1. AHOBILAM TEMPLE (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art & Culture)

Context: Recently, the Forest Department and Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam (SLNSD) at Ahobilam have implemented visitor restrictions due to the shrine's location within the Nallamala forest, housing nine distinct temples.

Ahobilam Temple

• About: It is located in the Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh and is counted among the 108 Vaishnava Divyadesams.
• Temples of Ahobilam: The region is famous for two temples situated in Lower Ahobilam and Upper Ahobilam.
• Mythological Significance: According to local legend, Ahobilam is where Lord Narasimha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, blessed Prahlada and slayed Hiranyakashipu.
• Ahobilam Narasimha Temple: This temple is the primary and oldest among the nine temples in Ahobilam.

Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR)

• About: It is the largest tiger reserve in India.
• Declared: Tiger reserve in 1983, NSTR covers 3,727.82 sq km, encompassing core and buffer areas.
• Role of Ahobilam National Tiger Conservation Authority: NTCA, formed under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, oversees rare flora and fauna, particularly around the Pavana Narasimha temple area, which is habitat to red sanders, leopards, deer, and five tigers.
• Vegetation: Tropical dry deciduous forests
• Restrictions: They are imposed due to the intense heatwave to ensure the safety of wild animals, including a ban on plastic usage, with designated deposition points at the Cheethal base camp.
• Prohibition: Overnight stays are prohibited to mitigate man-animal conflict, especially with nocturnal animal movements. 

oThe department explicitly prohibits the practice of animal sacrifice at the shrine, acknowledging its potential impact on wildlife.

---

2. FCRA ACT (Syllabus GS Paper 2/3 – NGOs/Economy)

Context: The Union Home Ministry recently cancelled the registration of at least five non-governmental organizations (NGOs) under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) for alleged violation of various provisions.

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA)

• About: Regulates the receiving and use of foreign contributions by individuals and corporations established in India. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 has come into effect from 2011.
• Objectives: The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned “in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic.
• Extend to: It extends to the whole of India.
• FCRA registration granted to NGO:

oApply online: NGOs that want to receive foreign funds must apply online in a prescribed format with the required documentation. 

oInquiry and process of application:  Following the application by the NGO, the MHA makes inquiries through the Intelligence Bureau into the antecedents of the applicant, and accordingly processes the application.

oShould not involve in illegal activity: Under the FCRA, the applicant should not be fictitious or benami; and should not have been prosecuted or convicted for indulging in activities aimed at conversion through inducement or force, either directly or indirectly, from one religious’ faith to another.

• Validity: Once granted, FCRA registration is valid for five years. 
• Renewal: NGOs are expected to apply for renewal within six months of the date of expiry of registration. 
• Expiry: In case of failure to apply for renewal, the registration is deemed to have expired, and the NGO is no longer entitled to receive foreign funds or utilise its existing funds without permission from the ministry.

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2022 

• Threshold limit Increased: Any person receiving a foreign contribution over Rs. 1 Lakh in a financial year from any of his relatives shall inform the Central Government in within 30 days from the date of receipt of such contribution.

o(The FCRA Amendment Rules 2022 has increased the limit to Rs. 10 Lakh from the existing limit of Rs. 1 Lakh)

• Time Limit increased: The time limit to intimate the receipt of a foreign contribution from relatives to the Central Government is increased to 3 months from the existing time limit of 30 days.

---

3. LOK ADALAT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Lok Adalat can- not entertain any applications where judicial orders are required as proceedings before it are not judicial, the Kalaburagi bench of Karnataka High Court recently ruled.

Lok Adalat

• Meaning: In literal meaning, it is ‘People’s Court’. It is a forum where the cases (or disputes) which are pending in a court or which are at pre-litigation stage (not yet brought before a court) are compromised or settled amicably.
• Principle: This system is based on Gandhian principles. 
• A type of: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system.
• First Lok Adalat camp: Organised in Gujarat in 1982.
• Statutory Status: By the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Output/Result of the proceeding: Settlement and hence no victory and no defeat and, thus, no enmity.
• Member: Chairman and two members for providing a compulsory pre-litigative mechanism for conciliation and settlement of cases relating to Public Utility Services like transport, postal, telegraph etc.
• Jurisdiction: Lok Adalats can deal with cases pending before a court and also with disputes at the pre-litigation stage.

oThe offences which are non-compoundable under any law fall outside the purview of the Lok Adalat.

o

Advantages of Lok Adalats (ADR) Mechanism:

• Less Time Consuming.
• Cost effective method. 
• It is free from technicalities of courts.
• People are free to express themselves without any fear of court of law. 
• Efficient way to prevent conflict and restore relationship between parties.
• It preserves the best interest of the parties.

---

4. MOTHER OF DRAGONS COMET (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, astronomers have spotted the "Mother of Dragons," a rare comet with former horns, now visible in the Northern Hemisphere after dusk.

Mother of Dragons Comet

• About: The Mother of Dragons comet is officially designated as Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks and falls under the category of 'Halley-type' comets due to its orbital characteristics.
• Orbital Features: With an orbital period of approximately 71 years and a nucleus about 30 km wide, it follows a trajectory that brings it relatively close to Earth during specific intervals.
• Composition: Comprised of a mixture of ice, dust, and rocky material, the comet undergoes dramatic changes as it approaches the Sun, with heat causing the solid ice within to sublimate into gas.
• Classification and Orbital Influence: Classified as a Jupiter-family comet, its orbit is significantly affected by the gravitational pull of the giant planet Jupiter, which influences its trajectory and periodicity.
• Visibility and Close Approach: Typically visible to observers on Earth during its close approach, the Mother of Dragons comet reaches perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, around the orbit of Mars. Its closest approach to Earth is anticipated in June 2024.

Comets

• About: These are ancient cosmic icebergs, dating back approximately 4.6 billion years, coinciding with the formation of the Solar System.
• Composition: Comets are primarily composed of dust and ice, with the ice transitioning from solid to gas as the comet approaches the warmth of the Sun.
• Solar System Formation: They formed concurrently with the Sun, Earth, and other celestial bodies, offering valuable insights into the early stages of our Solar System's evolution.

---

5. PADTA BET (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – History)

Context: Recently excavated from a hillock known as Padta Bet, a skeleton, pottery artifacts, and animal bones indicate a 5,200-year-old Harappan settlement, situated 1.5 km from the Early Harappan necropolis of Juna Khatiya.

Padta Bet

• Discovery: Within the four-hectare area of Padta Bet, researchers unearthed two distinct localities during excavation.
• Locality 2 Artefacts: Locality 2 yielded artefacts spanning the Early, Mature, and Late Harappan eras, covering a timeline from 3,200 BC to 1700 BC.
• Locality 1 Artefacts: Artefacts from Locality 1 predominantly belong to the Mature and Late Harappan eras.
• Significance: The discovery of a skeleton, alongside pottery artefacts and animal bones, provides compelling evidence of a 5,200-year-old Harappan settlement at Padta Bet.
• Proximity to Juna Khatiya: Padta Bet, located 1.5 km from Juna Khatiya, an Early Harappan necropolis, supports the theory of the graveyard serving multiple smaller settlements.
• Strengthening the Theory: This latest find strengthens the hypothesis that Juna Khatiya may have functioned as a communal burial ground for several nearby Harappan settlements.

Harrapan Civilization

• About: The civilization is named Harappan because Dayaram Sahni first excavated its site in 1921.
• Harappan civilization surpassed the sizes of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia civilizations.
• Bordered by: 

oThe northernmost site of the civilization is Manda (Jammu-Kashmir).

oThe southernmost site is Daimabad (Maharashtra).

oThe easternmost site is Alamgirpur (Uttar Pradesh).

oThe westernmost site is Sutkagendor (Pakistan-Iran border).

• Main Crops: Two types of Wheat and Barley. Evidence of cultivation of rice in Lothal and Rangpur (Gujarat) only.
• Other Crops: Dates, mustard, sesamum, cotton, rai, peas etc.

oFirst to produce cotton in the world so Greeks called them Sindon.

---

6. ETCD (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not materially changed its stance on exchange-traded rupee derivatives and neither has it asked brokerages for proof of their clients' underlying forex exposure

Exchange-Traded Currency Derivatives

• About: These are financial contracts enabling speculation on future price movements of currency pairs, traded on exchanges, and based on underlying currency exchange rates.
• Risk Management: They aid companies in managing currency risks by hedging against adverse exchange rate movements.
• Profit Potential: ETCDs offer traders the potential to profit from anticipated movements in exchange rates.
• Market Characteristics: The ETCD market is highly liquid with transparent price discovery mechanisms.
• Cost Efficiency: ETCDs have lower margin requirements and are cheaper compared to other derivative products.
• Usage in Trading: Brokers and traders utilize ETCDs to speculate on dollar-rupee futures contracts.

Present Controversy Surrounding Forex Derivative Contracts

• RBI's Unchanged Stance: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not materially altered its stance on External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) Trade Credit Derivatives (ETCD) nor requested proof of underlying forex exposure from brokerages.
• Concerns Raised by Brokers: Brokers have raised concerns about the impact of RBI's announcement in January regarding forex derivative contracts.
• Brokerages' Perspective: According to a Reuters report, brokerages claim to have implemented this requirement voluntarily for hedging purposes, particularly involving the rupee.

---

7. RING OF FIRE (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Taiwan is in a seismically active zone ringing the Pacific. Most of the world's earthquakes happen in this Ring.

Ring of Fire

• About: It is a vast geological phenomenon comprising hundreds of volcanoes and earthquake-prone areas encircling the Pacific Ocean.
• Geographical Extent: This horseshoe-shaped ring spans nearly 40,250 km and encompasses the meeting points of various tectonic plates, such as the Eurasian, North American, Juan de Fuca, and others.
• Tectonic Plate Interaction: The Ring of Fire is formed due to the convergence and interaction of numerous tectonic plates, including smaller ones like the Caribbean, Nazca, and Indian plates, around the larger Pacific Plate.
• Countries Along the Ring: Notable Pacific coast countries, including the US, Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Guatemala, Russia, Chile, Peru, and the Philippines, are traversed by the Ring of Fire.

Vulnerability to Earthquakes in the Ring of Fire

• Constant Plate Movement: The earthquakes are triggered as tectonic plates constantly slide past, collide with, or move above or below each other along the ring.
• Taiwan's Tectonic Interaction: Quakes in Taiwan result from the interaction of two tectonic plates—the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate.
• Pacific Ocean Dynamics: The rough edges of the plates within the Ring of Fire get stuck to each other, leading to earthquakes when they become unstuck along faults.

Why are there so many volcanoes in the Ring of Fire?

• Subduction Zone Formation: Many volcanoes in the Ring of Fire are formed through subduction, where one tectonic plate is shoved under another, creating deep trenches.
• Magma Generation: Subduction of oceanic plates into hotter mantle plates generates magma, which rises to the surface, forming volcanoes.
• Prevalence of Subduction Zones: Most subduction zones, crucial for volcano formation, are concentrated within the Ring of Fire.

---

8. SHRIMP FARMING (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, India, the largest supplier of shrimp, rebutted claims of human rights and environmental abuses by a Chicago-based human rights group, as top Commerce Ministry officials convene with seafood exporters to address efforts in safeguarding its global reputation.

Shrimp Farming

• About: It is an aquaculture business that exists in either a marine or freshwater environment, producing shrimp or prawns for human consumption.
• Soil type: Usually, clay or loam-based soil containing more than 90% clay and pH between 6.5-8.5 is preferable
• Suitable species: Penaeus indicus and tiger prawn P. monodon.
• Geographical Distribution: West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
• Significant Contribution: About a lakh shrimp farms in Andhra Pradesh alone contribute to almost 70% of India's shrimp output.
• Female Workforce Dominance: Women are estimated to hold 70% of the eight million jobs in the sector, spanning hatcheries, aquaculture farms, processing, and freezing units.

SAIME Initiative

• About: It is a community-based pilot project initiated in West Bengal.
• Full form: Sustainable Aquaculture through Integrative Mangrove Ecosystems
• Established: 2019
• Aim: To integrate stakeholders from various sectors including government departments, academia, and research institutes.
• Partners: SAIME is conceived by NEWS (Nature Environment & Wildlife Society) along with Global Nature Fund (GNF), Naturland Bangladesh, and Environment and Development Society (BEDS).

---

9. OVERLAP OF JURISDICTION ON ALCOHOL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, Justice BV Nagarathna, as part of the Supreme Court's nine-judge bench, is distinguishing 'industrial alcohol' from 'intoxicating liquor' to resolve a revenue-rich dispute, potentially challenging a 1989 ruling by a seven-judge bench that included her father and then CJIES Venkataramiah.

Overlap of Jurisdiction of Centre, States on Alcohol

• Empowerment of States: Entry 8 of List II grants states authority to control and regulate intoxicating liquors, including their production, manufacture, possession, transport, purchase, and sale.
• Conflict with Industrial Development and Regulation Act: The Act, 1951, and its 2016 amendment grant the Centre the power to regulate industries involved in producing, supplying, distributing, and engaging in trade and commerce of industrial alcohol.
• Parliament's Authority: Under Entry 52 of List I, Parliament can enact laws to regulate any industry in the public interest, potentially overlapping with state regulations on intoxicating liquors.

Seventh Schedule: Distributing Legislative Powers

• Union List (List 1): Only the central government can legislate on subjects such as defence, foreign affairs, currency, atomic energy, railways, shipping, etc.
• State List (List 2): Only the state governments can legislate on subjects such as police, public health, agriculture, local government, land, etc.
• Concurrent List (List 3): Both central and state governments can legislate on subjects such as criminal law, marriage and divorce, education, etc.

oIn conflicts between central and state laws on concurrent list subjects, the central law prevails.

---

10. NUCLEAR ENERGY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: A recent study by academics at the Indian Institute of Management emphasizes that for India to attain developed country status by 2047 and align with net zero carbon emissions by 2070, it must heavily prioritize investments in nuclear energy and expand associated infrastructure.

Nuclear Energy

• About: It is the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom. It can be used to produce electricity. But, before it can used, it must be released.
• Global: Nuclear energy accounts for approximately 10% of global electricity production, generated by around 440 power reactors.

oNuclear energy stands as the second-largest contributor to low-carbon power worldwide, comprising 26% of the total in 2020.

• In India: Nuclear power ranks as the fifth-largest electricity source, following thermal, hydroelectric, and renewable energy sources.

oIndia currently operates 22 nuclear reactors situated within 7 nuclear power plants, boasting an aggregate installed capacity of 6780 MW.

o Nuclear energy can help India meet the INDC target under the Paris Climate Treaty.

• Nuclear Fusion: In fusion, nuclei of two lighter elements are made to fuse together to form the nucleus of a heavier atom.
• Best Example: It is the same nuclear process that powers the Sun and other stars.
• Nuclear Fission: It occurs when a neutron slams into a larger atom, forcing it to excite and split into two smaller atoms, known as fission products. Additional neutrons are also released that can initiate a chain reaction.
• Result: When each atom splits, a tremendous amount of energy is released.
• Best Example: Nuclear power reactors where uranium and plutonium are most commonly used because they are easy to initiate and control.

Uranium

• About: It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table.
• Form: Uranium is an extremely heavy metal.
• Uranium in India: Uranium deposits in India are primarily found in crystalline rocks.

oJharkhand state holds 70% of the country's uranium reserves.

• Major uranium deposits occur: Singhbhum and Hazaribagh districts of Jharkhand, Gaya district of Bihar, and Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
• Total reserves of uranium in India: Amount to 30,480 tonnes.

---