News In Short-21-04-2025

Ras Isa Port

Syllabus: GS1/ Places In News

In News

• US air strikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port kill at least 80 people.

About Ras Isa Port

• It is a port located in the Ras al-Mashawn Peninsula, Yemen.
• It is situated on the Gulf of Aden, approximately 35 kilometers west of the city of Al Mahrah.
• The Marib–Ras Isa oil pipeline is a critical component of Yemen’s energy infrastructure, linking the inland oil fields of Marib to the Ras Isa Marine Terminal on the Red Sea.

Source: TH

ASI Documents Rock, Temple Inscriptions in T.N.’s Pudukkottai

Syllabus :GS 1/History 

In News

• The Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) Epigraphy Division recently documented inscriptions from Malayadipatti and Ponnamaravathi in Tamil Nadu’s Pudukkottai district using the estampage method on maplitho paper.

Malayadipatti

• It is located near Kudambeeswarar Temple and is a 16th-century inscription, though partially damaged, it records a land partition agreement between Sundara Chozhapuram and Sevvalur villages for excavating a pond (oorani).
  • Near a spring (sunai), another inscription mentions King Raja Rajan Sundarapandyan and credits Udaiyan Perumal of Sevvalur for his contribution to the creation of the waterbody.

Ponnamaravathi

• It is an inscription on the western side of the sanctum dates to the 8th regnal year of Maravarman Kulasekara Pandiyan. 
• It refers to the temple as Chozheeswarar Udaiya Nayanar Temple, under Uzhavalai Nadu, and records a donation of 40 panam for lighting five temple lamps.
  • Earlier inscriptions from the same temple, copied by ASI in 1909 and 2000, include one from the 6th regnal year of Raja Raja III, placing the temple under Rajendra Chola Vala Nadu.

Importance 

• These inscriptions offer valuable insights into regional governance, religious patronage, and community contributions to water management in historical Tamil Nadu.

Source :TH

Undertrial Period Cannot Be Counted for Remission

Syllabus: GS3/ Polity and Governance

Context

• The Kerala High Court has observed that a convict cannot claim remission of sentence for the period during which he/she remained an undertrial prisoner prior to conviction.

About

• Remission refers to the reduction of the duration of a sentence without changing the nature of the sentence itself.
• It is granted by the appropriate government under provisions such as:
  • Section 432 of the CrPC (now Section 475 of BNSS).
  • Under Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution by the President and Governors, respectively.

Court ruling

• The court observed that entitlement of remission arises only when an accused is convicted and admitted to prison as part of undergoing the sentence of imprisonment. 
• It drew a distinction between, Remission of sentence and Set-off of pre-conviction detention under Section 428 CrPC (now Section 468 of BNSS).

Source: TH

Jal Jeevan Mission

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• Jal Shakti Ministry seeks Rs 2.79 lakh crore more for Jal Jeevan Mission.

Jal Jeevan Mission

• It was launched by the Prime Minister in 2019.
• Aim: To provide tap connections to about 16 crore rural households to achieve saturation coverage by 2028 (earlier 2024).
• Mandatory components include:
  • Source sustainability
  • Greywater management
  • Water conservation
  • Rainwater harvesting
• Mission Objectives:
  • Empowering Women: Reduces the burden on mothers and sisters of fetching water.
    • Improves health, education, and socio-economic status of women.
  • Ease of Living: Enhances the dignity and quality of life of rural families.
• Community Approach:
  • Focus on Information, Education, and Communication (IEC).
  • Aims to create a Jan Andolan (people’s movement) for water.

Achievements

• Initial Coverage (2019): Only 3.23 crore rural households (17%) had tap water connections.
• Current Coverage (2025): 12.20 crore additional rural households provided with tap water connections.
• Total: 15.44 crore households, covering 79.74% of rural households in India.

Source: IE

Tardigrades

Syllabus: GS3/ Science and Technology

Context

• ISRO is sending tardigrades to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Voyager Tardigrades experiment under the Axiom-4 mission.

About

• Tardigrades, also called water bears or moss piglets, are micro-animals known for their extraordinary resilience to extreme environmental conditions.
• They were first discovered in 1773 by German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze.
• Characteristics: These creatures are usually between 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm long.
  • They have eight legs with claws and segmented bodies protected by a cuticle.
  • Tardigrades can survive extreme temperatures, and can endure high radiation, desiccation, vacuum of space, and even intense pressure.

Source: IT

India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, completes 50 years

Syllabus: GS3/Space

Context

• India’s first satellite, Aryabhata has completed 50 years. 

About

• Launched in 1975, the satellite was named after the ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer, Aryabhata.
• The satellite, built by the Indian Space Research Organisation, was launched from Kapustin Yar with the assistance of the USSR. 
• Aim: To explore areas including Solar Physics, Aeronomy, and X-ray Astronomy. 
• Specifications: Aryabhata was designed as a 26-sided polyhedron, measuring 1.4 metres in diameter and weighing 360 kilograms.
  • Except for the top and bottom, all the remaining 24 faces of the satellite were covered with solar panels.
• Aryabhata marked India’s entry into space exploration and laid the foundation for the country’s future space missions.
  • With its successful launch, India was recognized as the 11th country in the world to send a satellite into orbit.

Source: AIR

2D Semiconductors

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology

In News

• A team of 30 scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has proposed the development of angstrom-scale chips using 2D materials like graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). 

Two-dimensional (2D) Semiconductors

• Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors beyond graphene represent the thinnest stable known nanomaterials.
• They are regarded as promising candidates in many applications, including electronics and optoelectronics, because of their superior properties, including atomic-level thickness, tunable bandgaps, large specific surface area, and high carrier mobility.
• These ultra-thin materials could allow the creation of chips far smaller than current nanometer-scale chips, potentially one-tenth the size of the smallest chips in production today (3-nanometer nodes).

Global Scenario 

• The global semiconductor industry is currently dominated by silicon-based technologies, with major players in the US, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
• Global investments in 2D material-based semiconductor research are significant, with Europe, South Korea, China, and Japan making substantial investments. 

Status in India 

•  India’s largest semiconductor project, involving Tata Electronics and Taiwan’s PSMC, has an investment of Rs 91,000 crore. 
• The IISc-led proposal focuses on 2D materials to replace silicon and is viewed as a potential area where India can gain leadership.
  • It aims to position India as a key player in the emerging field of post-silicon semiconductors.

Source :TH

Lucy Mission

Syllabus: GS3/ Science and Technology

Context

• Nasa’s Lucy spacecraft completed a close flyby of the small main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson.

About

• NASA’s Lucy mission was launched in 2021 to visit ten asteroids over 12 years — two asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter, and eight Trojan asteroids leading and trailing Jupiter in its orbit.
• Origin: Named after an ancient fossil 3.2 million-year-old ancestor who belonged to a species of hominins.
• Spacecraft and Instruments:
  • L’LORRI: High-resolution visible imager.
  • L’Ralph: Optical and near-infrared imaging spectrometer.
  • L’TES: Thermal infrared spectrometer.
• In 2023, the Lucy mission conducted a flyby of asteroid 152830 Dinkinesh and discovered that it has a small satellite named Selam.

Asteroids – Asteroids, also known as minor planets or planetoids, are small, rocky bodies that orbit the Sun.  – They are remnants of the solar system’s formation, composed primarily of rock and metal.  – Location: The majority of asteroids are found in the main asteroid belt, a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.  1. Some asteroids go in front of and behind Jupiter, which are called Trojans.  2. Asteroids that come close to Earth are called Near-Earth Objects (NEOs).

Source: IT

Report by Commissioner of Railway Safety for Vande Bharat Express

Syllabus :GS 3/Infrastructure 

Context 

• A recent safety report by the Commission of Railway Safety warns that the Vande Bharat Express is at risk of serious accidents from cattle collisions due to its lighter leading coach. 

The Vande Bharat Express

• It was launched in February 2019 as part of the Make in India initiative, evolved from its precursor Train 18.
  • It is India’s first semi-high-speed trains.
• Vande Bharat rakes are being manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai; Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala; and Modern Coach Factory, Kapurthala, and Raebareli.
• As on December 26, 2024, a total of 136 Vande Bharat train services are running across the railway network. In 2024 alone, 62 Vande Bharat train services were introduced.

Commission of Railway Safety

• It comes  under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and is responsible for ensuring the safety of rail travel and train operations in India. 
• Its roles, defined by the Railways Act (1989) and the Metro Railway (Operations and Maintenance) Act (2002), include inspection, investigation, and advisory duties. 
• It operates based on statutory rules for accident investigations and executive instructions issued periodically.

Recent Recommendation 

• The report recommends several safety measures, including installing sturdy fencing along tracks to prevent human and cattle trespassing, eliminating level crossings on high-speed routes, deploying Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at known trespassing zones, and sensitizing nearby residents. 

Source :TH

Juvenile Colossal Squid Sighting

Syllabus: GS3/Species in News

Context

• A team of scientists, on board a research vessel in the South Atlantic, recorded a juvenile colossal squid, only a foot long, 2,000 feet under the ocean’s surface.

About

• First identified in 1925 from arm fragments found in a sperm whale’s stomach. Until now, no footage existed of a live colossal squid in its natural deep-sea environment.
• Despite being massive, the colossal squid has rarely been seen in its natural habitat.
  • Its large, light-sensitive eyes may make it avoid bright, noisy research equipment.
• Most knowledge about the species comes from specimens found in whale stomachs or caught in trawl nets.
• Sperm whales are the only known predator of fully grown giant and colossal squid.

Differences Between Giant and Colossal Squid

• Giant squid (Architeuthis dux) and colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni), the largest cephalopods (class of marine animals including octopii and cuttlefish), and possibly the largest invertebrates in the world.
• Colossal squid: Up to 7 meters (23 feet) long.
  • Can weigh up to 500 kg.
  • Has a large, bulky body with shorter arms and tentacles.
  • The lifespan of colossal squid is still uncertain.
• Giant squid: Can grow up to 13 meters (43 feet).
  • Typically weighs up to 275 kg.
  • Has longer arms and tentacles but a narrower body.
  • Estimated lifespan of giant squid: 2–12 years.

Significance of the Sighting

• The juvenile sighting helps fill the knowledge gap between hatchling and adult stages.
• Could shed light on diet, mating behavior, migratory patterns, and lifespan.
• May influence conservation strategies and policies, especially regarding deep-sea mining.

Source: IE

Exercise Desert Flag-10

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

• A contingent of the Indian Air Force reached Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in Exercise Desert Flag-10.

About the Exercise

• Exercise Desert Flag is an annual multinational air combat exercise hosted by the UAE Air Force.
• This year, it brings together the air forces of Australia, Bahrain, France, Germany, India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and the United States.
• The aim of the exercise is to undertake complex and diverse fighter engagements, with exchange of operational knowledge and best practices with some of the most capable Air Forces in the world.

Source: PIB