News In Short 14-1-2025

Ring of Fire

Syllabus: GS1/ Geography

In News

• Japan (situated on the Ring of Fire belt) issues tsunami advisory after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hits the Kyushu region of southern Japan.

About

• Ring of Fire: Also known as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a horseshoe-shaped region around the Pacific Ocean. It is famous for its intense volcanic and seismic activity.

• Plate Tectonics: The Ring of Fire traces the boundaries of numerous tectonic plates, including the Pacific, North American, Eurasian, Philippine, Australian, and Antarctic plates.
• Convergent Boundaries: Plates collide, causing subduction (e.g., Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Philippine Plate).
• Transform Boundaries: Plates slide past each other horizontally (e.g., boundary between the Pacific and North American Plates).
• Divergent Boundaries: Regions where two tectonic plates move away from each other (Eurasian and North American Plates).

Source: TH

Makaravilakku Festival 

Syllabus :GS 1/Culture 

In News

• The Travancore Devaswom Board is expecting  around 1.5 lakh pilgrims at the Sannidhanam for the Makaravilakku festival.

About Makaravilakku festival 

• It is an annual festival held at the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, India, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.
• It coincides with Makara Sankranti, celebrated on January 14 this year.
• It marks the end of the two-month pilgrimage season (mid-November to Makara Sankranti).
• Religious Significance: The festival symbolizes Lord Ayyappa’s manifestation and divine light (Makara Jyothi).
  • It represents faith, devotion, and the triumph of Lord Ayyappa over evil forces.

Source :TH

Sada on Konkan Region

Syllabus: GS1/Geography, GS3/ Environment

Context

• The Konkan region, nestled between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, is renowned for its unique geographical features Sada.

About

• Sada are flat-topped lateritic plateaus formed by centuries of erosion.
  • Mostly barren, they flourish with endemic flora during monsoons. 
  • Traditional rice and millet (Nanchani) are cultivated without chemicals. 
• Natural groundwater recharge system: The porous lateritic soil retains rainwater, ensuring year-round freshwater availability. 
• Ecological Significance: These habitats support vulnerable species like the Indian flapshell turtle and wildlife such as leopards, jackals, and migratory birds.
• Threats: Development projects, laterite mining, and land-use changes for orchards and residential areas threaten the Sada.
  • Its classification as ‘wasteland‘ in the Wasteland Atlas further endangers this fragile ecosystem.

Source: TH

Reits, InvITs, Municipal Bonds

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

Context

• The Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), stated that real estate investment trusts (Reits), infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) and municipal bonds are set for robust growth over the next decade.

What are REITs?

• Real Estate Investment Trusts or REITs are investment trusts (like mutual funds) that pool funds from investors to own and operate income-generating real estate properties. 
• They pool funds from investors offering them a liquid way of entering the real estate market while helping them diversify their portfolio and earn regular income plus long-term capital appreciation.

What are InvITs?

• Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) are investment vehicles that pool funds from investors to own and operate infrastructure assets like highways, pipelines, and power plants. 
• They offer regular income through dividends and long-term capital appreciation while helping monetize assets and attract private investment in public infrastructure.

Municipal Bonds

• Municipal Bonds are debt instruments issued by urban local bodies (ULBs) to finance infrastructure projects and civic amenities.
  • They are typically tax-free.
• These bonds help municipalities raise funds for public projects while offering fixed returns to investors.

Source: BS

Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)

Syllabus: GS3/ S&T

In News

• Centre reconstitutes Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

About Atomic Energy Commission 

• Genesis: Established in 1948 under the leadership of Dr. Homi J. Bhabha.
• Governing Body: The AEC is the governing body of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). The DAE was created in 1954 to implement the AEC’s policies.
• Key Functions: Formulate policies for nuclear energy development.
  • Promote research and development in nuclear science.
  • Regulate nuclear activities.
  • Ensure safety and security of nuclear installations.
  • Collaborate internationally on nuclear energy.
• Leadership: The Prime Minister of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the AEC.

Source: ET

Nag Mk 2 Anti-Tank Missile

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

Context

• India has successfully carried out field evaluation trials of indigenously-developed third-generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile Nag Mk-2, at Pokhran Field Range.

About

• Third-Generation Fire-and-Forget Technology: Enables precision targeting with minimal operator intervention post-launch.
• Versatile Performance: Capable of neutralising modern armoured vehicles equipped with explosive reactive armour (ERA).
• Platform Compatibility: Successfully integrated with Nag Missile Carrier (NAMICA), enhancing battlefield mobility and deployment flexibility.
• Range: Nag Mk-2 is estimated to have a range of 7 to 10 kilometres, an improvement over Nag Mark 1, which had a 4-kilometre range.

Source: PIB

Terrace Tourism

Syllabus: GS1/Culture/GS3/Economy

Context

• Old Ahmedabad celebrates two-day Uttarayan with flying kites boosting it’s terrace tourism.

About

• Terrace Tourism: During the two days of the festival on 14th-15th January, intense kite fights take place on rented terraces.
  • Terrace tourism in Old Ahmedabad started some years ago, it has recently gained traction with not just people from Gujarat but even from Maharashtra and Gujarati NRIs.
• Kites are a big business in Gujarat. The state is the largest contributor to India’s kite production, with 40%.
• Old Ahmedabad was given the UNESCO World Heritage City tag in 2017.

Source: IE

7.93% Drop in GHG Emissions

Syllabus: GS3/Environment and Conservation

Context

• India’s 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) highlighted a 7.93% reduction in GHG emissions in 2020 compared to 2019.

About

• India submits Biennial Update Reports (BURs) to the UNFCCC every two years to track progress.
  • These reports update the national GHG inventories, detail mitigation actions, and highlight the support received, including efforts to reduce emissions.
• India’s historical share of cumulative global GHG emissions is 4% annually, despite having around 17% of the world’s population between 1850 and 2019.
• India’s annual primary energy consumption per capita in 2019 was 28.7 gigajoules (GJ), considerably lower than both developed and developing countries.

India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) Goals

• India seeks to achieve following targets by 2030:
  • Emission Reduction: India aims to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
  • Renewable Energy: The country seeks to achieve 50% of its energy needs from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, with a target of installing 500 GW of renewable energy capacity.
  • Carbon Sink: India plans to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through afforestation and reforestation efforts.
  • India pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in 2021.

Source: PIB

Diego Garcia 

Syllabus :GS 1/Places in news 

In News

• Fishermen were detained near Diego Garcia island for crossing the maritime boundary and poaching.

Diego Garcia 

• It is the largest and southernmost island of the Chagos Archipelago, located in the central Indian Ocean.
• It consists of a V-shaped cay.
• It was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century.
• It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. 

Do you know ? – The Chagos Archipelago is located  approximately 2,200 km north-east of Mauritius. It covers an area of 60 km². – Major Atolls: The largest atolls in the archipelago are Diego Garcia (southeast), Peros Banhos, and Salomon Islands (both in the north). – Historical Ownership: The Chagos Archipelago has been part of Mauritius since at least the 18th century when Mauritius was a French colony, known as Ile de France. – Transfer to Britain: In 1810, following the cession of Ile de France from France to Britain, the Chagos Archipelago became part of the British-controlled Mauritius. 1. The Chagos Archipelago was separated from Mauritius in 1965, during British colonial rule.  – Britain and Mauritius made good progress in talks over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including the U.S.-British military base.

Source :TH