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06 MAR 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

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Written by NDI EDITOR

Mar 06 2024

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06 MAR 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB
06 MAR 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB
1. What is HPV Vaccination?
Every year, March 4 is observed as International HPV Awareness Day.

What is Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?

  • HPV is a group of more than 200 related viruses, of which more than 40 are spread through direct sexual contact.
  • Among these, two HPV types cause genital warts, and about a dozen HPV types can cause certain types of cancer. More than 95% of cervical cancer is caused by the HPV virus.
  • Transmission:
    • It is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) globally. 
    • It also spreads through skin-to-skin contact. 
  • Once infected, most people do not develop any symptoms, thereby not being aware that they have the virus.
  • Getting vaccinated against HPV helps prevent cancer in men and women.
  • HPV Vaccination:
    • It prevents HPV infections that can progress to cancer or genital warts.
    • The HPV vaccination is more efficacious if given between the age group of 9-26 years.
    • Once a person gets HPV, the vaccine may not be as effective.
    • The HPV vaccine isn't given during pregnancy.
2. Copper Age
Archaeologists in Italy recently made a remarkable discovery of a 5,000-year-old cemetery that belonged to a Copper Age society.
About Copper Age:
  • The Copper Age, or Chalcolithic time period, is a period that spans from about 5,000 to 2,000 years ago, depending on the region.
  • It was a transitional phase from the Neolithic period (the New Stone Age) to the Bronze Age.
  • Features:
    • It is characterized by the emergence of metallurgy, especially the use of copper, along with stone tools.
    • It coincides with the beginnings of craft specialization, the development of agriculture, long-distance trade, and increased sociopolitical complexity.
    • Farmers typically raised domestic animals such as sheep-goats, cattle, and pigs, a diet supplemented by hunting and fishing.
      • Crops grown by Chalcolithic farmers included barley, wheat and pulses.
    • A main identifying characteristic of the Chalcolithic period is polychrome painted pottery.
    • Houses built by Chalcolithic farmers were constructed of stone or mudbrick.
      • One characteristic pattern is a chain building, a row of rectangular houses connected to one another by shared party walls on the short ends. 
      • Another pattern, seen in larger settlements, is a set of rooms around a central courtyard, which may have facilitated the same sort of social arrangement. 
    • In archaeology, the first signs of massacres, battles and warrior burials begin appearing with the rise of the Copper Age.
  • By the end of the Copper Age, people discovered that by adding tin to copper, a stronger and more durable metal could be created: bronze. From that point on, the Bronze Age begins.
3. What is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)?
Germany recently announced that it would allow carbon capture and off-shore storage for certain industrial sectors.
About Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS):
  • CCS refers to a host of different technologies that capture CO2 emissions from large point sources like refineries or power plants and trap them beneath the Earth. 
  • Notably, CCS is different from carbon dioxide removal (CDR), where CO2 is removed from the atmosphere.
  • It’s a three-step process, involving: capturing the carbon dioxide produced by power generation or industrial activity, such as steel or cement making; transporting it; and then storing it deep underground.
  • CCS involves three different techniques of capturing carbon, including post-combustion, pre-combustion, and oxyfuel combustion.
    • In post-combustion, CO2 is removed after the fossil fuel has been burnt. By using a chemical solvent, CO2 is separated from the exhaust or ‘flue’ gases and then captured.
    • Pre-combustion involves removing CO2 before burning the fossil fuel. “First, the fossil fuel is partially burned in a ‘gasifier’ to form synthetic gas. CO2 can be captured from this relatively pure exhaust stream. The method also generates hydrogen, which is separated and can be used as fuel.
    • In oxyfuel combustion, the fossil fuel is burnt with almost pure oxygen, which produces CO2 and water vapour. The water is condensed through cooling and CO2 is separated and captured. 
  • Out of the three methods, oxyfuel combustion is the most efficient, but the oxygen burning process needs a lot of energy.
  • After capture, CO2 is compressed into a liquid state and transported to suitable storage sites. 
    • Possible storage sites for carbon emissions include saline aquifers or depleted oil and gas reservoirs.
4. Women, Business and Law Index
India's ranked improved to 113 out of 190 countries in the World Bank’s Women, Business and Law index.
About Women, Business and Law Index:
  • It is a World Bank index to measure how laws and regulations affect women’s economic opportunity on a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 means equal legal rights for men and women.
  • The report covers eight related areas: Mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets and pension.
  • The data offer objective and measurable benchmarks for evaluating global progress toward legal gender equality.
  • Highlights of 2024 Index:
    • It is the 10th edition of the report.
    • Globally, none of the countries has a full score in the new index, indicating that women did not enjoy equal rights in any of the countries.
    • India's ranking improved to 113 out of 190 countries.
    • Indian women enjoyed 60% of the legal rights given to men as per the new report, lower than the global average of 64.2%.
5. What is Project Seabird?
The Defence Minister will inaugurate two big piers and seven towers with 320 homes for Navy officers and Defence civilians as part of Project Seabird at Naval Base Karwar in Karnataka.
About Project Seabird:
  • The largest naval infrastructure project for India, it involves creation of a naval base at Karwar, Karnataka, on the west coast of India. 
  • History:
    • In the post-Indo-Pak War of 1971 scenario, India learned that the Indian Navy needs an additional naval base since Mumbai Harbour faced congestion, which led to security issues for its Western Fleet. 
    • It was initially sanctioned in 1985, and the foundation stone was laid on October 24, 1986, by Rajiv Gandhi.
  • This is a massive project with the first sealift facility in the country and a transfer system for docking and undocking ships and submarines.
  • Its first phase, which included the construction of a deep-sea harbour, breakwaters dredging, a township, a naval hospital, a dockyard uplift centre and a ship lift, was commissioned in 2005.
  • The development of phase 2 of INS Kadamba commenced in 2011.
    • This phase is further divided into 2A and 2B. It was planned to expand the facilities to dock additional warships and a new Naval Air Station, among other projects. 
  • Once completed, it will be the largest naval base in the Eastern Hemisphere. It will be able to accommodate around 32 warships, 23 submarines and hangers for several aircraft.  
6. Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor
Recently, the Prime Minister of India witnessed the start of the process of core-loading the indigenous prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
About Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor:
  • It is a machine that produces more nuclear fuel than it consumes.
  • Fuel: The Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) will initially use the Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel.
  • The Uranium-238 “blanket” surrounding the fuel core will undergo nuclear transmutation to produce more fuel, thus earning the name ‘Breeder’.
  • The use of Throium-232, which in itself is not a fissile material, as a blanket is also envisaged in this stage.
  • By transmutation, Thorium will create fissile Uranium-233 which will be used as fuel in the third stage.
  • Coolant: It uses liquid sodium, a highly reactive substance, as coolant in two circuits. Coolant in the first circuit enters the reactor and leaves with (heat) energy and radioactivity. Via heat-exchangers, it transfers only the heat to the coolant in a secondary circuit. The latter transfers the heat to generators to produce electricity.
  • It has been fully designed and constructed indigenously by Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI).
  • In terms of safety, the PFBR is an advanced third generation reactor with inherent passive safety features ensuring a prompt and safe shut down of the plant in the event of an emergency. 
  • Significance:
    • Since it uses the spent fuel from the first stage, FBR also offers great advantage in terms of significant reduction in nuclear waste generated, thereby avoiding the need for large geological disposal facilities.
    • Once commissioned, India will only be the second country after Russia to have commercial operating Fast Breeder Reactor.
    • FBR is thus a stepping stone for the third stage of the program paving the way for the eventual full utilization of India’s abundant thorium reserves.
7. Cavum clouds
Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shared captivating pictures Cavum clouds as seen from space.
About Cavum clouds:
  • These clouds are also known as “hole-punch clouds or fallstreak holes.”
  • How are Cavum clouds formed?
    • These are form when aeroplanes pass through layers of altocumulus clouds, which are mid-level clouds containing supercooled water droplets (water below freezing temperature but still in liquid form).
    • As the aircraft moves through, a process known as adiabatic expansion can cause the water droplets to freeze into ice crystals.
    • These ice crystals eventually become too heavy and fall out of the cloud layer, creating a hole in the clouds.
    • They are formed when planes pass through at a relatively steep angle.

What are Altocumulus clouds?

  • These are typically found in groups or heaps clumped together.
  • They’re found in the middle layer of the troposphere, lower than cirrocumulus and higher than their cumulus and stratocumulus counterparts.
  • The term mackerel sky is also common to altocumulus (and cirrocumulus) clouds that display a pattern resembling fish scales.
8. Digital Intelligence Platform
Recently, the Minister of Communications, Railway, and Electronics & Information Technology launched the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)’s ‘Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP)’ and ‘Chakshu’ facility on Sanchar Saathi portal.

About Digital Intelligence Platform:

  • It is developed by the Department of Telecommunications.
  • It is a secure and integrated platform for real time intelligence sharing, information exchange and coordination among the stakeholders, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), law enforcement agencies (LEAs), banks and financial institutions (FIs), social media platforms, identity document issuing authorities etc.
  • The portal also contains information regarding the cases detected as misuse of telecom resources.
  • The shared information could be useful to the stakeholders in their respective domains.
  • It also works as backend repository for the citizen-initiated requests on the Sanchar Saathi portal for action by the stakeholders.
  • The DIP is accessible to the stakeholders over secure connectivity and the relevant information is shared based on their respective roles. The said platform is not accessible to citizens.

What is Chakshu?

  • It is the latest addition to the citizen centric facilities already available on the Sanchar Saathi portal of DoT.
  • It facilitates citizens to report suspected fraud communication received over call, SMS or WhatsApp with the intention of defrauding like KYC expiry or update of bank account/payment wallet/SIM/gas connection/electricity connection, sextortion, impersonation as government official/relative for sending money, disconnection of all mobile numbers by Department of Telecommunications etc.
  • In case, a citizen is already a victim of cyber-crime or financial fraud, it is advised to report at cyber-crime helpline number 1930 or website https://www.cybercrime.gov.in of Government of India.
9. Risa Textile
Tripura’s traditional tribal attire ‘risa’ received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag recently.

About Risa Textile:

  • It is a handwoven cloth used as a female upper garment and also as headgear, a stole, or a present to express respect.
  • It is woven in colourful designs and has a crucial social and religious significance.
  • Adolescent Tripuri girls are first given a risa to wear in an event called Risa Sormani, around age 12 to 14.
  • Religious relevance: The risa is used in religious festivals such as Garia Puja by tribal communities, a turban by men during weddings and festivals, a cummerbund over the dhoti, a head scarf by young girls and boys and a muffler during winters.
  • It is presented as a mark of honour to distinguished recipients.
  • Risa is common in almost all 19 indigenous tribal communities of Tripura.
  • The traditional Tripuri female attire consists of three parts — risa, rignai and rikutu.
    • Risa is a handwoven cloth used as a female upper garment.
    • Rignai is primarily worn as the lower garment and literally means ‘to wear’.
    • Rituku is mainly used as a wrap, or like a ‘chunri’ or a ‘pallu’ of the Indian saree. It is also used to cover the heads of newly married Tripuri women.
  • The complete Tripuri attire is claimed to have originated even before the time of the Manikya kings, who ruled Tripura for over 500 years starting from the 15th century. 
10. ADITI Scheme
Recently, the Union Minister of Defence launched the ADITI scheme during DefConnect 2024.

About ADITI Scheme:

  • Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) is a scheme to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies.
  • Aim: It aims to develop about 30 deep-tech critical and strategic technologies in the proposed timeframe.
  • Eligibility: Under this scheme start-ups are eligible to receive grant-in-aid of up to Rs 25 crore for their research, development and innovation endeavours in defence technology. 
  • Time period: This scheme worth Rs 750 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26.
  • It falls under the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) framework of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.
  • It also envisages to create a ‘Technology Watch Tool’ to bridge the gap between the expectations and requirements of the modern Armed Forces and the capabilities of the defence innovation ecosystem.
  • In the first edition of ADITI, 17 challenges – Indian Army (3), Indian Navy (5), Indian Air Force (5) and Defence Space Agency (4) - have been launched.
  • To motivate young innovators, iDEX was expanded to iDEX Prime, with the assistance increasing from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 10 crore.
About Authour
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Written by NDI EDITOR

National Defence Institute's Editor

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