Centre identifies 30 critical minerals: Why, how, and importance of the exercise

In a strategic move, the Centre has identified 30 critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, tin and copper, which are essential for the country’s economic development and national security.

The exercise

• While elements such as cobalt, nickel and lithium are required for batteries used in electric vehicles or cellphones, rare earth minerals are critical, in trace amounts, in the semiconductors and high-end electronics manufacturing. Most countries of the world have identified critical minerals as per their national priorities and future requirements.
• The specific trigger for the latest exercise are India’s international commitments towards reducing carbon emissions, which require the country to urgently relook at its mineral requirements for energy transition and net-zero commitments.

Critical minerals

• These are minerals that are essential for economic development and national security, and the lack of availability of these minerals or the concentration of extraction or processing in a few geographical locations could potentially lead to “supply chain vulnerabilities and even disruption of supplies”.
• This is true for minerals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, titanium, and rare earth elements, which are essential for the advancement of many sectors, including hightech electronics, telecommunications, transport, and defence.
• One of the definitions cited in the report characterises a mineral as critical when the risk of supply shortage and associated impact on the economy is (relatively) higher than other raw materials. This definition of a critical mineral was first adopted in the US and the subsequent legislation that resulted from the analysis, the report said.
• The European Union also carried out a similar exercise and categorised critical minerals on the basis of two prerequisites: supply risk and economic importance.

Three-stage process

• In its three-stage assessment for identifying the minerals critical to India, the panel, in the first stage, looked at the strategies of various countries such as Australia, USA, Canada, UK, Japan and South Korea.
• In the second stage of assessment, an inter ministerial consultation was carried out with different ministries to identify minerals critical to their sectors. Comments and suggestions were received from the Ministry of Power, Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Department of Fertilisers, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Pharmaceuticals, NITI Aayog, etc.
• The third stage assessment was to derive an empirical formula for evaluating minerals criticality, taking cognizance of the EU methodology that considers two major factors — economic importance and supply risk.

Based on this process, a total of 30 minerals were found to be most critical for India, out of which two are critical as fertiliser minerals: Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE, Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.

Specialised agency

Alongside this list, the committee also called for a need for establishing a National Institute or Centre of Excellence on critical minerals. A wing in the Ministry of Mines can be established as a Centre of Excellence for Critical Minerals, the report said, adding that this proposed Centre will periodically update the list of critical minerals for India and notify the critical mineral strategy from time to time and will execute a range of functions for the development of an effective value chain of critical minerals in the country.

Groundwater extraction shifted the Earth’s axis: What a new study says

• The excessive extraction of groundwater for drinking and irrigation has shifted the Earth’s axis of rotation, according to a new study. The planet’s axis has drifted at the rate of 4.36 cm per year towards the east.
• Although the shift isn’t significant enough to have real-life consequences, the study shows that humans have extracted so much water from the ground that it has impacted the planet’s axis and contributed to global sea level rise.

Earth’s axis keeps shifting

• Earth spins around an imaginary axis which passes through the north pole, its centre of mass and the south pole — just like a top spins around its spindle. Scientists for years have known that the poles and the axis keep shifting naturally as the mass distribution in and on the planet changes. This phenomenon is known as “polar motion”.
• For instance, rocks slowly circulating inside Earth’s mantle causes the planet’s mass to shift, leading to a change in the position of the rotational axis, that the shift of the axis, in fact, “varies about several metres in a year.”
• There are several other reasons responsible for polar motion like ocean currents and even hurricanes. But this phenomenon is also impacted by human activities. In 2016, a team of researchers demonstrated that climate-driven changes in water mass distribution, led by the melting of glaciers and ice in Greenland, can cause Earth’s axis to drift. Five years later, another study said climate change was causing the rotational axis to shift more than usual since the 1990s.
• They calculated variations of the spin axis using many kinds of data including atmospheric pressure, ocean bottom pressure, artificial reservoirs behind dams, polar ice, mountain glacier, wind, current and finally groundwater. The estimated spin axis variations didn’t agree with the observation when excluding the groundwater effect. After including it, estimation agreed really well with observation, adding that the redistribution of groundwater was found to be the largest contributor to the drift of the rotational pole.
• The water sucked out from the ground for irrigation and meeting the world’s freshwater demands, eventually, goes into the oceans. Seo and his team confirmed that groundwater extraction is one of the major contributors to the global sea level rise.

Leatherback, the world’s largest sea turtle, makes a rare appearance in Visakhapatnam

The leatherback turtle is a stray record. It is unusual to spot the species in this coast. The leatherbacks are normally seen in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where they come in groups. However, there are no mass nesting sites here as in the case of Olive Ridleys.

• The leatherback is the largest sea turtle in the world, weighing up to 700 kilograms and measuring up to six-and-a-half feet as adults.
• Leatherbacks have been viewed as unique among extant reptiles. They are able to maintain high body temperatures using metabolically generated heat.
• It is found in all oceans except the Arctic and the Antarctic, Within the Indian Ocean, they nest only in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae. It is differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell.
• The species is currently listed as threatened in the Red List of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule I
• According to US-based National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, its global population is said to have declined 40% over the past three generations.
• Loss of nesting sites is one of the key threats to the turtles’ survival, the IUCN states. The turtles also face threat from fishing activities, other human-induced issues like egg collection for consumption, and ingestion of plastic waste.

With neutrinos, scientists observe our galaxy in a whole new way

• Scientists said, they have produced an image of the Milky Way not based on electromagnetic radiation - light - but on ghostly subatomic particles called neutrinos.
• This view differs fundamentally from what we can see with our own eyes or with instruments that measure other electromagnetic sources like radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma-rays.
• It is not stars and planets and other stuff observable thanks to their light, but rather the mysterious sources of neutrinos originating in the galaxy, perhaps remnants of explosive star deaths called supernovas.
• The neutrinos were detected over a span of a decade at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at a U.S. scientific research station at the South Pole, using more than 5,000 sensors covering an area the size of a small mountain.
• Neutrinos are electrically neutral, undisturbed by even the strongest magnetic field, and rarely interact with matter, earning the nickname "ghost particle." As neutrinos travel through space, they pass unimpeded through matter - stars, planets and, for that matter, people.
• Just as light goes without stopping through glass, neutrinos can go through everything, including the whole planet Earth.
• The neutrino is an elementary particle, meaning they are not made up of anything smaller. They are not the building blocks of ''stuff,'' like electrons and quarks are, but they are created in nuclear processes.
• They are also created when protons (subatomic particles) and (atomic) nuclei interact at very high energies
• Neutrinos are produced by the same sources as cosmic rays, the highest-energy particles ever observed, but differ in a key respect. Cosmic rays, as electrically charged particles, cannot be traced straight back to their source because strong magnetic fields in space alter their trajectory. The direction from which neutrinos arrive points directly back to their original source.

Beeps from the most-distant man-made object

• Voyager 1, the farthest manmade object from the Earth, recently began sending back data signals from its scientific instruments, NASA has confirmed. Voyager 1 had stopped sending back relevant data in November 2023, owing to some glitches in its flight data subsystem (FDS), and fixing it was tough as engineers had to wait 45 hours to hear anything. In April 2023, NASA got it to start sending back health and status data, followed by scientific information from two of its instruments in May 2023.
• Now, NASA is once again receiving its readings on plasma waves, magnetic fields, and space particles. Voyager 1 has been sailing the cosmos for over 46 years. The space probe was launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, as part of the Voyager programme to study the outer Solar System and the interstellar space beyond the heliosphere. It was launched 16 days after its twin, Voyager 2. Voyager 1 was intended to explore the Jovian and Saturnian (related to Jupiter and Saturn, respectively) systems, discovering new moons, active volcanoes and a trove of data about the outer Solar System. Accordingly, the probe made flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, and the latter’s largest moon, Titan.
• The probe studied the weather, magnetic fields, and rings of the two gas giants, and was the first probe to provide detailed images of their moons. In 1989, both Voyagers flew beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto, but neither flew by Pluto, which was elsewhere in its orbit at the time.At present, Voyager 1 is currently cruising at 61,500 kmph, at least 24.14 billion km away from Earth, in the Ophiucus constellation.
• Voyager 1 is a triumph of engineering. It was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and has 16 hydrazine thrusters, three-axis stabilisation gyroscopes, and referencing instruments to keep the probe’s radio antenna pointed toward Earth. Collectively, these instruments are part of the attitude and articulation control subsystem (AACS), along with redundant units of most instruments and eight backup thrusters.
• The spacecraft also included 11 scientific instruments to study celestial objects as it travels through space. All its instruments and their working are guided by the computer command system (CCS). Its radio communication system was designed to be used beyond the limits of the Solar System. Its 3.7-metre diameter high-gain Cassegrain antenna sends and receives radio waves through three of NASA’s Deep Space Network stations on Earth.
• As of 2023, signals from Voyager 1 take over 22 hours to reach Earth. In all, the spacecraft weighs 773 kg. Voyager 1 is powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) mounted on a boom. The RTGs generated about 470 W of electrical power at the time of launch, with the remainder being dissipated as waste heat. The power output of the RTGs declines over time, but would continue to support operations until at least 2025, with the probe’s maximum lifespan expected to extend to 2030.

Centre proposes draft rules for Green Credit Programme

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified draft rules for ‘Green Credit’, an incentive that individuals, farmer-producer organisations (FPO), industries, rural and urban local bodies, among other stakeholders, will be able to earn for environment positive actions.

By ‘green credit’, the government means a singular unit of an incentive provided for a specified activity, delivering a positive impact on the environment.

The activities include:

1. Tree plantation-based green credit: To promote activities for increasing the green cover across the country through tree plantation and related activities
2. Water-based green credit: To promote water conservation, water harvesting and water use efficiency / savings, including treatment and reuse of wastewater
3. Sustainable agriculture-based green credit: To promote natural and regenerative agricultural practices and land restoration to improve productivity, soil health and nutritional value of food produced
4. Waste management-based green credit: To promote sustainable and improved practices for waste management, including collection, segregation and treatment
5. Air pollution reduction-based green credit: To promote measures for reducing air pollution and other pollution abatement activities
6. Mangrove conservation and restoration-based green credit: To promote measures for conservation and restoration of mangroves
7. Ecomark-based green credit: To encourage manufacturers to obtain ‘Ecomark’ label for their goods and services
8. Sustainable building and infrastructure-based green credit: To encourage the construction of buildings and other infrastructure using sustainable technologies and materials

Through the programme, thresholds and benchmarks will be developed for each green credit activity.

The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education shall be the administrator of the programme. The institute will develop guidelines, processes and procedures for implementation of the programme and develop methodologies and standards, registration process and associated measurement, reporting and verification mechanisms.

The green credits will be tradable and those earning it will be able to put these credits up for sale on a proposed domestic market platform.

It was first announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the 2023-24 budget with a view to leverage a competitive market-based approach and incentivise voluntary environmental actions of various stakeholders.

Iraq plants mangrove forest to fight climate disaster

Iraq''s carbon emissions have more than doubled over the past decade making it one of the region''s worst polluters when measured against the size of its economy

Mangroves

• Mangrove is a tropical tree thriving near the coastline in brackish water.
• Mangroves are salt tolerant trees, also called halophytes.
• They are adapted to the low oxygen (anoxic) conditions of waterlogged mud.
• These trees cannot survive in colder temperatures.
• They have tangled prop roots that allow the trees to survive the daily tides and capture sediments while slowing waterflow.

How do mangroves help in fighting climate disaster

Carbon sinks

• Net zero carbon emissions Since mangroves store carbon from the atmosphere at up to 4 times the rate of terrestrial forests, they are indispensable in achieving the goal of net zero carbon emissions.
• Soil carbon accumulationDead mangroves decompose very slowly due to waterlogging in the soil, making the soil carbon accumulation last for hundreds of years.
• Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Australia and Mexico hold 50% of the total world mangrove carbon, mainly due to their large mangrove areas.

Ecosystem services

• Mangroves support interconnected terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats.
• Capture sediments - The roots of mangrove trees capture sediments, resulting in the formation of new, fertile lands.
• Aquatic life - While mangrove creeks provide safe grounds for young fish, they simultaneously provide rich feeding areas for predatory fish.

Disaster risk reduction

• Coastal protection - Mangroves stabilise coastlines by holding sediments together.
• They also act as safety nets against storms and surges.
• In tropical coastal areas, mangroves are the first line of defence against natural disasters like cyclones and hurricanes that originate in seas and oceans and impact land.
• Prevents erosion - Mangrove trees act as a buffer zone and arrest winds, slowing them down and hence minimising impact on land.

Socio-economic importance

• Economic and food security - Mangrove ecosystems are home to a variety of fish thus providing a critical source of jobs and protein to local, coastal communities.
• Source of revenue - Mangroves are also important resources for timber and fuelwood, when collected sustainably.
• Promotes biodiversity - Mangroves are extremely rich in biodiversity housing several threatened or endangered species.
  • In India, mangroves found in the Sunderbans shelters the Royal Bengal Tiger, fishing cats, macaques, leopard cats, wild boar, flying fox, pangolin, and Indian grey mongoose.
• Promotes tourism - The biodiversity hotspot attracts thousands of visitors every year, generating valuable revenue.

Deep-sea mining will be 25 times as bad as mining on land

Extracting minerals from the ocean floor could negatively impact biodiversity on a scale of up to 25 times greater than land-based mining, and fixing the damage would cost twice as much as extraction.

A search for alternatives to fossil fuels has driven demand for materials that go into batteries, some of which can be found on the seabed where ecosystems have yet to be fully explored.

Deep-sea mining would extract cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese from potato-sized nodules which pepper the sea floor at depths of 4-6 kilometres. The nodules are an essential habitat for many species.

The nodules... take millions of years to form, which warned resulting biodiversity loss could be permanent. Advocates say deep sea ecosystem restoration, such as installing artificial clay nodules to replace those lost, could mitigate these impacts.

Seabed mining in international waters cannot start until the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a Jamaica-based U.N. body, decides on regulations expected by July.

Major types of deep-sea mining

• Manganese nodule mining: This involves collecting nodules of manganese, iron, and other metals that are scattered on the ocean floor.
• Seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) mining: This involves extracting mineral deposits formed near hydrothermal vents, which can contain high concentrations of copper, zinc, and other metals.
• Cobalt crust mining: This involves collecting crusts of cobalt, nickel, and other metals that form on the surface of seamounts.

Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ)

It is a region spanning 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) across the central Pacific Ocean at depths of 4,000 - 5,500 metres.

• It is a habitat for cetaceans, including baleen (mysticetes) and toothed whales (odontocetes).
• Up to 30 cetacean populations, including globally endangered species like blue whales, can be found in the CCZ, where 17 exploratory deep-sea mining licenses have already been granted.

India''s largest radio telescope key to detecting the universe''s vibrations

• India''s Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) was one of the world''s six large telescopes that played a key role in finding the first direct evidence for the relentless vibrations of the fabric of the universe, caused by ultra-low frequency gravitational waves.
• Such waves are expected to originate from a large number of dancing monster black hole pairs, several million times heavier than the Sun
• The 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope in Germany, the Lovell Telescope of the Jodrell Bank Observatory in the United Kingdom, the Nancay Radio Telescope in France, the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy and the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope in the Netherlands were used for observations.

Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)

• It is an array of thirty fully steerable parabolic radio telescopes of 45 meter diameter.
• It functions at the meter wavelength part of the radio spectrum because man-made radio interference is considerably lower in this part of the spectrum in India and there are many outstanding astrophysics problems which are best studied at meter wavelengths.
• Its design is based on the `SMART'' concept - for Stretch Mesh Attached to Rope Trusses.
• National Centre for Radio Astrophysics - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, (NCRA-TIFR), Pune

Gravitational Lensing

• It is a phenomenon in which the light emitted by the source is bent due to the presence of another massive body, such as an early type elliptical galaxy, between the target galaxy and the observer, effectively resulting in the magnification of the signal.
• It probes the distribution of matter in galaxies and clusters of galaxies, and enables observations of the distant universe.
• It allows researchers to study the details of early galaxies too far away to be seen with current technology and telescopes.

Geographical Indication tag sought for Andhra Pradesh Red Sanders

The Andhra Pradesh forest department represented by Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of Forest Force have submitted an application seeking geographical indication (GI) tag for the famous Andhra Pradesh Red Sanders.

Red sanders

• Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a native and endemic to India and can only be found in the Southern parts of the Eastern Ghats.
• Red Sanders usually grow in the rocky, degraded and fallow lands with Red Soil and hot and dry climate.
• It is a small tree that grows to 5-8 meters in height with a trunk 50-150 cm diameter.
• The geographical area of red sanders include Chittoor, Tirupati, Annamayya, Nandyal, Prakasham and Nellore.
• IUCN Red List: Endangered.
• CITES: Appendix II
• Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule II

There is a huge demand for this timber in the domestic and international market, especially in East Asian Countries. Red Sanders timber is used for carvings. furniture, poles, and house posts. The rare “wavy” grain variant is highly valued in Japan for its acoustic properties and is used to make musical instruments.

In addition, the timber is also exploited for the extraction of Santalin (a red pigment used as dye and colorant in food), medicine and cosmetics.

Its IUCN red list status is “endangered”. Details provided in the application that was filed shows that it was later re-classified to near threatened in 2018, as the scale of this loss is not properly known.

Transponders to be installed in sea vessels across India''s coastal areas to protect marine life

• The central government has decided to instal transponders — wireless tracking devices that use radio frequencies — on approximately 100,000 vessels in all coastal states and Union territories in India in collaboration with the state governments.
• The project has been approved on the request of Odisha government and in consultation with coastal states and UTs.
• The devices will help the vessels avoid sea creatures that suffer injuries coming in contact with boats and fishing trawlers. A prominent example is the case of the Olive Ridley sea turtles, an endangered species, that visit the beaches in Odisha in the millions to nest.
• The affidavit stated that the project will be implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampad Yojana scheme with 100 per cent government funding on a 60:40 cost-sharing basis between the Centre and state.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampad Yojana scheme

• PMMSY was introduced by the Government of India, as part of the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ package with the investment of Rs. 20,050 crores, the highest ever investment in the Fishery sector.
• Fishermen are provided with insurance cover, financial assistance and a facility of Kisan Credit Card as well.
• Aim and Objectives:
  • PMMSY aims towards the purpose of rural development by utilizing rural resources and boosting rural economy in a rapid way.
  • The main motto of PMMSY is ‘Reform, Perform and Transform’ in the fisheries sector.
  • The reforms and initiatives in PMMSY scheme have been inculcated in:
    • Core & trunk infrastructure development
    • Modernization of Indian fisheries by undertaking the efforts such as:
      • Push for new fishing harbours/landing centres
      • Modernisation and mechanization of traditional fishermen crafts-trawlers-deep sea going vessels
      • Provision of post-harvest facilities to reduce post-harvest loss
      • Cold chains facilities
      • Clean and hygienic fish markets
      • Two wheelers with ice boxes
• Achievements:
  • Fisheries sector showed impressive growth of 14.3% from 2019-20 to 2021-22.
    • Fish production reached an all-time high of 141.64 lakh tons during 2019-20 to 161.87 lakh tons during 2021-22.
    • Fisheries sector saws all-time high exports of 13.64 lakh tonnes valuing Rs 57,587 crore dominated by exports of shrimps.
    • Currently, exports to 123 countries are taking place including China, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Tunisia, the United States, Hong Kong, Kuwait, etc.
  • PMMSY has supported 31.47 lakh farmers under insurance coverage from 22 states and 7 UTs.
• Implementation:
  • It is implemented as an umbrella scheme with two separate components namely:
    • Central Sector Scheme: The project cost will be borne by the Central government.
    • Centrally Sponsored Scheme: All the sub-components/activities will be implemented by the States/UTs and the cost will be shared between the Centre and State.
• Forthcoming Plan:
  • Aquaculture promotion will be undertaken especially in the saline and alkaline areas of Northern India.
  • Also, focus will be laid on Aquatic health management involving the address of diseases, antibiotic and residue issues which will be supported by an integrated laboratory network.

Reservation for transgender community: What the demand for ‘horizontal’ reservation 

In response to a clarification requested by the Bombay High Court, the Maharashtra government said on June 13 that it will be difficult to provide “additional reservations” to transgender persons in education and public employment, given the reservation that exists so far for various communities in India.

What have the courts said on reservation for the transgender community?

• In the National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA) v Union of India (2014) case, the Supreme Court ruled that transgender persons have a right to reservation, owing to the fact that they “are a socially and educationally backward class”.
• The NALSA judgment entitles trans persons to reservations on constitutional grounds. It does not, however, mention the nature of reservations – whether they are to be vertical or horizontal.

What are horizontal reservations?

• In India, historically oppressed and disadvantaged communities have a right to affirmative action policies. Reservation in education and employment can be divided into two broad categories, namely, vertical and horizontal.
• Vertical reservations are provisions aimed at addressing social asymmetry arising out of caste hierarchy, and in the case of OBCs, social and educational “backwardness”. These include reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
• Horizontal reservation, on the other hand, cuts across all vertical groups to provide affirmative policies for disadvantaged groups within categories. For example, disabled persons are guaranteed horizontal reservation in all the aforementioned vertical categories, general and reserved (vertical) alike, by the Central government.
• States like Uttarakhand and Bihar have also rolled out policies that guarantee horizontal reservation for women. This means that a woman who belongs to the SC category should be able to avail reservation based on both caste and gender. The horizontal model ensures this. This is exactly what transgender persons are fighting for, as well.

What has happened so far on horizontal reservations?

• In 2015, the Tamil Nadu government decided to categorise “transgender or eunuch (thirunangai or aravani)”, that is, only transwomen under the Most Backward Classes (MBC) category. After Sangama v State of Karnataka, Karnataka became the first and only state to offer one per cent horizontal reservation to transgender persons in 2021. In April this year, transgender persons were included in the OBC category in Madhya Pradesh.

Drongo Spotted At Hastinapur Sanctuary, Experts Cheer

Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
• It lies alongside the northern tip of the River Ganga, flowing thru the districts of Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor.
• It has a variety of landforms and is a mixture of different habitats such as wetlands, marshes, dry sand beds and gently sloping ravines.
• Fauna: Swamp Deer, Leopard, Wild Cats, Wild Otter, Pythons etc.
• Under Crocodile Breeding Projects, baby crocodiles are released in the Ganga River near Hastinapur.
• Under the aegis of the World-Wide Fund (WWF), the Turtle Rehabilitation Program also has its centre near the Hastinapur Sanctuary.
• It is a part of the "Asia Flyway" project, and many migratory Birds, both local and foreign, flock in numbers near the numerous water bodies present in the region.

Greater racket-tailed drongo

• It is a medium-sized Asian bird which is distinctive in having elongated outer tail feathers with webbing restricted to the tips.
• They are diurnal but are active well before dawn and late at dusk.
• They make a wide range of loud calls that include perfect imitations of many other birds.
• Distribution in India: The distribution range extends from the western Himalayas to the eastern Himalayas and Mishmi Hills and is also found in the hills of peninsular India and the Western Ghats
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN: Least Concern

Euclid set to launch next week in quest for dark energy

• It is named after the Greek mathematician Euclid of Alexandria.
• This mission is part of ESA’s Cosmic Vision programme, which plans to explore the origin and components of the Universe and the fundamental laws that govern it.
• The spacecraft will have a 1.2-metre-wide telescope and two instruments;
  • A visible-wavelength camera (the VISible instrument): It will look for tiny distortions in the shapes of distant galaxies from different points in time to highlight the tussle between the pull of gravity and the push of dark energy.
  • A near-infrared camera/spectrometer(the Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer): It will look at how quickly the galaxies are moving away from each other, which will offer scientists insight into both dark energy and the working of gravity.
  • The detectors of the near-infrared instruments have been supplied by NASA, making the American agency an important part of the Euclid Consortium.
• It will be floating 1.5 million kilometres above the Earth, and the telescope hopes to deliver images that are at least four times sharper than ground-based ones.
• The spacecraft measures approximately 4.7 metres tall and 3.7 metres in diameter.
• It will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and will remain operational for a minimum of six years.

Oceans cool the planet by releasing short-lived halogens that contribute 8-10 per cent of cooling

• Oceans, along with absorbing carbon dioxide and moderating the climate, also cool the planet by releasing short-lived halogens such as chlorine, bromine and iodine.
• The short-lived halogens from the ocean reduce warming by depleting ozone.
• They increase methane’s lifetime in the atmosphere by destroying hydroxyl radicals (OH).
• They have increased the global methane burden by 14 per cent and 9 per cent for pre-industrial and present-day conditions.
• Halogens increase the levels of water vapour, a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.
• The emission of halogen from the ocean is not the same across the world.
• Over continents, the emissions are small, while it is bigger in polar regions and some places with higher ozone levels.

Halogens

• The term Halogen in Greek means salt-producing because it reacts with many metals to produce salts.
• They are a group of elements located in Group 17 of the periodic table, which includes fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and astatine (At).
• In 1826, Swedish chemist Jons Berzelius coined the term halogen for the entire group of elements.
• Unlike metals, they exist in all three different states of matter in their standard state.
• For example, fluorine is found naturally as a gas, bromine as a liquid, and the larger iodine is found naturally as a solid.
• Reactivity: Halogens are the most reactive nonmetals on the periodic table and are powerful oxidising agents.

WHO to declare soft drink sweetener Aspartame possible carcinogen: Report

Aspartame

• It is the world''s most commonly used low-calorie artificial sweetener, which is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose (common sugar)
• It was discovered by James M. Schlatter, a chemist, in 1965 and was introduced to replace sucrose.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved aspartame for use in some dry foods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983.
• It is made up of two amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine, which are naturally occurring amino acids in many protein-rich foods.
• In the body, aspartame is metabolised into its constituent components, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and a small amount of methanol.
• It is used worldwide as a sugar substitute in thousands of foods and drinks, including cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, low-calorie fruit juices and diet sodas.
• Around 100 countries around the world, including India, permit the use of aspartame.

US inclined to supply Ukraine with ATACMS missiles – report

Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS)

• ATACMS is a conventional surface-to-surface artillery weapon system capable of striking targets well beyond the range of existing Army cannons, rockets and other missiles.
• It is manufactured by the US defence company Lockheed Martin.
• It is also designated M39 by the US Army, and its Dept of Defence (DoD) designation is MGM-140.
• This weapon''s known operators other than the US are Bahrain, Greece, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
• Features:
  • ATACMS are 24/7, all-weather, surface-to-surface, inertially guided missiles.
  • It has a range of about 190 miles (305 km).
  • Propulsion: Single-stage, solid propellant.
  • It is typically deployed from modified Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launch vehicles.
  • Targets include air defence artillery sites, surface-to-surface missile units, logistics sites, command and control complexes, and helicopter forward operating bases.

Govt removes extra import duty on US apples: How it can impact domestic growers

GOI has removed a 20% retaliatory duty on apple imports from the US as part of a deal where the latter restores market access for Indian steel and aluminium products.

• The first is that US apples will continue to attract a 50% import duty. This duty is applicable on apples imported from all countries.
• The Government has merely done away with an additional 20% duty on American apples. That was imposed on June 15, 2019, as a retaliatory measure to the then Donald Trump administration levying tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on many aluminium products imported from India.
• Besides apples, India had also slapped retaliatory duties on US almonds, walnuts, chickpeas (chana) and lentils (masoor). These have all now been removed and American imports will be treated on part with imports from other countries.

The timing of the move — giving a level playing field with its competitors — would help. Harvesting of Washington apples starts from August and extends till early-November. It allows for import of fresh fruit into India from mid-September through November. This is followed by supplies from cold-stored apples during December-January and, then, from controlled-atmosphere (CA) chambers from February right up to August.

CA storage entails manipulating the carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) concentration, along with temperature and humidity, in the chambers for increasing the shelf life of the fruits. Apples, like humans, breathe through intake of O2 and release of CO2. Respiration, however, also leads to ripening of fruits. By lowering the concentration of O2 and raising that of CO2, the respiration is slowed down, thereby extending fruit storability and minimum change in quality characteristics.

Storage Systems: Controlled and Modified Atmosphere Storage

Controlled storage

• Controlled storage can be defined as the process of constant monitoring and adjustments in the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in air-tight containers and storage. Controlled atmosphere storage is a vital innovation that helps in reducing the adverse effects of storage on the shelf life of vegetables and fruits. This is done by controlling the gas composition in the storage facilities that eventually control the storage life.
• Controlled atmosphere storage consists of reducing the oxygen and increasing the carbon dioxide levels according to the ambient atmospheric conditions. However, sometimes it also deals with removing ethylene and adding carbon monoxide.
• Controlled atmospheric storage refers to the continuous monitoring and adjustments in the gases of the storage containers accordingly.
• Whereas the modified atmospheric storage does not deal with the active control of gas, it only deals with the packaged atmosphere created by the respiration in the freshly produced items.
• Various processed fruits and veggies are stored in modified atmosphere packages to control aging and increase the shelf life. In the early twentieth century, Kidd and West developed the technology to control and monitor the atmospheric system.
• The world has seen the global use of this technology in the short and long term to manage and meet market demands.

Modified Atmosphere Storage

• Modified atmosphere storage refers to modifying atmospheric conditions, generally temperature and humidity, to enhance the storage life of several perishable crops like atemoya.
• The storage system is crucial for any crop as it controls the life cycle of the yield, and an improper temperature and storage environment can result in damaged stored crops.
• Modifying the atmosphere, packing the fruits in PVC film, and storing the fruit in polyester trays wrapped in PVC film do not influence the fruit’s skin colour. However, it significantly reduces weight loss compared to a non-packet fruit and preserves the pulp brightness. Various studies and research has been done on comparison of the weight loss in the packet fruit and unpacked fruit, and they show a significant lowering in weight loss of the packet fruit.
• Fruits sealed in LDPE remain raw and do not ripen as the packing develops an injurious atmosphere inside.
• Research shows that atemoya fruit, when packaged in PD-955 film and stored in storage at 15 degrees, offers a shelf life of 17 days which is far better than the 13 days shelf life of control fruit.

Effects of Modified Oxygen and Carbon-dioxide Levels on Crops

• Modified O2 levels
• Reduced rate of respiration
• Less oxidation of the substrate
• Delay in the ripening of climacteric fruit
• Reduced ethylene production rate
• Development of several physiological disorders

Modified CO2 Levels

• Reduced distortion
• Reduced fungal growth
• Often results in the production of off-flavours
• Inhibits some enzymatic reactions

Asteroid Day: History of Tunguska asteroid event and all you need to know

• It is observed on June 30 every year.
• The day aims to raise awareness about asteroid impact hazards and crisis communication actions in case of a credible asteroid threat to planet Earth.
• The day also aims to educate people about the latest and upcoming asteroid research and technology through numerous events and activities held by organisations across the globe.
• History:
  • The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution in December 2016, designating June 30 as International Asteroid Day.
  • The UNGA adopted the resolution based on the proposal made by the Association of Space Explorers, endorsed by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
  • The date was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the Tunguska asteroid’s impact over Siberia on June 30, 1908.

Tunguska Event:

• It is considered the biggest asteroid impact in recorded history when an asteroid exploded a few kilometres above the Tunguska region of central Siberia.
• It flattened more than 80 million trees in seconds, over an area spanning nearly 800 square miles (2,000 square kilometres) — but left no crater.

Asteroid

• Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the sun.
• Although asteroids orbit the sun like planets, they are much smaller than planets.
• They are leftovers from the formation of our solar system.
• From being as small as 10 meters across to as huge as 530 km in diameter, asteroids have varied sizes.

First segment of UN Intergovernmental Negotiations framework meetings now webcast: UNGA President

Intergovernmental Negotiations Framework (IGN)

• IGN is a group of nation-states working within the UN to further reform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
• Composition: The IGN is composed of several different international organisations, namely:
  • The African Union;
  • The G4 nations (India, along with Brazil, Japan and Germany are pressing for a permanent seat in the reformed UNSC);
  • The Uniting for Consensus Group (UfC), also known as the "Coffee Club";
  • The L.69 Group of Developing Countries;
  • The Arab League; and
  • The Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
• Each group represents a different set of positions vis-a-vis reforming the UNSC.
• The group''s conversations are considered "informal" in nature due to the lack of single text, and thus, UNGA rules of procedure don''t apply.
• But in 2015, a framework document was agreed when it comes to the reform, which can be the basis for future talks.

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

• The United Nations Charter established six main organs of the United Nations, including the UN Security Council (UNSC).
• UNSC has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
• Under the UN Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
• The Security Council has a permanent residence at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
• Powers:
  • Establishment of peacekeeping operations.
  • Establishment of international sanctions.
  • Authorisation of military action through Security Council resolutions.
• Members:
  • The U.N. Charter provides for 15 members of the UNSC:
  • Five permanent members are known as P5, including the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia and the US. They have veto power over decisions of the UNSC.
  • 10 non-permanent members. Each year the 193-member General Assembly elects five non-permanent members for a two-year term at the UNSC.