Moth found in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi districts after 127 years

• The researchers from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) Tamil Nadu Wetland Mission are the first in the world to photograph the moth species Mimeusemia ceylonica.
• It was first illustrated and described by English entomologist George Hampson and was sighted 127 years ago - at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka in 1893.
• Mimeusemia ceylonica is a moth species belonging to the subfamily Agaristinae and family Noctuidae.

Kalakkad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

• The Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) in Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu is one of the protected areas having diverse flora and fauna.
• It was declared as the “First Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu” and the 17th Tiger Reserve of the country.
• It consists of the Kanyakumari Wildlife sanctuary in the south and the Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary in the North.
• The river Thamirabarani originates from this tiger reserve.
• The reserve is also known as the “River Sanctuary” with as many as 14 rivers originating from this Tiger Reserve.
• Flora: This region has got vegetation types which gradually change from dry thorn forest to dry deciduous, moist deciduous and a patch of West coast wet evergreen forests on the higher reaches of the reserve.
• Fauna: Lion Tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri Pipit, Grey Headed Bulbul, Blue Winged Parakeet etc.

Indian army’s new attack system PALM 400 to be a game changer

• The PALM 400 - acronym for ''Precision Attack Loitering Munition'' is a long-range, high-precision loitering munition system.
• It is the result of a joint venture between AVision Systems (Israel), UVision Air Ltd, and Aditya Precitech Private Ltd (APPL).
• It is built to fly over areas where armored vehicles are concentrated or are anticipated.
• Each PALM 400 selects its targets when armored vehicles enter the kill zone and launch an armor-piercing projectile, penetrating it from the top where there is least protection.
• Features:
  • It can be discharged from a canister and fly 3000-4000 feet above a kill zone for up to 120 minutes.
  • It has a range of more than 100 km and travels at a speed of 50 to 140 knots (90 to 260 km/h).
  • It uses electro-optical/infrared stabilized cameras to detect and engage targets both during the day and at night.
  • It uses complex navigational techniques that enable it to function even in environments where the GPS has been disabled.
  • It can loiter above a target in stealth mode, collect information, and immediately strike at time-sensitive threats.

Navy''s major operational level exercise TROPEX concludes

• **Full form:**Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 2023).
• This operational level exercise is conducted biennially and witnesses participation not only by all Indian Navy units but also of Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard assets.
• **Features:**It witnessed the participation of approximately 70 Indian Navy ships, six submarines and over 75 aircraft.
• As part of the exercise, all surface combatants of the Indian Navy including Destroyers, Frigates, and Corvettes as well as submarines and aircraft are put through complex maritime operational deployments.
• The overall exercise construct included the Coastal Defence exercise Sea Vigil and the Amphibious Exercise AMPHEX.
• Timeline: Nov 2022 to March 2023.

NASA and Italian Space Agency Join Forces on Air Pollution Mission

Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols mission:

• It is a joint mission between NASA and the Italian Space Agency ASI.
• This will investigate the health impacts of air pollution in the world’s most populated cities.
• Its primary goal is to benefit societal health. Epidemiologists and public health researchers will be directly working on the development of a satellite mission.
• It will consist of the PLATiNO-2 satellite, which will be provided by ASI, and a science instrument that will be built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
• The MAIA mission will collect and analyse data from the observatory, sensors on the ground and atmospheric models.
• The JPL hosts a pointable spectropolarimetric camera which captures images from multiple angles in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared and shortwave infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• During the course of the three-year mission, MAIA will focus on 11 primary target areas that include major urban centres across the world: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Rome, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Barcelona, Spain, Beijing, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Taipei, Taiwan; and Tel Aviv.
• The MAIA observatory is set to launch before the end of 2024.

BIMSTEC holds virtual ministerial meeting

• During the meeting, the Ministers approved several documents including rules of Procedure for Core BIMSTEC Mechanisms, Sectoral BIMSTEC Mechanisms and BIMSTEC’s External Relations for submission to the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.
• The meeting also approved the draft Host Country Agreement between India and the BIMSTEC Secretariat for establishing BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in India.
• The Meeting also approved the Terms of Reference for an Eminent Person’s Group on the Future Directions of BIMSTEC.
• The Terms of Reference were finalized under the special scheme for institution building.
• Besides BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030 was also approved and will be launched at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.
• The Meeting also gave its nod to the Administrative and Disciplinary Rules of the Secretariat and amended Financial Rules and Regulations of the BIMSTEC Secretariat.

BIMSTEC

• It is a regional organization that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
• Member countries: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal
• The Chairmanship of BIMSTEC rotates according to the alphabetical order of the English names of the Member States.
• During the Third BIMSTEC Summit, the Secretariat was established in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Pentagon accused of blocking effort to hand Russia war crimes evidence to ICC

International Criminal Court (ICC):

• It is the only permanent international criminal tribunal.
• Background: It was created by the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (its founding and governing document), and began functioning on 1 July 2002 when the Statute came into force.
• Mandate: It investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
• HQ: Hague, Netherlands.
• Members: 123 nations are States Parties to the Rome Statute and recognize the ICC’s authority; the notable exceptions being the US, China, Russia, and India.
• Funding: The Court is funded by contributions from the States Parties and by voluntary contributions from Governments, international organizations, individuals, corporations, and other entities.
• Composition:
  • Judges: The court has eighteen judges, each from a different member country, elected to nonrenewable nine-year terms.
  • The Presidency: Consists of three judges (the President and two Vice-Presidents) elected from among the judges. It represents the Court to the outside world and helps with the organization of the work of the judges.
  • Judicial Divisions: 18 judges in 3 divisions, the Pre-Trial Division, the Trial Division, and the Appeals Division.
  • Office of the Prosecutor (OTP): OTP is responsible for receiving referrals and any substantiated information on crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court. OTP examines these referrals and information, conducts investigations, and conducts prosecutions before the Court.
  • Registry: The core function of the Registry is to provide administrative and operational support to the Chambers and the Office of the Prosecutor.
• Jurisdiction of ICC:
  • Unlike the International Court of Justice, which hears disputes between states, the ICC handles prosecutions of individuals.
  • The ICC is only competent to hear a case if:
    • the country where the offence was committed is a party to the Rome Statute; or
    • the perpetrator''s country of origin is a party to the Rome Statute
  • The ICC may only exercise its jurisdiction if the national court is unable or unwilling to do so.
  • The ICC only has jurisdiction over offences committed after the Statute’s entry into force on 1 July 2002.
• Relation with UN:
  • While not a United Nations organization, the Court has a cooperation agreement with the United Nations.
  • When a situation is not within the Court’s jurisdiction, the United Nations Security Council can refer the situation to the ICC, granting it jurisdiction.

Russia fires hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in Ukraine

• The Kh-47M2, nicknamed "Kinzhal" (Dagger), is a nuclear-capable, Russian air-launched ballistic missile.
• It was one of six “next generation” weapons unveiled by Russian President Putin during a speech in March 2018.
• Features:
  • The Kinzhal can reach speeds of up to Mach 10 (12,350 km/hr).
  • It can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads with a payload of up to 480 kg and a thermonuclear option with a 10-50 kt warhead.
  • It has a reported range of 1,500-2,000 km.
  • The Kinzhal has a length of 8 m, a body diameter of 1 m, and a launch weight of approximately 4,300 kg.
  • It is designed to be launched from MiG-31 fighter jets at altitudes of about 18 km (59,000 ft).
  • This missile maneuvers during all stages of its flight to overcome hostile air defense systems.

Hypersonic Missiles

• A hypersonic missile is a weapon system which flies at least at the speed of Mach 5e. five times the speed of sound and is manoeuvrable.
• These missiles are extremely fast and far harder for surface-to-air missile defence systems to target.

Three tigers to be released in Madhav National Park today

Madhav National Park:

• Location:
  • It is situated near Shivpuri town in Shivpuri District, which lies in the northwest region of Madhya Pradesh.
  • It lies on the northern fringe of the Central Highlands of India, forming a part of the Upper Vindhyan Hills intermixed with plateaus and valley sections.
• It was named after Madho Rao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior belonging to the Scindia dynasty of the Marathas.
• The Park was the hunting ground of Mughal emperors and Maharaja of Gwalior.
• It got the status of a National Park in 1958.
• The Sakhya and Madhav Sagar lakes are two of the most critical zones of the park and are always surrounded by animals and birds seeking relief from the heat.
• The Park is gifted with a diverse ecosystem comprising lakes, forests, and grasslands.
• Vegetation: The Park represents the Northern Tropical dry deciduous mixed forest as well as dry thorn forest.
• Flora: Some of the main tree species found inside the park include Khair (Acacia catechu), Salai, Kerdhai, Dhawda, Tendu, Palash, and others alike.
• Fauna:
  • It is home to antelopes like Nilgai, Chinkara, Chowsinga, and Deer, including Chital, Sambar, and Barking Deer.
  • Animals like the Leopard, Wolf, Jackal, Fox, Wild Dog, Wild Pig, Porcupine, Python etc., are also sighted in the park.

No deputy speaker in Lok Sabha for last 4 years

• Parliament has been functioning without a deputy speaker, a post usually held by the main Opposition party, for nearly four years.

Deputy Speaker:

• History:
  • The institutions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker originated in India in 1921 under the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919(Montague-Chelmsford Reforms).
  • In 1921, Frederick Whyteand Sachidanand Sinha were appointed by the Governor-General of India as the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker (respectively) of the Central Legislative Assembly.
  • At that time, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were called the President and Deputy President, respectively, and the same nomenclature continued till 1947.
  • Mavalankarand Ananthasayanam Ayyangar had the distinction of being the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker (respectively) of the Lok Sabha.
• Constitutional Provision w.r.t. Office of Deputy Speaker:
  • Article 93of the Constitution says that the House of the People (Lok Sabha) shall choose two members of the House to be, respectively, Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
  • The article also says that when the office of Speaker/Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker.
• Election of Deputy Speaker:
  • Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker is also elected by the Lok Sabha itself from amongst its members.
  • He is elected after the election of the Speaker has taken place.
  • The date of election of the Deputy Speaker is fixed by the Speaker.
• Term of Office:
  • Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker remains in the office usually during the life of the Lok Sabha. However, he may vacate his office earlier in any of the following three cases –
    • if he ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha;
    • if he resigns by writing to the Speaker; and
    • if he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha. Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice.
• Role/Power of Deputy Speaker:
  • The Deputy Speaker performs the duties of the Speaker’s office when it is vacant.
  • He also acts as the Speaker when the latter is absent from the sitting of the House. In both cases, he assumes all the powers of the Speaker.
  • Deputy Speaker is not subordinate to the Speaker. He is directly responsible to the House.
  • He also presides over the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament in case the Speaker is absent from such a sitting.
  • The Deputy Speaker has one special privilege, that is, whenever he is appointed as a member of a parliamentary committee, he automatically becomes its chairman.
  • When the Speaker presides over the House, the Deputy Speaker is like any other ordinary member of the House. He can speak in the House, participate in its proceedings, and vote on any question before the House.

Scientists Joint Venture Unearth Potential New Therapeutic Target For Inflammatory Diseases

• Scientists have found that an enzyme called Fumarate Hydratase is repressed in macrophages, a frontline inflammatory cell type implicated in a range of diseases including Lupus, Arthritis, Sepsis and Covid-19.
• They have made an important link between Fumarate Hydratase and immune proteins called cytokines that mediate inflammatory diseases.
• The research revealed that when Fumarate Hydratase is repressed, RNA is released from mitochondria which can bind to key proteins ‘MDA5’ and ‘TLR7’ and trigger the release of cytokines, thereby worsening inflammation.

Cytokines

• Cytokines are signalling proteins that are released by cells at local high concentrations.
• The role of cytokines is to facilitate the regulation of the immune response in the body.

Lupus

• Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system starts attacking your own tissues and organs.
• The condition primarily affects the kidney, but it also has an impact on the skin, blood vessels, connective tissue, heart, brain, and nearly every other organ.
• It is treated by immunosuppression via drugs such as mycophenolate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab
• The SLEDAI disease activity index is used for the prognosis of this disease.