PM Modi inaugurates Dayanand Saraswati''s 200th birth anniversary celebrations

• Swami Dayanand Saraswati was a philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of Vedic dharma.
• He established the Arya Samaj on April 7, 1875, in Bombay -- with 10 principles that are beautifully based purely on God, soul and nature.
• This organisation brought about immense changes in the religious perceptions of Indians.
• He was the first to give the call for Swaraj as "India for Indian" in 1876.
• He preached ''Universalism'', and not any specific caste.
• He introduced a complete overhaul of the education system and is often considered one of the visionaries of modern India.
• The Dayanand Anglo Vedic schools came into existence in 1886 to realize the vision of Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
• The first DAV School was established in Lahore with Mahatma Hansarjas the headmaster.
• One of his most influential works is the book Satyarth Prakash, which contributed to the Indian independence movement.
• His followers included Sri Aurobindo and S. Radhakrishnan.

Something funky just happened near the sun''s north pole

• Large, loop-like structures on the edge of the solar disk sometimes stand out brightly against the dark background of space. These enormous structures are called solar prominences.

• Prominences are anchored to the Sun''s surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun''s hot outer atmosphere, called the corona.

• They are much cooler and denser than the surrounding plasma in the Sun''s corona.

• Prominences are shaped by the Sun''s complex magnetic field, often forming loops with each end anchored to the Sun''s surface.

• Prominences are enormous, extending out for many thousands of kilometers.

• They can last for several days or up to several months.

• Some prominences erupt and break apart, giving rise to coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

  

Solar Filaments

• Sometimes prominences are observed against the bright background of the Sun itself, instead of at the edge of the Sun''s disk.
• These prominences appear dark compared to the bright background of the Sun and are called solar filaments.

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

• CMEs are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona that propagates outward into interplanetary space.
• The blast of a CME carries about a billion tons of material out from the Sun at very high speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second.
• They can cause geomagnetic storms on Earth that can have significant impact on both ground- and space-based technological systems.

Shri Pralhad Joshi to Address Central Geological Programming Board Meeting in Delhi

• It was set up in 1851 primarily to find coal deposits for the Railways.
• Over the years, it has grown into a repository of geo-science information required in various fields in the country.
• GSI’s chief role includes providing objective, impartial and up-to-date geological expertise and geoscientific information of all kinds, with a focus on policy-making decisions, and commercial and socio-economic needs.
• It also emphasises systematic documentation of all geological processes**, both surface and subsurface**, of India and its offshore areas.
• The organisation carries out this work through geological, geophysical, & geochemical surveys using the latest and most cost-effective techniques and methodologies.
• The main functions of the GSI relate to the creation and updation of national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment.
• It is headquartered in Kolkataand has six regional offices located at Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata. Every state has a state unit.
• Presently, GSI is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines.

PM expresses happiness over renovation of Shree Saptakoteshwar Devasthan

• The original Saptakoteshwar Temple was built around the twelfth century by the Kadamba dynasty in Narve on Divar Island.
• The main deity of this temple is
• There is a small entrance marked with bells, while the main five pillared halls are decorated with arches.
• Intricate designs adorn the ceiling while the sanctorum wall is composed of plain wood.
• The mandapa of the temple is built in a distinctly European style. Laterite and stone caves surround the temple.
• Maratha King Shivaji ordered the rebuilding of the Saptakoteshwar temple and the installation of the linga in its proper location. This order is still mentioned on a stone plaque near the temple''s entrance.

Minister for Communications recently inaugurated AMRITPEX 2023 in New Delhi.

• It is a National Philatelic Exhibition organised by the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications.
• Stakeholders of AMRITPEX 2023: Ministry of Culture, Government of India and Philatelic Congress of India.
• Objective: National Philately Exhibition aims to introduce the new generation of Philately. This exhibition will include India''s History, Culture, Art and Heritage through stamps.
• This exhibition will also include digital exhibits.
• Some of the attractions are the Wall of Philately, Mascot - VR Rooms, and Digital Charkha. Digital Kiosks – digital postcard, quiz and design are also a highlight.
• Themes of AMRITPEX 2023: Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Women Power, Youth Power, Nature and Wildlife and Culture and History.

G-20 tourists can use UPI at select Indian airports

• According to the RBI, banks and non-banks authorised to issue prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) can issue rupee-denominated full-KYC PPIs to foreign nationals and NRIs visiting India.

prepaid payment instruments (PPIs)

• What is it? PPIs are instruments that facilitate the purchase of goods and services, including financial services, remittance facilities, etc., against the value stored on such instruments.
  • **Examples:**Prepaid instruments can be issued as smart cards, magnetic stripe cards, internet accounts, internet wallets, mobile accounts, mobile wallets, paper vouchers and any of the instruments used to access the prepaid amount.
• PPIs that can be issued in India are classified as.
  • **Closed System PPIs:**These PPIs are issued by an entity for facilitating the purchase of goods and services from that entity only and do not permit cash withdrawal. The operation of such instruments doesn’t require approval by the RBI.
  • Semi-closed System PPIs: These PPIs are issued by banks (approved by RBI) and non-banks (authorized by RBI) for the purchase of goods and services at merchant locations which have a specific contract with the issuer to accept the PPIs as payment instruments.
  • Open System PPIs:These PPIs are issued only by banks (approved by RBI) and are used at any merchant for the purchase of goods and services. Cash withdrawal at ATMs / Point of Sale (PoS) terminals / Business Correspondents (BCs) is also allowed through such PPIs.

PM Modi Opens Mega Expressway In Rajasthan Ahead Of Elections

• It will be India’s longest expressway with a length of 1,386 km.
• This expressway will reduce the travel distance between Delhi and Mumbai by 12 percent from 1,424 km to 1,242 km.
• Travel time between Delhi Mumbai will be reduced from 24 hours to 12 hours.
• It is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 98,000 crore by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
• The expressway will pass through six states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra and connect major cities like Kota, Indore, Jaipur, Bhopal, Vadodara and Surat.
• Features:
• It is an 8-lane access-controlled Greenfield Expressway with scope for future expansion upto 12-lane
• It is the first expressway in Asia and only the second in the world to feature animal overpasses to facilitate unrestricted movement of wildlife.
• It is the first expressway that is developed with a 21-meter median on principles of forgiving highways allowing inward expansion.
• The expressway facilitates Rain Water Harvesting in 500m interval at over 2,000 plus water recharge points.
• It will also have an automated traffic management system.

Govt integrates Bhasini Mission''s capabilities with UPI ecosystem

• It is a local language translation mission that aims to break the barrier between various Indian tongues by using available technology.
• BHASHINI4 aims to build a National Public Digital Platform for languages.
• This government platform aims to make Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP) resources available in the public domain to be used by -- Indian MSMEs, startups an and individual innovators.
• This will help developers to offer all Indians easy access to the internet and digital services in their native languages.
• This online platform also has a separate ‘Bhasadaan’ section which allows individuals to contribute to multiple crowdsourcing initiatives and it is also accessible via respective Android and iOS apps.

UPI 123 Pay

• It is an instant payment system which will allow users to make UPI transactions without an internet connection.
• It was launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
• Transactions through UPI 123Pay can be done through IVR (interactive voice response) based payment solution, missed call, sound-based technology, and payment app.

India lends help as earthquake shakes Turkey, Syria to the core: What is Operation Dost?

• It is an ongoing search and rescue mission initiated by the Government of India to help Syria and Turkey, after they witnessed a massive earthquake that left thousands dead, injured and trapped under the rubble.
• Under operation dost**, India has sent search and rescue teams**, mainly teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), materials, medicines, medical equipment and consumables to Turkey and Syria.
• The NDRF teams comprise dog squad, medicines, blankets, four wheelers.
• The Indian Army''s team of medical specialists is providing relief to the injured at a field hospital set up in Turkey''s Hatay. The hospital is running with medical, surgical and emergency wards.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):

• It is India''s specialized force for responding to natural disasters and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense (CBRN) emergencies.
• The force was constituted under the Disaster Management Act of 2005.
• NDRF is a force of 12 battalions, organised on para-military lines, and manned by persons on deputation from the para-military forces of India:

Study finds alarming levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in Norwegian Arctic ice, may affect wildlife

• PFAS (Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances), also known as the Forever Chemicals, are a large chemical family of over 4,700 highly persistent man-made chemicals.
• They are the most persistent synthetic chemicals to date.
• These were first developed in the 1940s and are now found in a variety of products, including nonstick pans, water-resistant textiles and fire suppression foams.
• PFAS don’t easily degrade in the environment and are very mobile in water.
• PFAS’ indestructability comes from their carbon-flouride bonds, one of the strongest types of bonds in organic chemistry.
• Over time, these pollutants have accumulated in the environment, entering the air, soil, groundwater and lakes and rivers as a result of industrial processes and from leaching through landfills.
• PFAS have been found in the environment all around the world, even in the most remote areas such as the Arctic. They have also been detected in the blood and breastmilk of people and wildlife globally.
• Chronic exposure to even low levels of PFAS has been linked to liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, low birth weights and several kinds of cancer.