About National Legal Service Authority (NALSA)

• NALSA has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, to provide free legal services to the weaker sections of society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
• The prime objective of NALSA is the speedy disposal of cases and reducing the burden on the judiciary.
• The Chief Justice of India is the patron-in-chief of NALSA, while the second senior most judge of the Supreme Court of India is the Executive Chairman. 
• It is housed at the Supreme Court of India, New Delhi.
• In every State, a State Legal Services Authority and in every High Court, a High Court Legal Services Committee has been constituted.
• District Legal Services Authorities and Taluk Legal Services Committees have been constituted in the Districts and most of the Taluks to give effect to the policies and directions of the NALSA, and to provide free legal services to the people, and conduct Lok Adalats in the State.
• NALSA, through the State Legal Services Authorities, also conducts legal literacy programmes.
• The free legal services include:
  • Payment of court fees, process fees, and all other charges payable or incurred in connection with any legal proceedings;
  • Providing the service of lawyers in legal proceedings;
  • Obtaining and supply of certified copies of orders and other documents in legal proceedings.
  • Preparation of appeal, paper book, including printing and translation of documents in legal proceedings.
• Persons eligible for free legal services includes:
  • Women and children
  • Members of SC/ST
  • Industrial workmen
  • Victims of mass disasters, violence, flood, drought, earthquake, and industrial disaster.
  • Disabled persons.
  • Persons in custody
  • Persons whose annual income does not exceed Rs. 1 lakh (in the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee the limit is Rs. 5,00,000).
  • Victims of trafficking in human beings or beggars.
• Constitutional Provisions:
  • Article 39A provides for free legal aid to the poor and weaker sections of society and ensures justice for all.
  • Articles 14 and 22(1) of the Constitution also make it obligatory for the State to ensure equality before the law and a legal system that promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity for all.

Key Facts about Lok Adalats:

• It is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms.
• It is a forum where disputes/cases pending in the court of law or at the pre-litigation stage are settled or compromised amicably.
• Who conducts? NALSA, along with other legal services institutions conducts Lok Adalats.
• Status: Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Appeal:
  • The award (decision) made by the Lok Adalats is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties, and no appeal against such an award lies before any court of law.
  • If the parties are not satisfied with the award of the Lok Adalats, though there is no provision for an appeal against such an award, they are free to initiate litigation by approaching the court of appropriate jurisdiction by filing a case by following the required procedure, in exercise of their right to litigate.
• Fees: There is no court fee payable when a matter is filed in a Lok Adalat.
• Nature of cases to be referred to Lok Adalats:
  • Any case pending before any court.
  • Any dispute that has not been brought before any court and is likely to be filed before the court.
  • Provided that any matter relating to an offence not compoundable under the law shall not be settled in Lok Adalats.

Q1) What are Non-compoundable offenses?

Non-compoundable offenses are serious crimes that cannot be settled through compromise. They can only be dismissed or quashed. The reason behind this is that these offenses are so severe and criminal that the accused cannot be allowed to avoid punishment. In such cases, it’s usually the “state” or the police that has filed the case, so the idea of the victim making a compromise doesn’t apply.

Source: Justice Sanjiv Khanna appointed National Legal Services Authority Executive Chairperson

About Non-invasive formaldehyde sensor

• Materials used: Tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite (rGO- SnO2).
• While reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been used to detect various toxic gases and VOCs, tin oxide (SnO2) has been extensively investigated for formaldehyde detection in pristine form and by incorporating it with various compounds, including graphene, due to its high stability and high sensitivity toward low concentrations of formaldehyde.
• Process: The Graphene oxide (GO) was processed through wet chemical approach and tin oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite (rGO- SnO2) was synthesized by hydrothermal route followed by calcination of the obtained product.
• They found that the sensor made of tin oxide decorated with reduced graphene oxide effectively sensed formaldehyde vapor at room temperature.
• The sensor shows long-term stability with a low detection limit.
• A new low-cost sensor made of metal oxide nanoparticles reduced graphene oxide composite can detect formalin adulteration in fishes at room temperature in a non-invasive way.
• The research for this is supported by DST-PURSE (Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence).
• Existing sensors
  • Commercial formalin sensors for fish are primarily electrochemical-based or colorimetric-based. Electrochemical sensors are extensively used but are expensive.
  • The calorimetric sensors are less expensive. But both methods are invasive in nature.
  • Issue: Low-level detection and selective detection are two major issues with these sensors.
• Significance of new sensor
  • The development of 2D materials-based gas sensors has created a new avenue of effective detection of toxic vapors at room temperature.
  • These sensors have the potential to detect the formalin evaporated from adulterated food products.

What is Formaldehyde?

• It is a colourless, pungent gas that is used in a variety of industrial processes, including as a preservative in some foods, commonly in fish in developing countries.

Q1) What is Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE)?

It is one of the Flagship Infrastructure programs of the Department of Science and Technology, which commenced in the year 2009 exclusively for the University sector. The main objective of the scheme is to strengthen the research capacity of performing Indian Universities and provide support for nurturing the research ecosystem and strengthening the R&D base of the Universities in the country. 

Source: New non-invasive formaldehyde sensor can detect adulterated fish at room temperature

About Wang’s Garden Lizard

• It is a new species of iguana.
• Scientific Name: Calotes wangi
• Distribution: It is found in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests and tropical monsoon forests in southern China and northern Vietnam, mostly in mountainous areas, hills and plains on forest edges, arable land, shrub lands, and even urban green belts.
• It is not threatened at present. However, in some areas, their habitat was being fragmented.
• Features:
  • It is less than 9 cm long, and one of its distinguishing features is its orange tongue.
  • It is active at the edge of the forest, and when it is in danger, it rushes into bushes or climbs tree trunks to hide.
  • It lies on sloping shrub branches at night, sleeping close to the branches.
  • It eats a variety of insects, spiders, and other arthropods.
  • It is active from April to October every year, while in the tropics it is active from March to November or even longer.
  • In addition, their bodies are used medicinally and the lizards are also eaten.

What are iguanas?

• Iguanas are stout lizards mainly living in the tropical parts of the western world.
• They are identified from their bulky appearance, scaly skin covered in warts, spines on their back, and a flap of flesh under their necks.
• They have shown various color morphs, the common ones being green, blue, and grey.

Q1) What are arthropods?

Arthropods are invertebrates with jointed legs. They make up about 75% of all animals on Earth and have a major role in maintaining ecosystems as pollinators, recyclers of nutrients, scavengers and food for other animals. They include many animals we come across, such as spiders, ants, centipedes and slaters. 

Source: Scientists Discover New Species of Lizard in Asia

About Eurasian Otter

• It is a semi-aquatic carnivorous mammal native to Eurasia.
• Scientific Name: Lutra lutra
• Distribution:
  • It has one of the widest distributions of all Palearctic mammals, from Ireland to China and down to Southeast Asia.
  • It lives throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia.
  • In India, it occurs in northern, northeastern, and southern India.
• Habitat:
  • It inhabits streams, rivers, lakes, freshwater and peat swamp forests, ocean shores, rice fields, fjords, caves, and other terrestrial habitats close by waterways.
  • In the Indian subcontinent, it is found in cold hills and mountain streams.
• Features:
  • It has a long body with a thick tail and short legs.
  • It is brown above and cream below.
  • It has sensitive whiskers around the snout to help detect prey.
  • It has two layers of fur: a thick, waterproof outer one and a warm inner one.
  • It has an acute sense of sight, smell, and hearing.
  • It is an elusive, solitary otter, but sometimes it is seen in family groups, composed of a mother and her offspring.
  • It has a varied diet, which includes fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and sometimes reptiles, birds, eggs, insects, and worms.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Near threatened
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule II
  • CITES: Appendix I

Key Facts about Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS)

• Location:
  • It is located in Idukki District, Kerala.
  • It lies in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats and receives very less amount of rainfall every year.
• The south side of the sanctuary is covered by Eravikulam National park, and the north side is by Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Vegetation:
  • It has a wide array of habitat types, like deciduous forests, dry thorn scrub, riparian forest, shoals, and grasslands.
• There is an extensive sandlewood forest nearby the sanctuary.
• Flora:
  • Chinnar has about 1000 species of flowering plants and a wide variety of medicinal plants.
  • The major species of flora include Acacia arabica, Acacia leucofolia, Acacia concinna, antallum album, Anogeissus latifolia, Rhododendron
    nilagiricum, Elaeocarpus, etc.
• Fauna:
  • It is home to the endangered Great Grizzled Squirrel of India.
  • Other important mammals that you can see here are the elephant, tiger, leopard, guar, sambar, spotted deer, Nilgiri Tahr, etc.

Q1) What are Solitary animals?

Solitary animals are those that spend a majority of their lives without others of their species, with possible exceptions for mating and raising their young. The antonym to a solitary animal is a social animal.

Source: Eurasian otter discovered for the first time from Kerala

About Tansen Samaroh

• Tansen Samaroh is a tribute to Indian musical legend, Shri Ramtanu Misra, famously known as Tansen.
• It is held every year in December in Gwalior to celebrate Tansen.
• Artists and music lovers from all over the world gather here to pay tribute to the Great Indian Musical Maestro Tansen. 

Key facts about Mian Tansen

• He was a prominent Indian classical music composer, musician and vocalist, known for a large number of compositions, and also an instrumentalist who popularised and improved the plucked rabab (of Central Asian origin).
• He was among the Navaratnas (nine jewels) at the court of the Mughal Emperor Jalal ud-din Akbar.
• Akbar gave him the title Mian, an honorific, meaning learned man.
• Tansen as a historical personality is difficult to extract from the extensive legend that surrounds him.
• He is given credit for introducing some famous ragas viz., Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Todi and Darbari

Q1) What is Indian classical music?

Indian classical music is a rich tradition that originated in South Asia and can now be found in all corners of the world. Its origins date back to sacred Vedic scriptures over 6,000 years ago where chants developed a system of musical notes and rhythmic cycles. In this way, Indian classical music is very closely connected to nature, taking inspiration from natural phenomena including the seasons and times of the day to create ‘ragas’ or musical moods and many time cycles or ‘taals’ that have been further codified.

Source: Gwalior, the creative city of music, celebrates a new Guinness record

About Aardvarks

• It gets its name from a South African word meaning “earth pig.”
• Appearance: They look like a pig, especially with its body and snout.
• They actually share common ancestors with elephants and golden moles. 
• They are nocturnal mammals, most active at night and tend to live alone. During the day, they sleep curled up in a ball in their burrows. 
• This species has been assessed as having the highest score for evolutionary distinctiveness,
• This is because it does not have many close relatives and has been evolving independently for millions of years.
• The Aardvark is the sole surviving species of its order, Tubulidentata, and its closest relatives have been extinct since the Pleistocene era (2 million years ago).
• Diet: The aardvark’s diet consists almost entirely of ants and termites. 
• Habitat: Aardvarks are found over much of the southern two-thirds of Africa and their habitat is savannah and semiarid areas.
• Ecosystem Roles: Aardvarks are important in their ecosystem because the holes they dig are used by a variety of other animals for shelter.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN :Least Concern
• The recent study concluded that the genetic structure of aardvarks is strongly shaped by climate, with arid areas limiting gene flow and reflected apparent isolation by adaptation associated with temperature.

Q1) What is Savanna vegetation?

It is a vegetation type that grows under hot, seasonally dry climatic conditions and is characterized by an open tree canopy (i.e., scattered trees) above a continuous tall grass understory (the vegetation layer between the forest canopy and the ground). The largest areas of savanna are found in Africa, South America, Australia and India etc.

Source: Aardvarks are crucial for sub-Saharan Africa’s ecosystem — but climate change is impacting their chances of survival

About Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft

• It is a spacecraft built and launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on September 7, 2023, from the Tanegashima spaceport.
• It weighed only 590 kg.
• It was launched together with XRISM, a next-generation X-ray space telescope, onboard an H-2A rocket. 
• It entered into an elliptical orbit around the moon over three minutes or so.
• Its apogee (farthest point) in this orbit is 4,000 km and perigee (closest point) is 600 km above the lunar surface.

What will SLIM do on the moon?

• Just before it lands, SLIM will deploy two small rovers called Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV) 1 and 2. LEV-1, LEV-2, and SLIM will together study the lunar surface near the landing point, collect temperature and radiation readings, and attempt to study the moon’s mantle.

Key points about XRISM Mission

• The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) is a joint mission of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), involving contributions from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Canadian Space Agency as well.
• Objective: The mission aims to observe X-rays coming from deep space and to identify their wavelengths with unprecedented precision.
• It will use state-of-the-art spectroscopy to measure changes in the brightness of celestial objects at different wavelengths. 
• It detects X-rays with energies ranging from 400 to 12,000 electron volts. (For comparison, the energy of visible light is 2 to 3 electron volts.)
• This range will provide astrophysicists with new information about some of the universe's hottest regions, largest structures, and objects with the strongest gravity.

Q1) What are X-rays ?

These are a form of electromagnetic radiation, similar to visible light. Unlike light, however, x-rays have higher energy and can pass through most objects, including the body. Medical x-rays are used to generate images of tissues and structures inside the body.

Source: How Japan’s moon-landing attempt in January will affect Chandrayaan 4 | Explained