PRELIMS FACT

1. CERVAVAC VACCINE

• A study in Lancet Oncology reveals that the Cervavac vaccine by the Serum Institute of India elicits a comparable immune response to Merck’s Gardasil vaccine.
• Cervavac is India’s first indigenous quadrivalent HPV vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-associated cancers.
• HPV is a major cause of cervical cancer.
• Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India, accounting for about a fifth of the global burden of cervical cancer.

2. PICHWAI PAINTING

Context:

• Chennai’s Collage is hosting an art exhibition showcasing Pichwai paintings, some of which date back 350 years.

• Pichwai art originated in Nathdwara, near Udaipur, and is traditionally created on cloth, typically khadi.

Features:

• The paintings use stone pigments for gold and sil­ver tones and vegetable dyes for vibrant colours like orange, red, chrome yellow, and kesari.
• The detailed work is meticulous and time-con­suming, taking several months to complete a single piece.
• The art form has evolved over time, with modern themes and influences incorporated by artists.
• In recent years, there has been a resurgence in Pichwai art, attracting younger buyers and encouraging artists to return to their hometowns in Rajasthan to learn and continue the traditional techniques.

3. KOLKALI

Context:

• Kolkali, performed by the mothers’ grouping of the Thrissur Archdiocese in remembrance of St. Thomas’ arrival in India

4. PARTHENON SCULPTURES

Context:

• A diplomatic dispute between Greece and the UK has arisen over the Parthenon Sculptures housed at the British Muse­um.
• Greece has consistently sought the permanent re­turn of the sculptures, also known as the Elgin Mar­bles, which are over 2,000 years old and originally adorned the Parthenon temple in Athens.
• The sculptures were removed by Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, in the early 19th century and purchased by the British Museum in 1816.
• While Greece alleges theft, Lord Elgin claimed per­mission from the Ottoman Empire

The Parthenon Sculptures are a collection of more than 30 ancient Greek stone sculptures. They are over 2,000 years old and were originally part of the Parthenon temple in Athens. The sculptures are currently housed in the British Museum

5. HOUTHI REBELS

Context:

• The Houthi rebels hijacked the India-bound cargo ship Gal­axy Leader in the Red Sea, claiming it was Israeli. However, the Israeli government denied the claim, stating the ship is owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese firm.
• The incident marks an escalation in the Houthi threat against global maritime shipping, following their earlier failed missile attacks targeting Israel.

Houthi rebels are a Shiite Muslim insurgent group based in Yemen. The Houthis take their name from their found­ing leader, Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi. They adhere to a branch of Shia Islam known as Zaidism

6. KARMAYOGI PRARAMBH

Context:

• Karmayogi Bharat, launched last year, celebrated the first anniversary of Karmayogi Prarambh, an online orientation program on the iGOT Karmayogi Platform for government appointees recruited through Rozgar Melas.
• The program, consisting of eight curated courses, aims to help new government employees acclima­tize to policies and transition smoothly into their roles.
• The iGOT Karmayogi platform is a comprehensive online learning portal for capacity-building among government officials, with over 26 lakh learners cur­rently registered and access to 815+ courses.
• The Karmayogi Prarambh courses cover topics such as Code of Conduct for Government Employees, Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women in the Workplace, Understanding Motivation, Self-Lead­ership, Stress Management, Effective Communi­cation, MS Word for Beginners, and MS Excel for Beginners.

7. ELECTORAL TRUSTS (ET) SCHEME

Context:

• Prior to the Electoral Bond Scheme, the Electoral Trusts (ET) Scheme, established by the UPA government in 2013, regu­lated corporate and individual donations to political parties, emphasizing transparency.

Electoral Trusts (ET) Scheme:

• Introduced in 2013.
• Open to companies registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956, and individuals or entities residing in India.
• Trusts must renew their registration every three fi­nancial years.
• Mandates that 95% of contributions received in a financial year must be donated to political parties registered under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
• Electoral Trusts prioritize transparency by mandat­ing the reporting of contributors and beneficiaries to the Election Commission of India. This differs from the Electoral Bonds (EB) Scheme, which per­mits anonymous political donations.

8. ANNAPURNA CERTIFICATE PRO­GRAMME

Context:

• The Annapurna Certificate Programme, an initiative by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), has recognized six Indian restaurants worldwide for promoting Indian culi­nary traditions. This annual program acknowledges restau­rants contributing to India’s cultural cause through cuisine on a global scale.
• About ICCR
• The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (founded 1950; HQ: New Delhi; founder: Maulana Azad), is an autonomous or­ganisation of the Government of India, involved in India’s global cultural relations, through cultural exchange with oth­er countries and their people.

9. NITI AAYOG: SATH-E PROJECT

Context:

NITI Aayog has released a report on the Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital in Education (SATH-E)

10. INTERNATIONAL SUGAR ORGANISA­TION (ISO)

Context:

• India has been designated as the Chair of the International Sugar Organisation (ISO) for 2024, following the announce­ment made during the 63rd council meeting held in London.

What is ISO?

• The International Sugar Organization (founded 1968; HQ: London) is an intergovernmental organization, which was established by the International Sugar Agreement of 1968, as the body responsible for administering the Agreement (aimed at establishing an “orderly relationship between the supply and demand for sugar in the world market.). It has 88 countries as its member (Saudi Arabia joined in 2022)

11. AMPLIFI 2.0 PORTAL

Context:

• The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the Amplifi 2.0 portal to provide raw data from Indian cities on a single platform for academics, re­searchers, and stakeholders, aiming to support data-driven policymaking.
• The portal covers diverse information such as die­sel consumption, water quality testing, healthcare expenditure, slum population, and road accident fatalities.
• The initiative, part of the Urban Outcomes Frame­work 2022, aims to streamline data across 14 sec­tors and shift the focus from indices to comprehen­sive indicators for effective analysis.
• The initiative aims to harness data for informed ur­ban policy decisions and planning.

12. RAT HOLE MINING

Context:

• In the rescue operations for the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, rat miners played a crucial role in completing the drilling process.
• Rat-hole mining, a method of manual drilling com­mon in Meghalaya, involves skilled workers digging narrow pits just wide enough for one person.
• The term “rat hole” refers to these pits used to ex­tract coal. This method is hazardous, illegal in many countries due to safety concerns, and has faced crit­icism for its environmental impact.
• Rat-hole mining has faced criticism for its hazardous conditions, environmental damage, and accidents leading to injuries and fatalities.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned the practice in 2014 and retained the ban in 2015 due to safety concerns and environmental impact.
• Other methods, such as vertical drilling and auger mining, were also employed in the rescue operations, highlighting the diverse techniques used to address complex situations

13.  SUBSURFACE WATER ICE MAP­PING (SWIM) PROJECT

Context:

• The Subsurface Water Ice Mapping Project (SWIM) has cre­ated a map of Mars, indicating regions where NASA mis­sions have detected subsurface water ice.
• This map is a valuable resource for scientists to identify potential landing sites for the first astro­nauts on Mars.
• Water ice on Mars is crucial for drinking, rocket fuel, and other purposes, as the planet’s thin atmo­sphere cannot sustain liquid water.

The Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) project is a NA­SA-funded project that aims to detect where there’s most likely water ice beneath Martian ground. The project also aims to locate the best places to access water ice buried under the Martian.

The SWIM project supports NASA’s Mars Exploration Pro­gram in identifying the location and nature of potential wa­ter resources on Mars. Scientists can use the map to decide where the first astronauts to set foot.

The SWIM project uses the High-Resolution Imaging Sci­ence Experiment (HiRISE) to study fresh impact craters. The fourth comprehensive map of potential subsurface water ice locations on Mars was released.

14. WHITE HYDROGEN

Context:

• Two scientists in northeastern France discovered a substan­tial deposit of “white hydrogen,” considered one of the larg­est concentrations of this clean energy source ever found.

What is White Hydrogen?

• White hydrogen is a clean-burning energy source found naturally in the Earth’s crust. It is Natural hydrogen and is found as naturally occurring molecular hydrogen on or on Earth. The name white hydrogen distinguishes it from green hydrogen ( produced from renewable energy sources from the electrolysis of water), and from grey, brown or black hy­drogen, (which is obtained from fossil sources)

Significance:

• White hydrogen is seen as a potentially abundant and untapped source of clean-burning energy.
• White hydrogen’s estimated cost is around $1 per kilogram, significantly lower than green hydrogen, which costs about $6 per kilogram, making it a more affordable clean energy source.
• White hydrogen deposits have been identified worldwide including in the US, eastern Europe, Rus­sia, Australia, Oman, France, and Mali.

15. CARBON NANOFLORETS

Context:

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bom­bay have created carbon nanoflorets that can efficiently convert sunlight into heat.

What are Carbon nanoflorets?

• Carbon nanoflorets are a unique nanostructure composed of carbon atoms arranged in a distinctive floret-like mor­phology. They have a high surface area and various potential applications in fields such as materials science, electronics, and nanotechnology due to their exceptional properties and structure.
• These nanoflorets can absorb light at multiple fre­quencies, including infrared, visible light, and ultra­violet, making them highly efficient at converting sunlight into thermal energy.
• Additionally, their unique shape ensures minimal light reflection and efficient heat retention.
• A 1-square-meter coating of these nanoflorets can vaporize 5 litres of water in an hour, surpassing commercial solar stills. \It can provide ecologically sustainable heating and has po­tential uses in various sectors, including construction and healthcare.

16. WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES IN NEWS

17. ENVIRONMENTAL DNA

Context:

• Researchers at the Laboratory for the Conservation of En­dangered Species (LaCONES), a part of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have developed a novel method for detecting all life forms in an ecosystem using environmental DNA (eDNA).
• This innovative approach involves collecting water, soil, or air samples and then sequencing the DNA fragments found in these samples to assess the total biodiversity of the ecosystem.
• It can identify a wide range of organisms, including viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi, plants, insects, birds, fish, and other animals.
• This non-invasive technique is cost-effective, fast,
• and scalable for monitoring and conserving biodi­versity in both freshwater and marine ecosystems.
• Traditional biodiversity assessment methods are limited in their ability to account for all organisms and are expensive, labor-intensive, and time-consuming.
• This approach offers a promising way to comprehensively monitor and conserve ecosystems without the need for ex­tensive taxonomic expertise and direct capture or species counting.  

18. PROJECT KUSHA

Context:

• India is embarking on Project Kusha, a mission designed to enhance its air defence capabilities with a system rivalling the effectiveness of the renowned S-400.
• It includes the acquisition of three long-range Inter­ceptor missiles with ranges of 150km, 250km, and 350km, ensuring comprehensive protection against aerial threats.
• These missiles have a high single-shot kill probabil­ity of at least 85% and can increase this to 98.5% when two different missiles are launched sequen­tially with a short gap.

About S-400 Triumf:

The S-400 Triumf is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by Russia.

The S-400 is capable of intercepting and destroying various aerial targets, such as aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.

It has an operational range of up to 400 kilometres and a surveillance range of up to 600 kilometres. It can engage targets up to an altitude of 30 kilometers flying at a speed of 17,000 kilometers per hour or around 13 Mach – 13 times the speed of sound.

The S-400 is considered one of the world’s most advanced air defence systems that can simultaneously track and neu­tralize a range of incoming aerial threats.

19.  NATIONAL ORGAN AND TISSUE TRANSPLANT ORGANISATION (NOTTO)

Context:

• The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) data reveals that between 1995 and 2021, four out of five organ recipients in India were men, highlighting a significant gender disparity in healthcare-seeking behavior.

What does the Data Show?

• The data suggests a disproportionately low number of women undergoing transplants, raising concerns about awareness and access to treatment for wom­en in need.
• While studies show higher numbers of women do­nors, gender bias persists in both recipients and do­nors.

About National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation:

• NOTTO operates under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in New Delhi. It oversees organ procurement, allotment, distribu­tion, and registry of organs and tissue donation and trans­plantation in India

About Organ Donation in India:

• Despite being the world’s second-largest in transplants in 2019, India lags behind Western nations in donation rates due to factors like low public awareness, religious beliefs, and strict laws.
• The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 regulates organ donation in India, allowing both deceased and living donors. Brain death is recognized as a form of death. The government launched the National Organ Trans­plant Programme in 2019 to promote deceased organ do­nation. Other law regulating transplantation in India is the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA), 1994

20. SEA BUCKTHORN

Context:

• Ladakh has secured its fourth Geographical Indication (GI) tag, this time for “Ladakh Sea Buckthorn.”
• Sea Buckthorn is a highly profitable crop in Ladakh, with 90% of its production coming from the region.

About Sea buckthorn:

• A shrub which produces an orange-yellow coloured edible berry.
• In India, it is found in the Himalayan region, gener­ally in dry areas such as the cold deserts of Ladakh and Spiti.
• The Sea Buckthorn Plantation has many Ecological, Medicinal and Economical benefits.

21. ISS MARKED ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Context:

The Expedition 70 crew on the International Space Station (ISS) focused on space biology and Dragon spacecraft activi­ties as the ISS marked its 25th anniversary

22. MUSIC FROG

Context:

• Scientists have identified a new species of ‘music frog,’ named Nidirana noadihing, in Arunachal Pradesh.
• This unique discovery is marked by the distinct fea­ture that both male and female frogs are vocal.
• The frogs emit a distinctive call pattern consisting of two to three notes, resembling the sounds of wild duck species.
• The male frogs, characterized by their robust bodies, were observed calling loudly in various locations, including marshy areas, the edges of a newly con­structed pond, and along a nearby road.
• The frog is named after the Noa-Dihing River where it was found.
• The findings confirm the presence of the Nidirana genus in India for the first time, with previous known occurrences in Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.

23. NASA’S PSYCHE SPACECRAFT

Context:

• NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, en route to a metal-rich asteroid, is pioneering Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) using near-infrared laser signals for high-bandwidth com­munication.

What is Deep Space Optical Communication (DSOC) and how it is different from traditional radio wave communi­cation?

• Deep Space Optical Communication (DSOC) is a pioneer­ing technology used in space communication that utiliz­es near-infrared laser signals instead of traditional radio waves. Unlike radio waves, DSOC enables higher band­widths, allowing for data rates at least 10 times higher than current radio systems.

Working?

• DSOC encodes data in photons at near-infrared wave­lengths (rather than radio waves) to communicate between a probe in deep space and Earth. Using light instead of radio allows the spacecraft to communicate more data in a given amount of time.
• DSOC achieves precise pointing through the use of near-in­frared lasers, isolation from spacecraft vibrations, and adap­tive systems to compensate for changing positions, making it a revolutionary approach for deep space missions.

Significance:

• This DSOC advancement is crucial for communicating with spacecraft over long distances (like human exploration of Mars), offering benefits such as higher resolution images, increased data transfer rates, and the potential for stream­ing video.

24.  BLETCHLEY DECLARATION

Context:

• Bletchley Park, the historic site known for its crucial role in World War II, is hosting the world’s first global summit on artificial intelligence (AI) safety in 2023.
• Britain, along with 28 other countries and the Euro­pean Union, published the “Bletchley Declaration” at Bletchley Park, England.

The focus of the Bletchley Declaration:

• This declaration aims to enhance global collaboration on artificial intelligence (AI) safety. It has a two-fold focus: identifying shared AI-related risks and enhancing scientific understanding of these risks, as well as creating cross-coun­try policies to address them.

About Bletchley Declaration

Historical Importance of Bletchley Park:

• During the war, Bletchley Park played a pivotal role in breaking the ‘unbreakable’ Enigma code, which was used by the Nazis.
• The site is also known for creating the Turing Bombe, a device that expedited code-breaking efforts.
• Bletchley Park contributed to the development of the Colossus, often considered the world’s first pro­grammable electronic computer

25. GREEN ALGA PICOCYSTIS SALI­NARUM

Context:

• A young researcher in Rajasthan has unravelled the molecu­lar mechanisms behind the resilience of the green alga Pi­cocystis Salinarum in extreme conditions of saline-alkaline soda lakes.

What is Alga?

• Alga is a simple, photosynthetic organism, often aquatic, ranging from microscopic to large seaweeds.

What is Picocystis Salinarum?

• Picocystis salinarum is a globally widespread extremophile (able to withstand extreme conditions), picoplanktonic green algae that inhabits saline lakes. It’s one of the smallest green algae and has been recorded on four continents. It was spotted for the first time in India only in the Sambhar Lake.

Significance:

• This discovery positions P. salinarum as a potential candidate for biotechnological applications, including carbon capture and biomass production. The research also helps us in our understanding of molecular adaptations in extremophiles for sustainable biotechnological processes

26. GREENWASHING

Context:

• The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the ad­vertising industry’s self-regulatory body, has introduced a 9-point draft of guidelines to combat “green washing” by companies.

What is Green washing?

About the Guidelines:

1. Environmental claims like “environment-friendly,” “eco-friendly,” “sustainable,” and “planet-friendly” must have strong evidence to support them.
2. Such claims should consider the full life cycle of the product or service.
3. Certifications and Seals of Approval should specify the evaluated attributes.
4. Assertions about a product being compostable, bio­degradable, recyclable, non-toxic, or free of certain elements should be grounded in reliable scientific evidence.

Aim of the Guidelines:

• The proposed guidelines aim to promote transparency and authenticity in advertising to help consumers make in­formed decisions. The public consultation on these guide­lines is open until December 31.

Initiatives to check Green washing:

1. International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), will set uniform sustainability and climate standards for companies to follow worldwide from 2024.
2. SEBI’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Re­porting (BRSR) norms
3. SEBI issued dos and don’ts relating to green bonds.
4. RBI announced to join Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN)’s Green washing Techs print.

About ASCI:

The Advertising Standards Council of India (est. 1985; HQ: Mumbai) is a voluntary self-regulatory organization of the advertising industry in India. ASCI is registered as a non-profit company under section 25 of the Company Act.

27. FIBRE OPTIC CABLES

Context:

• The importance of fibre optics has been increasing in recent times, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when in­ternet connections facilitated virtual communication.
• Optical fibres, made of thin glass strands, can trans­mit various forms of digital information, such as text, images, voices, and videos, across long dis­tances at nearly the speed of light.
• The development of fibre optic communication can be traced back to physicist Charles Kao, who pro­posed glass fibres as a superior medium for tele­communication over 60 years ago.

Working principle of optical fibres:

• It relies on total internal reflection to guide light through the glass strands, allowing signals to trav­el across significant distances with minimal loss of optical power.
• The historical evolution of fibre optic cables is out­lined, starting from early experiments with light guiding in the 19th century to the breakthroughs in the mid-20th century that led to the development of long-distance transmission.
• The current state of fibre optic technology is high­lighted, with optical fibres playing crucial roles in telecommunication, medical science, laser technol­ogy, and sensing

28. INDIAN OCEAN TUNA COMMISSION

Context:

• The Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics (WP­DCS19) of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) has commenced in Mumbai, organized by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairy­ing, Government of India.
• Tunas and other large pelagic species, such as bill­fishes, sharks, and rays, have significant economic importance, with tunas alone contributing an esti­mated annual trade value of US$41 billion in 2018

About Tuna

• Tuna refers to a group of saltwater fish belonging to the Thunnini tribe. These fish are known for their streamlined bodies, powerful swimming ability, and wide distribution in warm seas.
• Tuna is highly valued in the global fishing industry for its meat, which is commonly used in various cuisines, especially in the form of sushi and sashimi. Some well-known species of tuna include the Atlantic bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, and skipjack tuna.

29. WALKING PNEUMONIA

Context:

• China is facing an unusual surge in pneumonia cases, partic­ularly among children, raising global concerns.
• The surge is attributed to factors like the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the circulation of known pathogens like influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2.

About Pneumonia:

• The pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumo­niae, often termed “walking pneumonia,” is a mild form of the infection. It is characterized by mild respiratory symptoms, and the bacteria can cause more serious lung infections in some cases.

How it spreads?

• Mycoplasma pneumoniae spreads through respi­ratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Common symptoms include sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, watery eyes, wheezing, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
• Groups at higher risk of severe infection include chil­dren, the elderly, and those with weakened lungs.
• Preventive measures recommended by WHO include vac­cination, maintaining distance from ill individuals, stay­ing home when unwell, testing and seeking medical care, wearing masks as appropriate, ensuring good ventilation, and practicing regular hand-washing.

30. BEN GURION CANAL PROJECT

Context:

• The current Israel-Palestine crisis in the Middle East has refo­cused attention on the ambitious Ben Gurion Canal Project.

What Ben Gurion Canal Project?

• The Ben Gurion Canal Project is a theoretical proposal to cut a canal through Israel’s Negev Desert, creating an alter­native route to the Suez Canal. Envisioned in the 1960s, it aimed to challenge Egypt’s monopoly on the shortest trade route between Europe and Asia.
• However, the project faces immense challenges, including logistical complexities, high costs, a longer route, and secu­rity concerns in a region marked by ongoing military threats.

What is the Suez Canal?

• It is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt (completed in 1859), connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The 193 km long canal is a key trade route between Europe and Asia.

Who was Ben Gurion?

David Ben-Gurion (1886–1973) was Israel’s founding father and its first Prime Minister. He played a pivotal role in estab­lishing the state of Israel in 1948

31. MOUNT ETNA

Context:

• Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, has been erupt­ing for over a year, causing disruptions such as flight cancel­ lations and vehicle bans due to ash accumulation.

About Mount Etna

• It is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania and the highest Mediter­ranean island mountain. It is located above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Mount Etna, with a recorded history of volcanic ac­tivity dating back to 1500 B.C., has erupted over 200 times.

List of some of the most active volcanoes on Earth: