1. MONKEYDACTYL

Researchers have described a pterosaur species with opposable thumbs, which could likely be the earliest-known instance of the limb.

About:

• The pterosaur species were reptiles, close cousins of dinosaurs and the first animals after insects to evolve powered flight. They evolved into various species; while some were as large as an F-16 fighter jet, others were as small as paper airplanes.
• The new pterosaur fossil was discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China, and is thought to be 160 million years old. It has been named Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, also dubbed “Monkeydactyl”.

What has the team of researchers found?

• “Antipollicatus” in ancient Greek means “opposite thumbs”, and it was attached to the name because the researchers’ findings could be the first discovery of a pterosaur with an opposed thumb.
• By studying its forelimb morphology and musculature, they suggest that K. antipollicatus could have used its hand for grasping, which is likely an adaptation for arboreal life.

Source : Indian Express

2. Gruppe S

The trial of 11 individuals who are believed to be members of Germany’s far-right group called “Gruppe S” (Group S) began in the city of Stuttgart. These 11 members are suspected of planning attacks on mosques, asylum centres and the German parliament.

About:

• According to the German government, the organisation was founded by Werner S, Tony E, Michael B, Frank H, Thomas N, Marcel W, Wolfgang W and Paul-Ludwig U during a meeting in September 2019. This meeting and the merger took place at the instigation of Werner S.
• The aim of the founding members was to “shake the state and social order” of Germany by means of a civil war. This would involve attacks on mosques and killing or injuring a large number of Muslims present in the mosque.
• The group also planned to attack political dissenters.

Far-right sentiment in Europe

• Support for right-wing parties is on the rise in Europe, which in recent years has seen a surge in popularity of outfits such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Germany and Vox in Spain that have brought the ideas of national identity and immigration to the forefront.
• The Swedish parliament’s third-largest party, the right-wing Sweden Democrats that has roots in Neo-Nazism, has created the perception among people in recent years that the influx of predominantly Muslim immigrants has led to a surge in crime.

Source : Indian Express

3. KGDWN-98/2 BLOCK

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has called on buyers to bid for natural gas from the Deepwater fields of the KGDWN-98/2 block off of the east coast of India.

About:

• ONGC is set to supply about 2 Million Metric Standard Cubic Metres per Day (MMSCMD) of natural gas from the fields starting at the end of June.
• The ramping up of production from the KG-DWN 98/2 block by ONGC is a key component of the government’s plan to boost domestic production with the block expected to reach peak production of 15 MMSCMD by 2024.
• This would account for about a 20 per cent increase above the company’s current production level of about 70 MMSCMD.
• Natural gas production from the Krishna Godavari basin is a key part of India’s plans to reduce import dependence by boosting domestic production.
• India currently imports about half of its natural gas requirements of 175 MMSCMD.

Source : Indian Express

4. MANAS

The Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India launched the “MANAS” App to promote wellbeing across age groups.

About:

• MANAS which stands for Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System was endorsed as a national program by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
• MANAS is a comprehensive, scalable, and national digital wellbeing platform and an app developed to augment mental well-being of Indian citizens.
• MANAS App integrates the health and wellness efforts of various government ministries, scientifically validated indigenous tools with gamified interfaces developed/researched by various national bodies and research institutions.
• MANAS was initiated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. It was jointly executed by NIMHANS Bengaluru, AFMC Pune and C-DAC Bengaluru.

Source : PIB

5. NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR SCHEDULED CASTES (NCSC)

Government of India launched the “Online Grievance Management Portal of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)”.

About:

• This NCSC Grievance Management portal would make it easier for Scheduled Castes population to register their complaint from any part of the country.
• The portal is designed in collaboration with the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N), a Centre of Excellence under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) was set up under the Article 338 of the Constitution of India with the objective to investigate and monitor all issues pertaining to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes under any law for the time being in force or under any order of the Government of India.

Source : PIB

6. HYDROGEN SULPHIDE (H2S)

Scientists have developed an electronic nose with biodegradable polymer and monomer that can detect hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a poisonous, corrosive, and flammable gas produced from swamps and sewers.

About:

• H2S is the primary gas produced from the microbial breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, and this necessitates easy detection of its emission from sewers and swamps.
• Responding to this challenge, scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore, an autonomous institute of the DST have developed an exceptionally sensitive and selective H2S Gas sensor developed by impersonating the neuron responsible for identification of airborne molecules or olfactory receptor neuron (ORN).

The fabricated sensor consists of a heterostructure consisting of two layers –

• the top layer a monomer and is realized with a novel chemical tris (keto-hydrazone), which is both porous and contains H2S specific functional groups, and the bottom layer is the active channel layer which plays a key role in altering the current and mobility of charge carriers.

Source : PIB

7. HYDROGEN ECONOMY- THE INDIAN DIALOGUE-2021

The Energy Forum (TEF) and the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, are organising a Hydrogen Roundtable titled “Hydrogen Economy- the Indian Dialogue-2021” in a virtual mode on 15th April, 2021.

About:

• The Hydrogen Roundtable, the first of its kind, will comprise a High-level Ministerial Session, followed by five Panel Discussions by eminent policy makers, experts and industry leaders from different geographical regions of the world, with focus on policy roadmaps and mapping demand and supply of Hydrogen.
• This high-level roundtable conference will be led by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel, Government of India.
• A separate session is devoted to India's Hydrogen Mission.
• The Hydrogen Roundtable will be having 25 panellists from15 countries, discussing the potential of Hydrogen from multiple sources and its relevance in national energy transitions.
• The objective of the Roundtable is to understand the progress of Hydrogen ecosystem across continents and contribute to creating synchrony among the thinktanks, Governments and the industry to join forces for developing innovative and sustainable technologies at attractive costs.

Source : PIB

8 TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR

Various regions of the country are celebrating traditional new year today in the form of Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Chaitra Sukladi, Cheti Chand, Vishu, Puthandu and Bohag Bihu.

About:

• According to the Luni-Solar calendar, the first day of the full moon of Chaitra is the beginning of the Hindu new year.
• People of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana call it 'Ugadi', and in Karnataka, it is ‘Yugadi’.
• In Maharashtra, it is celebrated as ‘Gudi Padwa’, and in Tamil Nadu, it is observed as ‘Puthandu’.
• In Kerala, the day is celebrated as ‘Vishu’, In Punjab it is ‘Vaisakhi’ and in Odisha, it is called ‘Pana Sankranthi’.
• In West Bengal, it is called ‘Poila Boishakh’ and in Assam, 'Bohag Bihu'.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his greetings on the beginning of the new Samvat Year 2078 and wished for happiness and joy in everyone's life.

Source : All India Radio

9. GYANVAPI MASJID

The managing committee of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board have moved the Allahabad High Court to restrain the proceedings of a local court which recently directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a physical survey of the mosque compound adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

About:

• Senior fast-track court civil judge Ashutosh Tiwari on April 8 directed the ASI to conduct a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque compound adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple to find out whether it was a “superimposition, alteration or addition or there is structural overlapping of any kind, with or over, any other religious structure”.
• The committee would “trace as to whether any Hindu temple ever existed before the mosque was built or superimposed at the site”.

Source : The Hindu