News In Short-20-09-2024

Amazon River at Record Low from Drought

Syllabus: GS1/ Geography, GS3/ Environment and Climate Change

Context

• The Amazon River basin is experiencing an unprecedented drought, with water levels plummeting to historic lows across the region.

About

• In Tabatinga, a Brazilian town bordering Colombia, the Solimoes River, a major tributary of the Amazon, has reached its lowest level on record.
• The nearby Lake Tefé, where more than 200 freshwater dolphins died in last year’s drought, has also dried up, depriving the endangered pink mammals of a favorite habitat.

Amazon River

• It is the largest river by volume of water and second longest river after the Nile river of Africa in the world.It represents 20% of the global riverine discharge into oceans.
• Source: River has its source in the Peruvian Andes, at an elevation of 5,598 m.
• Length: 6400 km.
• Basin: The basin includes the greater part of Brazil and Peru,some parts of Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia and a small area of Venezuela.
• Tributaries: Japurá , Juruá, Madeira, Negro, Purus, and Xingu rivers.
• Mouth: Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of Brazil.

Source: IT

Contempt of Court

Syllabus: GS2/ Polity

In News

• The Jharkhand government has filed a Contempt of Court petition against the Union government, alleging an undue delay in the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. 

Contempt of Court

• It refers to actions or behavior that disobey or disrespect the authority, justice, and dignity of a court.
• It is governed by the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. Article 129 and Article 215 give power to the SC and HCs to punish contempt.
• Types of Contempt of Court:
  • Civil Contempt: Refers to the willful disobedience of any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ, or other processes of a court, or the willful breach of an undertaking given to a court.
  • Criminal Contempt: Involves actions that scandalize or lower the authority of the court, prejudice judicial proceedings, or interfere with the administration of justice. It includes publication of material that undermines the dignity of the judiciary or obstructs justice.
• Punishment for Contempt of Court: The punishment can include a fine, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the contempt.

Source: TH

How US Fed Rate Cut Could Impact the Indian Market?

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

Context

• The United States Federal Reserve announced that it will cut the benchmark interest rate, the Federal Funds Rate, by 50 basis points, or half a percentage point.

About

• A cut in interest rate typically incentivises economic activity, promotes growth, and increases job creation by making it cheaper for people to borrow money. 
• Conversely, a hike in interest rates or persistently high interest rates tend to drag down economic growth and employment generation.

Impact on Indian economy

• India is a capital-scarce economy, and lower interest rates in the US will likely incentivise global investors to borrow in the US and invest in India, in stocks, debt, or in the form of foreign direct investment (FDI).
• Repeated lowering of interest rates in the US will also lead to some weakening in the US dollar’s exchange rate with other currencies such as the Indian rupee.
  • This, in turn, will impact India’s exporters (adversely) and importers (positively).

Source: IE

Union Cabinet Approved Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS)

Syllabus :GS 3/Space

Context

• The union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the building of the first unit of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by extending the scope of Gaganyaan program. 

About

• The first module of BAS will be launched in 2028 and by 2035 the fully operational indigenous space station will be created.
• The BAS will be placed in low earth orbit, at 400 km above the earth’s surface.
• The revised Gaganyaan Programme to include the scope of development and precursor missions for BAS, and factoring one additional uncrewed mission and additional hardware requirement for the developments of ongoing Gaganyaan Programme. Now the human spaceflight program of technology development and demonstration is through eight missions to be completed by December 2028 by launching the first unit of BAS-1. 
• The 52-tonne space station will serve as a research platform for Indian astronauts and scientists to conduct experiments in microgravity, astronomy and Earth observation, and will allow astronauts to stay in orbit for 15-20 days.

Do you know?

• Currently, there are only two operational space stations – the International Space Station (ISS), developed in cooperation by the United States, Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada; and China’s Tiangong Space Station (TSS).

Source: PIB

Trademark Search Technology

Syllabus: GS 3/ Science and Technology 

In News 

• The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry unveiled the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) based Trademark Search Technology and IP Saarthi Chatbot.
  • Saarthi Chatbot is a digital assistant to offer instant support for users in navigating the IP registration process.

Trademark Search Technology

• Advanced AI and ML algorithms for precise trademark identification.
• Streamlined search processes for domestic and international businesses.
• Enhanced protection capabilities for trademarks.

Importance 

• The initiative supports India’s commitment to advancing intellectual property (IP) services and positions India as a leader in IP system innovation.
• The technology aims to speed up trademark application clearance with improved accuracy and efficiency, potentially resolving trademark conflicts.

Source : Pib 

Circumnutations

Syllabus: GS3/ S&T

In News

• The study reveals the role circumnutations could play in plant growth patterns.
  • In this study, researchers found that sunflowers grown in a dense row naturally formed a near-perfect zigzag pattern, with each plant leaning away from the row in alternating directions.

About Circumnutation

• It refers to the slow, repetitive, and often spiral movement observed in the growing tips of plants, such as shoots, tendrils, and roots. 
• This movement is caused by differential growth rates in different parts of the plant, particularly in the apical meristem, leading to a helical or circular motion.
• Examples:
  • Tendrils of climbing plants exhibit circumnutation to locate and coil around supports.
  • Roots may use circumnutation to navigate through soil, finding the best path for growth.

Source: theconversation

Amoebic Meningoencephalitis 

Syllabus: GS 3/ Science and technology 

In News 

• Kerala has initiated research on amoebic meningoencephalitis through a One Health platform to study environmental factors and improve diagnostic methods.

About Amoebic Meningoencephalitis 

• It is  a rare but lethal central nervous system infection caused by free-living amoebae (FLA) found in freshwater, lakes, and rivers.
• Types of Amoebic Encephalitis: 

• There are two types—Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by Naegleria fowleri, and Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis (GAE). 
• Both have high fatality rates, with PAM primarily affecting children and young adults.

• PAM often occurs in warm climates and during the summer months. Swimming in warm, stagnant freshwater, or using unsterilized water for nasal irrigation, are major risk factors.
• Amoeba Growth and Climate Change: Rising water temperatures due to climate change are expected to increase encounters with N. fowleri, which thrives in warm, stagnant water bodies.
• Symptoms and Diagnosis Challenges: PAM presents with symptoms similar to bacterial meningitis, making early diagnosis difficult. Delays in diagnosis often lead to rapid brain damage and death.
• Introduction of Miltefosine: Miltefosine, an anti-parasitic drug, was a key addition to the treatment protocol, alongside Amphotericin B, contributing to better outcomes in patients

Source :TH

Amur Falcons

Syllabus: GS3/ Species In News

In News

• Manipur’s Tamenglong district has imposed a ban on the hunting of Amur Falcons.

About Amur Falcons

• They are small raptors of the falcon family with the scientific name Falco amurensis.
• They are the world’s longest travelling raptors and start their travelling routine with the onset of winters, the longest amongst all avian species.
• They are named after the Amur River that forms the border between Russia and China.
• They breed in southeastern Siberia and northern China, and migrate across India and then over the Indian Ocean to southern Africa before returning to Mongolia and Siberia.
• Doyang Lake in Nagaland is famous as a stopover for the Amur falcons during their annual migration from their breeding grounds to warmer South Africa. Thus, Nagaland is also known as the “Falcon Capital of the World,”.

• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Least Concerned 
  • Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Protected
  • The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Protected

Source: TH

Exercise AIKYA

Syllabus: GS3/ Disaster Management

In News

• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Southern Command of the Indian Army are set to host Exercise AIKYA in Chennai. 

About Exercise AIKYA

• Objective: To foster collaboration, enhance preparedness, and integrate various stakeholders involved in disaster management across India.
• Participation: Representatives from six southern states/UTs (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry) participated.
• Key agencies involved: NDMA, Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, NDRF, IMD, INCOIS, and various research institutions including IIT Madras and NIOT.
• Disaster Scenarios: The exercise simulated emergency situations such as tsunamis, landslides, floods, cyclones, industrial incidents, and forest fires to test response strategies and improve coordination among agencies.

Source: PIB