Taiwan warns of surge in tensions as Chinese fighter jets cross median line

Taiwan Strait

• Taiwan Strait, also called Formosa Strait, is a 180-kilometre-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia.
• The strait extends from southwest to northeast between the South and East China Seas.
• The narrowest part is 130 km wide.
• It reaches a depth of about 230 feet (70 m) and contains the Pescadores Islands (which are controlled by the government of Taiwan).
• The chief ports are Amoy in mainland China and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
• The median line of the Taiwan Strait:
  • It is the informal dividing line in the Taiwan Strait between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
  • It came about during the Cold War as a way to try and delineate the two opposing sides and reduce the risk of clashes.
  • No agreement or treaty ever solidified its status. But over the decades, it helped keep Taiwan and China''s militaries apart.

Taiwan

• It is an island territory in East Asia, between the East China Sea in the north and the South China Sea in the south.
• The Republic of China (ROC) is the official name of the territory and government of Taiwan.
• Taiwan''s main island is located east off the southeastern coast of the People''s Republic of China, separated by the Taiwan Strait and 370 km (230 mi) north of Luzon Island (Philippines).
• It shares maritime borders with China, Japan and the Philippines.
• Capital: Taipei
• Languages: Spoken languages are Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua; official) and Taiwanese (Taiwanese Hokkien); regional languages are Hakka and Formosan languages.
• Religion: The main religions are Buddhism (35%) and Taoism (33%).

Health Min allocates ₹4,250 cr R&D push in pharma and MedTech for private sector, ₹700 cr for NIPERs

PRIP Scheme

• The objective of the PRIP scheme is to transform the Indian Pharma MedTech sector from cost-based competitiveness to innovation-based growth by strengthening the research infrastructure in the country.
• The aim of the scheme is to promote industry-academia linkage for R&D in priority areas to inculcate a culture of quality research and nurture our pool of scientists.
• Rs 5,000 crore will be spent in five years (2024-28) under the PRIP scheme, and companies will be given incentives for research.
• The six focus areas of the scheme are:
  • new chemical entities, including biological and phytopharmaceuticals;
  • complex generics and biosimilars;
  • precision medicines such as gene therapy and stem cells;
  • medical devices using artificial intelligence and machine learning;
  • orphan drugs;
  • anti-microbial resistance;
• It focuses on two components:
  • Strengthening research infrastructure through Centres of Excellence (CoE) in the seven existing National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs), Institutes of national importance at a tentative cost of Rs. 700 crore over a period of five years.
  • Government engagement with nine established pharmaceutical companies with an outlay of Rs. 125 crores over five years, an aid of Rs. 100 crores to 30 research projects on high-potential products and funding to 125 research projects among startups.
• An Empowered Committee under the chairmanship of CEO, NITI Aayog, with the secretary-level representation of Pharmaceuticals, Health, ICMR, DBT, CSIR, AYUSH and DST, will provide guidance for the implementation of this ambitious scheme by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Prehistoric bird declared extinct decades ago makes return to the forests of New Zealand

Takahe Bird

• It is hailed as one of the world’s rarest creatures native to New Zealand.
• They have been an intrinsic part of New Zealand''s ecosystem since the prehistoric Pleistocene era, as evidenced by fossil remains.
• Their population nosedived during the late 1800s when European settlers came along with their animal companions— stoats, cats, ferrets and rats.
• The birds had been formally declared extinct in 1898. It was rediscovered in 1948 in several remote valleys on New Zealand’s South Island, and their numbers have been steadily growing since then.
• Features:
  • They are large, stout birds with vibrant plumage.
  • They have predominantly blue feathers on their bodies, green wings, and a large red beak.
  • Their legs are pink, and they have a white undertail.
  • Size: They grow up to the size of a large hen and can weigh as much as 3kg.
  • Breeding: They breed only once a year, raising one to two chicks.
  • Lifespan: They live up to 18 years in the wild and 22 years in sanctuaries.
  • Diet: They live on a high-fibre diet of starchy leaves and seeds.

Centre approves Startup Guidelines dedicated to Technical

GREAT Scheme

• Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) Scheme focuses on supporting individuals and companies to translate prototypes to technologies & products, including commercialisation.
• Aim: To provide much-needed impetus for the development of the technical textiles startup ecosystem in India, especially in niche sub-segments such as bio-degradable and sustainable textiles, high-performance and speciality fibres, and smart textiles.
• Funding:
  • Under this scheme, a grant-in-aid of up to Rs 50 lakh for up to a period of 18 months will be provided.
  • The textile ministry will additionally provide 10 per cent of the total grant-in-aid to incubators.
  • Only a minimum of 10 per cent contribution has to be made by the incubatee.
• All of this is being done by incubators like IITs, NITs, Textiles Research Associations, and Centres of Excellence.
• The textiles ministry has also given a nod to 26 institutes for upgrading their laboratory infrastructure and training of trainers in the application areas of technical textiles.
• The scheme will be commensurate with the National Technical Textiles Mission.

National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM)

• It was launched to increase the penetration level of technical textiles in India while leveraging the extraordinary growth rate of the sector.
• The mission aims to position India as a global leader in Technical Textiles.
• The mission will comprise the following four components:
  • Research, Innovation and Development
  • Promotion and Market Development
  • Export Promotion
  • Education, Training, Skill Development
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Textiles
• Implementation: It has been approved with an implementation period of four years , starting from FY 2020-21 till FY 2023-24.

Army signs deals for 130 tethered drones and 19 tank driving simulators

Tethered Drone

• A tethered drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to the ground.
• It consists of a base station on the ground and the drone, which is connected to the station through the tether (cable).
• This tether provides power and data communication to the drone, allowing it to operate for extended periods without the limitations of a finite onboard battery.
• The drone can be operated remotely to perform specific tasks.
• Advantages:
  • Tethered UAVs are perfect for data capture and telemetry due to the reliability of tethered connections.
  • They dramatically reduce technical and human error crashes in flight.
  • They provide a secure line of communication between the ground station and the aircraft.
  • The physical connection to the ground makes tethered drones less vulnerable to interference or hacking compared to wireless drones.
  • It also does not require GPS navigation.
  • Many tethered drones have longer flight times compared to free-flying, battery-operated drones.
  • Due to the restricted movement of a tethered drone, the operator does not need piloting skills and can mainly focus on their tasks.

NASA to demonstrate laser communications from space station

ILLUMA-T

• It is approximately the size of a standard refrigerator.
• It will be secured to an external module on the International Space Station to conduct its demonstration with Laser Communications Relay Demonstration LCRD.
• The ILLUMA-T, along with the LCRD (Launched in December 2021), will complete NASA’s first two-way, end-to-end laser relay system.
• Once ILLUMA-T is on the space station, the terminal will send high-resolution data, including pictures and videos, to LCRD at a rate of 1.2 gigabits per second.
• It is scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s 29th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA.
• After its launch, ILLUMA-T will be installed on the station’s Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility (JEM-EF).

Benefits

• Laser communications enable missions to transmit more data in a single transmission.
• More science and exploration data from space allow NASA to make more discoveries about our planet, microgravity, and the human spaceflight experience.
• Laser communications systems provide numerous benefits to missions, including improved size, weight, and power requirements over comparable radio systems.
• A smaller size increases the capacity of the spacecraft for other science instruments.
• Less weight enables cost savings. Less power drain also means longer-lasting batteries.

Scientists Discover 7 “Cryptic” New Species of Walking Leaves

Walking Leaves

• Walking Leaves, also called leaf insects, are insects that look very similar to leaves.
• They are any of more than 50 species of flat, usually green insects (order Phasmida or Phasmatodea) that are known for their striking leaflike appearance.
• They feed on plants and typically inhabit densely vegetated areas.
• Distribution: Their natural range extends from islands in the Indian Ocean, across parts of mainland South Asia and Southeast Asia, to Papua New Guinea and Australia in the western Pacific.
• Features:
  • They measure roughly 28 to 100 mm (1.1 to 3.9 inches) in body length.
  • Males tend to be smaller than females.
  • They are mostly brown or green, some slightly speckled or have serrated edges like nibbled leaves.
  • Movement: They sway and rock back and forth, imitating the motion of leaves in the breeze.
  • Female walking leaves cannot fly. Males can fly short distances thanks to their well-developed hind wings.
  • The arms and legs of walking leaves can regenerate.
  • Reproduction: These insects reproduce sexually, with females laying eggs. The eggs often resemble seeds or plant structures, adding to their camouflage.

World''s first prototype of the BS 6 Stage II ''Electrified Flex

Electrified Flex fuel vehicle

• It is the World’s first BS-6 Stage-II Electrified Flex fuel vehicle.
• An Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle has both a Flexi Fuel engine and an electric powertrain.

How Do Flexible Fuel Cars Work Using Ethanol

• Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) have an internal combustion engine and are capable of operating on gasoline and any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to 83%.
• In flex fuels, the ratio of ethanol to petrol can be adjusted, but the most commonly used flex fuel uses 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol.
• Bio-ethanol contains less energy per litre than petrol, but the calorific value (energy contained in the fuel) of bio-ethanol will become on par with petrol with the use of advanced technology.
• Since an FFV is capable of running on either petrol or ethanol, it will be the first of its kind 100 per cent dual fuel vehicle to be running on Indian roads.
• Flex fuel engines are already popular in Brazil, the United States, the European Union and China, among many others.

Ethanol

• Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol or alcohol) is a biofuel with the chemical formula C2H5OH.
• It is a by-product of the sugar production process and can be an excellent substitute for petrol as a fuel mix.
• Ethanol is more affordable than petrol, as it can be produced domestically from crops, unlike crude oil, which needs to be imported.
• It is a complex derivative of biomass left by agricultural feedstocks such as corn, sugarcane, hemp (bhang), potato, and rice, among many other things.
• Using ethanol-blended fuel can help reduce our carbon footprint and create a cleaner, healthier environment for future generations.
• Ethanol-blended petrol has significantly reduced emissions of harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides.
• India is the fifth largest manufacturer of ethanol, following the US, Brazil, the European Union and China.

Chandrayaan-3 probe shows 50°C difference between moon’s surface and 10 cm below

ChaSTE Probe

• The Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) is a temperature probe.
• It can be driven into the moon’s surface using a motor to a depth of up to 10 cm. It has 10 sensors.
• It measured the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the South Pole to understand its thermal behaviour.
• It was developed by the Space Physics Laboratory of ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), together with the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.
• Its findings reflect this variation between the moon’s surface, which is covered by a patina of loose rocks and dust called the lunar regolith and 10 cm under it.
• Its data show that at the moon’s surface (where the lander is located, a point between the craters Manzinus C and Simpelius N), the temperature is 40-50 degrees But just under 80 mm under, it plunges to around -10 degrees C.
• Significance of the findings
  • The temperature variation indicates that the moon’s topsoil is a powerful thermal insulator, in keeping with previous findings.
  • It adds credence to the idea that it can be used to build habitats for humans to shield them from frigid conditions and harmful radiation.