2025 for January 1970

Tinnitus

January 2, 2025

About Tinnitus:

It is the perception of sound that does not have an external source, meaning only the affected individual can hear it.
Causes: It is usually caused by an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, an ear injury or a problem with the circulatory system.
Symptoms:
- It can include sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, irritability, and significant impacts on mental health and social life.
- It can also cause other types of phantom noises in your ears, including: Buzzing, Roaring and Clicking etc.
Treatment: It may include hearing aids, sound-masking devices, medicines, and ways to learn how to cope with the noise.

Key facts about the newly developed device

This device along with its supporting application software, offers a comprehensive approach to managing tinnitus.
It features precise tinnitus matching, which helps identify the exact nature and frequency of the sound experienced by the patient.
It provides a customisable, multimodal approach to treatment, ensuring each patient receives a tailored experience suited to their unique condition.
The software also includes tools for tracking disease progression, enabling clinicians to monitor patient improvement over time.

Q1: What is the cochlear implant?

It is a prosthetic device, a part of which is surgically implanted inside the cochlea. Cochlear implants have been found to be beneficial for children and adults with severe to profound hearing loss and steeply sloping hearing loss who do not benefit adequately with hearing aids but have an intact auditory nerve.

Source: IT

Stellaria Bengalensis

January 2, 2025

About Stellaria Bengalensis:

It is the annual herb plant of the genus Stellaria (family Caryophyllaceae).
It was found growing on muddy soil slopes — at altitudes of 2,245-2,450 metres in the Sangser forest, Kalimpong.
Characteristics
- It is an annual herb growing to a height of 8 to 10.5 cm, characterised by white flowers, absence of bracts, shorter petals (or included within the sepal),and sharp and pointed seeds.
- Flowering and fruiting occur from May to September.
India has around 22 Stellaria species, mostly distributed in the Himalayan region.
The researchers have, for the time being, assessed the new species as ‘data deficient’ under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria.
Other species, Stellaria mcclintockiae, of the same genus, was found on the Elliyampathy Hills of Kerala.

Q1: What is IUCN?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature is a global organization composed of governments, NGOs, scientists, and experts dedicated to conserving nature and promoting sustainability.

Source: TH

Central Groundwater Board (CGWB)

January 2, 2025

About Central Groundwater Board (CGWB):

CGWB is a multi-disciplinary scientific organization of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.
It is the National Apex Agency entrusted with the responsibilities of providing scientific inputs for management, exploration, monitoring, assessment, augmentation, and regulation of groundwater resources of the country.
Mandate: Develop and disseminate technologies and monitor and implement national policies for the scientific and sustainable development and management of India’s groundwater resources, including their exploration, assessment, conservation, augmentation, protection from pollution, and distribution, based on principles of economic and ecological efficiency and equity.
Organization Setup:
- The Board is headed by the Chairman and has five members.
- CGWB is a multi-disciplinary scientific organization consisting of Hydrogeologists, Geophysicists, Chemists, Hydrologists, Hydrometeorologists, and Engineers.
Headquarters: Bhujal Bhawan, Faridabad, Haryana.
The major activities of the CGWB are:
- National Aquifer mapping and Management (NAQUIM) involving Preparation of Aquifer Maps and Management Plans.
- Groundwater explorations to delineate groundwater worthy areas and potential aquifers.
- Geophysical surveys to delineate groundwater bearing zones, etc.
- Periodic assessment of the country’s groundwater resources.
- Monitoring of groundwater levels and quality through groundwater observation wells.
- Dissemination of Ground Water Data and knowledge.
- Groundwater modelling.
- GIS and Remote sensing.
- Regulation and control of groundwater development and management by CGWA in coordination with State Government Organizations.
- Coordination with State Government with a view to establish benchmark methodologies for groundwater studies.
- R&D studies in ground water sector and application and operationalization of new technologies/techniques for groundwater investigation, development, and management.
- Water conservation and artificial recharge to groundwater.
- Capacity building and knowledge transfer.

Q1: What is an aquifer?

An aquifer is a body of porous rock or sediment saturated with groundwater. Groundwater enters an aquifer as precipitation seeps through the soil. It can move through the aquifer and resurface through springs and wells. Source: TH

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary

January 2, 2025

About Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary:

It is located in the southern part of the Western Ghats in the Kollam district of Kerala.
It spans an area of approximately 172 sq.km. and forms part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
Most of the Sanctuary area is hilly and interspersed with ravines.
Drainage: The major rivers are Shendurney, Kazhuthuruthy, and Kulathupuzha, which join together to form the Kallada River.
Flora:
- The vegetation primarily consists of tropical evergreen forests, semi-evergreen forests, and moist deciduous forests.
- The name "Shendurney" is derived from the name of a tree species, Gluta travancorica, locally known as ‘Chenkurunji’, which is endemic to this region and found in abundance within the sanctuary.
Fauna:
- Notable mammals include elephants, tigers, leopards, gaurs (Indian bison), sambar deer, barking deer, wild boars, and bonnet macaques.
- The sanctuary also supports a significant population of Nilgiri langurs and lion-tailed macaques, both of which are endemic to the Western Ghats.
- Over 200 species of birds are recorded in the sanctuary. Some of the notable species include the great Indian hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, grey-headed bulbul, white-bellied treepie, and various species of woodpeckers, flycatchers, and raptors.

Q1: Which are the sanctuaries located in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve?

Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve includes three wildlife sanctuaries namely Shendurney, Peppara and Neyyar. Source: TH

National e-Governance Awards Scheme

January 2, 2025

About National e-Governance Awards Scheme:

It is recognized amongst the most competitive and prestigious digital governance awards schemes in the country.
Objective: The objective of the Scheme is to recognize and promote excellence in implementation of e-Governance initiatives.
The NAeG Awards, 2025 will consist of:
- Trophy, Certificate and an incentive of Rs 10 lakh for Gold Awardees and Rs 5 Lakhs for Silver Awardees to be awarded to the District/organization for being utilized for implementation of project/programme or bridging resources gaps in any area of public welfare.
This year 16 Awards are being conferred under the NAeG 2025. Of these 10 will be Gold Awards and 6 will be silver Awards.
For the year 2025, there are six categories under which the National Awards for e-Governance 2026 will be conferred. These categories are
- Government Process Re-engineering by use of technology for Digital Transformation
- Innovation by Use of AI and other new age technologies for providing Citizen-Centric Services,
- Best e-Gov. Practices/Innovation in Cyber Security
- Grassroot Level Initiatives for Deepening/ Widening of Service Delivery with focus on initiatives by Districts/ULBs/Gram Panchayats
- Replication and Scaling up of Successful National Awarded Projects like NAeG, Prime Minister Awards in Excellence, Awards conferred by other Central Ministries by State/UT/ District The NAeG 2024
- Digital transformation by use of data analytics in digital platforms by Central Ministries/States/UTs
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

Q1: What is Cybersecurity?

It is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users via ransomware; or interrupting normal business processes. Source: PIB

What is Belly Landing?

January 2, 2025

About Belly Landing:

It is also known as gear-up landing.
It is an emergency landing technique that involves an aeroplane landing without extending its landing gear.
It is a last resort for pilots who are unable to deploy their landing gear owing to a technical or mechanical malfunction.
Belly-landings are risky and carried out only in an emergency. It results in considerable damage to the plane, its engines and wings as the aircraft skids to a stop and can leave those onboard injured.
The friction generated by the aircraft skidding on the runway can also create sparks or result in a fire.
A cockpit crew decides to land an aircraft on its belly in the following situations:
- Landing gear fails to deploy.
- A stricken aircraft cannot make it to an airport and landing is done in a field. The pilot considers skidding the aircraft to a stop safer than touching down on wheels.
- Ditching: when an aircraft makes an emergency landing on water.
- Any other situation a pilot considers a belly-landing safer than landing on wheels.

Other aviation terminology

Landing long and fast: It is an aviation term that means an aircraft touches down far beyond the designated touchdown zone on the runway, leaving the crew with less runway length to stop the aircraft, and at a speed far exceeding the recommended landing speed.

Q1: What is the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)?

DGCA is the national regulatory body of India responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation activities in the country. The DGCA is responsible for implementing policies and regulations related to aviation safety, airworthiness, pilot training, and licensing of airlines and other aviation-related personnel. Source: IE

Tobacco Board of India

January 2, 2025

About Tobacco Board of India:

It is a statutory body established on 1st January 1976 by an Act of Parliament “Tobacco Board Act, 1975 (Act 4 of 1975)”.
The Board is headed by a Chairman and is responsible for the development of the tobacco industry.
Functions
- The primary function of the Board is export promotion of all varieties of tobacco and its allied products, its functions extend to production, distribution (for domestic consumption and exports) and regulation of Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco.
- It ensures the smooth functioning of the farming system and to ensure fair and remunerative prices for tobacco farmers and the promotion of exports.
- Financial assistance is extended to farmers through banks, along with the necessary inputs for the production of quality tobacco.
- The Board also engages in extension and developmental activities to promote sustainable tobacco cultivation practices.
- The Board supports farmers by providing handholding assistance to produce tobacco of requisite quality to meet the standards of importing countries.
Headquarters: Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry

India’s Tobacco Industry

India is the 2nd largest producer of tobacco in the world after China.
India is the 4th largest producer of FCV tobacco in the world after China, Brazil and Zimbabwe.
India is the 2nd largest exporter of unmanufactured tobacco (quantity terms) after Brazil.

Q1: What is Nicotine?

It is a naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants and is widely used recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As a pharmaceutical drug, it is used for smoking cessation to relieve withdrawal symptoms. Source: PIB

United District Information System for Education (UDISE+) Report 2023-24

January 2, 2025

What is United District Information System for Education (UDISE+)?

UDISE+ is one of thelargest Management Information Systems initiated by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, Government of India, covering more than 14.72 lakhs of schools, 98.08 lakhs of teachers, and 24.80 crores of children.
UDISE+ is an online portal facility created by DoSEL for record of data related to schools, teachers, enrolment, infrastructure, etc. in respect of all recognized schools in the country.
In UDISE+ school wise data is captured through Data Capture Format (DCF).
- Each school has been provided with a login ID and password for facilitating online data compilation by respective schools.
- The Head Teacher/ Head Master of the school in all the States compiles the data, and it goes through a 3-stage validation/verification process, viz., Block/ Cluster level, District level, and State level.
- This data is finally certified by the State Project Director (SPD) at the State level.
- The data once certified by SPD of the respective State is considered as approved by the State.
- Therefore, data is entered in the UDISE+ portal by the respective State itself.
UDISE+ data is the only pan-India and most trusted database in school education in the country.

Highlights of UDISE+ Report 2023-24:

24.8 crore students enrolled in 2023-2024, while this figure stood at 25.18 crore in 2022-2023.
The figures for the previous four years – 26.52 crore (2021-2022), 26.44 crore (2020-2021), 26.45 crore (2019-2020), and 26.03 crore (2018-2019) – show that the average total enrolment stood around 26.36 crore.
Data shows that when compared from the period between 2018-2019 (reference year for UDISE+ data) and 2021-2022, the decline in enrolment – for the first time since the pandemic – has been over 1 crore between 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.
Boys account for 51.9% of enrolments and girls 48.1%.
The representation of minorities in total enrolment stood at around 20 percent.
- Among the minorities, 79.6 percent were Muslims, 10 percent Christians, 6.9 percent Sikhs, 2.2 percent Buddhists, 1.3 percent Jains, and 0.1 percent Parsis.
In 2023-2024, the total SC students enrolled were 4.47 crore, while this figure was 4.59 crore in 2022-2023.
While 11.2 crore students enrolled in the OBC category in 2023-2024, the same was 11.45 crore in 2022-2023.
While over 90% of schools have basic amenities like electricity and gender-specific toilets, advanced facilities such as functional desktops, internet access, and ramps with handrails remain limited.
Only 57.2% of schools have functional computers, 53.9% have internet, and 52.3% are equipped with ramps, underscoring significant gaps in accessibility and tech readiness.

Q1: What is a Management Information System?

Management information systems (MIS) are an organized method of collecting information from various sources, compiling it, and presenting it in a readable format.Today’s management information systems rely heavily on technology to compile and present data. Source: TH

What is Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP)?

January 2, 2025

About Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP):

It is one of the most widely used fertilizers globally, providing essential nutrients—nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)—for plant growth.
It is the second most commonly used fertilizer in India after urea.
It is high in phosphorus (P) that stimulates root establishment and development-without which plants cannot grow to their normal size or will take too long to mature.
It’s highly soluble and thus dissolves quickly in soil to release plant-available phosphate and ammonium.
DAP has additional uses, including:
- o As a fire retardant. For example, a mixture of DAP and other ingredients can be spread in advance of a fire to prevent a forest from burning.
- o In various industrial processes, such as metal finishing.
- o An addition to wine to sustain yeast fermentation.
- o An addition to milk to produce cheese cultures.
- o It proves as a flux for soldering tin, copper, brass, and zinc.

Q1: What is the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme?

It was implemented in 2010 by the Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. A fixed amount of subsidy decided on an annual basis, is provided on each grade of subsidized Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers depending on its Nutrient Content. In case of phosphate (P) and potassic(K) fertilisers, subsidy is fixed under this scheme by an inter-ministerial committee taking into account the benchmark international prices of finished fertilisers as well as raw materials. The subsidy is given to registered to P&K fertiliser manufacturers/importers which provides these fertilisers at subsidised rates to farmers. Source: ET