26 May 2024 Daily Current Affairs

1.Mrugavani National Park

The extent of Mrugavani National Park at Chilkur in Moinabad mandal has undergone massive revision on paper, resulting in reduction of 80 hectares.

About Mrugavani National Park:

Location: It is located in Hyderabad, Telagana.
Topography: The topography of Park supports woodlands, grasslands and rocky areas.
Vegetation: Most of the vegetation can be classified as southern tropical dry deciduous forests.
Flora: Teak, Bamboo, Sandal, Picus, Palas, Rela. The plant species include bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Herbs, Shrubs, Climbers and Trees. The vegetative cover presents a mosaic of woodland and grasslands.
Fauna: Indian hare, forest cat, civet, Indian rat snake, Russell’s viper and cheetal etc.

What are tropical dry deciduous forests?

Tropical dry deciduous forests are a type of terrestrial ecosystem found in regions with a distinct wet and dry season, typically within tropical and subtropical regions.
These forests are characterized by trees that shed their leaves during the dry season to conserve water, and they regrow their leaves when the wet season returns.

Source: Eighty hectares of Mrugavani National Park disappear into thin air!

2. Shallow Aquifer Management

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in a latest intervention has taken up Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM) model on a pilot basis in the city.

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About Shallow Aquifer Management:

It is a sustainable urban water management technique and addresses persistent issues of groundwater depletion, drying up of borewells and check quick flooding of city streets.
How it is done?
- The project’s concept is to drill shallow water injection borewells to a depth of 100-120 feet and pump out water in the shallow aquifers.
- This is done so that the layers underneath get recharged whenever there is rainfall, while collecting water from the surrounding watershed and channelling it through recharge pits.
- Thus, the underground layers are recharged, and water table rises.

SAM Pilot model in India

It is part of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Nodal implementing agency: National Institute of Urban Affairs
In 2022, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) initiated a SAM pilot across 10 cities in nine states: Bengaluru (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), Hyderabad (Telangana), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Kolkata (West Bengal), Pune and Thane (Maharashtra) and Rajkot (Gujarat).

What is an aquifer?

It is a body of porous rock or sediment saturated with groundwater. Groundwater enters an aquifer as precipitation seeps through the soil.
It can move through the aquifer and resurface through springs and wells.

Source: Shallow Aquifer Management pilot models at Habsiguda and Sainikpuri

3. World Health Assembly

Recently, the World Health Organisation’s member states agreed to share outcomes of historic International Health Regulations (IHR), pandemic agreement processes to World Health Assembly.

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About World Health Assembly:

It is the decision-making body of World Health Organisation.
It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.
Function
- The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget.
- The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

Key facts about International Health Regulations (IHR)

It was first adopted by the WHA in 1969 and last revised in 2005, were conceived to maximise collective efforts to manage public health events while minimising disruption to travel and trade.
There are 196 State Parties to the IHR, comprising all 194 WHO Member States plus Liechtenstein and the Holy See.
The IHR provides an overarching legal framework that defines countries’ rights and obligations in handling public health events and emergencies that have the potential to cross borders.
They also introduce important safeguards to protect the rights of travellers and other persons in relation to the treatment of personal data, informed consent and non-discrimination in the application of health measures under the Regulations.
It is an instrument of international law that is legally binding on 196 countries.

Source: World Health Assembly to prepare a global toolkit for future pandemics

4. Proboscis monkey

Recent study revealed that Male proboscis monkeys' enhanced noses evolved to attract mates.

current affairs image About Proboscis monkey:

It is a medium-sized arboreal primate that is found exclusively in the rainforests of Borneo.
Appearance: The male Proboscis Monkey is not only one of the largest monkeys in Asia but they are also one of the world’s most distinctive mammals, having a long and fleshy nose and a large, swollen stomach.
Habitat: They live in coastal mangroves, peat swamps and riverine forests and have an unusual diet made up mostly of leaves.
Characteristics
- It can swim quite well and have webbed fingers and toes. It typically live in harem groups, made up of a single adult male some adult females and their offspring.
- Males don’t often get the opportunity to attract a harem until they reach middle age.
- It is a diurnal, meaning they are active during the day, and they rely on vocalizations, such as honks and roars, for communication within their dense forest homes.
Threats: The rampant clearing of the region’s rain forests for timber, settlement and oil palm plantations has depleted huge tracts of their habitat.
Conservation status
- IUCN: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I

Source: Honk! These monkeys have truly legendary noses — now we better understand why they evolved

5. Food Irradiation

The Union government is planning to significantly scale up the irradiation of onions this financial year to increase the shelf life of its buffer stock.

current affairs image About Food Irradiation:

It is a technology that improves the safety and extends the shelf life of foods by reducing or eliminating microorganisms and insects.
Sourcesused for irradiation: Gamma rays, X-rays and electron beam.
Irradiation can serve many purposes:
- Prevention of Foodborne Illness: To effectively eliminate organisms that cause foodborne illness, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli). These bacteria make millions of people sick and send thousands of people to the hospital each year.
- Preservation: To destroy germs that cause spoilage and decomposition and extend the shelf life of foods.
- Control of Insects: To destroy insects in or on tropical fruits imported into the United States. Irradiation also decreases the need for other pest-control practices that may harm the fruit.
- Delay of Sprouting and Ripening: To inhibit sprouting (e.g., potatoes) and delay ripening of fruit to increase longevity.
- Sterilization: Irradiation can be used to sterilize foods, which can then be stored for years without refrigeration. Sterilized foods are useful in hospitals for patients with severely impaired immune systems.

Source: To boost shelf life of onion buffer stock, govt plans to expand irradiation process

6. What is National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)?

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has reportedly issued notices to Think and Learn Pvt. Ltd. (TLPL), Byju’s parent company, in three cases of alleged non-payment of dues to operational creditors.

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About National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT):

It is a quasi-judicial body established under the Companies Act, 2013 and was constituted on June 1, 2016, by the Government of India.
Committee: The NCLT was formed based on the recommendation of the Balakrishna Eradi committee on law relating to the insolvency and winding up of companies.
Functions:
- It was incorporated for resolving the civil corporate disputes arising under the Companies Act, 2013.
- It is empowered to hear and decide on cases related to mergers and acquisitions, oppression and mismanagement, the winding up of companies, and other matters related to corporate law.
- It is also an adjudicating authority for the Insolvency resolution process of companies and Limited Liability Partnerships under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016.
The establishment of NCLT consolidates the corporate jurisdiction of the following authorities:
- Company Law Board (CLB)
- Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR)
- Appellate Authority for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction
- All the powers relating to the winding up of a Company
- All other provisions vested in High Courts.
Composition: The NCLT shall consist of a President and such number of Judicial and Technical Members as may be required.
Principal Bench: New Delhi
Powers:
- It is not limited or bound by the rules laid down in the Code of Civil Procedure and is guided by the principles of natural justice, subject to the other provisions of this Act and any rules that are made by the Central Government.
- The NCLT can enforce any order that it gives in the same manner as a court would enforce it.
- It has the power to scrutinize its own orders.
- It has the power to regulate their own procedure.

Source: National Company Law Tribunal pulls up Byju’s for delay in payments to operational creditors

7. Key Facts about Taiwan Strait

The escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait highlight the ongoing geopolitical complexities in the region, with Taiwan reaffirming its commitment to defending its sovereignty and democratic values in the face of increasing military pressure from China.

current affairs image About Taiwan Strait:

The Taiwan Strait, or Formosa Strait is a 180 km-wide strait between mainland China and the island of Taiwan.
- It runs between the coast of Fujian (Fukien) Province, China, and the island of Taiwan.
The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north.
The strait’s seafloor is mostly a continental shelf extending out from the Asian continent, with Taiwan on the outer edge.
It is relatively shallow. It has an average depth of about 490 feet, and a minimum depth of 82 feet.
Islands:
- The biggest islands along the Taiwan side include Penghu (or Pescadores), Xiamen, and Pingtan.
- The Xiamen and Pingtan Islands are administered by the People’s Republic of China, while the other three islands: Penghu (or Pescadores), Kinmen and Matsu are under the administration of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The strait is a major global shipping corridor, with 44 percent of the world’s container fleet moving through it in 2022.
The chief ports are Amoy in mainland China and Kao-hsiung on Taiwan.
The Strait has been the theatre for several military confrontations between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan since the last days of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek retreated across the Strait and relocated its government on its final stronghold of Taiwan.
The median line of the Taiwan Strait:
- It is the informal dividing line in the Taiwan Strait between theChinese mainland and Taiwan.
- It came about during the Cold War as a way to try and delineate the two opposing sides and reduce the risk of clashes.
- No agreement or treaty ever solidified its status.
- It served as a tacit boundary between Taiwan and China until 2019, when sorties by the People's Liberation Army crossed the line.
- Beijing has since sought to further reject the existence of a median line in the strait by more frequently sending warplanes over the line.

Source: Taiwan Reports Massive Incursion: 49 Chinese Aircraft, 19 Vessels Detected Near Its Territory

8. What is AstroSat Mission?

A team of Indian astrophysicists has used observations from AstroSat to discover the aperiodic modulation of high-energy X-ray photons in Swift J1727.8-1613, a black hole binary source.

current affairs image About AstroSat Mission:

It is the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying celestial sources in the X-ray, optical and UV spectral bands simultaneously.
AstroSat, with a lift-off mass of 1515 kg, was launched on September 28, 2015, into a 650 km orbit by PSLV-C30 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
AstroSat carries a total of five scientific payloads enabling imaging, studying the temporal and spectral properties of galactic and extra- galactic cosmic sources in a wide range of wavelengths on a common platform.
One of the unique features of AstroSat mission is that it enables simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of various astronomical objects with a single satellite.
The spacecraft control centre at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) ofISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru, manages the satellite during its entire mission life.
The main scientific objectives of AstroSat mission are:
- To understand the high energy processes in interacting binary systems with a compact object accreting matter from a companion star.
- Study star birth regions and high-energy processes in star systems lying beyond our galaxy.
- Detect new transient X-ray sources in the sky.
- Perform a limited deep-field survey of the Universe in the Ultraviolet region.

What is the Black Hole X-ray Binary?

It is an interaction between a black hole, a super-dense object with gravity so strong that even light cannot escape, and a normal star, much like our own Sun.
These two are locked in a gravitational embrace, orbiting each other.
The black hole, being the heavier partner, exerts a powerful pull on the normal star, literally sucking matter away from it.
This stolen matter does not fall straight into the black hole, but, instead, forms a swirling disk around it, like water swirling down a drain.
As this disk spins faster and faster, it gets incredibly hot, reaching millions of degrees.
This intense heat causes the matter to glow brightly, emitting powerful X-rays that we can detect here on Earth with our telescopes.
These X-ray binaries are a reminder that, even though black holes are often thought of as dark and mysterious, they can create spectacular displays of light and energy, revealing their presence across vast distances.

Source: AstroSat observations unravel high-energy X-ray modulation in black hole

9. What is Gliese 12b?

Using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and many other telescopes, two teams of astronomers have discovered a temperate, Earth-sized exoplanet named Gliese 12b.

About Gliese 12b:

It is a newly discovered temperate, Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting a cool red dwarf called Gliese 12, located in the constellation Pisces.
- Red dwarfs have lower luminosity, which means their habitable zones are much closer to the star.
- Gliese 12 is about 27% the size of our sun and 60% of its temperature.
Gliese 12 b is located 40 light-years away, which is relatively close in astronomical terms.
Since its star is so much smaller than the sun, Gliese 12b still falls within the habitable zone—the ideal distance away from a star where liquid water can exist—even though it completes its orbit every 12.8 days.
Gliese 12 b is roughly the size of Earth or slightly smaller, making it comparable to Venus.
- This similarity in size makes Gliese 12 b an excellent subject for studying rocky planets.
Its mass is approximately 3.87 times that of Earth.
It receives 1.6 times more energy from its star than Earth does from the Sun, and about 85% of what Venus experiences.
The estimated surface temperature of Gliese 12 b is 107°F (42°C), assuming it has no atmosphere.

About Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS):

It is a NASA mission to discover exoplanets around nearby bright stars.
Launch: It was launched on April 18, 2018, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket out of Cape Canaveral.
Orbit: TESS circles Earth in a unique high Earth orbitof 12 to 15 days, which is inclined in a way that the telescope’s sky view is largely free from obstructions by our bright planet and the Moon.
The prime mission ended on July 4, 2020, and TESS is now on an extended mission.
TESS is finding planets ranging from small, rocky worlds to giant planets, showcasing the diversity of planets in the galaxy.
How does TESS find exoplanets?
- It uses the transit method to detect planets.
- It looks for periodic dips in stars' brightness as planets cross in front of them along our sightline.
- The larger the planet, the further the drop in brightness during the transit.
- How long it takes a planet to pass in front of the star and come back tells us the shape of its orbit.
- This method reveals the diameter of the planet and the size of its orbit.
- Orbits within a certain range lie in the “habitable zone”, where liquid water can exist on the surface of an Earth-like world.

Source: Potentially Habitable Earth-Sized Exoplanet Discovered around Gliese 12

26 May 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

26 May 2024 Daily Current Affairs

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