Qualcomm, Google partner to make RISC-V chip for wearable devices

RISC-V technology

• It is an open-source technology that is pronounced "risk five".
• It is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) used for the development of custom processors targeting a variety of end applications.
• It is considered the fifth generation of processors built on the concept of the reduced instruction set computer (RISC).
• It was begun as a project at UC Berkeley to create an open-source computer system based on RISC principles.
• It was initially designed for academic use. The standard has evolved and is now managed by RISC-V International.
• How does RISC-V work?
  • As an open-standard architecture, RISC-V is defined by member companies of RISC-V International, the global nonprofit organization behind the ISA.
  • The intent is that through collaboration, the member companies can contribute to new avenues of processor innovation while promoting new degrees of design freedom.
  • It features a small core set of instructions upon which all the design’s software runs.
  • The architecture allows designers to customize and build their processor in a way that’s tailored to their target end applications.
• Benefits of RISC-V include:
  • Its open-standard nature, which allows collaboration and innovation across the industry.
  • The entire RISC-V architecture can be scrutinized closely in the public domain, eliminating back doors and hidden channels.
• Applications: Wearables, Industrial, IoT, and Home Appliances, Smartphones, Automotive, High-Performance Computing (HPC), and Data Centers.

NHAI Upgrades ATMS Standards for Enhanced Road Safety

Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) Standards

• Aim: To enhance road safety, reducing incidence response time and digital enforcement on national highways and expressways.
• The new standard includes the following features
  • It provides for the implementation of digital highways by developing integrated utility corridors along the national highways to develop optic fibre cables (OFC) infrastructure.
  • Under the new standards, the existing VIDS cameras will be replaced with the Video Incident Detection and Enforcement System (VIDES) to emphasize the digital enforcement of traffic rules.
  • For comprehensive coverage, these cameras are slated for installation every 10 km along National Highways and the feeds from these cameras will be integrated at the command and control centres located at every 100 km
  • The vehicle speed detection system (VSDS) is now integrated into VIDES, optimizing use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.
  • Depending on the detected incident, VIDES will alert route patrol vehicles or ambulances, generate e-challans, relay alerts to nearby variable messaging boards, or send notifications through ‘Rajmargyatra’ mobile app to nearby travellers
• These measures play an active role in disaster management by providing inputs for effective planning and implementation.
• It will also provide online sharing of highway status and other important information that will help both the agencies and the highway users.

Forest Department banks on native wisdom of Muthuvan tribe for Nilgiri Tahr conservation

Muthuvan tribe

• These people live in the border hill forests of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• They speak slightly different dialects and call each other Malayalam Muthuvan and Pandi Muthuvan.
• They are animists and spirit worshippers and also worship the forest gods.
• They believe that the spirits of their ancestors were the first migrants to the hill forests.
• They are known for coexisting with wildlife with their traditional knowledge.
• These tribal people follow a unique system of governance called the ''Kani System''.
• Under this system, each village is headed by a ''Kani'', who is responsible for the administration of the village.
• They are experts in traditional medicines, which are extremely effective, and the medicine is kept confidentially and passed down through generations.
• Occupation: Agriculture is the main occupation of these Muthuvan tribes, producing quite a number of products like ragi, cardamom and lemon grass.

Project Tahr

• Under this project, the Tamil Nadu government plans to develop a better understanding of the Nilgiri Tahr population through surveys and radio telemetry studies
• Reintroduce the Tahrs to their historical habitat
• Address proximate threats.
• Increase public awareness of the species
• Time period: The project is to be implemented for 5 year period from 2022 to 2027.

Lao PDR becomes second country in 2023 after Bangladesh to eliminate lymphatic filariasis

Lymphatic Filariasis

• It is commonly known as elephantiasis, and it is a neglected tropical disease.
• Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. This impairs the lymphatic system and can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain, severe disability, and social stigma.
• Cause: It''s caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea. There are three types of these thread-like filarial worms:
  • Wuchereria bancrofti, which is responsible for 90% of the cases.
  • Brugia malayi, which causes most of the remainder of the cases.
  • Brugia timori, which also causes the disease.
• Symptoms: About two in every three people who have lymphatic filariasis don’t have severe symptoms, but filariasis usually leads to a weakened immune system. Some people may experience inflammation, Lymphedema, Hydrocele and Edema.
• Treatment:
  • The World Health Organisation recommended preventive chemotherapy strategy for lymphatic filariasis elimination is mass drug administration (MDA).
  • MDA involves administering an annual dose of medicine to the entire at-risk population.
• Global Initiatives to Eradicate Lymphatic Filariasis:
  • **WHO’s road map 2021−2030:**Sets global targets and milestones to prevent, control, eliminate or eradicate 20 diseases.
  • Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF): WHO established this to stop the transmission of infection by mass drug administration (MDA) of anthelmintics and to alleviate the suffering of people affected by the disease through morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP).
• According to the WHO progress report on the disease, Nineteen countries have been able to eliminate it.
  • Of the 19 countries, 11 belong to the WHO Western Pacific Region (WPR). Lao PDR is 11th country in the WPR region to successfully eliminate LF.
  • South-East Asia region: Bangladesh, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
  • Africa region: Malawi and Togo

INS Sumedha strengthens diplomatic ties with port visit to Nigeria’s Lagos

Gulf of Guinea

• It is the northeasternmost portion of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, located off the western coast of the African continent.
• It is found at the junction of the Prime Meridian and the Equator at 0°0’N and 0°0''E.
• The area covers 2.3 million square kilometres, with approximately 6,000 kilometres of coastline.
• It has a narrow continental shelf.
• It has warm tropical waters with relatively low salinity because of the rivers that drain into it and also due to the high rainfall in the region.
• Its major tributaries are the Volta and Niger rivers.
• Coastline:
  • The 16 coastal countries that are situated along the Gulf of Guinea are Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cote d''Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gabon, Nigeria, Ghana, São Tomé and Principe, Togo, and Sierra Leone.
  • The coastal region of the Gulf is mostly low-lying and is interspersed with mangrove swamps, marshes, and lagoons.
  • The coastline of the Gulf of Guinea is remarkably similar to the continental margin of South America (that runs from Brazil to the Guianas), thus establishing a clear confirmation of the theory of continental drift.
• The Gulf of Guinea region accounts for more than 35% of the world’s total petroleum reserves.
• It is one of the world’s most dangerous gulfs because of the widespread piracy that has severely affected many countries in West Africa, along with other international countries.

INS Sumedha

• It is the third ship of the indigenously built Saryu-class Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels (NOPV).
• It was indigenously designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited.
• It was commissioned into the Indian Navy on March 7, 2014.
• It is part of the Indian Navy''s Eastern Fleet, based in Visakhapatnam.
• Primary Functions: To undertake EEZ surveillance, anti-piracy patrols, fleet support operations, provide maritime security to offshore assets, and carry out escort operations for high-value assets.
• Features:
  • It has a displacement of 2,230 tonnes and measures 105 metres in length and 12.9 metres in beam.
  • It is fitted with a state-of-the-art weapon and sensor package.
  • It can carry an Advanced Light Combat Helicopter onboard.
  • The ship is propelled by two diesel engines, the largest of their kind ever deployed in the Indian Navy, which allow it to reach a top speed of 25 knots.
  • With a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h), the offshore patrol vessel is suitable for extended missions and operations.

Gaza''s Rafah Border Crossing Area Hit In Military Strike

Rafah Crossing

• The crossing is at the south end of the Gaza Strip, a narrow slither of land that is home to 2.3 million people.
• It is wedged between Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea.
• The crossing is controlled by Egypt.
• It is the only likely route for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza via Rafah from Egypt''s Sinai Peninsula region.
• There are only two other border crossings: Erez, a border crossing with Israel in north Gaza, and Kerem Shalom, a commercial crossing between Israel and Southern Gaza.

Sinai Peninsula

• It is a triangle-shaped peninsula located in northeastern Egypt.
• It serves as a land bridge connecting Asia and Africa.
• Boundaries:
  • It is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea and to the east by Israel and the Gaza Strip.
  • To the west of the Sinai Peninsula is the Suez Canal, across which lies the African part of Egypt.
  • It is bordered to the southwest by the Gulf of Suez and to the immediate south by the Red Sea.
  • The Gulf of Aqaba borders the Sinai in the southeast.
  • Egypt shares maritime borders in the Sinai with Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

New flowering plant species discovered in Manipur

Curcuma kakchingense

• It is a new flowering plant species discovered in Manipur.
• It is a member of the angiospermic family Zingiberaceae, which includes well-known plants like Curcuma (turmeric), gingers, and cardamom.
• It is a robust plant, as tall as eight feet, having large terminal inflorescence.
• It was found thriving along the banks of the Sekmai River in the Kakching District of Manipur.
• It bears a striking resemblance to Curcuma longa, known locally as "Yaingung," and Curcuma phrayawan, a species from Thailand, but is distinguished by having lemon-yellow rhizomes with a very bitter taste.
• It has been classified as "Data Deficient" (DD) under the IUCN Red List category.
• Importance of Curcuma plants:
  • Several Curcuma species, including the turmeric (Curcuma longa are important for their use in cuisines, traditional medicines, spices, dyes, perfumes, cosmetics, and as ornamental plants.
  • Curcumin and several curcuminoids found in curcuma species are nontoxic polyphenolic compounds that have biological activities.
  • The essential oil of curcuma species possesses a wide variety of pharmacological properties, including antiinflammatory, anti-cancerous, anti-diabetic, anti-hepatotoxic, anti-diarrheal, carminative, diuretic, anti-rheumatic, hypotensive, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-viral, insecticidal, etc.

Nepal, India Agree to Reduce Height of Saptakoshi Dam

Saptakoshi High Dam

• It is a multipurpose project proposed to be constructed on the Saptakoshi River of Nepal (known as Koshi River in India).
• The project is primarily aimed at controlling floods in southeast Nepal and northern Bihar and generating hydropower.
• It is a bilateral project of the Indian and Nepalese governments under the Koshi agreement.
• The proposed place lies 1.6 km upstream from Barahakshetra Temple in the Sunsari district of Nepal.

Koshi River

• The Koshi River, also known as the "Saptakoshi" in Nepal, is a trans-boundary river that flows through India and Nepal.
• It is the largest river basin in Nepal.
• It is one of the biggest tributaries of the Ganga.
• Course:
  • It originates from the Tibetan Plateau, crosses the Himalayas, and flows through the Mahabharat range and Siwalik hills, reaching the plains of eastern Nepal and finally meeting the Ganges in India.
  • The overall length of the river is 729 km (453 miles).
• The Kosi river valley is bounded by steep margins that separate it from the Yarlung Zangbo River to the north, the Mahananda River to the east, the Gandaki to the west and the Ganga to the south.
• Tributaries:
  • Indrawati, Sun Koshi, Tama Koshi, Likhu, Dudh Koshi, Arun, and Tamor are the major seven tributaries of the Koshi river system.
  • These seven tributaries meet at Triveni, from where it is called Sapta-Koshi.
• Over the last 250 years, the Kosi River has changed its course. It has an unstable nature due to heavy silt.
• The Koshi River, often dubbed the ''Sorrow of Bihar,'' inflicts devastating floods and substantial damage each year.

Tripura High Court to Chakma organisations for boycotting Christian converts

Chakmas

• Chakmas are one of the largest ethnic groups native to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region of southeastern Bangladesh.
• They have their own age-old culture, language, and scripts.
• They primarily live in the Chittagong Hills Tracts of Bangladesh, the Chin and Arakan provinces of Myanmar, in the northeastern Indian states of Mizoram, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh, and a few families in West Bengal.
• Population:
  • The Chakma population is estimated to be around 550,000.
  • The majority (approximately 300,000 people) are located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
  • There are also about 80,000 Chakmas in Mizoram State.
• Religion:
  • The majority of Chakmas practise Theravada Buddhism, tinged with aspects of animism and Hinduism.
  • Every Chakma village has a Buddhist temple (kaang), and the Buddhist priests or monks are called Bhikhus.
  • The Chakmas worship Hindu deities like Lakshmi, who is worshipped as the Goddess of the Harvest.
• Society:
  • Chakmas are divided into clans (gojas), which are further subdivided into subclans (guttis).
  • Members of the same subclan are forbidden to marry each other.
• Language: The Chakmas speak a dialect of Bengali (Bangla) and use the standard Bengali alphabet.
• Agricultural Practices:
  • They practice shifting cultivation called JUM.
  • They grow paddy, maize, cotton, sesame, etc. in their JUM, along with vegetables and spices.
  • They also know the art of low-land cultivation.

Theravada Buddhism

• Theravada, the "Doctrine of the Elders," is the name for the school of Buddhism that draws its scriptural inspiration from the Pali Canon, or Tipitaka, which scholars generally accept as the oldest record of the Buddha''s teachings.
• It is one of the two major branches of Buddhism, the other being Mahayana Buddhism.
• Owing to its historical dominance in southern Asia (Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma), Theravada is also identified as "Southern Buddhism," in contrast to "Northern Buddhism," which migrated northwards from India into Tibet, China, Japan, and Korea.
• Theravada is sometimes identified as "Hinayana" (the "Lesser Vehicle"), in contradistinction to "Mahayana" (the "Greater Vehicle"), which is usually a synonym for Tibetan Buddhism.
• It is the dominant religion in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand and is practiced by minorities in India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, and Vietnam.
• In contrast to Mahayana and Vajrayana, Theravāda tends to be conservative in matters of doctrine and monastic discipline.
• Beliefs:
  • Theravada Buddhism places a strong emphasis on individual spiritual striving and the pursuit of personal enlightenment (nirvana).
  • Monastic life, meditation, and moral conduct are central to this path. The monastic community as a whole is called the sangha.
  • Like all Buddhist traditions, Theravada Buddhism upholds the Four Noble Truths, which outline the nature of suffering (dukkha), its causes, its cessation, and the path to its cessation, which is the Eightfold Path.
  • Meditation is a central practice in Theravada Buddhism. The cultivation of mindfulness (sati) and insight meditation (vipassana) are key elements of the path to enlightenment.
  • Theravada Buddhists believe in the law of karma, which means that one''s actions have consequences.

Exercise caution on portrayal of SCs, STs: BCCC to entertainment channels

Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC)

• It is an independent self-regulatory body set up by the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) in June 2011.
• The primary role of the BCCC is to implement self-regulatory guidelines for non-news channels, including general entertainment channels, kid’s channels, and special interest channels.
• The guidelines have been formulated after deliberations from the industry and the Government of India around areas such as national interest, racial and religious harmony, ill treatment of children, social values, sex and nudity, violence and crime, gambling, drugs, smoking, tobacco consumption, alcohol, defamation, harm, and offence.
• Any viewer can lodge a complaint about issues related to television programmes/ shows, non-news & current affairs TV channels, and other digital content broadcaster members or associate members of IBDF India.
• Composition: BCCC is composed of 13 members.
  • One chairperson
  • Four non-broadcast members
  • Four members from the national-level statutory commissions
  • Four members from the broadcast industry
• How does BCCC work?
  • In the case of a valid complaint, the respective channel is asked to provide their view on the offending content within one working week of receipt of a letter from BCCC.
  • Post evaluation of the channel’s response, if the BCCC committee is not satisfied, it has the power to pass a directive asking for necessary modifications or withdrawal of such content; failing which, the BCCC sends out a detailed report to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting within 24 hours.

Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF)

• The Indian Broadcasting Foundation was established in 1999 as the apex body of broadcasters.
• The organization has recently been rechristened the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), as it expands its purview to cover digital platforms to bring all digital over-the-top streaming firms under one roof.
• The organisation is credited as the spokesman of the Indian broadcasting industry.
• IBDF’s members comprise both news and non-news channels (GEC, sports, music, movies, infotainment, ).
• IBDF provides research-based legislative inputs to the government and carries out advocacy on various fiscal, regulatory, and other business issues to facilitate the drafting of conducive policies, resolution of issues, and introduction of necessary changes in the overall system.