Japan gets a brand new island after underwater volcano eruption

Phreatomagmatic eruption

• A new island near Japan''s Ogasawara island chain was formed by phreatomagmatic eruption.
• It is an eruption that involves both magma and water. It typically interacts explosively leading to concurrent ejection of steam and pyroclastic fragments.
• Phreatomagmatic ash is formed by the same mechanism over a wide range of basic and acidic compositions. A blocky and uniform crust with low vesicle content is formed.
• Deposits from phreatomagmatic eruptions are thought to be better classified and finer-grained than those from magmatic eruptions. This is the result of higher fragmentation of phreatomagmatic eruptions.

Ogasawara Islands

• The Ogasawara Islands are located in the North-Western Pacific Ocean.
• It is also known as Bonin Islands.
• It is a volcanic arc comprising more than 30 islands and islets.
• The landscape is dominated by subtropical forest types and sclerophyllous shrublands surrounded by steep cliffs.
• It is one of the famous UNESCO World Heritage sites of Japan.

Working under the sun causes 1 in 3 deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer, say WHO and ILO

Highlights

• In 2019, approximately 6 billion people of working age (15 years and older) were exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation while working outdoors, accounting for 28 per cent of all working-age people.
• In the same year, nearly 19,000 people in 183 countries died from non-melanoma skin cancer as a result of working outside in the sun. The majority (65 per cent) were men.
• Governments should establish, implement and enforce policies and regulations that protect outdoor workers from sun-induced skin cancer

Non-melanoma skin cancer

• It refers to a group of cancers that develop in the upper layers of the skin.
• The main types are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
• The main cause is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds.
• It is more common in older people, but younger people can also get it.
• Symptoms
• The main symptom of non-melanoma skin cancer is a growth or unusual patch on the skin, but it''s most common in areas exposed to the sun, such as head, face and ears neck and shoulders etc.
• Treatment: Surgery is the main treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer. Radiotherapy, targeted medicines, photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy are also sometimes used.

First-ever images prove ''lost echidna'' not extinct

Attenborough''s long-beaked echidna

• It is also known as Sir David''s long-beaked echidna or the Cyclops long-beaked echidna. It is named in honour of naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
• It is one of three species from the genus Zaglossus that inhabits the island of New Guinea. It is the smallest echidna species.
• Habitat: It lives in the Cyclops Mountains, which are near the cities of Sentani and Jayapura in the Indonesian province of Papua.
• Echidnas are nocturnal and shy, making them difficult to find at the best of times.
• It appears so unlike other mammals is because it is a member of the monotremes -- an egg-laying group that separated from the rest of the mammal tree-of-life about 200 million years ago.
• Conservation status
• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
• CITES : Appendix II

NHAI Accepts First Insurance Surety Bond as Bid Security for NHAI TOT Bid for Monetization

• It is the first time this innovative instrument (Insurance Surety Bond) is being utilized as a Bank Guarantee (BG) in the road infrastructure sector for monetization of bids.
• NHAI has been working closely with Highway Operators Association of India (HOAI), SBI General Insurance and AON India Insurance to implement this initiative.

Insurance Surety Bond

• These bonds can be defined in their simplest form as a written agreement to guarantee compliance, payment, or performance of an act.
• These are instruments where **insurance companies act as ‘Surety’ and provide the financial guarantee that the contractor will fulfil its obligation as per the agreed terms.
• Surety is a unique type of insurance because it involves a three-party agreement.
• The three parties in a surety agreement are:
• **Principal:**The party that purchases the bond and undertakes an obligation to perform an act as promised.
• **Surety:**The insurance company or surety company that guarantees the obligation will be performed. If the principal fails to perform the act as promised, the surety is contractually liable for losses sustained.
• **Obligee:**The party who requires and often receives the benefit of the surety For most surety bonds, the obligee is a local, state or federal government organisation.
• Significance
• It will act as a security arrangement for infrastructure projects and will insulate the contractor as well as the principal.
• The product gives the principal a contract of guarantee that contractual terms and other business deals will be concluded in accordance with the mutually agreed terms.
• In case the contractor doesn’t fulfil the contractual terms, the Principal can raise a claim on the surety bond and recover the losses they have incurred.
• Unlike a bank guarantee, the Surety Bond Insurance does not require large collateral from the contractor, thus freeing up significant funds for the contractor, which they can utilise for the growth of the business.
• The product will also help in reducing the contractors’ debts to a large extent, thus addressing their financial worries.

India & Bangladesh navies undertake corpat & ex Bongosagar

Exercise CORPAT and Bongosagar

• It is the 4th edition of the BONGOSAGAR and the 5th edition of Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) exercise. Both are bilateral naval exercise.
• Indian Navy Ships Kuthar, Kiltan and Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) Dornier participated in the exercise along with Bangladesh Navy Ships Abu Bakr and Abu Ubaidah.
• CORPAT-23 also included the maiden Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) drills conducted between the two navies wherein a Search and Rescue scenario at sea was exercised.
• INS Kuthar is an indigenously built guided-missile Corvette, whereas INS Kiltan is an indigenously built anti-submarine Corvette.

National Education Day is celebrated in the honour of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India''s first Education Minister

National Education Day

• It is celebrated on November 11 every year (Since 2008) to mark the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India’s first education minister.
• Significance:
• The purpose of celebrating National Education Day is to enlighten individuals about the importance of education and its positive impact on the nation’s development and well-being.
• National Education Day 2023 Theme: Embracing Innovation

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, born on November 11, 1888, was a scholar, educationist, freedom fighter, and senior leader of the Indian National Congress (INC).
• He became the youngest person to serve as President of INC in 1923, at the age of 35.
• He was one of the leading supporters of the non-violent civil disobedience movement that was led by Mahatma Gandhi.
• He was the first Education Minister of independent India. He served in the position from 1947 to 1958.
• He was instrumental in the establishment of premier educational institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the University Grants Commission (UGC).
• He was posthumously awarded India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, in 1992.