Researchers develop ‘electronic soil’ to enhance crop growth.

• Researchers have developed a new electronic soil that was found to increase the growth of barley seedlings by 50 per cent.
• In hydroponic environments, eSoil is a low-power bioelectronic growth substrate that can electrically stimulate the root system and growth environment of plants.
• This novel substrate is environmentally friendly, being derived from cellulose and a conductive polymer called PEDOT. It offers a low energy, safe alternative to previous methods that required high voltage and non-biodegradable materials.
• It uses low energy and minimizes resource consumption. Its active material is an organic mixed-ionic electronic conductor.

How does eSoil work?

• When the roots of barley seedlings were electrically stimulated for 15 days, they showed a 50% increase in growth using eSoil.
• This research promotes more effective and sustainable development while increasing the variety of crops that can be grown hydroponically.
• In hydroponics, plants are grown without soil, requiring only water, nutrients and a substrate - something for their roots to attach to.
• This closed system allows water to be recirculated, ensuring that each seedling receives exactly the nutrients it needs.
• As a result, very little water is used and all the nutrients remain in the system - something that is not possible with conventional farming.
• Benefit: It can help in areas with little arable land and harsh environmental conditions.

Yogi calls for archaeological excavation in Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh.
• It was declared as Wildlife Sanctuary in June 1987.
• Borders: On the northern side, it shares the international boundary with Nepal, and on the eastern border is Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
• Vegetation: The vegetation of this area is of North Indian Moist Deciduous type.
• Rivers: It is drained by the great Gandak, the little Gandak, Pyas and Rohin rivers.

Flora:

• Nearly 75% of the area consists of Sal forest, and other humid areas are covered with Jaamun, Gutal, Semal, Khair trees, etc.
• Lower region of the sanctuary, which is water logged during rains, consists of Grasslands and patches of Cane forests.

Fauna:

• It is inhabited by a variety of animals which mainly includes Leopard, Tiger, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Langur, etc.
• The Avifauna is varied with Little Cormorant, Snake Bird, Brahimini Duck, Common Teal, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Paddy Bird etc.

Financial Intelligence Unit India (FIU IND) issues compliance Show Cause Notices to nine offshore Virtual Digital Assets Service Providers (VDA SPs).

• As part of compliance action against the offshore entities, Financial Intelligence Unit India (FIU IND) has issued compliance Show Cause Notices to nine offshore Virtual Digital Assets Service Providers (VDA SPs) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
• It was set up by the Government of India in 2004.
• It is the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analyzing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions.
• It is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister.

Functions of FIU-IND

• Collection of Information: Act as the central reception point for receiving Cash Transaction reports (CTRs), Non-Profit Organisation Transaction Report (NTRs), Cross Border Wire Transfer Reports (CBWTRs), Reports on Purchase or Sale of Immovable Property (IPRs) and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) from various reporting entities.
• Analysis of Information: Analyze received information in order to uncover patterns of transactions suggesting suspicion of money laundering and related crimes.
• Sharing of Information: Share information with national intelligence/law enforcement agencies, national regulatory authorities and foreign Financial Intelligence Units.
• Act as Central Repository: Establish and maintain national data base on the basis of reports received from reporting entities.
• Coordination: Coordinate and strengthen collection and sharing of financial intelligence through an effective national, regional and global network to combat money laundering and related crimes.
• Research and Analysis: Monitor and identify strategic key areas on money laundering trends, typologies and developments.

What are Virtual Digital Assets?

• According to the Income Tax Act, ''virtual digital asset'' refers to any information, code, number, or token (not being Indian currency or foreign currency) generated through cryptographic means and blockchain technologies.
• It can be transferred, stored, or traded electronically and its definition specifically includes a non-fungible token (NFT).

Militants turn Pir Panjal Valley into new battleground.

• Pir Panjal Valley is a mountain range in the northern Indian Himalayas.
• It starts in Ramban and extends westward in the south of Jammu and Kashmir to the last extremity of Muzaffarabad District.
• It is rising sharply to an average elevation of more than 13,000 feet (4,000 meters).
• It separates the Jammu Hills to the south from the Vale of Kashmir, beyond which lie the Great Himalayas.
• It separates itself from the Himalayas near the bank of the Sutlej river and forms a divide between the rivers Beas and Ravi on one side and the Chenab on the other.
• Major passes: Six historical passes, Hajipir Pass, Gulabgarh Pass, Ratanpir Pass, Pir Panjal Pass, Banihal Pass, and Bairam Gala Pass are in this mountain range.
• Important peaks: Deo Tibba (6,001 m) and Indrasan (6,221m) are two important peaks at the eastern end of the mountain range.

New Android ‘Chameleon’ trojan malware bypasses biometrics and steals PINs.

• Cybersecurity researchers recently identified a potent variant of the infamous ‘Chameleon Trojan’ malware, posing a substantial risk to Android device users.
• Chameleon Trojan is a malware that has the ability to disable biometric authentication methods, including fingerprint and face unlock, to sneakily access sensitive information.

Working:

• The malware strategically attaches itself to legitimate Android applications, such as the widely used Google Chrome, effectively avoiding immediate detection.
• Operating discreetly in the background, Chameleon Trojan can disable biometric security measures, specifically targeting PINs.
• The malware bundles are reportedly undetectable during runtime, enabling it to outsmart Google Protect alerts and circumvent security software on the compromised device.
• This stealthy approach allows the Trojan to operate without any worries, evading immediate countermeasures.
• Its modus operandi varies depending on the Android version.
• Once active, Chameleon Trojan steals on-screen content, elevates its own permissions, and can even use gestures to capture PINs and passwords entered by users to unlock their devices.
• The stolen PIN is then employed to unlock the device in the background, enabling the malware to access sensitive information such as credit card passwords and login credentials.
• The malware also collects information on users’ app usage habits, launching attacks when the device is least likely to be in use.
• To safeguard against the Chameleon Trojan, it is crucial to avoid installing Android apps from unofficial sources. Additionally, users should refrain from enabling the ''Accessibility service'' for unknown apps.