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AURORAS IN LADAKH

The Indian Astronomical Observatory located over Mount Saraswati in Hanle, Ladakh, India, captured aurora lights on its camera. An intense geomagnetic storm that hit Earth resulted in mesmerising auroras in several regions of Earth, including Ladakh. It is extremely rare to see auroras at latitudes as low as those of Ladakh. Auroras are seen only in high-latitude regions, near the Arctic and Antarctic …

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GEOMAGNETIC PEARL OSCILLATIONS

Researchers have traced a very significant increase in special continuous oscillations with pearl-type structures called Geomagnetic Pc1 pearl oscillations on the surface of the Earth in the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms. This study is significant for investigating of precipitation particles during geomagnetic storms and can help us understand the radiation hazard to satellites and astronauts. Earth’s …

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KYASANUR DISEASE

One zoonotic illness where spillover events appear to have increased, resulting in recurring outbreaks, is Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) or monkey fever. The illness is named after Kyasanur forest in the Western Ghats, where it originated. It is a haemorrhagic fever borne by the tick, Haemaphysalis spinigera. It has a fatality rate of 3-5 per cent. It causes acute febrile hemorrhagic illness in humans and monkeys especially …

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

Frequent reports of dogs attacking people to death have made the management of stray dogs an administrative and legal issue. Dog bites and poor waste management The carrying capacity, i.e. the ability of a city to support a species, is determined by the availability of food and shelter. Free-ranging dogs, in the absence of …

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NEUROTOXINS

11 people died due to a gas leak in the Giaspura area of Ludhiana, Punjab, while four people fell ill and were hospitalised. Neurotoxins Neurotoxins are poisonous substances which can directly affect the nervous system. Neurotoxicity occurs when exposure to natural or man-made toxic substances alters the normal activity of the nervous system. These substances …

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BARSU REFINERY PROJECT

The Maharashtra government started conducting soil testing at Rajapur tehsil’s Barsu village in the coastal Ratnagiri district. To know if the site was suitable for the proposed multi-billion dollar Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited project which is touted as the world’s largest single location refinery complex. India’s oil refining capacity stood at 251.2 million metric tonnes per annum, making …

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PSYCHEDELIC SUBSTANCES

Psychedelic drugs, banned in India under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, are emerging in research as promising ways to treat treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder Psychedelics Psychedelics are a group of drugs that alter perception, mood, and thought-processing while a person is still clearly conscious. Psychedelics are non-addictive, non-toxic and compared to illicit drugs, they are less harmful to the …

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CHEETAH REINTRODUCTION PLAN

Namibian experts warns that Cheetah project overestimated carrying capacity of Kuno Park. India declared Cheetah extinct in 1952. Project Cheeta aims to introduce Cheeta back to India and to establish a free-ranging population of cheetahs in India. The first batch of 8 Cheeta from Namibia were introduced to Kuno national park in Sept, 2022, and a second batch of twelve African cheetahs from South Africa were …

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GOLD INVESTMENT IN INDIA

India’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNIs) allocated 6% of their total investable wealth in the gold last year. In 2022, the average UHNI wealth allocation in gold was 3% globally and 4% in the Asia-Pacific region. Indian UHNIs have stepped up gold allocation from 4% in 2018. This is because gold has delivered returns of over 69 percent in the past …

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INDIA’S FIRST UNDERWATER TRANSPORT TUNNEL

Trial runs are underway on India’s first underwater transport tunnel. The 16.55-km East-West corridor is the second line of the Kolkata Metro network. The East-West Corridor of the metro was approved in 2009. The line, called the Green Line, will link Howrah station to Sealdah station, which is the hub of Kolkata’s suburban railway network. …

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