiguring skin sores, lumps, or bumps that don’t go away after several weeks or months.
• Nerve damage can lead to:
• Loss of feeling in the arms and legs
• Muscle weakness
• Treatment: It is curable with multidrug therapy (MDT) and treatment during early stages can prevent disability.

National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP):

• It is a centrally sponsored Health Scheme under the National Health Mission of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India.
• The Programme is headed by the Deputy Director of Health Services (Leprosy ) under the administrative control of the Directorate General Health Services, Govt. of India.
• While the NLEP strategies and plans are formulated centrally, the programme is implemented by the States/UTs.
• The major concern of the Programme is to detect cases of leprosy at an early stage and provide complete treatment, free of cost, in order to prevent the occurrence of Grade II Disability (G2D) in affected persons.

Defence & Security

9) What is NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System)?

About NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System):

• It is a medium-range ground-based air defence system.
• It is designed to engage air targets at low and medium altitudes in all weather conditions.
• It was designed and developed jointly by Raytheon (United States) and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (Norway).
• It is used by Norway, the United States, Canada, Chile, Finland, Indonesia, Netherlands, Oman, Qatar, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
• It is best suited to defend important stationary assets, such as key military assets, infrastructure, or cities.
• It has been integrated into the S. National Capital Region’s air defence system since 2005.
• Features:
• It is the world's first networked short- and medium-range air defence system that could integrate with other equipment and air defence systems.
• It features an X-Band, 360-degree phased array air defence radar with a 75-kilometre (approximately 47-mile) range to identify targets.
• The NASAMS is armed with three launchers, each carrying up to six missiles.
• The system can engage 72 targets simultaneously in active and passive modes.
• It uses AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, which have been modified for ground launch and have an engagement range of about 30 kilometres.

Environment

10) Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary

About Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location: It is located in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan surrounding Debar Lake (Jaisamand Lake).
• The forest of the Sanctuary used to be a Shikargah (Game Reserve) of the erstwhile Maharanas of Mewar.
• It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in the year 1957.
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous forests and scrub forests.
• Flora: The flora of this Sanctuary comprises thickly wooded forests of mainly Teak wood.
• Fauna:
• It is habitat to a large variety of animals like Bears, Black Bucks, Blue Bulls, Chinkaras, Chittal or Spotted Deer, Civets, Common Langurs, Four-horned antelopes, Foxes etc.
• It is also home to a huge variety of over 300 species of residents as well as migratory birds like Babblers, Buzzards, Curlews, Dalmatian Pelicans, Darters, Doves, Eagles, Egrets, Falcons, etc.

Key Facts about Debar Lake (Jaisamand Lake):

• It is renowned for being the second-largest artificial lake in Asia.
• In 1685, Maharana Jai Singh built this lake while making a dam on the Gomti River.
• This lake covers an area of 36sq km, stretches to the length of 14 km and width of 9 km. The lake is deep to the maximum of 102 feet and has a circumference of 30 miles.
• The lake receives water from four main rivers, the Gomti, Jhamari, Rooparel and Bagaar.
• The massive dam that was constructed on this lake also houses a centrally located Shiva temple.
• The northern end of the lake has a palace with a courtyard, while its southern end has a pavilion of 12 pillars.
• Islands:
• There are seven islands on the lake, and the tribe of Bhil Minas inhabit these islands.
• There are two main islands which are large in size. The biggest island is called Babaka Bhagra, while the smallest is called "Piari".

History & Culture

11) ‘Sengol’ to be installed in the new parliament: Significance of the sceptre, first given to Nehru.

What is the News?

What is Sengol?

It is derived from the Tamil word “Semmai”, meaning “Righteousness”. A ceremony was performed during the Chola dynasty, in which the transfer of power from one king to the other was sanctified and blessed by high priests. During this, the symbol (for the transfer of power) used was the handover of the ‘Sengol’ from one King to his successor.

The newly crowned ruler would be given the Sengol with an order to rule his subjects fairly and justly.

Why was the Sengol given to Nehru?

According to the official document, just before Independence, Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, asked Nehru about “the ceremony that should be followed to symbolise the transfer of power from British to Indian hands”.

The soon-to-be prime minister went to consult C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor-General of India. He explained the details of Sengol and its associated ceremony.

How was the present Sengol made?

Once Nehru agreed to perform the suggested ceremony. Rajaji was tasked with the responsibility of arranging a sceptre.

Subsequently, he reached out to Thiruvaduthurai Atheenam, a well-known mutt in Tamil Nadu’s Tanjore district, for help and its leader commissioned the manufacturing of the Sengol to Chennai-based jewellers.

The present one was constructed by two men — Vummidi Ethirajulu and Vummidi Sudhakar. The sceptre measures five feet in length and has a ‘Nandi’ bull on top, symbolising justice.

How did the Sengol ceremony take shape during independence?

The sceptre is a “significant historical” symbol of Independence as it signifies the transfer of power from the British to the Indians. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru accepted Sengol on August 14, 1947, through the Adhinam of Tamil Nadu. It was a sign of the shift of power from the Britishers to the people of our country.

A song was played during the ceremony. It was composed by the 7th-century Tamil saint Tirugnana Sambandar — a child prodigy who lived only 16 years.

Science & Technology

1) XPoSat

What is the XPoSat mission?

• XPoSat will study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.
• It has been billed as India’s first and only the world’s second polarimetry mission that is meant to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.
• The other major mission is NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), which was launched in 2021.

How are X-Rays witnessed in space?

• X-rays have much higher energy and much shorter wavelengths, between 0.03 and 3 nanometers, so small that some X-rays are no bigger than a single atom of many elements.
• The physical temperature of an object determines the wavelength of the radiation it emits. The hotter the object, the shorter the wavelength of peak emission.
• X-rays come from objects that are millions of degrees Celsius — such as pulsars, galactic supernova remnants, and black holes.
• Like all forms of light, X-rays consist of moving electric and magnetic waves. Usually, peaks and valleys of these waves move in random directions. Polarised light is more organised, with two types of waves vibrating in the same direction.

Economy

2) Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL)

Key features MTHL

• It connects Mumbai to the mainland:
• It starts from Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle in Navi The 22-km-long sea link is the longest in the country and the tenth longest in the world.
• The project cost is Rs 17,843 crore.
• Use of Orthotropic Steel Deck technology for the first time in India:
• The sea link passes through one of the busiest navigational channels leading to Nhava Sheva Port. Orthotropic Steel Decks are special steel decks that enable a span (distance between two piers) that is up to three times longer than the norm.
• Reverse Circulation Drilling:
• This is the first time this technology has been
•  used in India. This is used for laying the pile foundation.
• Usually, a vertical drilling method is used to lay a pile foundation. This creates a lot of noise, disturbing the surroundings. This was one of the major reasons for environmentalists to oppose the project. Instead, Reverse Circulation Technology has made a difference.
• High Containment Crash Barriers: MMRDA plans to use these on the MTHL. These are special crash barriers that will push the car back on the road in case of a crash. Normal crash barriers only take the impact of a crash.

MTHL will achieve the following:

• Physical and economic development of Navi Mumbai and Raigad district
• Faster connectivity with the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport
• Faster connectivity between Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port
• Saving in fuel, saving travel time by about 1 hour due to the reduction of the distance of about 15 km between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Mumbai-Goa highway
• Help decongest traffic in Mumbai city.

Geography

3) Spratly Islands

About the Spratly Islands:

• Location:
• The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs in the South China Sea.
• They are located north of insular Malaysia and are roughly midway between Vietnam and the Philippines.
• Claims:
• They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines.
• Although Brunei did not claim any territory in the Spratlys, it claims an exclusive economic zone over this area that contained a Spratly reef
• They are spread out over a vast area of ocean measuring some 158,000 square miles (409,000 square km).
• Climate: Tropical
• Islands:
• A great number of them are submerged.
• Of the 12 main naturally occurring islets, the largest is the 90-acre (36-hectare) Itu Aba.
• Another, called Spratly Island or Storm Island, measures 900 by 1,500 feet (275 by 450 metres).
• Turtles and seabirds are the only wildlife on these islands. There is no permanent human habitation.
• History:
• France held them between 1933 and 1939.
• During World War II, Japan occupied the archipelago and developed it as a submarine base.
• After the war, the Chinese Nationalist government established a garrison on Itu Aba, which the Nationalists maintained after their exile to Taiwan in 1949.
• When Japan renounced its claim to the islands in 1951, Taiwan, mainland China, and Vietnam, all declared themselves rightful owners, and the Philippines added a claim based on proximity in 1955.

Polity & Governance

4) 8th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog

About Governing Council meeting:

• The theme of this meeting will be “Viksit Bharat @ 2047: Role of Team India”.
• Discussions will be made on eight prominent themes, including- Viksit Bharat@2047, MSMEs, infrastructure and investments, minimising compliances, women empowerment, health and nutrition, skill development, and Gati Shakti for area development and social infrastructure in the meeting.

The Governing Council of NITI Aayog:

• Composition: The Governing Council of NITI Aayog comprises-
• The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India,
• Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with the legislature,
• Lt Governors of other UTs,
• Ex-Officio Members,
• Vice Chairman,
• NITI Aayog; Full-Time Members,
• Special Invitees,
• It was reconstituted vide a notification in February 2021 by the Cabinet Secretariat.
• It is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared vision of national priorities and strategies, with the active involvement of States, in shaping the development narrative.
• Objectives:
• Cooperative federalism.
• Presents a platform to discuss inter-Sectoral.
• Inter-departmental and federal issues to accelerate the implementation of the national development agenda.
• So far, seven meetings of the Governing Council have been held. The first meeting of the council took place in 2015.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

5) Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

About Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar:

• The Government conducts the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar every year to give due recognition to children with exceptional abilities who have achieved extraordinary recognition in the fields of Bravery, Sports, Social Service, Science & Technology, Environment and others.
• Age Limit: From 5 years to 18 years (as of 31st August of respective year).
• It is given under two categories-
• Bal Shakti Puraskar To be given as recognition to children with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievement in the fields of innovation, scholastic, sports, arts & culture, social service and bravery.
• Bal Kalyan Puraskar
• Individual: To individuals who have made an outstanding contribution towards service for children in the field of Child Development, Child Protection and Child Welfare for not less than 7 years.
• Institutions: To institutions who have done exceptional work for the cause of children in any field of child welfare.
• Selection: A National Selection Committee, headed by the Minister or Minster of State, Women and Child Development Ministry, will finalize the names of the awardees.
• These Awards are given by the President in a special ceremony held in January every year.
• The awards carry a Cash prize of one lakh rupees, a medal and a certificate.

Health

6) World Schizophrenia Awareness Day, 2023

About Schizophrenia:

• Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe mental disorder that affects the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others.
• It mostly affects young adults in the productive age group.
• One in every 100 people experiences schizophrenia, and men are twice as likely to develop this condition as compared to women.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia:

• Schizophrenia symptoms can differ from person to person, but they generally fall into three main categories: psychotic, negative, and cognitive.
• Psychotic symptoms include Hallucinations, Delusions, thought disorder, and Movement disorder.
• Negative symptoms include loss of motivation, loss of interest or enjoyment in daily activities, withdrawal from social life, difficulty showing emotions, and difficulty functioning normally.
• Cognitive symptoms include problems in attention, concentration, and memory.

Risk factors for schizophrenia:

• Genetics: Schizophrenia sometimes runs in families. However, just because one family member has schizophrenia, it does not mean that other members of the family also will have it.
• Environment: Research suggests that a combination of genetic factors and aspects of a person’s environment and life experiences may play a role in the development of schizophrenia.
• Brain structure and function: Research shows that people with schizophrenia may be more likely to have differences in the size of certain brain areas and in connections between brain areas.

Treatment:

• Though there is no cure for schizophrenia,
• A variety of antipsychotic medications are effective in reducing the psychotic symptoms present in the acute phase of the illness.
• Psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy or supportive psychotherapy may reduce symptoms and enhance function.

Polity & Governance

7) Key Features of India’s New Parliament Building

Key Facts about India’s New Parliament Building:

• The new Parliament, constructed on the lines of the Central Vista buildings, is a triangular structure.
• It is built over an area of 64,500 square metres.
• It houses the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, the Central Lounge and the offices of constitutional authorities.
• The Lok Sabha, based on the theme of the national bird 'peacock', will have a capacity of 888 seats.
• The revamped Rajya Sabha hall, based on the theme of our national flower 'lotus', will have the capacity to seat 384 people.
• In the new building, two members will be able to sit side by side on each bench in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha Chambers. Each seat will be equipped with digital systems and touch screens.
• The new building will have a Constitution Hall for the purpose of showcasing India's democratic heritage.
• It will have large committee rooms with the latest audio-visual systems.
• There will be 92 rooms for the use of the Council of Ministers.
• The new Parliament complex is also ‘divyang-friendly’.
• With a focus on energy efficiency, the new complex is a “platinum-rated green building” and showcases India’s “commitment towards sustainable development. It will feature rainwater harvesting and water recycling systems.

Science & Technology

8) What is the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)?

About ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO):

• TGO is the first in a series of joint missions between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.
• Goal: To gain a better understanding of methane and other atmospheric gases that are present in small concentrations (less than 1% of the atmosphere) in the Martian atmosphere.
• The orbiter’s sensitivity to hydrogen has also allowed it to search for water buried underneath shallow layers of Martian soil.
• It’s also meant to test technology for future missions.
• It was launched in March 2016 and began operations after entering Mars orbit on Oct. 19, 2016.
• TGO carried the Schiaparelli lander with it to Mars. However, it crashed during the landing.
• The spacecraft itself is a 3.2-meter by 2 meters by 2-meter box, fitted with one antenna to communicate with Earth and another to communicate with spacecraft on the surface of Mars.
• It is powered by a pair of solar arrays that protrude from its sides like wings, along with two small batteries to keep it running during eclipses when it doesn’t receive any sunlight.
• It carries several instruments, including,
• NOMAD (Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery);
• ACS (Atmospheric Chemistry Suite);
• CaSSIS (Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System);
• FREND (Fine Resolution Epithermal Neutron Detector);

Geography

9) Dal Lake

About Dal Lake:

• Location:
• It is a lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is surrounded by the Pir Panjal mountains.
• It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
• Spread across an area of around 26 square kilometres; it is the second-largest lake in Jammu & Kashmir.
• The shoreline of the lake is about 15.5 kilometres (9.6 mi), and is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal-era gardens, parks, houseboats and hotels.
• During the winter season, the temperature sometimes reaches −11 °C (12 °F), freezing the lake.
• The lake is part of a natural wetland that covers 21.1 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi), including its floating gardens. The floating gardens, known as “Raad” in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August.
• The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins; Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin (although Nagin is also considered an independent lake).
• Islands:
• Dal Lake includes 3 islands, 2 of which are marked with beautiful Chinar trees.
• The island located on the Lakut Dal is known as Roph Lank (Silver Island), is marked with the presence of majestic Chinar trees at the four corners, thus known as Char-Chinari (Four Chinars).
• The second Chinar Island, known as Sone Lank (Gold Island), is located on the Bod Dal (Big Dal) and overlooks the holy shrine of Hazratbal.

Economy

10) What is Angel Tax?

About Angel Tax:

• It is a tax levied on the capital raised via the issue of shares by unlisted companies if the share price of issued shares is seen in excess of the fair market value of the company.
• The excess funds raised at prices above fair value are treated as income, on which tax is levied.
• Angel tax essentially derives its genesis from section 56 (2) (vii b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
• The finance act 2012 introduced section 56 (2) (vii b) in the IT Act, which taxes any investment received by any unlisted Indian company valued above the fair market value by treating it as income.
• Rate: It is levied at a rate of 30.9% on net investments in excess of the fair market value.
• Objective: To deter the generation and use of unaccounted money through the subscription of shares of a closely held company at a value that is higher than fair market value.
• In 2019, the Government announced an exemption from the Angel Tax for startups on fulfilment of certain conditions. These are,
• The startup should be recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as an eligible startup.
• The aggregate amount of paid-up share capital and share premium of the Startup cannot be more than ₹25 crores. This amount does not include the money raised from Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Venture Capital Firms, and specified companies.
• For angel investors, the amount of investment that exceeds the fair market value can be claimed for a 100% tax exemption. However, the investor must have a net worth of ₹2 crores or an income of more than ₹25 Lakh in the past 3 fiscal years.
• Previously, angel tax provisions were applicable only for investments received from resident investors.
• However, Finance Bill 2023 has extended its applicability to non-resident investors as well.

11) London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR): RBI

• The transition away from LIBOR is aimed at reducing reliance on a benchmark that is susceptible to manipulation and ensuring the financial system’s stability and integrity.
• LIBOR is a widely used global benchmark interest rate.
• It represents the average interest rate at which banks estimate they can borrow from each other in the London interbank market for specific time periods.
• LIBOR is important because it is used as a reference rate for settling trades in various financial instruments such as futures, options, swaps, and other Derivatives.
• To calculate LIBOR, a group of banks submits their estimated borrowing rates to Thomson Reuters, a news and financial data company, every business day.
• The extreme rates are removed, and the remaining rates are averaged to determine the LIBOR rate, which aims to represent the median borrowing rate.
• Previously, LIBOR was calculated for five major currencies and seven different time periods, resulting in 35 rates published each day.
• The UK Financial Conduct Authority phased out most of these rates, and after 31st December 2021, only U.S. dollar LIBOR rates were allowed to be published.

Polity & Governance

1) IWT task force calls for the speedy completion of projects in J&K

Context

Background

· The meeting was held against the backdrop of India formally informing Pakistan of its intention to modify the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960

Indus Water Treaty (IWT), 1960:

· The six-decade-old treaty governs the sharing of waters of six rivers in the Indus system between the two countries.

· Main Rivers: Indus River, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.

· India and Pakistan mainly share the basin with a small share of China and Afghanistan.

· Under the treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, all the waters of

· Eastern rivers, namely Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas (Eastern Rivers) were allocated to India for exclusive use

· Western rivers- Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumptive, and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the Treaty.

· India has also been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through run-of-the-river (RoR) projects on the Western Rivers which, subject to specific criteria for design and operation, is unrestricted.

River Indus: Geographic Location

· The Indus is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia.

· The 3,120 km (1,940 mi) river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, bends sharply to the left after the Nanga Parbat massif, and flows south-by-southwest through Pakistan before emptying into the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi.

· Significance:

· The river has historically been important to many cultures of the region.

· The 3rd millennium BC saw the rise of the Indus Valley civilisation, a major urban civilisation of the Bronze Age.

Polity & Governance

2) 6 minor tribes in Manipur are Nagas: NSCN (I-M)

Context

Background

• Manipur, a hill state in North East India, is currently experiencing violent ethnic clashes between tribal and non-tribal residents.
• Both the Meitei (Manipuris) and Kuki tribes have been subjected to attacks, leading to escalating tensions.
• The recent outbreak of violence can be attributed to the Meitei community's demand for inclusion in the state's Scheduled Tribes (STs) list.
• The Meiteis have long sought ST status due to economic and cultural reasons.
• They argue that despite being recognized as a tribe by the British alongside Nagas and Kukis, they were not granted ST status when the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, was enacted.

Key points made by NSCN (I-M)

• Six minor tribes are Aimol, Chiru, Chothe, Kharam, Koireng, and Kom.
• They are part of the Naga community and have been actively involved in the Nagas’ political struggle for their freedom from India and Myanmar till our goal is achieved.

Understanding the Demographic Background of Manipur’s Tribes

Who are Nagas?

• Nagas in Manipur refers to a collection of tribes that live North of the Imphal valley.
• These communities form a cultural continuum with the Meiteis that extends to the Naga tribes further North into Nagaland and Assam.
• There are 16 major tribes such as Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Khemungan, Konyak, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sema, Yimchunger and Zeliang.
• Of these, the Zeliangrong Nagas, who inhabit the Tamenglong district, exhibit the closest cultural links with the Meiteis.

Who is Meiteis?

• Manipur’s population has evolved through several waves of immigration from groups originating from both the East and West of the region.
• The origin of the state’s diverse population is primarily of the Tibeto-Burman stock.
• Meiteis (also called Manipuris) are the most numerous of all the ethnic groups in the state and largely inhabit the fertile Imphal valley that sits at the centre of the state.
• Meiteis were originally a set of four different tribes — Khuman, Luwang, Moirang and Meitei.

Who are Kukis?

• Kukis in the state (called Khongjais in Meiteilon) refers to the Chin tribes that inhabit the Southern Hills and the Kangpokpi region in the Northern Hills.
• They are culturally closer to the Mizos of Mizoram and the Chin tribes of Myanmar. They are relatively much later migrants to the state compared to the Nagas and the Meiteis.

Science & Technology

3) Navy, ISRO release Gaganyaan Recovery Training Plan

Context

Key highlights (document details)

• The document outlines the training plan for the recovery of the Crew Module for the mission.
• It defines overall requirements wrt training of various teams participating in recovery operations.
• The training is planned in incremental phases starting from unmanned recovery to manned recovery training in the harbour and open sea conditions.
• The recovery operations are being led by the Indian Navy in coordination with other government agencies.

About Gaganyaan mission

• The Gaganyaan mission aims to demonstrate the capability to launch human beings (three crew members) to low earth orbit (LEO) and bring them back safely to earth by landing them in either the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea.
• Launch Vehicles: The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) is the launch vehicle for the Gaganyaan mission.
• All systems in the LVM3 launch vehicle are reconfigured to meet human rating requirements and named Human Rated LVM3 (HLVM3).
• HLVM3 consists of a Crew Escape System (CES) powered by a set of quick-acting, high-burn rate solid motors, which ensures that the Crew Module, along with the crew, is taken to a safe distance in case of any emergency either at the launch pad or during the ascent phase.

Pre-planning

• Various precursor missions are planned to demonstrate the technology preparedness levels before carrying out the actual Human Space Flight mission. These demonstrator missions include
• Integrated AirDrop Test (IADT)
• Pad Abort Test (PAT)
• Test Vehicle (TV) flights

Ecology & Environment

4) World Meteorological Congress approves GHG monitoring initiative

Context

About the new initiative

• The initiative supports urgent action to reduce heat-trapping gases, which are fuelling temperature increases.
• The new global GHG watch will fill critical information gaps and provide an integrated and operational framework.
• The framework will bring all space-based and surface-based observing systems, as well as modelling and data assimilation capabilities, under one roof.
• The monitoring infrastructure will build on and expand WMO’s long-standing activities in GHG monitoring, implemented as part of the global atmosphere watch and via its integrated global GHG information system.

Need of the initiative

• Lack of support: Many of the existing international and national activities dealing with greenhouse gases are supported mainly by the research community.
• Lack of framework: At present, there is no comprehensive, timely international exchange of surface and space-based greenhouse gas observations or modelling products.

Polity & Governance

5) A fountainhead of the people’s hopes and aspirations

Context:

Challenges of Parliament House

• Shortage of space: There exists a shortage of space inside the existing parliament house.
• Little space for improvements: Present parliament building has been retrofitted many times, which has left little space for further improvements.
• Absence of Modern Facilities: In 2015, the speaker Sumitra Mahajan, wrote to the Minister of Urban Affairs to have a new parliament building equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

Equipped for the needs of today

• Updated technology: New parliament building is equipped with the state of the art facilities which meet current and future demands. It is more spacious and energy efficient.
• Incorporates various languages: New Parliament building will be able to accommodate various languages with state-of-the-art facilities for simultaneous interpretations.
• Improve the efficiency of secretariats: Better gadgets, access to an e-library and important reports will enhance the capacity of the legislator and improve the efficiency of the secretariats of parliament.

Way forward

• Easing tensions: It is hoped that providing members with appropriate functional space and up-to-date amenities will help to ease tension and facilitate meaningful talks.
• Ready for upcoming difficulties: The new Parliament building should serve as a reminder for us to get ready and outfitted for the upcoming difficulties.
• Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat: The New Building would serve as a beacon to direct us on our ambitious quest to create "Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat," serving as a source of the people's hopes and aspirations.

Economy

6) Vande Bharat Express

About:

• Vande Bharat Express, earlier named Train 18, is India's fastest indigenous train which has been built by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, under the Government’s Make in India.
• Timeline: It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi between New Delhi and Varanasi on February 15, 2019, and has been running with no reported issues in the last six months.
• It is India's first semi-high-speed train which will run from Delhi to Varanasi, with halts at Kanpur and Allahabad, at a maximum speed of 160 kmph by covering the distance in 8 hours.
• It is equipped with world-class passenger amenities like Onboard WiFi entertainment, GPS-based passenger information system, CCTVs, bio-vacuum toilets, rotating chairs in executive class, etc.
• The Express will have two travel classes: executive and chair car, similar to the Shatabdi.
• Further, it has an intelligent braking system with power regeneration for better energy efficiency, thereby making it cost, energy and environment efficient.
• It is also the first locomotiveless train in the country.

Economy

7) Mining Start-up Summit

About:

• The summit is being organised by the Ministry of Mines in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
• The Summit will mainly focus on innovation and techniques that will support and improve performance and safety and help in building autonomy in the field of mining and metallurgy.
• The summit will also focus on interaction with leading industries in the mineral exploration sector, financial institutions and banks.
• More than 120 start-ups and 20 major industries will be participating in the Summit.
• During the event, the Ministry of Mines will interact with the start-ups in the field of Mining and Metallurgy and discuss how these start-ups equipped with different technology can contribute to the activities of the mining sector.

History & Culture

8) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

Why in the news?

• On May 27, 1964, the first Prime Minister of India took his last breath. He was the PM from 1947 to 1964 till he died at the age of 74.
• Nehru’s birth anniversary on November 14 is also celebrated as Children’s Day every year in India. He had a great fondness for kids, and children used to call him Chacha Nehru.

Facts about Jawahar Lal Nehru:

• Jawahar Lal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889, in Allahabad (officially known as Prayagraj) to Pandit Motilal Nehru and Swarup Rani.
• He went to Trinity College in Cambridge in October 1907 and graduated with an honours degree in natural science in 1910. After completing his degree in 1910, Nehru moved to London and studied law at Inner Temple Inn.
• After returning to India in August 1912, he enrolled himself as an advocate of the Allahabad High Court.
• Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's ideology of fighting British imperialism, Nehru joined the freedom struggle.
• He became the Indian National Congress president on two occasions -- in 1919 and 1928. Jawaharlal Nehru was first imprisoned in 1929.
• In the 60s, he played a key role in the formation and operation of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). NAM was a platform for newly liberated third-world colonies to empower each other during the Cold War while staying away from the two power blocs (Communist and Capitalist). It opposed "imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of foreign aggression".
• Nehru wrote several books, including 'The Discovery of India', 'Glimpses of World History', and his autobiography, 'Toward Freedom'. A collection of letters he had written to his daughter Indira Gandhi was published as a book: 'Letters from a Father to His Daughter'.
• His elder sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was the first female president of the United Nations General Assembly, and his youngest sister, Krishna Hutheesing, became a noted writer.

Polity & Governance

9) Denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes

About Denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes:

• The De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes are the most neglected, marginalized and economically and socially deprived communities.
• Denotified tribes (DNTs) are communities that were ‘notified’ as being ‘born criminals’ during the British regime under a series of laws starting with the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 and 1947.
• These Acts were repealed by the Independent Indian Government in l952, and these communities were "De-Notified".
• These tribes somehow escaped the attention of our developmental framework and thus are deprived of support, unlike Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Development and Welfare Board:
• It has constituted by the ministry in 2019 on the recommendation of the National Commission formed in 2017.
• The Board has been mandated to formulate and implement welfare and development programmes for these communities.

Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)

• Aim: To provide free competitive exam coaching, health insurance, housing assistance and livelihood initiatives at the community level, and financial assistance for the construction of houses will be provided to the members of DNT/NT/SNT Communities.
• An amount of 200 crores has been allocated for this scheme — to be spent over five years from FY2021-22 to FY2025-26.
• Nodal Ministry: Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.

The National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes

• The National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes was constituted by the Ministry in 2005.
• Its mandate was to study the socio-economic conditions of the “most disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of Indian society” and to identify measures for their development.

Environment

10) Son Ghadiyal Wildlife Sanctuary

Why in News?

• The tribunal also directed MoEF & CC to look into the question of declaring parts of river Son, running in both states, as 'Son Ghadiyal Wildlife Sanctuary' in accordance with the law within three months.

About Son Ghadiyal Wildlife Sanctuary:

• The Son Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary in Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh.
• It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1981 by the State government to protect and preserve the faunal diversity of the river, specifically the critically endangered Gharial and the vulnerable Marsh Crocodile.
• Sanctuary consists of an altogether length of 210 km, encompassing lengths of 161 km of Son River, 23 km of Banas River, and 26 km of Gopad River.
• Fauna:
• The sanctuary is home to a significant population of Gharials, as well as other species of fauna such as Indian flap shell turtles, smooth-coated otters, Indian Skimmers and a variety of fish species.
• It is also a breeding ground for the Indian Skimmer.
• About 101 species of birds registered in the sanctuary make it rich in aquatic and avifaunal biodiversity.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

11) SAMARTH Campaign

SAMARTH Campaign:

• It was started on 1^st February 2023 and will continue till 15 August 2023 under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The key thrust of the campaign is to promote Digital Transactions in rural areas, particularly among women.
• Minster praised the significant reduction in Non-Performing Assets (NPA) of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), which has decreased from 9.58% in 2013 to below 2% presently.
• The event witnessed the unveiling of a compendium of 75 Inspirational Tales of BC Sakhis along with live testimonies of transformations in the lives of BC Sakhis who narrated before the August gathering their success stories.
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) will help to achieve the goals of this campaign.

DAY- National Rural Livelihoods Mission:

• It was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India in June 2011 as a restructured version of Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna (SGSY).
• Aim: It aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services.
• The program was renamed Deendayal Antayodaya Yojana (DAY-NRLM) in November 2015.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

12) Atal Bhujal Yojana

Atal Bhujal Yojana:

• Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) has been implemented as a Central Sector Scheme since April 2020 in 8220 water-stressed Gram Panchayats of 229 administrative blocks/Talukas in 80 districts of seven States Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• Implementation Period: for 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25).
• Goal: To demonstrate community-led sustainable groundwater management, which can be taken to scale.
• Objective: The major objective of the Scheme is to improve the management of groundwater resources in select water-stressed areas in identified states.
• Funding: Total outlay of INR 6000 crores. Out of this, INR 3,000 crores will be a loan from the World Bank and INR 3,000 crores as the matching contribution from the Government of India.
• Program Components:
• Institutional Strengthening & Capacity Building Component: This component is for strengthening institutional arrangements and capacities in the states.
• Incentive Component: The incentive component is for incentivising the States for convergence amongst various schemes of the Central and State Governments.

• Nodal agency: The Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Outcomes of the meeting:

• The overall performance of the scheme is satisfactory, and the achievements under Disbursement Linked Indicators are also noteworthy.
• The Committee decided Atal Bhujal Yojana should be taken up for continuation for another two years beyond 2025.

Defence & Security

13) Sudarshan Shakti Exercise

About Sudarshan Shakti Exercise:

• Aim: It is aimed at starting the transformation of the forces into a modern, lean, and agile fighting combination capable of leveraging new-age technologies.
• The exercise was designed to validate operational plans in a network-centric environment with elements of combat power, combat support and logistic support.
• These elements were exercised in a synergised application under all domains of enemy threat, including Grey Zone Warfare as part of high-tempo operations.
• Scope and objectives:
• Integrated use of force multipliers like special forces and niche technologies covering drones, tethered drones, loiter ammunition, as well as key aspects of electronic warfare made it a unique event.
• This exercise also facilitated in meeting the stated objectives of the five pillars of transformation enunciated by COAS General Manoj Pande in January 2023.
• ‘Sudarshan Shakti 2023” highlights the commitment of the South Western Command and its associated units towards maintaining a high level of operational preparedness and capability to fight a technology-intensive future conflict.

Economy

1) RCS- UDAN

About:

Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN

• UDAN (UdeDeshkaAamNaagrik) is a regional airport development and "Regional Connectivity Scheme" (RCS) of the Union Government.
• The scheme UDAN envisages providing connectivity to un-served and under-served airports of the country through the revival of existing airstrips and airports.
• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation
• This is a first-of-its-kind scheme globally to create economically viable flights on regional routes so that flying becomes affordable to the common man, even in small towns.
• It is a key component of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) which was released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (India) in 2016.
• The scheme is jointly funded by the central government and state governments.

Two components of UDAN:

• Airports: The first component is to develop new airports and enhance the existing regional airports to increase the number of operational airports for scheduled civilian flights.
• Flight routes: The second component is to add several hundred financially viable, capped-airfare, and new regional flight routes to connect more than 100 under-served and un-served airports in smaller towns by using "Viability Gap Funding" (VGF) where needed.

Social Issues & Social Justice

2) National review conference of the Department of Social Justice, Empowerment

About:

• Two-day national review conference organised by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment will be conducted in New Delhi recently.
• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said the focus of this conference is to discuss the issue pertaining to the welfare schemes being implemented by the department for the marginalised section of society, including Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Senior Citizens and others.
• The National Review Conference will deliberate on an overview of the schemes, highlighting best practices and innovations from States and Union Territories to establish better synergy between the States and the Centre.

Polity & Governance

3) Public Interest Litigation (PIL)

About:

• PIL has not been defined in any Indian statute. However, Courts have interpreted and defined PIL.
• The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has, in the case of Janata Dal v. H.S.Chaudhary, [(AIR 1993 SC 892) held that lexically, the expression ‘PIL’ means a legal action started in a court of law for the enforcement of public/general interest where the public or a particular class of the public some interest (including pecuniary interest) that affects their legal rights or liabilities.
• Any individual or organisation can file a PIL either in his/her/their own standing, i.e. to protect or enforce a right owed to him/her/them by the government or on behalf of a section of society that is disadvantaged or oppressed and is not able to enforce their own rights.
• The concept of “Locus Standi” has been relaxed in the case of PILs so as to enable the Hon’ble Court to look into grievances that are filed on behalf of those who are poor, illiterate, deprived or disabled and are unable to approach the courts themselves.
• The Court may also take Suo moto cognisance.
• PILs are extensions of Writ Jurisdiction. Therefore, PILs may be filed either before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution or any High Court under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution.

International relations

4) G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group meeting

About:

• Its primary goal is to prepare "comprehensive recommendations for consideration by leaders on how the G20 could continue to make practical and valuable contributions to international efforts to combat corruption".
• The ACWG has led the G20 anti-corruption efforts coordinating the collective and national actions taken by its members.
• The ACWG actively works with the World Bank Group, the OECD, the UNODC, the IMF, and the FATF, as well as with Business 20 (B20) and the Civil Society 20 (C20).

History

5) Sengol

About:

• The Sengol sceptre, measuring an impressive five feet in length, is a remarkable creation made from silver and gold.
• It carries a rich history as it was originally handed over to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru by Lord Mountbatten on August 14, 1947, symbolising the momentous transfer of power during India's Independence.
• Subsequently, the sceptre was put on display at The Allahabad Museum, allowing visitors to appreciate its historical significance.
• The golden sceptre has its origins in the Chola empire, where it was used as a symbol of power transfer from one king to another.
• It had a carving of the Nandi atop it, which is said to be a symbol of justice.

History

6) Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

About:

• Born on this day in 1883 near Nasik in Maharashtra, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was popularly called Veer Savarkar.
• Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter. He called the 1857 revolt the first war of independence.
• He founded the following Organizations: Abhinav Bharat Society and Free India Society.
• He was also a member of India House. He was not the founder of Hindu Mahasabha, but he did serve as its president.
• He opposed the Quit India struggle in 1942, calling it a "Quit India but keep your army" movement.
• Savarkar endorsed the ideal of India as a Hindu Rashtra and is credited with developing the Hindu nationalist political ideology of Hindutva.
• Publications:
• He wrote the book, ”Joseph Mazzini- Biography and Politics”.
• He published “The Indian War of Independence” about the Indian rebellion of 1857.
• The airport at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar's capital, has been named Veer Savarkar International Airport.

Social Issues

7) Divya Kala Shakti Program

About:

• This time, the sixth DIVYA KALA SHAKTI program was organized in the divine city of Varanasi, where approximately 100 artists from six states, namely West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, performed in the program.
• It is organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, through CRC-Lucknow, an organization under the department.
• The Department is taking Divya Kala Shakti to regional levels under the direction of former President Shri. Ram Nath Kovind.
• As per this direction, five regional “Divya Kala Shakti” programs have already been held in various places, including the Western Region, North Eastern and Southern Region in Mumbai, Arunachal, Chennai, New Delhi, and Gauhati.

Economy

8) REWARD Program

About:

• REWARD is a World Bank-assisted Watershed development program that is being implemented from 2021 to 2026.
• The Development Objectives of the REWARD program are to “Strengthen capacities of National and State institutions to adopt improved watershed management for increasing farmers resilience and support value chains in selected watersheds of participating States”.
• The program is being implemented to introduce modern watershed practices in the Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development and in the States of Karnataka and Odisha.
• The total budget outlay of the REWARD program is USD 167.71 million over a program period of 4.5 years.
• At the central level, the scope of the REWARD program covers management, monitoring, communication and knowledge-sharing functions by DoLR.
• At the State level, the REWARD program will be contiguous in scope to the WDC-PMKSY 2.0 and support the implementation of key science-based activities and demonstrations, which eventually aims at synergising a broader perspective of WDC-PMKSY 2.0 in other States in India.

Economy

9) Solar Decathlon India (SDI) Design Challenge for Net-Zero Future Proof Building 2022-2023

About:

• The Solar Decathlon India is conducted every year by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and the Alliance for an Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE).
• It is under the aegis of the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), an autonomous bilateral organisation jointly funded by both the Governments (The Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, and the U.S. Department of State are the respective nodal departments on the two sides).
• The Council of Architecture (CoA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding as a knowledge partner with AEEE, which co-organises SDI, to expand outreach and the impact of Solar Decathlon India aimed at building the next generation of leaders to combat climate change in India.

Economy

10) Sagar Parikrama Yatra

About:

• Sagar Parikrama is an initiative taken by the Government of India.
• The aim is to resolve the issues of the fishers and other stakeholders and facilitate their economic upliftment through various fisheries schemes and programs being implemented by the Government of India, such as Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and Kisan Credit Card (KCC).
• Sagar Parikrama is a program reflecting the far-reaching policy strategy of the government, leading to direct interaction with fishers and fish farmers to understand the issues of coastal areas and problems related to fishermen.
• Phases I, II & III, and IV have brought massive changes in the development strategy for fishermen.

Government policies & intervention

1) Rs 75 Coin Launched to mark the inauguration of the New Parliament

News

Features

• The latest Rs 75 coin is circular in shape with a diameter of 44mm.

• The composition of the coin is of a quaternary alloy — 50 per cent silver, 40 per cent copper, 5 per cent nickel and 5 per cent zinc.

Inscriptions

• The face of the coin shall bear the Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar in the centre, with the legend Satyameva Jayate inscribed below, flanked on the left periphery with the word “Bharat” in Devnagri script and on the right periphery the word “INDIA” in English.

• The other side of the coin displays an image of the new parliament building. The inscription “Sansad Sankul” is written in Devanagari script on the upper periphery, while the words “Parliament Complex” in English on the lower periphery of the coin.

Background of Commemorative Coins

• India has been issuing commemorative coins since the 1960s for several reasons, such as paying homage to notable personalities, spreading awareness about government schemes, or remembering key historic events.

• The country released its first commemorative coin in 1964 in honour of Jawaharlal Nehru, who had passed away that year.

Power to design and mint coins

• The Coinage Act of 2011 gives the central government the power to design and mint coins in various denominations.

• In the case of coins, the role of the RBI is limited to the distribution of coins that the central government supplies.

• All coins are minted in the four mints owned by the Government of India in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Noida.

Science and Technology

2) Foucault pendulum

In News

• At the latitude of Parliament, it takes 49 hours, 59 minutes and 18 seconds for the pendulum to complete one rotation.

About Foucault pendulum

• The Foucault pendulum is named for Léon Foucault (1819-1868), the French physicist who first devised the apparatus in the mid-19th century.

• It is a deceptively simple device used to illustrate the earth’s rotation.

• The pendulum consists of a heavy bob suspended at the end of a long, strong wire from a fixed point in the ceiling.

• It has been designed and installed by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Kolkata.

Science & Technology

3) India has reduced stunting, but wasting and obesity remain concerns

Context

Key highlights of the report:

The Joint Malnutrition Estimates (JME) released by UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank revealed that India recorded 1.6 crores fewer stunted children under five years in 2022 as compared to 2012.

• Stunting: This was accompanied by India's share of the global burden of stunting, declining from 30% to 25% in the past decade.

• Wasting: The prevalence of wasting in 2022 was 18.7% in India, with a share of 49% in the global burden of this malnutrition indicator.

• Obesity: The prevalence of obesity marginally increased in a decade from 2.2% in 2012 to 2.8% in 2022, with the numbers growing to 31.8 lakhs from 27.5 lakhs.

• Globally, stunting declined from a prevalence rate of 26.3% in 2012 to 22.3% in 2022.

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Targeting: There is insufficient progress in reaching the 2025 World Health Assembly (WHA) global nutrition targets and 2030

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 targets; only about one-third of all NFHS-5 showed evidence of continued reduction of stunting and instances of underweight children, though anaemia was disappointing.

• Concerns: It also showed an improvement in access to health services such as family planning, ante-natal care, deworming, and breastfeeding counselling.

• Wasting is an outlier, with two-thirds of children at 12 or 24 months having to waste at birth or at one month of age.

• This means that children were born with very low weight for height and didn't recover even six months or 12 months later despite weight gain.

• Estimation: The JME estimates for stunting and obesity are based on country-level modelled estimates derived from primary sources, while for wasting, the estimates are based on national-level country prevalence data.

4) Cambodia

International Relation

Why in News?

• The visit marks the culmination of the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Cambodia.
• This visit by the King of Cambodia is taking place after almost six decades, with the last being that of the current King’s father in 1963.

About Cambodia:

• Cambodia country on the Indochinese mainland of Southeast Asia.
• Its capital is Phnom Penh.
• It is bordered to the west and northwest by Thailand, to the northeast by Laos, to the east and southeast by Vietnam and to the southwest by the Gulf of Thailand.
• The two dominant hydrological features of Cambodia are the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap (Great Lake).
• Topography: The Elephant Mountains and Cardamom Mountain of the southwest and western regions; the Dangrek Mountains of the North adjoining of the Korat Plateau of Thailand and the Rattanakiri Plateau and Chhlong highlands on the east merging with the Central Highlands of Viet Nam.
• Conservation and restoration of the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Preah Vihar are being carried out under India’s funding.

Science & Technology

5) Rice fortification

About Rice Fortification:

• Fortification is the process of adding Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK), containing FSSAI-prescribed micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12) to normal Rice in a ratio of 1:100 (Mixing 1 Kg of FRK with 100 Kg custom milled rice).
• Fortified rice is nearly identical to traditional rice in aroma, taste, and texture. This process is done in the rice mills at the time of milling of rice.
• Fortification of rice is found to be a cost-effective and complementary strategy to increase vitamin and mineral content in diets with low turnaround time (TAT) and a step towards nutritional security.

Background:

• On 15 August 2021, when Prime Minister of India announced that over 80 crore people would be fed rice fortified with iron and vitamins to combat rising cases of anaemia and other micronutrient deficiency diseases.

About Anemia:

• Anaemia is a problem of not having enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body's tissues.
• Symptoms: Possible symptoms of anaemia include Tiredness, Weakness, Shortness of breath, Irregular heartbeat, Chest pain, Cold hands and feet etc.
• Causes of anaemia: Different types of anaemia have different causes. They include:
• Iron deficiency anaemia, Vitamin deficiency anaemia, Anemia of inflammation, Sickle cell anaemia, Hemolytic anaemia, and Aplastic anaemia.
• Prevention:
• Many types of anaemia can't be prevented. But eating a healthy diet might prevent iron deficiency anaemia and vitamin deficiency anaemia. A healthy diet includes Iron, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin C, Folate etc.

Environment

6) Great Himalayan National Park

About Great Himalayan National Park:

• It is located in the Banjaar Sub-Division of the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh in the far Western Himalayas.
• It spreads across a total area of 1171 sq km.
• It was constituted in 1984 and was formally notified as a national park in 1999.
• GHNP was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2014.
• Topography: The park is a stunning mix of lush coniferous forests, meadows, glaciers and mountain peaks.
• Fauna:
• Biodiversity surveys of GHNP in the past decade have identified 31 mammal species, 209 bird species, 12 reptile species, 9 amphibian species and 125 insect species.
• Animals like the bharal (blue sheep), common leopard, snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan tahr, musk deer and serow.
• Endangered western tragopan, lammergeiers, Himalayan griffon vultures and golden eagles.
• Flora:
• GHNP boasts 832 plant species, representing 128 families and 427 genera and comprising 26% of the total flora of Himachal Pradesh. These include 794 angiosperm species, 11 gymnosperm species (pines, conifers and cypresses) and 27 fern species.
• The boundaries of GHNP are also contiguous with: the Pin Valley National Park in the Trans-Himalaya range, the Rupi Bhabha Wildlife Sanctuary in the Sutlej watershed and the Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary in Parvati Valley.

History & Culture

7) Mahakaleshwar Temple

About Mahakaleshwar Temple:

• It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva.
• Location:
  • It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
  • The temple is situated beside Rudra Sagar Lake.
• It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
• Mahakaleshwar idol is Dakshina Mukhi, facing south, unlike all the other Jyotirlingas.
• The temple, which is spread over five levels, sees a huge throng of devotees during the Maha Shivaratri festival.
• Architecture:
  • The temple complex comes with a spacious courtyard that is adorned with the finest sculptures that are believed to be influenced by Chalukya, Maratha, and Bhumija styles of structural design.
  • The foundation and platform are built of stones. Most of the upper structure rests on strong and well-designed pillars and plasters.
  • It is complete with impressive lingam sculptures of Mahakaleshwar.
  • The images of Ganesh, Parvati and Karttikeya are installed in the west, north and east of the sanctum sanctorum.
  • The temple also houses a tank constructed in the sarvatobhadra style.

What are Jyotirlingas?

• A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam.
• There are currently 12 main Jyotirlingas in India.
• The 12 Jyotirlinga temples in India take the name of the presiding deity. Each is considered a different manifestation of Lord Shiva.
• 12 Jyotirlingas in India are:
  • Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir, Gujarat
  • Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
  • Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
  • Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
  • Baidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar, Jharkhand
  • Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
  • Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
  • Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka, Gujarat
  • Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
  • Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Nasik, Maharashtra
  • Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
  • Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Government Initiatives & Schemes

8) One District One Product (ODOP) Initiative

About One District One Product (ODOP) Initiative:

• It was launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in 2018.
• Objective: To help districts reach their full potential, foster economic and socio-cultural growth, and create employment opportunities, especially in rural areas.
• The initiative aims to select, brand, and promote at least One Product from each District of the country to enable holistic socioeconomic growth across all regions.
• ODOP Initiative aims to turn every district in India into an export hub through the promotion of the product in which the district specialises.
• The initiative plans to accomplish this by scaling manufacturing, supporting local businesses, finding potential foreign customers and so on, thus helping to achieve the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision.
• The ODOP Initiative has identified a total of 1102 products from 761 districts across the country.
• This initiative is carried out with the ‘Districts as Exports Hub’ initiative by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Department of Commerce.
• Process:
  • Under the ODOP initiative, all products have been selected by States/UTs by taking into consideration the existing ecosystem on the ground, products identified under Districts as Export Hubs (DEH), and GI-tagged products.
  • The finalized list is communicated to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) by the relevant Department of States/UTs.
  • All activities, including exhibitions, capacity building, etc., are undertaken at the State/UT and district level in consultation and coordination with the States/UTs.

Health

9) What is Chytridiomycosis?

About Chytridiomycosis:

• It is an infectious disease that affects amphibians, especially frogs worldwide.
• It is caused by either of two species of amphibian chytrid fungus. They are called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans.
• It is an emerging disease that is significantly impacting amphibian populations across the globe.
• The disease has caused the decline or complete extinction of over 200 species of frogs and other amphibians.
• How chytrid fungus infects the frog?
  • Chytrid fungus is a waterborne fungus that disperses into the environment in order to search for a new host.
  • The fungus travels through water sources until it finds a new host and enters through the skin.
  • Chytrid infects frogs by reproducing in their skin.
  • The single-celled fungus enters a skin cell, multiplies, and then breaks back out onto the surface of the animal.
  • This damage to the skin affects the frog’s ability to balance water and salt levels and eventually leads to death if infection levels are high enough.

Science & Technology

10) What is Powassan Virus?

About Powassan Virus Disease:

• It is a rare yet often serious disease that is spread by the bite of infected ticks.
• The Powassan virus, often called a ticking time bomb, is named after Powassan, Ontario, where it was first discovered in 1958.
• How do people get affected?
  • Not all ticks carry these viruses, and not all people bitten by a tick will get sick.
  • A tick needs to be attached to a person for a certain length of time before it can cause disease.
• Symptoms:
  • People in the initial days can experience symptoms of fever, headache, vomiting, and weakness.
  • The virus can further cause brain infection (encephalitis) or form the membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).
  • In severe cases, patients can suffer from confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, and seizures.
• Treatment:
  • There are no medications to prevent or treat Powassan virus infection.
  • Rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medications may relieve some symptoms.

International relations

11) What is Nato Plus?

About Nato Plus:

• It is a grouping of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and five countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea.
• The group works toward boosting global defence cooperation.
• Advantages for India of becoming a member of NATO Plus:
  • India would gain access to seamless intelligence sharing between these countries.
  • India would get access to the latest military technology without much of a time lag.
  • It would further strengthen India’s defence partnership with the United States.

What is North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?

• It is a transatlantic alliance of 31 like-minded North American and European countries.
• It was established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) on April 4, 1949.
• Aim: To protect peace and to guarantee the territorial integrity, political independence and security of the member states.
• Article Five of the treaty: If an armed attack occurs against one of the member states, it should be considered an attack against all members, and other members shall assist the attacked member with armed forces if necessary.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

Science & Technology

1) KSS-III Batch-II Submarine

About KSS-III Batch-II Submarine:

• The KSS-III, the largest submarine to ever be built by South Korea, is being developed in two phases, Batch-I and Batch-II.
• It is a series of diesel-electric attack submarines.
• KSS-III Batch-II is an advanced version of its predecessor in terms of combat management systems, firepower, and sonar capabilities.
• It is jointly developed by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).
• Features:
• The submarine will be 89 metres long, 9.6 metres wide, and have a displacement of around 3,600 tonnes.
• The Batch-II series will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries, which will reportedly make it capable of cruising at higher speeds with a greater period of underwater endurance, life expectancy, and durability.
• Additionally, the submarines will be equipped with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology that will allow them to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen.
• It will also be capable of carrying a crew of 50 members.
• It can fire missiles such as Hyunmoo-4-4 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM).
• The submarines can attain a maximum operating speed of approximately 20 knots and a cruising range of 10,000 nmi.
• The navigation aids on board the submarine include an inertial navigation system (INS) and a global positioning system (GPS).

Environment

2) What is Acinetobacter baumannii?

About Acinetobacter baumannii:

• Acinetobacter is a group of bacteria (germs) commonly found in the environment, like in soil and water.
• While there are many types, the most common cause of infections is Acinetobacter baumannii, which accounts for most Acinetobacter infections in humans.
• It is a Gram-negative bacteria that often displays multidrug resistance.
• It can cause infections in the blood, urinary tract, and lungs (pneumonia), or in wounds in other parts of the body.
• It can also “colonize” or live in a patient without causing infections or symptoms, especially in respiratory secretions (sputum) or open wounds.
• These germs are frequent causes of hospital-acquired infections, especially in intensive care units (ICUs).
• It is highly contagious.

Gram-Positive vs. Gram-Negative Bacteria:

• Gram-positive bacteria have cell walls made of a thick layer of peptidoglycan.
• The cell walls of gram-negative bacteria contain only a thin layer of peptidoglycan, but they also have an outer membrane that is absent in gram-positive bacteria.
• Gram staining is a technique that uses violet dye to distinguish between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
• If the bacteria are gram-positive, the thick peptidoglycan layer in their cell walls will retain the dye, and they will stain violet.

Science & Technology

3) What is Spear Phishing?

About Spear Phishing:

• It is an email or electronic communications scam targeted towards a specific individual, organization or business.
• It is a targeted attempt to steal sensitive information, such as account credentials or financial information, from a specific victim, often for malicious reasons.
• This is achieved by acquiring personal details on the victim, such as their friends, hometown, employer, locations they frequent, and what they have recently bought online.
• Working:
  • A spear-phishing email uses social engineering techniques to urge the victim to click on a malicious link or attachment.
  • Additionally, the email will blatantly ask the recipient to respond urgently, such as by transferring a specific sum of money or sending personal data, such as a banking password.
  • Because the emails are written in a highly familiar tone and refer to personal information about the recipient, victims mistakenly believe they know and trust the sender and respond to the request.
  • Once the victim completes the intended action, the attacker can steal the credentials of a targeted legitimate user and enter a network undetected.
• This is the most successful form of acquiring confidential information on the internet, accounting for 91% of attacks.

Economy

4) Sakhalin-1 Project

About Sakhalin-1 Project:

• Location: The Sakhalin-1 oil and gas development project is located in the Okhotsk Sea, off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East.
• It comprises three offshore fields, namely Chayvo, Odoptu, and Arkutun-Dagi.
• It is operated by Exxon Neftegas (ENL), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, which holds a 30% participating interest. The other partners of the project are the Japanese consortium Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Company (SODECO, 30%), India’s state-owned ONGC Videsh (20%), and Russian oil company Rosneft (20%).
• The Sakhalin 1 project is estimated to hold approximately 2.3 billion barrels of oil and 17.1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in recoverable reserves.

ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL):

• It is a Miniratna Schedule “A” Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE)of the Government of India and is the wholly owned subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).
• It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• The primary business of ONGC Videsh is to prospect for oil and gas acreages outside India, including exploration, development and production of oil and gas.
• ONGC Videsh is the second largest petroleum company in India, next only to its parent ONGC.

Geography

5) Senkakau Islands

About Senkaku Islands:

• Location:
• The Senkaku Islands are an uninhabited group of islands situated in the East China Sea.
• It is approximately 90 nautical miles north of the Yaeyama Islands in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture and 120 nautical miles northeast of the island of Taiwan.
• They are also known as the Diaoyu Islands in Mainland China, the Diaoyutai Islands in Taiwan and the Pinnacle Islands by other observers.
• The islands comprise Uotsuri Island, Kuba Island, Taisho Island (also called Kumeakashima Island), Kitakojima Island, Minamikojima Island, Tobise Island, Okinokitaiwa Island, and Okinominamiiwa Island.
• Dispute: The islands are the focus of a territorial dispute between Japan and China and between Japan and Taiwan.
• Administration:
• They were never administered by any other country before Japan incorporated them into its territory in 1895.
• Currently, Japan administers and controls the Senkaku islands as part of the city of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture.

Health

6) What is Meningitis?

About Meningitis:

• Meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. These membranes are called meninges.
• The most common causes of meningitis are viral and bacterial infections. Other causes may include:
• cancer
• fungi
• drug-induced reactions
• Transmission: Infections that cause meningitis can be spread through sneezing and coughing.
• Symptoms:
• Common symptoms of meningitis are neck stiffness, fever, confusion or altered mental status, headaches, nausea and vomiting.
• Less frequent symptoms are seizures, coma and neurological deficits (for example, hearing or vision loss, cognitive impairment, or weakness of the limbs).
• Types of meningitis caused by viruses or bacteria can have similar symptoms. Symptoms may be stronger in some types of meningitis than in others and require different treatments.
• Treatment and Prevention:
• Meningitis is a medical emergency. It is potentially fatal within 24 hours and requires urgent medical attention.
• Meningitis can vary in severity, appropriate treatment and care depending on the cause. Meningitis caused by bacteria requires immediate antibiotic treatment.
• Vaccines offer the best protection against common types of bacterial meningitis.
• Antibiotics for close contact of those with meningococcal disease, when given promptly, decrease the risk of transmission.

Polity & Governance

7) Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)

About Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG):

• CAG is the apex authority responsible for external and internal audits of the expenses of the National and state governments in the country.
• The Constitution of India provides for an independent office of the CAG in Chapter V.
• The CAG is mentioned in the Constitution of India under Articles 148 – 151.
• Constitutional Provisions:
• Article 148broadly deals with the CAG appointment, oath and conditions of service.
• Article 149 deals with the duties and powers of the CAG.
• Article 150 says that the accounts of the Union and of the States shall be kept in such form as the President may, on the advice of the CAG, prescribe.
• Article 151 says that the reports of the CAG relating to the accounts of the Union shall be submitted to the President, who shall cause them to be laid before each House of Parliament.
• As per Article 279, the Calculation of "net proceeds" is ascertained and certified by the CAG, whose certificate is final.
• Appointment and Terms of Service:
• As per Article 148 of the Constitution, there shall be a Comptroller and Auditor-General of India who shall be appointed by the President and can be removed from office only in the manner and on the grounds that a Judge of the Supreme Court is removed.
• He holds office for a period of six years or upto the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• Functions of CAG:
• CAG audits the accounts related to all expenditures from the Consolidated Fund of India, the Consolidated Fund of each state, and UT’s having a legislative assembly.
• He audits all expenditures from the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India as well as the Contingency Fund and Public Account of each state.
• He audits all trading, manufacturing, profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and other subsidiary accounts kept by any department of the Central Government and the state governments.
• CAG audits the receipts and expenditures of all bodies and authorities substantially financed from the Central or State revenues, government companies, other corporations and bodies when so required by related laws.
• He audits the accounts of any other authority when requested by the President or Governor, e.g. Local bodies.
• He advises the President with regard to the prescription of the form in which the accounts of the Centre and States shall be kept.
• Reports by CAG: The CAG submits his audit reports relating to the accounts of the Centre to the President, who shall, in turn, place them before both houses of Parliament. He submits 3 audit reports to the President-
• Audit report on appropriation accounts;
• Audit report on financial accounts;
• Audit report on public undertakings;
• He also submits his audit reports relating to the accounts of a State to the Governor, who shall, in turn, place them before the state legislature.

Polity & Governance

8) Central Vigilance Commissioner

About Central Vigilance Commission:

• Background:
• The Central Vigilance Commission was initially set up through Resolution in 1964 of the Government of India on the recommendations of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption formed under the Chairmanship of Shri K. Santhanam.
• In 1997, The Supreme Court gave directions to the Government of India to confer statutory status upon the Central Vigilance Commission.
• Then Centre government gave statutory status to Central Vigilance Commission in 2003.
• Vision:
• To eliminate corrupt and unethical practices in public administration and to bring about transparency, fair play, objectivity, accountability and responsiveness to the aspirations of the citizen from the administration.
• Composition: Central Vigilance Commission consists of a Central Vigilance Commissioner as Chairperson and not more than two Vigilance Commissioners as Members.
• Organization Structure:
• The Central Vigilance Commission has its own Secretariat, the Chief Technical Examiners' Wing (CTE) and a wing of Commissioners for Departmental Inquiries (CDI).

1. Chief Technical Examiners' Wing (CTE) - Technical audit of construction works of Governmental organisations from a vigilance angle and Investigation of specific cases of complaints relating to construction works.
2. Commissioners for Departmental Inquiries (CDIs) - The CDIs function as Inquiry Officers to conduct oral inquiries in departmental proceedings initiated against public servants.

• Removal: The Central Vigilance Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner shall be removed from his office only by order of the President on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity after the Supreme Court, on a reference made to it by the President, has, on inquiry, reported that the Central Vigilance Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner ought on such ground be removed.

Economy

9) Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)

Key Points:

• The unemployment rate in current weekly status (CWS) for persons of age 15 years and above in urban areas declined to 6.8% in the January to March 2023 quarter.
• The urban labour force participation rate (LFPR) for all ages, however, inched up to a high of 38.1% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal from 37.9% in the October to December 2022 period.
• The urban LFPR for persons above 15 years of age was even higher at 48.5% in the fourth quarter of FY23.

About Periodic Labour Force Survey:

• Considering the importance of the availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals, National Statistical Office (NSO) launched Periodic Labour Force Survey in April 2017.
• The objective of PLFS is:
• To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the ‘Current Weekly Status’ (CWS).
• To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both ‘Usual Status’ (ps+ss) and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.
• These indicators are defined as follows:
• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e., working or seeking or available for work) in the population.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
• Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.
• Current Weekly Status (CWS): The activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of the last 7 days preceding the date of the survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.

Science & Technology

10) Chandrayaan-3

About Chandrayaan-3:

• Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the moon.
• The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration till the 100 km lunar orbit.
• LVM3 would launch it from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
• Mission Life (Lander & Rover) - One Lunar Day (~ 14 Earth days).
• ISRO’s ambitious Chandrayaan-3 mission is aimed at demonstrating critical technologies to land the spacecraft on the south pole of the moon.
• Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is a composite of three modules -- propulsion, lander and rover.
• Chandrayaan-3 mission carries scientific instruments to study the thermo-physical properties of the lunar regolith, lunar seismicity, lunar surface plasma environment and elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site.
• The lander being launched to the Moon with Chandrayaan-3 will have Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature, along with the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity that will estimate the seismicity around the landing site, and a Langmuir Probe to calculate the plasma density and its variations.
• The rover will have the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer and the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site.

International Relation

1) 22nd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads

About SCO Summit, 2023:

• It will be held in a virtual format.
• All the SCO Member States, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, have been invited to attend the Summit.
• Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States.
• The theme of the Summit is ‘Towards a SECURE SCO’. The SECURE acronym stands for Security, Economy and Trade, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity and Environment.
• India has set up new pillars of cooperation under its Chairmanship - Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Digital Inclusion, Youth Empowerment and Shared Buddhist Heritage.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation:

• The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• India and Pakistan became their permanent members in 2017.
• The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.
• SCO has two Permanent Bodies - (i) the SCO Secretariat in Beijing and (ii) the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent.
• The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure serves to promote the cooperation of member states against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
• The official working languages: Chinese and Russian.

Culture

2) Gongadi shawl

• What is it? Gongadi (also known as Kambal) is the traditional woollen blanket woven by the indigenous Kuruma pastoralist communities from wool of the indigenous Deccani sheep (known locally as Nalla gore) breed found in the Deccan Plateau region, including the Indian state of Telangana.
• The famous blanket has once served the Indian Armed Forces to beat harsh winters at the borders.
• Features:
• The unique gongadi is not only the symbol of the rich, diverse traditional weaving culture of the Deccan region but also the pride and identity of the local indigenous pastoralist communities.
• The coarse woollen blanket is famous for its durability and versatility.
• The tough gongadi usually lasts for more than a decade and acquires this unique quality from the craft of hand weaving.
• One of the unique natures of gongadi is that it does not fade but grows darker in time.
• The indigenous Kuruma weavers say that gongadi is so strong that you can lift a fully grown bull off the ground with it.
• The traditional gongadi is produced organically, without using any dyes, either natural or synthetic. Sizing of the strings is done using the paste of soaked and cooked tamarind seeds.

Polity & Governance

3) Tele-Law Programme

About Tele-Law Programme:

• The Tele-Law programme comes under the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice and was launched in 2017.
• It is an e-interface mechanism to seek legal advice and consultation at a pre-litigation stage with the aim of ‘Reaching the Unreached’.
• The programme connects needy and marginalised people in need of legal aid with the Panel Lawyers via video conferencing/telephonic facilities available at Common Service Centres (CSCs) situated at the panchayat level. In addition, the service can also be accessed through the Tele-Law Mobile App.
• A Panel Lawyer is a practising advocate selected by the Department of Justice and CSC-eGovernance Services or registered on the Panel of State /District Legal Services Authority.
• Eligibility: Legal advice is made available to everyone under the Tele-Law service. Advice is free of Cost to those who are eligible for free legal aid under Section 12 of the LSA Act, 1987.
• Women
• Children
• Persons belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
• Victims of Trafficking
• Mentally ill and differently-abled people
• Victims of natural disaster/ethnic violence
• Workers in unorganized sector/industrial workers
• Undertrials
• People of low-income group
• For all others, a nominal fee of Rs. 30/- is charged for each consultation.
• Kind of cases/matters: Legal matters in which advice can be taken through Tele-Law service include:
• Dowry, family dispute, divorce, protection from domestic violence
• Sexual harassment, sexual abuse, eve teasing at the workplace
• Maintenance of women, children and senior citizens
• Rights regarding property and land
• Equal wages for males and females
• Maternity benefits and prevention of foeticide.
• Atrocities against scheduled castes/ scheduled tribes and their rehabilitation.

History & Culture

4) Purana Qila

About Purana Qila:

• Location:
• It is located in the South Eastern part of the present city of New Delhi.
• It is one of the oldest forts in Delhi and was built on the banks of the river Yamuna.
• The present citadel at Purana Qila started its construction in the reign of Humayun and was completed by Sher Shah Suri (‘The Lion King’).
• The Qila was inspired by the Jama Masjid, which was established 15 years before the reconstruction of Qila.
• Architecture:
• It is rectangular in shape and is spread over an area of 1.5 kilometres.
• Another amazing feature of the Purana Qila is the three gates that display a happy blend of Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture. – Bara Darwaza or the Big Gate facing west, the Humayun Gate facing south, and the Talaqqi Gate, which is often referred to as the forbidden gate.
• All of the gates are double-storeyed and comprise huge semi-circular bastions flanking either of their sides.
• These bastions are equal in frequency, except for in the westward wall, where they are built at a distance of 73 meters from each other.
• The eastern and western walls of the Qila are the tallest, which were specifically designed for safeguarding the Kings residing within the four walls.
• All the walls surrounding the Qila are 0.33 meters thick and supported by bastions.

Environment

5) Kanger Valley National Park

About Kanger Valley National Park:

• Location: It is located in Jagdalpur in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh state.
• The National Park derives its name from the Kanger River, which flows centrally from the Northwest to the Southeast direction.
• It got the status of a national park in the year 1982.
• Topography: It is noted for its highly heterogeneous land formations ranging from low flat and gentle areas to steep slopes, plateaus, valleys, and stream courses.
• It is home to three exceptional caves – famous for their amazing geological structures of Kutumbasar, Kailash and Dandak- Stellagmites and Stalactitees.
• National Park is known for the presence of underground limestone caves with dripstone and flowstone. The stalagmites and stalactite formations are
•  still increasing.
• Tirathgarh Waterfall is located in Kanger Valley National Park.
• Vegetation: It is a distinguished blend of mixed moist deciduous types of forests with the predominance of Sal, teak and bamboo.
• Fauna:
• Major wild animals include tigers, mouse deer, leopards, wildcats, sambar, chital, barking deer, langurs, jackals, rhesus macaque, flying squirrels etc.
• The areal fauna at the park consists of common hill myna, red jungle fowl, spotted owlet, racket-tailed drongos, parrots etc.

Key facts about rare Indian Mouse Deer or Spotted Chevrotain:

• It is the smallest deer in India and is highly nocturnal.
• Scientific Name: Moschiola indica
• Distribution:
• It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
• It is mainly found in peninsular India, with some old records from Nepal.
• Sri Lanka has a separate species called spotted chevrotain (Moschiola meminna).
• Within India, it is commonly encountered in a number of forest areas along the Western Ghats, in the Eastern Ghats up to Orissa, and in the forests of central India.
• Features:
• It is small, 25-30 cm at shoulder height, and weighs from two to four kg.
• A unique feature of this group is that instead of a four-chambered stomach like in other ruminants, they have a three-chambered stomach.
• It forages on the forest floor for fruits, roots, leaves and herbs.
• It has occasionally been observed eating insects, crustaceans and even small mammals.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN: Least Concern

Environment

6) What is Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (GGGW)?

About Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (GGGW):

• It is a new greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring initiative of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
• GGGW will fill critical information gaps, providing an integrated, operational framework under all space-based and surface-based observing systems under one roof, along with modelling and data assimilation capabilities.
• It will build on WMO’s experience in coordinating international collaboration in predicting the weather and analysing climate on long-standing activities in greenhouse gas monitoring and research under the guidance of the Global Atmosphere Watch, established in 1989.
• GGGW predicts a top-down approach to the flux evaluation, which builds on existing capabilities in surface- and space-based observations and modelling, ensuring the timely exchange of all observations and data.
• The GGGW will consist of four main components:
• Comprehensive, sustained, global surface- and satellite-based observations of CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide concentrations, partial column amounts, total column amounts, vertical profiles, and fluxes supporting oceanic, meteorological, and terrestrial variables, internationally exchanged as rapidly as possible.
• Prior estimates of the GHG emissions based on the activity data and process-based models.
• Global high-resolution Earth system models representing GHG cycles.
• Data assimilation systems combine the observations with model calculations to generate products of higher accuracy.

Key facts about World Meteorological Organisation (WMO):

• It is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN).
• It is the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.
• It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded in 1873.
• Established in 1950, WMO became the specialised agency of the UN for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Currently, it has a membership of 187 countries.
• Governance Structure:
• Its supreme body is the World Meteorological Congress, which consists of representatives of all members. It meets at least every four years to set general policies and adopt regulations.
• A 36-member Executive Council meets annually and implements policy.

History & Culture

7) What is ‘Stolpersteine’?

About Stolpersteine:

• Stolperstein are small, brass memorials placed on the pavements of cities across Europe to commemorate victims of Nazi persecution.
• The Stolpersteine are a project initiated by German artist Gunter Demnig in 1992.
• These small stones serve as a reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the countless lives that were lost.
• "Stolperstein" is a German word meaning, literally, "stumbling stone" or, metaphorically, "stumbling block."
• The first Stolperstein was placed on 16 December 1992, a date which marked 50 years since an order was signed to begin the mass deportation of Jewish people and Roma from Germany.
• Each of the brass plaques embedded in pavements recalls the fate of a person who was persecuted by the Nazis, deported, murdered or driven to suicide.
• Unlike some other memorials that focus on specific persecuted groups, the Stolpersteine honour all victims of the Nazi regime, including Jewish, Sinti, Roma, disabled, dissident, and Afro-German and “asocial” citizens.
• The inscription on each stone begins “Here lived”, followed by the victim’s name, date of birth, and fate: internment, suicide, exile or, in the vast majority of cases, deportation and murder.
• Each Stolperstein is individually funded and can be sponsored by private individuals, schools or organisations.
• It is the largest decentralized Holocaust memorial in the world.

International Affairs

8) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

About Stolpersteine:

• Stolperstein are small, brass memorials placed on the pavements of cities across Europe to commemorate victims of Nazi persecution.
• The Stolpersteine are a project initiated by German artist Gunter Demnig in 1992.
• These small stones serve as a reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the countless lives that were lost.
• "Stolperstein" is a German word meaning, literally, "stumbling stone" or, metaphorically, "stumbling block."
• The first Stolperstein was placed on 16 December 1992, a date which marked 50 years since an order was signed to begin the mass deportation of Jewish people and Roma from Germany.
• Each of the brass plaques embedded in pavements recalls the fate of a person who was persecuted by the Nazis, deported, murdered or driven to suicide.
• Unlike some other memorials that focus on specific persecuted groups, the Stolpersteine honour all victims of the Nazi regime, including Jewish, Sinti, Roma, disabled, dissident, and Afro-German and “asocial” citizens.
• The inscription on each stone begins “Here lived”, followed by the victim’s name, date of birth, and fate: internment, suicide, exile or, in the vast majority of cases, deportation and murder.
• Each Stolperstein is individually funded and can be sponsored by private individuals, schools or organisations.
• It is the largest decentralized Holocaust memorial in the world.

Geography

9) Where is the Barents Sea?

About Barents Sea:

• Location:
• It is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean.
• It is located along the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and is divided between Norwegian and Russian territorial waters.
• The sea was known to Vikings and medieval Russians as the Murmean Sea.
• The current name of the sea is after the historical Dutch navigator Willem Barentsz.
• Boundaries:
• It is bounded by the Svalbard archipelago in the northwest, Franz Josef Land islands in the northeast, the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the east, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea in the west, and by the Kola Peninsula in the south.
• It is separated from the Kara Sea by the Kara Strait and the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.
• The White Sea and the Pechora Sea are two parts of the Barents Sea.
• The White Sea is a southern arm of the Barents Sea, which separates the Kola Peninsula from the Russian mainland.
• The Pechora Sea is situated in the southeastern part of the Barents Sea.
• Features:
• It is a shallow sea with an average depth of 230 metres.
• The sea’s deepest point is 600 m at the Bear Island Trench.
• The Barents Sea faces a subarctic climate.
• The waters of the Barents Sea have a high salinity of 34 parts per 1,000.
• Due to the North Atlantic drift, the Barents Sea has a high biological production compared to other oceans of similar latitudes.
• Its topography is characterised by troughs and basins separated by shallow bank areas.

Science & Technology

10) What is 2023 FW13?

About 2023 FW13:

• It is an asteroid that has been designated as a quasi-satellite or a quasi-moon.
• It is among the few known quasi-moons or satellites that we know of in our solar system.
• It was identified by experts utilising the Pan-STARRS telescope situated atop Hawaii’s Haleakala volcano.
• It has been in Earth's vicinity since 100 BC and will keep circling our planet for at least another 1,500 years until AD 3700.
• Features:
• The newfound asteroid 2023 FW13 circles the sun in sync with Earth.
• According to preliminary estimates, its diameter is from 10 to 20 meters.
• While not gravitationally bound to Earth in any discernible way (like our Moon), the asteroid's bizarre orbit makes it circle our planet occasionally, earning it the name of a quasi-satellite or quasi-moon.
• At the closest point in its slightly elliptical orbit around Earth, the moon comes within about 223,693 miles (360,000 km) of our planet.

What are quasi-moons?

• Quasi-moons are also known as 'quasi-satellites' because they appear to orbit our planet in the same way that our natural satellite, the Moon.
• It is a space rock that circles the Earth but is gravitationally bound by the sun.

Defence & Security

1) MH-60 Romeo Helicopter

About MH-60 Romeo Helicopter:

• It is the world’s most advanced maritime helicopter and is the most capable naval helicopter available today, designed to operate from frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers.
• It is manufactured by US defence major Lockheed Martin.
• It is an all-weather helicopter designed to support multiple missions with state-of-the-art avionics and sensors.
• The main missions of the MH-60R Seahawk are Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW).
• This helicopter can detect and track submarines and surface ships and attack with torpedoes and missiles.
• Secondary missions are search and rescue, combat search and rescue, vertical replenishment, medical evacuation and insertion and extraction of special forces.
• Features:
• This helicopter is operated by a crew of 4 in an anti-submarine warfare role and a crew of 5 in an anti-surface warfare role. It can also accommodate additional passengers.
• It carries advanced airborne active sonar, multi-mode search radar and a nose-mounted forward-looking infrared (FLIR) turret.
• The helicopter has an integrated self-defence system.
• Maximum Speed: 267 km/h
• Range: 454 km

Economy

2) What are Small Finance Banks (SFBs)?

About Small Finance Banks (SFBs):

• SFBs are specialised banks that are licensed by RBI to provide financial services and products to low-income individuals and underserved communities, including microfinance and micro-enterprise services, as well as other basic banking services.
• Aim:
• To provide financial inclusion to these segments of the population who are often excluded from the traditional banking system.
• SFBs help them to have access to financial products such as small loans, savings, insurance, and other basic banking services.
• SFBs are registered as public limited companies under the Companies Act, 2013 and governed by Banking Regulations Act, 1949; RBI Act, 1934 and other relevant Statutes and Directives from time to time.
• The guidelines for SFBS were introduced in 2014 by RBI. RBI Guidelines on SFBs in India are:
• SFBs are granted the scheduled bank status after being operational and are deemed suitable under section 42 of the RBI Act,1934.
• SFBs are required to primarily focus on providing access to financial services to the unbanked and underbanked segments of the population.
• They are required to maintain a minimum Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 15%.
• They are required to extend 75% of their Adjusted Net Bank Credit to Priority Sector Lending.
• SFBs are required to open at least 25% of their total branches in unbanked rural areas.
• The minimum paid-up voting equity capital for small finance banks shall be Rs.200 crore.
• SFBs are required to maintain at least 50% of their loan portfolio as microfinance and advances of up to Rs. 25,00,000.
• SFBs are required to comply with various prudential norms and regulations related to income recognition, asset classification, and provisioning.
• SFBs are encouraged to adopt technology to improve their operational efficiency and reach the target segments.

Economy

3) What is the CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited) score?

About CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited) score:

• It is a three-digit numeric summary of your credit history.
• CIBIL, or Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited, maintains and calculates your credit score.
• Value: The value of a Credit Score may range between 300 to 900.
• Lenders can check the CIBIL report and CIBIL Score/CIBIL Rank to evaluate the risk of lending to applicants and accordingly approve or reject new loan/credit card applications.
• The closer a CIBIL Score is to 900, the higher the chances of the consumer's credit card or loan application getting approved.
• How is CIBIL Score calculated?
• It is derived using the credit history found in the CIBIL Report.
• It takes into account borrowers’ credit profiles over the last 36 months.
• The credit profile includes all kinds of loans, such as home loans, credit cards, personal loans, automobile loans, overdraft facilities etc., that one has availed and their payment history.

Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited (CIBIL):

• It is the leading credit bureau and Credit Information Company (CIC) licensed by the Reserve Bank of India.
• Primary Function: To collect and maintain financial data as provided by the lenders to further generate and provide credit reports and credit scores for its customers.
• It maintains credit files on 600 million individuals and 32 million businesses.
• CIBIL India is part of TransUnion, an American multinational group. Hence credit scores are known in India as the CIBIL Transunion score.

What is CIBIL Report?

• It is a consolidated credit report that includes the consumer's CIBIL Score and credit summary, personal information, contact information, employment information, and loan account information.

Economy

4) What is Offer for Sale (OFS)?

About Offer for Sale (OFS):

• What is it? OFS is a simpler method of share sale through the exchange platform for listed companies.
• The OFS method was brought in by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in 2012 as a simpler one to aid promoters of listed forms in diluting their stake and complying with the minimum public shareholding norms by June 2013.
• The method was largely adopted by listed companies, both state-run and private, to adhere to the SEBI order.
• Later, the government started using this route to divest its shareholding in public sector enterprises.
• Features:
• Unlike a follow-on public offering (FPO), where companies can raise funds by issuing fresh shares or promoters can sell their existing stakes or both, the OFS mechanism is used only when existing shares are put on the block.
• Only promoters or shareholders holding more than 10 per cent of the share capital in a company can come up with such an issue.
• The mechanism is available to 200 top companies in terms of market capitalisation.
• In an OFS, a minimum of 25 per cent of the shares offered are reserved for mutual funds (MFs) and insurance companies. At any point, no single bidder other than these two institutional categories is allocated more than 25 per cent of the size of the offering.
• A minimum of 10 per cent of the offer size is reserved for retail investors.
• A seller can offer a discount to retail investors either on the bid price or on the final allotment price.
• It is mandatory for the company to inform the stock exchanges two banking days prior to the OFS about its intention.
• Anyone can bid for these shares, be it foreign institutional investors, retail investors or companies.

Environment

5) Himalayan Brown Bear

About Himalayan Brown Bear:

• It is a large carnivore found in the high-altitude regions of the Himalayas.
• Scientific Name: Ursus arctos isabellinus
• Distribution:
• They are found in the northwestern and central Himalayas, including Pakistan, India, Nepal, the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China and Bhutan.
• They are found above the timberline, between 3,000 and 5,500 meters (9,800 and 18,000 feet) above sea level.
• In India, this species exists in small isolated populations in the fragmented alpine and subalpine habitats of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
• Features:
• It is the largest mammal in the region, with males reaching up to 2.2 m (7 ft) long, while females are a little smaller.
• The bears are omnivorous and hibernate in dens during the winter.
• It has thick fur, which is most often sandy or reddish-brown in colour.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule I
• CITES - Appendix I

Government Initiatives and Schemes

6) World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector

In News

Implementation Mechanism

• An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) will be constituted under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Cooperation.
• The Minister of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Minister of Food Processing Industries and the Secretaries concerned will be members of this Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC).
• The Ministry of Cooperation will implement a pilot project in at least 10 selected Districts of different States/ UTs in the country.

Schemes under the plan

• The plan would be implemented by the convergence of various schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
• The following schemes have been identified for convergence under the Plan:

Role of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS)

• There are more than 1,00,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in the country, with a huge member base of more than 13 crore farmers.
• The plan aims for the creation of infrastructure such as warehouse, custom hiring centre, processing units, godowns, etc., for Agriculture and Allied purposes at selected ‘viable’ Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), thus transforming them into multipurpose societies
• This would also enable PACS to undertake various other activities, viz:

• Functioning as Procurement centres for State Agencies/ Food Corporation of India (FCI);

• Serving as Fair Price Shops (FPS);

• Setting up custom hiring centres; and

• Setting up common processing units, including assaying, sorting, and grading units for agricultural produce, etc.

Expected benefits

• It aims to leverage the strength of the cooperatives to realise the vision of “Sahakar-se-Samriddhi” and create the ‘World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector’.
• Through the ‘whole-of-Government’ approach, the Plan would strengthen PACS by enabling them to diversify their business activities, thus enhancing the incomes of the farmer members as well.
• The creation of decentralised storage capacity at the local level would reduce food grain wastage and strengthen the food security of the country.
• Providing various options to the farmers would prevent the distress sale of crops, thus enabling the farmers to realise better prices for their produce.
• It would hugely reduce the cost incurred in the transportation of food grains to procurement centres and, again, transporting the stocks back from warehouses to FPS.

Science & Technology, Government Initiatives & Schemes

7) Meity Launches Pilot Project on Electronics Repair Services Outsourcing (ERSO)

Context:

Issue:

• The initiative aims to validate transformational policy and process changes to attract global ICT product repair businesses to India.
• The convergence of MeitY, CBIC, DGFT, and MoEF&CC with industry stakeholders has facilitated policy and process changes.
• Over the next 5 years, the ERSO industry in India is expected to generate up to $20 billion in revenue and create millions of jobs.
• The government supports the project to establish India as a world leader in the repair domain.
• The pilot project will be conducted in Bengaluru for a duration of three months, with the participation of five companies.
• The efficacy and efficiency of the introduced policy and process changes will be assessed during the pilot, and modifications will be made as necessary.
• The ERSO initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to support Mission LiFE. It promotes global environmental sustainability by extending the life of ICT products through affordable and reliable repair.

Polity & Governance

8) Guarani tribe

Why in the news?

• According to the new law, tribal people can get recognition only for the land they have been occupying since before the constitution of the country came into effect in 1988.

Key facts about the Guarani tribe:

• The Guarani were one of the first peoples contacted after Europeans arrived in South America around 500 years ago.
• In Brazil, there are today around 51,000 Guarani living in seven states, making them the country's most numerous tribes. Many others live in neighbouring Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina.
• These people in Brazil are divided into three groups: Kaiowá, Ñandeva and M’byá, of which the largest is the Kaiowá which means ‘forest people’.
• They are deeply spiritual people.
• Most communities have a prayer house and a religious leader whose authority is based on prestige rather than formal power.

Economy

9) Lightweight and portable payment system

In News

About the Lightweight Payments System

• It can be operated from anywhere by a bare minimum staff in exigencies such as natural calamities or war.
• The infrastructure for this system will be independent of the technologies that underlie the existing systems of payments, such as UPI, NEFT, and RTGS.
• The central bank has not offered a timeline for the launch of this payment system yet.

How is it different from UPI?

• The existing conventional payment systems, such as RTGS, NEFT, and UPI, are designed to handle large volumes of transactions while ensuring sustained availability. As a result, they are dependent on complex wired networks backed by advanced IT infrastructure.
• The lightweight and portable payment system is expected to operate on minimalistic hardware and software and would be made active only on a “need basis”.

Significance

• Such a lightweight and portable payment system could ensure near-zero downtime of the payment and settlement system in the country and keep the liquidity pipeline of the economy alive and intact by facilitating the uninterrupted functioning of essential payment services.
• The system is expected to process transactions that are critical to ensure the stability of the economy, including government and market-related transactions.
• Having such a resilient system is also likely to act as a bunker equivalent in payment systems and thereby enhance public confidence in digital payments and financial market infrastructure even during extreme conditions.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

10) City Investments to Innovate, Integrate & Sustain 2.0 (CITIIS 2.0)

News

About

• Objective: The program aims to support competitively selected projects promoting a circular economy with a focus on integrated waste management at the city level, climate-oriented reform actions at the State level, and institutional strengthening and knowledge dissemination at the National level.
• Funding: The funding for CITIIS 2.0 would include a loan of Rs.1760 crore (EUR 200 million) from AFD and KfW (EUR 100 million each) and a technical assistance grant of Rs.106 cr. (EUR 12 million) from the EU.
• Agencies involved: CITIIS 2.0 is a program conceived by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the European Union (EU), and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
• Duration: The program will run for a period of four years, i.e., from 2023 to 2027.

CITIIS 2.0 has three major components:

• Component 1: Financial and technical support for developing projects focused on building climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation in up to 18 smart cities.
• Component 2: All States and UTs will be provided support to (a) set up State climate centres, (b) create State and city level Climate Data Observatories (c) facilitate climate-data-driven planning, develop climate action plans and (d) build capacities of municipal functionaries.
• Component 3: Interventions at all three levels; Centre, State and City to further climate governance in urban India through institutional strengthening.

Significance

• CITIIS 2.0 will supplement the climate actions of the Government of India through its ongoing National programs (National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, AMRUT 2.0, Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 and Smart Cities Mission).

Defence & Security

1) Agni-1 Missile

In News

About Agni-1

• The missile is a proven system capable of striking targets with a very high degree of precision.
• The user training launch successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile.

About Agni series missiles

• The Agni series of missiles are the mainstay of India’s nuclear delivery options.
• The development of Agni missiles started in early 1980 under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme spearheaded by scientist and former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, who was also a central figure in India’s missile and space programmes.
• The Agni 1 to 4 missiles have ranges from 700 km to 3,500 km, and they have already been deployed.

Other related Developments

• In December 2022, India successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-V that can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 km, marking a significant boost to the country's strategic deterrence, people familiar with the development said.
• The Agni-V project is aimed at boosting India's nuclear deterrence against China, which is known to have missiles like Dongfeng-41 having ranges between 12,000-15,000 km.
• In October 2022: India successfully test-fired the indigenously-developed new generation medium-range ballistic missile Agni Prime.
• The missile's strike range is between 1,000 km and 2,000 km.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

2) GOBARdhan Scheme

About Unified Registration Portal:

• This portal will serve as a centralised repository for assessing investment and participation in the Biogas/CBG (Compressed Biogas) sector at a pan-India level.
• Primary objective: To streamline the process of setting up CBG/Biogas plants in the country.
• The Unified Registration Portal allows any government, cooperative or private entity operating or intending to set up a Biogas/CBG/Bio-CNG plant in India to obtain a registration number by enrolling in the portal.
• This registration number will enable them to avail of a multitude of benefits and support from the Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.

GOBARdhan Scheme:

• Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan is a crucial umbrella initiative of the Government of India.
• The government launched the Gobardhan scheme in 2018 as a national priority project under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen-Phase II program.
• Aim:
• To generate wealth and energy by converting cattle dung, agricultural residue, and other organic waste into Biogas, CBG and bio-fertilizers.
• It adopts a whole-of-government approach and aims to convert waste into wealth, thereby promoting a circular economy.
• Nodal Ministry: The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

3) Mission Vatsalya

About Mission Vatsalya:

• Mission Vatsalya Scheme is a roadmap to achieve development and child protection priorities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• It lays emphasis on child rights, advocacy and awareness along with strengthening the juvenile justice care and protection system with the motto to 'leave no child behind'.
• Background:
• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provisions and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 form the basic framework for the implementation of the Mission.
• Components under Mission Vatsalya: These include:
• Improve the functioning of statutory bodies;
• Strengthen service delivery structures;
• Upscale institutional care/services;
• Encourage non-institutional community-based care;
• emergency outreach services;
• Training and capacity building.
• The Scheme has been implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme since 2021-22.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Women and Child Development.

About the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD):

• It is an autonomous organisation with its Headquarters in New Delhi.
• It functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• The objectives of the Institute are:
• To develop and promote voluntary action in social development.
• To take a comprehensive view of child development and develop and promote programmes in pursuance of the National Policy for Children.
• To develop measures for coordination of governmental and voluntary action in social development.
• To evolve a framework and perspective for organising children's programmes through governmental and voluntary efforts.

4) Official Visit of the Prime Minister of Nepal to India

International Relations

Why in the news?

India-Nepal bilateral relations

• As close neighbours, India and Nepal share a unique relationship of friendship and cooperation characterised by open borders and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture.
• The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the special relations that exist between India and Nepal.
• Under this Treaty, Nepalese citizens enjoy unparalleled advantages in India, availing facilities and opportunities at par with Indian citizens.
• Nearly 6 million Nepali citizens live and work in India.

Different Aspects of Bilateral Relations

Economic

• India is the largest trading partner of Nepal. Nepal is also India’s 11th largest export destination, up from 28th position in 2014.
• Total bilateral trade in 2021-22 reached US$ 11,005.10 million.
• In 2021-22, while Nepal’s exports to India stood at US$ 1,371.04mn, India’s exports to Nepal were US$ 9,634.06mn.

Indian Investment in Nepal

• India is the largest source of investment in Nepal, accounting for more than 32% of the total FDI stock of Nepal, which is worth nearly USD 520 million, as per NRB data until mid-2020.

Connectivity and Development Partnership

• India’s development assistance to Nepal is a broad-based programme focusing on the creation of infrastructure at the grass-roots level.
• Various projects have been implemented in the areas of infrastructure, health, water resources, education and rural & community development.
• The total economic assistance earmarked under the ‘Aid to Nepal’ budget in FY 2022-23 was Rs 6.8 billion.

Cooperation in the power sector& energy

• Nepal exports more than 450 MW of electricity to India.
• India has built several hydroelectric projects, like Pokhara (1 MW), Trisuli (21 MW), Western Gandak (15 MW), and Devighat (14.1 MW) etc.
• The first high-capacity 400 kV Muzaffarpur (India) - Dhalkebar (Nepal) cross-border power transmission line was completed in 2016 with Indian funding.
• Two additional 132 kV cross-border transmission lines between Kataiya (India) - Kusaha (Nepal) and Raxaul (India) - Parwanipur (Nepal), built with GoI grant assistance, were completed in 2017.
• South Asia’s first cross-border petroleum products pipeline, constructed and funded by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., connecting Motihari in India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal, was inaugurated in September 2019.

Defence Cooperation

• A number of defence personnel from the Nepal Army attend training courses in various Indian Army training institutions.
• The Joint Military Exercise SURYA KIRAN is conducted alternately in India and in Nepal.
• Since 1950, India and Nepal have been awarding each other’s Army Chief with the honorary rank of General in recognition of the mutually harmonious relationship between the two armies.
• The Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army are raised partly by recruitment from hill districts of Nepal.

Earthquake 2015

• A devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April 2015.
• India was the first country to respond by dispatching National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and special aircraft with rescue and relief materials to Nepal.
• The total Indian relief assistance to Nepal amounted to over US$ 67 million. Later, India announced a post-earthquake reconstruction package of US$ 1 bn.

Economy

5) National Startup Awards 2023

About National Startup Awards 2023:

• The National Startup Awards 2023 awards will focus on celebrating innovation from across the country, in line with Vision India @2047.
• DPIIT has invited applications across 20 different categories including aerospace, retail and emerging technologies etc.
• Aim: To reward and recognise outstanding startups and enablers in the ecosystem building innovative products and demonstrating measurable social impact.
  Award: Cash prize of Rs 10 lakh to one winning startup in each category.
• The Winners and finalists will also be given exclusive government support, including investor and government connect, mentorship, international market access, and corporate and unicorn connect.
• It was launched in 2020.

Geography

6) Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project

About Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project:

• It is located in Kalikot district, Karnali Province of Nepal.
• The project will use the flow from the Karnali River for power generation and the generated power will be fed into the integrated power system of Nepal.
• Key features of the project:
• The installed capacity of the project shall be 480 MW with an average annual generation of about 2448 GWh.
• 109 metres high RCC dam and an underground powerhouse where the 06 turbines of 79 MW each shall be housed.
• To utilise minimum environmental release, one Surface Power House of 6 MW capacity is also planned.
• This project is conceived as a Peaking Run-of-River (PRoR) type scheme.

Other Hydropower projects between India and Nepal:

• Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project: on Mahakali River.
• Lower Arun Hydroelectric Project: on Arun River (a tributary of Koshi River)

About National Hydro Electric Power Corporation Private Limited (NHPC)

• NHPC Limited, a Schedule ‘A’ Enterprise of the Government of India with ‘MINI RATNA’ status, is a premier PSU in India for the development of hydropower.
• It was incorporated in 1975 under the Companies Act 1956.
• The company is mandated to plan, promote and organise an integrated and efficient development of power in all its aspects through Conventional and Non-Conventional Sources in India and abroad.

Polity & Governance

7) Judicial Panel to probe violence in Manipur

Why in the news?

Violence in Manipur

• Violence between Manipur’s Kuki tribe and the majority Meitei community continued to rage in several parts of Manipur for many days.

Reasons behind the violence in Manipur

• Manipur has been boiling since February 2023
• Manipur has been restive since February when the state government launched an eviction drive seen as targeting a specific tribal group.
• The drive led to protests but not on the scale of the one seen recently.
• High Court’s order as a trigger point
• The recent protests were triggered by the Manipur High Court’s direction to the State to pursue a 10-year-old recommendation to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the non-tribal Meitei community.
• The Court’s order has brought the historical tensions between the valley-dwelling Meitei community and the state’s hill tribes to a boil.
• Violence started
• A ‘tribal solidarity march’ was organised by the All-Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) against the order of the High Court.
• Violent clashes broke out at various places in Manipur during the course of this march.

Major communities residing in Manipur

• The State is like a football stadium, with the Imphal Valley representing the playfield at the centre and the surrounding hills the galleries.
• The valley, which comprises about 10% of Manipur’s landmass, is dominated by the non-tribal Meitei, who account for more than 64% of the population of the State.
• This area yields 40 of the State’s 60 MLAs.
• The hills comprising 90% of the geographical area are inhabited by more than 35% recognised tribes.
• This area sends only 20 MLAs to the Assembly.

Meitei community want ST status.

• There has been an organised push in support of this demand for at least since 2012, led by the Scheduled Tribes Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM).
• Recognised as a tribe before the merger with India
• In their plea before the High Court, it was argued that the Meitei community was recognised as a tribe before the merger of the princely state of Manipur with the Union of India in 1949.
• It lost its identity as a tribe after the merger.
• Need to preserve tradition and culture.
• The demand for ST status arose from the need to preserve the community and save the ancestral land, tradition, culture and language of the Meiteis.
• As per the arguments forwarded by the community in the court:
• The community has been victimised without any constitutional safeguards to date.
• The Meitein/Meetei has been gradually marginalised in their ancestral land.
• Their population, which was 59% of the total population of Manipur in 1951, has now been reduced to 44% as per 2011 Census data.

Why are Tribal groups opposing ST status for Meiteis?

• The tribal groups say the Meiteis have a demographic and political advantage besides being more advanced than them academically and in other aspects.
• The Meiteis are a dominant group controlling the state and its apparatuses.
• Hence, the claim that Meiteis need ST status to protect their culture and identity is self-defeating.
• They feel the ST status to the Meiteis would lead to loss of job opportunities and allow them to acquire land in the hills and push the tribals out.
• The Manipuri language of the Meiteis is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• Sections of the Meitei community — which is predominantly Hindu — are already classified under Scheduled Castes (SC) or Other Backward Classes (OBC).

History

8) Who was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj?

About Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:

• He was the founder of the Maratha Empire in western India.
• He was born on February 19, 1630, to Shahaji Bhosle and Jijabai in the fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar in the Pune district.
• With his valour and great administrative skills, Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur. It eventually became the genesis of the Maratha Empire.
• He was known as the Father of the Indian Navy, Shivaji was the first to realise the importance of having a naval force, and therefore he strategically established a navy and forts at the coastline to defend the Konkan side of Maharashtra.
• He was a secular ruler who was very accommodating of all religions. He had numerous Muslim soldiers in his army.
• Shivaji was a dependable supporter of women and their honour. Anyone under his rule caught violating woman's rights was severely punished.
• He had a council of ministers (Asht Pradhan) to advise him on the matters of the state but he was not bound by it.
• He was called the 'Mountain Rat' and was widely known for his guerrilla warfare tactics. He was called so because of his awareness of the geography of his land and guerrilla tactics like raiding, ambushing and surprise attacks on his enemies.

Key facts about Raigad Fort:

• Location:
• It is a hill fort situated in Raigad district, Maharashtra.
• It is situated in the Sahyadri mountain ranges or the western ghats.
• It is one of the strongest-ever fortresses of the Deccan Plateau and is known as the ‘Gibraltar of the East’ across the world.
• It was seized by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1656 from Chandraraoji More, the King of Jawali.
• Several structures and other constructions in Raigad were developed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• He made this his capital in 1674 after being crowned as the king of the entire Maratha Kingdom and, later on, the Maratha Empire.
• The fort was the location for an armed campaign executed by the British East India Company in 1765. On May 9, 1818, the fort was looted and subsequently destroyed by British forces.
• The fort also overlooks an artificial lake known as the ‘Ganga Sagar Lake’.

Science & Technology

9) What is Higgs Boson?

About Higgs boson:

• It is the fundamental force-carrying particle associated with the Higgs field, a field that gives mass to other fundamental particles such as electrons and quarks.
• It is one of the 17 elementary particles that make up the Standard Model of particle physics, which is scientists' best theory about the behaviours of the universe's most basic building blocks.
• Higgs boson plays such a fundamental role in subatomic physics that it is sometimes referred to as the "God particle."
• It was proposed in 1964 by Peter Higgs, François Englert, and four other theorists to explain why certain particles have mass.
• The particle was finally discovered on July 4, 2012, by researchers at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
• Features:
• The Higgs boson has a mass of 125 billion electron volts —  meaning it is 130 times more massive than a proton, according to CERN.
• It is also chargeless with zero spin  —  a quantum mechanical equivalent to angular momentum.
• The Higgs Boson is the only elementary particle with no spin.
• It's a "force carrier" particle that comes into play when particles interact with each other, with a boson exchanged during this interaction.

Key facts about Large Hadron Collider (LHC):

• It is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator.
• Location: Near Geneva, Switzerland, across the border of France and Switzerland.
• The LHC, built by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), is on the energy frontier of physics research, conducting experiments with highly energised particles.
• The LHC can reproduce the conditions that existed within a billionth of a second of the Big Bang.
• The colossal accelerator allows scientists to collide high-energy subatomic particles in a controlled environment and observe the interactions.
• One of the most significant LHC breakthroughs came in 2012 with the discovery of the Higgs Boson.

International Relations

10) BRICS: What’s on the agenda of the BRICS FM meeting in South Africa?

Why in News?

• The External Affairs Minister of India, S Jaishankar, is in Cape Town (South Africa) to attend a meeting of the foreign ministers (FM) of BRICS - a grouping comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
• The FMs’ meeting will finalise the agenda for the 15th BRICS (South Africa) scheduled with the theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism”.
  

  About BRICS:

  • Origin:
  • The BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India and China] idea was first conceived in 2001 by Goldman Sachs as part of an economic modelling exercise to forecast global economic trends over the next half-century.
  • In 2006, the group was formalised as BRIC during the 1st BRIC FMs meeting on the sidelines of the General Debate of the UN Assembly in New York City.
  • After a series of high-level meetings, the 1st BRIC summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.
  • Expansion of BRIC to BRICS:
  • BRIC FMs, at their meeting in New York in 2010, agreed that South Africa might be invited to join BRIC.
  • Accordingly, South Africa was invited to attend the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya (China) in 2011.
  • BRIC(S) Summits: Since 2009, the head of governments of the BRICS states have met annually at formal summits.

  Significance of BRICS:

  • BRICS is an important grouping bringing together the major emerging economies from the world, comprising
  • 41% of the world's population,
  • 24% of the world GDP and
  • Over 16% share in world trade.
  • BRICS countries have been the main engines of global economic growth and have come together to deliberate on three pillars of
  • Political and security,
  • Economic and financial and
  • Cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

  Economic Cooperation among BRICS:

  • New Development Bank (NDB): During the 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (Brazil) in 2014, the leaders signed the agreement establishing the NDB.
  • It is a multilateral development bank (headquartered in Shanghai, China) operated by the five BRICS states.
  • NDB has committed $32.8 billion to 96 socio-economic development projects so far.
  • The Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA): In 2014, the BRICS governments signed a treaty that aimed at forestalling short-term balance of payments pressures and strengthening the financial stability of the BRICS nations.

  What’s on the Agenda of the 15th BRICS Summit?

  • Two items on the agenda are attracting attention for their potential for greater geopolitical consolidation of the grouping:
  • A plan to expand the membership of BRICS, and
  • A common currency.

  Looking for Multipolarity - Expanding the Membership of BRICS:

  • As many as 19 countries (such as Argentina and Mexico from Latin America; Nigeria, Algeria, from Africa; Saudi Arabia, UAE from West Asia; Kazakhstan from Central Asia; Bangladesh and Afghanistan from South Asia; etc.) are in the queue to join BRICS.
  • The rush towards BRICS is driven by two basic impulses:
  • There is considerable anti-US sentiment in the world, and all these countries are looking for a grouping where they can use that sentiment to gather together.
  • There is a lot of appetite for multipolarity, for a platform where countries of the Global South can express their solidarity.

  Common Currency:

  • The idea of a common currency was proposed by Russia’s President at the Beijing BRICS summit last year.
  • Insulation from the dollar is a tempting proposal, but not all members believe that it is an idea whose time has come.
  • An option is for members to trade with each other in their respective currencies. The India-Russia example has shown that this is not easy either.

  China and India in BRICS:

  • The war in Ukraine has brought the West together on the one hand and strengthened the China-Russia partnership on the other.
  • China is driving the expansion of the BRICS to challenge US hegemony with multilateralism.
  • While India’s presence at the G7 summit in Hiroshima and an informal Quad summit was seen as a sign of New Delhi’s US tilt, it attaches significant importance to the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
  • India called on BRICS nations to demonstrate their sincerity in reforming multilateral institutions, including that of the UN Security Council.
  • However, one view on the expanding membership is that it could sideline India’s role in the group.
  
  

History

11) Pragati Maidan

About Pragati Maidan:

• It is one of the biggest exhibition centres in India.
• Location: New Delhi.
• History:
• It was inaugurated on 3 November 1972 by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• The first show which took place here was the ASIA 72 TRADE SHOW – to celebrate 25 years of India’s Independence.
• It is owned, operated, controlled and managed by India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), the trade promotion agency of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India.
• It hosts over 70 national and international exhibitions annually, with the largest being the India International Trade Fair.
• Features:
• It is a huge complex of buildings covering over 150 acres (0.61 km2) sprinkled with many lawns overlooking the historic Purana Qila.
• The complex houses many pavilions, like the Nehru Pavilion, the Defence Pavilion, the Indira Pavilion, and the Son of India Pavilion.
• It also has an auditorium where rock shows and plays are held quite frequently.
• The complex houses 18 exhibition halls, several buildings, eateries, performance spaces and compounds, including the headquarters of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO).

Key facts about Purana Qila:

• Location:
• It is located in the South Eastern part of the present city of New Delhi.
• It is one of the oldest forts in Delhi and was built on the banks of the river Yamuna.
• The present citadel at Purana Qila started its construction in the reign of Humayun and was completed by Sher Shah Suri (‘The Lion King’).
• The Qila was inspired by the Jama Masjid, which was established 15 years before the reconstruction of Qila.
• Architecture:
• It is rectangular in shape and is spread over an area of 1.5 kilometres.
• Another amazing feature of the Purana Qila is the three gates that display a happy blend of Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture. – Bara Darwaza or the Big Gate facing west, the Humayun Gate facing south, and the Talaqqi Gate, which is often referred to as the forbidden gate.
• All of the gates are double-storeyed and comprise of huge semi-circular bastions flanking either of their sides.

Polity & Governance

12) Sedition Law can be Retained but with Safeguards: Law Commission.

Why in News?

Highlights of the report:

• The Law Commission has analysed that sedition being a ‘colonial legacy is not a valid ground for law repeal but in view of the misuse of Section 124A.
• The panel has recommended that the Centre should issue model guidelines to curb any misuse.
• They also suggested that a provision analogous to Section 196(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973may be incorporated as a proviso to Section 154 of CrPC, which would provide the requisite procedural safeguard before filing of an FIR with respect to an offence under Section 124A of IPC.
• They also mentioned that in the absence of a provision like Section 124A of IPC, any expression that incites violence against the government would invariably be tried under special laws and counter-terror legislation, which contain much more stringent provisions to deal with the accused.

Key Points:

• The Law Commission, in its 279th report, has recommended amending Section 124A.
• It stated that “the allegations of misuse do not warrant a repeal of Indian Penal Code Section 124A, which criminalises sedition.”
• Term of the sentence:
• They suggested qualifying that the law penalises only those “with a tendency to incite violence or cause public disorder” and proposed enhancing the jail term to up to seven years or life imprisonment.
• Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure:
• The report also recommended adding a procedural safeguard as a proviso to Section 124A to state that no FIR shall be registered for sedition “unless a police officer, not below the rank of Inspector, conducts a preliminary inquiry and on the basis of the report made by the said police officer the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, grants permission for registering a First Information Report.

What is Sedition Law?

• The penal law on sedition was drafted by British historian-politician Thomas Babington Macaulay in 1837.
• In the provisions of the law, sedition was defined as an act by “whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law in India”.
• The colonial British government primarily used the sedition charge, which was included in Section 124A of the Indian penal code in 1870, to suppress the writings and speeches of Indian nationalists and freedom fighters to crush dissent.

Section 124A of IPC:

• Under section 124A of IPC, sedition is a non-bailable offence, punishable with imprisonment from three years up to life, along with a fine.
• If a person is charged under section 124A of IPC, they are barred from all kinds of government jobs and their passport is seized by the government.
• Ironically, the British government abolished the controversial law in the United Kingdom in 2010.

Law Commission’s Stance on Sedition Law:

• The Law Commission of India, in its report in 2018, opined that section 124A should be invoked only in cases where the intention behind any act is to disrupt public order or to overthrow the government with violence and illegal means.
• Further, it was suggested by the Commission that section 124A of IPC (sedition) must remain; however, it should be scrutinised whether the word ‘sedition’ could be substituted suitably with another word.

Health

13) What is Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)?

About Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS):

• UNAIDS is an innovative joint venture of the United Nations family established in 1996, which brings together the efforts and resources of 11 UN system organisations to unite the world against AIDS.
• UNAIDS' global mission is to lead, strengthen and support an ample response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in order to:
• Prevent the advance of HIV.
• Offer treatment and assistance to people infected and affected by the disease.
• Reduce individuals’ and communities’ vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
• Mitigate the epidemic's socio-economic and human impacts.
• The participating organisations that form UNAIDS also called the UNAIDS Cosponsors, are:
• UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)
• UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund
• World Bank
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
• UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women)
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)
• UNFPA (United Nations Populations Fund)
• WHO (World Health Organisation)
• World Food Programme
• UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
• ILO (International Labour Organisation)
• The Joint Programme is coordinated by the UNAIDS Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Geography

14) Mettur Dam

About Mettur Dam:

• It is one of the largest dams in India, built in 1934.
• Location:
• Mettur, Salem District, Tamil Nadu.
• It was constructed in a gorge where the Kaveri River enters the plains.
• It provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappalli and Thanjavur districts for 271,000 acres (110,000 ha) of farmland.
• Features:
• The total length of the dam is 1700 m with a maximum level of 120 feet and a capacity of 93.4 tmc ft.
• The dam creates Stanley Reservoir.
• Set at the foot of the dam in 1937 is the Mettur hydroelectric and thermal power plant, with a hydro-power generation of 32 MW.
• There is a park adjoining the Dam on the opposite side with lawns and fountains, and also the Muniappan/Aiyanar statue in the vicinity.

Key Facts about Kaveri River:

• Kaveri, also spelled Cauvery, is a sacred river of southern India. It is known as the Ganga of South India.
• Origin: It rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka state.
• It flows in a southeasterly direction for 765 km through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and descends the Eastern Ghats in a series of great falls.
• The Cauvery basin extends over the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
• The river drains into the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar in the Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu.
• Major left bank tributaries: Harangi, the Hemavati, the Shimsha and the Arkavati.

Defence & Security

1) INS Trishul

Science & Technology

2) GAGAN satellite technology

About GAGAN satellite technology:

• GAGAN is the acronym for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation.
• It is jointly developed by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• It uses a system of ground stations to provide necessary augmentations to the GPS standard positioning service (SPS) navigation signal.
• It is designed to provide the additional accuracy, availability, and integrity necessary to enable users to rely on GPS for all phases of flight.
• It also provides the capability for increased accuracy in position reporting, allowing for more uniform and high-quality Air Traffic Management (ATM).
• In addition, GAGAN will provide benefits beyond aviation to all modes of transportation, including maritime, highways, and railroads.
• There are only four Space-Based augmentation systems available in the world namely India (GAGAN), US (WAAS,) Europe(EGNOS) and Japan (MSAS).

What is Performance-Based Navigation (PBN)?

• The PBN concept specifies aircraft RNAV system performance requirements in terms of accuracy, integrity, availability, continuity and functionality needed for the proposed operations in the context of a particular Airspace Concept.
• This concept represents a shift from sensor-based to performance-based navigation.
• Performance requirements are identified in navigation specifications, which also identify the choice of navigation sensors and equipment that may be used to meet the performance requirements.

Environment

3) Sal Tree

Key points about Sal seeds:

• Odisha has no major solvent extraction plant that produces oil from sal seeds, due to which the intermediaries procure the seeds from the state at a lower rate and sell them at a higher rate to the oil companies of other states
• The state of Odisha has a rich depository of sal seeds accounting for 25 per cent of the country’s production, which played a significant role in the economics of the tribal people in the state.
• Other major Sal seeds producing states include Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

About Sal Tree:

• It is a large sub-deciduous tree that is seldom completely leafless.
• It is indigenous to India and occurs in two main regions separated by the Gangetic plain, namely the northern and central Indian regions.
• It requires well-drained, moist and sandy loam soil.
• Climatic conditions required: It survives upto a maximum temperature of 36°C to 44°C and minimum temperature of 11°C to 17°C, and it needs an average rainfall of 1000 mm to 3500 mm per annum.
• The resin of this tree is used in the indigenous system of medicine.

Economy

4) What is Gift Tax?

About Gift Tax:

• The Parliament of India introduced the Gift Tax Act in 1958, and gift tax is essentially the tax charged on the receipt of gifts.
• The Income Tax Act states that gifts whose value exceeds Rs.50,000 are subject to gift tax in the hands of the recipient.
• The gift tax is also applicable on certain transfers that are not considered a gift.
• The transfer of existing movable or immovable property in money or money's worth qualifies for gift tax.
• The gift is exempted from tax if it was given by a relative.
• The income tax rule Parent, Spouse, Siblings, Spouse's siblings, Lineal descendants Lineal descendants of the spouse can be considered as a relative.
• There are several other situations where gifts can be exempted from tax. Listed below are other situations in which the gift will be exempted from tax.
  • Gifts received during weddings are usually exempted from tax.
  • Gifts received as part of the inheritance are exempted from tax.
  • Cash or rewards received by local authorities or educational institutions based on merit is exempted from tax.

Science & Technology

5) What is Abaucin?

About Abaucin:

• It is known to compromise the normal function of a protein called CCR2.
• It appears to work by disrupting lipoprotein trafficking in A. baumannii.
• Based on genetic studies, the researchers believe that abaucin could be preventing lipoprotein produced inside the bacteria from moving to the outer membrane.
• Abaucin is also “species-selective”, it only disrupts the growth of A. baumannii, not other Gram-negative bacteria.

What is an Acinetobacter baumanni?

• It is a Gram-negative bacteria, which means it has a protective outer membrane that allows it to resist antibiotics.
• It has been associated with hospital-acquired infections in India.
• It was acknowledged to be a “red alert” pathogen because of its exceptional ability to develop resistance to all currently available antibiotics.

Polity & Governance

6) What is Sedition Law?

About Sedition Law:

• Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deals with sedition.
• History of Sedition Law:
  • Section 124A was drafted by Thomas Babington Macaulay and included in the IPC in 1870.
  • The section was first included to address the growth of Wahabi activity between 1863 and 1870. The colonial authorities faced difficulty as a result of these actions.
  • Indian nationalist leaders were involved in some of the most well-known sedition cases of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
  • The earliest of these was Jogendra Chandra Bose's trial in 1891. He served as the newspaper Bangobasi's editor. He published a piece denouncing the Age of Consent Bill for endangering the faith and its coercive treatment of Native Americans.
  • In 1897, Bal Gangadhar Tilak's articles in Kesari were the subject of legal action.
  • The other well-known case included Mahatma Gandhi's 1922 sedition trial. Sedition, according to Gandhi, is "the prince among the political sections of the IPC meant to destroy the freedom of the citizen."
  • Post-Independence:
    • After independence, the term “sedition” was removed from the Constitution in 1948 after debate in the Constituent Assembly.
    • Jawaharlal Nehru proposed the first amendment to the Constitution in 1951, which limited freedom under Article 19 (1) (a) and gave the state the authority to impose “reasonable restrictions” on the right to free expression.
    • Indira Gandhi’s government made section 124A a criminal offence for the first time in Indian history. The new Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which came into effect in 1974 and repealed the 1898 Colonial-Era Code of Criminal Procedure, made sedition a knowable crime.
• What does Section 124 A state?
  • It states, "Whoever, words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in India shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, which fine may be added, or with fine."
  • In simple words, this means anyone who attempts to create hatred, contempt, or disaffection towards the government can be punished under the sedition law.
• Punishment:
  • Sedition is a non-bailable offence.
  • Punishment under the law varies from imprisonment up to three years to a life term and fine.
  • A person charged under this law can't apply for a government job. They have to live without their passport and must present themselves in court as and when required.

Science & Technology

7) What is Da Vinci’s Robotic Surgical System?

About Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System:

• It is a tool that helps surgeons perform a variety of surgeries, including gynaecological surgeries, urological, head and neck, thoracic, colorectal, cardiac and general surgeries.
• Because da Vinci only uses small cuts, it’s less traumatic on your body, resulting in less pain, fewer complications and a shorter recovery time.
• It can be used in the field of colorectal surgeries, urology, oncology, gynaecology, thoracic, cardiology, paediatric and gastro-intestinal surgeries, kidney transplants and in liver transplantation.
• The machine is made up of three different parts:
  • The console/control centre: The surgeon operates while seated at a console unit, using hand and foot controls and with a magnified, 3D, high-definition view.
  • The patient cart: The cart holds surgical instruments and the camera.
  • The vision cart: This cart has a video screen so that the healthcare providers in the room can see what’s happening during the surgery.

What is a Da Vinci surgery?

• A Da Vinci surgery is when your surgery is performed using the da Vinci Surgical System, a machine that uses four thin robotic arms.
• The robotic instruments have a wider range of motion than the human hand. Surgeons can use the surgical system for a variety of procedures.
• What’s the difference between a da Vinci surgery and an open surgery?
  • Use of the da Vinci system makes your surgery “minimally invasive” (smaller incisions).
  • The procedure uses small cuts (less than or equal to 1 centimetre long), tiny surgical instruments, fewer stitches and a laparoscope (a telescope) which is a thin tube with a light and a camera lens.
  • This is different from traditional surgeries that use larger, more invasive cuts through skin, tissues and muscles.

Environment

8) Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve

About Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.
• Udanti and Sitanadi are two wildlife sanctuaries combined together, covering a total area of 1842.54-kilometre square.
• It was declared a tiger reserve in the year 2008-09.
• The Udanti River flows through the Reserve. There are a few perennial springs, including the famous Deodhara and Godene Falls.
• Topography: The topography of the area is a broken mass of land traversed by innumerable hill ranges intercepted by strips of plains.
• Flora:
  • The flora of the tiger reserve contains various types of forest crops mixed with Sal forest.
  • Dry Deciduous Forests, Tropical and Sub-Tropical vegetation are also observed here.
• Fauna:
  • All the representative faunal species of Central India are found in both the Core areas of UdantiSitanadi Tiger Reserve.
  • Asiatic Wild Buffalo is the key endangered species found in the Core Area.
  • Apart from the tiger,  other endangered and rare species are Indian Wolf, Leopard, Sloth Bear and Mouse Deer.

History

9) Adi Kailash

About Adi Kailash:

• It is considered to be one of the five Kailash mountains and is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva.
• It is also known as Shiva Kailash, Chota Kailash, Baba Kailash, or Jonglingkong Peak.
• Location:
  • It is located in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
  • It is situated among the Kumaon Himalayan mountain range.
  • It lies in close proximity to the Indo-Tibetan border near Sin La Pass.
• Altitude: 6310 meters
• Adi Kailash is known as the replica of Kailash Mansarovar. It is immensely popular among devotees of Shiva.
• It is scripted in Hindu Mythology that Shiva meditated and stayed at Adi Kailash for some time.

What is Pancha Kailash?

• These are the five holy peaks that are said to be the abodes of Lord Shiva.
• The five peaks are Kailash Manasarovar, Adi Kailash, Kinnaur Kailash, Shrikant Mahadev Kailash and Manimahesh Kailash.

Science & Technology

10) What is Apoptosis?

About Apoptosis:

• It is the process of programmed cell death.
• It is a mechanism that allows cells to self-destruct when stimulated by the appropriate trigger.
• Process:
  • It involves condensation of the nucleus and cytoplasm, followed by cellular partitioning into well-defined fragments for disposal.
  • The damaged cells are disposed of in an orderly fashion.
• It is used during early development to eliminate unwanted cells; for example, those between the fingers of a developing hand.
• In adults, apoptosis is used to rid the body of cells that have been damaged beyond repair and have become a threat to survival. Such cells can include cancer cells or cells that are infected with bacteria or a virus.
• Apoptosis also removes cells that are normal but no longer needed, such as cells that produce antibodies after the need for the antibody has passed.
• Apoptosis can also be triggered in otherwise normal cells by external stimuli, including nutrient removal, toxins, hormones, heat, and radiation.
• Too much apoptosis in an otherwise normal human being will result in a number of so-called neurodegenerative diseases where cells die when they're not supposed to die.
• It is estimated that a mass of cells equal to body weight is removed by apoptosis each year.

Social Issues

1) India rethinking its anaemia policy

Why in the news?

• Questions related to anaemia are slated to be dropped from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) scheduled to begin on July 6.
• The omission comes after health experts questioned the efficacy of the method being used to estimate haemoglobin levels.
  

  National Family Health Survey (NFHS):

  • The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India.
  • The first National Family Health Survey (NFHS-1) was conducted in 1992-93. Subsequent NFHSs’ were conducted as below –
  • NFHS-2 was conducted in 1998-99
  • NFHS-3 was conducted in 2005-06
  • NFHS-4 was conducted in 2015-16
  • NFHS-5 was conducted in 2019-21
  • The main objective of the NFHS has been to provide reliable and comparable data relating to health and family welfare and other emerging areas in India.
  • All the rounds of NFHS have been conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, as the national nodal agency.
  • Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

  Anaemia

  • About
  • According to the World Health Organization (WHO), anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal.
  • Haemoglobin is needed to carry oxygen.
  • If there are too few red blood cells or not enough haemoglobin, there will be a decreased capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.
  • This results in symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath, among others.
  • Factors
  • The most common nutritional cause of anaemia is iron deficiency, although deficiencies in folate, vitamins B12 and A are also important causes.
  • Certain chronic diseases, such as kidney disease, liver disease, cancer, or autoimmune disorders, can interfere with the production of red blood cells.
  • Inherited conditions, such as sickle cell anaemia or thalassemia, affect the structure or function of red blood cells, leading to chronic anaemia.

  India’s anaemia burden

  • India’s anaemia burden has grown alarmingly with NFHS-5 (2019-21) finding that:
  • 57% of women in the age group 15-49 and
  • 67% of children between six months and 59 months are anaemic (from the corresponding 53% and 58.6%, respectively, in NFHS-4 (2015-16)).
  • The Health Ministry has noted that anaemia is a public health challenge.

  What prompted the change?

  • WHO cut-offs for haemoglobin may not be suited to India
  • The WHO defines:
  • anaemia in children aged under five years and pregnant women as a haemoglobin concentration <110 g/L at sea level, and
  • anaemia in non-pregnant women as a haemoglobin concentration <120 g/L.
  • Experts cautioned that there is a danger of anaemia being over-diagnosed in India as it follows WHO cut-offs for haemoglobin.
  • This may not be suited to India because the cut-off point depends on age, gender, physiological status, altitude and other factors.
  • Differences in the way blood is drawn for sampling in NFHS
  • Various studies also pointed to differences in the way blood is drawn for sampling in NFHS.
  • The NFHS survey measured haemoglobin in a drop of capillary blood that oozes from a finger prick.
  • This, as per the report, can dilute the blood and give a falsely lower value.
  • The recommended method of venous blood sampling, as per the report, gives a more accurate value.

  Shift in the assessment of anaemia in India.

  • According to the Health Ministry, the assessment of anaemia in India is being shifted to the new Diet and Biomarkers Survey in India (DABS-I).
  • DABS-I was launched in December 2022 to map diet, nutrition and health status and provide the correct estimate of anaemia among rural and urban populations.
  • The survey will define food and nutrient adequacy by collecting individual dietary intake data of different age groups of people.
  • The study will also provide nutrient composition data on cooked and uncooked foods from various regions of the country for the first time.

  Why is the focus on anaemia?

  • Data on anaemia remains an important indicator of public health due to the following reasons:
  • Impact on morbidity and mortality
  • Anaemia is related to morbidity and mortality in the population groups usually considered to be the most vulnerable — pregnant women and children under five.
  • Effect on reproductive health
  • A prevalence study on anaemia is useful for monitoring the progress of reproductive health.
  • Impact on economy
  • Also, iron deficiency anaemia reduces the work capacity of individuals and entire populations, with serious consequences for the economy and national development.
  
  

Economics

2) Government Bans 14 Combination Drugs Used to Treat Common Ailments

Why in News?

About Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) Drugs:

• Combination products, also known as fixed-dose drug combinations (FDCs), are combinations of two or more active drugs in a single dosage form.
• The Food and Drug Administration, USA defines a combination product as a product composed of any combination of a drug and a device or a biological product and a device or a drug and a biological product or a drug, device, and a biological product’.
• It is widely accepted that most drugs should be formulated as single compounds.
• Fixed ratio combination products are acceptable only when –
• The dosage of each ingredient meets the requirement of a defined population group and
• The combination has a proven advantage over single compounds administered separately in a therapeutic effect, safety or compliance.
• FDCs are highly popular in the Indian pharmaceutical market and have been particularly flourishing in the last few years.
• Advantages of FDC Drugs –
• FDC formulations have unique advantages such as complementary mechanisms of action, synergistic effects, better tolerability, elongated product life-cycle management, and cost savings.
• The use of FDCs is a rational approach for achieving optimal therapeutic benefits while minimising pill burden.

Challenges/Demerits of FDC Drugs:

• There are increased chances of adverse drug effects and drug interactions compared with both drugs given individually.
• Unfortunately, many FDCs being introduced in India are usually irrational.
• The most pressing concern with irrational FDCs is that they expose patients to unnecessary risk of adverse drug reactions.
• Irrational FDCs also impose unnecessary financial burdens on consumers.
• Medical practitioners who patronise such combinations could be the centre of controversy when subjected to litigation in consumer forums.
• This is due to the fact that these combinations do not find mentioned in standard texts or reference books and reputed medical journals.
• Pharmaceutical manufacturers, however, continue to reap the benefits of huge sales and therefore continue to promote combinations with vigour.

News Summary:

• The Central government has banned 14 Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) drugs that lacked therapeutic relevance.
• The banned combinations include medicines used for cough, fever and infections and are sold over the counter.

Defence & Security

3) Odisha train accident

Why in the news?

• At least 288 people were feared dead, and several were injured in a major rail accident in the Balasore district of Odisha.
• The accident involved two express trains — Yashwantpur-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express — and a goods train.
• As per a statement of the Railways, the Odisha route did not ha ave Kavach safety system – an Indian technology that could have prevented the collision.
  

  Odisha train accident

  • Where and when did the accident happen?
  • The spot of the crash is a little before Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha’s Balasore district, which is part of the Kharagpur railway division of the South Eastern Railway.
  • Three trains were involved — two passenger trains going in opposite directions and a goods train that was stationary.
  • How are the tracks laid out at Bahanaga Bazar?
  • There is the Up Main Line (towards Chennai), the Down Main Line (towards Howrah), and two loop lines on the two sides.
  • The purpose of a loop is to park a train on the side so that the main line is left clear for a faster or more important train.
  • As the Coromandel approached, the loop line was occupied by a goods train going in the same (Up) direction.
  • The Coromandel was supposed to go past it on the main line.
  • What went wrong?
  • As per the official brief, Coromandel Express, instead of going past the goods train on the main line, entered the loop and smashed into the goods train from the rear.
  • How could that happen?
  • Locomotive drivers are guided by signals, not so much by what they see on the tracks, especially in the dark.
  • While details will be known after the inquiry, the Railways are looking at the possibility of a signalling error.
  • A multi-disciplinary joint inspection by supervisors has concluded that a green signal was given to the Coromandel to pass through on the designated main line, and then the signal was taken off.
  • The train entered the loop line and rammed into the goods train.
  • Where does the third train come into the picture?
  • At the same time as the Coromandel hit the goods train, a third train, Bengaluru-Howrah Express, was going past on the adjacent Down main line, headed towards Howrah.
  • Most of this train had already crossed the point of the accident when the Coromandel crashed into the goods train.
  • However, the last few coaches were impacted.
  • These derailed — either because they were hit by coaches of the Coromandel that toppled onto them or because of the shock waves that could have passed through the ground and the tracks.

  Kavach

  • About
  • It is India’s very own automatic protection system in development since 2012, under the name Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).
  • Later, it got rechristened to Kavach or “armour”.
  • Basically, Kavach is a state-of-the-art electronic system that was designed to help the Indian Railways achieve Zero Accidents.
  • Development
  • It has been indigenously developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian industry.
  • Trails were facilitated by South Central Railway to achieve the corporate objective of safety in train operations.
  • Functioning
  • A set of electronic devices and Radio Frequency Identification devices installed in locomotives, in the signalling system as well the track.
  • This enables the locomotives, signalling system and tracks to talk to each other using ultra-high radio frequencies to control the brakes of trains and also alert drivers.
  • Features
  • It activates the train braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per the speed restrictions.
  • In addition, it prevents collision between two Locomotives equipped with a functional KAVACH system.
  • It is designed to assist locomotive pilots in avoiding Signal Passing At Danger (SPAD) and overspeeding.
  • SPAD - when a train passes a stop signal when not allowed to do so.
  • SPADs are one of the potential precursors to railway accidents.
  • It will also provide support for train operations during adverse weather conditions such as dense fog.
  • It is a Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4) certified technology with the probability of an error being one in 10,000 years.
  • Other features
  • Automatic Braking for the Prevention of Over Speeding
  • Auto Whistling while approaching Level Crossing Gates
  • SOS Messages during emergency situations
  • Centralised live monitoring of Train movements through the Network Monitor System
  • Deployment strategy
  • Indian Railways had plans to implement the KAVACH protection system to the extent of 2000 km during 2022-23.
  • Around 34,000 km of the network will be brought under KAVACH.
  • Benefits
  • Enhanced safety for Indian railways
  • World’s cheapest automatic train collision protection system
  • It costs ₹50 lakhs per kilometre to operate compared to about ₹2 crore worldwide.
  • Opens avenues of export of this indigenous technology for Railways.
  
  
  

Environment

4) Myristica swamps

About Myristica swamps:

• These are freshwater swamps predominated by members of the Myristicaceae family.
• These forests are characterised by trees with large protruding roots jutting out of waterlogged soil, which remains inundated throughout the year.
• They have evolved over millions of years and are comprised of old-growth trees.
• Geographical distribution: In India, these unique habitats occur in the Western Ghats, and a smaller distribution exists in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Climatic conditions: The formation of these swamps is dependent on abiotic conditions like the shape of the valley between the forested hills, the amount of rainfall a place receives (with an average of 3000 mm), and water availability throughout the year.
• Typically, Myristica swamps are seen next to rivers and help in retaining water and act as a sponge, ensuring perennial water availability.
• These swamps are home to many vertebrate and invertebrate faunal species. This is due to stable macroecological conditions like high humidity, moderate temperature, and macrohabitat availability.

Environment

5) Petroleum Coke (Pet Coke)

About Petroleum Coke:

• It is a final carbon-rich solid material and residual waste material extracted from oil refining.
• It is a spongy, solid residue from oil distillation that can be burned for fuel similar to coal.
• It is a by-product created when bitumen is found in tar sands.
• Bitumen contains a higher number of carbon atoms than regular oil, and it’s these atoms, extracted from large hydrocarbon molecules using heat, that go on to form petcoke.
• It is high in calorific value and easy to transport and store.
• It releases toxic gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel, and hydrogen chloride after burning.
• There are two distinctive grades of Petroleum Coke viz. Calcinable or Green Petcoke and Fuel Grade Petcoke.
• Application:
• It is widely used by power stations and several manufacturing industries, including cement, steel and textile plants in India.

Environment

6) Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP)

About EIACP Programme:

• It is one of the Central Sector sub-scheme being implemented in alignment with Mission LiFE.
• The Environmental Information System (ENVIS) is renamed EIACP (Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme).
• ENVIS came into existence as a planned programme in 1983.
• It has been subsumed within the revamped scheme of Environment Education, Awareness, Research and Skill Development.
• ENVIS EIACP serves as a one-stop platform for the dissemination of environmental information, informed policy formulation on various facets of the environment and facilitation of alternate livelihoods through green skilling.

Key facts about Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)

• It was first proposed by the Prime Minister of India at COP 26.
• It is envisioned as an India-led global mass movement that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment.
• The global movement will showcase sustainable goals and climate actions taken by countries and individuals around the world.
• It makes the fight against climate change democratic, in which everyone can contribute with their respective capacities.
• It emboldens the spirit of the P3 model, i.e., Pro Planet People.
• It functions on the basic principles of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’.

Science & Technology

7) Li-ion battery recycling technology

About Li-ion battery recycling technology:

• It is the indigenously developed technology that could process assorted types of discarded Li-ion batteries.
• It has the capacity to recover more than 95 per cent Lithium (Li), Cobalt (Co), Manganese (Mn) and Nickel (Ni) contents in the form of their corresponding oxides/carbonates of about 98 per cent purity.
• The recycling process involves leaching followed by hierarchical selective extraction of metal values through the solvent extraction process.
• These secondary raw materials could be used for battery manufacturing or in other potential applications.
• This technology has been developed under the Centre of Excellence on E-waste Management.

Key facts about Lithium

• It is a soft, silvery-white metal that heads group 1, the alkali metals group, of the periodic table of the elements.
• It has the lowest density of all metals and the lightest of the solid elements.
• It reacts vigorously with water.
• It does not occur as a metal in nature but is found combined in small amounts in igneous rocks.
• Major Reserves: Lithium reserves are concentrated in the lithium triangle in South America – Argentina, Bolivia & Chile, with 50% of the deposits concentrated in these regions.

Science & Technology

8) Oil reserves in salt caverns

Context

India’s Strategic Oil Reserves:

• A strategic reserve is the reserve of a commodity or item that is held back from normal use by governments in pursuance of a particular strategy or to cope with unexpected events.
• Countries keep strategic reserves of crude oil to meet the immediate demand in times of crisis or unexpected events.
• India, the world’s third-largest consumer of crude, depends on imports for more than 85% of its requirement.
• The government of India, through Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd. (ISPRL) under Phase–1, has set up Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) at three locations with a capacity of 5.33 MMT (million metric ton) –
• Vishakhapatnam (1.33 MMT),
• Mangaluru (1.50 MMT) and
• Padur (2.5 MMT)
  
  
  

About Salt Cavern-based oil reserves:

• Underground storage caverns are used to store very large quantities of unrefined petroleum and natural gas.
• These underground caverns are cavities that have been “mined” out of naturally occurring salt domes.
• Approximately 7% of the total underground natural gas storage capacity is in Salt Caverns.
• Salt caverns are developed by the process of solution mining, which involves pumping water into geological formations with large salt deposits to dissolve the salt.

Salt Cavern-based Storage v/s Rock Cavern-based Storage:

• Rock caverns are large man-made spaces in the rock and are considered the safest means of storing hydrocarbons.
• In comparison to rock caverns, salt caverns are considered cheaper and less labour- and cost-intensive.
• Salt cavern-based oil storage facilities are also naturally well-sealed and engineered for rapid injection and extraction of oil.
• This makes them a more attractive option than storing oil in other geological formations.
• The entire strategic petroleum reserve programme of the United States has so far been based on salt cavern-based storage facilities.
• In comparison, India’s all 3 strategic petroleum reserves are made up of excavated rock caverns.

India’s Potential:

• Rajasthan, which has the bulk of requisite salt formations in India, is seen as the most conducive for developing salt cavern-based strategic storage facilities.
• A refinery is coming up in Barmer, and Rajasthan has crude pipelines as well; such infrastructure is conducive to building strategic oil reserves.
• However, no Indian company, including EIL, had the requisite technical know-how to build salt cavern-based strategic hydrocarbon storage.
• This gap in access to technology has been bridged by EIL’s recent partnership with Germany’s DEEP.KBB GmbH — a company that specialises in cavern storage and solution mining technology.

Environment

9) What are Seaweeds?

About Seaweeds:

• "Seaweed" is the common name for countless species of marine plants and algae that grow in the ocean as well as in rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.
• They range in colours from red, green, brown and black and also vary in size, from microscopic to large underwater forests.
• Seaweeds are generally anchored to the sea bottom or other solid structures by rootlike “holdfasts,” which perform the sole function of attachment and do not extract nutrients as do the roots of higher plants.
• Seaweeds often form dense growths on rocky shores or accumulations in shallow water.
• Many show a well-established zonation along the margins of the seas, where the depth of the water is 50 metres (about 165 feet) or less.
• Uses:
• A number of seaweed species are edible, and many are also of commercial importance to humans.
• Some are used as fertilizers or as sources of polysaccharides.
• The high amount of antioxidants present in seaweed protects the body from damage caused by free radicals and protects cells from their impact.
• Animal studies have found that substances found in seaweed help increase the production of a protein that metabolises fat effectively.
• Research suggests that consuming seaweed can help in managing diabetes by balancing the sugar levels in the blood.
• Many seaweeds contain anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents.
• They are effective binding agents (emulsifiers) in such commercial goods as toothpaste and fruit jelly and popular softeners (emollients) in organic cosmetics and skin-care products.

International Affairs

10) The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

About The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):

• It is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees.
• It was established in 1949 when nearly three-quarters of a million Palestinians became refugees in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab- Israeli war.
• Mandate: To support Palestinian refugees and their patrilineal descendants who fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Palestine War and 1967 Six-Day War.
• UNRWA was originally designed as a temporary agency, though its mandate has been continuously renewed every three years by the General Assembly.
• Services provided: Its services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict.
• Fields of operations: It provides services in its five fields of operations: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East of Jerusalem.
• UNRWA is unique in that it delivers services directly to its beneficiaries.
• Funding: It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States. It also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of the United Nations.
• It reports only to the UN General Assembly.
• Headquarters: It was originally headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, but was moved to Vienna, Austria, in 1978. In 1996 the General Assembly moved the agency to the Gaza Strip to demonstrate the Assembly’s commitment to the Arab-Israeli peace process.
• Its chief officer, the commissioner-general—the only leader of a UN agency to report directly to the General Assembly—is appointed by the UN secretary-general with the approval of an Advisory Commission.

Science & Technology

11) What are Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) Drugs?

About Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) Drugs:

• An FDC drug includes two or more active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) combined in a single dosage form, which is manufactured and distributed in fixed doses.
• They have been shown to appreciably reduce the risk of medication non-adherence, which is particularly important in patients with chronic diseases.
• However, their rationality for use should be based on sound medical principles as there have been concerns with their irrationality and utility in several countries.
• Common examples: Cough syrups Phensedyl and Corex, Vicks Action 500.
• Advantages of FDCs:
• The burden of keeping track of several medications, understanding their various instructions, etc., is reduced, which improves patient compliance and therefore improves treatment outcomes.
• The FDCs are more economical than single-ingredient drugs.
• The manufacturing cost is quite low compared to the cost of producing separate products.
• Then there are Simpler logistics of distribution.
• Disadvantages of FDCs:
• If an adverse drug reaction occurs from using an FDC, it may be difficult to identify the active ingredient responsible for causing the reaction.
• If the drug combination is not appropriate, then it can lead to some patients getting too much of an ingredient and others getting too little. FDCs "limit clinicians' ability to customize dosing regimens."

Environment

11) Shanan Powerhouse

About Shanan Powerhouse:

• Location: It is located in Joginder Nagar in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Commissioned in 1932, the powerhouse was constructed as per a 99-year lease executed between Raja Jogendra Sen, the then king of Mandi, and Col BC Batty, Chief Engineer of the Punjab Government, in 1925.
• This powerhouse was constructed against the backdrop of dense deodar forests.
• It is one of the oldest powerhouses of the country, which used to feed the entire undivided Punjab, Lahore and Delhi before Independence.
• After the reorganisation of states in 1966, the Shanan powerhouse was given to Punjab by the Centre as the lease agreement, signed in 1925, was yet to expire.
• The project originally was of 48 MW capacity, but the Punjab government enhanced its capacity to 60 MW in 1982. Later, 50 MW more was added to make its capacity 110 MW.
• The main attraction of the hydro project is the four-stage haulage trolley service. It was basically constructed to carry the construction material of the Shanan powerhouse from Jogindernagar to Barot. It is a unique type of trolley based on a pulley system with no engine, steering wheel or no, gears or brakes.

Defence & Security

What is the Kavach system?

Context

About the Technology:

• The KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian industry.
• The trials were facilitated by the South Central Railway to achieve safety in train operations across Indian Railways.
• It is a state-of-the-art electronic system with Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards.
• It is meant to provide protection by preventing trains from passing the signal at Red (which marks danger) and avoiding collision.
• It activates the train’s braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per speed restrictions.
• In addition, it prevents the collision between two locomotives equipped with functional Kavach systems. The system also relays SoS messages during emergency situations.

SoS means a call or request for help or rescue.

• An added feature is the centralised live monitoring of train movements through the Network Monitor System.

‘Kavach’ is one of the cheapest SIL-4 certified technologies where the probability of error is 1 in 10,000 years.

How does Kavach work on Railway Systems?

• The Traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), with the help of equipment on board the locomotive and transmission towers at stations connected with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, helps in two-way communication between the station master and loco-pilot to convey any emergency message.
• The instrument panel inside the cabin helps the loco-pilot know about the signal in advance without visual sighting and the permissible speeds to be maintained.
• If a red signal is jumped and two trains come face to face on the same line, the technology automatically takes over and applies sudden brakes.
• Additionally, the hooter activates by itself when approaching a level crossing which serves as a big boon to loco-pilots during fog conditions when visibility is low.

Both the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express and the Yeshwanthpur-Howrah Express were not fitted with KAVACH-TACS.

About Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO):

• Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) is an ISO 9001 research and development organisation under the Ministry of Railways of India.
• It functions as a technical adviser and consultant to the Railway Board, the Zonal Railways, the Railway Production Units, RITES and IRCON International in respect of the design and standardization of railway equipment and problems related to railway construction, operation and maintenance.

Indian Railways’ Research Design & Standards Organization (RDSO) has recently become the nation’s first institution to be declared as a Standard Developing Organization (SDO) under the mission called “One Nation One Standard” on the Bureau of Indian Standards.

International

1) What is OPEC+?

About OPEC+:

• It is a group of 23 oil-exporting countries that meets regularly to decide how much crude oil to sell on the world market.
• These nations aim to work together on adjusting crude oil production to bring stability to the oil market.
• At the core of this group are the 13 members of OPEC (the Organization of the Oil Exporting Countries), which are mainly Middle Eastern and African countries.
• Members: It comprises 13 OPEC countries plus Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mexico, Malaysia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Oman.

What is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC):

• It is a permanent intergovernmental organisation of oil-exporting countries.
• Mission:
• To coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries.
• Ensure the stabilisation of oil prices in the international oil markets, with a view to eliminating harmful and unnecessary fluctuations.
• Formation: It was established in 1960 by the five founding members Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
• Currently, it has 13 members, including Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.

Polity & Governance

2) National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

About National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC):

• It is an institute under the Indian Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The Director, an officer of the Public Health sub-cadre of Central Health Service, is the administrative and technical head of the Institute.
• History:
• The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), formerly the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) had its origin as the Central Malaria Bureau, established at Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) in 1909 and, following expansion, was renamed in 1927 as the Malaria Survey of India.
• The organisation was shifted to Delhi in 1938 and called the Malaria Institute of India (MII).
• In view of the drastic reduction achieved in the incidence of malaria under the National Malaria Eradication Programme (NMEP), the Government of India decided to reorganise and expand the activities of the institute to cover other communicable diseases.
• Thus, in 1963, the erstwhile MII was renamed as National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) to shoulder these additional responsibilities.
• In the year 2009, NICD transforms into National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) with a larger mandate of controlling emerging and re-emerging diseases.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Functions:
• It functions as the nodal agency in the country for disease surveillance, facilitating prevention and control of communicable diseases.
• In coordination with the State Governments, NCDC has the capacity and capability for disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and rapid response to contain and combat outbreaks.
• It also deals with Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR), an emerging area of concern with far-reaching consequences.
• It also provides referral diagnostic support, capacity building and technical support to States/UTs in the country.

Environment & Ecology

3) Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

About Dudhwa Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located on the Indo-Nepal border in the district Lakhimpur-Kheri in Uttar Pradesh.
• It includes the Dudhwa National Park, and two nearby Sanctuaries, viz. Kishanpur and Katerniaghat, besides forest areas of North Kheri, South Kheri and Shahjahanpur forest divisions in their buffer.
• Rivers: The Sharda River flows by the Kishanpur WL Sanctuary, the Geruwa River flows through the Katerniaghat WL Sanctuary, and the Suheli and Mohana streams flow in the Dudhwa National Park, all of which are tributaries of the mighty Ghagra River.
• Vegetation: The vegetation is of the North Indian Moist Deciduous type, containing some of the finest examples of Sal forests (Shorea robusta) in India.
• Flora: The flora is predominantly Sal forest along with its associate tree species like Terminalia alata (Asna), Lagerstroemia parviflora (Asidha), Adina cordifolia (Haldu), Mitragyna parviflora (Faldu), Gmelina arborea (Gahmhar), Holoptelea inter folia (Kanju) etc.
• Fauna:
• The major mammals include Guldar, Tiger, Fishing cat, Monkey, Langur, Mongoose, Small Indian Mongoose, small Indian civet, Jackal etc.
• Birds include a wide variety of species, which include migratory and resident ones like Dabchick, spot-billed pelican, Large cormorant, Little cormorant, Grey Heron, White stork, Black Storck, White Ibis etc.
• Reptiles include Mugger, Ghariyal, Python, Sandboa, Banded Krait, Russel’s Viper, Rat Snake etc.

Polity & Governance

4) What is Adverse Possession?

About Adverse Possession:

• It is a legal concept that allows a person who has unlawfully occupied someone else’s land for a certain period of time to claim legal ownership of that land.
• The claimant, or disseisor, must demonstrate that several criteria have been met before the court will allow their claim.
• In India, adverse possession has been a part of the legal framework for a long time and is rooted in the idea that land must not be left vacant and instead be put to judicious use.
• To claim adverse possession, the occupier must prove that they have been in continuous, uninterrupted possession of the land for at least 12 years and that their possession was open, notorious, and hostile to the true owner.
• The principle of The Limitation Law of 1963 governs the law of Adverse Possession in India.
• As per adverse possession under the limitation act, if over a due course of time or period, if an appeal is not made to revise any limitation, the current scenario of titles continues.
• According to the Indian legal system, if a property owner fails to make a claim towards their property for 12 years, and the same tenant continues to occupy the property for 12 years, the ownership rights to the property are transferred to the tenant.

Science & Technology

5) What is Sonic Boom?

About Sonic Boom:

• A sonic boom is a thunderous noise caused by an object, like an aircraft, moving faster than the speed of sound.
• How is it formed?
• As the object zooms through the sky, the air molecules around it are pushed aside with tremendous force, generating shock waves along its flight path.
• The release of pressure, following the shock waves’ buildup, is heard as a sonic boom.
• Sonic booms create huge amounts of sound energy.
• The intensity of the sonic boom is determined not only by the distance between the craft and the ground but also by the size and shape of the aircraft, the types of manoeuvres that it makes, and the atmospheric pressure, temperature, and winds.
• Generally, a larger aircraft will cause stronger shock waves and, therefore, a louder sonic boom.
• If the aircraft is especially long, double sonic booms might be detected, one emanating from the leading edge of the plane and one from the trailing edge.
• Sonic booms can shatter glass, but there is generally little risk for people on the ground.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

6) Duty-free quota-free (DFQF) scheme

About the Duty-free quota-free (DFQF) scheme:

• What is it? The decision to provide duty-free quota-free (DFQF) access for LDCs was first taken at the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting in 2005.
• India became the first developing country to extend this facility to LDCs in 2008, providing market access to 85 per cent of India’s total tariff lines.
• The scheme was expanded in 2014, providing preferential market access on about 98.2 per cent of India’s tariff lines to LDCs.

Key facts about World Trade Organisation (WTO)

• It was set up on 1st January 1995 and was born out of the 1986-94 Uruguay Round of Negotiations.
• It is the only global international organisation dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
• It is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
• The main function of the WTO is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.
• It further consists of two principles, the Most-favoured Nation (MFN) principle and the National treatment principle.
• It is a 'member-driven' organisation, with decisions taken by consensus among the member governments.
• Special and differential treatment to LDCs and developing countries in the form of special flexibilities and rights are specified in various WTO agreements and decisions.

Health

7) Foot rot disease

About Foot rot disease:

• It is also known as Bakanae Disease.
• It is a soil and seed-borne deadly fungus which is seen only in the Basmati variety of paddy.
• It is caused by ‘Fusarium verticillioides’ fungi.
• The infected saplings turn pale yellow and become elongated, and later, the saplings start drying and usually die.
• Symptoms sometimes appear after transplantation, and the infected plants first grow way taller than the normal plants and die after a few days.

Key Facts about Basmati Rice

• India is known for its Basmati rice, with the produce from seven States — Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand — earmarked for Geographical Indication.
• It is known for its mouthfeel, aroma, and length of the grain when cooked and tasted, has a market abroad and brings about ₹30,000 crores in foreign exchange every year.

Environment

8) Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary

About Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in the state of Assam.
• It comprises three Reserve forests-Khanapara, Amchang, and South Amchang.
• It stretches from the Brahmaputra River in the north to the hilly forests of Meghalaya in the south, forming a continuous forest belt through Meghalaya's Maradakdola Reserve Forests.
• Flora: Khasi Hill Sal Forests, East Himalayan Mixed Deciduous Forest, Eastern Alluvial Secondary Semi-evergreen Forests and East Himalayan Sal Forests.
• Fauna: Flying fox, Slow loris, Assamese macaque, Rhesus macaque, Hoolock gibbon, Porcupine. White-backed Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture.
• Tree yellow butterflies (gancana harina) are found at the Amchang wildlife sanctuary, which is indigenous to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and northeast India.

Science & Technology

9) Smart Bandage

About Smart Bandage:

• What is it? It is a soft stretchable polymer that helps the bandage maintain contact with and stick to the skin.
• The bioelectronics system consists of biosensors that monitor biomarkers in the wound exudate.
• Data collected by the bandage is passed to a flexible printed circuit board, which relays it wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet for review by a physician.
• A pair of electrodes control drug release from a hydrogel layer as well as stimulate the wound to encourage tissue regrowth.

How does it work?

• Biosensors determine the wound status by tracking the chemical composition of the exudates, which changes as the wound heals.
• Additional sensors monitor the pH and temperature for real-time information about the infection and inflammation.
• A pair of electrodes, the same electrodes that stimulate the tissue, control the release of drugs from a hydrogel layer.
• The wireless nature of the device sidesteps the problems of existing electrical stimulation devices, which usually require bulky equipment and wired connections, limiting their clinical use.

Environment

10) World Environment Day

About World Environment Day:

• It has been observed on the 5th of June every year since 1973 as part of the United Nations Environment Programme to build awareness to save life on planet Earth.
• The event has been led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since its inception in 1973.
• The theme of this year's World Environment Day will focus on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.
• This year’s event is hosted by Côte d'Ivoire in partnership with the Netherlands.

Key facts about United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):

• It is the leading global authority on the environment.
• Mission: To inspire, inform, and enable nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
• It is driving transformational change by drilling down on the root causes of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss and pollution.
• Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.
• Reports published by UNEP: Emission Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, Frontiers, Invest into Healthy Planet.
• It provides secretariat functions for numerous multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and other entities as follows:
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
• Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
• Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol

Geography

1) Lavender Festival

• This is the 2nd year of the lavender revolution. Bhaderwah is hailed as the Lavender capital of India and an Agri StartUp destination.
• Lavender Revolution (also called Purple Revolution) and Aroma Mission is a fragrant flowering plants known for its aromatic purple flowers and soothing scent. It is widely cultivated for its essential oil, which has various uses in aromatherapy, cosmetics, and culinary applications.
• Lavender Revolution Launched in 2016 by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology through the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) Aroma Mission
• The objective is to support the domestic aromatic crop-based agro-economy and promote entrepreneurship
• Products are Lavender oil, lavender water, hydrosol
• Significance is to support the government’s policy of doubling farm incomes, providing livelihoods, promoting entrepreneurship

Aroma Mission:

• CSIR initiative to bring transformative change in the aroma sector, promote the cultivation of aromatic crops, and benefit farmers
• Phase-I and II Phase-I covered 46 districts and trained over 44,000 people; Phase II aims to engage over 45,000 skilled resources and benefit farming families.
• Nodal Agency CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow

Economy

2) Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending

About Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending:

• It is done through a website that connects borrowers and lenders directly.
• Those who want to lend money open an account with a P2P platform as a lender. And those who require a loan register themselves as a borrower.
• It enables individuals to obtain loans directly from other individuals, cutting out the financial institution as the middleman.
• In 2017, the Reserve Bank of India brought this service under its regulatory purview.
• Only an NBFC can register as a P2P lender with the permission of RBI. Every P2P lender should obtain a certificate of registration from the RBI.
• The minimum capital requirement to set up a P2P platform is fixed at Rs. 2 Crores.

Polity & Governance

3) District Legal Services Authority (DLSA)

About District Legal Services Authority:

• It is formed under Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 to provide free legal aid and services to the weaker sections of this society to make sure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen because of economic or other disabilities.
• It is a statutory body organised at the district level to provide effective monitoring of legal aid programmes and their composition.
• Legal Services Authorities are statutory bodies that are formed or constituted in the various states of India by the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Constitutional provision:
• Article 39-A: Deals with the provision of providing free legal services to the citizens of India.
• The provision applies to the citizens if they are unable to bear the expenditure of legal services. It also helps the defendant in a case by appointing a lawyer to act for him in legal aspects.
• Composition of DLSA
• It is a body that shall be constituted by the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• The act provides that a District Authority requires the district judge as its chairman.
• It shall also consist of a number of other members who have the experience and qualifications as prescribed by the State Government.
• The Government may nominate the members possessing such requirements in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• The person to be appointed shall belong to the State Judicial Service not lowers in rank than that of a Subordinate Judge or Civil Judge posted at the seat of the District Judiciary as Secretary of the District Authority.
• The Assistant Commissioner of the concerned District acts as the Member Secretary of the District Authority.
• The officers and other employees of the District Authority are entitled to salary and allowances and shall also be subject to such other conditions of the services as the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, prescribes

Government Initiatives & Schemes

4) Van Dhan Vikas Kendras

About Van Dhan Vikas Kendras:

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) launched the Van Dhan scheme in 2018 to improve tribal income through the value addition of tribal products.
• The Van Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters provide the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras economies of scale, livelihood and market linkages, as well as entrepreneurship opportunities to Tribal forest gatherers.

Key Facts about Mahua Tree

• It is mainly cultivated or harvested in the wild in Southern Asia for its edible flowers and oil seeds.
• It is commonly known as madhūka, madam, mahuwa, Butter Tree, mahua, manhwa, modulo, Iluppai, Mee or vippa chettu.
• It is a frost-resistant species that can grow in marginal areas of dry tropical and subtropical forests up to an altitude of 1200-1800 m.
• It can be found scattered in pastures, in crop fields in central India, and on river banks in semi-evergreen forests.
• It grows well where annual rainfall is between 500 mm to 1500 mm and where temperatures are in the range of 2-46°C.
• It requires loamy or sandy-loam soils with good drainage and also occurs on shallow stony, clayey and calcareous soils.

Education

5) National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2023

In News

• The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) announced the India Rankings 2023 of higher education institutions.
• For the 2023 rankings, 5,543 unique institutions applied for ranking.

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)

• It was accepted by the MoE and launched by the Honourable Minister for Education on 29th September 2015.
• This framework outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country.

• This is the eighth consecutive edition of India Rankings of HEIs in India.

Distinct additions of the 2023 edition

• Introduction of a new subject, namely Agriculture & Allied Sectors
• Integration of the “Innovation” ranking previously executed by the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) into the India Rankings with an aim to reduce the burden on institutions of providing similar data to two different agencies.
• Expansion of scope of “Architecture” to “Architecture and Planning” to include institutions imparting courses in Urban and Town Planning.

Key Highlights of India Rankings 2023

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras retains its 1st position in Overall Category for a fifth consecutive year, i.e. 2019 to 2023, and in Engineering for an eighth consecutive year, i.e. from 2016 to 2023.
• Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, tops the Universities Category for the eighth consecutive year, i.e. from 2016 to 2023.
• It stood first in the Research Institutions Category for the third consecutive year, i.e. from 2021 to 2023.
• IIM Ahmedabad tops in Management subjects retaining its first position for the fourth consecutive year, i.e. from 2020 to 2023. It was ranked among the top two in Management subject of the India Rankings from 2016 to 2019.
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, occupies the top slot in Medical for the sixth consecutive year, i.e. from 2018 to 2023.
• Moreover, AIIMS is ranked in 6th position in the Overall category, thereby improving from its 9th position in 2022.
• National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, tops the ranking in Pharmacy for the first time pushing Jamia Hamdard to the second slot.
• Miranda House retains the 1st position amongst Colleges for the seventh consecutive year, i.e. from 2017 to 2023.
• IIT Roorkee stands at 1st position in Architecture subject for the third consecutive year, i.e. from 2021 to 2023.
• National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, retains its first position in Law for the sixth consecutive year, i.e. from 2018 to 2023
• Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, takes the top slot in Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
• Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur tops in the Innovation category.

Importance of rankings

• Ranking and accreditation are vital for evaluating the quality of educational programs offered by higher education institutions in colleges and universities.
• India Rankings serve as a valuable tool for students in identifying universities based on their relative standing in various categories and subject domains among higher educational institutions (HEIs) in the country.
• It has also helped universities in identifying areas for improvement in teaching, research, resources, and infrastructure.

Science & Technology

6) What is Norovirus?

About Norovirus:

• It is a common and very contagious virus.
• It causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
• It is also sometimes referred to as the ‘stomach flu’ or the ‘winter vomiting bug’.
• People of all ages can get infected and sick with norovirus, which spreads very easily and quickly.
• You can get norovirus illness many times in your life because there are many different types of noroviruses.
• Transmission:
• They commonly spread through food or water that is contaminated during preparation or through contaminated surfaces.
• Noroviruses can also spread through close contact with a person who has norovirus infection.
• Symptoms:
• The initial symptoms of norovirus are vomiting and/or diarrhoea, which show up one or two days after exposure to the virus.
• Patients also feel nauseous and suffer from abdominal pain, fever, headaches and body aches.
• In extreme cases, loss of fluids could lead to dehydration.
• Treatment:
• No vaccines are currently available to prevent norovirus. Treatment for the infection focuses on relieving your symptoms.
• It is important to maintain hydration in the acute phase. In extreme cases, patients have to be administered rehydration fluids intravenously.

Defence & Security

7) What is Exercise Ekatha?

About Exercise Ekatha:

• It is an annual exercise conducted between the navies of India and Maldives.
• Objective: To enhance interoperability in diving and special operations.

Key facts about India-Maldives relation:

• The location of the Maldives, at the intersection of commercial sea lanes running through the Indian Ocean, makes it strategically important for India, particularly in light of China’s growing aggression in the region.
• India was among the first to recognise the Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country.
• India established its mission at the level of CDA in 1972 and resident High Commissioner in 1980.
• The Maldives opened a full-fledged High Commission in New Delhi in November 2004, at that time one of its only four diplomatic missions worldwide.
• India and Maldives signed a trade agreement in 1981, which provides for the export of essential commodities.
• Since 1988, defence and security have been major areas of cooperation between India and Maldives.
• India provides the largest number of training opportunities for the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), meeting around 70 per cent of their defence training requirements.
• In 2016, the two countries also signed a comprehensive action plan to consolidate their defence partnership.
• Exercise Ekuverin: The Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Forces have been conducting Exercise Ekuverin, meaning ‘Friends’ in the Dhivehi language, since 2009.

History & Culture

8) Agra Fort

About Agra Fort:

• Location:
• It is a large 16th-century fortress of red sandstone located on the banks of Yamuna River in the historic city of Agra, west-central Uttar Pradesh.
• It is about 5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal.
• History:
• It was built under the commission of Emperor Akbar in 1565.
• It was only during the reign of Akbar’s grandson, Shah Jahan, that the site took on its current state.
• It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638 when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi.
• The fort was invaded and captured by the Maratha Empire in the early 18th century. Thereafter, it changed hands between the Marathas and their foes many times.
• After their catastrophic defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat by Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1761, Marathas remained out of the region for the next decade. Finally, Mahadji Shinde took the fort in 1785.
• It was lost by the Marathas to the British during the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803.
• The fort was the site of a battle during the Indian rebellion of 1857, which caused the end of the British East India Company’s rule in India, and led to a century of direct rule of India by Britain.

• Features:
• The fort is crescent-shaped, with a long, nearly straight wall facing the Yamuna River on the east side.
• The fort houses a maze of buildings, including vast underground sections.
• The outer wall is surrounded by a wide and deep moat on three sides.
• The Agra Fort has four main gateways- the Khizri Gate, Amar Singh Gate, Delhi Gate and Ghazni Gate.
• Among the major attractions in the fort is Jahāngīr’s Palace (Jahāngīri Mahal), built by Akbar as a private palace for his son Jahāngir.
• The fort complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

Environment

9) Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR)

About Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR):

• Kanha Tiger Reserve, also called Kanha National Park, is the largest national park of Madhya Pradesh.
• Location:
• It is located in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• It is nestled in the Maikal range of Satpuras, the heart of India that forms the central Indian highlands.
• Kanha National Park was created on 1 June 1955, and in 1973 was made the Kanha Tiger Reserve.
• The forest depicted in the famous novel by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book, is thought by some to be based on jungles, including this reserve.
• It is also the first tiger reserve in India to introduce a mascot, "Bhoorsingh the Barasingha officially".
• Flora:
• The lowland forest is a mixture of sal (Shorea robusta) and other mixed forest trees interspersed with meadows.
• The highland forests are tropical moist dry deciduous type and of a completely different nature with bamboo on slopes (Dendrocalamus strictus).
• Fauna:
• The park has a significant population of Royal Bengal Tiger, leopards, the sloth bear and Indian wild dog.

Geography

10) What is Bitumen?

About Bitumen:

· It is a dense, highly viscous, petroleum-based hydrocarbon.

· It is found in deposits such as oil sands and pitch lakes(natural bitumen) or is obtained as a residue of the distillation of crude oil.

· At the temperatures normally encountered in natural deposits, bitumen will not flow. In order to be moved through a pipe, it must be heated and, in some cases, diluted with a lighter oil.

· Bitumen can deform permanently under heavy loads. Continued stress on the material can result in cracking.

· Composition:

o It owes its density and viscosity to its chemical composition—mainly large hydrocarbon molecules known as asphaltenes and resins, which are present in lighter oils but are highly concentrated in bitumen.

o In addition, bitumen frequently has a high content of metals, such as nickel and vanadium, and nonmetallic inorganic elements, such as nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur.

· Uses:

o Bitumen is known for its waterproofing and adhesive properties and is commonly used in the construction industry, notably for roads and highways.

o It is commonly used to waterproof boats and other marine vessels.

o It is also used by companies that create and manufacture roofing products.

o It is used for sealing and insulating purposes in various building materials such as carpet tile backing and paint.

Science & Technology

1) What is Varunastra?

In News

• The Indian Navy test-fired an indigenously designed and developed heavyweight torpedo, Varunastra.
• Varunastra is a ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo and was designed and developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam under the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Features

• Varunastra's maximum speed is 74 kilometres per hour.
• It has long-range with multi-manoeuvring capabilities.
• It has acoustic homing with a wide look angle capable of tracking silent targets.
• Varunastra was inducted by Indian Navy in 2016 and can be fired from all Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing heavy-weight torpedoes in an intense countermeasures environment.

Significance

• The successful engagement of an underwater target by a Made-in-India heavy-weight torpedo is a significant milestone in the Indian Navy's and DRDO’s quest for accurate delivery of ordnance on target in the underwater domain.
• It will replace the older torpedoes on all naval ships that can fire a heavyweight torpedo.

History & Culture

2) Who is Homo Naledi?

About Homo Naledi:

• Homo naledi is a previously-unknown species of extinct hominin.
• Fossils of Homo Naledi were first discovered in the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa during an expedition led by Lee Berger beginning in October 2013.
• This excavation remains the largest collection of a single hominin species that has been found in Africa.
• Where Lived: South Africa
• When Lived: 335,000 - 236,000 years ago
• Height: Approximately 4 ft 9 in (1.44m
• Weight: Estimates range from 88 – 123 lbs (39.7 – 55.8kg).
• Homo naledi appears to have lived near the same time as the early ancestors of modern humans.
• Homo naledi shared some similarities with humans, like walking upright and manipulating objects by hand, but members of the species had smaller heads, a shorter stature, and were thinner and more powerfully built.
• Homo Naledi’s shoulders — which were oriented for better climbing — and teeth shared similarities with earlier hominins like Australopithecus.
• They had human-like hands and feet but a brain a third of the size of humans.
• Anatomic features that H. naledi had in common with other members of Homo include reduced cheek teeth and similar jaws and feet.

Science & Technology

4) What are Defibrillators?

About Defibrillators:

• Defibrillators are devices that send an electric pulse or shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat.
• They are used to prevent or correct an arrhythmia, an uneven heartbeat that is too slow or too fast.
• If the heart suddenly stops, defibrillators can also help it beat again.
• There are three types of defibrillators: AEDs, ICDs, and WCDs.
• Automated External Defibrillators (AED):
• An AED is a lightweight, battery-operated, portable device that checks the heart’s rhythm and sends a shock to the heart to restore normal rhythm.
• The device is used to help people having cardiac arrest.
• Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs):
• ICDs are placed through surgery in the chest or stomach area, where the device can check for arrhythmias.
• Arrhythmias can interrupt the flow of blood from your heart to the rest of your body or cause your heart to stop.
• The ICD sends a shock to restore a normal heart rhythm.
• Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillators (WCDs):
• WCDs have sensors that attach to the skin.
• Wires connect them to a unit that checks your heart’s rhythm and delivers shocks when needed.
• Like an ICD, the WCD can deliver low- and high-energy shocks. The device has a belt attached to a vest that is worn under your clothes.
• Your provider fits the device to your size. It is programmed to detect a specific heart rhythm.

Defence & Security

5) Fattah Missile

About Fattah Missile:

• It is an intermediate-range ballistic missile developed by Iran.
• It can travel at hypersonic speeds of up to 15 times the speed of sound and can penetrate missile defence systems.
• It has a range of 1,400 kilometres and uses solid propellants, allowing high manoeuvrability.
• This missile has the capability to utilize various warheads for different missions.

What are Hypersonic Missiles?

• Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds of at least Mach 5 — five times the speed of sound — and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.
• Unlike conventional ballistic missiles, hypersonic ones fly on a trajectory low in the atmosphere, enabling them to reach their targets more quickly and with less chance of being intercepted by modern air defences.

Environment & Ecology

6) Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park

About the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park:

• Designated as a Biosphere Reserve, the Gulf of Mannar is one of the biologically richest coastal regions in all of the mainland of India.
• It is the first Marine Biosphere Reserve in South and South East Asia.
• Location: It is located 160 km between Dhanushkodi and Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.
• This Marine Biosphere Reserve encompasses a chain of 21 islands (2 islands already submerged) and adjoining coral reefs off the coasts.
• Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, established in 1980, boasts three surreal aquatic ecosystems – mangroves, seagrass, and coral reef.
• Flora:
• The intertidal areas are dominated by mangroves belonging to the Rhizophora, Avicennia, and Bruguiera genus.
• Seagrass is another prolific species; about 12 species exist here.
• About 150 species of seaweeds to are found in the waters. There is one endemic plant, a flowering herb called Pemphis acidula on the parklands.
• Fauna:
• Dugong, an endangered marine mammal, is the main attraction of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.
• It has recorded some 117 species of hard Coral. It is home to different vulnerable whales like humpback whales, blue whales, fin whales, etc.

Economy

7) Price Support Scheme (PSS)

About Price Support Scheme:

• The Government of India is implementing it in the state.
• It is one of the components of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (AASA) scheme.
• Implemented by: The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation implements this scheme for procurement of oil seeds, pulses and cotton through NAFED, which is the Central nodal agency at the MSP declared by the government.
• Main crops covered: Bajra, Jowar, Maize, Paddy, Cotton, Tur, Moong, Urad, Groundnut, Sesamum Wheat, Gram, Mustard, Sugarcane etc.

What are the Benefits?

• Farmers get the benefit of the scheme through the sale of their produce at support price in APMC centres opened by the Nodal procurement agency.
• When prices of commodities fall below the MSP, State and central notified procurement nodal agencies purchase commodities directly from the farmers at MSP, Under specified FAQ (fair Average Quality).
• In this way, prices of the main commodities are procured and protect the farmers against economic loss in farming.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

8) Nyaya Vikas Portal

About Nyaya Vikas Portal:

• This portal helps in empowering stakeholders with seamless access to information about funding, documentation, project monitoring and approval.

Key features of the Nyaya Vikas Scheme

• The Department of Justice has been implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for the Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Districts and Subordinate Judiciary since 1993-94.
• Under the Scheme, central assistance is provided to the State Government / UT Administrations for the construction of court halls and residential units for Judicial Officers / Judges of District and Subordinate Courts.
• The funds sharing pattern under the Scheme for Centre and State is 60:40 in respect of States other than North Eastern and Himalayan States.
• The fund’s sharing pattern is 90:10 in respect of North Eastern and Himalayan States and 100% in respect of Union Territories.
• The portal has been created for monitoring the implementation of this Scheme.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

9) Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra

About Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras:

• These are set up under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, which was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in November 2008.
• Objective: To provide quality medicines at affordable prices for all, particularly the poor, to reduce out-of-pocket expenses in healthcare.
• These Jan Aushadhi Kendras provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy to expensive branded drugs.
• Jan Aushadhi stores also sell allied medical products commonly sold in chemist shops to improve the viability of running the Jan Aushadhi store.
• Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) has been established under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Govt. of India, with the support of all the CPSUs for co-coordinating procurement, supply, and marketing of generic drugs through the PMBKs.
• The incentive amount of Rs.5 lakh will be provided to set up Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra.

Who can open a Jan Aushadhi Kendra?

• State Governments or any organisation / reputed NGOs/ Trusts / Private hospitals / charitable institutions / Doctors / Unemployed pharmacists/ individual entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for the new Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
• The applicants shall have to employ one B Pharma / D Pharma degree holder as Pharmacist in their proposed store.

Economy

10) Securities appellate tribunal

About Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras:

• These are set up under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, which was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in November 2008.
• Objective: To provide quality medicines at affordable prices for all, particularly the poor, to reduce out-of-pocket expenses in healthcare.
• These Jan Aushadhi Kendras provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy to expensive branded drugs.
• Jan Aushadhi stores also sell allied medical products commonly sold in chemist shops to improve the viability of running the Jan Aushadhi store.
• Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) has been established under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Govt. of India, with the support of all the CPSUs for co-coordinating procurement, supply, and marketing of generic drugs through the PMBKs.
• The incentive amount of Rs.5 lakh will be provided to set up Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra.

Who can open a Jan Aushadhi Kendra?

• State Governments or any organisation / reputed NGOs/ Trusts / Private hospitals / charitable institutions / Doctors / Unemployed pharmacists/ individual entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for the new Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
• The applicants shall have to employ one B Pharma / D Pharma degree holder as Pharmacist in their proposed store.

Economy

11) Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI)

Context

About Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI):

• PPIs are instruments that facilitate the purchase of goods and services, conduct of financial services and enable remittance facilities, among others, against the money stored in them.
• PPIs can be issued as cards or wallets.
• There are two types of PPIs – small PPIs and full-KYC (know your customer) PPIs.
• Further, small PPIs are categorized as – PPIs up to Rs.10,000 (with cash loading facility) and PPIs up to Rs.10,000 (with no cash loading facility).
• PPIs can be loaded/reloaded by cash, debit to a bank account, or credit and debit cards.
• The cash loading of PPIs is limited to 50 000 per month, subject to the overall limit of the PPI.

Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) holders are going to get protection for their money against any fraud or unauthorised payment transactions.

Who can issue PPI instruments?

• PPIs can be issued by banks and non-banks after obtaining approval from the RBI.
• As on November 9, 2022, over 58 banks, including Airtel Payments Bank, Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, Jio Payments Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, UCO Bank and Union Bank, have been permitted to issue and operate prepaid payment instruments.

What has the RBI committee recommended?

• The committee mentioned that the RBI had authorised a number of banks and non-banks entities to issue PPIs in the country.
• The money kept in wallets is in the nature of deposits.
• However, currently, the DICGC cover extends only to bank deposits.
• Being deposits with the PPI issuers who are also regulated by the Reserve Bank, extending deposit insurance to the PPI segment needs examination, the RBI-appointed committee recommended.

What is DICGC?

• DICGC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the RBI and provides deposit insurance.
• The deposit insurance system plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the financial system, particularly by assuring the small depositors of the protection of their deposits in the event of a bank failure.
• The deposit insurance extended by DICGC covers all commercial banks, including local area banks (LABs), payments banks (PBs), small finance banks (SFBs), regional rural banks (RRBs) and co-operative banks, that the RBI licenses.
• Role:
• DICGC insures all deposits, such as savings, fixed, current and recurring, including accrued interest.
• Each depositor in a bank is insured up to a maximum of Rs.5 lakh for both principal and interest amounts held by them as of the date of liquidation or failure of a bank.

Government Initiatives & Schemes

1) Antardrishti dashboard

About Antardrishti dashboard:

• It provides the necessary knowledge to evaluate and track the development of financial inclusion by recording relevant data.
• It will also make it possible to assess the degree of financial exclusion at a local level across the nation so that such places may be addressed.

What is Financial Inclusion?

• It aimed to provide access to affordable and appropriate financial products and services, such as savings accounts, credit, insurance, and payment systems.
• The Reserve Bank has been promoting financial inclusion through various policy initiatives.
• To measure the extent of financial inclusion, the central bank constructed the Financial Inclusion (FI) Index in 2021.
• It is based on three dimensions of financial inclusion -- 'Access', 'Usage' and 'Quality'.
• The FI-Index has been conceptualised as a comprehensive index incorporating details of banking, investments, insurance, postal, as well as the pension sector in consultation with the government and respective sectoral regulators.
• The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging between 0 and 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion, and 100 indicates full financial inclusion.

Geography

2) Kakhovka Dam

About Kakhovka Dam:

• It is located on the Dnieper or Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, which was built as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.
• The reservoir also supplies water to the Crimean Peninsula and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
• Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is Europe’s largest and gets its cooling water from the reservoir, which is located on the southern side, now under Russian control.
• It holds water, a volume about equal to the Great Salt Lake in the U.S.

Key facts about the Dnieper

• It is the fourth longest river in Europe.
• It runs a total length of 1,368 miles extending from the uplands of Russia’s Valdai Hills.
• It flows in a southerly direction through western Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine before emptying into the Black Sea.

Health

3) Food Safety Index

About Food Safety Index:

• The Index is an annual assessment released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• It was started in 2018-19 and serves as a tool to propel States and Union Territories to enhance their performance and establish robust food safety ecosystems within their jurisdictions.
• This index is based on the performance of the State/ UT on five significant parameters, namely, Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
• The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
• Ranking of the States and Union Territories in the 2022 -23 Report
• Among the large state category: Kerala is the top-ranking state, followed by Punjab and Tamil Nadu.
• Among the small states category: Goa is the top-ranking state, followed by Manipur and Sikkim in the Small States category.
• Among the Union Territories category: Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, and Delhi

Government Initiatives & Schemes

4) Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR)

About MAHIR:

• The mission aims to quickly identify emerging technologies in the power sector and develop them indigenously, at scale, for deployment within and outside India.
• Funding:
• The Mission will be funded by pooling financial resources of the Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Central Public Sector Enterprises under the two Ministries.
• Additional funding will be mobilized from the Government of India's budgetary resources.
• Duration: The mission is Planned for an initial period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
• Structure of the Mission: The Mission will have a two-tier structure –
• A Technical Scoping Committee: It will be chaired by the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority.
• It will identify ongoing and emerging research areas globally and recommend potential technologies for development under the Mission.
• Apex Committee: It will be chaired by the Union Minister for Power & New and Renewable Energy.
• It will deliberate on the technology and products to be developed and approve the research proposal.
• Areas Identified for Research: Alternatives to Lithium-Ion storage batteries, modifying electric cookers/pans to suit Indian cooking methods, green hydrogen for mobility (High-Efficiency Fuel Cell), Carbon capture etc.

Defence & Security

5) Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA)

About Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA):

• It is a specialized force that has been raised for guerilla/jungle warfare type operations for dealing with Maoist and, therefore, also known as ‘jungle warriors’.
• Personnel for CoBRA are selected from CRPF as CoBRA is an integral part of CRPF.
• They undergo rigorous commando & jungle warfare training before being posted to CoBRA BNs for anti-Naxal operations.
• In all, there are 10 CoBRA Units Raised between 2008-2011. Most of its 10 battalions are deployed for anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, apart from some units tasked for counter-insurgency operations in the northeastern part of the country.

What is the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)?

• It is the premier central police force of the Union of India for internal security.
• It functions under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India.
• History of CRPF:
• Originally constituted as the Crown Representative Police in 1939, it is one of the oldest Central para-military forces (now termed as Central Armed Police Force).
• CRPF was raised as a sequel to the political unrest and the agitations in the then princely States of India following the Madras Resolution of the All-India Congress Committee in 1936 and the ever-growing desire of the Crown Representative to help the vast majority of the native States to preserve law and order as a part of the imperial policy.
• It became the Central Reserve Police Force on the enactment of the CRPF Act on 28th December 1949.
• Duties performed by the CRPF are
• Crowd control, Riot control
• Counter Militancy / Insurgency operations, Dealing with Left Wing Extremism
• Overall coordination of large-scale security arrangements, especially with regard to elections in disturbed areas.
• Protection of VIPs and vital installations.
• Checking environmental degradation and protection of local Flora and Fauna
• Fighting aggression during Wartime
• Participating in UN Peace Keeping Mission

Geography

6) Kilauea Volcano

About Kilauea Volcano:

• It is the youngest and most active Hawaiian shield volcano, located on the southern part of the Island of Hawai'i, known as the Big Island.
• It is near-constantly erupting from vents either on its summit (caldera) or on the rift zones.
• Kilauea has a large summit caldera with a central crater, Halemaumau, which is, according to Hawaiian legends, the home of the fire goddess Pele.
• Until 1924, it contained a lava lake.

What is a Shield Volcano?

• Shield volcanoes are a type of volcano that tend to erupt basalt lava, a type of lava that is very fluid when erupted.
• Although shield volcanoes are the largest volcanoes on Earth, they do not form soaring mountains with conical peaks like composite volcanoes. Instead, they are broad volcanoes with gentle slopes.
• Eruptions at shield volcanoes are only explosive if water somehow gets into the vent, otherwise, they are characterized by low-explosivity fountaining, those forms cinder cones and spatter cones at the vent.
• The Hawaiian shield volcanoes are the most famous examples.

History & Culture

7) What is Bagh Print?

About Bagh Print:

• It is the name of a block printing technique unique to a small village called Bagh in Madhya Pradesh.
• The craft, as well as the village, derive their names from the river ‘Baghini’ that flows through the village.
• It was started by the community of Muslim Khatris (they were converted to Islam under the influence of a Sufi saint) in 1962 when they migrated from Manawar to Bagh.
• Weaving and hand block printing process with the geometric designs, imaginative use of red and black natural colours and taking advantage of the chemical properties of the river and effective use of colours results in Bagh Prints in a unique art form.
• Features:
• In this printing technique, the cloth used is cotton and silk cloth which are subject to the treatment of a blend of corroded iron fillings, alum and Alizarin.
• The designs are patterned by skilled artisans.
• They are created using natural dyes, which are eco-friendly and non-hazardous.
• On completion of the printing process, the printed fabric is subject to repeated washing in the flowing waters of the river and then dried in the sun for a specific period to obtain a fine lustre.

Economy

8) Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

About Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA):

• It is a statutory regulatory body set up under PFRDA Act enacted in 2014.
• Objective: To promote old age income security by establishing, developing, and regulating pension funds and to protect the interests of subscribers to schemes of pension funds and related matters.
• It comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Composition: It consists of a Chairperson and not more than six members, of whom at least three shall be Whole-Time Members, to be appointed by the Central Government.
• Functions:
• Regulate National Pension System (NPS) and other pension schemes to which PFRDA Act applies;
• Establish, develop and regulate pension funds;
• Protect the interest of pension fund subscribers;
• Register and regulate intermediaries;
• Laying down norms for management of corpus of pension funds;
• Establish grievance redressal mechanism for subscribers;
• Settle disputes among intermediaries and also between intermediaries and subscribers;
• Train intermediaries and educate subscribers and the general public with respect to pension, retirement savings, and related issues;
• Call for information, conduct inquiries, investigations, and audit of intermediaries and other entities connected with pension funds;

Key Facts about National Pension System (NPS):

• It is a government-sponsored pension scheme launched in January 2004 for government employees.
• It was opened to all sections in 2009.
• NPS is mandatorily applicable to Central Government employees (except Armed Forces) recruited on or after 01.01.2004.
• Under NPS, a subscriber can regularly contribute to a pension account during her working life, withdraw a part of the corpus in a lumpsum and use the remaining corpus to buy an annuity to secure a regular income after retirement.

Economy

9) What is the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform?

About Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform:

• It is an electronic platform for facilitating the financing/discounting of trade receivables of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through multiple financiers.
• These receivables can be due from corporates and other buyers, including Government Departments and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
• Purpose: To allow MSME sellers to discount invoices raised against major corporations, which helps them manage their working capital demands. The platform enables MSMEs to receive payments more quickly.
• Participants:
• Sellers, buyers, and financiers are the participants on a TReDS platform.
• Only MSMEs can participate as sellers in TReDS.
• Corporates, Government Departments, PSUs, and any other entity can participate as buyers in TReDS.
• Banks, NBFC - Factors, and other financial institutions, as permitted by the RBI, can participate as financiers in TReDS.
• RBI has not made it compulsory for any buyer, seller, or financier to participate in TReDS.
• The Government has made it compulsory for certain segments of companies to mandatorily register as buyers on the TReDS platform(s). The government directive, however, does not make it compulsory for these entities to perform transactions in TReDS.
• How does TReDS work?
• Creation of a Factoring Unit (FU)- standard nomenclature used in TReDS for invoice(s) or bill(s) of exchange - containing details of invoices/bills of exchange.
• Acceptance of the FU by the counterparty- buyer or the seller, as the case may be;
• Bidding by financiers;
• Selection of best bid by the seller or the buyer, as the case may be;
• Payment made by the financier (of the selected bid) to the MSME seller at the agreed rate of financing/discounting;
• Payment by the buyer to the financier on the due date.

What are Trade receivables?

• Trade receivables are defined as the amount owed to a business by its customers following the sale of goods or services on credit.

Environment & Ecology

1) Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

About the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS):

• CMS also referred to as the Bonn Convention, is an environmental treaty under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme.
• It was signed in Bonn, Germany, on 23 June 1979.
• It provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats.
• CMS is the only global and UN-based intergovernmental organisation established exclusively for the conservation and management of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range.
• The parties to the convention acknowledge the importance of conserving migratory species and the need to pay special attention to species whose conservation status is unfavourable.
• Activities by CMS Parties may range from legally binding treaties (called Agreements) to less formal instruments, such as Memoranda of Understanding.
• The Conference of Parties (COP) is the decision-making organ of this convention.
• CMS has two Appendices. These appendices list migratory species to which the Convention applies.
• Appendix I lists endangered migratory species and includes prohibitions regarding the take of these species.
• Appendix II lists species that have an ‘unfavourable conservation status’ (as per the conditions set out in the Convention) and encourages range states to draft range-wide agreements for the conservation and management of these species.
• India and CMS:
• India has been a party to the CMS since 1983.
• India has also signed a non-legally binding MOU with CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008) and Raptors (2016).