After Philippines, China ‘Schemes’ To Encroach Vietnam’s Territory In Gulf Of Tonkin, Redraw New Baseline

About Gulf of Tonkin:

• It is a crescent-shaped, shallow, semi-enclosed water body situated in the South China Sea’s northwestern portion. 
• Borders: The gulf is bordered by the northern coastline of Vietnam in the west and northwest; by China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the north; and by the Leizhou Peninsula and Hainan Island in the east. 
• It is referred to as “Beibu Gulf” in Chinese and “Bac Bo Gulf” in Vietnamese.
• Many rivers empty into the Gulf of Tonkin, with the Red River (Yuan Riverin Chinese) supplying the major riverine discharge along with some smaller rivers.
• It is connected with the South China Sea via the gulf’s mouth in the south and the Hainan Strait (Qiongzhou Strait) in the northeast. 
• Major Ports: In Northern Vietnam, the gulf’s main ports include Haiphong and Ben Thuy, whereas, in China, its major port is Beihai (Pakhoi).
• The Gulf of Tonkin is best known for the infamous “Gulf of Tonkin Incident”.
• It was a complex naval event in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of Vietnam, that occurred from August 2 to August 4, 1964, during the Vietnam War. 
• The report of North Vietnamese torpedo boats firing on two U.S. destroyers in 1964 resulted in the U.S. Congress adopting the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to support increased U.S. troop involvement in the Vietnam War. 

Cooperating with probe does not mean accused has to make self-incriminating statements: Supreme Court

What is Self-Incrimination?

• A declaration or an act that occurs during an investigation where a person or witness incriminates themselves either explicitly or implicitly is known as self-incrimination.
• In simpler words, it is the act of implicating or exposing one’s own self to criminal prosecution.

Right against Self-Incrimination in India:

• The Indian Constitution provides immunity to an accused against self-incrimination under Article 20(3): ‘No person accused of an offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself’.
• It is based on the legal maxim “nemo teneteur prodre accussare seipsum”,which means “No man is obliged to be a witness against himself.”
• Features of Article 20(3):
• A person accused of any offence would be presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty.
• The burden of proving the accused guilty lies with the prosecution.
• The accused is not required to make any statement against his own will.
• The Supreme Court (SC) widened the scope of this immunity by interpreting the word ‘witness’ to include oral as well as documentary evidence so that no person can be compelled to be a witness to support a prosecution against himself.
• This prohibition cannot be applied in cases where an object or document is searched or seized from the possession of the accused.
• For the same reason, the clause does not bar the medical examination of the accused or the obtaining of a thumb impression or specimen signature from him.
• This immunity is available only in criminal proceedings.
• The SC has made it clear that in order to claim this immunity from being compelled to make a self-incriminating statement, it is necessary that a formal accusation must have been made against the person at the time of interrogation.
• He cannot claim immunity at some general inquiry or investigation on the ground that his statement may, at some later stage, lead to an accusation. 
• The compulsory administration of the narco-analysis technique amounts to ‘testimonial compulsion’ and thereby triggers the protection of Article 20(3) of the Constitution.

Stakeholders Meeting on Right to Repair Portal India held

About Right to Repair Portal:

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs (MCA) has launched the Right to Repair Portal India to provide consumers with access to repair information for their products and reduce e-waste.
• The launch was made on the occasion of National Consumer Rights Day 2022.
• Features:
• It provides information about the circular economy, which is the new economic model that focuses on repairing and reusing products, as opposed to throwing them away. 
• The portal brings together information from different sectors, including automobiles, consumer durables, mobile and electronics, and farming equipment.
• All public information related to products, services, warranties, terms, and conditions, etc. will also be easily accessible through this portal.
• It gives consumers access to affordable repair mobile phones, appliances, and other electronic devices by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or third-party repairers.
• The aim is to offer a cheaper alternative to expensive replacements to customers, instead of buying new products altogether.
• The portal will carry information for enabling consumers to self-repair, knowing about authorized repairers, and promoting third party repairers. 
• It will also benefit small repair shops, as a list of authorised third-party repairs will be provided.
• It also allows consumers to submit feedback and suggestions on products and services.

Devotees throng Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar to celebrate Maha Shivratri

About Shankaracharya Temple:

• The Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar, located on top of the Shankaracharya Hill, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the oldest shrines in Kashmir.
• The temple dates back to 200 BC, however present structure was probably constructed in 9th Century AD.
• It is said that the temple was originally built by Jaluka, the son of Emperor Ashoka, a follower of Buddhist religion; and hence, the temple is also regarded as scared by the Buddhist people, and they called this temple as Pas-Pahar.
• Also known as Jyesteshwara Temple, the temple is named after the great philosopher Shankaracharya who is believed to have visited Srinagar about ten centuries ago.
• It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya attained spiritual enlightenment at this place, and it was after this enlightenment that he went out and formed the four Hindu schools of Advaita, or the philosophy of non-dualism. 
• Features:
• The temple''s architecture reflects a blend of Hindu and Buddhist styles and boasts intricate carvings that depict various mythological stories. 
• The early Shihara style is prominently evident in the building design and is indicative of a horseshoe arch type of pattern.
• The temple sits on a solid rock and is constructed on a high octagonal platform. The main sanctum sanctorum houses a black stone idol of Lord Shiva along with other deities.

10,000 cases in 70 days, Kerala now has a mumps outbreak

About Mumps:

• Mumps is a contagious disease caused by the mumps virus, which belongs to a group of viruses known as paramyxoviruses.
• The illness starts with mild symptoms such as headache, fever, and fatigue. But then it typically leads to severe swelling in certain salivary glands (parotitis) that causes puffy cheeks and a tender, swollen jaw.
• Transmission: Humans are the only known host for the mumps virus, which is spread via direct contact or by airborne droplets from the upper respiratory tract of infected individuals.
• Who does mumps affect?
• Mumps most commonly affects children between the ages of 2 to 12 who haven’t received the mumps vaccine.
• However, adolescents and adults can get mumps despite being vaccinated against it. This occurs because there’s waning immunity to the vaccine after several years.
• Incubation Period: The average incubation period for mumps is 16 to 18 days, with a range of 12 to 25 days.
• Symptoms: Many children have no or very mild symptoms. The following are the most common symptoms of mumps that may be seen in both adults and children:
• Discomfort in the salivary glands (in the front of the neck) or the parotid glands (immediately in front of the ears). Either of these glands may become swollen and tender.
• Difficulty chewing
• Pain and tenderness of the testicles
• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Tiredness
• Loss of appetite
• Treatment: There is no specific treatment for mumps. The various symptoms may be relieved with medicines.

Meet Pi, the world’s ‘friendliest’ chatbot powered by the new Inflection-2.5 LLM

About Inflection 2.5:

• It is an “upgraded in-house model that is competitive with all the world’s leading LLMs.
• The newly upgraded Large Language Model comes with its signature personality and uniquely empathetic fine-tuning.
• With the new upgrade, Pi has now been endowed with world-class real-time web search capabilities to ensure that users get access to high-quality and up-to-date information in real time.
• The new LLM, users are talking to the Pi chatbot about a wider range of topics including discussing current events, getting local restaurant recommendations, studying for a biology exam, drafting business plans, coding, and even fun discussions on hobbies.

What is PI chatbot?

• Pi is an AI chatbot with which one can have deep and meaningful conversations.
• To access the chatbot, one needs to log on to Inflection.AI, click on Meet Pi, and simply start talking to the chatbot right away.
• It is more humane and has been promoted as a chatbot that has a personality.
• It is more like a companion to humans and is free to use.
• The chatbot comes with a voice, in six distinct voices, to choose from adding life to conversations.
• The chatbot has been shown billions of lines of text on the open web.
• This allows Pi to have conversations with users and answer a wide variety of questions, according to the company.

All about India’s indigenous fifth-gen fighter jet AMCA, and why it is important

About Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft:

• It is India’s fifth-generation fighter multirole fighter jet.
• Features
• It will have advanced stealth features to avoid detection by enemy radar.
• Fuel and Weapon: The aircraft will have a large, concealed internal fuel tank of 6.5-tonne capacity, and an internal weapons bay for a range of weapons, including indigenous weapons.
• Engine: The AMCA Mk1 variant will have the US-built GE414 engine which will be developed indigenously by DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in collaboration with a foreign defence major.
• The aircraft will have a low electro-magnetic signature, which will make it difficult for enemy radar to detected it.
• At the same time, it will have powerful sensors and new weapons, so it is able to register the signature of enemy aircraft and take them out.
• The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be the nodal agency for executing the programme and designing the aircraft.
• It will be manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

India’s golden langur population estimated at 7,396

About Golden Langurs:

• It can be most easily recognized by the color of their fur, after which they are named.
• It has been noted that their fur changes colors according to the seasons.
• The color of the young also differs from adults in that they are almost pure white.
• Geographic Range:
• It is limited to Assam, India and neighboring Bhutan where they live year-round.
• The area they inhabit is restricted to the region surrounded by four geographical landmarks: the foothills of Bhutan (north), Manas river (east), Sankosh river (west), and Brahmaputra river (south).
• Habitat
• They occupy moist evergreen and tropical deciduous forests as well as some riverine areas and savannas in Assam and Bhutan.
• They are very much dependent on trees, living in the upper canopy of sub-tropical forests in the south and in more temperate forests in the north.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 : Schedule I

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launches various initiatives in School and Teacher Education

About DIETS of Excellence:

• To strengthen teacher training, the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET) will be developed into centres of excellence. 
• Funding: Financial assistance, totalling to Rs 9000 crores, will be provided to States/UTs for the physical upgradation of all 613 District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) to develop them as DIET of Excellence in the country in a phased manner in the next five years.
• Upto 15 Crore per DIET will be provided under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha for improving various infrastructural facilities. 

What is District Institutes of Education and Training?

• It is an integral part of India’s education system.
• It was established in every district of India as a result of the National Policy on Education 1986.
• DIETs were designed to provide quality training and support to teachers, teacher educators, and other educational personnel.
• They were intended to serve as a hub of academic excellence and professional development.
• The initial focus of DIETs was on providing pre-service and in-service training to teachers and teacher educators.
• They also work with the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to develop curriculum frameworks that are aligned with national education policies.

Gold nanoparticles can help arrest ageing: Experts

About Gold Nanoparticles:

• Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are small gold particles with a diameter of 1 to 100 nm.
• Once dispersed in water, AuNPs are also known as colloidal gold.
• These are also called as ''gold bhasma,''
• Properties
• Spherical AuNPs possess useful attributes such as size- and shape-related optoelectronic properties, large surface-to-volume ratio, excellent biocompatibility, and low toxicity.
• Important physical properties of AuNPs include surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and the ability to quench fluorescence.
• Spherical AuNPs exhibit a range of colors (e.g., brown, orange, red and purple) in aqueous solution as the core size increases from 1 to 100 nm.
• These are not – toxic, not phototoxic, not genotoxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing
• Applications
• Electronics: Gold nanoparticles are designed for use as conductors from printable inks to electronic chips. Nanoscale gold nanoparticles are being used to connect resistors, conductors, and other elements of an electronic chip.
• Photodynamic Therapy: Near-IR absorbing gold nanoparticles produce heat when excited by light at wavelengths from 700 to 800 nm. This enables these nanoparticles to eradicate targeted tumors.
• Therapeutic Agent Delivery: Therapeutic agents can also be coated onto the surface of gold nanoparticles. The large surface area-to-volume ratio of gold nanoparticles enables their surface to be coated with hundreds of molecules
• Sensors– These are used in a variety of sensors. For example, a colorimetric sensor based on gold nanoparticles can identify if foods are suitable for consumption.
• Diagnostics: These are also used to detect biomarkers in the diagnosis of heart diseases, cancers, and infectious agents.