Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 21st September 2024

Exercise AIKYA:

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with the Southern Command of the Indian Army organised a two-day national symposium, ‘Exercise AIKYA’, on disaster management in Chennai.

• Aikya, meaning “Oneness” in Tamil, reflects the exercise’s aim to integrate India’s Disaster Management community.
• It brought together key stakeholders from across Peninsular India to enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
• The exercise witnessed participation from six southern states/UTs: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry
• Key organizations involved : India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Central Water Commission (CWC), and Forest Survey of India (FSI); Geographical Survey of India (GSI) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• It simulated emergency situations to test roles and responsibilities, fostered discussions on technologies and trends in disaster relief, and reviewed lessons from recent operations.
• It addressed issues including tsunamis, landslides, floods, cyclones, industrial incidents, and forest fires, with focus on recent events in Tamil Nadu, Wayanad, and Andhra Pradesh.

Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme:

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to expand the Special Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) to 20 other airports across the country.

• It has been initiated to speed up the Immigration clearance process for eligible persons from the following categories: Indian Nationals and Foreign Nationals holding OCI Cards.
• It was first launched at Delhi’s IGI Airport.
• It has been introduced with the purpose of facilitating international mobility with faster, smoother and secure immigration clearances.
• It is similar to the United States’ Global Entry Program, which allows fast-tracked clearance for pre-approved and low-risk travelers upon their arrival at select airports in the US.
• The FTI-TTP is implemented through an online portal with the Bureau of Immigration being the nodal agency.
• To enroll in the scheme, the applicant has to register online on the portal with details and documents.
• Once the application for FTI-TTP is approved, those individuals will not need to go through the arduous process of standing in long queues for immigration clearance while arriving in India.
• The FTI registration will be valid for a maximum of five years or until the validity of the passport, whichever comes first.
• Under the FTI-TTP programme, eligible passengers are allowed to utilise e-gates and bypass regular immigration queues for a seamless experience.

INSPIRE – MANAK Programme:

The 11th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) of INSPIRE– MANAK winners felicitation ceremony was held in New Delhi.

• The INSPIRE – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) is one of the flagship schemes of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India.
• It is for nurturing ideas and innovations of school students and motivates them to pursue science and a career in research.
• It is jointly implemented by DST and the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India.
• It aims to motivate students in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in classes 6 to 10 to become future innovators and critical thinkers.
• It believes that once the original ideas and innovations rooted in Science and Technology by students get incubated, it will foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among school children.
• This will help address the societal needs through science and technology and nurture them to become sensitive and responsible citizens and innovation leaders of tomorrow.
• National Innovation Foundation was set up in March 2000 with the assistance of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
• It is India’s national initiative to strengthen the grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge.

Amur Falcon:

Manipur’s Tamenglong district gears up to welcome its winged guests, Amur falcon and the district administration imposed a ban on hunting, catching, killing and selling of the bird.

• Amur Falcon is a small raptorof the falcon family.
• These are locally known as Akhuipuina, the bird arrives mainly in Manipur and Nagaland.
• They breed in south-eastern Siberia and Northern Chinaand migrate long distances in large flocks to winter in Southern and East Africa.
• The one-way journey via India is about 20,000 km long and the birds do this twice a year.
• It is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and included under its Schedule IV.
• Hunting of the birds or possessing its meat is punishable with imprisonment up to three years or a fine upto 25,000 or with bonds.
• In 2018, the forest department started a conservation programme by radio-tagging the birds to study their migratory route.
• IUCN:Least Concern.
• Threats:Illegal trapping and killing during migration, habitat loss from agricultural practices and land reclamation.

Global Cybersecurity Index:

India has marked a significant milestone in its cybersecurity efforts by achieving top Tier i.e. Tier 1 status in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024.

• Global Cybersecurity Index is a trusted reference that measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a global level.
• It is to raise awareness of the importance and different dimensions of the issue.
• Each country’s level of development or engagement is assessed along five pillars namely, Legal Measures, Technical Measures, Organizational Measures, Capacity Development, and Cooperation – and then aggregated into an overall score.​
• It is published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• The report places 46 countries in Tier 1, the highest of the five tiers, reserved for “role modelling” countries that demonstrate a strong commitment in all five cybersecurity pillars.
• With a remarkable score of 98.49 out of 100, India joins the ranks of ‘role-modelling’ countries, demonstrating a strong commitment to cybersecurity practices across the globe.
• Most countries are either “establishing” (Tier 3) or “evolving” (Tier 4) in terms of cybersecurity.

Blast Furnace:

Tata Steel Ltd. recently said it had commissioned ‘India’s largest blast furnace’ at Kalinganagar, Odisha, as part of the Phase II expansion of its plant.

• Blast Furnace is a vertical shaft furnacethat produces liquid metals by the reaction of a flow of air introduced under pressure into the bottom of the furnace with a mixture of metallic ore, coke, and flux fed into the top.\
• The blast furnace itself is a steel shaft lined with fire resistant, refractory materials.
• The hottest part of the furnace – where the walls reach a temperature >300°C – is water-cooled.
• The whole structure is supported from the outside by a steel frame.
• Blast furnaces are used to produce pig iron from iron ore for subsequent processing into steel, and they are also employed in processing lead, copper, and other metals.
• The process is continuous, with raw materials being regularly charged to the top of the furnace and molten metal and slag being tapped from the bottom of the furnace at regular intervals.
• Once a blast furnace is started, it will continuously run for four to ten years with only short stops to perform planned maintenance.
• Rapid combustionis maintained by the current of air under pressure.
• Blast furnaces are the largest consumers of materials and energy in the iron and steel-making process.

Europa Clipper Mission:

NASA is set to launch the Europa Clipper mission, aiming to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa.

• Europa Clipper Mission is a NASA mission to study Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
• The mission will place a spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter in order to perform a detailed investigation of Europa.
• The first NASA spacecraft dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth, Europa Clipper aims to find out if the ice-encased moon Europa could be habitable.
• Europa shows strong evidence for an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust.
• The spacecraft extends 100 feet (30.5 meters) from one end to the other and about 58 feet (17.6 meters) across.
• It is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission.
• Europa Clipper will orbit Jupiter and conduct 49 close flybys of the moon to gather data needed to determine whether there are places below its thick frozen crust that could support life.
• The spacecraft carries nine science instruments and a gravity experiment that uses the telecommunications system.
• In order to obtain the best science during each flyby, all the science instruments will operate simultaneously on every pass. Scientists will then layer the data together to paint a full picture of the moon.
• The spacecraft has large solar arrays to collect enough light for its power needs as it operates in the Jupiter system.

Pheromone : Study

India scientists developed sustainable pheromone dispenser with a controlled release rate which could bring down costs of pest control and management.

• Pheromones are chemical substances which are secreted on the outside by an individual, and received by another individual of the same species.
• These are present in all bodily secretions, and especially in the axillary sweat — can be detected by the olfactory system.
• Pheromones are ecto-hormones, meaning they are secreted outside the body.
• Types of Pheromones
  • Releaser pheromones: They work right away and elicit a specific response from the other person.
  • Signaler pheromones: They give information about the person who releases them. For example, they help a mother tell her own baby apart from other babies.
  • Modulator pheromones: They affect mood and emotions.
  • Primer pheromones affect hormones, for example during pregnancy or menstrual cycles.
• Animals, with their heightened senses and vomeronasal organ are known to secrete pheromones to trigger many kinds of behaviours like raising an alarm, signalling a food trail, warning another animal to back off, and bonding with an offspring.
• Pheromones are also used by some fungi, slime molds, and algae as attractants in reproduction; organisms of complementary reproductive cell types grow or move toward each other.

TRISHNA Mission:

The President of the French Space Agency, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), in an event spoke on a wide range of topics from celebrating 60 years of French-India space cooperation to the Gaganyaan and the TRISHNA missions.

• The Thermal Infrared Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment (TRISHNA) mission a collaborative endeavor between the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) the French Space Agency CNES.
• It is engineered to deliver high spatial and temporal resolution observations of Earth’s surface temperature, vegetation health, and water cycle dynamics.
• It will also help in a comprehensive assessment of urban heat islands, detection of thermal anomalies linked to volcanic activity and geothermal resources, and precise monitoring of snow-melt runoff and glacier dynamics.
• The mission will also provide valuable data on aerosol optical depth, atmospheric water vapor, and cloud cover.
• TRISHNA satellite is equipped with two primary payloads.
• The Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) Payload: It is provided by CNES, features a four-channel long-wave infrared imaging sensor capable of high-resolution surface temperature and emissivity mapping.
• The Visible – Near Infra-Red – Short Wave Infra-Red (VNIR-SWIR) payload: It is developed by ISRO, includes seven spectral bands designed for detailed mapping of surface reflectance of VSWIR bands for generating important biophysical and radiation budget variables.
• The variables retrieved from the combination of payload data would help in solving surface energy balance to estimate surface heat fluxes.
• The satellite will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 761 km, with a local time of 12:30 PM at the equator.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released its Mutual Evaluation Report on India:

India was found partially compliant in three areas.

• Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs): NPOs registered as charitable organizations and enjoying tax exemptions could be vulnerable to terror funding.
• The system requires better measures to address risks associated with these organisations.
  Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs): Ambiguities exist regarding the source of wealth, source of funds, and beneficial
• ownership for domestic PEPs. The government needs to address these ambiguities.
• Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs): Gaps exist in the regulation and supervision of DNFBPs, especially regarding money laundering and terror financing.

Mini-Moon:

According to a new study, the Earth’s gravitational field will temporarily capture a small asteroid named 2024 PT5 which will behave as a ‘mini moon’.

• Mini-moons are asteroids that fail to escape Earth’s gravity and end up orbiting the planet for some time.
• They are usually very small and hard to detect — only four mini-moons of Earth have ever been discovered, and none are still orbiting Earth.
• These events are relatively frequent, with similar occurrences happening every few decades.
• Mini moons are captured from the Near-Earth Object (NEO) population, which consists of asteroids and other celestial bodies that pass close to Earth.
• NASA classifies any space object that comes within 120 million miles (190 million kilometers) of our planet as a near-Earth object, while objects within 4.7 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) are considered potentially hazardous.

Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme 2024:

The second edition of the Direct Tax Vivad se Viswas scheme 2024 (VSV 2.0) will be operational soon, the Finance Ministry has said in a notification.

• The scheme aims to reduce ongoing litigations related to income tax.
• VSV 2.0 will enable taxpayers and the Income Tax Department to resolve disputes through a streamlined appeals process.
• It will provide a mechanism for filing appeals across various appellate forums, including the Joint Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals), the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), and higher courts.
• The scheme covers appeals, writ petitions, and special leave petitions pending as of July 22, 2024, and will waive penalties and interest for settlements, ensuring no prosecution will be initiated for cases resolved under the scheme.
• The scheme also covers cases with objections filed before the Dispute Resolution Panel (DRP) where no final assessment order has been issued and pending revision applications before the Commissioner.
• However, certain cases are excluded from eligibility, including those involving searches, prosecutions, and undisclosed foreign income.
• Taxpayers under specific legal restrictions or serious offenses will also not benefit from the scheme.
• The primary goal of VSV 2.0 is to provide a cost-effective mechanism for settling disputed issues, thereby alleviating the burden of litigation on taxpayers and the judicial system.

Contempt Petition:

Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud informed the Attorney General that the Jharkhand government has filed a contempt petition against the central government for delaying the appointment of a new Chief Justice to the Jharkhand High Court, as recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.

• This was stated during a hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a “fixed time limit” for the Centre to notify judicial appointments.
• The Jharkhand government emphasized that delays in appointing a Chief Justice hinder judicial efficiency.
• A contempt petition is a legal action filed in a court when someone disobeys or fails to comply with a court order or judgment.
• It is a way to seek the enforcement of a court’s decision and hold the violating party accountable. There are two types of contempt under the law:
• Civil Contempt: This occurs when a person or entity willfully disobeys a court order or breaches a legal obligation, such as not following the terms of a court judgment.
• Criminal Contempt: This involves actions that obstruct or undermine the authority, dignity, or functioning of the court, such as showing disrespect in court or interfering with judicial proceedings.
• A contempt petition is filed to bring such disobedience or defiance to the court’s attention, and if proven, the court may impose penalties, which could include fines or imprisonment, to ensure compliance.

Project 200:

Bengaluru-based startup Bellatrix Aerospace unveiled “Project 200,” an innovative satellite designed to operate at Ultra-Low Earth Orbit (180-250 km) during the Bengaluru Space Expo 2024.

• This orbit could revolutionize satellite capabilities, enhancing applications like high-resolution Earth observation and telecommunications.
• The startup’s breakthrough propulsion technology will allow satellites to operate at this low altitude for years, overcoming the challenges of atmospheric drag.
• This new technology reduces communication latency by half, improves image resolution by three times, and significantly lowers satellite costs, marking a major shift in satellite operations.

Jordan:

Jordan has become the first country in the world to receive World Health Organization (WHO) verification for eliminating leprosy. This achievement highlights the country’s strong political commitment and effective public health strategies, with no locally transmitted cases reported for over two decades. Jordan’s success serves as a global model, demonstrating the power of sustained efforts and collaboration in public health.

NCERT Textbook:

A chapter titled ‘Veer Abdul Hameed’ and a poem titled ‘National War Memorial’ have been included in the NCERT curriculum of Class VI.

Walkie-Talkie Blasts in Lebanon:

Several people were killed and hundreds injured in Lebanon following explosions of hand-held radios like walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah at multiple locations. These pagers, chosen by Hezbollah to evade detection through cell phones, were covertly modified with Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN).

Neuralink’s Blindsight Implant:

The US Food and Drug Administration granted “breakthrough device” status to Elon Musk’s Neuralink’s Blindsight.This designation aims to speed up the development and review of innovative medical devices that address severe conditions.
Blindsight is an experimental vision-restoring implant. It could help individuals who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve regain vision.

PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Park in Maharashtra:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Park (PM MITRA) in Maharashtra’s Amravati. Event Info The 1000-acre park is being developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) as the State Implementation Agency.

Dhruvi Patel wins Miss India Worldwide 2024:

Dhruvi Patel, a Computer Information System student from the USA, has been declared the winner of Miss India Worldwide 2024, the longest running Indian pageant outside of India

Nikhat Zareen joins Telangana police as DSP:

Renowned Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen has reported for duty as Deputy Superintendent of Police after handing over her joining report to the Director General of Police Jitender.

Magnus Carlsen, Judit Polgar felicitated at FIDE 100 Awards:

Magnus Carlsen and Judit Polgar were felicitated with the best male and female player awards, respectively at the FIDE 100 Awards ceremony in Hungary. FIDE 100 Event The centenary of the International Chess Federation, celebrated the exceptional achievements and contributions of individuals, groups, and organizations within the chess community.

YES BANK and Paisabazaar Launch Feature-rich ‘PaisaSave’ Cashback Credit Card:

Paisabazaar, India’s leading online marketplace for consumer credit and free credit score platform, has partnered with YES BANK, India’s sixth largest private sector bank, to unveil their co-branded credit card – YES BANK Paisabazaar PaisaSave Credit Card.