“First in the World Challenge” Initiative

• Aimed at encouraging Indian scientists to come up with innovative ideas for finding solutions to difficult health problems, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced a new initiative called “First in the World Challenge”.
• The “First in the World” Challenge, inspired by the success of Chandrayaan-3, is a major initiative of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) designed to promote the development of groundbreaking health technologies.
• The scheme aims to foster novel, out-of-the box, futuristic ideas, new knowledge generation, discovery/development of breakthrough health technologies (vaccines, drugs/therapeutics, diagnostics, interventions, etc.) that have never been thought of, tested, or tried in the world till date.
• This high-risk, high-reward program will provide funding for projects at various stages, from proof-of-concept to prototype and final product development.
• The proposal must have bold research ideas with significant wide-ranging impact and, if successful, should have potential ‘first of its kind’ biomedical and technological innovations for better health outcomes in the global context.
• Proposals aiming for ‘incremental’ knowledge’ or ‘process innovation ‘will not be funded through this scheme.
• The proposals can be submitted by an individual or by a team of researchers (either from a single institute or from multiple institutes).
• Every team application must designate one Principal Investigator from the team who will be responsible for technical, administrative, and financial deliverables.
• Selection: A selection committee will be formed by experts of high repute, innovators, policymakers and scientists with outstanding record of conducting research and innovation in the biomedical domain.
• This initiative will inspire our scientists to come up with innovative ideas for finding solutions to difficult health problems.

149th Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered a floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 149th birth anniversary and participated in the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas

• Since 2014, Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, also known as National Unity Day, has been celebrated every year on October 31 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. 
• It serves as a reminder of his efforts to unite the diverse princely states into a single nation and fosters a spirit of solidarity among the people of the country.

• Early Life of Sardar Patel

• Born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, he was a barrister, an activist, a freedom fighter, and one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India.
• In the initial years, he was indifferent to Indian politics. But, later, he started getting influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, and by 1917 he embraced Gandhi’s principle of Satyagraha (Non-violence).
• From 1917 to 1924 Patel served as the first Indian municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad and was its elected municipal president from 1924 to 1928. 

Contributions in India’s Freedom Struggle

• Kheda Satyagraha, 1917: As a prominent local leader in the Kheda district of Gujarat, Patel supported Mahatma Gandhi in organising the Satyagraha against unjust land revenue taxes imposed by the British.
• Non-Cooperation Movement, 1920-22: Patel significantly impacted the Non-Cooperation Movement, recruiting approximately 300,000 members and raising 1.5 million rupees.
• He advocated the boycott of British goods and use of Khadi as a symbol of economic and cultural self-sufficiency.
• Bardoli Satyagraha, 1928: During the Bardoli Satyagraha, Patel supported the local population suffering from famine and increased land taxes.
• Civil Disobedience Movement 1930-34: He actively participated in the Salt Satyagraha, a nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly. 
• Quit India Movement, 1942: He organised protests and strikes against British rule, and delivered compelling and electrifying speeches throughout India, inspiring and mobilising people to join mass protests, engage in acts of civil disobedience, boycott tax payments, and stage civil service shutdowns. 

Contributions in Unification of India

• Political Integration of India: He played a pivotal role during the political integration of India and the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947.
• Integration of Princely States: He had successfully accomplished the task of integrating 565 Princely States into the Union of India within a remarkably short span of time- a feat unprecedented in history.
• Administrative Reforms: Another illustrious contribution made by Sardar Patel was the creation of All India Services. He had envisioned these services as the ‘Steel frame of India’ that would further safeguard the country’s unity and integrity.
• Promotion of National Integration: He promoted the ‘Idea of India’ as a single nation, and emphasized that despite its diversity, the country must stand united. 

• Other Contributions 

• Constitutional Role: He headed various Constitutional Committees, such as Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas, Provincial Constitution Committee. 
• He also served as the first Deputy Prime Minister, as well as the first Home Minister of independent India.

Honours and Recognitions

• Iron Man of India: He earned the reputation of ‘Iron Man’ because of the manner in which he brought about and maintained internal stability as Home Minister in the wake of the partition of the country.
• Bharat Ratna: He was posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country in 1991.
• The Statue of Unity: It is the tallest statue in the world which was unveiled on October 31, 2018 in Kevadia, Gujarat on the occasion of his 143rd birth anniversary.

Conclusion

• Sardar Patel’s legacy goes beyond politics; he epitomized unity, resilience, and commitment to the nation’s welfare.
• His life remains a testament to the power of leadership, dedication, and an unwavering love for his country, helping to shape India into a more stronger, unified nation.

Asset Recovery Interagency Network-Asia Pacific (ARIN-AP)

• India, through its Directorate of Enforcement (ED), has joined the Steering Committee of the Asset Recovery Interagency Network-Asia Pacific (ARIN-AP).
• About ARIN-AP

• ARIN-AP, with 28 member jurisdictions and nine observers, enables cross-border collaboration for asset tracing, freezing, and confiscation through a network of contact points. 
• It is part of the Global CARIN Network dedicated to combating the proceeds of crime across Asia-Pacific. 
• It facilitates intelligence-sharing, helping agencies trace and recover assets linked to crimes across borders.
• India is set to assume the ARIN-AP presidency and host its Annual General Meeting in 2026, reinforcing its leadership in asset recovery
• This role will enhance India’s involvement in ARIN-AP’s decision-making and administrative processes, supporting global asset recovery efforts.

Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR 2024

• Recently, the Indian Army contingent departed for the 15th edition of India- US joint Special Forces Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR.

Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR 2024: 

• It is a joint military exercise between Indian army and US army.
• The exercise is scheduled to be conducted at Orchard Combat Training Centre in Idaho, USA.
• The Indian Army contingent will be represented by Special Forces units and the US Army contingent will be represented by Green Berets of US.
• Aim of Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR is to promote military cooperation between India and the US through enhancement of interoperability, jointness and mutual exchange of special operations tactics.
• The exercise will enhance combined capabilities in executing joint Special Forces Operations in desert/ semi desert environment. And also will focus on high degree of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical drills.
• Drills/ aspects to be rehearsed during the exercise will include planning a Joint Team Mission, Reconnaissance Mission, employment of Unmanned Aerial Systems, execution of Special Operations, actions of Joint Terminal Attack Controller and Psychological Warfare in Special Operations. 
• Significance: It will enable the two sides to share their best practices and experiences for conduct of joint Special Forces Operations. The exercise will facilitate developing inter-operability, bonhomie and camaraderie between soldiers of both the countries.

Gastrodia lohitensis

• A team of Indian botanists has identified a new leafless orchid species, Gastrodia lohitensis, in Arunachal Pradesh''s Lohit district.

Gastrodia lohitensis: 

• It is a leafless orchid species found in bamboo thickets around Tezu and it is named after Lohit district.
• Features
• The orchid presents unique adaptations, thriving without sunlight by extracting nutrients from fungi in decomposing leaf litter.
• It grows 50-110 cm tall, the orchid’s defining features include a pair of linear calli and ridges on its flower lip, setting it apart from closely related species in Southeast Asia.
• It flourishes only in dense, shaded bamboo canopies, underlining its limited ecological niche.
• Threats: With just a small range in the district, Gastrodia lohitensis faces pressures from local land use, including bamboo harvesting and agriculture.
• Conservationists stress that the survival of this rare orchid depends on protecting its fragile habitat in Arunachal Pradesh’s biodiverse landscape.

Gold Reserves

• India’s gold reserves currently total 854.73 metric tonnes, according to a recent Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report.
• Of this, 510.46 metric tonnes are held within the country, while 324.01 metric tonnes are stored with the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).

• Gold now makes up 9.32% of India’s total foreign exchange reserves, a rise from 8.15% in March 2024. 
• On a global scale, India ranks 8th for gold reserves. The top-ranking countries are the United States, Germany, and Italy, with the U.S. holding nearly as much gold as the combined reserves of Germany, Italy, and France.

Gold Reserves

• Gold has lower co-relation with other asset classes and, therefore, provides a safety cushion during periods of geopolitical stress and prevailing economic uncertainty and/or downturn in markets.
• Prices of gold are suggested to hold an inverse relationship with interest rates. 
• When interest rates are tightened gold becomes less attractive to investors as they do not offer any yield. 
• Conversely, lower interest rates coupled by a weaker dollar can prompt investors to also opt for the safety bullion cushion. 
• Central banks accumulate gold for several reasons:
• Monetary Stability: Gold provides a store of value and is often used as a safeguard against economic uncertainty.
• Currency Support: Gold reserves enhance a nation’s currency credibility, as it is seen as a backing for the currency’s value.
• Investment Diversification: Holding gold diversify a central bank’s assets, reducing risk in their investment portfolios.
• International Trade and Payments: Gold reserves facilitate international trade and payments, serving as a universally accepted form of currency.
• Countries with significant gold reserves include the United States, Germany, Italy, and France.

Gold Reserves Strategy

• The RBI continues to retain 324 tonnes of its gold reserves under the protection of the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements, which collectively hold a substantial portion of India’s gold abroad. 
• The Bank of England, established in 1697, is renowned for its extensive gold storage facilities and remains the world’s second-largest gold custodian after the New York Federal Reserve.
• Storing part of India’s gold in London provides the RBI with immediate access to the London bullion market, allowing for enhanced liquidity. 

India’s Female Labour Force Participation

• The International Labour Organisation (ILO) recently highlighted the challenges of low female labour force participation in India, primarily driven by the overwhelming caregiving responsibilities placed on women.
• The report, titled The Impact of Care Responsibilities on Women’s Labour Participation, emphasises the need for investments in early childhood care and education (ECCE) to promote gender equality in the workforce.

Current Statistics on Women''s Labour Force Participation in India:

• High percentage outside workforce: Over half of India’s women (53%) remain outside the labour force, largely due to unpaid caregiving duties, in stark contrast to only 1.1% of men.
• Unpaid domestic and household work: According to India’s Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2023-24, around 36.7% of females and 19.4% of the workforce are involved in unpaid household work.
• Gender disparities in domestic work: The National Statistical Office (NSO) Time Use Survey 2019 shows that 81% of Indian females aged 6 and above spend over five hours daily on unpaid domestic activities.
• Caregiving time differences: Among those 6 years and older, 26.2% of females spend over two hours daily on caregiving versus 12.4% of males, indicating the disproportionate share borne by women.

• Global Perspectives on Care Responsibilities and Workforce Participation:

Global findings:

• In 2023, 748 million individuals globally were not part of the labour force due to caregiving responsibilities, with 708 million of them being women.
• These numbers underline the consistent gender imbalance in care duties.
• Northern Africa, Arab states, and Asia-Pacific regions report the highest percentages of women outside the labour force due to caregiving, reflecting cultural and structural differences in caregiving expectations worldwide.
• India, alongside countries like Iran, Egypt, and Jordan, has a high percentage of women restricted by caregiving responsibilities.
• Countries with high female workforce participation: Nations like Belarus, Bulgaria, and Sweden maintain lower proportions of women outside the workforce (less than 10%) by investing in ECCE, roughly 1% of their GDP.

Key Barriers to Women’s Workforce Inclusion and Way Ahead:

• Barriers:
• The ILO report highlights low educational attainment, limited job opportunities, and inadequate infrastructure as critical factors keeping women out of the workforce.
• Cultural norms around caregiving heavily restrict women’s labour market access, especially in rural areas, reinforcing existing gender inequalities.
• Way ahead:
• To address the high percentage of women outside India’s workforce due to care responsibilities, substantial investments in the care economy - especially in ECCE - are essential.
• Such initiatives cannot only foster gender equality but also unlock economic potential by enabling more women to enter and thrive in the workforce.

Kodo millet

• Recently, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) said that the deaths of elephants in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve could have been caused by “mycotoxins associated with kodo millet”.

Kodo millet: 

• Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum) is also known as Kodra and Varagu in India.
• It is one of the “hardiest crops, drought tolerant with high yield potential and excellent storage properties,” It is rich in vitamins and minerals.
• It is a staple food for many tribal and economically weaker sections in India.
• Required climatic condition:
• The tropical and subtropical regions are best suited for Kodo millet cultivation.
• It is grown on poor soils, and widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions.
• The millet is believed to have originated in India and Madhya Pradesh is one of the largest producers of the crop, according to a 2020 research paper.
• Apart from MP, the millet is cultivated in Gujarat, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Tamil Nadu.
• The crop is grown in India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and West Africa.
• According to the research paper, “CPA (Cyclopiazonic acid) is one of the major mycotoxins associated with the kodo millet seeds causing kodo poisoning which was first recognised during the mid-eighties”.
• Kodo poisoning occurs mainly due to the consumption of kodo grains, when “maturing and harvesting if the grains had encountered with rainfall, resulting in a fungal infection leading to ‘poisoned kodo’ which is locally known as ‘Matawna Kodoo’ or ‘Matona Kodo’ in northern India.”
• Kodo poisoning mainly affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems and the chief symptoms include “vomiting, giddiness, and unconsciousness, small and rapid pulse, cold extremities, shaking of limbs and tremors.”

LiDAR

• Scientists have detected a lost Mayan city, hidden for centuries by the dense Mexican jungle, using LiDAR.

• LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, is a  remote sensing technology that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges of a sensor, usually mounted aboard an aircraft.
• Data can be used to create high-resolution 3-D models of ground elevation.
• Working: LiDAR instrumentation comprises a laser, a scanner, and a GPS receiver. 
• The rapidly firing laser travels to the ground where it hits vegetation, building, and various topographic features. 
• This light is reflected or scattered, and recorded by the LiDAR sensor.
• Significance: LiDAR is used to generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.
• This is useful information for geographers, policy makers, conservationists, and engineers. 

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

• OSA is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder.
• People with OSA repeatedly stop and start breathing while they sleep.
• OSA occurs when a blockage in your airway keeps air from moving through your windpipe while you’re asleep.
• The blockage and lack of airflow can cause your blood oxygen levels to drop, triggering a survival reflex in your brain that wakes you up just enough to breathe again.
• This happens off and on many times during sleep.
• While that reflex is key in keeping you breathing, it also disrupts your sleep.
• When your breathing is reduced and you''re not taking in enough oxygen, it''s called hypopnea. If your breathing completely stops, it''s called apnea. 
• Snoring is one of the biggest symptoms of OSA.
• Anyone at any age can have OSA. But it''s most common in middle-aged and older adults. 
• OSA has significant implications for cardiovascular health, mental illness, quality of life, and driving safety.
• Treatment: Treatments for OSA are available.
• One treatment is a device that uses positive pressure to keep the airway open during sleep.
• Another option is a mouth piece to thrust the lower jaw forward during sleep.
• In some people, surgery might be an option too.

Panel Examining SC Status for Dalit Converts Receives One-Year Extension

• The Commission of Inquiry, led by former Chief Justice of India Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, has received a one-year extension to submit its report on granting Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit converts. 
• Initially given a two-year deadline to report by October 10, 2024, the commission’s new submission date is October 10, 2025. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment issued this extension following the commission’s request for additional time to finalize its findings and recommendations.
• The commission faced a delayed start due to logistical issues. It lacked a permanent office, an address, and adequate staff support for the initial months. Field visits, crucial for gathering data and public opinion, were postponed until August 2023 due to these constraints.

Reason behind the formation of Commission

• Currently, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 stipulates that no person professing a religion different from Hinduism, Buddhism or Sikhism can be deemed to be a member of a Schedule Caste. 
• The original order under which only Hindus were classified was later amended to include Sikhs and Buddhists.
• A batch of petitions were filed in the Supreme Court seeking the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims and the removal of the religion criteria for inclusion as SCs.
• In August 2022, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to submit its current position on the issue.
• In light of that, the Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment issued a notification in October 2022 to form a three-member Commission to study the matter. 
• The commission
• The three-member Commission is headed by former Chief Justice of India, Justice K.G. Balakrishnan.
• Objectives
• To examine the issue of whether Scheduled Caste (SC) status can be accorded to Dalits who have over the years converted to religions other than Sikhism or Buddhism.
• To look into the changes an SC person goes through after converting to another religion and its implications on the question of including them as SCs. 
• These will include examining their traditions, customs, social and other forms of discrimination and how and whether they have changed as a result of the conversion.
• To examine any other related questions that it deemed appropriate, in consultation with and with the consent of the Central government.
• The Commission has been given a two-year deadline to submit a report on the issue. 

Previous Commissions on the issue of granting SC tag for all Dalit converts

• Various commissions have previously recommended the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims under the Scheduled Caste category.
• First Backward Classes Commission (1955) – 
• The First Backward Classes Commission was headed by Kaka Kalelkar.
• The commission documented the existence of caste and caste discrimination among Indian Christians and Indian Muslims.
• It concluded that Dalit converts continued to face the same social disabilities even after leaving the Hindu fold.
• Rajinder Sachar Report (2006) – 
• In the 2006 Rajinder Sachar Report, it was observed that the social and economic of Dalits Muslims and Dalit Christians did not change even after conversion. 
• The report said, despite this, they have been deprived of SC status available to their Hindu counterparts.
• National Commission for Scheduled Castes/National Commission for Minorities 
• Both these commissions had also recommended providing SC status to Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians in affidavits filed before the Supreme Court in 2011.

Centre’s Position on Dalit Converts

• The Centre has repeatedly defended its stance of excluding Dalit Christians and Muslims from SC status, citing the “foreign origins” of these religions. 
• In a 2019 affidavit to the SC, the Union govt rejected reports suggesting that Dalit converts to Islam and Christianity continue to face social disabilities due to caste identity. 
• The govt argued there was insufficient empirical evidence to support such claims across all cited reports. 
• Furthermore, it differentiated Dalit Buddhists from Dalit converts to Islam and Christianity. 
• The government stated that Dalit Buddhists converted voluntarily due to "innate socio-political imperatives," whereas Dalit conversions to Islam and Christianity may have occurred for other reasons.
• However, it has supported the formation of the commission to thoroughly examine the matter, requesting the Supreme Court to delay its decision until the commission’s findings are submitted.

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030

• India is committed to the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction, the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary said recently, while calling for increased international collaboration to enhance disaster resilience.

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030:

• It was the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda and provides member states with concrete actions to protect development gains from the risk of disaster.
• It was adopted by the UN member states at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, on March 18, 2015.
• It is the successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015.
• The Sendai Framework advocates for:
• The substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods, and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural, and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities, and countries.
• It recognizes that the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk, but that responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders, including local government, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
• Four Priorities:
• Understanding disaster risk
• Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk
• Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience
• Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and "Building Back Better" in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.
• Targets:
• Substantially reduce global disaster mortality.
• Substantially reduce the number of affected people globally.
• Reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global GDP.
• Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services.
• Substantially increase the number of countrieswith national and local disaster risk reduction strategies.
• Substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries.
• Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people.
• The Sendai Framework covers technological hazards in addition to natural hazards, which represent an evolution compared to its predecessor, the Hyogo Framework for Action.
• These technological hazards include chemical/industrial hazards further to radiological, nuclear, biological, and others.
• It works hand in hand with the other 2030 Agenda agreements, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the New Urban Agenda, and ultimately the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)is tasked tosupport the implementation, follow-up and review of the Sendai Framework.

Thadou Tribe

• Recently, the organisers of the Thadou Convention held in Assam''s Guwahati event released a 10-point declaration to protect the Thadou tribe''s distinct identity and heritage amid the ethnic crisis in Manipur.

Thadou Tribe: 

• They are an indigenous people who live in the hill country adjacent to the Imphal Valley in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur.
• Other names: Chillya, Kuki, Kukihin, Teizang and Theruvan.
• Language: They speak Chin and Thado which belong to the Tibeto-Burman family of the Sino-Tibetan languages.
• The village chief''s house is usually the largest dwelling within the village. Outside it there is a platform upon which men gather to discuss matters of importance and to mediate disputes.
• Economy: They practice subsistence activities include animal domestication, cultivation, hunting, and fishing. Jhum (slash-and-burn) agriculture is predominant. 
• Religious Beliefs: The god Pathen is believed by the Thadou to have created everything. He is also believed to be the ruler of the universe. Sacrifice is offered to Pathen for health or assistance in time of trouble. 
• Festival: The Hun-Thadou cultural festival is an annual celebration of this community which is celebrated at the arrival of the New Year.

U.S. Electoral College System 

• U.S. citizens will vote on November 5 to choose the 47th President, with main candidates being Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.

How is the U.S. President elected?

• U.S. presidential elections occur every four years on the first Tuesday of November.
• Eligibility Requirements: Candidates must be natural-born U.S. citizens, at least 35 years old, and have resided in the U.S. for 14 years.
• They must register with the Federal Election Commission if they raise or spend over $5,000.
• Primaries and Caucuses:Once candidates announce their intentions to run for the post of the President, the process of primary and caucus debates starts.
• Primaries: State-run elections where voters select their preferred party candidates by secret ballot.
• Caucuses: Party-run gatherings where voters discuss and choose candidates.
• Types: Open (any voter can participate), closed (only registered party members), and semi-closed
• National Conventions: Parties officially nominate their presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
• Delegates, pledged or unpledged, vote for the nominee. If no candidate wins a majority, additional rounds are held
• General Election Voting:Takes place in November, with all major party candidates on the ballot.
• Registered voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of primary participation or party registration.
• States allow early, absentee, and mail-in voting with varying rules.

Electoral College System:

• The electoral college is an intermediary body or process that chooses the U.S. President.
•  The President is chosen by securing a majority of electoral college votes (270 out of 538), not the popular vote.
• Electors’ Selection:Each state’s voters choose electors who then vote for the President. States have electors equal to their Congressional representation (House + Senate).
• The electors, pledged to a candidate, vote in December based on their state’s popular vote outcome.
• Faithless Electors: Electors who do not vote according to the popular vote are called “faithless electors.” Some states penalize them, though they rarely affect results.
• Popular Vote Impact: Generally, the party that wins a state’s popular vote sends its electors to the electoral college, who are expected to vote accordingly.
• Except in Maine and Nebraska, the winner of a state’s popular vote takes all its electoral votes.
• Tie Scenario: If there’s a 269-269 tie, the House of Representatives votes to decide the President, with each state delegation having one vote. A candidate needs 26 votes to win.
• Congress Vote Count: Congress will meet in January to count the electoral votes, and the new President will be inaugurated on January 20, 2025.
• Vice-Presidential Election: The Senate votes for the Vice-President, with each Senator having one vote. A candidate needs 51 votes to win.
• Potential Split Outcomes: Since the President and Vice-President are elected separately by the House and Senate, they could be from different parties if votes are divided.
• Vote Counting and Inauguration: Congress counts electoral votes in early January.
• The new President’s term begins on January 20, Inauguration Day.

What is Frost?

• Researchers have developed a new strategy that involves adding a thin layer of graphene oxide that prevents frost formation before it begins
• Frost is water vapor, or water in gas form, that becomes solid.
• Frost usually forms on objects like cars, windows, and plants that are outside in air that is saturated, or filled, with moisture. 
• Areas that have a lot of fog often have heavy frosts.
• Frost forms when an outside surface cools past the dew point.
• The dew point is the point where the air gets so cold that the water vapor in the atmosphere turns into liquid. This liquid freezes.
• If it gets cold enough, little bits of ice, or frost, form.
• The ice is arranged in the form of ice crystals.
• Frost is most common in low-lying areas.
• Warm air rises, and cool air sinks—cool air is denser than warm air.
• That means there are usually more water molecules in cool air than in warm air.
• As cool air collects in valleys, frost forms.
• Frost usually forms at night, when the air temperature is cooler. 
• Once the sun rises and warms the air around the frosted object, frost melts quickly.
• There are different types of frost. The most common are radiation frost (also called hoarfrost), advection frost, window frost, and rime.
• Radiation frost is frost in the form of tiny ice crystals that usually shows up on the ground or exposed objects outside. Hoarfrost also forms in refrigerators and freezers.
• Advection frost is a collection of small ice spikes. Advection frost forms when a cold wind blows over the branches of trees, poles, and other surfaces.
• Window frost forms when a glass window is exposed to cold air outside and moist air inside. Window frost is familiar to winter residents of cold climates. Indoor heat and cold outdoor temperatures form this type of frost.
• Rime is frost that forms quickly, usually in very cold, wet climates. Rime also forms in windy weather. Rime sometimes looks like solid ice. Ships traveling through cold places like the Arctic Ocean often end up with rime covering at least part of the exposed part of the ship.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

• The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change has constituted a team to investigate the death of ten elephants in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau:

• It is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the Government of India to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.
• It was constituted by amending the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Mandate: Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972it is mandated to
• To collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities and to disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies for immediate action so as to apprehend the criminals.
• To establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank.
• To assist foreign authorities and international organization concerned to facilitate co-ordination and universal action for wildlife crime control.
• In capacity building of the wildlife crime enforcement agencies for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes and assist State Governments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crimes;
• It advises the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications, relevant policy and laws.
• It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item.
• It has developed an online Wildlife Crime Database Management System to get real time data in order to help analyse trends in crime and devise effective measures to prevent and detect wildlife crimes across India.
• This system has been successfully used to analyse trends, helping put in preventive measures as well as for successfully carrying out operations such as Operation SAVE KURMA, THUNDERBIRD, WILDNET, LESKNOW, BIRBIL, THUNDERSTORM, LESKNOW-II 
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change
• Headquarter: New Delhi