1. Frigate Vindhyagiri (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Science and Technology)

Context: The President of India launched Vindhyagiri, the last in the series of 3 project 17A(Alpha) frigates built by the Indian Navy at the Kolkata based Garden Reach shipbuilders and Engineers(GRSE).

• The launch was also a step towards achieving the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat through indigenous shipbuilding.
• Following the launch, Vindhyagiri will join its two sister ships (INS Himgiri and INS Dunagiri) at the Outfitting Jetty at GRSE, to progress remaining activities and equipment trials.

About Vindhyagiri:

• Named after a mountain range in Karnataka.
• The sixth ship among Project 17A frigates.
• These ships come after Project 17 Class Frigates (Shivalik Class), having better stealth, advanced weapons, sensors, and management systems.
• Vindhyagiri, a highly advanced frigate, honors its forerunner, the former INS Vindhyagiri.
• The newly named Vindhyagiri represents India's strong commitment to embracing its abundant naval history.

About Project 17A:

• The Indian Navy initiated Project 17 Alpha (P-17A) frigates in 2019 to build advanced stealth guided-missile frigates.
• Currently, two companies, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), are building these frigates.
• The ships are also equipped with technology that reduces their infrared signals.
• The first ship under this project, named Nilgiri, was launched in 2019.
• As part of the P17A initiative, seven ships are currently being built – four at MDL and three at GRSE.

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2. India’s Diamond Industry (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Economy)

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3. WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - International Relations)

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4. Remission Policy (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Polity)

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5. National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Governance)

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6. Microplastics (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Env & Eco)

Context:  According to the latest study published by the American Chemical Society, team of scientists in China have found microplastics in the human heart for the first time.

• Plastics have been causing grave problems on planet Earth. Plastic pollution has led to many environment-related issues around us. Studies have shown that microplastics have even made their way into the body of living creatures.
• Notably, microplastics can be lesser than 5 millimeters wide and can enter the human body through the mouth, nose and other cavities in the body.

About Microplastics:

• Microplastics are minute fragments of diverse plastic materials present in the surroundings.
• These minute plastic particles pose a threat to marine environments and the creatures that inhabit them.
• Recent study revealed a groundbreaking discovery: microplastics, which are minuscule plastic particles, have been identified in human blood for the very first time.
• Two main categories of Microplastics

?Primary microplastics are released into the environment from a variety of sources.

?Secondary microplastics:  are created when larger plastics break down.

• Concerns related to microplastics

?Microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory.

?It has the potential to adhere to the outer membranes of red blood cells, possibly restricting their capacity to carry oxygen.

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7. Ethanol Blending (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Env & Eco)

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8. Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Environment)

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9. Chandrayaan 3 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Science & Technology)

Context: Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander module, a propulsion module and a rover. The main function of the propulsion module is to carry the lander module from launch vehicle injection till 100-km orbit around the moon

About Chandrayan 3

• It is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
• Objective:

Demonstrate safe and soft landing on the surface of the Moon,

Conduct rover operations on the Moon, and

Conduct on-site experiments on the Lunar surface.

• Components: Lander (powered by 4 throttle-ale engines & equipped with Laser Doppler Velocimeter), Rover (no orbiter unlike Chandrayaan 2).
• The mission has six tools for studying science and an additional instrument on the propulsion module.
• Propulsion Module: It carries the SHAPE experiment, which uses spectro-polarimetry to study Earth's reflected light.
• Opportunities offered by Chandrayaan-3

Economic benefits: Chandrayaan-3 will be India's ticket to the “moon economy”, an emerging sector with a potential of billions of dollars.

Accelerate scientific discoveries: By analyzing the data collected during the mission, scientists can discover about Moon's geology, mineralogy, and environment, which can contribute to our understanding of lunar evolution.

Accelerate private sector participation & its stature in the global arena facilitating international collaborations in space industry. 

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10. Uniform Civil Code (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Polity)

Context: The 156-year-old, 647-page code cuts across religions and has laws that govern everything from gender equality in marriage to personal inheritance. Amid talk of a UCC for the country, the Goa code is being touted as a model.

• It was a strange demand. F E Noronha had got a call from the Cabeca de Casal, an administrator appointed to make an inventory of assets for partition in his maternal family, asking for his mother’s dowry certificate.

About Uniform Civil Code

• A Uniform Civil Code (UCC) refers to a a common set of personal laws to be followed by the citizens, irrespective of religion, in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption.
• Origin of UCC: The UCC's roots trace to colonial India, as the British government's 1835 report highlighted the importance of consistent laws for crimes, evidence, and contracts, excluding the personal laws of Hindus and Muslims.
• Source: Under Article 44, the State is bound by a constitutional mandate to endeavour to universalize and secularize personal laws, throughout the Indian territory.
• Objective: To address the discrimination against vulnerable groups and replace the system of fragmented personal laws, that are segregated at present on the basis of religious beliefs like the Hindu code bill, Shariat law, and others, into one Uniform Code.
• Goa is the only state in India that has a uniform civil code regardless of religion, gender and caste.
• In Shah Bano case (1985), SC emphasised the importance of UCC for having a common basis for jurisdiction.

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