About Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM):

• It is a French-Chinese satellite which aims to detect and study gamma-ray bursts.
• It was launched by a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
• It is a 930-kilogram satellite carrying four instruments - two French and two Chinese.
• The satellite has been sent into an orbit over 600 kilometers above Earth and has a designed life of five years, though scientists expect it could be operational for as long as 20 years.
• Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs):
  • GRBs generally occur after the explosion of huge stars - those more than 20 times as big as the sun - or the fusion of compact stars.
  • The extremely bright cosmic beams can give off a blast of energy equivalent to over a billion billion suns.
  • Observing them is like "looking back in time, as the light from these objects takes a long time to reach earth.
  • The rays carry traces of the gas clouds and galaxies they pass through on their journey through space - valuable data for better understanding the history and evolution of the universe.
  • GRBs are notoriously hard to catch as they can appear anywhere in the sky and last for just a few seconds. They are readily absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere, so the only way to record them is to place probes in space.
• SVOM has the potential to unravel several mysteries in the field of GRBs, including detecting the most distant GRBs in the universe, which correspond to the earliest GRBs.
• The data gathered will help test the laws of physics under conditions that cannot be replicated on Earth and provide insights into the dynamics of the universe.

Q1: What are Gamma Rays?

Gamma rays have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy of any wave in the electromagnetic spectrum. They are produced by the hottest and most energetic objects in the universe, such as neutron stars and pulsars, supernova explosions, and regions around black holes. On Earth, gamma waves are generated by nuclear explosions, lightning, and the less dramatic activity of radioactive decay.

Source: Rocket carrying French-Chinese satellite launches from southwestern China to study gamma-ray bursts

About Namaqualand:

• It is a desert region of southwestern Africa.
• From north to south, it stretches from the Karas region of Namibia to the Northern Cape province of South Africa. 
• From west to east, it stretches from the Namib Desert to the Kalahari. 
• It covers an area of 400,000 square kilometres.
• The Namibian section, north of the Orange River, is sometimes called Great Namaqualand. 
• The South African section, south of the Orange River, is sometimes called Little Namaqualand.
• It is very dry. For a large part of the year succulents are almost the only plants that can be seen on the vast plains.
  • Succulents can hold water for long periods and can survive in droughts.
• Rain falls mostly in the winter. If there is enough rain, wildflowers cover Namaqualand for a few weeks during springtime.
• The area was traditionally inhabited by the Nama people before the German occupation of the region in the 19th century.
• There are large deposits of copper in Namaqualand. The Nama mined them for hundreds of years. 
• In the early 1900s diamonds were discovered in several places in Namaqualand, including Sperrgebiet in Namibia and the Richtersveld in South Africa.

What are Termites?

• Termites are insects that eat wood. 
• They can damage buildings, furniture, and other wooden items.
• Termites are found all around the world, and there are more than 2,000 species. However, they are most common in tropical rainforests.
• Termites build damp nests in wood or underground.
  • Some underground nests rise partly above the ground as mounds or towers.
  • The nests are made of dirt, clay, and chewed wood.
• Termites live in organized groups called colonies. Mature termite colonies can contain 60,000 to 1 million termites, depending on the type of termite colony.
  • Each colony has three kinds of termites: royalty, soldiers, and workers.
  • Each kind of termite has a certain job within the colony.
• Termites also help nature by breaking down dead wood into nutrients. The nutrients can then be recycled and used by bacteria and plants.

Q1: Where is the Kalahari Desert?

The Kalahari Desert is a vast interior plateau, covering a large portion of southern Africa, encompassing almost all of Botswana, approximately one third of neighboring Namibia and a large portion of the Northern Cape province of South Africa to the south. Receiving less than 250 mm of rainfall per year, the Kalahari region is a desert, characterized by a landscape of gently undulating topography at approximately 900 meters above sea level.

Source: “Astonishing” Discovery – 34,000-Year-Old Inhabited Termite Mounds Discovered in South Africa

About Russell’s Viper:

• It is a highly venomous terrestrial snake of the family Viperidae found in Asia. 
• Scientific Name: Daboia russeli
• The species is named after Patrick Russell, a Scottish herpetologist who first describedmany of India’s snakes in the 1790s.
• It is one of the big four snakes (deadliest snakes) in India, the others being the Common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), the Indian Cobra (Naja naja) and the Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus).
• Distribution: Russell's vipers are found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia, Tibet, China (Guangxi, Guangdong), Taiwan, and Indonesia.
• Habitat:
  • They tend to avoid dense forests.
  • They are mostly found in open, grassy, or bushy areas, but may also be found in second-growth forests (scrub jungles), on forested plantations, and on farmland.
• It is a major cause of snake bite deaths within its range because it often exists in farmlands where human contact and rodent prey is abundant. 
  • However, it tends to avoid human contact and does not actively seek to bite people.
  • Most bites occur when humans inadvertently step on or try to handle the snake.
  • Most fatalities occur due to delayed medical treatment.
• Features:
  • The snake can grow up to 1.5 meters and is identified by its distinctive reddish-brown spots outlined in black and white.
  • It has a wide, triangular head with small, overlapping scales, large nostrils, and small eyes with vertical pupils.
  • It is mainly nocturnal, becoming active as the sun fades.
  • These snakes are quite sedentary, often staying in one place for several days unless disturbed.
• Conservations Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Q1: What is Common krait?

The Common krait (Bungarus caeruleus ) is a highly venomous snake native to the Indian subcontinent. It is a member of the "big four" species, inflicting the most snake bites on humans in Bangladesh and India.The coloration of this snake is generally black or bluish-black, with about 40 thin, white crossbars which may be indistinct or absent anteriorly. Common kraits are distributed from Sindh to West Bengal, throughout South India and Sri Lanka.

Source: Bangladesh reels from surge in snake bites

About GST Council:

• It is a constitutional body responsible for making recommendations on issues related to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. 
• Article 279A of the Indian Constitution gives power to the President of India to constitute a joint forum of the Centre and States called the GST Council, consisting of:
  • Union Finance Minister as Chairperson
  • The Union Minister of State, in-charge of Revenue of finance
  • The Minister in-charge of finance or taxation, or any other Minister nominated by each State Government
• It is an apex committee to modify, reconcile, or make recommendations to the Union and the States on important issues related to GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected to or exempted from GST, model GST Laws, principles that govern Place of Supply, threshold limits, GST rates including the floor rates with bands, special rates for raising additional resources during natural calamities/disasters, special provisions for certain States, etc.
• Decisions in the GST Council are taken during its meetings.
  • One half of the total number of members of the GST Council shall constitute the quorum at its meeting.
  • Each decision of the council must be supported by a majority of not less than three-fourth of weighted votes of the members present and voting.
  • The vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of 1/3rd of the votes cast, and the votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of 2/3rd of the total votes cast in that meeting. 
• Secretariat:
  • The Secretariat manages the GST Council.
  • It is manned by officers taken on deputation from both the Central and State Governments.
  • The entire cost of managing the Secretariat is borne by the Central Government.
  • The Ex-officio Secretary to the GST Council is the Revenue Secretary of India.
  • The office of the council is located in New Delhi.

What is the Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

• It is an indirect tax which has replaced many indirect taxes in India, such as excise duty, VAT, services tax, etc.
• The GST Act was passed in Parliament on 29th March 2017 and came into effect on 1st July, 2017.
• It is a single domestic indirect tax law for the entire country.
• It is a comprehensive, multi-stage, destination-based tax that is levied on the supply of goods and services, right from the manufacturer to the consumer. 
• Under the GST regime, the tax is levied at every point of sale.
  • In the case of intrastate sales, Central GST and State GST are charged.
  • All the interstate sales are chargeable to the Integrated GST.
• Credits of input taxes paid at each stage will be available in the subsequent stage of value addition, which makes GST essentially a tax only on value addition at each stage.
• The final consumer will thus bear only the GST charged by the last dealer in the supply chain, with set-off benefits at all the previous stages.
• The GST is paid by consumers, but it is remitted to the government by the businesses selling the goods and services.

Q1: What is an Indirect Tax?

An indirect tax is collected by one entity in the supply chain, such as a manufacturer or retailer, and paid to the government; however, the tax is passed onto the consumer by the manufacturer or retailer as part of the purchase price of a good or service. The consumer is ultimately paying the tax by paying more for the product.

Source: 53rd GST Council Meeting: GST On Milk Cans 12%, Platform Tickets Exempted, FM Announces Key Decisions

About Barda Wildlife Sanctuary: 

• It is located in the state of Gujarat.
• Rivers: There are two waterways, the Bileshvary River and the Joghri River, and two dams, Khambala and Fodara.
• Ethnic races such as Maldharis, Bharvads, Rabaris, and Gadhvis live in this region.
• To develop Barda as the second home for the Asiatic lion, the state government implemented the 'Gir-Barda Project' in 1979.
• Flora: It is characteristically abundant in floral diversity, which consists of a good number of medicinal plants.
• The sanctuary boasts about 650 plant species, which comprise Rayan, Babul, Ber, Jamun, Amli, Gorad, Bamboo, Dhav, Dhudhlo, etc
• Fauna: Leopard, Hyena, Wild boar, wolf, Jackal, blue bull, rare and endangered spotted eagle, crested hawk eagle, etc.

Key facts about Asiatic lions

• It is endemic to Gir landscape of Gujarat, the Asiatic Lion (Scientific name - Panthera leo persica) is one of five pantherine cats native to India.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • The Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I 
  • CITES : Appendix I

Q1: What is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a global organization that works to protect nature and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, the IUCN is considered a global authority on the state of the natural world and the measures needed to protect it.

Source: As lions make Barda sanctuary their second home, Gujarat forest dept starts translocating deer from Gir to Porbandar

About Gas flaring: 

• It is the burning of the natural gas associated with oil extraction.
• The practice has persisted from the beginning of oil production over 160 years ago.
• It takes place due to a range of issues, from market and economic constraints, to a lack of appropriate regulation and political will.
• Flaring and venting are a waste of a valuable natural resource that should either be used for productive purposes, such as generating power, or conserved.
• Why is gas flared?
  • Flaring persists to this day because it is a relatively safe, though wasteful and polluting, method of disposing of the associated gas that comes from oil production.

Impacts on environment

• The flare's combustion converts hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water, which lessens the climate impact and reduces the safety concerns of the natural gas on site but also produces nitrogen oxides, or NOx.
• NOx—which includes the highly reactive gases nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide—directly and indirectly impacts air quality.
• How to reduce gas flaring? Oil producers can either re-inject associated gas or use it for productive purposes.

Q1:What is Natural Gas?

It is a mixture of gases which are rich in hydrocarbons. It is a colorless and odorless gas composed of 70-90% methane (CH4). Its other ingredients include ethane (C2 H6) and propane (C3 H8).

Source: Fossil Fuel Firms Flared Most Gas Since 2019, Says World Bank

About Sensorineural deafness: 

• It is a type of hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or the nerve pathways that transmit sound from the ear to the brain.
• Although sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a natural process of aging, listening to very loud music can also cause permanent damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve.
• Within the human inner ear, a spiral-shaped organ called the cochlea contains tiny hairs known as stereocilia. These hairs are responsible for converting vibrations from sound waves into neural signals, which your auditory nerve then transmits to your brain.
• Causes of Sensorineural deafness
  • Congenital Factors: Genetic factors or complications during pregnancy or childbirth.
  • Noise Exposure: Prolonged exposure to loud noise can damage inner ear hair cells, leading to noise-induced hearing loss.
  • Ageing: Natural ageing processes can damage or destroy hair cells in the inner ear.
  • Infections and Diseases: Conditions like meningitis, mumps, measles, and autoimmune diseases like Meniere's disease.
  • Trauma: Head injuries or inner ear trauma.
  • Ototoxic Medications: Certain antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs.
• Symptoms
  • Difficulty understanding speech
  • Muffled or distorted sounds.
  • Ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ears.
  • Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds.
  • Balance issues.

Q1:What is decibel?

The decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit used to measure sound level. It is also widely used in electronics, signals and communication. The dB is a logarithmic way of describing a ratio. The ratio may be power, sound pressure, voltage or intensity or several other things.

Source: Alka Yagnik confirms rare sensory hearing loss: What is it?

About International Hydrographic Organisation: 

• It is an intergovernmental organization that works to ensure all the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted.
• It was established in 1921, it coordinates the activities of national hydrographic offices and promotes uniformity in nautical charts and documents.
• It issues survey best practices, provides guidelines to maximize the use of hydrographic survey data and develops hydrographic capabilities in Member States.
• Member countries: It has currently 100 Member States.
• The IHO Secretariat has been hosted by the Principality of Monaco.
• India has been an active member of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) since 1955.
  • The Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD), or the Marine Survey of India earlier, was established in 1874 in Kolkata.
  • It is the nodal agency for hydrographic surveys and has a fleet of indigenously built modern survey ships. 

World Hydrography Day

• It is celebrated annually on June 21.
• The theme for 2024 is "Hydrographic Information - Enhancing Safety, Efficiency and Sustainability in Marine Activities".

Q1: What is Hydrological Status and Outlook System (HydroSOS)?

It is an important initiative envisioned by the Commission for Hydrology and is now overseen by the WMO Hydrological Assembly. It aims to provide the crucial global scale information needed to help water users understand the current status of the world's freshwater systems.

Source: WORLD HYDROGRAPHY DAY 2024