Century-old mystery behind Antarctica''s Blood Falls finally SOLVED

Taylor Glacier

• It was first discovered in 1911 by a British expedition to the continent.
• The crimson drool is known as Blood Falls.
• The red waterfall is located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys region of Antarctica.
• Scientists analysed the contents using powerful electron microscopes and revealed that there were little nanospheres and they were iron-rich.
• The minuscule particles come from ancient microbes and are a hundredth of the size of human red blood cells.
• They are highly abundant in the meltwaters of Taylor Glacier, which was named after the British scientist Thomas Griffith Taylor who first noticed the Blood Falls on the 1910 to 1913 expedition.
• Along with iron, the nanospheres also contain silicon, calcium, aluminium, and sodium.

Antarctica

• It is the world’s southernmost and fifth largest continent. Its landmass is almost wholly covered by a vast ice sheet.
• It has an extremely cold, dry climate. Winter temperatures along Antarctica’s coast generally range from -10° to -30°C (14° to -22°F).
• Lichens, mosses, and terrestrial algaeare among the few species of vegetation that grow in Antarctica.
• The islands of the Antarctic region are: South Orkney Islands, South Shetland Islands, South Georgia

Atal Innovation Mission launches ‘ATL Industry Visit’ in collaboration with Bayer

Atal Innovation Mission

• It is the Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country and was set up in 2016.
• Objective: To create and promote an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country at school, university, research institutions, MSME and industry levels.
• All the initiatives of AIM are currently monitored and managed systematically using real-time MIS systems and dynamic dashboards.
• Implementing Agency: NITI Aayog
• AIM has multiple programs to encourage and support innovation in the country.
• Some of the components of AIM: Atal Tinkering Labs, Atal Incubation Centres, Atal New India Challenge, Mentor of Change Program, Atal Community Innovation Centre and Atal Research & Innovation for Small Enterprises (ARISE)

Atal Tinkering Labs

• **Atal Tinkering Labs:**These are state-of-the-art space established in a school with a goal to foster curiosity and innovation in young minds, between grade 6th to 12th across the country through tools and technologies such as Internet of Things, 3D printing, rapid prototyping tools, robotics etc.

Performance Grading Index: Punjab, Chandigarh best performers in school education, says Union edu ministry report

Performance Grading Index

• It was first released for the year 2017-18 and so far it has been released up to the year 2020-21.
• It assesses the performance of school education system at the State/UT level by creating an index for comprehensive analysis.
• Aim of PGI 2.0: To propel States & UTs towards undertaking multi-pronged interventions that will bring about the much-desired optimal education outcomes covering all dimensions.
• The PGI 2.0 structure comprises of 1000 points across 73 indicators grouped into 2 categories viz., Outcomes, Governance Management (GM).
• These categories are further divided into 6 domains,, Learning Outcomes (LO), Access (A), Infrastructure & Facilities (IF), Equity (E), Governance Process (GP) & Teachers Education and Training (TE&T).
• PGI 2.0 for 2021-22 classified the States/UTs into ten grades viz., highest achievable Grade is Daksh, which is for State/UT scoring more than 940 points out of total of 1000 points.
• The lowest grade is Akanshi-3 which is for score up to 460.
• Indicators of PGI 2.0 have been aligned to policy initiatives and interventions introduced post implementation of National Education policy (NEP) 2020 for proper tracking the progress.
• The PGI 2.0 is expected to help States and UTs to pinpoint the gaps and accordingly prioritize areas for intervention to ensure that the school education system is robust at every level.

What is the Farmers Distress Index?

• Aim: The main aim behind creating such an index is to minimise the agrarian distress in the form of crop loss / failure and income shock.
• The index will try to anticipate this distress and prevent its spread from a few farmers to the village or block level by pre-warning different stakeholders, including central, state, local and also non-government agencies.

Methodology to track distress

• The first step will be to look for incidence of farmers distress like localised cases of issues with debt repayment, death by suicide, pest attacks, drought, floods, migration, among others.
• Following this, contacts of marginal and small farmers or tenant farmers from the area will be collected to conduct telephonic interviews, which will have 21 standardised questions to gauge early signs of distress.
• The answers will be mapped against seven indicators:
• Exposure to droughts, floods, crop failure due to pest attacks, livestock deaths
• Debt
• Adaptive capacity of farmer and local government through different schemes
• Land holding and irrigation facilities.
• Sensitivity, mitigation and adaptation strategies like growing of contingency crops if main crop fails.
• Triggers for immediate distress like health-related expenditure.
• Socio-psychological factors and impacts.

What will the index look like

• The index will have values from 0-1. A value between 0-0.5 will indicate ‘low distress’, 0.5-0.7 will indicate ‘moderate’ distress and above 0.7 will indicate ‘severe’ distress.
• If the index is severe, it will identify which component, among the seven, is more severe and contributes maximum to farmers’ distress.
• The index is currently being worked out in the form of a mobile or desktop application.
• After completion of the ongoing work, CRIDA will be handing over the index to the central government and it will be made available to different state governments, agriculture departments, rural development departments, agriculture universities

Forest dept. embarks on project to conserve, augment fish wealth of Periyar Tiger Reserve

Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR)

• Location: It is located in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
• It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978.
• It gets its name from the River Periyar which has its origin deep inside the reserve.
• Two main rivers, Pamba and Periyar drain the reserve.
• It is home to many tribal communities including the Mannans and the Palians.
• Terrain: Hilly and undulating with a maximum altitude of 2016 m.
• Vegetation: It consists of tropical evergreen, semi- evergreen and moist deciduous.
• Flora:
  • There are more than 171 species of grasses.
  • Important flora includes teak, mangoes, rosewood, jamun, jacarandas, terminalias, tamarind, royal ponciana, bamboo etc.
• Fauna:
  • Includes Elephants, Wild Pigs, Sambar, Gaur, Mouse Deer, Dole or Barking Deer, Indian Wild Dog and Tiger.
  • The major four species of primates are also found at Periyar - the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, Gee''s Golden Langur, Common Langur and Bonnet Macaque.
  • It Is also being considered as the habitat of the elusive Nilgiri Tahr.

India joins the Champions Group of the Global Crisis Response Group

Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG)

• The GCRG was set up by the UN Secretary-General in March 2022.
• Purpose: The 32-member Group ensures high-level political leadership to get ahead of the immense inter-connected challenges of food security, energy, and financing and implement a coordinated global response to the ongoing crises.
• It is overseen by the Champions Group comprising representatives of Bangladesh, Barbados, Denmark, Germany, Indonesia, and Senegal.
• The UN Deputy-Secretary-General leads the Steering Committee of the GCRG.
• GCRG Task Team:
  • Within the Group, three work streams on Food, Energy and Finance will collate data and generate analysis, policy recommendations and solutions to support decision-making and advocacy for consideration of the Steering Committee.
  • These workstreams will remain flexible and responsive to opportunities that seek to resolve immediate crises and the vulnerabilities of people and countries.

Kashmir Railway on Track: Around 95% Work Completed on Katra-Banihal Section

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project

• The USBRL Project involves the construction of a railway line from Udhampur to Baramulla joining the Kashmir valley with the Indian Railways
• Aim: To connect Kashmir to the rest of the country and give a push to development in the Valley.
• Total Length:272 km
• The Project was declared as a “National Project” in 2002.
• The alignment of USBRL involves construction of a large number of Tunnels and Bridges in highly rugged and mountainous terrain with most difficult and complex Himalayan geology.
• This Project involves 38 Tunnels (combined length of 119 Km), the longest Tunnel (T-49) having a length of 12.75 Km and is the country''s longest transportation tunnel.
• There are 927 nos. of Bridges (combined length of 13 Km). These bridges include the iconic Chenab Bridge (Overall length 1315 m, Arch span of 467 m and height of 359 m above Chenab river bed) which will be the highest railway bridge in the world.
• Indian railway''s first cable-stayed bridge is also being constructed on Anji Khad.

Anji Khad Bridge

• It is an under-construction railway bridge in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It will be the first cable-stayed railway bridge in India.
• Features:
  • It is an asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge balanced on the axis of a central pylon, and it has tunnels on both ends.
  • The cable-stayed portion of the Anji bridge is 472.25 metres, while the total length of the bridge is 725.5 metres, which is divided into four parts, including an embankment.
  • The central span of the bridge is 290 metres; its total deck width will be 15 metres.
  • It stands at the height of 331 metres above the Anji river bed.
  • Trains can run up to 100km/h, and the bridge can withstand wind speeds up to 213 km/hr.

NTPC commissions 660 MW unit of Barh plant in Bihar

Barh Super Thermal Power Project (STPP)

• STPP is a 3GW supercritical coal-fired power station being developed by India’s state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in Barh, Bihar.
• The power plant will house a total of five coal-fired power generating units of 660MW capacity each.
• The mega power project is being developed in two stages, with stage one comprising three units for a total installed capacity of 1,980MW and stage two involving two units for a total capacity of 1,320MW.
• The plant utilizes supercritical pressure technology to obtain improved thermal efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Source of water: Barh town is located closer to the River Ganga which is the source of water for the coal-fired thermal power facility.
• Source of Coal:
  • The coal required for stage one operation of the project will be procured from the Central Coal Fields, a subsidiary of India’s state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL).
  • Coal for the stage two operations comes from the NTPC Chatti-Bariatu coal mine located in

Supercritical pressure technology

• Supercritical (SC) and ultra-supercritical (USC) power plants operate at temperatures and pressures above the critical point of water,e., above the temperature and pressure at which the liquid and gas phases of water coexist in equilibrium, at which point there is no difference between water gas and liquid water.
• This results in higher efficiencies – above 45%.
• SC and ultra -supercritical USC power plants require less coal per megawatt-hour, leading to lower emissions (including carbon dioxide and mercury), higher efficiency and lower fuel costs per megawatt.

Kerala teenager dies of lethal ''brain eating amoeba''

Naegleria fowleri

• It is an amoeba (single-celled living organism) that lives in soil and warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs.
• It is commonly called the “brain-eating amoeba”.
• Naegleria fowleri is a heat-loving (thermophilic) organism, meaning it thrives in heat and likes warm water. It grows best at high temperatures up to 115°F (46°C) and can survive for short periods at even higher temperatures.

How does it infect ?

• It infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose.
• This typically happens when people go swimming, diving or when they put their heads under fresh water, like in lakes and rivers.
• The amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue and causes a devastating infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
• PAM is a very serious infection of the central nervous system that’s almost always fatal. The fatality rate is higher than 97% even with treatment.
• Cause of death: The infection destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and death.
• Naegleria fowleri infections may also happen when people use contaminated tap water to cleanse their noses during religious practices or rinse their sinuses (sending water up the nose).
• There is no evidence that Naegleria fowleri can spread through water vapor or aerosol droplets (such as shower mist or vapor from a humidifier).
• People cannot be infected with Naegleria fowleri by drinking contaminated water.
• Naegleria fowleri infection does not spread from person to person, nor does it manifest symptoms when contracted in other forms.

Treatment:

• The US-based Centres for Disease Control (CDC) recommends treatment with a combination of drugs, often including amphotericin B, azithromycin, fluconazole, rifampin, miltefosine, and dexamethasone.
• These drugs have been used to treat patients who survived.

The Rafale Marine

• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared proposals to procure 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets and three Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy.
• Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. It is referred to as an "omnirole" 4.5th generation aircraft by Dassault.

Rafale Marine Fighter Jets

• Naval Variant: Rafale Marine fighters are the naval version of the Rafale jets, with the Indian Air Force operating 36 of them.
• Advanced Multirole Fighters: Manufactured by Dassault Aviation, the Rafales are advanced twin-engine, multirole fighter jets equipped with modern sensors, radar, and the latest weapon systems.
• India-Specific Enhancements: The jets feature India-specific enhancements and have the capability to carry out various missions.
• Differences in Marine Version: The naval variant has foldable wings, a longer airframe for carrier landings, a tail hook for arrested landing, and reinforced landing gear suitable for aircraft carriers’ conditions.
• Expanded Weapon Capabilities: Rafale Marine jets can carry a wider range of weapons, including anti-ship and air-to-surface missiles, and have specialized radar for maritime operations.

Current Fleet and Need for Additional Fighters

• MiG-29Ks: The Indian Navy currently operates MiG-29Ks from INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, which are carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft.The Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a 4th-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role.
• Procurement Requirement: With some MiG-29Ks expected to retire in a decade and the Navy having two operational carriers, additional deck-based fighters were needed to meet operational requirements until the indigenous Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) is developed.
• Criteria and Selection: Only Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet and Dassault Aviation’s Rafale-M met the Navy’s criteria, with Rafale-M having an advantage due to common spares and support with the Indian Air Force’s Rafale jets.

Export and Usage of Rafale Jets

• Importance for France: The Rafale is a key component of France’s nuclear deterrence capabilities.
• Orders and Deliveries: France has ordered a total of 192 Rafales, with 153 already delivered by the end of 2022.
• Future Orders: Plans for a further order of 30 fighters and additional Rafales to offset those sold to Greece and Croatia are in the pipeline.
• Flight and Operational Hours: The aircraft has accumulated a total of 405,000 flight hours, including 63,500 operational hours flown by French pilots since 2007.

The Rafale Marine jets, with their advanced features and expanded weapon capabilities, will strengthen the Navy’s deck-based fighter fleet. This procurement decision marks another step towards bolstering India’s defense preparedness and self-reliance in defense manufacturing.

India rises in digital and sustainable trade facilitation rankings, scores 100% on transparency: Fin Min

• It is conducted every two years by UNESCAP.
• The 2023 survey covered more than 140 economies and evaluated 60 trade facilitation measures
• It has recognized India''s exceptional progress across various sub indicators, with the country achieving a perfect score of 100% in four key areas: Transparency, Formalities, Institutional Arrangement and Cooperation, and Paperless Trade.
• India has witnessed a substantial improvement in the score for “Women in Trade Facilitation” component from 66.7% in 2021 to 77.8% in 2023.
• India is now the best performing country amongst all the countries of South Asia region.
• The overall score of India has been greater than many developed countries including Canada, France, UK, Germany etc.

UNESCAP

• It is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region which was established in 1947.
• Member countries: It consists of 53 members and 9 associate members.
• India is also a member of this organization.
• **Headquarters:**Bangkok, Thailand
• It works to overcome some of the region’s greatest challenges by providing results-oriented projects, technical assistance, and capacity building to member States