Also in News

Posted 02 May 2024

8 min read

Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) System

SMART system was successfully flight-tested from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.

About SMART
- It is a Next-generation missile-based light-weight torpedo delivery system.
  - A torpedo is a type of missile or bomb fired underwater.
- Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- It is a canister-based missile system and is equipped with parachute-based release system.
- It consists of advanced sub-systems like two-stage solid propulsion system, electromechanical actuator system, etc.
- It will enhance the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy far beyond the conventional range of lightweight torpedo.

Middle powers, lacking a universally agreed-upon definition, typically rank below great powers but exert influence over global politics.
- Great powers are countries with a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Middle powers have extensive diplomatic, economic, multilateral, and military heft.

They comprise:
- Global North countries like Australia, Canada and South Korea.
- Global South nations like India, Argentina, Brazil and Indonesia
Significance: Strengthen multilateralism; represent the voice of the global south, etc.

Researchers found evidence that Taam Ja' Blue Hole is the deepest in the world.
- It is located in Mexico's Chetumal Bay, on the eastern side of the Yucatán Peninsula.

About Blue hole
- These are water-filled caverns that form below the seafloor. These are often found in coastal areas where the bedrock is prone to erosion.
- They develop as ocean water seeps through cracks, dissolving minerals as they go, leading to sinkholes. Over time, they can grow quite large.
Other Prominent Blue Holes: Dragon Hole in the South China Sea, Great Blue Hole near Belize and the Dahab Blue Hole (Egypt).

India is set to host the prestigious 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.
- Meeting will be organised by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

About Antarctic Treaty:
- Signed in 1959 and entered into force in 1961.
- Total Parties to the Treaty is 56.
- India signed the treaty and received the consultative party status in 1983.
  - Enacted Indian Antarctic Act, 2022, reaffirming its commitment to the Antarctic Treaty.
- Key provisions: Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes, Freedom of scientific investigation, etc.

Key Protocol and Conventions:
- Protocol on Environment Protection (Madrid Protocol) to the Antarctic Treaty, 1991
- Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, 1980

Securities and Exchange Board of India has raised the investment limit for passive funds like Index Funds and Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in companies belonging to the sponsor group from 25% to 35% of their total assets.
- Passive Funds are the funds which invest in a particular Index in a similar proportion to generate returns similar to the Index.
Benefits: Help in accurate reflection of the index's performance in the fund, can provide wider investment options, etc.

Scientist have found the green lynx spider in Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary in Churu District of Rajasthan, which was never discovered earlier and is named as peucetia chhaparajnirvin.
- This spider is nocturnal and feeds on small insects.
The lynx spiders are among the major predators of insects occurring in low shrubs and herbaceous vegetation.
They are important predators of plant-damaging insects.
It is also an important predator of insect pests of the forest ecosystem.

Supreme Court in a case highlighted the cultural and legal significance of wedding ceremonies in Indian society.
- A Hindu marriage is a samskara and a sacrament which has to be accorded its status as an institution of great value in Indian society.
The judgment emphasised that simply registering a marriage without the performance of these rites does not confer upon it the legitimacy of a Hindu marriage under the law.
- The Hindu Marriage Act, of 1955, solemnly acknowledges both the material and spiritual aspects of this event in the married couple's lives.

Scientists have reported that the inside of most massive neutron stars is most likely made of quark matter.
- Neutron stars are formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses.

About Quarks:
- These are elementary particles. Like the electron, they are not made up of any other particles.
- These can’t exist in isolation. They can only be found in clumps (groups) of two or three and such clumps of quarks are called hadrons.
  - A quark’s antiquark clump is called a meson.
- These are the ultimate building blocks of visible matter in the universe.
- There are six types of quarks: up, down, top, bottom, strange, and charm.