Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 29th July 2024

Assam’s Charaideo Moidams:

Assam’s Charaideo Moidams, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are royal burial sites of the Ahom dynasty, which ruled Assam from 1228 to 1826 AD.

• A moidam is a mound of earth over a grave, typically containing one or more chambers with an earthen mound covered in grass and a pavilion on top.
• Unlike Hindus who cremate their dead, the Ahoms, originating from the Tai people, practiced burial.
• Charaideo, the first capital established by King Sukaphaa in 1253 AD, remained a symbolic and ritual center of power for the Ahoms.
• The burial sites contain items for the afterlife and are reminiscent of ancient Egyptian rites, earning the nickname “Pyramids of Assam.”

Subvention Scheme:

The Supreme Court has provided relief to homebuyers in the National Capital Region (NCR) under the Subvention scheme.

• The Supreme Court has instructed banks not to take coercive action against individuals who have not received possession of their flats.
• Subvention Scheme involve a tripartite agreement between the buyer, banker, and developer.
• The buyer pays 5-20% upfront, while the bank loans the rest to the developer.
• The developer pays the loan interest until the buyer takes possession, after which the buyer’s EMI starts.
• This scheme boosts sales for developers and delays EMI payments for buyers.
• However, in the present case many builders have defaulted on these payments.

Rock Varnish Layers In Ladakh:

Magnetofossils, fossilised magnetic particles from magnetotactic bacteria, have been discovered in rock varnish layers in Ladakh.

• Rock varnish is a dark brown to black coating that covers stable, subaerially exposed rock surfaces in arid and semiarid regions.
• Findings:
  • The analysis of the rock varnish samples from Ladakh revealed higher concentrations of oxidized manganese (Mn4+) and carboxylic acid functionality, indicating organic signatures.
  • These findings suggest that the rock varnish in Ladakh, a potential Martian analogue site, contains enriched concentrations of magnetic minerals likely derived from biotic sources.
  • Magnetic minerals are those that preserve a record of the Earth’s magnetic field from when they formed and can be found in rocks, sediments, and soils.
  • Magnetofossils refer to fossilised remains of magnetotactic bacteria that contain magnetic minerals.
  • Magnetotactic bacteria leave fossilised magnetic particles in geological records.

First Offshore Mineral Auctions:

India is set to launch its first offshore mineral auctions, marking a significant step in resource management. This initiative, part of the proposed National Critical Minerals Mission (NCCM), aims to enhance the supply chain for critical minerals.

• Union Minister of Mines announced the identification of 10 blocks, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s quest for self-reliance in mineral resources, in line with the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Exploration reports of 10 blocks located in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are available for auction for grant of composite license. Of these, 7 blocks of poly-metallic nodules and crusts are located in Andaman Sea, 3 blocks of lime-mud are located off the Gujarat coast.
• The mineral blocks which contain critical minerals like Cobalt and Nickel which are key to manufacturing low-carbon technologies to generate, store and transmit clean energy and steel manufacturing.
• The auctions will be conducted under the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act (OAMDR), 2002.
• Composite licenses will be issued for mineral resource determination, exploration, and commercial production.

Tell Umm Amer Heritage site:

The World Heritage Committee (WHC) decided to include the Palestinian site of Tell Umm Amer in both the UNESCO World Heritage Site List and the Lost of World Heritage in Danger during its 46th session in New Delhi.

• Tell Umm Amer Heritage site is situated on the coastal dunes of the Nuseirat Municipality, just 10 km south of Gaza city.
• It is an ancient Christian monastery founded in the fourth century by Hilarion the Great (291-371 CE).
• It is also known as the ‘Monastery of Saint Hilarion.
• It was the first monastic community in the Holy Land, laying the groundwork for the spread of monastic practices in the region.
• The monastery occupied a strategic position at the crossroads of major trade and communication routes between Asia and Africa.

Heatwaves : Notified Disaster List

The Minister of state for Union ministry of science and technology informed Lok Sabha that 15th Finance Commission declined to include heatwaves on the notified disaster list.

• The Disaster Management Act, 2005,defines a disaster as a “catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence” arising from natural or man-made causes that results in substantial loss of life, destruction of property, or damage to the environment.
• Currently 12 disasters are classified as Notified Disaster namely: Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack and frost and cold wave.
• Presently the notified list of disasters eligible for National Disaster Response Fund/State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) assistance.

Heat waves:

• The basic criteria for IMD to declare a heatwave are when a place’s temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius (°C) in the plains, 37°C in coastal areas, and 30°C in the hills.
• These temperature values are the thresholds established by the IMD for the declaration of heatwaves in India.

E-Upahaar Portal:

Rashtrapati Bhavan will auction selected gift items, presented to the President and former Presidents on various occasions, through an online portal called E-Upahaar.

• E-Upahaar Portal is an auction portal of the President’s Secretariat (office of the President of India), Rashtrapati Bhavan for auctioning of gift items presented to Hon’ble President and former Presidents of India.
• The portal was launched by the President of India, on July 25, 2024,
• It is conceptualized, designed, developed and hosted by National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• The aim of this initiative is not only to increase citizen engagement but also to support noble causes. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to help children in need.

Mako Missile:

The US Navy, Navy SEAL commandos, and the US Air Force are set to install the Mako missile in all their military aircraft

• Mako Missile is an air-launched hypersonic multi-mission missile.
• It was developed by Lockheed Martin, an American aerospace and defense manufacturer.
• It will be the world’s first hypersonic weapon that could be fired from the internal weapons bay of the fifth-generation stealth fighter jets: the F-35 and the F-22 Raptor.
• It can be used for a wide range of missions, including targets at sea, in the air, and on land.

Chair of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) : 2024-25

India has taken over as the Chair of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) for 2024-25.

• Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre is an autonomous international organization established in 1986.
• It is for cooperation in and implementation of disaster risk reduction and building climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific region.
• Vision is afer communities and sustainable development through disaster risk reduction” and its geographical remit is Asia and the Pacific
• Member countries: India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand are the founding members.
• The organs of ADPC, defined in the ADPC Charter include the Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee, the Advisory Council and the Regional Consultative Committee (RCC), which are the governing or advisory bodies of ADPC.
• ADPC’s international Charter was signed by nine founding member countries and it was put into effect in 2018 through the ratification by all the founding members.

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme : In News

A total of 1,862 disease outbreaks were reported to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme last year, with the highest number being reported from Kerala, the Lok Sabha was informed recently.

• Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) is a decentralized, state-based surveillance programme in the country.
• It was launched with World Bank assistance in November 2004 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• Objectives is to strengthen/maintain a decentralized laboratory-based IT enabled disease surveillance system for epidemic-prone diseases to monitor disease trends and to detect and respond to outbreaks in the early rising phase through trained Rapid Response Teams (RRTs).

Lithium Resources : Karnataka

The Union minister of state for science and technology recently announced the discovery of 1,600 tonnes of lithium resources in Karnataka.

• Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Liand atomic number 3.
• Classified as an alkali metal,lithium is a solid at room temperature.
• It is the lightest of the solid elements.
• It is soft, white, and lustrous.
• It reacts vigorously with water.
• It has a body-centered cubic crystal structure.
• Lithium constitutes about 002 percent of Earth’s crust.
• Being highly reactive, it does not occur as the metal in nature, but is found combined in small amounts in nearly all igneous rocks and in the waters of many mineral springs.
• Spodumene, petalite, lepidolite, and amblygonite are the more important minerals containing lithium.
• Lithium reserves are concentrated in the lithium triangle in South America–Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, with 50% of the deposits concentrated in these regions.
• In 2023, Australia was the world leader in terms of lithium mine production, with Chile and China ranked second and third.
• The most important use of lithium is in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras, and electric vehicles.