Arun River Basin Contributing to Rise in Mt Everest
Syllabus: GS1/ Geography
Context
- A recent study suggests that Mount Everest’s height may be increasing due to the erosion of the Arun River, located near the base of the Himalayas.
About
- Arun River, located approximately 75 kilometers from Everest, carves the surrounding landscape and reduces pressure on the Earth’s crust.
- This erosion is linked to an isostatic rebound, a process that pushes the Earth’s crust upward as material is removed, allowing Mount Everest and its neighboring peaks to grow.
- Everest is rising at a rate of about two millimeters per year.
- The Role of Plate Tectonics: The primary force behind the rise of Everest remains the tectonic collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates—an event that began around 40 to 50 million years ago.
| Arun River – It is a transboundary river in the Himalayas, flowing through Tibet, Nepal, and India. – It originates from the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, where it is known as the Phung Chu or Bum-chu River. – After flowing through Nepal, it joins the Koshi River, which eventually merges into the Ganges in India. |
Source: IE
Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti
Syllabus: GS 1/History
In News
- The Prime Minister paid tribute to former PM Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary.
Lal Bahadur Shastri
- Early Life: Born on October 2, 1904, in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh.
- Education and Influence: Became interested in India’s freedom struggle, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s views on Indian princes and British rule.
- Participation in Freedom Struggle: At age 16, he joined the Non-Cooperation Movement, abandoning his studies despite family disapproval.
- He joined Kashi VidyaPeeth, where he engaged with nationalists and intellectuals; earned the title “Shastri.”
- He participated fervently in the Salt March in 1930 and led several campaigns against British rule.
- Imprisoned for a total of seven years due to his activism.
- Post-Independence Roles: Recognized for his dedication and competence; appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in Uttar Pradesh in 1946, later becoming Home Minister.
- Held various ministerial portfolios in the Union Cabinet, including Railways, Transport, and Home Affairs.
- He resigned as Minister for Railways after a major accident, showcasing his accountability and integrity.
- He contributed significantly to the Congress Party’s success in the General Elections of 1952, 1957, and 1962 through his organizational skills.
- Legacy and Values: Known for his integrity, humility, and inner strength; recognized as a leader who understood the needs of the people.
- Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings, he emphasized hard work and moral values, embodying the best of Indian culture.
- He led India toward progress with a vision rooted in the principles of hard work and dedication to the nation.
Source: PIB
STARS Program
Syllabus :GS 2/Education
In News
- At the opening ceremony of the workshop for the STARS project, the School Education Minister emphasized the importance of continuously improving the education system to lay a foundation for a developed India by 2047.
About Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) program
- It was approved by the Cabinet in October 2020 as a centrally sponsored scheme. It became effective on February 23, 2021, following the signing of the Loan Agreement, and will be implemented for five years, until FY 2024-25
- It supports reform to improve the quality and governance of school education in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
- It focuses on strengthening early-years education, learning assessment systems, teacher performance and classroom practice, school-to-work transition and governance and decentralized management for improved service delivery.
- It is aligned with the Government of India’s Samagra Shiksha scheme
- It is supporting the operationalization of key tenets of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Source :TOI
India-Germany Military Cooperation Sub Group Meeting
Syllabus :GS 2/IR
In News
- The 17th edition of the India-Germany Military Cooperation Sub Group (MCSG) meeting took place on October 1-2, 2024, in Berlin, Germany.
About India-Germany Military Cooperation Sub Group (MCSG)
- The MCSG serves as a forum for boosting defense collaboration through regular strategic and operational discussions between India’s Integrated Defence Staff and Germany’s Armed Forces International Cooperation Department.
- The meeting was co-chaired by representatives from both countries, including the Deputy Assistant Chief of Integrated Defence Staff from India and the Deputy Director from Germany.
- The discussions aimed to enhance bilateral military cooperation and strengthen ongoing defense engagements.
- The meeting was conducted in a friendly and cordial atmosphere.
Source:PIB
India’s Core Sectors Slipped
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
Context
- As per the data released by the Commerce Ministry, the index of eight core industries fell by 1.8% annually in August compared with a 6.1% gain in July.
About
- Only two of the eight sectors, fertilisers and steel, reported a sequential rise in production in August.
- The output of coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, cement and electricity all contracted.
- The ICI (index of eight core industries) gives an indication of the production performance of the industries which are of a ‘core’ nature and measures the individual and collective performances of the production in these eight core industries.
What are the Core Sector Industries?
- These core industries are considered as main or key industries of the economy and serve as the backbone of all other industries.
- The eight-core sector industries include coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity.
- The eight core industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
Source: BS
Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA).
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
Context
- The Prime Minister launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA).
About
- The scheme is launched for improving the socio-economic condition of tribal communities, by adopting saturation coverage for tribal families in tribal-majority villages and aspirational districts.
- The Abhiyan will cover around 63,843 villages benefitting more than 5 crore tribal people in all tribal majority villages and aspirational blocks in 30 States/UTs.
- It envisions saturation of critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, livelihood.
- The Mission comprises 25 interventions which will be implemented by 17-line ministries.
- Each Ministry/Department would be responsible for implementation of schemes related to it in a time bound manner through funds allocated to them under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) in the next 5 years.
Source: PIB
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
Context
- The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) celebrated its Eighth Annual Day on 1st October, 2024.
About
- It is a statutory body established on 1st October, 2016 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code).
- Functions: Its primary role is to oversee the insolvency and bankruptcy processes in India, ensuring a more efficient resolution of financial distress and the protection of stakeholder interests.
- It regulates insolvency professionals, agencies, and information utilities, ensuring they adhere to ethical and professional standards.
- The board formulates policies related to insolvency and bankruptcy, promoting a uniform framework for such proceedings across India.
Source: PIB
SEBI Tightens Futures and Options (F&Os) Rules
Syllabus: GS3/ Economy
Context
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) tightened the norms for equity derivatives (F&Os or futures and options) trading by raising the entry barrier
About
- SEBI announced a set of six measures which include;
- Increasing the contract size for index futures and index options to Rs 15 lakh from the present contract size between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh,
- Rationalization of weekly index derivatives products by allowing each exchange to provide a contract for only one of its benchmark index with weekly expiry,
- Upfront collection of option premium from options buyers,
- Intraday monitoring of the position limit,
- Increase in tail risk coverage, or the chance of a loss occurring due to a rare event, on the day of options expiry, and
- Removal of calendar spread treatment on the expiry day.
| Futures and Options (F&Os) – F&Os are derivative contracts that derive their value from underlying assets that include stocks, commodities, currencies etc. – Based on their expectation of future price movement, investors enter into a contract to buy or sell the asset in ‘lots’ (a lot has multiple units of the asset) by paying a small margin amount. Futures Contracts – A futures contract is a standardized agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a specific future date for a predetermined price. – Both buyer and seller are obligated to execute the contract on the specified future date. – Investors pay only a margin (a fraction of the total value) upfront, not the full cost of the underlying asset. – Underlying Assets: Stocks, commodities, currencies, etc. Options Contracts – An options contract gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call option) or sell (put option) an asset at a pre-set price before or on the contract’s expiration date. – The buyer of the option has the flexibility to exercise the contract if it benefits them, or let it expire if not. 1. The buyer pays a premium for this right. |
Source: IE
Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs)
Syllabus :GS 3/Science and Tech
Context
- In a recent study published in Nature Communications, physicists from Purdue University in the U.S. reported floating fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) in a high vacuum and spinning them very fast.
About
- It paves the way for FNDs multiple applications in industry, especially as sensors, and in fundamental research.
What are FNDs?
- They are nanometre-sized diamonds made of carbon nanoparticles, produced in a high temperature and high pressure process.
- FNDs are stable under light and aren’t toxic to living things, so they have many applications in high-resolution imaging, microscale temperature sensing, and correlative microscopy, among others.
- In biology, scientists use FNDs to track cells and their progeny over long periods.
Source: TH
Integrated Defence Staff (IDS)
Syllabus: GS3/ Defence
Context
- Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) celebrated its 24th Raising Day on October 01, 2024.
About
- The HQ IDS was raised on October 01, 2001 as a Tri-Service entity with the motto of ‘Victory through Jointness’.
- Objective: To provide an institutional framework for managing defence at a higher level, and integrate the three Services and other relevant elements in the quest of credible and comprehensive national power.
key milestones under the aegis of HQ IDS
- Adoption of Integrated Capability Development System
- Joint Communication Architecture for seamless integration of defence networks and exploitation of data,
- Tri-services Satellite Earth Stations & integration of NavIC with IRNSS,
- Joint Doctrines on CyberSpace Operations and Amphibious Operations etc.
Source: PIB
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