Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 11th December 2024

Subaru Telescope : In News

The Subaru Telescope recently captured a pair of interacting galaxies designated as NGC 5257 and NGC 5258.

• Subaru Telescope is a Japanese 8.2-metre optical-infrared telescope.
• It is located on the dormant volcano Mauna Kea (4,163 metres) on the island of Hawaii.
• The telescope is named for the Japanese name for the Pleiades (a star cluster in the Taurus constellation) and is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
• Its powerful light-collecting capability can capture weak light from celestial objects.
• To minimize air turbulence near the telescope, the dome that surrounds the telescope is cylindrical instead of a hemisphere, as is the case with most other observatories.
• The Subaru Telescope has observed various celestial bodies, from nearby shooting stars to galaxies located 13.1 billion light years away.

Marbled Duck:

Recently spotted a marbled duck — an unusual winter migrant at Sultanpur National Park after 30 years.

• The Marbled Duck, also known as marbled teal, is a relatively small duck characterized by its black bill, pale-spotted gray-brown plumage, dark eye patch, and the absence of a speculum.
• Scientific Name: Marmaronetta angustirostris
• It is distributed throughout the central and southwestern Palearctic biogeographic region in several highly fragmented populations that stretch from Central Asia to northwest Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.
• Palearctic includes Europe, Asia north of the Himalayas, and Africa north of the Sahara.
• Migratory Patterns: Populations in colder regions migrate south during winter, reaching areas like North Africa and the Indian subcontinent.
• It is typically found in temporary or semi-permanent wetlands, although it is ultimately tolerant of many types of wetlands, both natural and artificial, provided they offer shallow areas.
• It tends to prefer brackish wetlands over fresh or saline ones, and well-structured vegetation.
• It is a gregarious, non-territorial, and non-aggressive species.
• Marbled ducks are usually monogamous.
• They fly low and slowly and have noticeably long necks and wings.
• IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened

Voronezh Radar:

India is set to finalise a landmark USD 4 billion defence agreement with Russia, aimed at acquiring a Russian Voronezh ballistic missile attack early warning radar.

• The Voronezh radar system is a critical component of Russia’s early warning and missile defence infrastructure.
• It is capable of identifying and tracking a range of threats, including ballistic missiles and aircraft, over distances of up to 8,000 kilometers.
• These radars are strategically deployed across Russia to provide extensive coverage against potential missile threats.
• They employ phased array technology, which allows for rapid electronic steering of the beam. This makes them highly efficient and less mechanically complex than older systems.
• There are several varieties of these radars operating in the meter (Voronezh-M), decimeter (Voronezh-DM), or centimeter (Voronezh-CM) wavelength range, as well as a few others that combine several ranges.
• Multiple Voronezh radars can work in unison as part of an integrated Missile Attack Early Warning System to generate a comprehensive radar picture of potential missile threats and space activity.

Bima Sakhi Yojana:

The Prime Minister of India recently launched the Bima Sakhi Yojana in Haryana’s Panipat.

• Bima Sakhi Yojana is an initiative of the State-owned Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
• It is designed to empower women aged 18-70 years who have passed out of Class 10.
• They will receive specialised training and a stipend for the first three years to promote financial literacy and insurance awareness.
• After training, they can serve as LIC agents and the graduate Bima Sakhis would have the opportunity to qualify for being considered for Development Officer roles in LIC.
• Women LIC agents will get a stipend of Rs. 7,000 per month for the first year, Rs. 6,000 per month in the second year, and Rs. 5,000 per month in the third year.
• Bima Sakhis will also get commission of Rs 48,000 (excluding bonus) for the first year.
• The plan is to appoint two lakh Bima Sakhis over a period of three years.
• Relatives of existing agents and employees are not eligible for the scheme. Retired employees are also ineligible.

Melye-amiley:

A recent study published in the prestigious journal ‘Food Frontiers highlighted that extract from a traditional fermented bamboo shoot variety of Tripura, popularly called ‘Melye-amiley’ has anti-obesity effects.

• Melye-amiley is a traditional fermented bamboo shoot variety of Tripura.
• It has anti-obesity effects and offers a solution to weight management and metabolic health.
• It reduces lipid accumulation and increases fatty acid β-oxidation.

Highlights of the research:

• Based on in-vitro cell culture studies, the team has observed that the ‘Melye-amiley’ can reduce intracellular lipid accumulation.
• The process involved increase in the expression of lipolytic (HSL, LPL, and Agtl) and fat browning regulator genes (UCP1, PRDM16, and PGC1-alpha).
• Furthermore, the study demonstrates that treatment with Melye-amiley leads to the upregulation of thermogenic protein expression via the AMPK signaling pathway.
• This process stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and enhances fatty acid β-oxidation, offering a multifaceted approach to weight management and metabolic health.
• These findings suggest that fermented bamboo shoot extract has promising anti-obesity effects by boosting energy expenditure in white adipocytes.

GG Tau A System:

Researchers from the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) in Odisha, studied a unique triple-star system called GG Tau A.

• GG Tau A System is a unique triple-star system which is located 489 light-years away from Earth.
• The system is young – 1 to 5 million years old, which makes it perfect for studying the early stages of planet formation.
• Around these stars is a disk made of gas and dust, which is where planets begin to form.
• The three stars in GG Tau A interact with each other and affect the disk of gas and dust around them, making it harder to predict how planets might form.
• The forces between the stars could cause the disk to behave differently than in a system with just one star, unlike our solar system.
• This makes GG Tau A, a perfect system to study how planets can form in more complicated, multi-star environments.

Amrit Gyaan Kosh Portal:

The Union Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions launched “Amrit Gyaan Kosh” Portal.

• Amrit Gyaan Kosh Portal has been jointly developed by the Capacity Building Commission and Karmayogi Bharat.
• It is a platform to promote self-reliance in governance training and strengthen governance training.
• It is developed on the iGOT platform, serves as a comprehensive repository of best practices in governance and policy implementation.
• It aligns with 15 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), covering critical themes such as health, education, agriculture, and digital governance.
• The curated resources enable faculty to align their teaching with global standards while addressing India’s unique administrative challenges.

Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme:

The central government has revised the prices of food items provided to children under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Yojana.

• In 2021, Mid-Day Meal Scheme was renamed as Pradhan Mantri POSHAN Scheme.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme, which aims at providing nutritional support and enhancing school participation of students.
• Under the scheme, one hot cooked meal is served to students studying in Balvatika (pre-primary education program) and classes I to VIII, in Government and Government-aided schools on all school-days.
• The objectives of the Scheme are to address two of the pressing problems for majority of children in India, viz. hunger and education by:
  • Improving the nutritional status of eligible children in Government and Government aided schools.
  • Encouraging poor children, belonging to disadvantaged sections, to attend school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities.
  • Providing nutritional support to children of elementary stage in drought-affected and disaster affected areas during summer vacation.
• The Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour provides data on inflation for the items under the PM POSHAN basket on the basis of Consumer Price Index – Rural Labourers (CPI-RL).
• The CPI-RL is constructed by Labour Bureau on the basis of collecting continuous monthly prices from the sample of 600 villages spread over 20 States of the country.
• On the basis of CPI-RL, the Government of India has enhanced the ‘Material Cost’ of the items under the PM POSHAN basket by 13.70 %.

India-Japan Forum 2024:

At the India-Japan Forum in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India underscored the potential for a strategic semiconductor alliance between India and Japan.India and Japan are revitalizing their semiconductor industries to enhance global supply chain resilience.

Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres:

A joint rescue operation by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (MSA) successfully saved 12 crew members from the sunken Indian vessel MSV Al Piranpir in the North Arabian Sea.This joint effort highlighted the critical role of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) of both nations, which maintained seamless communication throughout the humanitarian search and rescue operation.MRCC is a unit responsible for promoting efficient organisation of Search and Rescue (SAR) services at sea and coordinating the conduct of M-SAR operations within a Search and Rescue Region (SRR).

Human Rights Day 2024:

Human Rights Day, observed every year on 10th December highlights the importance of human rights as a foundation for justice, peace, and equality.2024 Theme: “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now” emphasizes the relevance of human rights in shaping a peaceful and sustainable future.

Shaji N Karun Honored with JC Daniel Award 2023:

Veteran filmmaker Shaji N Karun has been selected for the prestigious JC Daniel Award 2023 for his lifetime contributions to Malayalam cinema. The JC Daniel Award is the highest honor for a filmmaker in Kerala and is presented by the state government to recognize excellence and long-lasting contributions to the film industry.

Telugu Woman Banker Honored as Rising Star in Banking 2024:

Bharati Kolli, a 43-year-old woman from Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh, has been recognized as one of the Rising Star Women Leaders of Banking for 2024 by the renowned women’s group, Women We Admire. Bharati’s remarkable contribution to the banking sector, particularly in data management, has earned her this prestigious recognition.

Indian driver Kush Maini made history by becoming the first Indian to win the FIA F2 Constructors’ World Championship:

Indian driver Kush Maini made history by becoming the first Indian to win the FIA F2 Constructors’ World Championship, a monumental achievement in the world of motorsport. This victory, secured with Invicta Racing, caps off a landmark year for Maini, who earlier achieved another milestone by becoming the first Indian to claim an F2 pole position.

Golden Globe nomination for Best Director:

Payal Kapadia has etched her name in the annals of Indian cinema by becoming the first Indian director to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director (Motion Picture). Her film All We Imagine As Light not only earned her this historic recognition but also secured a nomination for Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language) at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.

Retail Inflation Eases for Farm and Rural Workers in October 2024:

Retail inflation for agricultural and rural workers showed a decline in October 2024, easing to 5.96% for farm workers and 6% for rural labourers, down from 6.36% and 6.39% in September 2024. This shift represents a positive trend from the inflation rates of October 2023, where CPI-AL and CPI-RL were significantly higher.

Bihar’s Sex Ratio Drops:

Bihar’s alarming decline in its sex ratio at birth, now at 882 females per 1,000 males, has prompted urgent government action. The state has pledged to enforce the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act more strictly and launched multiple awareness campaigns to prevent female foeticide and improve gender parity.