1. GAGANYAAN MISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Science and Technology)

Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the CE20 E13 engine hot test for the Gaganyaan qualification and 22-tonne thrust qualification.

Gaganyaan Mission

• About: The Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bringing them back safely to Earth.

• Expected Launch: In 2025)
• Part of: Indian Human Spaceflight Programme (IHSP), which was initiated (2007) by the ISRO to develop the technology needed to launch crewed orbital spacecraft into low earth orbit (LEO).
• Launch Vehicle: GSLV Mk-lll (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) the three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle will be used for carrying the orbital module.

oIndia’s heaviest rocket consists of a solid stage, liquid stage, and cryogenic stage.

• Objective: To demonstrate the capability to send humans to low earth orbit on board an Indian launch vehicle and bring them back to Earth safely.

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2. C-295 AIRCRAFT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci & Tech)

Context: The Indian Air Force (IAF) formally inducted its first C-295 transport aircraft in a ceremony held at the Hindan Air Force Station in Uttar Pradesh, following its delivery from the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain.

C295 Aircraft

• About: It is a new-generation tactical airlifter in the light and medium segment that will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of the Indian Air Force.
• Built by: Airbus, a European multinational aerospace corporation.
• Capacity: 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology.
• Features: The aircraft, with a flight endurance of up to 11 hours, can carry out multi-role operations under all weather conditions.
• Replacement: Indian Air Force’s ageing fleet of Avro-748 planes

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3. GLOBAL BIOFUEL ALLIANCE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Recently, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), pledged to support the nation's green initiatives by creating relevant standards. 

• BIS also revealed that these Indian Standards will align closely with the goals of the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA), a multilateral forum introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi.

Global Biofuel Alliance

• About: It is an initiative by India as the G20 Chair. The Alliance intends to expedite the global uptake of biofuels by facilitating technology advancements, intensifying the utilization of sustainable biofuels, and shaping robust standard setting and certification through the participation of a wide spectrum of stakeholders.
• Aim: To serve as a catalytic platform, fostering global collaboration for the advancement and widespread adoption of biofuels.
• Function: The alliance will also act as a central repository of knowledge and an expert hub.
• Countries involved: India, Singapore, Bangladesh, Italy, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Mauritius and UAE.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

• About: "It is the National Standards Body of India responsible for the harmonious development of standardization, marking, and quality certification activities for goods, along with related matters."
• Establishment: Under the BIS Act 2016
• Headquarters: New Delhi and its 05 
• Regional Offices: Kolkata (Eastern), Chennai (Southern), Mumbai (Western), Chandigarh (Northern) and Delhi (Central)

Biofuels and Types

• About: Any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced from an organic matter(living or once living material) in a short period of time (days, weeks, or even months) is considered a biofuel.
• Examples: Ethanol, biodiesel and biogas.
• Types: 1st,2nd , 3rd and 4th Generation of biofuel depending upon the their source of origin and production process.
• Steps taken in India for biofuels: National Biofuel Policy (2018), Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana (2019), GOBAR-DHAN (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) scheme,(2018) etc.

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4. ASOLA BHATTI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: The Delhi Ridge Management Board (RMB) recently approved a proposal to initiate a comprehensive biodiversity study at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in south Delhi.

• The proposal, drafted by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, will also prepare a management plan for the sanctuary

Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

• Coverage Area: 32.71 km2 area on the Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli hill range.
• Location: Delhi-Haryana border lies in Southern Delhi as well as northern parts of Faridabad and Gurugram districts of Haryana state.
• It is also part of the Sariska-Delhi Wildlife Corridor, which runs from the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan to Delhi Ridge.
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous,
• Flora: Consists of Prosopis juliflora as the dominant exotic species and Diospyros montana as the dominant native species in the sanctuary.
• Fauna: Golden Jackals, Striped-Hyenas, Indian crested-Porcupines, Civets, Jungle Cats, Snakes, Monitor Lizards, Mongoose etc.

Wildlife Institute of India (WII)

• About: It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Establishment: 1982.
• Headquarters: Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• Objective: It offers training programs, academic courses, and advisory in wildlife research and management.

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5. NON-BASMATI RICE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Government of India gave a green signal to the export of 75,000 tons of non-basmati white rice to the UAE.

• The Government of India has the commitment that in case of food insecure, vulnerable countries and neighboring countries request, it will provide with the required quantity of rice or wheat.
• The government permitted exports of broken rice to Senegal , Gambia, Indonesia, Mali, and Bhutan.
• The development comes as India banned the export of non-basmati white rice in order to boost domestic supply amid sticky inflation and the expectation of an erratic monsoon.

Key Points

• The export of non-Basmati white rice was prohibited on July 20, 2023, citing increasing domestic prices of rice.
• In September 2022, the Centre had banned exports of broken rice. 
• In August 2023, the Centre imposed a 20% export duty on par-boiled non-basmati rice.
• The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is the agency responsible for the regulation of the export of Basmati rice.

Impact of the Ban

• IMF predicts a potential rise of 10-15% this year in international rice prices.
• Countries in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, which heavily rely on India as a major supplier of rice, may face vulnerability due to potential disruptions in the rice market.

India’s Status in Rice Exports

• India is the second-largest producer of rice in the world, after China. 
• India has become the largest rice exporter globally, accounting for nearly 40% of global rice exports in 2022/23. 
• Non-basmati white rice constitutes approximately 25% of the total rice exported from the country.

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6. EXERCISE YUDH ABHYAS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: The 19th edition of "EXERCISE YUDH ABHYAS" is set to take place in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA, from September 25th to October 8th, 2023, as recently announced.

EXERCISE YUDH ABHYAS

• About: It is the largest running joint military training and defense cooperation endeavor between India and the US.
• Focus: The exercise focuses on enhancing understanding, cooperation, and interoperability between the two armies.
• Started:  2004.
• 18th Edition:  Auli in Uttarakhand.

Other Exercises between India and the US

• Army: Yudh Abhyas and Vajra Prahar
• Navy: MALABAR (Multilateral)
• Air Force: Cope India, Red Flag (Multilateral)

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7. NIGERIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: According to a new World Bank report, the Nigerian economy can earn an additional $8.1 billion annually by closing gender gaps prevailing in the country’s agricultural sector.

• The gender gap is the difference between women and men as reflected in social, political, intellectual, cultural, or economic attainments or attitudes.

Key Points of Report

• In Nigeria, women are 10 per cent less likely to work in the agricultural sector than men and women farmers produce 30 per cent less per hectare than their male counterparts.
• In Nigeria, women primarily grow staple food crops, while men engage more in cash crops.
• Gender gaps are significantly wider regarding the quantity of pesticide used per hectare (in kilograms).

Nigeria

• About: It is an African country on the Gulf of Guinea, has many natural landmarks and wildlife reserves
• Capital: Abuja
• Currency: Naira
• Protected Areas: Cross River National Park and Yankari National Parks
• Vegetation: Savanna and rare primate habitats. 
• Shares borders with: Niger in the North, Chad in the North-East, Cameroon in the East & Benin in the West.

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8. VEERANGANA DURGAVATI TIGER RESERVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: The Madhya Pradesh Government has officially announced the establishment of the "Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve " marking the 7th tiger reserve in the state and 54th in the country.

Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve

• About: It is the 7th Tiger Reserve in the State of Madhya Pradesh and 54th in the country.
• Location: It is spread across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts of Madhya Pradesh.

oIt is spread over an area of 2,339 square kilometres.

• Areas: Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Rivers: Parts of the reserve fall under the Narmada and Yamuna River basins.
• The Singorgarh Fort is located within the reserve.
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous type
• Flora: The chief floral elements include Teak, Saja, Dhaora, Ber, Amla, etc.
• Fauna: Tiger,  leopard, wolf, jackal, Indian fox, striped hyena, Nilgai, Chinkara, Chital, Sambhar, Black Buck, Barking deer, Common Langur Rhesus Macaque etc.

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9. NCLAT AND CCI (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) requested responses from both Google and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in Google's plea challenging the ₹936.44 crore penalty.

• In 2018, Android users moved the competition watchdog (CCI) alleging that Google was abusing its dominant position in the mobile operating system-related market.
• In October 2022, based on the report of DG, the commission imposed a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on Google.

National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) 

• Constituted: Under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 for hearing appeals against the orders of the National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT), with effect from 1st June 2016.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Corporate Affairs
• Aim: To promote competition and prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
• Functions: Hearing appeals against the orders passed by NCLT(s) under Section 61 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).

oTo hear and dispose of appeals against any direction issued or decision made or order passed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

oIt also hears and disposes of appeals against the orders of the National Financial Reporting Authority.

Competition Commission of India (CCI) 

• About: It is a quasi-judicial body which gives opinions to statutory authorities and also deals with other cases.
• Establishment: March 2009 by the Government of India under the Competition Act, 2002for the administration, implementation, and enforcement of the Act.
• Composition of the CCI: One Chairperson and six Members who shall be appointed by the Central Government.

oThe Chairperson and other Members shall be whole-time Members

Objectives

• It will eliminate practices having adverse effects on competition.
• To Promote and sustain competition.

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10. HIV-1 VIRUS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Social Issues - Health)

Context: Recently, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Bhopal identified a Circular RNA virus(ciTRAN), whose role in HIV-1 virus replication has remained unclear for a long time, and also developed a molecule that could hinder viral transcription.

Key Points

• Benefit of the research: Establishing how ciTRAN modulates the virus’s transcription process, could potentially lead to novel drugs and therapies to fight HIV-1.
• Transcription: It is the synthesis of RNA from a DNA template where the code in the DNA is converted into a complementary RNA code. 
• Translation: It is the synthesis of a protein from an mRNA template where the code in the mRNA is converted into an amino acid sequence in a protein.

HIV-1 Virus

• About: HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which is a virus that attacks the immune system in the human body.
• Target: It primarily targets and damages CD4 immune cells, which are essential for the body's ability to fight infections and diseases.
• Transmission: Exchange of certain bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk.
• Infection: Tuberculosis and fungal infections, severe bacterial infections and some cancers
• HIV-1 viral protein R (VpR): It is a multifunctional protein that plays specific roles at multiple stages of the HIV-1 viral life cycle and affects anti-HIV functions of the immune cells

RNA 

• About: It is a nucleic acid present in all living cells that has structural similarities to DNA
• RNA is most often single-stranded
• An RNA molecule has a backbone made of alternating phosphate groups and sugar ribose.
• Different types of RNA in cells: Messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA).

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