News In Short 29-1-2025

Libia Lobo Sardesai Awarded Padma Shri

Syllabus: GS1/ Personalities

In News

• Libia Lobo Sardesai, a 100-year-old freedom fighter, recently honored with the Padma Shri for her pivotal role in Goa’s liberation movement.

About Libia Lobo Sardesai

• Early Life & Inspiration: Born on 25th May 1924 in Portuguese-ruled Goa.
  • Raised in Mumbai, she became actively involved in the Goan nationalist movement during her college years.
• Role in Goa’s Liberation:
  • Underground Radio Station (1955-1961): Libia, along with Vaman Sardesai, operated the ‘Voice of Freedom of Goa’, an underground radio station.
  • It countered Portuguese propaganda, keeping the Goan people informed.
• Enduring Hardships: Worked from the jungles of Amboli and Castle Rock, facing harsh conditions, isolation, and threats from Portuguese authorities.
• Historic Announcement: On 19th December 1961, she flew over Panaji in an Indian Air Force plane, announcing Goa’s liberation in Portuguese and Konkani.
• Post-Independence Contributions:
  • First Director of Tourism for Goa, Daman, and Diu, shaping the region’s tourism industry.
  • Became the first practicing female lawyer in Goa, breaking gender barriers.
  • Founded the Women’s Cooperative Bank, empowering women in financial independence.

Key Events in the Liberation Struggle

• 1954 Economic Blockade: India exerted economic pressure, restricting Portuguese access to essential resources.
• Operation Vijay (1961): On 17th December 1961, India launched a final military operation to liberate Goa. Lt. Gen. J.N. Chaudhuri led Operation Vijay.
  • Within 48 hours, the Portuguese surrendered on 19th December 1961, marking Goa’s official independence.

Source: TH

Bomb Cyclone

Syllabus :GS1/Geography

In News

Storm Éowyn, a powerful “bomb cyclone,” brought severe winds to the British Isles, especially Ireland and Scotland. 

• This intense storm has been compared to historic events like the Great Storm of 1987 and Storm Eunice in 2022.

About Bomb Cyclone

• It is  a term used by meteorologists and it occurs when a midlatitude (the latitudes between the tropics and polar regions) cyclone rapidly intensifies, or strengthens, over a 24 hour period. 
• This intensification is represented by a drop in millibars, a measurement of pressure used in meteorology.
  • This intensification happens when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as over warm ocean waters.
• It is also known as Bombogenesis  and it can cause hurricane-force winds, heavy precipitation, and dangerous conditions, primarily during winter.

Source :DTE

Use Fingerprints to Solve Crimes

Syllabus :GS2/Governance, GS3/ S&T

In News

• In the ongoing investigation of a knife attack on a Bollywood actor, it remains unclear whether the fingerprints collected from the crime scene match the arrested suspect.

Fingerprint Use in Law Enforcement

• Fingerprint Analysis Process: Prints from the crime scene are compared to suspect records.
  • Key Uses: Identifying prior criminal records of arrested individuals.
    • Matching crime scene prints with suspects.
• Legal Framework: 
  • Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022: Allows storage of fingerprints for individuals arrested for serious crimes.
• Matching Process: Digital Analysis or Expert Verification.
  • Henry Classification System:
    • Used by the CID for fingerprint matching.
    • A 10-point match is considered conclusive evidence.
• Challenges: Smudged or unclear prints may lead to inconclusive findings.

Conclusion 

• Fingerprint analysis remains a crucial forensic tool in criminal investigations, but accuracy depends on print quality and method of verification.

Source: TH

Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 System

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has launched the enhanced Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 System.

About

• It is designed to simplify the certification process for exporters and enhance trade efficiency. 
• It offers multi-user access, which enables exporters to authorize multiple users under a single Importer Exporter Code (IEC).
  • It offers exporters seamless access to eCoO services, Free Trade Agreement (FTA) information, trade events, and other resources. 
• Significance: 
  • These certificates cater to goods not of Indian origin, intended for re-export, trans-shipment, or merchanting trade. 
  • This initiative not only simplifies the certification process but also accelerates processing times, making it particularly beneficial for global supply chains involving intermediary trade through India. 

Source: PIB

DeepSeek

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Tech

Context

• China has developed DeepSeek AI models, DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1.
  • This has emerged as strong contenders in the global AI landscape, performing on par with ChatGPT and other leading AI systems. 

About DeepSeek 

• DeepSeek is the name of a free AI-powered chatbot, developed by the Chinese AI company founded by entrepreneur Liang Wenfeng.
• How is it Different? 
  • It was built at a fraction of the cost of industry-leading models like OpenAI – because it uses fewer advanced chips.
  • Its base model DeepSeek-R1 appears to have been trained via accurate sources while introducing a layer of censorship.
  • It surpasses models developed by tech giants Google, Meta, and Anthropic in terms of overall quality.
  • DeepSeek is also faster than GPT 4, more practical and, according to many experts, even understands regional idioms and cultural contexts better than its Western counterparts.

Large Language Model (LLM)

• A Large Language Model (LLM) is a type of AI trained to understand and generate human language. 
• These models are built on deep learning techniques allowing them to process and generate text in a coherent, contextually appropriate manner. 
• LLMs are used for various tasks, including text generation, language translation, and summarization.

Source: IE

F11 Bacteria

Syllabus: GS3/ S&T

In News

• A new study has identified Labrys portucalensis F11, a strain of aerobic bacterium from the Xanthobacteraceae family, capable of breaking down and transforming at least three types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

About F11 Bacteria

• The bacteria supports bioaugmentation in wastewater treatment & contaminated soil cleanup.
  • Bioaugmentation is a technique where specific microorganisms are introduced to degrade persistent pollutants in contaminated environments.
• It breaks the carbon-fluorine bond in PFAS, allowing degradation of toxic compounds.

About PFAS (‘Forever Chemicals’)

• A class of toxic, highly persistent synthetic chemicals resistant to grease, oil, water, and heat.
• They have one of the strongest carbon-fluorine bonds, making them extremely difficult to degrade.
• They are used in nonstick utensils, waterproof clothes etc. 

Source: Earth

Silicon Carbide 

Syllabus: GS3/ S&T

In News

• Researchers at IIT-Madras have achieved a significant breakthrough in extracting silicon carbide (SiC) from simulated lunar soil. 

About Silicon Carbide 

• It is a synthetic crystalline compound composed of silicon (Si) and carbon (C). 
• It is renowned for its hardness, thermal stability, and chemical resistance, making it a critical material across various industries.

Source: BL

Organophosphates 

Syllabus :GS3/Science and Technology

In News

• In Jammu and Kashmir, 17 deaths have been reported, likely due to poisoning from organophosphates, which are commonly used in pesticides.

About Organophosphates

• Organophosphates are chemical compounds used in herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and nerve gas, formed through the esterification of phosphoric acid and alcohol. 
• Effects: They work by inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), causing an accumulation of acetylcholine (ACh) in the body.
  • This leads to symptoms of cholinergic toxidrome, such as altered mental status, miosis, salivation, sweating, muscle weakness, and, in severe cases, respiratory failure.
• Treatment focuses on recognizing the toxidrome and administering atropine, a muscarinic antagonist, to counteract the effects.
  • Pralidoxime is used in some cases to reverse the bond between organophosphates and AChE, though it is time-sensitive and dependent on the type of organophosphate. 

Source  :IE