Geography

Antarctica's Mount Erebus Volcano – Indian Express

 

Context:
In a strange incident, Antarctica's second-largest volcano, Mount Erebus, is spewing out gold dust.

• Mount Erebus:
  • About: The world’s southernmost active volcano (a stratovolcano) situated on Ross Island, Antarctica.
  • Discovery: Discovered in 1841 by the British explorer Sir James Clark Ross, who named it after his ship, the Erebus.
  • Feature: Known for its persistent lava lake, which has been active since at least 1972 and is one of only a few long-lived lava lakes on Earth.

 

Kosi River – The Hindu

 

Context:
Several regions of Bihar are facing severe flooding due to the heavy release of water from the Kosi Barrage in Birpur, following intense rainfall.

• Kosi River:
  • About: A transboundary river that flows through China, Nepal, and India, and is a prominent tributary of the Ganges.
  • Origin: Formed by the confluence of three streams - Sun Kosi, Arun Kosi, and Tamur Kosi, originating in the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet.
  • Area: It drains an area of 74,500 sq.km, of which only 11,070 sq.km lie within Indian territory.
  • Course: Known for its erratic flow due to the great outflushing of debris, the Kosi has no permanent channel in its course through the great plain of northern India.
  • Known as the "Sorrow of Bihar": The river has caused widespread destruction in the past due to flooding and frequent course changes as it flows from Nepal to Bihar.
  • Tributaries: Sun Koshi, Tama/Tamba Koshi, Dudh Koshi, Indravati, Likhu, Arun, and Tamore (Tamar).

 

Society

10 Years of Swachh Bharat Mission: Its Aims and Status on Key Targets – Indian Express

 

Context:
Swachh Bharat Mission, one of the first programs announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he took office in 2014, completes 10 years on October 2, 2024.

 

 

Polity

How India's Temples are Run – Indian Express

 

Context:
As the Supreme Court hears petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the alleged adulteration of the ghee in Lord Venkateswara’s laddu prasadam, Hindu organizations have revived their demand to free temples from government control.

    

Who is an Overseas Citizen of India? What are the Rights and Privileges of OCI Card Holders? – Indian Express

 

Context:
In the wake of several Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders complaining about being reclassified as “foreigners,” the Ministry of External Affairs recently clarified that there were no changes made to the OCI rules.

• Overseas Citizen of India (OCI):
  • A person who is technically not a citizen of India but holds certain privileges comparable to those of Indian citizens.

 

 

World Affairs

India and France Discuss Defence Cooperation and Efforts to Advance Peace – The Hindu

 

Context:
French President Emmanuel Macron appreciated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "initiatives" to advance peace, during a meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in Paris for the India-France Strategic Dialogue.

• Horizon 2047 Agreement:
  • About: Outlines a 25-year roadmap for bilateral cooperation.
  • Focus Areas: Advanced technologies like supercomputing, AI, and quantum computing, which are critical for India's future development.

 

Economy

Having Private Participation in India’s Nuclear Energy – The Hindu

 

Context:
In July 2024, the Government of India, while presenting the Union Budget for FY 2024-25, made announcements about expanding India’s nuclear energy sector by proposing partnerships with the private sector for research and development of Bharat Small Reactors (BSR) and Bharat Small Modular Reactors (BSMR).

• India’s Nuclear Energy Goals:
  • Decarbonize energy generation.
  • Achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy by 2030, as pledged at the COP26 Summit in 2021.
  • Challenges: Success depends on legislative and regulatory reforms in liability, safety, and transparency.

 

Environment

Swallowtail Butterfly – The Hindu

 

Context:
A study found that the overexploitation of medicinal plants is threatening the survival of swallowtail butterflies in the forest habitats of Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region.

• Swallowtail Butterfly:
  • Family: Papilionidae.
  • Global Species: 573.     
  • Indian species: 77.
  • Appearance: Large, brightly colored wings with tail-like extensions on the hindwings.
  • Distribution in India: Found in rainforests, woodlands, cultivated lands, and protected areas like the Western Ghats and Northeast India.
  • Threats: Exploitation of medicinal plants, deforestation, illegal cattle farming, agriculture, tree felling, and pesticide use.

 

Tsetse Fly – The Hindu

 

Context:
Tsetse flies are present in 34 African countries, according to a new atlas published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

 

• Tsetse Fly:
  • About: Unicellular, blood-sucking insects.
  • Holometabolous Insects: Females give birth to full-grown larvae, which rapidly pupate in the soil.
  • Distribution: Found in patches of dense vegetation along rivers, lakes, and dense rainforests.
  • Diet: Blood.
  • Vectors: Transmit Trypanosoma parasites, which cause sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana in cattle.

 

Science & Technology

ISRO Plans to Launch 112-day Mission to Venus in March 2028 – The Hindu

 

Context:
India’s maiden mission to Venus is scheduled for launch in March 2028 and will embark on a 112-day journey to reach the planet.

• Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM):
  • Aim: Orbit a scientific spacecraft around Venus to study the planet's surface and atmospheric processes.
  • Objectives:
    • Understand the transformation of Venus, once considered similar to Earth.
    • Study the Sun's influence on Venus's atmosphere.
    • Provide scientific insights into planetary evolution.
  • Scheduled Launch: March 2028, when Earth and Venus are closest.

 

Products Used by Assam Tribes, Including Traditional Food Items, Granted GI Tag – The Hindu

 

Context:
The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai has granted the GI tag to eight products from Assam, including traditional food items and unique varieties of rice beer.

 

 

Preparing for the Next Pandemic: What NITI Aayog Report Says – Indian Express

 

Context:
An expert group constituted by NITI Aayog has recommended setting up a comprehensive framework to manage future public health emergencies or pandemics. The Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response (PPER) framework suggests enacting a new Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA).

 

 

Ghost Particles Reveal New Quantum Secrets – The Hindu

 

Context:
Researchers exploring neutrinos in dense environments like supernovae and neutron star mergers have discovered that these "ghost particles" can become entangled, sharing quantum states and evolving chaotically.

• Neutrinos:
  • Tiny subatomic particles that barely interact with anything, making them difficult to detect.
  • Approximately 100 trillion neutrinos pass harmlessly through your body every second.
  • They are neutral and belong to the lepton family.
  • Formed during radioactive decay, such as in supernovae or cosmic rays striking atoms.

 

Defense

Taiwan Receives First Shipment of Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile Systems – Indian Express

 

Context:
Taiwan has received its first shipment of 100 land-based Harpoon anti-ship missile systems ordered from the United States, marking a significant milestone in its defense capabilities.

• Harpoon Missile (RGM-84/UGM-84/AGM-84):
  • An all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system

 

 

India-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise KAZIND -2024 Commences in Auli – PIB

 

Context:
The 8th edition of the India-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise, KAZIND-2024, commenced recently at the Surya Foreign Training Node, Auli, Uttarakhand.