08 May 2023 Daily Defence Exam Current Affairs | UPSC CDS CAPF NDA AFCAT SSB Interview

1. Title 42

The United States is getting ready to lift COVID-19 restrictions that have blocked migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum since 2020, a major policy shift with humanitarian and political implications.

About:

The COVID restrictions, known as Title 42, were first implemented under Republican then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic.
At the time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the order was needed to stem the spread of the coronavirus in crowded detention settings.
Title 42 allowed border agents to rapidly expel many migrants to Mexico.
Since its inception, migrants have been expelled more than 2.7 million times under Title 42, although the total includes many repeat crossers and Mexico has generally only accepted certain nationalities.

Source : Title 42 is ending at the U.S.-Mexico border. What is it and what happens now

2. Territorial Army

Raksha Mantri recently approved posting of Women Officers of the Territorial Army along the Line of Control.

About:

It aims to commemorate its raising by the first Governor General C Rajagopalachari on this day in 1949.

History:

The Territorial Army (TA) was raised by the Britishers in 1920 through Indian Territorial Act of 1920 and it was org into two wings namely - 'The Auxiliary Force' for Europeans & Anglo-Indians and 'The Indian Territorial Force' for Indian Volunteers.
After Independence Territorial Army Act was passed in 1948 and the Territorial Army was formally inaugurated by the first Indian Governor General Shri C Rajagopalachari on 09 Oct 1949.

Role:

The Territorial Army is part of Regular Army and its present role is to relieve the Regular Army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations where life of the communities is affected or the Security of the Country is threatened and to provide units for Regulars Army as and when required.

Eligibility:

Any citizen between the age of 18-42 can be a part of the service.
The pensionable age for a soldier below officer’s rank in the TA is the same as that of a regular soldier — 15 years.

Operations:

The TA units were also actively involved in operations during the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars.
Since 2020, the Indian military has been recalibrating the TA for better operational and intelligence roles, especially in the Andaman Islands to keep an eye out for possible Chinese intrusions in the region.

Motto:

The motto of the Territorial Army of India is ‘Savdhani Va Shoorta’ (Vigilance and Valour).

Source : Raksha Mantri approves posting of Women Officers of the Territorial Army along the Line of Control

3. Border Roads Organisation (BRO)

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated its 64th Raising Day on May 07, 2023 at all its detachments across the country.

About:

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to Indian Armed Forces.
BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries.
This includes infrastructure operations in 19 states and three union territories (including Andaman and Nicobar Islands) and neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka.
BRO is also tasked with maintaining this infrastructure including operations such as snow clearance. BRO is instrumental in significantly upgrading and building new India-China Border Roads.
Officers and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the parent cadre of the BRO.
It is also staffed by Officers and Troops drawn from the Indian Army's Corps of Engineers on extra regimental employment (on deputation).
BRO is also included in the Order of Battle of the Armed Forces, ensuring their support at any time.
The BRO undertakes projects in India and friendly countries.
These projects typically include developing roads, bridges, and airfields in hostile environments shunned by private enterprises, whether due to security concerns related to hostilities, or because of environmental challenges.
BRO has been active during the 1962 war, the conflicts with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, and has also been active in anti-insurgency operations in North East.

Established:

The BRO was formed on 7 May 1960 to secure India's borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of the north and north-east states of the country.
In order to ensure coordination and expeditious execution of projects, the Government of India set up the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB) with the Prime Minister as Chairman of the Board and Defence Minister as Deputy Chairman.

Motto:

The organisation motto is Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam (everything is achievable through hardwork)

Source : BRO celebrates 64th Raising Day; Raksha Rajya Mantri inaugurates Technical Complex & Automated Driving Track in Pune for enhanced training of BRO personnel

4. Project Cheetah

On the directions of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a team of experts recently visited the Kuno National Park and reviewed the current status of the Project Cheetah.

What is the Project Cheetah?

Discussions to bring the Cheetah back to India were initiated in 2009 by the Wildlife Trust of India.
Under the ‘Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India’, 50 cheetahs will be brought from African countries to various national parks over 5 years.
Most suitable site - Kuno Palpur National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh:
Amongst the surveyed sites of the central Indian states, KNP has been rated the highest, because of its suitable habitat and adequate prey base.
It is assessed to be capable of supporting 21 Cheetahs and is likely the only wildlife site in the country where villages have been completely relocated from within the park.
Kuno also provides the possibility of harbouring four of India's big cats - tiger, lion, leopard and Cheetah, enabling them to coexist as they have in the past.
The other sites recommended are - Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh; Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary - Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary complex, Madhya Pradesh; Shahgarh bulge in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan; Mukundara Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan.
As part of this project, 20 Cheetahs (8 from Namibia and 12 from South Africa) were Introduced in the KNP (since last year) to establish a free-ranging population for the first time since their extinction in India 70 years ago.

Source : Project Cheetah

5. MiG-21 aircraft

A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed recently in Rajasthan.

History

The MiG-21 is India’s longest-serving fighter plane. It was designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau (OKB) of the erstwhile Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union was willing to sell this fighter aircraft to India on extremely favourable terms and even agreed for licensed production by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The 1962 war with China and growing hostility from Pakistan had lent urgency to efforts to rapidly scale up India’s military capability.
India got its first single-engine MiG-21 in 1963, and progressively inducted 874 variants of the Soviet-origin supersonic fighters.
The plane has seen several updates and modifications since then.

About MiG-21 Bison:

The MiG-21 Bison is an upgraded version of the MiG-21bis which had been first inducted into service in 1976.
The MiG-21 FL, which was an older version of the aircraft and which joined service in 1963, had been phased out of IAF in 2013.
The IAF received the first upgraded MiG-21 Bison in 2001 and the last of these upgraded fighters was received in 2008.

How many MiG-21 Bison aircraft are in IAF?

There are four squadrons of MiG-21 Bison aircraft currently in service in the IAF with each squadron comprising 16-18 aircraft, including two trainer versions.
These four squadrons will retire from service, one by one, by the end of 2025.

Source : ACCIDENT OF INDIAN AIR FORCE MIG-21 AIRCRAFT

6. Tungnath Temple

The central government recently issued a notification declaring the ancient temple of Tungnath as a monument of national importance.

About Tungnath Temple:

Location:It is located in Rudraprayag District, Uttarakhand.
It is the highest Shiva temple in the world nestled at an altitude of 3680 meters.
It is one of the Panch Kedars and is believed to have belonged to an ancient era almost 1000 years old.
It was built in the North Indian style of architecture and has a dozen shrines of other Gods surrounding the temple.

What are Panch Kedars?

Panch Kedar is a group of five sacred shrines of Lord Shiva located in the Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand.
The five temples are the Kedarnath Temple at an altitude of 3,583 m (11,755 ft), the Tungnath Temple (3,680 m or 12,070 ft), the Rudranath Temple (3,559 m or 11,677 ft), the Madhyamaheshwar Temple or Madmaheshwar (3,490 m or 11,450 ft) and the Kalpeshwar Temple (2,200 m or 7,200 ft).

Source : Uttrakhand's ancient Tungnath temple to be declared a national monument

7. What is the Arab League?

The Arab League recently welcomed back Syria's government, ending a more than decade-long suspension.

About Arab League:

Arab League, also called League of Arab States (LAS) is a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa.
Formation: It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945.The founding member states were Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt.
Objective: To strengthen ties among member states, coordinate their policies and direct them towards a common good.
Members:
- Currently it has 22 members including Palestine, which the League regards as an independent state.
- Syria's participation has been suspended since November 2011, as a consequence of government repression during the Syrian Civil War.
Council:
- The highest body of the league is the Council, composed of representatives of member states, usually foreign ministers, their representatives or permanent delegates.
- The League makes decisions on a majority basis, but there is no mechanism to compel members to comply with resolutions.
- Each member has one vote on the Council, decisions being binding only on those states that have voted for them.

Source : Arab League re-admits Syria after 11-year absence

8. What is Cartilage?

Scientists have recently discovered a new treatment strategy for damaged cartilage.

About Cartilage:

What is it? It is a strong, flexible connective tissue that protects your joints and bones.
It acts as a shock absorber throughout your body.
Cartilage at the end of your bones reduces friction and prevents them from rubbing together when you use your joints.
It’s also the main tissue in some parts of your body and gives them their structure and shape.
Types: There are three types of cartilage in the body,
- Hyaline cartilage:
  - It is the most common type of cartilage.
  - It lines the joints and caps at the ends of your bones. Hyaline cartilage at the ends of your bones is sometimes referred to as articular cartilage.
  - Hyaline cartilage is slippery and smooth which helps the bones move smoothly past each other in your joints.
- Fibrocartilage:
  - It is tough cartilage made of thick fibers.
  - It’s the strongest and least flexible of the three types. It’s tough enough to hold parts of your body in place and absorb impacts.
- Elastic cartilage:
  - It is the most flexible cartilage.
  - It supports parts of your body that need to bend and move to function.
  - Elastic cartilage can bounce back to its original shape, even after a strong force.

Source : New treatment strategy for damaged cartilage discovered: Study

9. National Center for Good Governance (NCGG)

The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) recently completed its flagship capacity building programme (CBP) for the 58th batch of civil servants of Bangladesh.

About National Center for Good Governance (NCGG):

It was set up in 2014 by the Government of India as an apex–level autonomous institution under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
It has been set up to assist in bringing about governance reforms through studies.
The Centre traces its origin to the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR), which was set up in 1995 by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), the Government of India's topmost training institute for civil services. NIAR was subsequently rechristened and subsumed into NCGG.
NCGG deals with a gamut of governance issues from local, state to national levels, across all sectors.
The Centre is mandated to work in the areas of governance, policy reforms, capacity building and training of civil servants and technocrats of India and other developing countries.
It curates training courses for civil servants from India and other developing countries.
It provides a platform for sharing existing knowledge and proactively seeking out and developing ideas for their implementation in the government, both at the National & International levels.
NCGG has been extensively working in areas such as primary and elementary education, decentralized planning at district and block levels, capacity building of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs), participatory models of learning and action, rural development, cooperatives, and public sector management, etc.
NCGG is governed by a Governing Body, under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary.

Source : In partnership with MEA, the NCGG completed training programme of 58th batch of civil servants of Bangladesh

10. What is Thalassaemia?

World Thalassaemia Day is celebrated on May 8, every year.

About Thalassaemia:

It is the name for a group of inherited conditions that affect a substance in the blood called haemoglobin.
People with thalassaemia produce either no or too little haemoglobin, which is used by red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body.
Thalassemia can cause anaemia, leaving you fatigued.
It mainly affects people of Mediterranean, south Asian, southeast Asian and Middle Eastern origin.
Cause:
- It is caused by faulty genes that affect the production of haemoglobin.
- A child can only be born with thalassaemia if they inherit these faulty genes from both parents.
- It's also possible to be a "carrier" of thalassaemia, also known as having the thalassaemia trait.
Symptoms: The main health conditions associated with thalassaemia are,
- Anaemia– severe tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, pounding, fluttering or irregular heartbeats (palpitations) and pale skin caused by the lack of haemoglobin.
- Too much iron in the body– this is caused by the regular blood transfusions used to treat anaemia and can cause problems with the heart, liver and hormone levels if untreated
- Some people may also have delayed growth, weak and fragile bones(osteoporosis), and reduced fertility.
Treatments:
- Blood transfusions– regular blood transfusions treat and prevent anaemia; in severe cases these are needed around once a month.
- Chelation therapy – treatment with medicine to remove the excess iron from the body that builds up as a result of having regular blood transfusions
- The only possible cure for thalassaemia is a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, but this is not done very often because of the risks involved.

Source : World Thalassaemia Day 2023: Date, history, significance, theme

08 May 2023 Daily Defence Exam Current Affairs | UPSC CDS CAPF NDA AFCAT SSB Interview

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