About Global Positioning System (GPS)

• The U.S. Department of Defence started the GPS programme in 1973 and launched the first satellite in 1978.
• The modern GPS satellite constellation consists of 24 satellites moving around the earth in six orbits.
• Each satellite completes two orbits in a single day.
• The overall programme has three main components:
  • Space segment: It consists of 24 satellites. The six orbits they occupy are all 20,200 km above the earth, and each orbit has four satellites at all times. In this configuration, anyone on the earth will be able to ‘see’ at least four satellites at a time.
  • Control segment: It consists of a global network of ground-brd control stations and antennae that track the 24 satellites, make sure their performance is as expected at all times, and transmit commands.
  • User segment: It pertains to the use of GPS in various sectors and applications. The major sectors include agriculture, construction, surveying, logistics, telecommunications, power transmission, search and rescue, air travel, meteorology, seismology, and military operations.

How does GPS work?

• Each GPS satellite continuously broadcasts a radio signal containing information about its location in orbit, operational status, and the time at which the signal is emitted.
• The signals are transmitted at the L1 (1,575.42 MHz) and the L2 (1,227.6 MHz) frequencies at 50 bits/second.
• The signals are encoded with code-division multiple access.
• This allows multiple signals to be transmitted in the same channel and for a receiver to be able to disentangle them.
• There are two encoding types: the coarse/acquisition mode, which civilians can use to access coarse GPS data, and the precise mode, which is encrypted and is for military use.
• Being an electromagnetic signal, the radio waves travel at the speed of light.
• If the receiver has access to signals from four satellites, it will have the information required to calculate its location in four dimensions (three of space plus one of time relative to the satellite clock) – and can thus accurately triangulate its location on the ground.
• This informs the need for every point on the earth being able to ‘see’ four satellites at a time.

Q1) What is Radio wave?

These are waves from the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum at lower frequencies than microwaves. The wavelengths of radio waves range from thousands of metres to 30 cm. These correspond to frequencies as low as 3 Hz and as high as 1 gigahertz (109 Hz). Radio-wave communications signals travel through the air in a straight line, reflect off of clouds or layers of the ionosphere, or are relayed by satellites in space. 

Source: How does GPS work? | Explained

About Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
• It was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cybercrime and build the capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials across all government departments.
• It is an initiative to fortify the cyber security system in India with regard to the Government’s vision of a Digital India. 
• It was launched in cooperation with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and various industry partners in India.
• It can be entitled as the first public-private enterprise of its kind.
• The partners involved in the origination of this scheme include chief IT companies like Intel, Microsoft, etc.
• Operation:
  • It will be operated on three principles: education, awareness, and enablement.
  • It will comprise a program of awareness on the importance of cybersecurity.
  • The scheme will also include a number of workshops on the best enablement and practices of the officials with cybersecurity health tool kits for the management and mitigation of cyber threats.
  • It will also conduct a number of training programs all over the country from time to time, which will be attended by CISOs and technical officials from the central government, state governments, PSBs, UTs, PSUs, defense PSUs and technical arms of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Deep-Dive training programme:
  • It specifically aims at educating and enabling CISOs to understand cyber attacks and get the necessary exposure to the latest technologies for safeguarding e-infrastructure.
  • The training focuses on providing a holistic view of legal provisions, enabling CISOs to formulate policies for cybersecurity and build concrete cyber crisis management plans. 

Q1) What is the National e-Governance Division (NeGD)?

In 2009, the National e-Governance Division was created by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology as an Independent Business Division under the Digital India Corporation. Since 2009, NeGD has been playing a pivotal role in supporting MeitY in Programme Management and implementation of the e-Governance Projects; provide technical and advisory support to Ministries/ Departments, both at Central and State levels along with other Government organizations.

Source: NeGD, MeitY organises 40th Chief Information Security Officers’ Deep Dive Training Programme under Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative

About Section 34 of the IPC

• Section 34 IPC states the acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.
• The section explains that “When a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all, each of such persons shall be liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone.
• This provision, which creates ‘joint culpability’ for an act, deviates from a basic concept of criminal law, which states that a person is only responsible for crimes committed by himself and not for the actions of others.
• Section 34 does not state a specific offence. It only lays down the rule of evidence that if two or more persons commit a crime in order of common intention, each of them will be held jointly liable. 
• The punishment for this offence will be consistent with the crime they committed. For example, if the offence of murder has been committed in furtherance of a common purpose, each one of them will be held liable under Section 302 and Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code,1860.
• Section 34 helps in ascertaining individual accountability in cases where it is difficult to prove individual liability for activities done in support of the common objective of all persons engaged in a criminal act conducted by a group.
• It is crucial to note that Article 34 does not require each accused to actively participate in every aspect of the criminal act. As long as there is a shared intention and active participation in the overall commission of the crime, each individual will be held equally responsible.
• For Article 34 to apply, the following essential ingredients must be present:
  • A criminal act committed by multiple people.
  • There must be a common intention of all to commit that criminal act. In reference to this principle, In the case of Hari Om v. State of Uttar Pradesh, it was held that “it is not necessary that there must be a prior conspiracy or pre-meditation; the common intention can be formed in the course of the occurrence as well.”
  • Active participation of each accused: Each accused must have actively participated in the commission of the criminal act. A mere presence at the scene of the crime is not sufficient.

Q1) What is the Indian Penal Code, 1860?

The Indian Penal Code is the official criminal code of India, which was drafted way back in 1860. It’s objective is to provide a general penal code for the country. It has 511 sections across 23 chapters, providing the list of crimes along with their definitions and punishments. The IPC has been amended several times and is now supplemented by other Acts.

Source: S. 34 IPC | Common Intention Doesn't Mean Prior Agreement, It Can Be Formed Even A Minute Before The Incident: Supreme Court

About Painganga River

• The Painganga River (also known as the Penganga River) is the chief river of the Yavatmal district in Maharashtra state and flows along the south-east boundaries of the district in a winding, meandering course.
• Origin: It originates in the Ajantha ranges in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra.
• It is a major tributary of the Wardha River, the other major river in the district. The Wardha River flows into the Wain Ganga River to form the Pranhita River, which finally joins the Godavari River.
• It is acutely deep-rooted and difficult to be navigated.
• The total length of the river is 676 km.
• Major Tributaries: Include the Adan, Kas, Arunavati, Kayadhu, and Pus Rivers.
• The Penganga River gets flooded in the rainy and winter seasons and partially flooded in the summer.
• It provides irrigation to the Washim and Yavatmal districts in Maharashtra.
• There are two dams being constructed on the river, namely Upper Painganga and Lower Painganga. This dam is also known as Isapur Dam. 

Q1) Which are the main tributaries of Godavari River?

The principal tributaries of the river are the Pravara, the Purna, the Manjra, the Penganga, the Wardha,the Wainganga the Pranhita (combined flow of Wainganga, Penganga, Wardha), the Indravati, the Maner and the Sabri.

Source: Protest staged against proposed dam on Painganga river

About Gram Manchitra application

• In order to encourage the Spatial Planning by the Gram Panchayat, Ministry of Panchayati Raj had launched the Geographic Information System (GIS) application “Gram Manchitra”
• This application facilitates and supports Gram Panchayats to perform planning at Gram Panchayat level using geo-spatial technology.
• It provides a single/ unified Geo Spatial platform to better visualize the various developmental works to be taken up across the different sectors and provide a decision support system for Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
• Further, Ministry has launched mActionSoft, a mobile based solution to help in capturing photos with Geo-Tags (i.e. GPS Coordinates) for the works which have asset as an output.
• Geo-tagging of the assets is done in all three stages viz. (i) before start of the work, (ii) during the work and (iii) on completion of work. 
• This would provide a repository of information on all works and assets related to natural resource management, water harvesting, drought proofing, sanitation, agriculture, check dams and irrigation channels etc.
• Assets geo-tagged using the m-ActionSoft application is available on Gram Manchitra, enhancing the visualization of various developmental works in the Gram Panchayats.
• The assets created under the finance commission funds are geotagged with the photographs of assets by the Panchayats.
• Significance
  • It will help Gram Panchayat officials develop realistic and achievable development plans.
  • These tools provide a decision support system in the preparation of development plans viz. tools for identifying potential sites for development projects, asset tracking, estimating the costs of projects, and assessing the impact of projects.

Q1) What is Spatial planning?

It is an interdisciplinary field in the engineering and social sciences that deals with the spatial arrangement and development of living, working and environmental conditions at a wide range of spatial levels.

Source: Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched Geographic Information System application “Gram Manchitra” to encourage the Spatial Planning by the Gram Panchayat

About Pompe disease

• It is a rare inherited disorder that affects one child per million.
• Causes
  • Mutations in the GAA gene cause Pompe disease.
  • The GAA gene provides instructions for producing an enzyme called acid alpha-glucosidase (also known as acid maltase).
  • This enzyme is active in lysosomes, which are structures that serve as recycling centers within cells.
  • The enzyme normally breaks down glycogen into a simpler sugar called glucose, which is the main energy source for most cells.
  • Mutations in the GAA gene prevent acid alpha-glucosidase from breaking down glycogen effectively, which allows this sugar to build up to toxic levels in lysosomes.
  • This buildup damages organs and tissues throughout the body, particularly the muscles, leading to the progressive signs and symptoms of Pompe disease.
• Some common side effects and symptoms include muscle weakness, respiratory issues, heart problems and difficulty swallowing.
• This disease can be:
  • Infantile-onset: symptoms begin in the first few months after birth.
  • Late-onset or delayed-onset: symptoms appear later in childhood or in adulthood.
• It affects males and females equally.
• Treatment: The treatment includes enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).

Q1) What is enzyme?

An enzyme is a biological catalyst and is almost always a protein. It speeds up the rate of a specific chemical reaction in the cell. The enzyme is not destroyed during the reaction and is used over and over.

Source: Being Nidhi’s parents: A 24-year journey of joy and struggles with India’s ‘first’ Pompe disease patient

About Panchayat Development Index

• It is a multi-domain and multi-sectoral index that is intended to be used to assess the overall holistic development, performance & progress of panchayats.
• It takes into account various socio-economic indicators and parameters to gauge the well-being and development status of the local communities within the jurisdiction of a panchayat.
• It would play a significant role for performance evaluation and progress assessment in achieving the localization of Sustainable Development Goals in rural areas.
• Under this the Local Indicators Framework on nine themes of Localization of Sustainable Development Goals was prepared.
• The nine themes taken into account are poverty free and enhanced livelihood in village, healthy village, child friendly village, water sufficient village, clean and green village, village with self-sufficient infrastructure, socially just and socially secured villages, village with good governance, and women friendly village.
• Ranks: This Index ranks panchayats on the basis of scores, and categorises them into four grades.
  • Those with scores under 40 per cent fall in grade D, 40-60 per cent in grade C, 60-75 per cent in grade B, 75 to 90 per cent in category A, while those scoring above 90 per cent will be categorised as A+.
• Significance
  • It shall provide valuable insights into the areas that require attention for improvement within the rural areas under the jurisdiction of the panchayats.
  • It helps in identifying disparities, achievement of development goals, and formulating targeted policies and interventions to enhance the overall well-being and quality of life of rural communities.

Q1) What are the SDGs?

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 goals with 169 targets with interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. All 191 UN Member States have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2030.

Source: Panchayat Development Index will help in comparing Panchayats in their progress of development goals across nine themes as well as in composite PDI score

About Lakadong turmeric

• It is considered to be one of the world's best varieties of turmeric, with a curcumin content of around 6.8 to 7.5 per cent.
• It is darker in colour and is grown organically without the use of fertilisers.
• It is found in the Lakadong area of Jaintia Hills, and has high curcumin content.
• Other GI products from Meghalaya: Garo Dakmanda (traditional dress), Larnai pottery and Garo Chubitchi (alcoholic beverage) were also awarded the GI tag, 

What is Curcumin?

• It is a polyphenol which has been shown to target multiple signaling molecules while also demonstrating activity at the cellular level.
• It has been shown to benefit inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, pain, and to help in the management of inflammatory and degenerative eye conditions.
• In addition, it has been shown to benefit the kidneys.
• Most of these benefits are due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Key facts about Geographical Indication (GI) tag

• It is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
• This is typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts and industrial products.
• The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
• This GI tag is valid for 10 years following which it can be renewed

Q1) What are Antioxidants?

These are man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. Antioxidants are found in many foods, including fruits and vegetables. They are also available as dietary supplements. Examples of antioxidants include: Beta-carotene