About Internet Governance Internship and Capacity Building Scheme:

• This program aims to build awareness and develop expertise in internet governance (IG) among Indian citizens.
• It will equip participants with the knowledge to effectively engage in global internet governance processes with I-Star organisations like Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN),Internet Society or Information Security Operations Center (ISOC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and collaborate closely with leading experts in the field.
• It will nurture a pool of domestic talent who can deeply engage with emerging internet governance issues and contribute to their resolution.
• Internship program offers
  • The program offers a bi-annual internship with two parallel tracks: a six-month program and a three-month program.
  • Each intern will be mentored by subject matter expert from international organizations like ICANN APNIC or APTLD, members from Special Interest Group, high ranked retired government official and faculty advisors from recognized institutions/universities.
  • A fixed stipend of Rs. 20,000/- per month will be provided to interns along with support to conduct mandatory outreach programs.

Key facts about NIXI:

• It is a not-for- profit (Section 8) company which was set up on 19th June 2003 under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
• It is tasked with increasing internet penetration and adoption in India by facilitating various infrastructure aspects to enable the internet ecosystem to be managed and used by the masses.
• The four services under NIXI include: Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) for building Internet Exchange Points, IN Registry for building the .in domain digital identity, IRINN for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses adoption.

Q1: What does the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers do?

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is the private, non-government, nonprofit corporation with responsibility for Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation, protocol parameter assignment, domain name system (DNS) management and root server system management functions.

Source: Internet Governance Internship and Capacity Building Scheme of NIXI to generate awareness and develop expertise in internet governance among citizens

About Chincholi Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in the Kalburgi District of North Karnataka.
• It was declared a sanctuary in 2011 and extends over 134.88 sq.km.
• It is the first dry land wildlife sanctuary in South India. 
• It is also called the Ooty of Telangana.
• Apart from the Chandrampalli dam, four small dams also exist at its center.
• The sanctuary is also home to the Lambani Tandas - a protected tribal community that lives in the forests.
• Flora:
  • The sanctuary has good dry deciduous and moist deciduous forest in the core with Acacia and Teak plantations on the fringes.
  • Medicinal herbs, sandalwood, and red sanders trees are also found in this wildlife sanctuary.
• Fauna:
  • It is home to fauna like Black Buck, Common Fox, Four-horned Antelope, Fruit bat, Hyena, Indian Wolf, etc.
  • Over 35 species of birds, including Black Drongo, Black-winged Kite, Blossom-headed Parakeet, Blue pigeon, Black-headed Oriole, and Grey partridge, are also found in this sanctuary.

Q1: Which is the first wildlife sanctuary in India?

The first wildlife sanctuary in India is Jim Corbett National Park, established in 1936. It was originally named Hailey National Park and is located in Uttarakhand. It was later renamed in honor of Jim Corbett, a British-Indian hunter turned conservationist.

Source: Forest Dept. to relocate Sheribikanahalli hamlet from Chincholi Wildlife Sanctuary

About Dark Oxygen:

• It is the oxygen that is being produced thousands of feet below the ocean surface, without any light or photosynthesis.
• Why is the discovery important?
  • Until now, it was thought that oxygen was created only through photosynthesis, a process that requires sunlight. 
  • Oceanic plankton, drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria are the primary elements attributed to the production of oxygen in the ocean. All these organisms are capable of photosynthesis. 
  • The production of oxygen at such depths is thought to be impossible because there isn't enough sunlight for plants to do photosynthesis.
  • However, in this case, oxygen is not being produced by plants.
  • The oxygen comes out of Polymetallic nodules that are similar in resemblance to lumps of coal.
  • These nodules, made up of metals like manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium, can generate oxygen through electrochemical activity even in the absence of light.
  • They are splitting H2O molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

Q1: Do plants create oxygen at night?

Some plants produce oxygen at night through a process called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism.

Source: 'Dark oxygen' mission takes aim at other worlds

About SCOT Mission:

• SCOT (Space Camera for Object Tracking) is Digantara’s (an Indian space startup)inaugural mission dedicated to space surveillance.
• It is one of the world's first commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites.
• It was launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission.
• SCOT is built to track Resident Space Objects (RSOs). 
• It is purpose-built to monitor smaller RSOs, deliver higher revisit rates, and provide better tracking accuracy—filling a gap left by current systems.
• SCOT will be deployed in a sun-synchronous orbit, allowing it to track objects in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with more efficiency than existing sensors, which are restricted by fields of view (FoV), weather conditions, and geographic limitations.
• Unlike these traditional systems, SCOT will ensure surveillance of objects as small as 5 cm orbiting the Earth to ensure safer space operations.
• Backed by Aditya Birla Ventures and SIDBI, it aims to support national security and space operations.

Points to Remember:

• Alongside Digantara, two other Indian space startups have provided their satellites on SpaceX’s Transporter-12 rocket that lifted off from Vandenberg, California, US.
• Bengaluru-based Pixxel deployed the first three satellites of its Firefly constellation, alongside ELEVATION-1, a satellite for US-based Almagest Space Corporation, which was wholly designed and developed by Hyderabad-based XDLINX Spacelabs. 

Q1: What is a space camera?

Optical payloads or cameras on board satellites play a crucial role in Earth observation space missions. These camera systems are equipped with advanced imaging sensors and lenses that enable them to capture detailed images of our planet from space.

Source: PM lauds Indian space startup Digantara at the success of Mission SCOT

About Hemigobius hoevenii and Mugilogobius tigrinus: 

• These species are goby fish that had not been recorded in Andhra Pradesh previously.
• This discovery is significant as M. tigrinus has been found along the eastern coastline of India for the first time.
• Habitat: Most gobies found in estuarine areas, especially around mangroves.
• Ecological Significance: They play an important role in the ecosystem. They occupy various levels in the food chain and can also serve as indicators of environmental health.
• Of the 135 goby species found along India's coasts, 95 species are recorded in Indian mangroves, with 53 species found in the Coringa wildlife sanctuary.

Key facts about Goby fish

• These are carnivorous species usually small in size, and found throughout the world. Especially abundant in the tropics, they are primarily marine in habit.
• Most species are bottom-dwellers and have a weak suction cup formed by the fusion of their pelvic fins.
• The majority of species belong to the family Gobiidae.
• These are typically elongated, sometimes scaleless fishes found along shores and among reefs in tropical and temperate seas.
• Gobies have the greatest impact on the benthic environment since most reside there. Gobies may be the keystone species in the freshwaters of small oceanic islands because they are often one of the few species of fish that exist in these areas.

Q.1 What are the examples of benthic microorganisms?

The name benthos means “depths of the sea”. Benthic microorganisms are almost exclusively microalgae and bacteria, but other others include: ciliates, amoebae, and flagellates.

Source: Two new goby fish species found in Coringa sanctuary

About Upper Karnali Hydro-electric Project:

• It is a 900 MW run-of-the-river hydropower project being developed on the Karnali River in Nepal.
• The project will supply power to Nepal, India, and Bangladesh for a contracted period of 25 years.
• The project is being developed by GMR Upper Karnali Hydro Power Limited (GUKHL), a subsidiary of GMR Group India, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), and SJVN Green Energy.
• The project is being developed on a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis.
• GUKHL and NEA are currently owning the project, having ownership stakes of 73% and 27%, respectively.
• It is estimated to generate 3,466 million units of electricity while offsetting approximately two million tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year.
• It will feature a concrete gravity dam, headrace tunnels, a fish pass, feeder tunnels, surge and pressure shafts, and silt flushing tunnels.
• The project consists of 8 turbines, each with 112.5 MW nameplate capacity.
• Development status: The project construction is expected to commence from 2027. Subsequent to that it will enter into commercial operation by 2031.

Q1: Which is the highest hydro power project in India?

The Tehri Hydropower Complex in Uttarakhand is the highest hydroelectric power project in India. It is also home to India's tallest dam, the Tehri Dam. 

Source: IREDA signs joint venture for 900 MW Upper Karnali hydro project in Nepal

About Exercise LA PEROUSE: 

• It is the fourth edition of the multinational exercise.
• Participating organizations: This edition will witness participation of personnel/ surface and sub-surface assets from various maritime partners including Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Royal Navy, United States Navy, Indonesian Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy and Royal Canadian Navy.
• It aims to develop common Maritime Situational Awareness by enhancing the cooperation in the field of maritime surveillance, maritime interdiction operations and air operations along with the conduct of progressive training and information sharing.
• The exercise provides an opportunity for like-minded navies to develop closer links in planning, coordination and information sharing for enhanced tactical interoperability.
• The exercise will witness complex and advanced multi-domain exercises including surface warfare, anti-air warfare, air-defence, cross deck landings and tactical manoeuvres, as also the constabulary missions such as VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) operations.
• Participation of the Indian Navy in the exercise showcases the high levels of synergy, coordination and interoperability between the like-minded navies and their commitment to a rules-based international order in the maritime domain.
• This visit is in consonance with India's vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) to enhance maritime cooperation and collaboration for safer and secure Indo-Pacific Region.

Q1: Where is the La Perouse exercise being conducted?

The naval exercise 'La Perouse' is underway in the straits between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean as well as Malacca, Sunda and Lombok.

Source: INDIAN NAVAL SHIP MUMBAI TO PARTICIPATE IN MULTI-NATIONAL EXERCISE LA PEROUSE

About Planet Parade: 

• It refers to a situation when several planets in our solar system are visible in the night sky, at the same time. 
• This planetary meet-up, also known as a conjunction, makes the two planets appear close together or even touch in the Earth's night sky. 
• This phenomenon is more an illusion of perspective rather than the planets being in a perfect line in space.
• Planets have different motions in the sky. They move at different rates compared to the other stars.
• Not all of them are visible in the sky everyday, but sometimes a position comes about so that many or all the planets are visible at the same time, or within a few hours of each other.
• According to NASA, such events, especially those involving four or more planets, are noteworthy and do not occur annually.

Q1: When to see the parade of planets?

Planetary alignment is a term used in astronomy to describe the event when several planets gather in a small sky area. This event may also be colloquially called a “planetary parade.” The next alignment of six planets is on January 21, 2025; the next alignment of seven planets will take place on February 28, 2025.

Source: Is the ongoing ‘planet parade’ rare?

About Trajan Gun:

• It is a 155 mm towed artillery gun system.
• It is jointly developed by India and France.
  • The gun is jointly developed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and KNDS France and has undergone rigorous testing by the Indian Army, meeting all qualitative requirements.
• The 52-calibre towed gun system is manufactured in India.
  • Several of its subsystems are indigenously developed like the auxiliary power unit, control panel, and rolling gear assembly. 
• It is designed to meet the demands of modern combat, with a range of over 40 kilometers depending on the type of ammunition used.
• The Trajan's modular design makes it easy to transport and deploy, while its automated loading system ensures rapid firing rates.
• It is also capable of operating in diverse terrains, from marshy lowlands to high-altitude cold deserts.
• The system features advanced targeting and fire-control systems, which integrate seamlessly with modern military networks.

Q1: What is the meaning of artillery gun?

Artillery refers to large-caliber guns — guns with big barrels — which can be moved from one place to another for land battles. The artillery is also the name for the army unit that uses these big guns.

Source: Armenia to tow Indo-French artillery gun system

About Indian Sustainable Natural Rubber (iSNR) Platform: 

• It streamlines the compliance process, making it more efficient for stakeholders involved in the rubber supply chain targeting EU markets.
• It is designed to facilitate compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for Indian rubber ecosystem
• It issues a traceability certificate which will verify the origin of rubber products and confirm its compliance with the EUDR.
• Significance: It will position Indian natural rubber as a competitive and responsible choice in the global market, setting new benchmarks for sustainable production and fostering long-term growth for the industry.

What is INR Konnect?

• It is a web-based platform which has been designed to connect growers of untapped rubber holdings with interested adopters to maximise plantation productivity.
• The Board will certify the credibility of all participating parties while also imparting training to those enlisted in production management, and sustainable practices on a need basis.
• The platform will also offer a comprehensive database of certified tappers.

Q1: What is the position of India in natural rubber production?

India is the third largest producer, fourth largest consumer of natural rubber and fifth largest consumer of natural rubber and synthetic rubber together in the world.

Source: Rubber Board rolls out iSNR to boost global value, production