Garciniakusumae

Garciniakusumae

Garciniakusumae Latest News

Recently, botanists discovered a new garcinia species in Assam and named it as Garciniakusumae. 

About Garciniakusumae

  • It is a new tree species belonging to the genus Garcinia, commonly referred to as thoikora in Assamese.

Features of Garciniakusumae

  • It is a dioecious evergreen tree that can grow up to 18 metres tall, Garcinia kusumae was observed to flower from February to April, with fruit maturing between May and June.
  • Morphological analysis revealed distinguishing characteristics, including up to 15 staminate flowers per fascicle, fewer stamens per flower (except in Garcinia assamica), and berries with blackish resinous exudations.
  • The fruit holds local cultural and medicinal value.
  • According to the study, the sun-dried pulp is used to prepare a sherbet (soft drink) with salt and sugar, consumed during hot days to prevent heat stroke and alleviate thirst.
  • It is also used in curries with fish and employed as a traditional remedy for diabetes and dysentery.
  • The seed aril, slightly sour and sweet, is eaten raw, often with salt, chillies, and a dash of mustard oil.

Key Facts about Garcinia

  • Garcinia, the largest genus in the family Clusiaceae, comprises 414 species of shrubs and trees.
  • It is Pan-tropically distributed, its centres of diversity are found in Africa, Australasia, and Southeast Asia.
  • The genus is known for its floral diversity, frequent presence in lowland tropical rainforests, and considerable pharmacological potential.
  • In India, 33 species and seven varieties of Garcinia have been documented, with Assam accounting for 12 species and three varieties.

Source: TH

Garciniakusumae FAQs

Q1: Is garcinia fruit edible?

Ans: The tree grows in various parts of Asia, and its fruit is very popular as a food, spice, and medicine in India and Malaysia.

Q2: What is the local name of garcinia?

Ans: In the Malabar Coast, it is known as kudam puli and in Tamil speaking areas of Sri Lanka and India, it is called goraka.

Roll Cloud

Roll Cloud

Roll Cloud Latest News

A rare roll cloud appeared over Portugal’s coast recently, surprising beachgoers as strong winds hit during an ongoing extreme heatwave.

About Roll Cloud

  • A roll cloud is a low, horizontal, tube-shaped, and relatively rare type of arcus cloud. 
  • Roll clouds usually appear to be "rolling" about a horizontal axis. 
  • They usually appear at an altitude of 2,000 to 7,000 meters, and continue to curl visibly. 
  • They are more often seen in areas with complex terrain and changeable weather—both in the mountains and on the coasts of the oceans. For example, in the Alps, around Japan, Scotland, and northern Australia.
  • During severe weather, roll clouds can be confused with funnel clouds, as the roll cloud will show clear signs of rotation along the horizontal and vertical axes, like a tornado.
  • Roll clouds are helpful to meteorologists because their appearance sometimes heralds bad weather—strong winds, thunderstorms, storms, or even tornadoes. 
  • A sharp, rapid roll of clouds can indicate a storm is about to intensify, while a smooth movement can mean calmer weather.
  • Along the edge of a thunderstorm, they can serve as a precursor to more active and serious weather in the immediate future.

What is an Arcus Cloud?

  • An arcus cloud is a low, horizontal cloud formation that typically forms along the leading edge of a thunderstorm outflow or cold front. 
  • There are two main types of arcus clouds: Shelf Cloud and Roll Cloud.
    • Roll clouds and shelf clouds are found near the leading edge of thunderstorms and form when relatively cool air, from the storm’s downdraft, forges ahead into the warm, moist air that’s feeding the storm. 
    • The main difference between roll clouds and shelf clouds (both are called arcus clouds) is that a roll cloud is detached from the parent thunderstorm, whereas a shelf cloud is affixed to the base of a cumulonimbus cloud.

Source: IE

Roll Cloud FAQs

Q1: What distinguishes a roll cloud from a shelf cloud?

Ans: Roll clouds are detached from the parent thunderstorm.

Q2: What is the typical altitude range for roll clouds?

Ans: 2,000–7,000 meters

Q3: In which of the following regions are roll clouds more commonly observed?

Ans: Mountainous and coastal regions with variable weather.

Q4: What weather conditions can roll clouds indicate to meteorologists?

Ans: Approaching storms, strong winds, or potential tornadoes.

SAKSHAM-3000

SAKSHAM-3000

SAKSHAM-3000 Latest News

Recently, in a significant push towards self-reliance and global competitiveness, the Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development launched the high capacity SAKSHAM-3000. 

About SAKSHAM-3000

  • It is a high-capacity, compact 25.6 Tbps switch-router tailored for modern data centres.
  • It is a state-of-the-art data centre switch-cum-router designed for next-generation digital infrastructure  developed by Development of Telematics (C-DOT). 
  • The platform aims to address the evolving needs of large enterprises, telecom operators, and hyperscale data centres.

Features of SAKSHAM-3000

  • It was built to power large-scale computing clusters, cloud infrastructure, 5G/6G networks and AI workloads, the device supports 32 ports of 400G and a flexible range of Ethernet speeds ranging from 1G to 400G.
  • Its ultra-low latency, wire-speed processing, and modular CROS (C-DOT Router Operating System) operating system position it as a versatile solution for roles ranging from leaf to super-spine nodes in a CLOS network.
  • It is a "future-ready platform" for both legacy and cloud-native networks, supporting Layer-2, IP, and MPLS protocols, while being energy-efficient and equipped for time-sensitive applications via PTP and Sync-E.
  • It consists with flexible licensing, high reliability through hot-swappable power and fan units, and advanced QoS features like WRR (Weighted Round Robin) and WRED.

Source: PIB

SAKSHAM-3000 FAQs

Q1: What is the concept of telematics?

Ans: Telematics is a method of monitoring cars, trucks, equipment and other assets using GPS technology and on-board diagnostics (OBD) to plot the asset movements on a computerized map.

Q2: What are the types of telematics?

Ans: GPS navigation, integrated hands-free cell phones, wireless safety communications, and automatic driving assistance systems all are covered under the telematics umbrella.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Latest News

Beyond choking oceans and clogging landfills, plastics are now infiltrating our bodies through microplastic particles and a cocktail of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

What is the Endocrine System?

  • The endocrine system is made up of glands that make hormones. Hormones are the body's chemical messengers. 
  • They carry information and instructions from one set of cells to another.
  • The endocrine system influences almost every cell, organ, and function of our bodies.

About Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals

  • EDCs are natural or man-made chemicals that interfere with the normal function of your body’s endocrine system. 
  • Since EDCs come from many different sources, people are exposed in several ways, including the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. 
  • EDCs also can enter the body through the skin. 
  • EDCs interfere with the way the body’s hormones work. 
    • Some EDCs act like "hormone mimics" and trick our body into thinking that they are hormones, while other EDCs block natural hormones from doing their job. 
    • Other EDCs can increase or decrease the levels of hormones in our blood by affecting how they are made, broken down, or stored in our body. 
    • Finally, other EDCs can change how sensitive our bodies are to different hormones. 
  • There are approximately 85,000 man-made chemicals in the world, with at least 1,000 classifiable as EDCs. 
    • Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are common examples of EDCs found in plastic.

Source: TH

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals FAQs

Q1: What are Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)?

Ans: Chemicals that interfere with the body’s hormonal system.

Q2: How can EDCs enter the human body?

Ans: Through food, air, water, and skin contact.

Q3: Which system of the human body is primarily affected by EDCs?

Ans: Endocrine system.

Q4: Which are the are common of EDCs found in plastic?

Ans: Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are common examples of EDCs found in plastic.

Gaden Phodrang Trust

Gaden Phodrang Trust

Gaden Phodrang Trust Latest News

The 14th Dalai Lama announced that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and that the Gaden Phodrang Trust shall be the “sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation”.

About Gaden Phodrang Trust

  • The Gaden Phodrang Trust of the Dalai Lama is a non-profit charitable organisation established by the 14th Dalai Lama to support his various religious, cultural, and humanitarian initiatives.
  • It was named after the historical Gaden Phodrang, the traditional government of Tibet led by the Dalai Lamas until 1959,
  • The Trust continues the legacy of promoting Tibetan Buddhism, preserving Tibetan culture, and supporting education and healthcare for Tibetan communities in exile.
  • It refers to the residential quarters of the Dalai Lama lineage from the second Dalai Lama onward at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa.
  • Purpose: It was registered in 2011 in Dharamshala with the aim of recognising the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
  • It is based in the office of the Dalai Lama, and is managed by the former Kalon Tripa (head of the CTA) Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, a senior monk and a close confidant of the Dalai Lama.

Source: IE

Gaden Phodrang Trust FAQs

Q1: What is Gaden Phodrang Trust?

Ans: The Dalai Lama added that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the non-profit organisation he set up to maintain and support the tradition and institution of the Dalai Lama.

Q2: What is Gaden Namgyal Lhatse also known as?

Ans: Tawang Monastery is known in Tibetan as Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, which translates to "the divine paradise of complete victory".

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal Latest News

Recently, the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal was launched.

About PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal

  • It provides open access to National and State-level data on student performance.
  • This tool is expected to serve as a key resource for States/UTs to design targeted improvement plans to enhance learning outcomes and bridge skill gaps.

What is PARAKH?

  • PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) is a unit established within NCERT in 2023 to standardise school board assessments nationwide.
  • PARAKH team will consist of leading assessment experts with a deep understanding of the education system in India and internationally. 
  • Objective: To fulfil the basic objectives of setting norms, standards, guidelines and implement activities related to student assessment along with other tasks as mandated by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
  • The mandate of PARAKH is to work on bringing the school boards across the States and the Union Territories to a common platform.
    • Major areas of focus
    • Capacity Development in Competency Based Assessment
    • Large-Scale Achievement Survey
    • Equivalence of School Boards
    • Holistic Progress Cards for the Foundational, Preparational, Middle and Secondary Stages.

Source: PIB

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal FAQ's

Q1: What is the Parakh Rashtriya Sarvekshan for?

Ans: PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PARAKH RS) 2024, formerly known as the National Achievement Survey (NAS), is designed to evaluate and monitor the performance of India's school education system across the country and over time.

Q2: What is Parakh assessment?

Ans: PARAKH stands for Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development. It was established as a National Assessment Centre for standard setting and prescribing the norms to improve the educational system of the country.

Television Rating Point (TRP)

Television Rating Point

Television Rating Point Latest News

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting recently proposed amendments to the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies-2014 to ensure that the TRP system reflects the diverse and evolving media consumption habits of viewers across the country.

About Television Rating Point

  • It is a metric used to measure the popularity and viewership of television programs.
  • The more viewers a program has, the higher its TRP rating. 
  • It is calculated by measuring the viewership of a particular program over a period of time, usually a week. 
  • TRP ratings are used by broadcasters and advertisers to determine the popularity of different TV programs.
  • According to the TRP of a TV channel or programme, advertisers decide where to display their advertisements, and investors will decide about the investment of the money.

How is TRP Calculated in India?

  • TRP is calculated by the Indian agency the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) using “BAR-O-meters", that are installed in televisions in selected households. 
    • BARC India is a joint industry company founded by stakeholder bodies that represent broadcasters, advertisers, and advertising, and Media Agencies.
  • BARC has installed “BAR-O-meters” in over 58,000 impanelled households. 
  • These gadgets record data about the channel or programme watched by the family members or selected people. This method is called the People meters.
  • In this way, some thousand viewers are surveyed in the form of justice and sampling. 
  • The data is then extrapolated to estimate the viewership of the entire population.
  • Another method is known as picture matching, where the people meter records a small portion of the picture that is being watched on the TV. 
    • This data is collected from a set of homes in the form of pictures and later on is analysed to calculate the TRPs.
  • The BARC releases weekly TRP results every Thursday ranking all TV channels and TV programmes.

Source: NDTV

Television Rating Point FAQs

Q1: What is the primary use of Television Rating Point (TRP) ratings?

Ans: To measure the popularity and viewership of TV programs.

Q2: Who uses Television Rating Point (TRP) data for decision-making?

Ans: Advertisers and broadcasters.

Q3: Which agency is responsible for calculating Television Rating Point (TRP) in India?

Ans: Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC)

Q4: What device is installed in households to collect Television Rating Point (TRP) data?

Ans: BAR-O-meters (People Meters)

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Latest News

Ethiopia's Prime Minister recently said the multi-billion-dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile that has long worried neighbouring countries is complete and will be officially inaugurated in September.

About Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

  • The GERD, formerly known as the Millennium Dam, is situated in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia, near the border with Sudan.
  • It is located on the Blue Nile, one of the main tributaries of the Nile River.
  • Capacity: At 6.45 Gigawatts, it is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa.
  • Construction Started: April 2011
  • The project is owned by Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO).
  • Dispute: Egypt and Sudan fear the massive $4.2bn GERD will severely reduce the share of Nile water they receive and have repeatedly asked Ethiopia to stop filling it until they have all reached agreement on how it should work.

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Features

  • It is a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity-type dam comprising two power stations, three spillways, and a saddle dam.
  • The main dam is 145 m high and 1,780 m long.
  • The dam forms a reservoir covering 1,875 sq.km, which can hold up to 74 billion cubic metres of water. The GERD reservoir is in a deep gorge, so its surface area is relatively small compared to its volume.
  • The saddle dam supporting the main dam is 4,800 m long and 45 m high. It has an emergency side spillway to discharge water directly into the reservoir.
  • The powerhouses include 16 generating units of 375 MW each.

Source: NDTV

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam FAQs

Q1: On which river is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam?

Ans: It is located on the Blue Nile, one of the main tributaries of the Nile River.

Q2: Where is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam located?

Ans: Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia.

Q3: What is the installed power generation capacity of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam?

Ans: 6.45 Gigawatts

Q4: What is the type of the GERD's main dam?

Ans: Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity dam

DengiAll

DengiAll

DengiAll Latest News

India has reached the 50 per cent enrolment mark in its first phase III clinical trial for the indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine, DengiAll.

About DengiAll

  • It is developed by Panacea Biotec Limited under a licensing agreement with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  • has a weakened form of all four dengue virus subtypes and has the same virus composition as the vaccine developed by NIH, except for the inactive ingredients. 
  • A Phase I and II clinical trial conducted in India revealed a balanced and robust immune response across all four dengue virus types. The vaccine was also found to be safe and well-tolerated.
  • Multiple ICMR institutes are involved in the study to evaluate the efficacy, immunogenicity and safety of DengiAll. The ICMR-National Institute of Translational Virology (NITVAR) and AIDS Research (formerly ICMR-NARI) is responsible for overall trial coordination.

Key Facts about Dengue

  • It is a mosquito-borne viral infection.
  • It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.

Transmission of Dengue

  • It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitos carrying one of four types of dengue virus (DENV).
  • Dengue isn’t contagious from person to person except when passed from a pregnant person to their child.

Symptoms of Dengue

  • The most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash. Most will get better in 1–2 weeks.
  • A very small portion of people with dengue fever get a severe case. It’s called dengue hemorrhagic fever.
  • Treatment: There is no specific medicine to treat dengue. The focus is on treating pain symptoms.

Source: IE

DengiAll FAQs

Q1: What is DengiALL?

Ans: It is a tetravalent dengue vaccine.

Q2: Where is the ICMR National Institute of Virology located?

Ans: Pune, Maharashtra

Apache AH-64E Attack Helicopter

Apache AH-64E Attack Helicopter

Apache AH-64E Attack Helicopter Latest News

The Indian Army is set to receive the first batch of long-awaited Apache AH-64E attack helicopters from the US soon.

About Apache AH-64E Attack Helicopter

  • It is the world’s most advanced multi-role combat helicopter.
  • It is widely used for advanced reconnaissance, precision strikes, and close air support missions globally.
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Manufacturer: Boeing
  • It is also known as the Apache Guardian.
  • The AH-64E attack helicopter is the latest version of the Apache used by the US Army.
  • Other purchasers: India, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, and UK.
  • Apache for Indian defence forces: The Indian Air Force has a fleet of 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, and in 2020, Boeing signed an agreement with the Government of India for the acquisition of six more Apache helicopters for the Indian Army.

Apache AH-64E Attack Helicopter Features

  • Length: 17.8 m (58.7 feet)
  • Maximum Take-Off Weight: 10,433 kg (23,000 pounds)
  • Max Speed: 300 kph (186 mph)
  • Range: 500 km (310 miles)
  • It is designed and equipped with open systems architecture to incorporate the latest communications, navigation, sensor, and weapon systems. 
  • It has greater thrust and lift, joint digital operability, improved survivability, and cognitive decision aiding.
  • The AH-64E includes a new integrated infrared laser that allows for easier target designation and enhanced infrared imagery that blends infrared and night vision capabilities.
  • Armaments:
    • Its primary armament includes the 30 mm M230 Chain Gun, which delivers high rates of fire with remarkable accuracy. 
    • The helicopter can carry up to 16 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, renowned for their effectiveness against armored and fortified targets. 
    • For additional versatility, the aircraft supports Hydra 70 unguided rockets and air-to-air missiles such as the Stinger, extending its combat engagement options across various mission profiles.

Source: FE

Apache AH-64E Attack Helicopter FAQs

Q1: Which company manufactures the AH-64E Apache helicopter?

Ans: Boeing

Q2: What is the maximum speed of the AH-64E Apache?

Ans: 300 kph

Q3: What is the range of the Apache AH-64E?

Ans: Which is the main cannon mounted on the AH-64E Apache helicopter?

Enquire Now