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Posted 14 Sep 2024

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Assam cascade frog

Scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India studied Assam cascade frogs in two Himalayan streams of the Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh.

  • Study was conducted to find correlation of different water parameters with the abundance and density of the population of a species.

Assam cascade or hill stream frog.

  • Endemic to Himalayan regions in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
  • It is used as an indicator species to monitor long-term conditions of hilly streams.

Indicator Species: 

  • They reflect the biotic or abiotic state of an environment; reveal evidence of environmental change.
  • Indicate the diversity of other species, taxa, or entire communities within an area. 
  • Tags :
  • Indicator Species
  • Assam cascade frog
  • Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary

Zorawar' tanks

DRDO successfully conducts the first phase of field firing trials of 'Zorawar' tanks.

About Zorawar tanks

  • It is a light-tank designed to provide the Indian army with enhanced capabilities at high altitude.
  • Jointly developed jointly by the DRDO and private sector firm L&T.
  • Named after the legendary General Zorawar Singh who led multiple successful victories in Tibet.
  • Key Features: 
    • It can be Integrated with drones and battle management systems for enhanced situational awareness. 
    • Designed for rapid deployment and maneuverability in mountainous regions.
    • Tanks are amphibious, making them versatile for operations in riverine regions.
  • Tags :
  • DRDO
  • Zorawar Tank
  • General Zorawar Singh

Nidhi company

Ministry of Corporate Affairs Cracks down on errant Nidhi companies.

About Nidhi company

  • Nidhi Company is declared by the Central Government under Companies Act, 2013.
    • It complies with the Nidhi Rules, 2014 made by the Central Government for regulation of such class of companies. 
    • Rules have been amended subsequently in 2022, etc. 
  • The objective of Nidhi Companies is to cultivate the habit of thrift and savings amongst its members.
    • It receives deposits from, and lends to, its members only, for their mutual benefit.
    • Key Criteria:
      • Not less than two hundred members.
      • Net Owned Funds of ten lakh rupees or more.
  • Tags :
  • Companies Act, 2013
  • Nidhi

Tardigrades

Recently, a study of the first tardigrade fossil discovered enabled them to classify them and retrace their evolutionary history.

About Tardigrades (Water Bears or Moss Piglets)

  • They are tiny eight-legged aquatic animals found in almost all habitats on Earth.
  • They comprise of two main classes: Heterotardigrada and Eutardigrada.
  • They can survive extreme environmental conditions like punishing heat, freezing cold, ultraviolet radiation and even outer space.
    • They are able to survive harsh conditions, as they are capable of almost stopping their metabolism (known as cryptobiosis), reviving only when conditions are better.
  • Tags :
  • Tardigrade fossils
  • Water bears
  • Moss Piglets
  • Cryptobiosis

Quality Control Orders (QCO)

Government introduced stringent regulations under Quality Control Order (QCO) for enhancing fire safety in Furniture for non-domestic use.

About QCO

  • The Central Government, after consulting BIS, publishes QCOs in exercise of the powers conferred under the BIS Act, 2016 thereby bringing the products under BIS Mandatory Certification.
    • Products covered are based on considerations like public interest, health and safety, unfair trade practices etc.
  • The products under QCOs shall conform to corresponding Indian Standards and shall bear the Standard Mark under a Licence or Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from BIS. E.g. IS 15768:2008 for textiles
  • Tags :
  • Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
  • Quality Control Order (QCO)
  • Indian Standards
  • BIS Act, 2016

INDUS-X Initiative

Recently, the third edition of India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit concluded in USA.

  • Key highlights of the Summit: Release of the INDUS-X Impact Report and launch of the official INDUS-X webpage.

About INDUS-X Initiative

  • Launched in June, 2023 by the the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD).
  • ObjectiveExpand the strategic technology partnership and defense industrial cooperation between our governments, businesses, and academic institutions.
  • Other key Features:
    • It acts as an ‘Innovation Bridge’ connecting defence startups of India and the USA.
    • It is a part of the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).
    • It is steered by iDEX on behalf of Ministry of Defence and DIU under the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
  • Tags :
  • iDEX
  • iCET
  • INDUS-X

Cluster Munition (CM)

As per CM Monitor 2024, CM accounted for 93% of global casualties in 2023 with children constituting half of it.

Cluster Munition

  • Weapons consisting of a container or dispenser from which many submunitions or bomblets are scattered over wide areas. 
  • Many submunitions are unreliable and can fail to explode, posing risks to civilians during and after conflicts.

Convention on Cluster Munitions (India not a party)

  • It is an International treaty (enforced in 2010) of more than 100 states prohibiting the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of CM. 
  • Tags :
  • Cluster Munition
  • Convention on Cluster Munitions
  • Cluster Munition Monitor, 2024

Co-location Facility

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) disposed of proceedings against the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in the alleged co-location case.

Co-location or Proximity Hosting

  • Allows brokers to place their servers on the premises of stock exchanges (equipped with suitable infrastructure) for a fee. 
  • Due to their proximity with stock exchange servers, they provide faster price feeds, quicker execution of trades leading to significant profits.
  • Guidelines for co-location were released by SEBI in 2015. Further, measures to strengthen the Algorithmic Trading and Co-location framework  were announced in 2018. 
  • Tags :
  • Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
  • Co-location
  • Proximity Hosting
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