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11 Jan 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

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Written by NDI EDITOR

Jan 11 2024

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11 Jan 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB
1. Peregrine Lander
The Peregrine Lunar Lander was launched aboard the United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket to embark on its pioneering journey to explore the Moon.
Peregrine-arrives-small

About Peregrine Lander:

  • It is designed to carry scientific instruments and other payloads to the Moon's surface, specifically targeting the Sinus Viscositatis region.
  • This area, also known as the Bay of Stickiness, lies adjacent to the Gruitheisen Domes near the Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms.
  • Aim: To locate water molecules on the moon, measure radiation and gases around the lander, and evaluate the lunar exosphere (the thin layer of gases on the moon's surface)”
  • The mission's scientific goals are ambitious:
    • To analyse the lunar exosphere, assess the thermal properties and hydrogen content of the lunar regolith, study magnetic fields, examine the radiation environment, and test advanced solar arrays.
  • Peregrine Mission 1 will transport approximately ten payloads, with a total mass capacity of 90 kilograms.
  • The scientific payload features cutting-edge instruments such as the Laser Retro-Reflector Array (LRA), Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS), Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System (NIRVSS), PROSPECT Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS), and Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS).
2. Chandubi Festival
Recently, the Chandubi Festival was celebrated along the Chandubi Lake in the state of Assam.
chandubi-festiva

About Chandubi Festival:

  • It is organised every year for five days starting from the first day of the New Year along the Chandubi lake, which is situated in the state of Assam.
  • The main attractions of the Chandubi festival are the local folk culture, ethnic cuisine, local handloom and dresses, boating, etc.
  • The major aim of the Chandubi Festival is to promote eco-tourism in this biodiversity hotspot of Assam.
  • Preserving the waterbody, the water level of which has rapidly been lowering over the years, has been the motive for organising the festival every year.
  • The festival has been providing an opportunity to generate livelihood to different tribes – Rabhas, Garos, Gorkhas and tea tribes – living in the area by selling different food items and homemade beverages, and traditionally woven attire.

Key points about Chandubi lake:

  • It was created during a massive earthquake in the year 1897.
  • The name Chandubi is derived from two words where Chand means five and Dubi means sinking in Khasi language.
  • This freshwater lake was turned into an economically viable water body that would sustain different communities living around the lake.
  • It is a very prosperous wetland of the state that houses numerous species of aquatic flora and fauna.
3. Sisal Plant
A research team at Stanford University has found the absorption capacity of a sisal-based material to be higher than those in commercial menstrual pads.

About Sisal Plant:

  • It is a xerophytic, monocarp, semi-perennial leaf fibre producing plant. 
  • The leaves are thick, fleshy and often covered with a waxy layer, typical characteristics of xerophytic plants.
  • Its leaves grow up to 2 m long. The lifespan of a sisal plant is about 7-10 years, during which it produces 200-250 usable leaves.
  • Each leaf has about a thousand fibres that can be used to make ropes, paper, and cloth.
  • It could be used to make a highly absorbed material as well.
  • Climatic condition:
    • It is well adapted to arid environments as the species is xerophytic in nature.
    • Temperature and Rain: It can withstand a maximum temperature 40-45°C and grows well with evenly distributed rainfall of 60-125 cm.
    • Soil: It thrives best on dry, permeable, sandy-loam soils with a good amount of liming materials (Ca and Mg) but can also grow on various other types of soils.
    • In India it is grown in light calcareous and gravelly soils with good drainage
  • It is well adapted mainly in Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, part of Bihar, western part of West Bengal and many southern states.
  • It is mainly propagated by vegetative means such as ‘bulbils’ and ‘suckers’.
4. What is Camptothecin?
Researchers at the Indian Institutes of Technology Madras and Mandi have metabolically engineered Nothapodytes nimmoniana plant cells to increase production of anti-cancer drug camptothecin (CPT).

About Camptothecin:

  • Camptothecin (CPT) is an important anti-cancer drug lead molecule for high-value drugs like Topotecan and Irinotecan.
  • It is a potent topoisomerase I inhibitor extracted mainly from - Camptotheca acuminata (native to Eastern Asia) and Nothapodytes nimmoniana (native to India).
  • It is majorly produced in the Southeast Asian region, with the plant being largely found only in China and India.
  • However, the conjunction of climate change and extensive deforestation undertaken for CPT extraction has pushed these plants into the endangered species category.

Key facts about Nothapodytes nimmoniana

  • It is an endangered forest plant and disseminated in Sri Lanka, China, South East Asia, Taiwan, North Sumatra, Luzon Philippines and India.
  • In India, this plant is prevalent to Western Ghats of Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala and also found in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir.
  • It is native to India and especially found in the Western Ghats region.
  • The allopathic medicine is produced using Nathapodytes nimmoniana.
  • The plant contains camptothecin (CPT) which is a renowned anticancer drug.
  • The CPT is found in many plant species but maximum amount of CPT has been reported from N. nimmoniana.
  • It requires nearly 1,000 tonnes of plant material to extract 1 tonne of CPT. 
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature has red-listed the plant as in the past decade alone there has been a 20% decline in the plant’s population.  
  • Due to the very good source of CPT, this plant has been explored for its Phytochemical, Biotechnological and Pharmacological aspects.
5. What is Elasmobranch?
The meat of sharks and rays (Elasmobranch), for long consumed by tribal and coastal people in India, has found favour among new demographic categories such as foreign tourists and Indian middle- and upper classes.

About Elasmobranch:

  • The term elasmobranch refers to the sharks, rays, and skates.
  • The other subclass of cartilaginous fish, the Holocephali, consists of Chimaeras – ratfish (Genus Chimaera) and elephant fish (Genus Callorhynchus).
  • The main differences between these two subclasses are the structure of their gills and how they grow in the embryo.
    • Holocephali has four gill slits with a gill cover (an operculum), while Elasmobranchs have five to seven external gill slits with no gill cover.
  • Characteristics of Elasmobranchs:
    • Its skeleton is made of cartilage rather than bone.
    • They have five to seven gill openings on each side.
    • Rigid dorsal fins (and spines if present)
    • Spiracles to aid in breathing
    • The upper jaw of elasmobranchs is not fused to their skull.
    • Elasmobranchs have several rows of teeth which are continually replaced.
    • They don't have swim bladders, but instead their large livers are full of oil to provide buoyancy.
    • They reproduce sexually with internal fertilisation and either bear live young or lay eggs.
    • Elasmobranch skin is made of tiny, hard, tooth-like placoid scales called denticles.
    • These are renowned for their highly tuned senses, which make them incredibly successful in their environment.
  • Their distribution ranges from near shore regions to the deep oceanic waters.
  • Some species are known to travel long distances, hence can be considered as highly migratory. Their stock can be found in more than one Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
  • They are widely distributed in the Oceans but are most diverse in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific Ocean.
6. What is Sky Dew?
Israel recently deployed Sky Dew along the Lebanese border as tensions with Hezbollah escalated.

About Sky Dew:

  • Sky Dew is a massive balloon-like structure in the shape of a puffed aircraft.
  • The high-altitude observation balloon acts as a detection radar blip for small unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles.
  • It is one of the largest aerial threat warning systems in the world.
  • The technology has been jointly developed by Israel Defence and US company The project was entirely funded by the U.S. Department of Defence.
  • The Israel Air Force was handed over the Sky Dew in 2022.
  • The system comprises a blimp capable of flying at high altitudes with radar and detection systems to scan a wide range in any direction.
  • The radar on the balloon is capable of observing at 250 km and tracking multiple targets, including low-altitude ones and those in valleys.
  • It can carry 7,000 pounds and has an operational altitude of 10,000 feet.
  • It offers a significant advantage in its ability to remain in surveillance for extended periods without needing fuel or crew replacement.
7. National Housing Bank (NHB)
In a regulatory filing, LIC recently said the board has cleared the proposal to invest in a new company, promoted by the NHB, for residential mortgage-backed securities.

About the National Housing Bank (NHB):

  • NHB is an All-India Financial Institution (AIFl) established under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
  • It is wholly owned by the Government of India.
  • Objective: To operate as a principal agency to promote housing finance institutions both at local and regional levels and to provide financial and other support to such institutions.
  • The main functions of NHB include:
    • Supervision and grievance redressal regarding Housing Finance Companies (HFCs).
    • Ensures that HFCs meet regulatory capital requirements as required by BASEL norms, have a proper risk management framework in place, have good governance practices, etc.
    • Financing in the form of extending refinancing options to primary lenders and lending directly with respect to projects undertaken by public housing agencies.
    • Promotion and Development.
  • NHB supervises HFCs, while regulation of HFCs is with the RBI.
  • Head Office: New Delhi
  • The general superintendence, direction, and management of the affairs and business of NHB vest in its Board of Directors.
  • NHB RESIDEX: It is the country’s first official housing price index (HPI). It captures movements in the prices of residential real estate prices.
8. What is the World Heritage Committee?
In a historic milestone, India is set to take the reins as the chair of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee for the very first time.

About the World Heritage Committee:

  • It is a committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
  • The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund, and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
  • It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List.
  • It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed.
  • It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
  • Structure:
    • It consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly.
    • A Committee member's term of office is six years, but most state parties choose voluntarily to be members of the committee for only four years in order to give other states parties an opportunity to be on the committee.
    • Bureau of the World Heritage Committee:
      • The Bureau consists of seven state parties elected annually by the Committee: a Chairperson, five Vice-Chairpersons, and a Rapporteur.
      • The Bureau of the Committee coordinates the work of the Committee and fixes the dates, hours, and order of business of meetings.
9. What is the National Centre for Seismology (NCS)?
An earthquake of magnitude 3.9 hit Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district recently, as reported by the National Centre for Seismology.

About National Centre for Seismology (NCS):

  • NCS is the nodal agency of the Government of India for monitoring of earthquake activity and conducts seismological research in the country. 
  • It is an attached office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES).
  • The NCS monitors earthquake activity all across the country through its 24×7 round-the-clock monitoring centre for better understanding of earthquake source processes and their effect on the cause of earthquake-safe society.
  • It consists of various divisions:
    • Earthquake Monitoring and Services
    • Earthquake Hazard and Risk Assessments
    • Geophysical Observation Systems
  • It operates and maintains the NSN, or the National Seismological Network. The NSN consists of 153 seismological observatories spread across the country.
    • NSN is capable of recording earthquakes and events of magnitude (M)≥2.5 in and around Delhi, M≥3.0 for the North East (NE) region, M≥3.5 in the peninsular and extra-peninsular areas, and M≥4.0 in border regions. 
  • Whenever an earthquake occurs in the country, its information is immediately disseminated by NCS to a variety of user agencies, including disaster management authorities. 
    • The NCS shares this information via earthquake bulletins within five minutes of an earthquake.
  • It is also involved in the monitoring of aftershock and swarm activity, if occurred, throughout the country.
  • Another important activity implemented by the NCS is microzonation. It is a site-specific study that provides a more realistic and reliable representation of ground motion characteristics.
    • It is useful in land use and urban planning, as well as in retrofitting of existing buildings.
10.  Maldives
The Maldives government recently suspended three of its ministers after they shared offensive remarks against the Indian Prime Minister on social media.

About Maldives:

  • It is a low-lying island country in the north-central Indian Ocean. 
  • Its closest neighbours are India, about 600 kilometres north-east, and Sri Lanka, about 645 kilometres north-east.
  • Geography:
    • It consists of a chain of about 1,200 small coral islands and sandbanks (some 200 of which are inhabited), grouped in clusters, or atolls.
    • The atolls have sandy beaches, lagoons, and a luxuriant growth of coconut palms, together with breadfruit trees and tropical bushes.
    • The islands extend more than 510 miles (820 km) from north to south and 80 miles (130 km) from east to west.
    • None of the coral islands stand more than 1.8 metres (six feet) above sea level.
    • Barrier reefs protect the islands from the destructive effects of monsoons. 
  • Capital: Male
  • Languages: 
    • The official language is an Indo-European language called Dhivehi (or Maldivian).
    • Arabic, Hindi, and English are also spoken.
  • Islam is the state religion.
  • Economy: It revolves mainly around tourism.
  • Constitutional Framework: The constitution of the Maldives was adopted in 2008.
    • The head of state and government is the president, assisted by a vice president and a cabinet.
    • The president and vice president are directly elected by universal suffrage to a maximum of two five-year terms.
About Authour
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Written by NDI EDITOR

National Defence Institute's Editor

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