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Posted 04 Apr 2024

8 min read

Commonwealth Games

  • Singapore rules out hosting the commonwealth games of 2026.

 

  • About CWG
    • It takes place every four year.
    • Members of Commonwealth Nations along with overseas territories, island states also participate in this.
    • It is managed by Commonwealth Games Federation, based in London, England.
    • Earlier known as British Empire Games and they were held for first time in Canada in 1930.

 

  • Commonwealth Nations' members are countries which were formerly British Colonies. 
    • However, presently other members can also join it.
    • India is a member.
  • Tags :
  • Commonwealth
  • Singapore

Article 293 (Borrowing of States)

  • SC has referred to constitution Bench questions raised in the petition on the interpretation of Article 293.

 

  • Article 293 
    • Article 293(1), executive power of State extends to borrowing within territory of India upon security of Consolidated Fund of State.
    • Article 293(2), empowers central Government to make loans to any State and give guarantees for State loans.
    • Article 293(3), restricts states from borrowing without consent of Central Government if they have outstanding loans or guarantees from Central Government.
  • Tags :
  • Centre-State Relations
  • Borrowing by states
  • Constitution Bench

Indian Ocean Geoid Low

  • According to researchers, Indian Ocean hosts a phenomenon known as ‘gravity hole’ or ‘Indian Ocean Geoid Low (IOGL)’, where the Earth’s gravitational pull is weaker and the sea level dips by around 100 meters.
    • This creates a gravitational/geoid anomaly with depression in the ocean and a lowest point in geoid. 
  • Technically, Earth is not a sphere but a geoid, with its middle part bulging outward, flattening poles and uneven surface.
    • This uneven surface results from non-uniform gravity due to unequal distribution of matter within the planet’s interior. 
  • Tags :
  • Indian Ocean
  • gravity hole
  • geoid low

Dornier 228

  • India delivered two state-of-the-art Dornier 228 aircraft to Guyana.

 

  • About Dornier 228 aircraft:
    • It is a twin engine turboprop, multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft.
    • Manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
    • It can be deployed for tasks like surveillance, gathering information, medical rescue, and transporting goods.

 

  • Maldives and Sri Lanka have received these aircraft from India.
  • Tags :
  • Dornier
  • Caribbean
  • India-Caribbean

Paira Cropping System

  • Odisha is promoting Paira Cropping system, a  conservation agricultural practice which has been dwindling in recent years.

 

  • About Paira cropping system
    • It is a relay method of sowing in which short-duration  pulses/oilseeds are broadcast in the standing crop of rice ~2 weeks before its harvest. 
    • It does  not allow interventions such as tillage, weeding, irrigation and fertilizer application. 
    • Benefits: maximize land use efficiency, boost farmers income, promotes regenerative agriculture etc 
    • Areas of Practice: Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha 
  • Tags :
  • Rice
  • Cropping system
  • paira cropping

Strategic Petroleum Reserve

  • India plans to build its first privately managed SPR by 2029-30.

 

  • Aim: To enhance stockpiles against potential supply disruptions.

 

  • Authority: The project will be overseen by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL), a special purpose vehicle created by the government for building and operating SPR.

 

  • Location: Padur (Karnataka), also second site is planned in Odisha.

 

  • Current SPRs in India: Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mangalore & Padur in Karnataka.
  • Tags :
  • Energy Security
  • Oil

S.A.R.A.H.

  • World Health Organization unveils a digital health promoter prototype S.A.R.A.H harnessing generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for public health.

 

  • About S.A.R.A.H.
    • It is a Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health which uses new language models and cutting-edge technology.
    • It can provide information across major health topics, including healthy habits and mental health.
    • It aims to provide an additional tool for people to realize their rights to health.
    • It can support people in developing better understanding of risk factors for some leading causes of death in world E.g., cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes.
  • Tags :
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Public Health
  • AI Assistant

PRATUSH Radio Telescope

  • Researchers from Bengaluru’s Raman Research Institute (RRI) have started work on PRATUSH (Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen)
    • PRATUSH is currently funded for pre-project studies by ISRO

 

  • About PRATUSH:
    • It is a future space radio telescope that will be placed in lunar orbit
    • Objectives: Revealing the transformation of the Universe after the Big Bang and determining when the first stars formed, their nature, and the color of the light emitted.
    • Advantage: Ground-based experiments, including SARAS, face limitations such as radio-frequency interference (RFI) and atmospheric contaminants, which can be mitigated through a space-based telescope.
  • Tags :
  • ISRO
  • Moon
  • Universe
  • Radio telescope
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