Fourth global mass coral bleaching? Great Barrier Reef severely affected, corals seen dying

About Coral Reef Watch:

• It is a free online tool that provides a global analysis of sea surface temperature (SST) and outlooks to identify coral reefs that are at risk of bleaching. It is offering the world''s only global early-warning system of coral reef ecosystem environmental changes.
• It is remotely monitors conditions that can cause coral bleaching, disease and death; delivers information and early warnings in near real-time to our extensive and diverse user community; it uses operational climate forecasts to provide outlooks of stressful environmental conditions on coral reefs worldwide.
• Its products are primarily sea surface temperature (SST)-based but also incorporate light and ocean color, among other variables.
• It has been using remote sensing, modeled and in situ data to operate a decision support system to help all stakeholders around the world prepare for and respond to coral reef ecosystem stressors, predominantly resulting from climate change and warming of the Earth''s oceans.
• It is developed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States of America. 

Key facts about Corals

• Corals are marine invertebrates or animals not possessing a spine. Each coral is called a polyp and thousands of such polyps live together to form a colony, which grows when polyps multiply to make copies of themselves. Corals share a symbiotic relationship with single-celled algae called zooxanthellae.
• The algae provide the coral with food and nutrients, which they make through photosynthesis, using the sun’s light. In turn, the corals give the algae a home and key nutrients. The zooxanthellae also give corals their bright colour.
• Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest reef system stretching across 2,300 km.

Countries hope to bring BBNJ or High Seas treaty into force by 2025; only 2 have ratified it so far

About Blue Leaders:

• The Blue Leaders are an ambitious group of countries calling for urgent action to save the global ocean in the face of the climate crisis, overfishing, pollution and other threats.
• ​The Blue Leaders are committed to two major goals:
• Securing a new international target to protect at least 30% of the global ocean through a network of highly and fully protected marine areas by 2030.​​
• The rapid and successful conclusion of a new High Seas Treaty that provides for establishment of fully and highly protected marine areas in the high seas and strengthens management of human activities outside protected areas.
• The first Blue Leaders event took place in New York on the margins of the 2019 United Nations General Assembly and the second in Madrid, Spain during the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference, ‘The Blue COP.’
• At each of these events the Blue Leaders have championed the call to realize protection of 30% of the ocean by 2030 (30x30) in that they are focused on calling for 30% to be fully and highly protected.
• “Fully protected” means that no extractive or destructive activities are allowed and “highly protected” means only light extractive activities, such as subsistence or small-scale fishing with minimal impact, are allowed.
• Fully protected ocean parks where extractive, polluting, and destructive human pursuits are banned provide sanctuaries for ocean wildlife.
• Member countries: The group of Blue Leaders has 24 countries as its members.
• India is not a member of this group.

Parrot Fever: Here''s all you should know about the deadly disease that has claimed five lives in Europe

About Parrot Fever:

• It is also known as It is caused by the bacterium Chlamydophila psittaci (C. psittaci).
• The bacteria can infect many mammals — including dogs, cats and horses — but most often infects birds. It primarily affects birds but can be transmitted to humans through inhalation of contaminated particles from feathers or droppings.
• The disease is more common in people who come into close contact with birds — such as poultry workers, veterinarians and pet-bird owners. 
• Humans can catch psittacosis by inhaling airborne particles containing C. psittaci, but human-to-human transmission of the disease is very rare, with only a handful of cases ever reported.
• Symptoms: Includes fever, headache, muscle pains, coughing, difficulty breathing and symptoms resembling pneumonia. Severe cases may lead to complications such as myocarditis or other neurological symptoms.
• Treatment: Treatment typically involves antibiotics, such as doxycycline or tetracycline, administered orally for two to three weeks.

Dressed in saree, meet India’s first-ever AI teacher robot named ‘Iris

About IRIS AI Robot:

• It is powered by Robotics and Generative AI technologies. It has a dedicated Intel processor and coprocessor for seamless performance.
• Its Android App interface allows users to control and interact with the robot, ensuring a personalized learning experience.
• It is not just a passive presence in the classroom but a dynamic voice assistant and interactive learning tool. It acts as an AI voice-controlled assistant, responding to user queries, providing explanations, and delivering educational content.
• It engages users in interactive learning experiences through personalized content generation, quizzes and interactive activities.
• Equipped with a 4-wheel chassis, Iris can move freely within its environment, facilitating interaction with users and navigating through learning spaces.
• Its hands, featuring 5 DoF each, enable Iris to manipulate objects, perform demonstrations and engage in hands-on learning activities.
• The robot can teach subjects from nursery to Class 12. The robot currently speaks three languages - English, Hindi and Malayalam.
• It is created by the Maker Labs.

International Women’s Day 2024: All you need to know, from theme to history, significance and more

About International Women''s Day:

• It is an annual event celebrated on March 8 to raise awareness about a number of issues, including violence and abuse against women, women''s reproductive rights, gender equality and women''s achievements in various fields.
• March also marks the start of Women''s History Month around the world. It begins on March 1 and ends on March 31. 
• The campaign theme for International Women''s Day 2024 is "Invest in women: Accelerating Progress". 
• History:
• First celebrated in the United States on February 28, 1909, in New York City, the event was organised on the suggestion of activist Theresa Malkiel.
• In August 1910, German delegates of International Socialist Women''s Conference, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, drew inspiration from American activists, and proposed to establish an annual ''Women''s Day''.
• On March 19 of the following year, more than a million people in Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland celebrated Women''s Day.
• Since then, International Women''s Day has evolved into a worldwide day of acknowledgment and festivity.
• As the women''s liberation movement swept around the world in the 1970s, the United Nations designated 1975 International Women''s Year and celebrated the holiday for the first time. Two years later, in 1977, it designated March 8 International Women''s Day.

Over 230 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation: UNICEF

About UNICEF:

• The United Nations Children''s Fund (UNICEF), originally known as the United Nations International Children''s Emergency Fund, was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children and mothers in countries that had been devastated by World War II.
• In 1950, UNICEF''s mandate was extended to address the long-term needs of children and women in developing countries everywhere.
• In 1953, it became a permanent part of the UN System, and the words "international" and "emergency" were dropped from the organization''s name, though it retained the original acronym, "UNICEF".
• UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories and in the world''s toughest places to reach the children and young people in greatest need.
• UNICEF supports immunization programs for childhood diseases and programs to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS; it also provides funding for health services, educational facilities, and other welfare services.
• Since 1996, UNICEF programs have been guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which affirms the right of all children to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health.
• Funding: UNICEF’s activities are financed by both government and private contributions.
• Headquarters: New York, United States.
• It was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1965.

Section 94 Juvenile Justice Act | Ossification Test Has Been Kept At The Last Rung To Determine Age: Supreme Court

About Ossification Test:

• Ossification is the process of bone formation that occurs in humans from infancy until the end of adolescence. During this time, various bones in the body undergo calcification or hardening, as minerals such as calcium and phosphorus are deposited in the bone matrix.
• As a person ages, the rate of bone formation slows down, and eventually, the bones become more brittle and prone to fracture. 
• Due to the predictable nature of this process, scientists have been able to develop methods for estimating a person''s age based on the degree of bone ossification in specific bones.
• One such method is the ossification test, also known as the epiphyseal fusion test.
• This test involves examining x-rays of certain bones in the body, specifically the clavicle, sternum, and pelvis, to determine the degree of ossification.
• Based on the degree of ossification, the professional can estimate the person''s age within a certain range.
• Drawbacks:
• It only provides an individual’s ‘estimated’ age rather than their actual age.
• Even when testing several joints, the test allows a buffer of at least six months on either side. It occasionally displays a four-year fluctuation.
• Additionally, factors such as disease, injury, and malnutrition can all affect the degree of bone ossification, making it more difficult to accurately estimate a person''s age.

Transcription factors that regulate development of light organs and bioluminescence in firefly identified

About Fireflies:

• Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are beetles. They get the names “firefly” and “lightning bug” because of the flashes of light they naturally produce. This phenomenon is called bioluminescence.
• There are about 2,000 firefly species. They are found in temperate and tropical regions on every continent except Antarctica.
• Features:
• They are soft-bodied beetles that range from 5 to 25 mm (up to 1 inch) in length.
• Fireflies use their light, called bioluminescence, to light up the ends of their abdomen to communicate with their fellow fireflies. (Animals that produce light are called luminescent).
• They have special organs under their abdomens that take in oxygen. Inside special cells, they combine the oxygen with a substance called luciferin to make light with almost no heat.
• Each firefly species has its own pattern of light flashing and males use this pattern to attract females of the same species. 
• Bioluminescence in fireflies is nearly 100 percent efficient, meaning little energy is wasted to produce their light. 
• From egg to adulthood, fireflies can live up to a year. Most fireflies are nocturnal, although some species are diurnal. They mostly feast on plant pollen and nectar.

The strategic importance of the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh

About Sela Tunnel:

• It is the longest bi-lane road tunnel in the world, at an altitude above 13,000 feet. It is located in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It will connect Tezpur, in Assam, with Tawang, in Arunachal Pradesh. It is built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under Project Vartak, and the tunnel''s construction commenced on April 1, 2019.
• Need:
• Located near the Sela Pass, this all-weather tunnel was needed because the Balipara-Charidwar-Tawang Road remains closed for a long time every year, courtesy of snowfall and landslides caused by heavy rainfall. 
• The tunnel is significant as it will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang, bordering China. It will cut down the travel time between Tezpur and Tawang by over an hour.
• It will also provide for faster deployment of weapons, soldiers, and equipment to forward areas near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Key Facts about Sela Pass:

• It is a high-altitude mountain pass located in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Elevation: 4,170 meters above sea level.
• Open throughout the year, Sela Pass is managed by the BRO.