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PROJECT DANTAK

The Prime Minister has praised the initiative by Border Roads Organisation Project Dantak to commemorate 64th Raising Day. Project DANTAK is commemorating its Diamond Jubilee in Bhutan. Project DANTAK was established on April 24, 1961 by the Third King of Bhutan and then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. DANTAK was tasked to construct the pioneering motorable roads in Bhutan. Over the years, …

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PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

The penumbral lunar eclipse happened recently. A penumbral lunar eclipse is a celestial event that occurs when the moon passes through the outer part of the Earth’s shadow, known as the penumbra. Although it is not as visually striking as a total or partial lunar eclipse. During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the alignment of the Earth, Moon, …

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VOLUNTARY INSOLVENCY

Go Airlines (India) Ltd (Go First) said that it was filing for voluntary insolvency proceedings with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) What is insolvency? Insolvency is a state of financial distress for an individual or company. It occurs when that entity is no longer able to meet the financial obligations they have agreed upon with …

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INTERNATIONAL LEOPARD DAY 2023

A new portal dedicated to leopards (Panthera pardus) was launched by a predator conservation working group, on International Leopard Day, 2023 to promote and celebrate leopards worldwide. The leopard is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera. It is a member of the cat family, Felidae. Range: Sub-Saharan Africa Western and …

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KING COBRA

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its latest update revealed that among the 1,47,517 listed animal species, 41,459 are threatened with extinction including the King Cobra. The reptile is a threatened species in India and was added to the Red List over a decade ago, in 2011. The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) has …

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STRAIT OF HORMUZ

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard seized a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Key details: The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Arabian Gulf to the open ocean. It is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points. …

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INTERNAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEES AND THE POSH ACT

An investigation revealed that more than half — 16 — of India’s 30 national sports federations do not have an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), a legal requirement under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013. As many as 16 of the 30 national sports federations of disciplines in which India has …

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DEBT-FOR-CLIMATE SWAPS

In the past decade, debt-for-climate swaps have grown relatively popular among low- and middle-income countries. Debt-for-climate swaps allow countries to reduce their debt obligations in exchange for a commitment to finance domestic climate projects with the freed-up financial resources. It was introduced as a debt restructuring device that aims to combat climate change by ensuring that debt-ridden countries do …

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BENGAL FLORICAN

An India Habitat Trust team is conducting a survey of the critically-endangered grassland species Bengal Florican at Dudhwa National Park. The Bengal florican: It has not been spotted for last few years now indicating a fall in numbers or extinction. The Bengal florican  also called the Bengal bustard, is a bustard species. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Cambodia, …

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WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX 2023

India slips in press freedom index, ranks 161 out of 180 nations In 2022, India was ranked at 150. Comparison with neighbours: In comparison, Pakistan has fared better when it comes to media freedom as it was placed at 150. Sri Lanka also made significant improvement on the index, ranking 135th this year as against 146th in 2022. Norway, Ireland and Denmark occupied the top …

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YANOMAMI

Brazilian government has promised to speed up the expulsion of illegal miners in the country’s largest indigenous territory, Yanomami. Yanomami region stretches across Roraima and Amazonas states in the northwest corner of Brazil’s Amazon. It has been a subject of interest for illegal gold miners for decades. 20 per cent of the Yanomami community died due to violence, the spread of diseases and damage to the …

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LISTERIA CONTAMINATION

A host of Cadbury chocolates have been recalled in the United Kingdom over fears of potential contamination by Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that causes infection with flu-like symptoms. Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The bacteria exists in the environment. It is found in water, soil and some animals’ intestines. While these …

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GIG WORKERS

The recent strike by Zomato-owned Blinkit delivery agents has once again brought to the forefront issues plaguing the gig economy in the country. Who is a ‘gig worker’? Gig workers refer to workers outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship. When gig workers use online algorithmic matching platforms or apps to connect with customers, they are called platform …

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INDIA’S 1ST UNDERSEA TUNNELS

India’s first undersea twin tunnels in south Mumbai are close to completion. The tunnels start near Girgaon, extend north under the Arabian Sea, Girgaon Chowpatty and Malabar Hill, and end at Breach Candy’s Priyadarshini Park. It is 2.07-km long which are are a part of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) being built by the Brihanmumbai …

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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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