Exercise Udara Shakti | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Posted 12 Aug 2024

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Exercise Udara Shakti

  • It is a joint air exercise of India and Malaysia
  • Tags :
  • Udara Shakti

Arecanut

Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), issued an advisory to control ‘kole roga’ (fruit rot disease) in arecanut plantations.

About Arecanut

  • Location: Parts of Karnataka (largest producer), Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • Significance: Commercial crop, called betelnut or supari, essential ingredient of tobacco. 
  • Altitude: 1000 m from mean sea level.
  • Temperature: between 4°C and 40°C. 
  • Rainfall: Abundant and well distributed. Can grow in as low as 750 mm rainfall to as high as 4500 mm. 
  • Soil: Laterite, red loam and alluvial soils are most suitable with pH range from 5.2 to 7.0. 
  • Tags :
  • Areca Nut
  • CPCRI
  • Plantation Crop

Mt. Kilimanjaro

Expedition team under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence unfurled the Indian national flag atop Uhuru Summit of Kilimanjaro. 

About Mount Kilimanjaro

  • It is the highest peak (5,895 meters) of Africa (Located in Tanzania).
  • It is the largest free-standing mountain rise in the world, meaning it is not part of a mountain range.
  • It is a stratovolcano (a term for a very large volcano made of ash, lava and rock). 
    • It is made up of 3 cones: Kibo (tallest), Mawenzi, & Shira
    • The highest point on Kibo’s crater rim is called Uhuru. 
  • It is a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site ‘Kilimanjaro National Park’.
  • Tags :
  • Stratovolcano
  • Mt. Kilimanjaro

Subduction Zone

Japan issues its first-ever megaquake advisory on the Nankai Trough in Japan’s Southwest Pacific Coast. 

  • Megaquakes are Earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 8.
  • The Nankai Trough is an underwater subduction zone where the Eurasian Plate collides with the Philippine Sea Plate.

Subduction (or Benioff) Zone

  • When two plates converge towards each other along the convergent margin, the plate which is heavier/denser subducts below the lighter plate and is consumed in the mantle. 
  • Location where sinking of the heavier plate occurs is called subduction or Benioff Zone. 
  • Tags :
  • Subduction Zones
  • Megaquake

Neelakurinji

It has been included on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) official Red List of threatened species under the Vulnerable category.

Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana)

  • About: Shrub known for massive blooming every 12 years. Semelparous, i.e., single reproductive episode before death. 
  • Location: Shola grasslands of Western Ghats - the Nilgiri hills, Palani hills and the Eravikulam hills of Munnar, also  Shevaroy hills in the Eastern Ghats.
    • The name Nilgiris (blue mountains) was derived from the colors of these flowers.
  • Major Threats: tea and softwood plantations, urbanization, invasion of exotic species like eucalyptus, black wattle, etc. 
  • Tags :
  • IUCN
  • Western Ghats
  • Neelakurinji

Saint Martin's Island

Reports have claimed that the US wanted to establish a military base in St. Martin’s Island of Bangladesh.

About St. Martin’s Island

  • A small coral island, located in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal.
    • It is also referred to as 'Narikel Jinjira' or Coconut Island, 'Daruchini Dwip' or Cinnamon Island, etc. 
  • Island was once an extension of the Teknaf peninsula but was separated due to the submergence of a portion of the peninsula.
  • In 1974, Bangladesh and Myanmar reached an agreement that the island would be a part of Bangladeshi territory.
  • Geopolitical significance: Located near to Bangladesh and Myanmar. 
  • Tags :
  • Bay of Bengal
  • Saint Martin's Island

Hidden dangers of irrational use of antibiotics on microbiome

Irrational use of antibiotics is associated with dysbiosis.

About Dysbiosis

  • Dysbiosis refers to an imbalance of microbial species and a reduction in microbial diversity within certain bodily microbiomes. 
  • As a result, beneficial bacteria are usually minimized, whereas other bacteria that may be harmful increase in number. 
  • It disturbs the immune function leading to inflammation and sensitization of the immune system and causing autoimmune diseases.
  • Tags :
  • Antibiotics
  • Dysbiosis

Meteorite shower

The Perseid meteor shower started in July and peaked recently. 

  • Perseid meteors are debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle.

About Meteorite Shower

  • It is a celestial event in which several meteors hit Earth's atmosphere over a short period.
    • Meteors are space rocks that enter Earth's atmosphere.
    • The bright streak with the meteors shower is not actually the rock, but rather the glowing hot air.
  • Meteor showers are usually named after a star or constellation that is close to where the meteors appear in the sky.
  • Tags :
  • Meteorite shower
  • Perseid
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