About INS Shalki:

• It is a Shishumar-class diesel-electric submarine.
• It is also the first-ever submarine that was built in India. 
• It was constructed under licence by the Mazgaon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
• It was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 7 February 1992.
• Specifications:
  • It has a 6.5 m (21 ft) beam, 6 m (20 ft) draught, and is 64.4 m (211 ft) in length.
  • It carries40 people on board including 8 officers. 
  • The displacement of INS Shalki is 1450 tons on surfaces, 1850 tons submerged.
  • Its range is snorting8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h).
  • The speed ranges from 11 knots surfaced (i.e., 20 km/h) and 22 knots submerged (41 km/h).

Q1: What is INS Arighat (S3)?

It is an upgraded variant of the Arihant-class submarine. It is the second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine being built by India under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project. It can accommodate more K4 missiles than S2.

Source: Indian Navy submarine INS Shalki arrives in Colombo for formal visit

About Beas River:

• It is a river in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab states, northwestern India.
• It is one of the five rivers that give the Punjab (“Five Rivers”) its name.
• The Beas River was the approximate eastern limit of Alexander the Great’s invasionof India in 326 BC.
• Course:
  • It rises at an elevation of 14,308 feet (4,361 metres) at Rohtang Pass in the western Himalayas, in central Himachal Pradesh. 
  • From there it flows south through the Kullu Valley, receiving tributaries from the flanking mountains, and then turns west to flow past Mandi into the Kangra Valley. 
  • After crossing the valley, the Beas enters Punjab state and veers south and then southwest to its confluence with the Sutlej River at Harike.
  • Its total length is 470 kilometres (290 mi), and its drainage basin is 20,303 square kilometres (7,839 sq mi) large. 
• Major Tributaries: The major tributaries of the Beas River are Bain, Banganga, Luni, and Uhal, along with Banner, Chakki, Gaj, Harla, Mamuni, Parvati, Patlikuhlal, Sainj, Suketi, and Tirthan.
• The Beas forms the world-famous valleys of Kullu and Kangra.

Q1: Which are the main tributaries of Sutlej River?

The Sutlej River has many tributaries, with Baspa, Spiti, Nogli Khad and Soan River being its main ones.

Source: Beas river in spate as Himachal Pradesh hit by cloudburst, heavy rain | Watch

About Fin whale: 

• It is the second-largest animal species on the planet, second only to the blue whale.
• It gets its name from an easy-to-spot fin on its back, near its tail.
• It is the fastest swimming of the large whales, known as the greyhound of the seas.
• Distribution:
  • Fin whales inhabit the temperate and polar zones of all major oceans and open seas and, less commonly, in tropical oceans and seas.
  • Some populations are migratory, moving into colder waters during the spring and summer months to feed. In autumn, they return to temperate or tropical oceans.
• Features
  • They have a distinct ridge along their back behind the dorsal fin, which gives it the nickname "razorback.
  • Fin whales have a very unusual feature: the lower right jaw is bright white and the lower left jaw is black.
  • Lifespan: They can live for 80 to 90 years and females are slightly longer than males.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Vulnerable

Q1: What is the role of the International Whaling Commission?

It was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) which was signed in Washington DC in 1946. Its objective is to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry.

Source: Japan To Now Hunt Second-Largest Whale Species

About Osmolytes:

• These are low molecular weight organic molecules usually built up in tissues at a quite high amount during stress or any pathological condition.
• These are small molecules that help cells survive stress by stabilizing proteins and preventing them from misfolding.
• They help proteins maintain their structure and function under stressful conditions
• Misfolded proteins can’t perform their functions properly, leading to diseases.
• Osmolytes are crucial in maintaining the stability of protein structures, making them potential targets for new drugs.

Key facts about Parkinson’s disease

• It is a progressive neurological disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves. 
• The risk of developing Parkinson’s disease naturally increases with age, and the average age at which it starts is 60 years old.
• Many studies have suggested that men are more likely to be affected by Parkinson’s than women.
• Cause:
  • It is caused by the degeneration of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which controls movement.
  • These nerve cells die or become impaired, losing the ability to produce an important chemical called dopamine.

Q1: What are Proteins?

These are large, complex molecules that are fundamental to the structure and functioning of all living organisms. They are composed of chains of smaller units called amino acids, which are linked together in specific sequences. Proteins serve a wide variety of critical roles inbiological systems.

Source: Osmolyte - protein interaction study can help treatments for Alzheimer's & Parkinson's

About Metal-air batteries:

• It is an energy storage system based on electrochemical charge/discharge reactions that occur between a positive “Air Electrode” (cathode) and a negative “Metal Electrode” (anode).
• The negative electrode is typically made of metals such as Li, Zn, Al, Fe, or Na, while the positive usually contains some form of porous carbon material and a catalyst.
• Advantages :
  • These batteries have higher energy density than a lithium-ion battery.
  • Accessibility: Metal-air batteries use readily available metals in India, making them more accessible than lithium-ion batteries.
  • Cost-Effective: Producing these batteries locally reduces imports.
  • Environment-Friendly: Metal-air batteries are recyclable, offering a safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries that pose environmental hazards.
  • Lightweight: Metals like aluminum are lightweight and can provide comparable or even higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries, making them an attractive choice.
• Applications: Due to their high scalability and energy density, M-Air batteries can be used in a large variety of applications:
  • It is used in large-scale stationary energy storage applications
  • Transportation
  • Renewable generation

Q1: What is Lithium?

It is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. Classified as an alkali metal, lithium is a solid at room temperature. It is the lightest of the solid elements. It is soft, white, and lustrous. It reacts vigorously with water.

Source: Durable efficient battery for energy solutions in remote sub-zero conditions

About Dark Tourism:

• Dark tourism, also known as black tourism, than a tourism, or grief tourism, refers to the practice of visiting locations associated with death, suffering, tragedy, or something unusual.
• An early definition defined by John Lennon and Malcolm Foley defines dark tourism as “the representation of inhuman acts and how these are interpreted for visitors”.
• Dark tourism sites are all associated with tragic history. These sites might include cemeteries, mausoleums, disaster zones, battlefields, memorials, prisons, execution sites, and crime scenes.
• As a more specific component of dark tourism, “disaster tourism” denotes situations where the tourism product is generated within, and from, the aftermath of a major disaster or traumatic event”.
• Prominent dark tourism sites include Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland, Chernobyl in Ukraine, Ground Zero in New York, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan, etc.
• The act of dark tourism is somewhat controversial, with some viewing it as an act of respect and others as unethical practice.

Dark tourism appeals to many because it offers an emotional connection to sites of tragedy.

Q1: What is Ground Zero in New York?

Ground Zero in New York refers to the site of the former World Trade Center complex, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Located in Lower Manhattan, it became a focal point for rescue, recovery, and rebuilding efforts following the attacks. The term "Ground Zero" originally denoted the point on the ground directly beneath the detonation of a nuclear bomb or other large explosive, but it became widely associated with the World Trade Center site after 9/11.

Source: What is dark tourism that Kerala Police is warning against in Wayanad