Art and Culture

Why September 12 is Observed as Saragarhi Day - Indian Express

Context

• September 12 marks the 127th anniversary of the Battle of Saragarhi, regarded today as one of the finest last stands in global military history.

 

Geography

Rapa Nui Islands/Easter Island - The Hindu

About:

• Located in the South-East Pacific Ocean.
• Formed by three extinct volcanoes: Poike, Rano Kau, and Terevka.
• A region of Chile and part of the Polynesian Triangle of Oceania.

Designation:

• Protected within the Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site declared in 1995.

Moai:

• Monumental statues found on Rapa Nui Island.

Population:

• One of the world’s most remote inhabited islands, with the nearest land over 2,000 kilometers away.

 

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services Unveils ‘Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas’ - The Hindu

Context

• The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has announced the development of an ‘Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas’ of the Indian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).

Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas

• About: Showcases the vast potential of ocean energy resources encompassing marine meteorological (solar and wind) and hydrological (wave, tide, currents, ocean thermal, and salinity gradients) energy forms.
• Identification of Specific Areas: Areas with high potential for energy generation.

 

Polity

Why Supreme Court Must Look into Compensation for Surrogates - Indian Express

Context

• Concerns have been raised since the enforcement of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act and the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Regulation) Act, 2021. Some provisions are being challenged in the Supreme Court for their constitutional validity.

Parliamentary Committee Recommendation on Compensation

1. 102nd Report Observation:

   • The Rajya Sabha’s Parliamentary Standing Committee highlighted that pregnancy significantly affects a woman’s health, time, and family.
   • Observed that everyone involved in the surrogacy process, such as doctors, lawyers, and hospitals, gets paid, but surrogate mothers are expected to offer their services altruistically.

2. Recommendation for Compensation:

   • Surrogate mothers should receive reasonable compensation beyond medical expenses and insurance to acknowledge their labor while preventing exploitation.

Challenges of Implementation

• Underground Surrogacy Markets: Transition to an altruistic surrogacy model has led to reports of underground arrangements exploiting women.
• Difficulty Finding Surrogates: Couples seeking surrogacy struggle to find women willing to act as surrogates without compensation.
• Need for Reconsideration: Current prohibitions may need to be re-evaluated as they fail to address demand and risks associated with an unregulated market.

Conclusion

• Legislative intervention has set important issues aside, and it remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will view compensation fairness as distinct from the prohibition logic.

 

World Affairs

Disengagement Problems with China on LAC Standoff Sorted Out Majorly: S Jaishankar - Indian Express

Context

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that about 75% of the “disengagement problems” with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have been “sorted out”.

Line of Actual Control (LAC)

• About: A demarcation separating Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory, serving as a de facto border between India and China.
• Length: India considers the LAC to be 3,488 km long; China considers it to be around 2,000 km.

3 Sectors:

1. Eastern Sector: Spans Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
2. Middle Sector: Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
3. Western Sector: Ladakh.

Claims:

• India’s Claim Line: Marked on maps by the Survey of India, including Aksai Chin and Gilgit-Baltistan.
• China’s Claim Line: Considered the LAC as the claim line except in the eastern sector, where it claims the entire Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet.

 

Economy

Start-Up India to Move Out of Invest India’s Ambit: Goyal - The Hindu

Context

• Commerce and Industry Minister announced that the Centre’s Start-Up India initiative will be moved out of the aegis of the official investment promotion and facilitation agency, Invest India, to a new non-profit company that may house the National Start-Up Advisory Council.

Invest India

National Start-Up Advisory Council (NSAC)

• Constitution: Formed by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Objective: Advise the government on creating a robust ecosystem that nurtures innovation and startups to promote sustainable economic growth and generate large-scale employment.

Composition:

• Chairman: Minister for Commerce & Industry.
• Ex-officio Members: Nominees from relevant ministries, departments, or organisations, holding positions not below the rank of Joint Secretary.
• Non-official Members: Startup founders and industry veterans representing stakeholders across the startup ecosystem.

Role:

• Identify intervention areas to expand the startup ecosystem.
• Ideate and nurture national programs under the Startup India initiative.

 

Centre to Invest Rs 6,000 Crore in Smart Farming with AI, Drones, and Data to Boost Crop Yields - Indian Express

Context

• The Center is contemplating earmarking Rs 6,000 crore to promote precision farming, a modern approach that uses smart technology like the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, drones, and data analytics to boost production while minimizing environmental impact.

Smart Precision Horticulture Programme

 

Inauguration of Centre for Rural Enterprise Acceleration through Technology (CREATE) at Leh - PIB

Context

• Union Minister for MSME recently inaugurated the Centre for Rural Enterprise Acceleration through Technology (CREATE) at Leh through virtual mode.

Centre for Rural Enterprise Acceleration through Technology

 

Environment

Nilgiri Tahr Radio-Collared in Anamalai Tiger Reserve for Study Purpose - The Hindu

Context

• Following the predation of a Nilgiri tahr that was radio-collared in Mukurthi National Park, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has fitted a tracking device on another individual.

Nilgiri Tahr / Nilgiri Ibex / Varaiaadu

• About: The State animal of Tamil Nadu, recognized for its ecological and cultural significance.
• IUCN Status: Endangered.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972 Status: Schedule-I.
• Distribution: Inhabits meadows with steep cliffs at elevations between 300 to 2,600 meters above sea level.
• Population: Estimated 3,122 Nilgiri Tahrs in the wild.

Anamalai Tiger Reserve

• About: A protected area located in the Anamalai Hills of Pollachi and Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu.
• Location: Lies south of the Palakkad gap in the Southern Western Ghats, surrounded by Parambikulam Tiger Reserve on the east, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Eravikulam National Park on the southwest side.

Vegetation:

• Wet evergreen forests, semi-evergreen forests, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, dry thorn, and montane grasslands.

Flora:

• Balsam, Crotalaria, Orchids, Kurinchi, mango, jackfruit, wild plantain, ginger (Zingiber officinale), turmeric, pepper (Piper longum), cardamom, etc.

Fauna:

• Tiger, Asiatic elephant, Sambar, Spotted deer, Barking deer, Jackal, Leopard, Jungle cat, etc.

 

 

Science and Tech

Low-Cost Diabetes Drug Can Slow Ageing in Male Monkeys: Study - Indian Express

Context

• Metformin, an inexpensive diabetes drug, has been shown to slow ageing in male monkeys, particularly in their brain. This raises the possibility of its future use in delaying ageing in humans.

Metformin

• About: One of the most widely used drugs for treating type 2 diabetes; a derivative of guanidine, a compound found in Goat’s Rue, an herbal medicine long used in Europe.
• Usage: First used for diabetes in France in the 1950s.
• Other Effects: Reduces the risk of cancer and slows ageing in worms, rodents, and flies.

 

 

Clarity of Vision: On Eye Drops for Presbyopia and ‘Claims’ - The Hindu

Context

• Controversy over the claims of eye drops for presbyopia (progressive loss of near-focusing ability due to ageing) led to the suspension of a pharma company’s permission to manufacture and market the product by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

 

Cellulitis Disease - The Hindu

Context

• Cellulitis disease, once affecting only a few during the rainy season, has now spread widely in the erstwhile Karimnagar district.

Cellulitis Disease

• About: A serious deep infection of the skin caused by bacteria, commonly affecting the lower part of the body (legs, feet, and toes) but can occur anywhere.
• Occurrence: Happens when bacteria (commonly streptococcus and staphylococcus) enter through a crack or break in the skin.
• Symptoms: Swollen and inflamed skin, typically painful and warm to the touch; blisters, skin dimpling, or spots; fatigue, chills, cold sweats, shivering, fever, and nausea.
• Transmission: Not usually contagious, but can occur through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person’s open