18 DEC 2023 | Daily Current Affairs | UPSC CDS CAPF NDA AFCAT SSB

1.Surat Diamond Bourse

Prime minister is set to inaugurate the world's largest corporate office hub, Surat Diamond Bourse.

About Surat Diamond Bourse:

It is located in Khajod village, near Surat.
It is the world's largest corporate office hub, taking over the erstwhile top position of
It will also be a global centre for trading both rough and polished diamonds as well as jewellery.
Diamond buyers from all corners of the world will get a global platform to trade at the Surat Diamond Bourse.

Features:

It is built on 35.54 acres of land at a cost of Rs 3,400 crore.
It is the world's largest interconnected building, as it houses over 4,500 interconnected offices.
The megastructure features 15 floors in addition to nine ground towers with office space ranging from 300 sq ft to 1 lakh sq ft.
There is a central spine connecting the nine rectangular towers.
The bourse will comprise a state-of-the-art 'Customs Clearance House' for Import-Export, a jewellery mall for retail jewellery business, and a facility for International Banking and Safe Vaults.
It is the country's largest customs clearance house.
The building has the capacity to house 4,200 traders from 175 countries who will come to Surat to buy polished diamonds.
Despite its mega size, the bourse minimizes its environmental impact by adhering to the principles of Panchtattva, aligning with the five elements of nature.
The building showcases a cutting-edge rooftop solar energy project, ensuring sustainability in common areas and employing a radiant cooling system.
The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) has awarded the building a platinum rating.

Source : PM Modi to inaugurate Surat Diamond Burse; a look into the corporate gem

2. Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP)

The first round of crash testing of the cars under the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) has been successfully completed recently.

About Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP):

It is an indigenous star-rating system for crash testing cars,under which vehicles will be assigned between one to five stars, indicating their safety in a collision.
Bharat NCAP is an ambitious joint project between the Government of India (GoI) and Global NCAP, the regulatory body behind the safety crash test ratings.

Objective: To help consumers make an informed decision before purchasing a car, thereby spurring demand for safer cars.

Under the Bharat NCAP, cars voluntarily nominated by automobile manufacturers will be crash tested as per protocols laid down in the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197.

Applicability:

The programme is applicable to passenger vehicles with not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat, with a gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3,500 kg.
Only the base model of a particular variant will be tested.
Besides internal combustion engine (ICE) models, CNG cars as well as battery-powered electric vehicles are eligible to undergo the safety test.

Assignment of rating:

Vehicles tested under the Bharat NCAP are evaluated across three critical safety domains: adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, and safety assist technologies.
The test program is based on the AIS-197 standards. The selected test units will be sent to the nearest testing centre in coordination with the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT).
Each car will go through five key tests: frontal impact, side impact, side pole impact, electronic stability control, and pedestrian-compliant front design.
The tests will be performed with crash dummies and will also rate the safety features of cars.
Following these tests, cars receive a rating of one to five stars, reflecting their safety performance.
In contrast to Global NCAP's separate Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) and Child Occupant Protection (COP) ratings, Bharat NCAP will offer a unified rating.
It is a voluntary programme under which the cost of the car for assessment for star rating and the cost of such assessment are borne by the respective vehicle manufacturer or importer.
Unlike in other countries where the NCAP is carried out by non-government entities, there will be a Bharat NCAP Authority in India. The authority will also host the safety ratings of all new car models on a website for public knowledge.
Though it will be optional for the vehicle manufacturers to submit their cars for an assessment, the central government can also ask the authority to select a particular variant of a model for assessment "in interest of public safety" at any of the designated crash test centres.

Source : Bharat NCAP completes maiden round of crash tests, results expected later this month

3. Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana

Railway Minister recently clarified that the over 26,000 candidates skilled under the “Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana” until November 2023 will not receive preferential treatment for jobs within the Indian Railways.

About Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana:

It was launched by Indian Railways in September 2021 with the noble objective of providing technical skill training to youth across various industry-relevant trades.
Launched to address the needs of candidates within the age bracket of 18 to 35, the program was designed to equip them with the necessary skills for jobs across various sectors.

Key Features:

Targeted Skill Development:
The program is designed to address the specific skill gaps prevalent in the job market.
By focusing on industry-relevant technical trades, it seeks to equip participants with practical knowledge and hands-on experience crucial for technical jobs across industries.
Accessible Training Locations: Recognizing the diversity and vast geographical spread of potential participants, the scheme ensures accessibility by establishing training centers at various locations across the country.
Age-Appropriate Training: With a specific emphasis on the age group of 18 to 35, the program targets individuals at a crucial stage in their professional development.

Collaboration with Industry Experts:

To ensure the relevance and effectiveness of the training modules, the scheme involves collaboration with industry experts and professionals.
This collaboration enhances the quality of the training and aligns the program with the evolving requirements and advancements in the industries.
Certification and Recognition:
Successful completion of the program results in certifications that are recognized by the Railways.
These certifications serve as tangible proof of the participants' acquired skills and can enhance their employability in the job market.

Source : Indian Railways’ ‘Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ graduates are not preferred for railway jobs: Ashwini Vaishnaw

4. Swarm Drones

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has chalked out the requirement for different mobile systems to counter threats in different operational scenarios, particularly those from multiple swarm drones.

About Swarm Drones:

SWARM stands for “Smart War-Fighting Array of Reconfigured Modules.”
A Swarm Drone typically consists of multiple drones working in coordination, communicating with one another, and sharing information to achieve a common objective.
These drones can be of the same or different types, ranging from small quadcopters to larger fixed-wing drones.
The swarm’s strength lies in its ability to function as a collective unit, leveraging swarm intelligence algorithms and advanced software to operate seamlessly and efficiently.
These drones are equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and can communicate with each other as well as with the control station.
All the individual drones work in unison to complete tasks using distributed coordination, with each communication sent out by one drone providing the others with up-to-date information about their environment and roles in the mission.
As their commands are based on real-time data, these swarms react quickly and precisely to changes in their surroundings.
The swarm as a whole and individual drones can exercise great autonomy in seeking and engaging targets.

Source : IAF requires three systems to protect bases from attack by multiple swarm drones

5. Bahmani Kingdom

The Karnataka High Court recently directed the Kalaburagi district authorities to remove encroachments from the historical fort of the Bahmani Sultans in the city.

About Bahmani Kingdom:

The Bahmani Kingdom rose to power after the Turkish Governor, Ala-ud-din Hassan Bahman Shan established an independent empire by revolting against the Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq in 1347.
It was the first independent Islamic kingdom in South India that rose to power.
It comprised present-day Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
Bahmanis set up their capital at Ahsanabad (Gulbarga) between 1347 and 1425 and later moved to Bidar.
There was a total of fourteen sultans ruling over this kingdom. Among them, Alauddin Bahman Shah, Muhammad Shah I and Firoz Shah were important.
The Bahmani kingdom reached its peak under the guidance of Mahmud Gawan, who served with great distinction as Prime Minister of three Bahmani Sultans for about twenty-three years from 1458 to 1481 AD.
Mahmud Gawan extended the empire by reconquering Goa, which was under the Vijayanagar Empire at the time.

Administration:

The kingdom was divided into four administrative regions or provinces called ‘taraf’. These were Daulatabad, Bidar, Berar, and Gulbarga.
Each province had a tarafdar, or subedar.
Bahmani rulers were dependent on their amirs for military support.
They used gunpowder in wars.

Art and Architecture:

The Bahmanis were known to have an enthusiasm for architecture and art.
In architecture, they followed the Indo-Islamic style of architecture with a few changes.
Buildings were constructed using local materials. An influence of Persian architecture could be seen in the buildings of this period.
Examples of architecture could be found at Gulbarga (Shah bazaar mosque, Hafta Gumbaz, Jama masjid), at Bijapur (Gol Gumbaz, Ibrahim Roza, Bara Kaman, etc.), and at Bidar (Rangeen mahal, Janata mahal).
During this period, Urdu, Arabic, and Persian literature were abundant.
It was during this period when a new dialect, ‘Dakhini Urdu’ prevailed.

Decline:

Around 1518, Krishnadeva Raya of the Vijayanagar Empire defeated the last ruler of the Bahmani Empire.
After this, the Bahmani Empire broke down into five states, collectively known as Deccan Sultanates.
These five Deccan Sultanates were: Adilshahi of Bijapur, Baridshahis of Bidar, Nizamshahi of Ahmadnagar, Qutubshahi of Golconda (Hyderabad), and Imadshahi of Berar.
These states commenced declaring independence from the Bahmani kingdom.
Angered by the disintegration, Bidar, Ahmednagar, Golconda, and Bijapur together attacked Vijayanagar.
The latter was defeated in 1565 in what is known as the Battle of Talikota.
After Vijayanagar was destroyed, Bahmani did not remain in power for long. Akbar, and then Aurangzeb annexed these kingdoms into the Mughal Empire.

Source : Karnataka HC asks authorities to remove encroachments of Bahmani Sultans' fort in Kalaburagi

6. European wood bison

A new study has warned that the ongoing war in Ukraine could act as a spanner in the works for efforts to save the last remnant of the mega-fauna European wood bison.

About European wood bison:

It is also known as wisent.
European bison (Bison bonasus) are the largest and heaviest land mammal in Europe.
There were formerly three subspecies, although only one (Bison bonasus bonasus) remains – the other two are now extinct.
Habitat: Grassland, deciduous and mixed forests
The wisent roamed across Europe in large herds at the end of the last ice age.
It was almost wiped out by 1927 from Europe.
It serves an important role as an ecosystem engineer, restoring grassland habitat.
Conservation status:
IUCN: Near Threatened
Threats: Rapid environmental change and hunting by humans were the main drivers of the wisent’s extirpation across Europe.
The scientists found that hunting caused range loss in the north and east of the wisent’s distribution, while land use change was responsible for losses in the west and south.

Source : Wisent: Ukraine war could wreck efforts to save and rewild Europe’s great wild bovid, say new study authors

7. Nyholm prize

Recently, Professor Savita Ladage from Mumbai received the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Nyholm Prize for Education in recognition of her contributions to chemistry education.

About Nyholm prize:

It is awarded to inspirational, innovative and dedicated individuals or teams making a substantial and sustained impact within education.
It celebrates individuals working in primary, secondary, further education, and higher education, encompassing teachers, technicians, and more.
It recognises a major national or international research or innovation contribution to the field of chemical science education.
This prize was established to commemorate the life and work of Sir Ronald Nyholm, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry from 1968 to 1970.
It is awarded annually.
The prize alternates between being open to nominees both in the UK and Ireland and internationally, and open only to nominations from the UK and Ireland.
For 2023, the prize was open to nominees based anywhere in the world.
The winner(s) receives £5000, a medal and a certificate.
The winner(s) will complete a series of lectures or workshops in the UK.
The winner(s) will be chosen by the Education Prize Committee.

Source : Mumbai professor bags Royal Society of Chemistry’s Nyholm prize4

8. Bodhicitta

Recently, the Dalai Lama delivered a two-hour-long teaching on Bodhicitta at Siliguri's Sed-Gyued Monastery.

About Bodhicitta:

Bodhicitta, translated as “awakening mind” or “thought of enlightenment,” is the commitment to embark on a path of awakening and be a bodhisattva, one dedicated to the liberation all beings.
Bodhicitta is born of compassion, the desire to free all beings from suffering, even those who wish us harm or consider us enemies.
It is one of the foundations of the Mahayana tradition, bodhicitta is woven into many of its teachings.
It is central to the bodhisattva vow, a commitment common to many Mahayana Buddhist traditions.
It has two aspects.
The main part is the compassionate mind that naturally and spontaneously wants to relieve the suffering of all fellow living beings without exception – a pure good heart.
The second aspect is realising that to help others, we need to awaken our own natural purity of mind and attain enlightenment.

What is Bodhisattva?

It is a key idea in Buddhism.
The word is constructed from the Sanskrit root bodhi, meaning “awakening” or “enlightenment”, and sattva, meaning “being”.
The core meaning of the word is “a being who is on the way to becoming enlightened”.

Key facts about Sed-Gyued Monastery

It is located in Siliguri, West Bengal.
It is the main seat of the Sed-Gyued Lineage or Whispered Lineage.
Whispered lineage is a secret teaching transmitted only to the closest disciple through direct communication with their root teacher or meditational deity.
It is because of the unbroken secret teachings of Sed-Gyued lineage and commentaries that the Tibetan secret Mahayana practice is intact today.

Source : Dalai Lama arrives at Siliguri's Sed-Gyued Monastery to deliver teachings to his devotees

9. What is Ketamine?

Recently, the autopsy report for Matthew Perry, stating that the actor's cause of death was the "acute effects of ketamine," which has sparked concerns and questions about the use of this medication.

About Ketamine:

Ketamine, also known as Ketalar, is a medicine that doctors use to make people not feel pain during surgeries.
It is derived from a Phencyclidine (PCP), a hallucinogenic drug which works by blocking the NMDA receptor in the brain and spinal cord, and increases the release of a neurotransmitter called glutamate.
It is a dissociative anesthetic with psychedelic properties, used under strict medical supervision for anaesthesia and to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, end-of-life distress, chronic pain, drug/alcohol problems, etc.
Impact on the body
Ketamine induces hallucinations, distorts sight and sound perceptions, leading to a sense of disconnection and loss of control, can lead to unconsciousness and memory loss.
It is a Schedule X drug in India, which means it is tightly controlled and even monitored on a case-specific basis by the prescribing doctor.

What are Schedule X drugs?

These are the ‘restrictive drugs’ which are covered under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act and Rules. The list of Schedule X drugs includes over 536 drugs.
The Schedule X drugs includes Narcotic and Psychotropic drugs which causes delusion, hallucination, psychosis, sedation and hypnosis.
These drugs should be sold only on the prescription of a registered medication practitioner only.

Source : Friends actor Matthew Perry died of Ketamine overdose: How harmful is this drug? Here’s all you need to know

10. MH-60 Romeo Helicopter

The Indian Navy recently received the sixth MH-60R “Romeo” helicopter from Lockheed Martin.

About MH-60 Romeo Helicopter:

It is the world’s most advanced maritime helicopterand the S. Navy's primary anti-submarine and surface warfare helicopter, specially designed for all aspects of land or maritime operations.
It is manufactured by US defence major Lockheed Martin.
It is an all-weather helicopter designed with state-of-the-art avionics and sensors.
The helicopter is equipped for a range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search-and-rescue (SAR), naval gunfire support (NGFS), surveillance, communications relay, logistics support and personnel transfer, and vertical replenishment.
The Indian government ordered 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters for the Indian Navy in 2020 at a cost of more than 14000 crores. Deliveries commenced in 2022 and are planned to be completed in 2025.

Source : Lockheed Martin delivers 6th MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopter to Indian Navy

18 DEC 2023 | Daily Current Affairs | UPSC CDS CAPF NDA AFCAT SSB

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