About IMT Trilateral Exercise

• It is a joint maritime exercise scheduled from 21-29 Mar 24.
• The first edition of IMT TRILAT exercise conducted in Oct 22, saw participation of INS Tarkash with the Tanzanian and Mozambique Navies.
• The current edition of the exercise is planned in two phases. As part of the harbour phase scheduled from 21-24 Mar 24, Naval ships Tir and Sujata will engage with the respective Navies at the ports of Zanzibar (Tanzania) and Maputo (Mozambique).
• This phase would begin with a Planning Conference followed by conduct of joint harbour training activities like Damage Control, Fire Fighting, Visit Board Search and Seizure procedures, Medical Lectures, Casualty Evacuation and Diving operations.
• The sea phase of the exercise covers practical aspects of countering asymmetric threats, Visit Board Search and Seizure procedures, boat handling, manoeuvres and firing exercise. A joint EEZ surveillance is also planned during the sea phase.
• The exercise will conclude with a joint debrief scheduled at Nacala (Mozambique).
• During the harbour stay, Indian Naval ships would be open for visitors and partake in sports & cultural exchanges with host Navies.

Q1) What is an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?

The concept of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) was adopted through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).It is an area of the ocean extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) immediately offshore from a country’s land coast in which that country retains exclusive rights to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources.

Source: INDIA - MOZAMBIQUE - TANZANIA TRILATERAL EXERCISE IMT TRILAT- 2024

About White Dwarf

• A white dwarf is the stellar core left behind after a dying star has exhausted its nuclear fuel and expelled its outer layers to form a planetary nebula.
• It is what stars like the Sun become after they have exhausted their nuclear fuel.
• White dwarfs no longer support nuclear fusion reactions that generate energy, but they are still extremely hot.
• A typical white dwarf is half as massive as the Sun, yet only slightly bigger than Earth. 
  • This makes white dwarfs one of the densest collections of matter, surpassed only by neutron stars.
• A newly born white dwarf consists of helium, carbon, and oxygen nuclei, swimming in a sea of highly energetic electrons.
• Unlike most other stars that are supported against their own gravitation by normal gas pressure, white dwarf stars are supported by the degeneracy pressure of the electron gas in their interior.
  • Degeneracy pressure is the increased resistance exerted by electrons composing the gas, as a result of stellar contraction.
• Unless it is accreting matter from a nearby star, the white dwarf cools down over the next billion years or so.
  • It is predicted that they would ultimately form ‘black dwarfs’, although the Universe is likely not old enough for any black dwarfs to exist yet.
• The luminosity of white dwarfs can therefore be used by astronomers to measure how long-ago star formation began in a particular region.
• Many nearby, young white dwarfs have been detected as sources of soft, or lower-energy, X-rays.
• By providing important ‘fossil’ records of the stars that they formed from, white dwarfs are an important cosmological tool.
• In 2006, Hubble was the first telescope to directly observe white dwarfs in globular star clusters, which astronomers reported as the dimmest stars ever seen in a globular star cluster.

Q1) What is a Neutron star?

The stars which are formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses are called neutron stars. The very central region of the star – the core – collapses, crushing together every proton and electron into a neutron.

Source: Four new DAQ white dwarfs discovered

About Snowpacks

• In mountainous areas that experience a winter season, precipitation can fall in the form of snow.
• Snow that has fallen on the ground and does not melt for months due to below-freezing temperatures is called a snowpack. 
• Snowpacks can consist of multiple layers of snow, each one from a different snowfall, that become compacted under the weight of the subsequent layers that lie on top.
• The snowpack remains on the ground until the arrival of above-freezing temperatures in the spring, which causes it to start to melt.
• The water from the melting snowpack is called snowmelt.
  • It is an important water source that keeps streams flowing in the warmer months.
  • It is also an important water source for humans, replenishing reservoirs. 
• The depth of the snowpack is influenced not only by the amount of snowfall but also by temperature and wind. 
  • Strong winds can evaporate snow cover, eroding the top layers of the snowpack, while an increase in temperature can cause layers to melt.
• In areas with an abundance of snow and proper conditions, the snowpack can accumulate to a depth of three meters (10 feet) or more.
• The density of a snowpack—how closely packed the snow particles are—increases as more layers accumulate, pushing down on the layers below.
• Weak layers, such as snow-covered surface hoar, can increase the risk of avalanches.
• Snowpack data is valuable for monitoring the effects of climate change.

Q1) What is an avalanche?

An avalanche is a mass of material moving rapidly down a slope. An avalanche is typically triggered when material on a slope breaks loose from its surroundings; this material then quickly collects and carries additional material down the slope. There are various kinds of avalanches, including rock avalanches, ice avalanches , and debris avalanches .

Source: New technique devised to measure water held in snowpacks, could help manage supply

About Section 153A of the IPC

• Section 153A of the IPC attempts to punish those who engage in promoting any kind of enmity among different groups on the basis of religion, caste, race, place of birth or residence, or even language.
• The provision puts a liability on those who
  • Spread enmity in the form of words (spoken or written), visual representations, and signs with the intention of causing disharmony, hatred, or disturbance among people belonging to different groups, religions, castes, or communities.
  • Spread disharmony and disturb the public tranquility of the people belonging to different racial and religious groups.
  • Aid in the organising of certain movements, drills that encourage as well as train the participants of such movements to use criminal force and violence upon people belonging to other racial and religious groups and communities.
• Offence on moral turpitude is also covered in this section.
• The offence is a cognizable offence and the punishment for the same may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
• However, the punishment of the offence committed in a place of worship is enhanced up to five years and a fine.
• Further, the offence under Section 153A is non-bailable in nature, wherein the accused is tried by the magistrate of the first class.

Q1) What is a cognizable offence?

A Cognizable offense or case is defined as the one which an officer in-charge of a police station may investigate without the order of a magistrate and effect arrest without warrant. The Police have a direct responsibility to take immediate action on the receipt of a complaint or of credible information in such crimes, visit the scene of the crime, investigate the facts, apprehend the offender and arraign him before a Court of law having jurisdiction over the matter. 

Source: 'No S.153A IPC Offence Without Presence Of Two Or More Communities' : Supreme Court Quashes Case Against Journalist

About Tactical Nuclear Weapons

• Nuclear weapons, just like other weapons, can be categorised into two types: strategic and tactical.
• Strategic Nuclear Weapons: They refer to nuclear weapons that have bigger objectives, such as destroying cities or larger targets, with larger war-waging objectives in mind.
• Tactical Nuclear Weapons (TNWs):
  • They are nuclear weapons used for specific tactical gains on the battlefield.
  • They are intended to devastate enemy targets in a specific area without causing widespread destruction and radioactive fallout.
  • These are designed for use in battle as part of an attack with conventional weapon forces. 
  • These warheads can be delivered via a variety of missiles, torpedoes, and gravity bombs from naval, air, or ground forces. They could even be simply driven into an area and detonated.
  • The explosive yield of tactical nuclear weapons can range from under one kiloton to about 100 kilotons, whereas strategic nuclear weapons can have a yield of up to one thousand kilotons.
  • Delivery systems for tactical nuclear weapons also tend to have shorter ranges, typically under 310 miles (500 kilometres), compared with strategic nuclear weapons, which are typically designed to cross continents.
  • They are the least-regulated category of nuclear weapons covered in arms control agreements. 
  • Countries possessing TNWs:
• Nine countries have tactical nuclear weapons, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
• They are Russia, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea.
• Russia has a stockpile of an estimated 2,000 tactical nuclear missiles. 
• The U.S. has an estimated 200 tactical nuclear bombs, half of which are at bases in Europe.

Q1) What are Nuclear weapons?

A nuclear weapon is a device that uses a nuclear reaction to create an explosion. This explosion is much more powerful than that of conventional explosives (like TNT). When a nuclear weapon explodes, it gives off four types of energy: a blast wave, intense light, heat, and radiation. Nuclear weapons can be in the form of bombs or missiles.A single nuclear weapon can destroy a city and kill most of its people.

Source: Russia’s Nuclear Weapons Are Now in Belarus

About PIB’s Fact Check Unit

• It was established in November 2019.
• It was started with an objective of acting as a deterrent to creators and disseminators of fake news and misinformation. 
• It also provides people with an easy avenue to report suspicious and questionable information pertaining to the Government of India.
• It is mandated to counter misinformation on Government policies, initiatives and schemes either suo motu or under a reference via complaints.
• The FCU actively monitors, detects, and counters disinformation campaigns, ensuring that false information about the Government is promptly exposed and corrected.
• Organisation
  • It is headed by a senior DG/ADG level officer of the Indian Information Service (IIS). The day-to-day operations of the Unit are handled by IIS officers at various levels.
  • The Unit reports to the Principal Director General, PIB who functions as the Principal Spokesperson of the Government of India.
• Fact-Check Mechanism
  • Users send requests over WhatsApp, email or a web portal. Each such request received is considered as a ‘Query’. Queries are segregated by the Unit based on their relevance to matters pertaining to Government of India.
  • Only queries pertaining to Government of India are considered and taken up as Actionable Queries, while others are deemed not relevant for action.

Q1) What is the Press Information Bureau (PIB)?

It is the nodal agency of the Government of India to disseminate information to the print and electronic media on government policies, programmes, initiatives and achievements. It functions as an interface between the Government and the media and also serves to provide feedback to the Government on people’s reaction as reflected in the media.

Source: IT Ministry notifies contentious fact check unit to dispute government misinformation

About International Telecommunication Union

• It is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies.
• It was established in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union.
• In 1947 the ITU became a specialized agency of the United Nations.
• It is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates between governments and private sector bodies with respect to global telecommunication and information communication technology (ICT) services.
• Member countries: It has a membership of 193 countries and more than 1000 companies, universities and international and regional organizations.
• Functions:
  • allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits;
  • coordination and setting of technical standards related to telecommunication/ICT;
  • work to improve access to ICTs in underserved communities worldwide;
• India and ITU: India has been an active member of the ITU since 1869 and has been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

What is the Digital Innovation Board?

• It was formed under the aegis of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development.
• This Board comprises Ministers and Vice Ministers of Telecom/ICT of 23 Member Countries of ITU spanning Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America.
• ITU has started Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development to respond to significant unmet needs of ITU Membership in the area of innovation, as articulated in the Kigali Action Plan adopted at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2022.
• The Alliance has three main vehicles: - Digital Transformation Lab, Network of Acceleration Centres and Digital Innovation Board
• The Alliance establishes the Digital Innovation Board to provide strategic guidance, expertise and advocacy regarding its mission of building critical local enablers and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development, to create a more inclusive and equitable digital future for all.

Q1) What is entrepreneurship?

At its most basic level, entrepreneurship refers to an individual or a small group of partners who strike out on an original path to create a new business. An aspiring entrepreneur actively seeks a particular business venture and it is the entrepreneur who assumes the greatest amount of risk associated with the project. 

Source: International Telecommunication Union elects India as co-chair of its Digital Innovation Board

About Usha Mehta

• Usha Mehta was born in a village named Saras, near Surat in Gujarat in 1920.
• She was a true Gandhian at heart and was popularly known as Ushaben.
• At the age of eight in 1928, she participated in a protest march against the Simon Commission.
• On 14 August 1942, she and her associates established the Secret Congress Radio during the Quit India Movement, a covert radio station that went on air on 27 August.
• It played a crucial role in keeping the freedom movement leaders connected with the public.

Setting up an underground station

• Background: At the advent of the War in 1939, the British had suspended all amateur radio licences across the Empire. Operators were supposed to turn in all equipment to the authorities, with severe punishment for those who failed to do so.
• Alongside Mehta, Babubhai Khakar, Vithalbhai Jhaveri, and Chandrakant Jhaveri were key figures in organising Congress Radio.
• Congress Radio case
  • The trial of the five accused in the— Mehta, Babubhai Khakar, Vithalbhai Jhaveri, Chandrakant Jhaveri, and Nanak Gainchand Motwane (who sold key pieces of equipment to the team) — generated a lot of excitement in Bombay.
  • Vithalbhai and Motwane were acquitted, Mehta, Babubhai, and Chandrakant received stern sentences.
  • Usha Mehta was released from Pune’s Yerawada Jail in March 1946, and hailed in the nationalist media as “Radio-ben”.

Q1) What is the Quit India Movement?

The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Movement or Bharat Chodo Andolan, was a significant civil disobedience movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress on August 8, 1942 at Gowalia Tank Maidan also known as August Kranti Maidan in Bombay.

Source: Ae Watan Mere Watan: The story of Usha Mehta and Congress Radio

About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Startup Forum

• It is a platform for the stakeholders from the startup ecosystems from all SCO Member States to interact and collaborate.
• It aims to create multilateral cooperation and engagement for startups among the SCO Member States. This engagement will empower the local startup ecosystems in the SCO Member States.
• The following are the objectives of the engagement:
  • Sharing of best practices to promote entrepreneurship and innovation to build knowledge-exchange systems.
  • Bringing Corporates and Investors across to work closely with startups and provide local entrepreneurs with much-needed support and market access.
  • Increasing scaling opportunities for startups by providing solutions in the field of social innovation and provide the Governments with a plethora of innovative solutions
  • Facilitating cross-border incubation and acceleration programs that will enable the startups to explore international markets and get focused mentorship.
• India will host the second meeting of the Special Working Group for Startups and Innovation (SWG) in November 2024 and SCO Startup Forum 5.0 in January 2025.
• Previously, Startup India had organized various initiatives for SCO Member states including:
  • SCO Startup Forum 1.0: The SCO Startup Forum in 2020 laid the foundation for multilateral cooperation and engagement for startups among the SCO Member States.
  • SCO Startup Forum 2.0: The two-day Forum was held virtually in 2021 through a customized platform representing the Indian culture in augmented reality. SCO Startup Hub, a single point of contact for the SCO startup ecosystem, was launched in this forum.
  • SCO Startup Forum 3.0: DPIIT organised the first ever physical SCO Startup Forum in 2023 for the SCO Member States. 
  • 1st Meeting of the SWG: The first Meeting of the SCO Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation (SWG), permanently chaired by India, was organised on the theme ‘Growing from Roots’ in 2023.

Q1) What is the Startup India Initiative?

It is a flagship initiative of the Government of India intended to catalyse start up culture with the objective of supporting entrepreneurs, building a robust startup ecosystem and transforming India into a country of job creators instead of job seekers.

Source: 4th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Startup Forum organized in New Delhi