Published on: August 13, 2024
Snippets : 13 AUGUST 2024
Snippets : 13 AUGUST 2024
- The Bengaluru Charter, adopted at the International Conference on Human-Elephant Conflict Management-2024, outlines a 13-point plan to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, including formulating a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for minimizing conflict, tracking elephant herds, providing compensation for crop losses, and enhancing inter-state coordination to address human-elephant conflicts
- Bharatanatyam veteran Yamini Krishnamurthy died on 3rd August 2024 at the age of 84.Krishnamurthy was awarded the Padma Shri at just 28 in 1968, followed by the Padma Bhushan in 2001, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016. She also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1977
- NASA’s NEOWISE telescope, launched in 2009 as the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), has concluded its mission after over a decade. Initially designed to survey the sky in infrared, it detected asteroids, stars, and faint galaxies. After its primary mission ended in February 2011, NEOWISE was repurposed in December 2013 to study near-Earth objects (NEOs) and other celestial bodies. Originally orbiting at 310 miles, it now sits 217 miles above Earth due to increased solar activity. During its mission, NEOWISE discovered over 158,000 minor planets, including 34,000 new ones. Its data has been crucial for understanding asteroid numbers, orbits, and compositions, and led to the discovery of the first known Earth Trojan asteroid.
- India’s first round-the-clock grain ATM, Annapurti Grain ATM, has been launched in Odisha’s Mancheswar in Bhubaneswar. The ATM is a result of a partnership between the Odisha government and the World Food Programme. It uses biometric authentication to dispense grain to beneficiaries, who can input their Aadhar or Ration card number to access their entitled grain. The machine has an error rate of 0.01% and can dispense up to 50 kilograms of grain in five minutes. The ATM is designed and developed by the World Food Programme India and offers universal access to anyone with a Public Distribution System ration card. It is energy efficient and can be connected to solar panels for automatic refilling. The ATM dispenses rice and wheat 24/7, reducing waiting time by 70% and eliminating long queues. It also ensures accurate weight and prevents potential cheating, reducing issues related to theft and black marketing.
- Madhya Pradesh has commissioned the largest floating solar project in central and north India, located at Omkareshwar, District Khandwa. The project generates 90 MW of energy and is developed on the backwaters of Omkareshwar dam. It is the biggest solar park in India and the largest floating solar project in central and north India. The project was developed under the Union Ministry of Renewable Energy and executed by SJVN Green Energy Limited. The project cost is Rs 646 crores and is projected to generate 196.5 million units of electricity in the first year. Over 25 years, the project will generate 4,629.3 million units of electricity. The project reduces 2.3 lakh tons of carbon emissions and contributes to India’s mission of net zero carbon emissions by 2070. It also helps in water conservation by reducing water evaporation.
- India has successfully proposed names for three underwater geographical structures in the Indian Ocean, which have been awarded by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). The three structures are Ashoka Seamount, Chandragupt Ridge, and Kalpataru Ridge, named after Indian scientists and rulers. Previously, four structures were named after Indian scientists and researchers, including Raman Ridge, Panikkar Seamount, Sagar Kanya Ridge, and DN Wadia Guyot. The Indian Ocean Research Programme, undertaken since 2004 by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, aims to study various aspects of the ocean. The newly named structures were discovered by Russian and Indian research vessels between 2012 and 2020. The Ashoka Seamount, Kalpataru Ridge, and Chandragupt Ridge are oval-shaped, elongated, and oval-shaped, respectively, and cover areas ranging from 180 sq km to 675 sq km. UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission works to improve ocean management, enable member states, and coordinate ocean-related programmes. India has been a member of the commission since 1946.
- The Union Ministry of Education has released the NIRF Rankings 2024, with IIT Madras topping the overall category. IIM Ahmedabad has been ranked as the best B-school in India, while IISc Bengaluru has been ranked as the best university. NLSIU Bengaluru has retained its top spot in the law category. The top engineering colleges include IIT Madras, IISc Bengaluru, and IIT Bombay. The top medical colleges include AIIMS, New Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, and Christian Medical College, Vellore. The top colleges include Hindu College, Delhi, Miranda House, Delhi, and St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. The NIRF rankings are based on parameters such as teaching, learning, and resources, research and professional practice, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception. The Ministry of Education aims to introduce ‘sustainability rankings’ from next year.
