1. PILATUS PC-7 MK II (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots lost their lives in a tragic incident when their Pilatus PC-7 Mk II trainer aircraft crashed during a routine training sortie from the Air Force Academy at Dundigal, Telangana.

Pilatus PC-7 Mk II trainer Aircraft

• About: A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews.
• Trainer Planes: Slow, simple, and spin-proof - perfect for clumsy cadets, not supersonic jets.
• Types of Trainer Aircraft the IAF have:

o75 Pilatus PC-7 Mk II aircraft in service with the IAF (including the one which crashed).

oHAL Kiran, an intermediate jet-powered indigenously developed trainer aircraft,

oBAE Hawk, a British jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft.

Pilatus PC-7 Mk II

• Manufactured by: Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, an aerospace manufacturer located in Stans, Switzerland.
• About: It specialises in producing short take-off and landing aircraft, as well as trainer aircraft for air forces across the world.

oThe PC-7 is a low-wing, turbo-prop aircraft with tandem seating (the cadet sits in the front, the instructor behind him).

oThe Mk II version was introduced in the 1990s, with a newer airframe and more advanced avionics.

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2. CHANDRAYAAN 3 Syllabus GS Paper 3 - Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that the propulsion module (PM) of Chandrayaan-3 was relocated from an orbit around the Moon to an orbit around the Earth.

Chandrayaan 3

• About: It is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
• Launched by: Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (LVM3 –M4).
• Significance: India became the first nation to soft-land on the surface of the Lunar south pole and overall the fourth to do a soft landing on moon.
• Objective: Demonstrate safe and soft landing on the surface of the Moon,

oConduct rover operations on the Moon, and

oConduct on-site experiments on the Lunar surface.

• Components: ‘Vikram’ Lander (equipped with Laser Doppler Velocimeter), ‘Pragyaan’ 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 spectropolarimeter to study Earth's reflected light.
• The mass of the propulsion module used in Chandrayaan-3 is 2148 kg.

Reason for Landing on South Pole:

• Interest in the lunar south pole as a landing site is mainly driven by the fact that scientists know the region hosts water in the form of ice.
• It can act as a coolant for equipment and even provide rocket fuel. The latter could be especially useful for a staging mission to Mars launched from the moon someday.
• Name of landing Site: Shiv Shakti Point.

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3. CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – History)

Context: The Prime Minister of Indiai unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. 

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

• Founder: Maratha Empire in western India, carving out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur.
• Early Life: Shivaji was born in the hill-fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar, which is now in Pune district.
• Family: Shivaji's father, Shahaji Bhonsle, was a Maratha general who served the Deccan Sultanates His mother was Jijabai, the daughter of Lakhuji Jadhavrao of Sindhkhed.
• Titles: Shakakarta, Kshatriya Kulavantas and Haindava Dharmodhhaarak.
• Conflict with Bijapur: Shivaji's father, Shahaji, served as a general in the Bijapuri Sultanate, which was a collaborative alliance involving Bijapur, Ahmednagar, and Golconda.
• Shivaji's rising power under Bijapur, seizing lands for his own, rattled Sultan Mohammed Adil Shah, leading to Shahaji's imprisonment in 1648.
• Battle of Pavan Khind: It was a rearguard last stand that took place on 13 July 1660, at a mountain pass in the vicinity of fort Vishalgad, near the city of Kolhapur by the Maratha against the Bijapur Sultanate.
• Battle of Purandar, 1665: Fought between the Mughal Empire and Maratha Empire.
• Administration of Shivaji: It was assisted by a council of ministers called Ashtapradhan (eight ministers).

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4. CLIMATE FINANCE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Recently, money pledges stacked up at COP28 in Dubai as delegates sought to address the huge gap between what is needed in climate finance and the amounts so far on offer.

Climate Finance

• About: Climate financing encompasses various funding sources, whether local, national, or transnational, that aim to facilitate climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, drawing from public, private, and alternative channels.

Global Climate Financial Mechanisms

• Global Environmental Facility: The GEF, established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, is a catalyst for action on the environment. Through its strategic investments, the GEF works with partners to tackle the planet's biggest environmental issues.
• Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF): The LDCF was established in 2001 to support a work programme to assist LDCs carry out, inter alia, the preparation and implementation of national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs).
• Special Climate Change Fund: It was created in 2001 to address the specific needs of developing countries under the UNFCCC to adapt to the impact of climate change and increase resilience. 
• The Adaptation Fund (AF): The AF was established in 2001 to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
• Clean development mechanism: The CDM, defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, allows a country with an emission-reduction or emission-limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol (Annex B Party) to implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries.
• The Green Climate Fund (GCF): It was set up in 2010 under the UNFCCC’s financial mechanism with aim to expand collective human action to respond to climate change. 
• Importance: Climate finance in addressing global climate change challenges and promoting sustainable development.

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5. UNLF AND NRFM (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Internal Security)

Context: Recently, as Manipur's oldest valley-based armed group, the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), inked a peace agreement with the Centre, another Meitei group, the National Revolutionary Front Manipur (NRFM), has also recently joined the peace process.

United National Liberation Front (UNLF)

• About: It is a separatist insurgent group active in the state of Manipur in Northeast India.
• Formation: On November 24, 1964,
• Aim: Establishing a sovereign and socialist Manipur.
• Also known as: United National Liberation Front of Manipur
• Other information: The UNLF is believed to have received its initial training from the NSCN (IM), the largest Naga insurgent group.

o A proscribed group, banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), it has largely been functioning from camps and training bases in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region, Chin state, and Rakhine state with the patronage of the Myanmar military.

National Revolutionary Front Manipur (NRFM)

• Formation: On September 11, 2011 by cadres of three factions of KCP, a Meitei UG outfit.
• Earlier known as: United Revolutionary Front. Its leaders operated from bases in a neighbouring country and were involved in violence and extortion in various parts of the Manipur Valley.

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6. MOUNT MERAPI (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, eleven climbers were found dead in Indonesia following the eruption of the Marapi volcano in West Sumatra.

Mount Merapi

• About: It is an active stratovolcano located on the border between the province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

oIt is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548.

• Located: Approximately 28 km (17 mi) north of Yogyakarta city, Indonesia.
• History: Merapi is the youngest in a group of volcanoes in southern Java. It is situated at a subduction zone.

o It is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, part of the volcano is located in the Southeastern part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Pacific’s Ring of Fire

• Also known as: Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
• Length: Approximately 40,000 kilometers.
• Boundaries between several tectonic plates: Pacific, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Indian-Australian, Nazca, North American, and Philippine Plates.
• Home of Volcanoes: More than 450 active and dormant volcanoes (75% of Earth’s total volcanoes) form a semicircle or horseshoe around the rim of the Pacific Ocean.

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7. SECURITIES APPELLATE TRIBUNAL (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) overturned the 2021 order by the markets regulator against Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in a case involving alleged manipulative trades in shares of the former Reliance Petroleum Ltd.

Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT)

• About: It is a statutory and autonomous body.
• Establishment: Under the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992.
• Composition: Presiding officer, Judicial members and technical members.
• Appointment: The appointment of Presiding officer and other members of SAT is done by a committee headed by Prime Minister of India.
• Powers:

o Orders issued by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) in relation to cases filed before it.

o Orders issued by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) in relation to cases filed before it.

o Hear the orders passed by Securities and Exchange Board of India.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

• Establishment: As a statutory body in the year 1992.
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Ministry: Ministry of Finance
• Aim: To protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of, and regulate the securities market.

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8. WHITE LUNG SYNDROME (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, after the outbreak of mystery pneumonia among China's pediatric population, a similar illness referred to as the White Lung Syndrome has been recently raising child hospitalization cases in Ohio, US.

White Lung Syndrome

• About: The term was first associated with an outbreak of a respiratory illness in China. This syndrome is emerging as a new health issue of global concern.

o“White Lung Syndrome” is not a scientific terminology. 

• Caused by: It's a respiratory infection caused by multiple microorganisms (influenza, mycoplasma etc) leading to development of pneumonia.
• Symptoms: White patches in the lung are formed all over the organ, fever, cough, sore throat, watery eye skin rash or symptoms like diarrhoea.
• Treatment: Mainly focused on addressing the symptoms of pneumonia and ensuring the respiratory health of the patients.

o Medicines are given to alleviate symptoms like cough and fever. overall monitoring must be done and oxygen therapy provided if necessary.

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9. NCRB REPORT ON CYBERCRIME (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released a report indicating that cases of cybercrime in the national capital nearly doubled in 2022.

Key Highlights of Report

• According to report, a majority of cases related to cruelty by spouses or their relatives (31.4%) followed by kidnapping and abduction (19.2%), assault “with Intent to outrage modesty” (18.7%), and rape (7.1%).
• A maximum rape cases were reported from Rajasthan in 2022, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Haryana.
• Cases of crimes against children were registered during 2022, showing an increase of 8.7% (1,49,404 cases) compared to 2021.
• Crime against senior citizens rose by 9.3% compared in 2021.
• The NCRB report said the economic offences increased by 11.1%, corruption cases 10.5% increase.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

• About: It is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing, crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL).
• Set Up: In 1986 recommendations of the Tandon Committee to the National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the MHA’s Taskforce (1985).
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs
• Mission: To provide Indian Police with Information Technology and Criminal Intelligence to enable them to uphold law and protect people.

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10. ABELMOSCHUS ODISHAE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: A scientist from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recently discovered a new plant species of ‘wild okra’ named ‘Abelmoschus Odishae’.

Abelmoschus Odishae

• Wild Okra' Plant Species: Found in the lush, moist deciduous forest of Banspal block in Keonjhar district, Odisha.
• Hybridization Potential: This species holds promise for hybridization, offering an avenue to develop improved varieties with heightened disease resistance.
• Genetic Diversity: This discovery introduces an opportunity to expand the genetic diversity of okra, potentially contributing to its resilience and adaptability.
• Characteristics: The seeds are sub-reniform, accompanied by short, stout, non-spiral trichomes, contributing to their unique structure and appearance.

Okra

• About: Okra, alternatively known as gumbo or ladies' fingers, thrives as a warm-season vegetable.
• Origin and Distribution: Native to the Eastern Hemisphere tropics, okra is extensively cultivated or naturalized in the Western Hemisphere's tropics and subtropics.
• Color Varieties: Present in both green and red varieties, okra offers a visually diverse range.
• Mallow Family: Belonging to the mallow family of botanicals, which includes cocoa and cotton, okra shares its botanical lineage.
• Nutrient-rich Composition: As a nutrient powerhouse, okra serves as an excellent source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber.
• Culinary Application: The sticky juice within okra pods is commonly utilized to thicken sauces in various culinary applications.

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