Chandrayaan-4 | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
News Today Logo

Also in News

Posted 19 Sep 2024

9 min read

Chandrayaan-4

Union Cabinet gave approval for Chandrayaan-4 Mission, a successor to Chandrayaan-3 which demonstrated soft landing on Moon.

About Chandrayaan 4

  • It aims to develop and demonstrate key technologies for landing on the Moon, collecting lunar samples, and returning to Earth safely.
  • It will achieve the foundational technologies capabilities eventually for an Indian landing on the moon (planned by year 2040) and return safely back to Earth. 
  • ISRO will be responsible for the development of spacecraft and launch. 
  • Timeline: Expected to be completed within 36 months
  • Budget: ₹2104.06 crore.
  • Tags :
  • ISRO
  • Lunar Exploration
  • Chandrayaan -4

NPS Vatsalya Scheme

National Pension System Vatsalya (NPS Vatsalya) scheme, a pension scheme for minors, has been launched.

NPS Vatsalya Scheme

  • Eligibility: All minor citizens (age below 18 years).
    • On attaining the age of majority, plan can be converted seamlessly into a normal NPS account. 
  • Regulation and Administration: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
  • Objective: Promoting long-term financial planning and security, inculcate habit of savings and dignified life in old age.
  • Subscriber Contribution: 
    • Minimum: Rs 1000/- per annum.
    • Maximum: No limit.
  • PFRDA will provide multiple investment choices to subscribers such as government securities, corporate debt, equity etc.  
  • Tags :
  • PFRDA
  • NPS Vatsalya
  • Minor Pension
  • NPS Minor
  • Vatsalya Scheme

AVGC-XR sector

Union Cabinet approved the establishment of National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR).

  • NCoE will be set up in Mumbai as a Section 8 Company (Non-Profit Organization) under the Companies Act, 2013.
  • NCoE will offer specialized training-cum-learning programs, foster R&D and function as an incubation centre. 

About AVGC-XR sector

  • Industry currently employs 2.6 lakh people and is expected to create 23 lakh direct jobs by 2032.
  • Revenues are expected to cross $26 billion by 2030, up from $3 billion currently.
  • Challenges: Lack of standardization, lack of skilling and vocational training centres, etc.
  • Tags :
  • AVGC Sector
  • National Centre of Excellence (NCoE)
  • Non-Profit Organization

Trademark Search Technology

Ministry of Commerce & Industry unveiled the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) based Trademark Search Technology and IP Saarthi Chatbot.

  • IP Saarthi Chatbot is a digital assistant designed to provide instant support and guidance to users navigating the Intellectual Property (IP) registration process.

Trademark Search Technology:

  • Advanced AI and ML algorithms for precise trademark identification.
  • Streamlined search processes for domestic and international businesses.
  • Enhanced protection capabilities for trademarks.
  • Benefits: Expedite trademark registration processes, improve overall user experience, foster international collaboration.
  • Tags :
  • Saarthi
  • Trademark Search Technology

Pheromone

Indian scientists have developed a sustainable pheromone dispenser with a controlled release rate which can help reduce costs of pest control and management.

  • Released pheromones alter the behaviour of the target insect species and attract them to sticky traps. 

About Pheromones

  • Pheromones are chemical signals which trigger a response or elicit specific behavioural expressions from the opposite sex, same sex or both sexes of the same species. 
  • Pheromones can be found in body fluids like urine, sweat, specialized exocrine glands, and genital mucous secretions.
  • Used by Insects: To help attract mates, warn about predators, and find food.
  • Tags :
  • Pheromone
  • Pheromone Dispenser

Greater one-horned Rhino

The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) published the ‘State of the Rhino’ report.

Findings of Report

  • Greater One-Horned Rhinos are benefiting from improved habitats and wildlife corridors.
    • Its population has grown 20% in the last decade, and now exceeds 4,000 animals.

About Greater one-horned Rhino

  • Habitat: Indo-Nepal Terai, northern parts of West Bengal, and Assam.
  • IUCN status: Vulnerable
  • Sociability: Usually solitary except for females with young. Males maintain loosely-defended territories.
    • Gestation lasts approximately 15 – 16 months, and mothers give birth to one calf every 2 – 3 years.
  • Population in india: 3,262 (2021). Assam has the largest population of greater one-horned rhinos.
    • More than 90% of them are in Kaziranga National Park.

 

  • Tags :
  • Kaziranga National Park
  • Greater one-horned Rhino

Amazon river

Solimoes, one of the main tributaries of the mighty Amazon River, is facing the worst drought on record.

  • Nearby Lake Tefé has also dried up.

About Amazon River: 

  • Largest River system in the world in terms of the volume of water flow and area of its basin.
  • Origins: High in the Peruvian Andes
  • River basin: Includes the greater part of Brazil and Peru, significant parts of Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia, and a small area of Venezuela.
  • Tributaries: Approximately 1,100 tributaries,
    • Notable tributaries: Japurá (Caquetá in Colombia), Juruá, Madeira, Negro, Purus, and Xingu rivers.
  • River's Drains into:  Atlantic Ocean, on the northeastern coast of Brazil.
  • Tags :
  • River
  • Brazil
  • South America
  • Amazon

Circumnutation

New study highlights the role circumnutations could play in plant growth patterns. 

About Circumnutation:

  • It refers to small, continuous movements made by plants to explore their environments.
    • These movements appear as spirals or zigzags.
  • Significance: It is an inherent behavior across plant species, allowing them to adapt to environmental conditions and maximize their growth potential.
    • E.g. Self-organization of Sunflower: Sunflowers form a zigzag pattern when grown in dense rows, allowing sunflowers to lean away from one another, avoiding shade and maximizing sunlight exposure.
  • Researchers found that circumnutation often seems random, with plants moving in unpredictable ways.
  • Tags :
  • Circumnutationn
  • plant biology

India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership

Recently, MoUs were signed under Green Strategic Partnership to strengthen the India-Denmark’s maritime relations

About Green Strategic Partnership 

  • Signed in 2020, It expands economic relations and green growth, creates jobs and strengthens cooperation on addressing global challenges.
  • Focus of GSP: Implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Joint Action Plan on Green Strategic Partnership (2021-2026): was also drawn up for furthering GSP.
  • Under GSP, collaboration has expanded across key areas such as Quality shipping, Cooperation on Port State Control, Maritime training and education etc.
  • Tags :
  • Green Strategic Partership
  • India-Denmark
  • Joint Action Plan on Green Strategic Partnership
Watch News Today