Art and Culture

Nanjangud Rasabale Banana - The Hindu

• About: A variety of banana grown in and around the Mysore district and Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
• Designation: Awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2006 for its thick pulp and distinct taste and aroma.
• Soil: Black clay alluvial saline soil.
• Significance: Possesses medicinal properties & can cure neurological ailments.
• Threat: Panama Wilt disease, a fungal infection caused by the Fusarium Wilt pathogen.

 

Manipur’s Poumai Naga Tribe Bans Hunting for Wildlife Conservation - Indian Express

• Tribe: Poumai Naga tribe from Purul village in Manipur’s Senapati district.
• Initiative: Banned hunting, trapping, and killing of wild animals and birds within their territory for wildlife conservation.

Poumai Naga Tribe

 

Society

 Cadaver Donations: Need, Rules, and Challenges - Indian Express

• Context: CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury’s body was donated to AIIMS after his death.
• Discussion: Highlights the importance of cadaver donations, a practice still uncommon in India, and encourages people to consider this choice for societal benefit.

 

 

Polity

Why Has the SC Clarified POCSO Provisions? - The Hindu

• Context: The Supreme Court recently clarified the penal consequences of dealing with online sexual material involving children.
• Key Points:
  • Viewing, downloading, and storing such content are now offences under the POCSO Act.
  • The concept of ‘constructive possession’ has been invoked to highlight the severity of these offenses after the 2019 amendment, which included the term "possession."

Doctrine of Constructive Possession

 

 

World Affairs

 How Will Nasrallah’s Killing Impact West Asia? - The Hindu

• Context: Israel’s recent bombardment of Lebanon resulted in the death of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
• Impact: This development could have significant repercussions in the geopolitical dynamics of West Asia, escalating tensions further.

 

BRICS Countries Recognize the Group’s Importance for Multipolarity: Jaishankar - The Hindu

 

Context:

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with his BRICS counterparts to affirm its role in a multipolar world. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

• BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• Formation: BRICS was conceptualized in 2001 by Jim O'Neill, and South Africa joined in 2010.
• Latest Entrants (2024): Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, the UAE, and Egypt.
• Significance:
  • Combined population: 3.5 billion (45% of the world's population).
  • Combined economies: $28.5 trillion (28% of the global economy).
  • Oil production: 44% of the world's crude oil is produced by BRICS members.

 

Economy

Telecom Minister Scindia Meets Bharat 6G Alliance's Working Groups - Indian Express

 

Context:

The Telecom Minister recently initiated a meeting with the seven working groups of the Bharat 6G Alliance.

 

• Bharat 6G Alliance: A platform to achieve universal and affordable connectivity, promote indigenous technology, and establish India as a global leader in the telecom sector.
• Components: Public and private companies, academia, research institutions, and standards development organizations.
• Significance:
  • Fosters international collaboration in 6G technology.
  • Aims to make India a leading global supplier of affordable 5G and 6G solutions.

 

Environment

Glaciologist Digs Deep into Permafrost to Gauge Future Climate Change Disasters - The Hindu

• Glaciologist: S.N. Remya from Kerala, part of India’s Arctic Expedition.
• Research: Focused on identifying the probability of disasters due to permafrost collapse and providing early warnings to local communities.

Arctic Region

• Location: Located at the northernmost part of Earth, centered around the North Pole which includes the Arctic Ocean and parts of several countries, including Canada, Russia, the United States, Norway, and Greenland.
• Climate: Covered by ice, including sea ice and ice caps, which play a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate by reflecting sunlight.
• Fauna: Polar bears, seals, whales, and various species of birds.

 

Sea Robins - The Hindu

• About: Ocean fish belonging to the Triglidae family, suited for bottom-dwelling due to their six leg-like appendages.
• Significance: Other fish tend to hang out with them and steal their prey due to their scurrying and digging abilities.
• Appearance: Brightly colored with ornately patterned pectoral fins.

 

Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary - The Hindu

• Location: Raisen and Sehore districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• Area: Over 825.90 sq km.
• Significance:
  • Contains Bhimbetka rock shelters (UNESCO World Heritage Site).
  • Home to the regal striped cat (tiger), hyena, jackal, Indian fox, and more.
• Landscape: Features hills, valleys, plateaus, and plains.
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests 
• Fauna: Regal striped cat, Chinkara, Panther, Hyena, Jackal, Indian Fox, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Blue Bull, Chinkara, Black Buck, Chausingha, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, etc.

 

Deadline Ends: Parivesh 2.0 Portal to Register Exotic Species - Indian Express

• Portal: Parivesh 2.0, launched by MoEFCC, is a single-window solution for environmental clearances.
• Applications: 32 applications to register exotic species, such as iguanas, ball pythons, and African grey parrots, were received by the end of August 2024.

Parivesh (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous, and Environmental Single Window Hub) 2.0 portal

• About: A web-based workflow application for online submission and monitoring of proposals related to environmental, forest, wildlife, and coastal regulation zone clearances. 
• Development: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Working: Offers a single-window solution for managing all green clearances and monitors compliance across India. 
• Significance: It emphasises process transformation, technology integration, and domain expertise.

Exotic Species

• About: Animals or plants that are moved from their natural habitat to a new location, often due to human activities.
• Criteria: As per Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, any individual possessing species listed under Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, must report and register them.
• Concerns:
  • Lack of Regulation: Many exotic species are imported and bred in India without proper registration, increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases.
  • Pandemic Risk: The COVID-19 pandemic, a zoonotic disease, underscores the dangers of unregulated exotic animal trade.
  • Smuggling: Activists warn of rising smuggling of endangered exotic animals, particularly from Southeast Asia, with significant seizures in Assam and Mizoram, involving species like Kangaroos, Koalas, and Lemurs.

 

Science and Tech

Can Kerala’s Policy to Limit Antibiotics Misuse Reduce AMR? - The Hindu

 

Operation Amrith: Kerala’s initiative to stop the over-the-counter sale of antibiotics by the end of 2024, reducing irrational antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

 

 Thermobaric Weapons - Indian Express

• Context: Russia’s use of thermobaric weapons in Ukraine has drawn significant attention.
• Also Known As: Vacuum bombs or enhanced blast weapons.
• Impact: These bombs cause widespread destruction and fatalities due to their intense blast waves.

 

 Marburg Viral Disease - The Hindu

• About: A rare but severe hemorrhagic fever caused by the Marburg virus, which is genetically similar to the Ebola virus.
• Outbreak: Six people died recently in Rwanda.
• Transmission: Spread through direct contact with blood or body fluids from infected individuals.
• Symptoms: Fever, Chills, Headache, Muscle aches, Rash with both flat and raised bumps, often on the torso, Chest pain, Sore throat, Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Advanced symptoms may include liver failure, delirium, shock, bleeding (hemorrhaging), and multi-organ dysfunction.
• Fatality Rate: Around 50%.
• Treatment: No treatment or vaccine; supportive therapy, such as intravenous fluids, electrolyte replacement, supplemental oxygen, as well as blood and blood products replacement, improves survival.

 

 

 

ABHED Bulletproof Jacket - The Hindu

 

Context

India’s defence technology landscape is witnessing a significant transformation with the introduction of the ABHED (Advanced Ballistics for High Energy Defeat) lightweight bulletproof jacket.

• Development: By DRDO and IIT Delhi, made from polymers and indigenous boron carbide ceramic.
• Features: Lightweight (8 kg for BIS level 5 and 9.3 kg for BIS level 6), providing 360-degree protection through modular armour plates.

 

Miscellaneous

SASTRA Ramanujan Prize - Indian Express

• Recipient: Alexander Dunn, awarded the 2024 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize.
• About the Prize-
  • Institution: 2005 & is awarded every year by the SASTRA University on its campus near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, on Ramanujan’s birth anniversary, December 22.
  • About: Conferred annually to mathematicians from across the world who is less than 32 years of age, working in an area influenced by the Srinivasa Ramanujan.
  • Age limit: 32 years
  • Cash prize:  $10,000.