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24 Dec 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

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Written by NDI EDITOR

Dec 24 2024

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24 Dec 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB
1. Green Deposits
Why green deposits are struggling to take root in India?

What Are Green Deposits?

  • Green deposits are interest-bearing fixed-term deposits where proceeds are allocated specifically towards green finance These deposits are denominated only in Indian Rupees as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) framework.
  • Purpose: Funds raised through green deposits are directed towards sustainable and environmentally friendly projects such as:
  • Renewable energy projects (solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower).
  • Energy efficiency and clean transportation.
  • Climate change adaptation and sustainable water/waste management.
  • Development of green buildings and coastal/marine environment projects.
  • Support for certified organic farming.
  • Key features: Like regular fixed deposits, green deposits offer interest and fixed tenure.
  • Fund allocation is subject to an annual third-party audit to ensure compliance with green finance norms.
  • Deposits are insured under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC)
  • Priority Sector Lending (PSL): If the green activities/projects financed align with PSL guidelines, they can be classified under the priority sector.
Source : Why green deposits are struggling to take root in India
 
2. Vice President Removal
Opposition parties under the INDIA bloc have proposed a no-confidence resolution against Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar

About the Vice President of India:

  • Constitutional status: The Vice President holds the position of the second-highest constitutional office in India, after the President.
    • Article 63 of the Constitution mandates the existence of the Vice President's office.
    • The Vice President of India serves a dual role, modelled on the lines of the American Vice President.
  • Eligibility criteria: According to Article 66 of the Constitution, a person must meet the following conditions to be eligible for the office of Vice President:
    • The candidate must be an Indian citizen.
    • The individual must be at least 35 years of age.
    • The candidate must be qualified to be elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
    • The candidate must not hold any office of profit under the Union, state government, or any local or public authority.

Election Process

  • The Vice President is elected through a proportional representation system by an electoral college that includes both elected and nominated members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. This differs from the Presidential election process, which also includes state legislative assemblies.
  • The election is conducted using a single transferable vote system, and voting is carried out by secret ballot.
  • Any doubts or disputes regarding the election of the Vice President are adjudicated by the Supreme Court, and its decision is final.

Tenure and Removal

  • Tenure: The Vice President serves a five-year term, starting from the date they assume office.
    • The Vice President can continue in office until a successor takes charge, even after the completion of the term.
    • The Vice President is eligible for re-election.
  • Resignation: The Vice President can resign by submitting a formal resignation letter to the President of India.
  • Removal process: According to Article 67(b), the Vice President can be removed through a resolution passed by the Rajya Sabha with an effective majority (majority of all the then members).
    • This resolution must also be agreed to by the Lok Sabha with a simple majority.
    • A 14-day notice is required before moving the resolution.
Source : Vice President Removal
 
3. Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR)
A three-year-old female tiger strayed from the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha into the Bandwan area of Purulia district in West Bengal

About Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR)

  • Location:
    • Situated in Mayurbhanj District, in the northernmost part of Odisha.
    • Surrounded by high plateaus and hills, the highest peaks are Khairiburu and Meghashini (1515 meters above sea level).
  • Designation: Declared a Tiger Reserve in 1956 and included under Project Tiger in 1973.
    • Recognised as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO in 2009.
  • Terrain: The landscape is undulating and hilly, interspersed with open grasslands and wooded areas.
  • Vegetation: A mix of forest types, with Northern tropical moist deciduous forests dominating, alongside semi-evergreen patches.
    • Notably, it is the only place in the world home to melanistic tigers (black tigers).
  • Flora: Features an astounding 1078 plant species, including 94 species of orchids.
    • Sal is the dominant tree species.
  • Fauna: Hosts a diverse array of wildlife, including:
      • Large Mammals: Leopard, Gaur, Elephant, Barking Deer, Spotted Deer, and Sloth Bear.
      • Small Mammals: Langur, Mongoose, Pangolin, Flying Squirrel, and Porcupine.
      • Reptiles: Python, Monitor Lizard, and Turtle.
      • Birds: Several bird species inhabit the reserve.
  • Cultural importance: Home to various tribes, including Kolha, Santhala, Bhumija, Bhatudi, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia, and Sahara.
Source : Tigress from Odisha’s Similipal strays into West Bengal’s Purulia - The Hindu.
 
4. Rann Utsav
The Indian Prime Minister has invited the public to experience the Rann Utsav, which continues till March 2025.

About Rann Utsav

  • Rann Utsav is an annual cultural festival organized by the Gujarat Tourism Department in the Great Rann of Kutch, India's largest salt desert.
  • It celebrates the cultural and artistic heritage of Kutch, attracting domestic and international tourists.

About the Rann of Kutch

  • Location: The Rann of Kutch is a vast area of salt marshes, straddling the border between India and Pakistan.
    • It is primarily located in the Kutch district of Gujarat, with a smaller portion in the Sindh province of Pakistan.
  • Divisions:
    • Great Rann of Kutch: The larger portion, stretching east to west.
      • Bordered by the Thar Desert to the north and Kutch Hills to the south.
    • Little Rann of Kutch: Located southeast of the Great Rann, extending southwards to the Gulf of Kutch.
  • Geographical features: It lies close to sea level, connected to the Arabian Sea via the Kori Creek (west) and the Gulf of Kutch (east).
    • It is the only large flooded grassland zone in the Indomalayan realm, a biogeographic region extending across South and Southeast Asia.
  • Climate:
    • Summer: Temperatures average 44°C, peaking at 50°C.
    • Winter: Temperatures can drop to freezing levels or below.

Ecological significance:

  • Flora and Fauna:
    • Indian Wild Ass (Khur): The Little Rann of Kutch is home to this endangered species.
    • Ecosystems include mangroves, desert vegetation, and grass-covered patches (baits), vital for local wildlife.
    • The region is part of the Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary, India’s largest wildlife sanctuary.
  • Unique biodiversity: It supports diverse ecosystems with desert on one side and the sea on the other, fostering unique plant and animal life.
  • Historical and cultural significance: The Rann has seen neolithic settlements and later became a centre for the Indus Valley Civilization. It has been part of historic empires like the Mauryas and Guptas, reflecting its rich historical lineage.

Kutch Desert:

  • The Kutch Desert spans vast areas, bordered by:
    • Sindh (Pakistan) in the northwest.
    • Arabian Sea to the southwest.
    • Rajasthan in the northeast.
  • It provides an example of Holocene sedimentation, showcasing geological and environmental diversity.
Source : Prime Minister urges everyone to discover the pristine White Rann, to explore the spectacular culture and warm hospitality of Kutch during the ongoing Rann Utsav
 
5. SpaDeX Mission
ISRO is preparing to launch a record 24 scientific experiments on board the POEM satellite under the Spadex Mission.

About SpaDeX Mission:

  • The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) is a groundbreaking mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aimed at developing autonomous space docking technology.
  • The mission involves PSLV-C60 as the launch vehicle to demonstrate in-space docking technology using two small spacecraft: Chaser (SDX01) and Target (SDX02).
  • This technology is a critical milestone for future lunar missions, the development of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), and other advanced space endeavours.

Mission Overview:

  • Launch vehicle: PSLV-C60.
  • Orbit: 470 km circular orbit at a 55-degree inclination.
  • Separation dynamics:
    • Target and Chaser spacecraft will separate with an initial velocity difference to achieve 10-20 km inter-satellite separation.
    • Propulsion systems will be used to align both spacecraft into the same orbit, achieving Far Rendezvous.
  • Docking and demonstration: After docking, the mission will demonstrate electrical power transfer before undocking for payload operations.

What is POEM?

  • PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM):
    • Developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
    • Repurposes the fourth stage of PSLV into an orbital station for scientific experiments.
    • First used in the PSLV-C53 mission (2022) to minimize space debris.
    • Equipped with a Navigation Guidance and Control (NGC) system for attitude stabilization

Historical Context

  • The concept of space docking was first achieved by the Soviet Union in 1967 with the docking of Kosmos 186 and Kosmos 188.
  • SpaDeX positions India as a potential fourth country globally to master space docking technology.
Source : SpaDeX Mission: A leap towards India’s space ambitions
 
6. Panama Canal
Recently, the US President-elect Donald Trump has hinted that his administration might attempt to regain control of the Panama Canal.

About Panama Canal:

  • It is a man made waterwaythat connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the Isthmus of Panama.
  • It is owned and administered by Panama, and it is 40 miles long from shoreline to shoreline. 
    • It was built by the Unites states and completed in August 1914,
    • It is one of the two most strategic artificial waterways in the world, the other being the Suez Canal. 
    • From its opening in 1914 until 1979, the Panama Canal was controlled solely by the United States, which built it.
    • In 1979, however, control of the canal passed to the Panama Canal Commission, a joint agency of the United States and the Republic of Panama, and complete control passed to Panama at noon on December 31, 1999. 
  • It is a sophisticated, highly-engineered system which uses a system of locks and elevators to take ships from one end to the other.
  • This is needed because the two oceans that the Panama Canal connects do not lie at the same elevation, with the Pacific slightly higher than the Atlantic.
  • This difference means that for a ship entering the canal through the Atlantic, it needs to gain elevation during its journey to the Pacific. This is achieved using a lock system which lifts and drops vessels to the required sea level at either end of the canal.
  • Basically, locks are either flooded (to gain elevation) or drained (to lose elevation), and act as water elevators. In total, the system comprises three sets of locks — 12 locks in total — which are serviced using artificial lakes and channels.
Source : Trump threatens to reclaim Panama Canal, sparking tension
 
7. Aerogel
A group of researchers from Pune have developed a novel hybrid aerogel capable of easily extracting gold from electronic waste.

About Aerogel:

  • Aerogels are among the lightest solid materials.
  • They are created by combining a polymer with a solvent to form a gel, and then removing the liquid from the gel and replacing it with air.
  • Properties: They are extremely porous and very low in density and they offer advantages like adjustable surface chemistry
  • They are also known as ‘solid air’ or ‘frozen smoke’ are excellent adsorbents (a solid substance used to remove contaminants) and are incredibly lightweight solids composed mostly of air.
  • Aerogels are most preferred in environment and oil spill clean up, for insulation purposes

Key facts about the newly developed Hybrid Aerogel

  • Researchers have designed and synthesised aerogel: the sponge-like absorbents, light in weight and porous synthetic materials for this purpose.
  • The aerogel’s unique structural composition was treated with iron nitrate salts and maintained at room temperature for about two to five minutes.
  • This specially designed aerogel was found to be effective in extracting and retrieving upto 99 per cent of gold ions from the e-waste.
  • In daylight, the hybrid aerogel could extract 1689mg/gram of e-waste and 2349mg / gram under blue light.
  • As there were dual processes involved, that of adsorption and reduction — the quality of the recovered gold was reasonably pure thereby reducing the need for further purifying processes.
Source : IISER Pune team develops hybrid aerogel to extract gold from e-waste
 
8. Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer
Recently, the Prime Minister of India was awarded the Wisam Mubarak al-Kabeer, or the Order of Mubarak the Great, by Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait.

About Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer:

  • It is the highest national award of Kuwait.
  • It is conferred by the Kuwaiti government on Heads of State, Sovereigns of foreign countries, and on members of foreign royal families as a sign of friendship and goodwill.
  • History
    • The award was instituted in 1974, in the memory of Mubarak Al Sabah — also known as Mubarak al-Kabeer or Mubarak the Great — who ruled Kuwait from 1896 to 1915.
    • Under his reign, Kuwait got more autonomy from the Ottoman Empire. In 1899, Mubarak signed a deal with Britain to guard his kingdom from Turkey, effectively becoming a British protectorate. Mubarak is known for playing a major role in shaping the future of Kuwait.
    • The design of the award changed in 1992, after Kuwait was liberated from Iraq in the year before.
  • Other recipients: Queen Elizabeth II of England, former American Presidents George HW Bush and Bill Clinton, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Source : PM Modi awarded Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer: What is this Kuwaiti honour, its significance
 
9. What is a Dark Pattern?
The Department of Consumer Affairs is launching 'Jago Grahak Jago App,' 'Jagriti App,' and 'Jagriti Dashboard” for public use on National Consumers Day 2024 to protect Consumers from the Dark Patterns.

About Dark Pattern:

  • Dark patterns are defined as any deceptive design patterns using user interface/user experience interactions on any platform.
  • The term was coined by Harry Brignull in 2010.
  • They are designed to mislead or trick users to do something they originally did not intend or want to do;
  • It is done by subverting or impairing the consumer autonomy, decision making or choice; amounting to misleading advertisement or unfair trade practice or violation of consumer rights.
  • The Central Consumer Protection Authority notified the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns in 2023 and specified 13 dark patterns, namely:
  • False urgency, Basket Sneaking, Confirm shaming, forced action, Subscription trap, Interface Interference, Bait and switch, Drip Pricing, Disguised Advertisements and Nagging, Trick Wording, Saas Billing and Rogue Malwares.

 Key points about 'Jago Grahak Jago App,' 'Jagriti App,' and ‘Jagriti Dashboard’ 

  • These are part of an intelligent cyber-physical system, which operates in real-time and runs on the Airawat AI Supercomputer under the National Supercomputing Mission for AI and Data Analytics.
  • This innovative system analyses existing text and design elements on e-commerce platforms to determine whether they are being used to influence consumer psychology.
  • 'Jago Grahak Jago App: It provides essential e-commerce information about all URLs during a consumer’s online activities, alerting them if any URL may be unsafe and requires caution.
  • 'Jagriti App: It allows users to report URLs where they suspect the presence of one or more dark patterns declared illegal. These reports are then registered as complaints to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for possible redressal and subsequent action.
  • ‘Jagriti Dashboard’: It is used to generate real-time reports on e-commerce URLs for the presence of the aforementioned dark patterns, enhancing the capability to monitor and regulate online consumer interactions effectively.
  • Significance: This solution will aid the CCPA in identifying dark patterns, speeding up the resolution of consumer disputes and will go a long way in curbing practices that are detrimental to consumer interests.
Source : Department of Consumer Affair’s to launch 'Jago Grahak Jago App,' 'Jagriti App,' and 'Jagriti Dashboard” on 24th December 2024 on National Consumer Day 2024 to protect Consumers from the Dark Patterns
 
10. What is a Speed gun?
Speed guns are widely used by law enforcement officials to monitor traffic speed and in various other industries.

About Speed gun:

  • It is a device to measure the speed of a moving object without having to be in contact with the object.
  • To achieve this, the device bounces electromagnetic radiation of a specific frequency off the object, capturing the reflection and using the Doppler effect to infer the object’s speed.
  • Speed guns are electronic, and use complex circuitry to emit the radiation used to make the measurement.
  • The speed gun was originally developed during World War II for military use and applies the effect using radio waves rather than sound waves.
  • How it works?
    • A speed gun has a radio transmitter and a receiver.
    • The transmitter emits radio waves, which the person holding the speed gun can direct at an object. The receiver collects the waves reflected by the object back in the direction of the speed gun.
    • If the object is approaching the speed gun, the frequency of the returning waves will be slightly higher than that of the transmitted waves. A simple computer in the gun can deduce the object’s speed based on this difference.
  • How are the speed and the effect linked?
    • All electromagnetic waves have a fixed speed — equal to the speed of light in that medium.
    • In vacuum, this value is denoted c: 299,792,458 m/s. Any change in the frequency the speed gun detects directly corresponds to the Doppler shift caused by the object’s motion.
    • This principle is powerful because it allows the speed gun to work accurately over a wide range of distances and velocities without being affected by air resistance.
    • A speed gun can calculate the speed of a moving object by multiplying the difference (between received and emitted frequencies) with c and dividing by the emitted frequency times 2.
    • This relationship shows how the difference is directly proportional to the speed of the object: the faster it moves, the more pronounced the difference will be. 
  • Uses: It is widely used by law enforcement officials to monitor traffic speed, by coaches to gauge the performance of their athletes, and in various other industries in need of accurate motion tracking.
Source : The principle behind the working of a speed gun, used for motion tracking
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Written by NDI EDITOR

National Defence Institute's Editor

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