17 June 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

1. JIMEX Exercise-24

Recently, JIMEX exercise–24 commenced at Yokosuka in Japan.

About JIMEX- 2024:

This is the eighth edition of JIMEX, since its inception in 2012.
The exercise includes both harbour and sea phases.
- The harbour phase will comprise professional, sports and social interactions.
During the exercise, navies of both the countries will jointly hone their war fighting skills at sea and enhance their interoperability.
Indian Navy’s indigenous Stealth Frigate INS Shivalik is participating in the bilateral maritime exercise. Japan is being represented by the Guided Missile Destroyer JS Yugiri.
It provides an opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices and facilitates operational interactions between India and Japan.
The exercise also reaffirms their shared commitment towards maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Other Exercises between India and Japan:
- Malabar: India and Japan with the United States and Australia participate in the naval war gaming exercise named Malabar.
- SHINYUU Maitri (Air Force)
- Dharma Guardian (Military Exercise)

Source : Japan-India maritime exercise commences at Yokosuka

2. Ajanta paintings

Some of Ajanta paintings housed inside the Ajanta Gallery of Telangana State Museum in hyderabad are being restored with the collaboration of Noor International Microfilm Centre and the Department of Heritage Telangana.

About Ajanta paintings:

The Ajanta caves, an archaeological site consisting of around 30 rock cut caves, situated in Aurangabad (Maharashtra).
- The unfinished caves, of which five (caves 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29) are chaitya grihas (sanctuary) and the rest, sangharamas or viharas (monastery).
The caves at Ajanta are excavated out of a vertical cliff above the left bank of the river Waghora in the hills of Ajanta.
These are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art that influenced Indian art that followed.
The caves were built in two phases-
- The first period spans the second and first centuries BCE, attributed the patronage of the Satavahana Dynasty and it is dominated by Hinayana/Theravadin followers of Buddhism.
- The second was during the late fifth CE, possibly during the reign of the Vakataka king Harisena.It is dominated by the Mahayana followers of Buddhism.
Its features:
- These paintings were painted in the tempera style and filled with stories and illustrations of human figures, alive with drama.
- Outlines were usually drawn using red ochre or carbon black, while organic substances such as plant fibres, plant seeds and rice husks were mixed into mud to create a mortar.
- The first period depict floral patterns, geometrical shapes, animals and birds. Religious motifs are notably absent.
- Murals from the second period depict iconic scenes from the Jatakas, including Asita’s visit to the infant Buddha, the temptation of Buddha by Mara and his forces, miracles performed by the Buddha and various scenes of battle and hunting etc.

Source : Ajanta paintings in Hyderabad to get a new lease of life

3. Key facts about Teesta River

West Bengal’s Kalimpong is facing widespread devastation due to heavy rains that caused flooding in the Teesta River.

About Teesta River:

It is a tributary of the Jamuna River (Brahmaputra River), flowing through India and Bangladesh.
Origin:
- It originates as Chhombo Chhu from a glacial lake Khangchung Chho at an elevation of 5,280 m in the northeastern corner of the state.
- Teesta Khangse glacier and Chho Lhamo are also considered as the source of Teesta River by many authors.
The total length of river is 309 km (192 mi). It drains an area of 12540 km2.
Course:
- It flows to the south, cutting a deep gorge through the Siwalik Hills east of Darjiling (West Bengal) and turns southeast to run through the Sivok Khola pass onto the plains of West Bengal.
- The river continued southward to empty directly into the upper Padma River (Ganga River).
- About 1787, however, the river changed its course to flow eastward, crossing the Rangpur region of Bangladesh to join the Jamuna River near Chilmari after a total course of about 200 miles (320 km).
The major tributaries of Teesta river:
- Left-bank Tributaries: Lachung Chhu, Chakung Chhu, Dik Chhu, Rani Khola, Rangpo Chhu.
- Right-bank Tributaries - Zemu Chhu, Rangyong Chhu, Rangit River.

Source : Water levels surge in Teesta river even as heavy rainfalls flood parts of north Bengal

4. Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary

Recently, The Indian Air Force deployed an MI17 helicopter to control the massive wildfire in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) in Almora, Uttarakhand.

About Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary:

Location: It is a protected area located in the state of Uttarakhand, India.
- It is situated in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas, approximately 33 kilometres north of the Almora district, Uttarakhand.
- The sanctuary covers an area of around 47 square kilometres.
History:
- Binsar was the erstwhile summer capital of the Chand Dynasty rulers, who ruled Kumaon from the 7th to 18th century AD. situated at the height of 2,420 m.
- According to the local people Binsar was named after the Bineshwar Mahadev temple (A 16th century temple) dedicated to Lord Shiva.
- It is known for its rich biodiversity and stunning panoramic views of the Himalayan peaks such as Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot, Panchachuli and Kedarnath.
Flora:
- The sanctuary is covered by oak and rhododendron forests at higher altitudes and by chir pine forests at a lower height.
- It has 25 types of trees, 24 types of bushes and seven varieties of grasses.
Fauna:
- It is host to more than 200 species of native and migratory birds and endangered species like Indian red fox, jackals, pine martens and porcupines.
- It also houses leopards, ghorals, wild boars, kakars, monkeys and Himalayan black bears and several species of birds including the Himalayan monal, koklass pheasant and Himalayan griffon.

Source : Fire in Uttarakhand’s Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary kills 4 forest dept staffers, 4 injured

5. Divya Drishti AI tool

A Woman-led Start-up Developed ‘Divya Drishti’, a cutting-edge AI Tool for Personal Identification, under a Technology Development Fund.

About:

The AI tool “Divya Drishti” integrates face recognition with immutable physiological parameters such as gait and skeleton.
- It was developed by Ingenious Research Solutions Pvt Ltd., a start-up established by a woman entrepreneur, Shivani Verma.
This innovative solution marks a significant advancement in biometric authentication technology, offering enhanced accuracy and reliability in identifying individuals.
This dual approach enhances identification accuracy, minimizing the risk of false positives or identity fraud and has versatile applications across diverse sectors including Defence, Law Enforcement, Corporate and Public Infrastructure.
The AI tool has been developed under the technical guidance and mentoring of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR), a laboratory of DRDO based in Bangalore.

The Technology Development Fund (TDF):

The TDF scheme is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Defence executed by DRDO under ‘Make in India’
It grants aid for defence and dual-use technology development.
Objectives: To build Indian industries' capacity and capability for defence technology development, foster a culture of design and development, and create an R&D ecosystem.
It supports niche technology development, and prototype creation, and achieves 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence technology.

Source : : DRDO Unveils the Power of AI

6. Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS)

The central government has given a year-long extension to the Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS) meant for digitising patients’ health records and linking them with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Account (ABHA ID).

About:

The Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS) is a national initiative by the National Health Authority (NHA) aimed at promoting the adoption of digital health practices in India.
It was launched on January 1, 2023, under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to create a robust digital health ecosystem and enhance the quality of care for patients.
With this extension, the scheme will now remain in effect till June 30, 2025.

Key Features and Objectives:

Eligibility: Health facilities (hospitals, diagnostic labs), digital solution companies, and other healthcare providers are eligible to participate in the scheme.
Incentives are provided based on the number of digital health records created and linked to Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers of patients.
Healthcare institutions and digital solution entities can register for the scheme through the Health Facility Registry (HFR) and ABDM Sandbox, respectively.
Transactions that qualify under the scheme include creating any ABHA-linked health record, such as teleconsultations, lab reports, prescriptions, etc.

Objectives and Impact:

Promote digital health: The scheme aims to encourage healthcare providers to adopt digital health practices, enhancing patient care and reducing administrative burdens.
Enhance quality of care: By digitizing health records, the scheme ensures evidence-based quality care and seamless access to patient records.
Boost digital health transactions: The scheme aims to increase digital health transactions, which will help in creating a robust digital health ecosystem.

National Health Authority (NHA):

It is the apex body responsible for implementing AB PM-JAY.
It has been entrusted with the role of designing strategy, building technological infrastructure and implementation of “National Digital Health Mission '' to create a National Digital Health Ecosystem.
It is the successor of the National Health Agency, which has been functioning as a registered society since 2018.
- Under the Cabinet decision for full functional autonomy, the National Health Agency was reconstituted as the National Health Authority in January 2019.

Source : Why the Centre has extended the Digital Health Incentive Scheme | Explained News - The Indian Express

7. What is a Digital Firewall?

Pakistani media outlets reported in the past week that the country plans to implement a Chinese-style firewall to block users from accessing social media platforms.

About:

A digital firewall is a software-based network security device that monitors and filters network traffic based on predefined security rules.
It is designed to prevent unauthorized access to a network by controlling incoming and outgoing traffic.
Digital firewalls can be installed on individual devices, such as computers or servers, and are often used in conjunction with other security measures like antivirus software to provide comprehensive protection against cyber threats.
Though in recent times they are associated with censorship by oppressive governments, firewalls were meant to be a security tool.
Large firewalls like the Great Firewall of China, for example, are highly complex cybersecurity tools maintained at scale to prevent people from accessing large sections of the Internet.
- That means nation-states can entirely stop citizens from accessing the most commonly used websites on the Internet, eg. social media.

Source : Is Pakistan using a firewall to censor social media platforms? | Explained - The Hindu

8. Liquid Improvised Explosive Device

Why in news?

Liquid explosives seem to have made a comeback in Jammu and Kashmir militancy theatre after 17 years as a recent raid by police in the Union territory led to the recovery of such "difficult-to-detect (d2d)" Improvised Explosive Devices.
Forensic examination indicated that it could be trinitrotoluene (TNT) or nitroglycerine, generally used in dynamites.

About Improvised Explosive Device (IED):

It is a type of unconventional explosive weapon that can take any form and be activated in a variety of ways.
They are used by criminals, vandals, terrorists, suicide bombers and insurgents.
Because they are improvised, IEDs can come in many forms, ranging from a small pipe bomb to a sophisticated device capable of causing massive damage and loss of life.
The extent of damage caused by an IED depends on its size, construction, and placement, and whether it incorporates a high explosive or propellant.
The term IED came into common usage during the Iraq War that began in 2003.
Components of an IED:
- All IEDs consist of an initiating mechanism: a detonator, an explosive charge and a casing or collection of projectiles (such as ball bearings or nails) that produces lethal fragments upon detonation.
Materials used as explosives in IEDs:
- In practice, IEDs can be made of many different kinds of objects and materials, including artillery or mortar rounds, aerial bombs, certain types of fertilizers, TNT and other explosives.
- IEDs can also contain radiological, chemical or biological components to increase their lethal and psychological effects.

Source : Is Liquid IED a new challenge for the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir?

17 June 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

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