News in Short

Topic: Geography (GS-I)

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru volcano erupts

• Indonesia’s Mount Semeru is the highest mountain on Indonesia’s main island of Java.
• It erupted on December 4 spewing hot ash clouds a mile into the sky.
• Location: Around 800 kilometres (500 miles) southeast of capital Jakarta.
• Last eruption: Mount Semeru last erupted exactly one year ago, killing at least 51 people and damaging more than 5,000 homes.
• Vulnerability of the island: Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

Topic: International Relations (GS-II)

Indo-French partnership for National Parks

• With French and Indian technical and financial support, the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership will facilitate partnership activities for interested ‘natural parks’ of the Indo-Pacific region.
• These activities include biodiversity conservation, wildlife management and engagement with local communities.
• The Kaziranga project is a part of a larger Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC).
• Features of the Project:
  • The project conceptualised the reforestation of 33,500 hectares of land and
  • The training of 10,000 community members in alternate livelihoods by 2024.

Topic: International Relations

India to assume chairmanship of Wassenaar Arrangement

India would assume chairmanship of Wassenaar Arrangement on January 1, 2023.

About:

• The Wassenaar Arrangement is an elite club of countries which subscribe to arms export controls, similar to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime.
• The body came into being in 1996.
• Members: The WA has 42 members, the latest entrant being India.
  • With the exception of China, all the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council are signatories of the WA, which is headquartered in Vienna.

Topic: Science & Technology

DRDO hands over Akash missile details to MSQAA

Paving the way for its production and inching further close to 'Aatmanirbharta', the DRDO handed over all technical specifications and related materials of the land-forces version of the Akash weapon system to the Missile Systems Quality Assurance Agency (MSQAA).

About

• AKASH is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile System to protect vulnerable areas and points from air attacks.
• Akash Weapon System (AWS) can simultaneously engage Multiple Targets in Group Mode or Autonomous Mode.
• It has built-in Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) features

Topic: Science & Technology

ISRO and Social Alpha sign MoU to establish SpaceTech Innovation Platform

• ISRO and Social Alpha signed an MoU to launch SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN).
• It would be India's first dedicated platform for innovation curation and venture development for the burgeoning space entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• SpIN will primarily focus on facilitating space tech entrepreneurs in three distinct innovation categories:
  • Geospatial Technologies and Downstream Applications
  • Enabling Technologies for Space & Mobility
  • Aerospace Materials, Sensors
  • Avionics

Topic: Science and Technology

Singapore and India conclude Exercise Agni Warrior (XAW) 2022

The Singapore Army and the Indian Army successfully concluded Exercise Agni Warrior (XAW) 2022, in Devlali, India.

About

• It is a Bilateral Artillery Exercise.
• It is held in India since 2004.
• This year's exercise was the twelfth in the series.
• The exercise culminated in a joint live-firing exercise involving the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) Singapore Light Weight Howitzer, Field Artillery Meteorological System, and the Indian Army's 155mm Field Howitzer 77B.

Topic: Environment

New species of bagworm moth named after St. Thomas College

• A new species of bagworm moth has been discovered by researchers of the Zoology department of St. Thomas College, Thrissur.
• The species, discovered from Koviloor at Vattavada in Idukki district, has been named Eumasia thomasii, in honour of the 133-year-old college.
• Eumasia thomasii belongs to the moth family Psychidae, which consist of very small-sized moths.
• Eumasia thomasii is the third moth species to be discovered from India from the monotypic genus Eumasia.

Topic: Environment

IIT Madras builds and deploy Wave Energy Generator- Sindhuja-I

Researchers associated with IIT Madras have built and deployed a system that is capable of generating electricity using energy from sea waves.

About

• The system, known as Sindhuja-I, was deployed by researchers approximately six kilometers from the coast of Tuticorin based in Tamil Nadu, where the sea has a depth of approximately 20 meters.
• Sindhuja-I can is capable of producing 100 watts of energy.
• It is going to be scaled up to yield one megawatt of energy within the next three years.
• The Sindhuja-I system comprises a spar, a floating buoy, and an electrical module.

Topic: Miscellaneous

A new design for President’s standard, colour and crest for Indian Navy

Recently, during the Navy Day celebrations at Visakhapatnam, the introduction of a new design for the President’s Standard and Colour and Crest for the Indian Navy has been unveiled.

About

• The new design of the President's Standard and Colour comprises three main constituents;
  • The national flag in the upper-left canton adjacent to the staff,
  • The state emblem underscribed with 'Satyamev Jayate' in golden colour on the upper right canton on the fly side and,
  • A Navy Blue-Gold Octagon below the golden state emblem.

Personality in News

Dr Rajendra Prasad

Dr Rajendra Prasad’s Birth Anniversary (3rd December)

• Rajendra Prasad, India's first president, was born on December 3, 1884, in Ziradei, Bengal Presidency (present-day Bihar).
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad was an Indian independence warrior, lawyer, teacher, and writer. From 1950 until 1962, he served as India's first President.
  • During the Indian Independence Movement, Rajendra Prasad joined the Indian National Congress.
  • He developed to become one of the region's prominent leaders and was a strong follower of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • He was India's first and longest-serving President, and he contributed to the country's freedom movement.
  • He was an ardent participant in the 1931 Salt Satyagraha and the 1942 Quit India Movement.
• In 1895, Bose made a ground-breaking discovery through which he pioneered wireless communication.

Indian scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858-1937)

On the occasion of 164th birth anniversary of legendary Indian scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Ministry of Culture organized an “International conference on the contributions of J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist”.

About

• Born on 30th November, 1858 to Bama Sundari Bose and Bhagawan Chandra, Bengal.
• He was a Plant Physiologist and physicist who invented the crescograph, a device for measuring the growth of plants.
  • He for the first time demonstrated that plants have feelings.
• He also pioneered what can only be described as the first use of satyagraha against the British almost two decades ahead of Mahatma Gandhi, who coined the term ‘Satyagraha’ in 1906.
• He was responsible for setting up the Bose Institute in Kolkata.