W boson mass less than expected

• The physicists at the U.S. government’s Fermi National Accelerator Lab crashed particles together over ten years and measured the mass of 4 million W bosons.
• These subatomic particles are responsible for a fundamental force, and they exist for only a fraction of a second before they decay into other particles.
• The difference in mass from what the prevailing theory of the universe predicts is too big to be a rounding error or anything that could be easily explained away, according to the study.
• If confirmed by other experiments, it would present one of the biggest problems yet with the standard model of particle physics.

W Bosons

• In particle physics, the W and Z bosons are vector bosons that are together known as the weak bosons or more generally as the intermediate vector bosons.
• These elementary particles mediate the weak interaction.
• The standard model says a W boson should measure 8,03,57,000 electron volts, plus or minus six. The recent study found it slightly more than that.

cardless cash withdrawal system in india

• RBI Governor said the absence of need for a card to initiate cash withdrawal transactions would help in containing frauds like card skimming, card cloning, etc.
• However, Governor Shaktikanta Das clarified credit & debit cards will be continued.
• Under the cardless cash withdrawal facility, individuals can withdraw cash without using any debit card at Automated teller machines (ATMs).
• The cardless withdrawal request can be initiated for a minimum of ₹100 per transaction and up to a maximum of ₹10,000 per day or ₹25,000 per month for a beneficiary while the limits are subject to change as per regulatory guidelines.

GSLV With Improved Cryogenic Upper Stage Getting Ready

• A high-level panel which examined last year’s failed GSLV-F10/EOS-03 mission had recommended measures for making the CUS more robust.
• Indian Space Research Organisation’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) is tasked with making the required modifications to the cryogenic engine-powered upper stage of the GSLV Mk II rocket.
• The GSLV-F10 mission on August 12, 2021 was designed to place the earth observation satellite EOS-03 in a geosynchronous transfer orbit, but the upper stage of the rocket malfunctioned, forcing the space agency to abort the mission.
• A national-level Failure Analysis Committee (FAC) later concluded that a leak in a Vent and Relief Valve (VRV) had led to a lower build-up of pressure in the Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) propellant tank, leading to a failed mission.
• Pressure build-up in the liquid hydrogen (LH2) propellant tank was low when the upper stage engine was to ignite.
• This caused the fuel booster turbo pump inside the LH2 tank, which feeds the main turbo pump of the engine to malfunction, affecting the flow of propellant into the engine thrust chamber.

Sangeet Natak, Lalit Kala Akademi Awards

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are national honours bestowed by the government on performing artists and teachers and scholars in the field of performing arts.
• The awards were given in the categories of music, dance, and theatre. In addition, one category was reserved for traditional, folk, and tribal dance, music, theatre and puppetry.
• An award each was also given for overall contribution and scholarship in performing arts.
• In addition, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, Sattriya dancer Jatin Goswami, Odissi exponent Sonal Mansingh and Thiruvidaimarudur Kuppiah Kalyanasundaram were given fellowships for their contribution to the field of dance.
• Among the 13 honoured for music are Hindustani vocalists Mani Prasad and Madhup Mudgal, santoor player Tarun Bhattacharya, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar for sarod, and Carnatic vocalists Alamelu Mani and Malladi Suribabu.
• Bharatanatyam dancer Radha Sridhar, Mohiniyattam dancer Gopika Varma, Kuchipudi dancer Ramalinga Sastry are among the 10 dancers who got the award.
• Among the eight theatre artistes who have been given the award are Suhas Joshi and Teekam Joshi for acting, Rajiv Naik and Laltluangliana Khiangte for playwriting, and Sanjay Upadhyay for direction.
• Musicians Malini Awasthi and Gazi Khan Barna (folk music), Arjun Singh Dhurve (folk dance) Mohammad Sadiq Bhagat (folk theatre), Anupama Hoskere (string puppetry), and Hem Chandra Goswami (mask making) are awardees in the other categories.
• Sculptor Himmat Shah, and painters Jyoti Bhatt and Shyam Sharma were awarded the prestigious Lalit Kala Akademi fellowship. Diwan Singh Bajeli was awarded the field of overall contribution in performing arts.

Contours of Yemen''s first ceasefire in over 6 years

• The parties agreed to halt all offensive military, air, ground and maritime operations inside Yemen and across its borders.
• Under the deal, commercial flights will now be able to operate from the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa, fuel ships will be allowed to pass into the port of al-Hudaydah.
• The ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United Nations came into effect on April 2. The deal also coincided with the first day of Ramzan, the Muslim holi month of fasting.
• The truce is the first nationwide cessation of hostilities agreed by all sides in over six years.
• The war began in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Sanaa and the country’s northwest, sending the ruling government into exile.
• Few months in, a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened with a massive air campaign, hoping to drive back the Houthis and restore the government.
• Since the war escalated in 2015, Yemen has suffered from one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, witnessing mass hunger, poverty and civilian deaths. The UN estimates over 377,000 deaths due to the conflict as of late 2021.

sowing maize in spring is not a good choice for Punjab farmers

• The ideal time for sowing maize is from January-end to February 15. But farmers continue to sow it till the end of February or even in early March.
• Utilizing more area for maize cultivation is always a welcome move in a state like Punjab where maize is seen as an alternative to the water-guzzling paddy crop.
• But growing maize during spring is not always a good choice in Punjab. From March to June, the temperature in the state is very high and the sunshine hours are also long.
• The temperature starts rising from March from 35 degree centigrade to 45 degree in June. Also, the average sunshine hours remain between 9 to 9.5 hours.
• Due to high temperature, the water gets evaporated soon and frequent watering of the maize crop is needed in peak summer season. This affects the water table drastically.
• According to experts, this crop is ‘big no’ without ‘drip irrigation’ for Punjab where the groundwater table is depleting drastically and there is a need for sustainable farming.
• Experts said that summer moong and sunflower crops are the best alternatives.
• Both the crops are extremely vital in the country as India imports 2.5 million tonnes sunflower oil every year and also 2-3 million tonnes of pulses.

''Micro-swimmers'' may soon help with drug delivery

• It is possible to use light as a fuel to move microbots in real-body conditions with intelligent drug-delivery that is selectively sensitive to cancer cells.
• The research is led by MPI-IS and Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research (MPI-FKF), Stuttgart, Germany.
• Made from the two-dimensional compound poly (heptazine imide) carbon nitride (aka PHI carbon nitride), these microbots are nothing like the miniaturised humans.
• They range from 1-10 micrometre (a micrometre is one-millionth of a metre) in size, and can self-propel when energised by shining light.
• The PHI carbon nitride microparticles are photocatalytic. Like in a solar cell, the incident light is converted into electrons and holes. These charges drive reactions in the surrounding liquid.
• The charges react with the fluid surrounding them. This reaction, combined with the particle’s electric field, makes the microbots (micro-swimmers) swim.

Can''t regulate parties announcing freebies in polls

• The poll body was replying to a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay that the promise and distribution of “irrational freebies” by political parties amounted to bribery and unduly influencing voters. It vitiated free and fair elections in the country, the petition said.
• But the ECI adopted a hands-off approach, saying “whether such policies are financially viable or have adverse effect on the economic health of the State is a question that has to be considered and decided by the voters of the State”.
• The election body said it cannot regulate policies and decisions that may be taken by the winning party when they form the government. Such an action, without enabling provisions of law, would be an overreach of powers.
• The ECI referred to the top court’s own decision in the S. Subramaniam Balaji case that the poll body cannot intervene in promises made in election manifestos released by parties before the announcement of the election dates, after which the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) kicked in.