RAMBHA aboard Vikram completes first in-situ measurements of lunar plasma over the moon

ISRO said that another instrument on board the Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyan has confirmed the presence of Sulphur (S) in the south polar region. On August 28, the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument aboard Pragyan confirmed the presence of sulphur in the region unambiguously.

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)

• This instrument has made the first-ever in-situ measurements of the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the South Pole.
• How does this work?
  • It is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses.
  • A high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as a rock or soil.
  • The laser pulse generates extremely hot and localised plasma.
  • The collected plasma light is spectrally resolved and detected by detectors such as Charge Coupled Devices.
  • Since each element emits a characteristic set of wavelengths of light when it''s in a plasma state, the elemental composition of the material is determined.
• Key findings: Preliminary analyses, graphically represented, have unveiled the presence of Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface. Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O).
• The evidence of the presence of Sulphur can reveal insights into the formation and evolution of the Moon.
• Sulphur usually originates from volcanic activities, and its presence on the Moon can offer indications about the Moon’s history and composition.
• LIBS payload is developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS)/ISRO, Bengaluru.

CE-20 cryogenic rocket engine tested successfully

As the ISRO is to use CE – 20 cryogenic engine in its ‘Mission Gaganyaan’ for sending man to space in 2024 and bringing the astronauts back to earth after remaining for three days at an orbit of 400 km, the engine is undergoing a range of tests.

CE-20 cryogenic engine

• It has been designed and developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), a subsidiary of ISRO.
• It will power the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the LVM3launch vehicle.
• ISRO will use it for its ‘Mission Gaganyaan’ for sending man to space in 2024.
• It is the first Indian cryogenic engine to feature a gas-generator cycle.
• It is one of the most powerful upper-stage cryogenic engines in the world.
• This engine develops a nominal thrust of 186.36 kN in vacuum.

Cryogenic stage

• The cryogenic stage is technically a very complex system due to its use of propellants at extremely low temperatures and the associated thermal and structural problems.
• It uses liquid fuels (Oxygen liquifies at -183 deg C and Hydrogen at -253 deg C) that are cooled to very low temperatures.
• A Cryogenic rocket stage is more efficient and provides more thrust for every kilogram of propellant it burns compared to solid and earth-storable liquid propellant rocket stages.

172 incidents of seizures of red sand boa recorded from 2016 to 2021: WCS-India report

Red Sand Boa

• Red Sand Boa (Eryx johnii) is a species in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae.
• It is commonly called the Indian Sand Boa is a non-venomous species found throughout the dry parts of the Indian subcontinent.
• It is ovoviviparous and nocturnal and spends the majority of its time under the ground.
• Distribution: The species is endemic to Iran, Pakistan, and India.
• Appearance:
  • It is a primarily reddish-brown and thick-set snake that grows to an average length of 75 cm.
  • Unlike most snakes, the tail is almost as thick as the body and gives the reptile the appearance of being "double-headed".
• Ecologically importance
  • Like other snake species, the Red Sand Boa also plays a significant role in the ecosystem by maintaining a healthy population between prey and predator.
  • It feeds on rodents, lizards, and even other snakes.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN: Near Threatened
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule IV
  • CITES: Appendix II

Cyclone frequency may rise over Indian coast from the warming of Pacific: study

• The number of such equatorial-origin cyclones was 43% fewer in 1981-2010 compared with 1951-1980, and this was because the PDO was in a  ‘warmer’ or positive phase.
• A warming of the Central Equatorial Pacific, called an El Nino, frequently corresponds to reduced rainfall over India whereas cooler-than-normal temperatures, or a La Nina, is linked to excessive rainfall. This pattern collectively called the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, repeats in the Pacific over two-seven years.
• However, the PDO isn’t an annual occurrence and, on average, corresponds to a warmer than average Western Pacific Ocean and relatively cooler Eastern Pacific, though this plays out over much longer time scales.
• However, unlike an ENSO, whose stage can be determined any year, a ‘positive’ or ‘warmer phase’ of a PDO can be known only after several years of measuring ocean temperatures and their interaction with the atmosphere.

Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)

• It is a long-term ocean fluctuation in the Pacific Ocean.
• The term PDO was coined in about 1996 by Steven Hare at the University of Washington.
• It can be known only after several years of measuring ocean temperatures and their interaction with the atmosphere.
• The PDO waxes and wanes approximately every 20 to 30 years.
• From ocean surface topography data, together with other ocean and atmospheric data, scientists can determine whether we are in a ‘cool’ phase or a ‘warm’ phase.
  • Cool phase: It is characterised by a cool wedge of lower-than-normal sea-surface heights/ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific and a warm horseshoe pattern of higher-than-normal sea-surface heights connecting the north, west and southern Pacific.
  • Warm'' or ''positive'' phase: In this, the west Pacific Ocean becomes cool, and the wedge in the east warms.

How does this affect climate?

• The change in location of the cold and warm water masses alters the path of the jet stream.
• The jet stream in the northern hemisphere delivers storms across the United States.

Soldiers in Gabon say they’ve seized power and appointed the republican guard chief as head of state

Gabon

• The Republic of Gabon is located at the Equator in West-Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
• Bordering countries: It is bordered by Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon to the north and the Republic of the Congo to the east and south.
• A former French colony, Gabon retains strong ties to France and to the French language and culture.
• Independence: Gabon gained independence from France on August 17, 1960.
• Government: It is a presidential republic where the president is both the head of state and the head of government of the country.
• Capital: Libreville
• Language: Spoken languages are French (official) and a variety of Bantu languages.
• Currency: The currency of Gabon is the Central African CFA franc (XAF), a currency used by five other African nations.
• Religion:
  • A large majority of Gabon’s population is Christian.
  • A small segment of the country’s population is Muslim.
  • Adherents of traditional religions also account for a small segment of the population.
• Climate: It has an equatorial climate, with year-round high temperatures and humidity.
• Gabon''s largest river is the Ogooué.
• About three-fourths of the country is covered by a dense equatorial rainforest containing more than 3,000 species of vegetation.
• It is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Indian Navy''s warship Mahendragiri launched in Mumbai

Mahendragiri Frigate

• It is the seventh and last stealth frigate of Project 17A Frigates.
• It is named after a mountain peak in Eastern Ghats located in Odisha.
• The ship is being built by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.

Project 17A

• The project was launched by the defence forces of India to construct a series of stealth guided-missile frigates.
• Under the Project 17A programme, four ships by Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and three by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) are being built.
• These warships follow the Project 17 Class Frigates (Shivalik Class) and boast enhanced stealth features, advanced weapons, sensors, and platform management systems.
• Project 17A ships have been designed in-house by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau WDB.
• As much as75% of the orders for equipment and systems of Project 17A ships are from indigenous firms, including MSMEs.
• The first six ships of the project have been launched so far by MDL & GRSE between 2019-2023.

Focus on digital capability upgrade, FM Sitharaman tells rural banks

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday emphasised regional rural banks (RRBs) to upgrade their digital capability and increase penetration under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana. A senior finance ministry official said that all sponsor banks have initiated steps for the introduction of customer-oriented banking services in RRBs.

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)

• RRBs are government-owned scheduled commercial banks of India that operate at the regional level in different states of India.
• They serve the country’s rural areas and provide them with basic banking and other financial-related services.
• Origin:
  • The Narasimham Committee on Rural Credit (1975) recommended the establishment of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
  • The establishment of RRBs finds its route in the ordinance passed on 26th September 1975 and the RRB Act 1976.
  • Prathama Grameen Bank was the first RRB bank and was established on 2nd October 1975.
• Functions:
  • To provide basic banking facilities to rural and semi-urban areas.
  • To effect some governmental functions, such as the disbursal of wages under the MGNREGA policy.
  • To provide other bank-related facilities such as locker facility, internet banking, mobile banking, debit and credit cards, etc.
  • Grant credit facilities to people in rural areas, such as small farmers, artisans, small entrepreneurs, etc.
  • To accept deposits from people.
• Regulation: Regional Rural Banks are regulated by RBI and supervised by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
• Ownership: RRBs are jointly owned by the Government of India (GOI), the Sponsor Bank and the concerned State Government with share proportions of 50%, 35% & 15%, respectively.
• Management: The Board of Directors manages these banks, overall affairs, which consists of one Chairman, three Directors as nominated by the Central Government, a maximum of two Directors as nominated by the concerned State Government, and a maximum of three Directors as nominated by the sponsor bank.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMJDY)

• It is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, launched on 8th April 2015.
• It is a Financial Inclusion (FI) programme in the country based on three pillars - Banking the Unbanked, Securing the Unsecured and Funding the Unfunded.
• Types of loans:
  • Shishu - Covering loans up to Rs 50,000;
  • Kishor - Covering loans above Rs 50,000 and up to Rs 5 lakh;
  • Tarun - Covering loans above Rs 5 lakh and up to Rs 10 lakh.
• Eligibility:
  • Any Indian Citizen with a business plan for a non-farm sector income-generating activities such as manufacturing, processing, trading or service sector.
  • They can avail from all Public Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks, Private Sector Banks, Foreign Banks, Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) and Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) up to Rs 10 lakhs Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA) loans under PMMY.

Invasive alien species in focus at 10th plenary of IPBES

Invasive alien species are a key driver of biodiversity loss and they are part of the targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) adopted by 193 members of the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022. The GBF has 23 targets that have to be met by 2030.

The aim is to prevent and reduce the rate of introduction and establishment of invasive alien species by at least 50 per cent by 2030.

IPBES

• It is an independent intergovernmental body established in 2012.
• It provides policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the state of knowledge regarding the planet’s biodiversity, ecosystems and the benefits they provide to people, as well as the tools and methods to protect and sustainably use these vital natural assets.
• This independent body was inspired by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
• It is not a United Nations body. However, at the request of the IPBES Plenary and with the authorisation of the UNEP Governing Council in 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides secretariat services to IPBES.
• India is a member country of this organisation.
• Organisation’s structure
  • Plenary: The governing body of IPBES – made up of the representatives of IPBES member States – usually meets once per year.
  • Observers: Any State not yet a member of IPBES; the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other biodiversity-related conventions; related UN bodies; as well as many other relevant organisations and agencies.
  • Bureau: Comprising the IPBES Chair, four Vice-Chairs and five additional officers who oversee the administrative functions of IPBES.
  • Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP): Five expert participants from each of the five UN regions overseeing all IPBES scientific and technical functions.
  • Stakeholders: All contributors to and end-users of the IPBES outputs.
  • Expert Groups & Taskforces: Selected scientists and knowledge holders carrying out the IPBES assessments and other deliverables.
  • Secretariat (Includes Technical Support Units): Ensures the efficient functioning of IPBES through support to the Plenary, Bureau and MEP, as well as implementing the Platform’s work and administrative functions.

Formal implementation of multi-million US Dollar MCC pact begins in Nepal

Millennium Challenge Corporation

• MCC is an independent S. foreign assistance agency that has the goal of reducing poverty in developing countries.
• It was created by the S. Congress in 2004 to promote economic growth, open markets, and increased living standards in select countries.
• How does it work?
  • MCC forms partnerships with countries that are committed to good governance, economic freedom and investing in their citizens.
  • MCC provides selected countries with large-scale grants to fund projects for reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth.
  • These projects include building infrastructure, reforming institutions, and promoting access to healthcare and education.
  • MCC grants may complement other U.S. and international development programs.
• MCC utilises two primary types of grants: compacts and threshold programs.
  • Compacts are large, 5-year grants for countries that pass MCC’s eligibility criteria.
  • Threshold Programs are smaller grants awarded to countries that come close to passing these criteria and are committed to improving their policy performance.
• Governing Body: The U.S. Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the U.S. Trade Representative, and the USAID Administrator serve on the MCC board along with four private sector representatives.

First Visuals Of Indian Army’s Polish Warmate Suicide Drones During Trials In Ladakh

Warmate

• It is a micro loitering munition developed by Polish company WB Electronics.
• It is a combat mini UAV that provides a highly targeted strike capability.
• It is a multi-role system performing multiple tasks depending on the type of head installed.
• Features:
  • It has a take-off weight of 4kg.
  • Speed and Range: It can fly at a maximum velocity of 150km/h and can operate over a line of sight (LOS) range of 10km.
  • Endurance: It has the ability to stay in the air for up to 30 minutes.
  • Altitude:
    • Its maximum flying altitudes are 500m above ground level (AGL) and 3,000m above mean sea level (AMSL).
    • The operating altitudes of the UAV vary from 30m to 200m above the ground level (AGL).
  • It can be operated from military vehicle platforms such as infantry or armoured personnel carriers.
  • It can carry a variety of warheads, including high-explosive, anti-tank, and thermobaric.
  • It is equipped with a variety of sensors, including a day/night camera and a laser target designator.

Loitering munition

• It is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is designed to self-destruct after serving its purpose.
• The name “loitering” derives from a defining characteristic: the ability to “loiter” in the air for an extended period of time before striking, giving the targeted time to decide when and what to strike.