Indian Army introduces the MULE: The AI-based robot system that redefines modern warfare

Multi-Utility Legged Equipment (MULE)

• It is an autonomous load-bearing robot developed for the Indian Army.
• It has been manufactured for human-less intervention to locate and eliminate terrorists.
• Features:
  • It is embodied with 360-degree cameras and radars that would help the operator to detect any threat and use the firing platform to shoot it down.
  • It is an analog-faced machine, built with four legs and with a payload capacity of 12 kg.
  • The equipment can be either operated on Wi-Fi or Long-Term Evolution (LTE), making it workable for distances up to 10 km from the location.
  • It is controlled by an easy-to-operate remote control.
  • A firing platform can also be integrated into it.
  • It is capable of taking up projects with pre-fed missions and is viable to be used in all terrains; it can be easily operated in snow and mountains as well.
  • It can climb mountains hassle-free at upto 45 degrees and climb steps as high as 18 cm.

North-Tech Symposium 2023

• It was jointly organised by the Indian Army''s Northern Command, the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and IIT-Jammu.
• The event comprised exhibitions, product launches, one-on-one structured interactions, technical seminars, ideas and innovation displays, as well as military equipment displays.

Invasive red fire ants found for the first time in Italy could spread across Europe, says study

Red Fire Ants

• Red imported fire ants, commonly known as fire ants, are a species of stinging ants native to South America.
• Scientific Name: Solenopsis invicta
• They are known for their aggressive behavior, painful stings, and large colony sizes. The ant can also damage crops and local ecosystems.
• Features:
  • They are reddish-brown to reddish-black in color, with a characteristic coppery head.
  • They are small ants, typically ranging from 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3-6 mm) in length.
  • Their bodies are segmented, with a distinct two-part thorax.
  • Stinging Behavior: They are infamous for their painful stings. They have a potent venomous sting that can cause intense burning and itching sensations in humans.
  • Colony Structure:
    • Fire ant colonies are organized and highly structured. They consist of thousands to hundreds of thousands of ants and multiple queens.
    • Unlike many ant species that have a single queen, fire ant colonies are polygynous, meaning they have multiple reproductive queens.

Forest Department directs ESZ monitoring committee to take action against illegal cottages in Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR)

• Location:
  • It is situated in two contiguous districts (Mysore and Chamarajanagar) of Karnataka and located at the tri-junction area of the States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
  • Geographically, it is an “ecological confluence” of the Western and Eastern Ghats.
• History:
  • It was once a hunting ground for the rulers of the neighbouring kingdom of Mysore.
  • It was established in 1931 as Venugopala Wildlife Park by the Maharaja of Mysore.
  • It was then expanded with the name Bandipur Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1973.
• It is part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• BTR is surrounded by:
  • Nagarahole Tiger Reserve(Tamil Nadu) in the North West (Kabini Reservoir separates the two).
  • Mudumalai Tiger Reserve(Tamil Nadu) in the South.
  • Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary(Kerala) in the South West.
• Rivers: It is surrounded by River Kabini in its north and River Moyar in its south.
• Climate: Bandipur has a typical tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons.
• Flora:
  • It comprises diverse vegetation ranging from dry deciduous to tropical mixed deciduous.
  • It includes rosewood, Indian kino tree, sandalwood, Indian laurel, clumping bamboo, giant clumping bamboo etc.
• Fauna:
  • It is a shelter for the largest population of wild Asian elephants in South Asia.
  • It comprises other mammals such as Bengal tiger, gaur, sloth bear, golden jackal, dhole, four-horned antelope, etc.

Cabinet approves third phase of the eCourts project

eCourts Project

• The eCourts Project was conceptualised on the basis of the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary – 2005” submitted by eCommittee, Supreme Court of India, with a vision to transform the Indian Judiciary by ICT enablement of Courts.
• E-committee is a body constituted by the Government of India in pursuance of a proposal received from the Hon''ble the Chief Justice of India to constitute an eCommittee to assist him in formulating a National Policy on computerisation of the Indian Judiciary and advise on technological communication and management-related changes.
• It is a Pan-India Project, monitored and funded by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India for the District Courts across the country.
• The Project envisages:
  • To provide efficient and time-bound citizen-centric service delivery.
  • To develop, install and implement decision support systems in courts.
  • To automate the processes to provide transparency in accessibility of information.
  • To enhance judicial productivity, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.
• The Phase I of eCourts was concluded in 2015, in which 14,249 Court sites were computerised. Under Phase II, 18,735 District and Subordinate courts have been computerised so far.

Major Initiatives Launched under the Project:

• Case Information Software (CIS) based on customised Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) has been developed.
• National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) is a flagship project launched in 2015 for monitoring the pendency and disposal of cases in HCs and Subordinate Courts.
• Virtual Courts(as of July 2022, there are 20 Virtual Courts in 16 States/UTs) and using Video Conferencing.
• An eFiling system has been rolled out for the electronic filing of legal papers with advanced features like online submission of Vakalatnama, eSigning, online video recording of oath, etc.
• eSewa Kendras:To make justice delivery inclusive and to mitigate handicaps caused by digital divide, eSewa Kendras have been rolled out to provide e-filing services to lawyers and litigants.
• National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes (NSTEP) has been developed for technology-enabled process serving and issuing of summons. It has currently been implemented in 28 HCs.
• Secure, Scalable & Sugamya Website as a Service (S3WAAS) Website: A new divyang- friendly website in 13 regional languages to enable them to access the information using assistive technologies.
• IEC and Training: As part of the IEC campaign, several initiatives have been taken to educate the Judicial Officers, lawyers and public about the facilities available.

Phase III:

• The Phase III of the centrally sponsored project – to be implemented over four years – will see the digitisation of entire court records, both legacy and pending cases, at an estimated cost of ₹2,038.40 crore.
• It seeks to spruce up the digital infrastructure of courts by setting up 2500 new modern, virtual-friendly courts, establishment of 1150 virtual courts, and 4**,400 eSewa kendras** in all court complexes.
• Around 3**,108 crore documents will be digitised as part of the project.

IAF chief takes delivery of first C-295 transport aircraft in Spain

C-295 MW aircraft

• It is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity.
• It will replace the legacy Avro aircraft in the Indian Air Force (IAF) procured in the 1960s.
• It is a versatile and efficient tactical transport aircraft which can perform a number of different missions.
• Under the contract, 16 aircraft will come in fly-away condition from Seville, while 40 will be manufactured by Airbus jointly with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL).
• Features
  • The aircraft, with a flight endurance of up to 11 hours, can carry out multi-role operations under all weather conditions.
  • It can routinely operate day as well as night combat missions from desert to maritime environments.
  • It can also operate on short, unprepared airstrips as it is capable of Short Take-off and Landing (STOL).
  • It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo. Short take-off/land from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its features.
  • It can be converted into an air tanker that can deliver up to 6,000 kg of gasoline to fixed and rotary wing receivers by adding a detachable refueling kit.
  • Airborne Early Warning (AEW): It has a cutting-edge radar with 360-degree coverage to give a complete picture of the airspace in its Airborne Early Warning variant.
  • Water-Bomber: The C-295 can be transformed into a powerful water bomber that can put out forest fires with up to 7,000 litres of water due to a flexible roll-on/roll-off system.
  • It is equipped with a close-air-support operation that uses an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR )with a multi-mission radar that can also be weaponised.
• The aircraft can be utilised for casualty or medical evacuation as well as airdropping loads and paratroopers.
• It is equipped to handle special missions, disaster relief operations, and maritime patrol responsibilities.

Speed records in sight as revamped Buddh International Circuit all set to host Moto GP Bharat

MotoGP

• The MotoGP, or Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing, is the premier motorcycle championship in the world.
• It is the oldest motorsport championship in the world, with the first-ever annual competition being held in 1949.
• The governing body for MotoGP is the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).
• Races:
  • It is a non-stop race from start to finish, without any pit stops.
  • Each race lasts between 40 and 45 minutes over a distance of between 100 and 130 km, depending on the circuit.
• Engine Capacity:
  • Earlier labelled to the “500 cc” category only, in 2002, this oldest motorcycle championship underwent a change and increased the engine capacity to 990cc.
  • Again in 2007, the rules were altered, limiting the engine capacity to 800 cc, which was again changed to 1000 cc in 2012.
• The championship sees multiple races around the world in a season that goes from March until November.
• The championship is run on Points basis. Points are won by each Rider (finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd till the 15th position) and each Team (Team Championship) and Constructor (Constructors’ Championship).

MotoGP 2023:

• The 2023 season has 11 teams and 22 riders - two riders from each team.
• This season has 21 Grand Prix races in 2023 around the world. One of these locations this season is India.
• Where is the Moto GP race in India?
  • Moto GP Bharat this year will be hosted at the Buddh International Circuit in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
  • It is a five-kilometre-long track with a width of 12 metres.
  • This track has 16 corners, 8 being left-hand corners and 8 being right-hand corners.
  • The longest straight on this track is 1006 metres.

UK ''closely monitoring'' spread of fatal cow disease in Europe

Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease (EHD)

• It is an insect-born disease caused by a virus and affecting wild and domestic ruminant species.
• It has become an emerging disease in cattle and was added to the World Organisation of Animal Health list of notifiable diseases in May 2008.
• It is a disease of animals, not humans, so there are no human or public health issues.
• The causative agent, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), belongs to the Orbivirus genus.
• Transmission: EHDV is transmitted between ruminant hosts by Culicoides midges, tiny biting flies commonly known as “no-see-ums” or gnats that are smaller than mosquitoes and other flies.
• Clinical signs: Fever, weakness, lack of appetite, more saliva than usual, difficulty swallowing, skin rash on the udder, bleeding (skin and internal tissues), swollen red skin near hooves, swollen lining of the mouth, mouth ulcers, difficulty in breathing and sudden death (particularly in deer).
• Treatment: There is no treatment for HD in wildlife populations and no commercially available vaccine to protect against EHD.

NGT tells M.P. govt. to stop motorised boats, cruise in wetlands

Bhoj wetland

• It consists of two contiguous human-made reservoirs, the upper and lower lakes, located in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• The Upper lake is called Bhojtal (Bada Talaab) and the Lower Lake is known as Chhota Talaab.
• The lakes are very rich in biodiversity, particularly for macrophytes, phytoplankton and zooplankton.
• It has more than 15 kinds of fish and several vulnerable species, including turtles, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates.
• It was designated as the Ramsar site in 2002.

National Green Tribunal (NGT)

• The National Green Tribunal has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
• New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal, and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.
• NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of the filing of the same.
• Composition
  • It comprises the Chairperson, the Judicial Members, and the Expert Members.
  • They shall hold office for a term of 5 years and are not eligible for reappointment.
  • The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
  • A Selection Committee shall be formed by the central government to appoint the Judicial Members and Expert Members.
  • There are to be at least 10 and a maximum of 20 full-time Judicial members and Expert Members in the tribunal.

Ramsar Convention

• This convention was signed on 2nd February 1971 to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.
• It is named after Ramsar, the Iranian city where the treaty was signed in 1971, and places chosen for conservation under it are given the tag ‘Ramsar site’.

Rise in global thunderstorm activity might increase the quantity of wispy cirrus clouds

Cirrus Clouds

• They are delicate, feathery clouds that are made mostly of ice crystals.
• They are thin and wispy in appearance, often appearing as delicate, high-altitude filaments or strands.
• Their wispy shape comes from wind currents, which twist and spread the ice crystals into strands.
• They are usually white or have a light grey colour. In the daytime, they are whiter than any other cloud in the sky.
• They are commonly known as "mare''s tails" because they are shaped like the tail of a horse.
• Typically found at heights greater than 20,000 feet (6,000 metres), cirrus clouds are composed of ice crystals that originate from the freezing of supercooled water droplets.
• They generally occur in fair weather and point in the direction of air movement at their elevation.

Other Main Cloud Types:

• Cumulus clouds:
  • They are puffy clouds that look like puffs of cotton with a distinct white or light grey appearance.
  • They have a relatively short life cycle. They form, grow, and dissipate relatively quickly under stable atmospheric conditions.
  • Cumulus clouds that do not get very tall are indicators of fair weather. If they do grow tall, they can turn into thunderstorms.
  • The bottom of cumulus clouds are fairly close to the ground.
• Stratus clouds:
  • They are low-level cloud formations that are characterised by their uniform and featureless appearance.
  • They look like flat sheets of clouds.
  • They typically cover the sky like a continuous, greyish or whitish blanket and are often associated with overcast or cloudy weather conditions.
  • They may stay in one place for several days.
  • They form at altitudes below 6,500 feet (2,000 metres) above sea level.

Thunderstorm

• A thunderstorm is a weather phenomenon characterised by the occurrence of lightning, thunder, heavy rain, and sometimes strong winds or hail.
• It is a type of storm that develops when warm, moist air rises rapidly in an unstable atmosphere. It is the result of convection.
• Thunderstorms can vary in intensity, size, and duration, ranging from isolated, short-lived events to long-lasting, widespread systems.

Ministry of Skill Development recently launched the Skill India Digital (SID) platform.

Skill India Digital (SID) Platform

• SID serves as India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the skill development, education, employment and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• SID Platform aims to bring all skilling initiatives under a single umbrella and provide skill development and entrepreneurial support to people.
• Built by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with multiple industry players, the platform is part of the World Bank-assisted Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) programme.
• The platform aligns with the vision articulated in the G20 framework for building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the digital economy.
• Features:
  • More than 264 skilling courses from 42,623 centres across the country will be available on the platform.
  • The SID Platform application can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store.
  • It supports multiple Indian languages for inclusivity and uses Aadhaar-based eKYC for secure access.
  • It is committed to being user-friendly, with an easy-to-use interface adaptable to various devices for accessibility.
  • The platform incorporates Aadhar-enabled facial recognition technology as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to recommend customised courses to students.
  • The platform also integrates government training programmes from both Central and State governments, creating a unified hub for skill development initiatives.
  • It has introduced Digitally Verified Credentials (DVCs), a secure and tamper-proof way to showcase skills and qualifications. Users can confidently present their qualifications in a digital format that is inherently authentic.
  • Additionally, SID offers Digital CVs through personalised QR Codes for easy access to an individual’s skills and experiences.