Sri lanka joint exercise mitra shakti – 2023 commenced

Exercise MITRA SHAKTI

• It is a joint military exercise between India and Sri Lankan army.
• This year is the ninth edition of the exercise.
• The Indian contingent, of 120 personnel, is being represented mainly by troops from the MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY Regiment.
• Personnel from the Indian Air Force and the Sri Lankan Air Force are also participating in the exercise, which makes the ninth ‘Mitra Shakti'' the first bilateral and bi-service exercise between the two countries.
• The aim of the exercise is to jointly rehearse the conduct of sub-conventional operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
• The scope of the exercise includes synergizing joint responses during counter-terrorist operations.
• In addition, Army Martial Arts Routine (AMAR), combat reflex shooting, and Yoga will also form part of the exercise curriculum.
• It will also involve the employment of Drones and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems besides helicopters.
• Drills to secure helipads and undertake casualty evacuation during counter-terrorist operations will also be rehearsed jointly by both sides.
• Collective efforts will focus on achieving an enhanced level of interoperability amongst the troops and reducing the risk of life and property while keeping the interests and agenda of the UN at the forefront during peacekeeping operations.
• The exercise will also foster strong bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations.

''Hello Naariyal'' call centre launched

Coconut Development Board

• It is a statutory body established by the Government of India.
• It was established for the integrated development of coconut production and utilisation in the country, with a focus on productivity increases and product diversification.
• The board came into existence on January 12, 1981.
• It functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
• Headquarters: Kochi in Kerala
  • It has regional offices in Bangalore in Karnataka, Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Guwahati in Assam, and Patna in Bihar.
• Functions
  • Adopting measures for the development of the coconut industry.
  • Imparting technical advice to those engaged in coconut cultivation and industry.
  • Providing financial and other assistance for the expansion of the area under coconut.
  • Encouraging adoption of modern technologies for processing of coconut and its products.
  • Adopting measures to get incentive prices for coconut and its products.
  • Recommending measures for improving the marketing of coconut and its products.
  • Recommending measures for regulating imports and exports of coconut and its products.
  • Fixing grades, specifications and standards for coconut and its products.

Hello Naariyal

• It is a call centre in Kerala that functions from the headquarters of the Board in Kochi.
• The initiative will benefit coconut growers and extend its services to traditional coconut-growing States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka through the respective unit offices of the Board.
• The services will be available at block and gram panchayat levels in respective districts for carrying out activities related to coconut cultivation, including coconut tree climbing, plant protection, harvesting, seed nut procurement, and nursery management.

Leonid meteors to rain in skies

Leonid meteor shower

• It is brought about by the dust and debris abandoned by the comet Tempel-Tuttle.
• It is commonly peaking in mid-November.
• The shower is called after the Leo constellation, from which the meteors appear to radiate.
• This Tempel-Tuttle comet circles the sun at regular intervals of 33 years.
• When the comet passes near the sun, it warms up and delivers a tonne of material, shaping a dense cloud of dust and gas around it.
• This cloud follows the comet''s circle and fans out over the long run.
• Every year, the Earth crosses the orbit of Tempel-Tuttle in mid-November and, in some cases, experiences the comet''s dust cloud.
• When this occurs, the dust particles enter the earth’s atmosphere at high speed (around 70 km/s) and catch fire, creating bright streaks of light in the sky.
• These are what we see as the meteors, the Leonid meteor shower.
• The Leonids are noted for sometimes causing meteor storms, as described by a higher influx of meteors.

Need for World Bank''s governance indicators to be transparent

Worldwide Governance Indicators

• It is released by the World Bank.
• It provides a ranking of 215 countries and territories.
• It is based on six dimensions of governance:
  • Voice and Accountability
  • Political Stability and Absence of Violence
  • Government Effectiveness
  • Regulatory Quality
  • Rule of Law
  • Control of Corruption
• These indicators are designed to help researchers and analysts assess broad patterns in perceptions of governance across countries and over time.
• The World Bank compiles the Worldwide Governance Indicators using data from more than 30 think tanks, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, and private firms deemed credible.
• The WGI was developed in 1999 by two World Bank researchers, Daniel Kaufmann and Aart Kraay.
• The data are updated annually in September.

World Bank

• It is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low and middle-income/developing countries to pursue capital projects.
• It was established along with the IMF at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference.
• The WB Group Includes
  • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD): It provides loans, credits, and grants.
  • International Development Association (IDA): It provides low or no-interest loans to low-income countries.
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC): It provides investment, advice, and asset management to private companies and governments.
  • **Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA):**It ensures lenders and investors against political risks such as war.
  • International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID): It settles investment disputes between investors and countries.
• India is not a member of ICSID.

Russia loads missile with nuclear-capable glide vehicle into launch silo

Avangard

• The Avangard is a nuclear-capable, hypersonic boost-glide vehicle (HGV) developed by the Russian Federation.
• It was developed as part of the top-secret Project 4202 and given the codename Yu-71.
• It was one of six “next generation” weapons described by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a speech in March 2018.
• Features:
  • It has a range of over 6,000 km, weighs approximately 2,000 kg, and can carry a nuclear or conventional payload.
  • It is carried on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
  • It has “a short wedge-shaped design” which does not contain a separate propulsion system, relying on gravity and its aerodynamic features to maintain velocity after an initial boost.
• Working:
  • The HGV is carried to a sub-orbital altitude of around 100 kilometres (62 miles) by the carrier missile before being released.
  • It then enters into a “cruise mode” before re-entering the atmosphere and accelerating to claimed hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 27 (about 32,000 kilometres per hour).
  • It is said to be able to manoeuvre at these speeds and constantly alter its trajectory, making interception extremely complicated.

Constantine Joseph Beschi, a missionary, Tamil scholar, and Chanda Sahib’s Dewan

Constantine Joseph Beschi

• He was an Italian Jesuit missionary and Tamil scholar.
• He was known as Veeramamunivar.
• He arrived in Goa in 1700
• He also studied Sanskrit, Telugu, and Tamil assiduously and became a master of these languages, especially Tamil.
• His works: Thembavani, Sathurakarathi, and others, speak for his scholarship in Tamil. He was known as Thairiyanathaswamy, and its translation reads Veeramamunivar.
• Friendship with Chanda Sahib (Nawab of the Carnatic)
  • Chanda Sahib gifted Veeramamunivar four villages—Bokalur, Malwav, Arasur, and Nullur—north of the Kollidam in Tiruchi district.
  • He also appointed him to the office of Dewan (in Tiruchi until 1740).
  • He also conferred on him the surname Ismattee Sannyasi, indicating his excellence as a religious devotee, and presented him with a palanquin used by his grandfather.
• Even though he was engaged in state affairs, Veeramamunivar continued his study of the Hindu sciences and composed several useful works.
• He delved deep into Tirukkural, Naladiyar, Civaka Cintamani, and other celebrated Hindu works.

Jupiter-sized exoplanet "Wasp-107b" discovered by NASA

Wasp-107b

• It is a newly discovered exoplanet situated 200 light-years away in the Virgo constellation.
• The mass of WASP-107b is 30.5 Earths, and it takes only six days to orbit its home star, which is slightly cooler and less massive than our sun.
• It shares Jupiter''s size but possesses the mass of Neptune, making it less dense than other gas giants.
• The planet''s low density allowed astronomers to look 50 times deeper into the atmosphere of the planet compared to observations achieved for more dense planets, like Jupiter.
• The exoplanet is scorching hot (with an outer atmosphere that''s more than 900 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Sand Rain:
  • Wasp-107b exhibits a water cycle akin to Earth''s, but with one peculiar difference: instead of water droplets, the planet experiences ‘sand rain’.
  • The falling grains are, in fact, silicate vapours rising from lower atmospheric levels.
  • Similar to Earth''s water cycle, these sand clouds precipitate back to lower planetary atmospheric levels.
• In addition to the silicate clouds, scientists have identified water vapour and sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere of WASP-107b.

Gas giants

• Gas giants are large planets composed mostly of gases, such as hydrogen and helium, with a relatively small rocky core.
• The gas giants of our solar system- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptunetogether make up a group known as the Jovian planets (Jupiter-like).
• The solar system''s four gas giants reside farthest from the sun, past the orbits of Mars and the asteroid belt. So they are also called outer planets.
• All of the outer planets have numerous moons. They all also have planetary rings, composed of dust and other small particles that encircle the planet in a thin plane.

The world’s first gene therapy for sickle cell disease has been approved in Britain

Sickle Cell Disease

• It is an inherited blood disorder.
• It is marked by flawed haemoglobin.
• Haemoglobin is the molecule in red blood cells (RBCs) that carries oxygen to the tissues of the body.
• People with this disease have atypical haemoglobin molecules called haemoglobin S, which can distort RBCs into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
• Sickle cell disease interferes with the delivery of oxygen to the tissues.
• How does it affect blood flow?
  • Normally, RBCs are disc-shaped and flexible enough to move easily through the blood vessels.
  • In sickle cell disease, RBCs become crescentor “sickle”-shaped due to a genetic mutation.
  • These sickled RBCs do not bend or move easily and can block blood flow to the rest of the body.
• What causes it?
  • The cause of Sickle cell disease is a defective gene called a sickle cell gene.
  • A person will be born with sickle cell disease only if two genes are inherited—one from the mother and one from the father.
• Symptoms:
  • Early stage: Extreme tiredness or fussiness from anaemia, painfully swollen hands and feet, and jaundice.
  • Later stage: Severe pain**, anaemia**, organ damage, and infections.
• Treatments:
  • A bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) can cure sickle cell disease.
  • However, there are treatments that can help relieve symptoms, lessen complications, and prolong life.
  • Gene therapy is also being explored as another potential cure. The UK recently became the first country to approve gene therapy treatment for sickle cell disease

Thalassemia

• It is an inherited blood disorder caused when the body doesn’t make enough haemoglobin.
• When there isn’t enough haemoglobin, the body’s RBCs don’t function properly, and they last shorter periods of time, so there are fewer healthy RBCs travelling in the bloodstream.
• When there are not enough healthy RBCs, there is also not enough oxygen delivered to all the other cells of the body, which may cause a person to feel tired, weak, or short of breath. This is a condition called anaemia.
• People with thalassemia may have mild or severe anaemia. Severe anaemia can damage organs and lead to death.
• Thalassemia is a treatable disorder that can be well-managed with blood transfusions and chelation therapy.

CERT-In flags Google Chrome vulnerabilities

CERT-In

• It is the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur.
• It is a functional organisation of the Ministry of Information & Electronics Technology.
• Objective: Securing Indian cyberspace.
• CERT-In has been operational since January 2004.
• Objectives:
  • Preventing cyber attacks against the country''s cyberspace.
  • Responding to cyber attacks and minimising damage and recovery time
  • Reducing national vulnerability to cyber attacks
  • Enhancing security awareness among common citizens
• The Information Technology Act of 2000 designated CERT-In to serve as the national agency to perform the following functions in the area of cyber security:
  • Collection, analysis, and dissemination of information on cyber incidents;
  • Forecast and alerts of cyber security incidents;
  • Emergency measures for handling cyber security incidents;
  • Coordination of cyber incident response activities;
  • Issue guidelines, advisories, vulnerability notes, and whitepapers relating to information security practises, procedures, prevention, response and reporting of cyber incidents;
• Constituency: The constituency of CERT-In is the Indian cyber community and Indian cyberspace.
• CERT-In provides services to organisations in the Government, Public, and Private sectors. In addition, CERT-In provides services to individuals and home users as well.
• Disclosure of information will be followed in accordance with Indian Constitutional laws.
• CERT-In collaborates with:
  • Organisations within and outside the country engaged in specialised areas in protecting and responding to cyber security incidents;
  • Organisations engaged in the collection of intelligence in general, law enforcement, investigation, and forensics;
  • Academia, industry, service providers, and research and development institutions;
  • Individuals or groups of individuals;

Argoland, a continent missing for 155 million years, found off

Argoland

• It was a lost continent that once broke off from northwestern Australia 155 million years ago.
• The elusive, 3,106-mile stretch was once an integral part of the supercontinent Gondwana.
• It disintegrated as tectonic forces stretched the landmass out and drove it away from the rest of the continent before scattering it across Southeast Asia.
• It had initially drifted northwest, where several Southeast Asian islands currently exist today.
• But unlike India, which broke off the ancient supercontinent Gondwana 120 million years ago and still forms an intact landmass today, Argoland splintered into fragments.
• These fragments, reaching their destinations simultaneously, formed an archipelago rather than a unified landmass.
• Argoland, now dispersed as an archipelago separated by ocean basins, contributed to the formation of several Southeast Asian islands.

Gondwana

• Gondwana used to be a supercontinent, from around 550 million years ago to approximately 180 million years ago, alongside Laurasia.
• The continent eventually split into the landmasses we recognise today: Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, the Indian Subcontinent, and the Arabian Peninsula.