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Posted 14 Sep 2024
8 min read
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).
- Objective: Expand 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
Articles Sources
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
Articles Sources
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
News Today (Sep 14, 2024)