UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

European research team at Joint European Torus (JET) in the UK set a record of producing largest amount of energy in a fusion experiment. They produced  69 megajoules of energy from 0.2 milligrams of fuel, largest ever in fusion experiment. This record was  set there on 3 October 2023. In this experiment,  energy were released in the form of fast neutrons during a 5.2 second plasma discharge.  Max Planck Institute

The GRAPES-3 experiment (or Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS phase-3) located at Ooty in India started as a collaboration of the Indian Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Japanese Osaka City University, and now also includes the Japanese Nagoya Women's University. GRAPES-3 is designed to study cosmic rays with an array of air shower detectors and a large area muon detector. It aims to probe acceleration of cosmic rays in the following four astrophysical settings. These include acceleration of particles to, (i) ~100 MeV in atmospheric electric fields through muons, (ii) ~10 GeV in the Solar System through muons, (iii) ~1 PeV in our galaxy, (iv) ~100 EeV in the nearby universe through measurement of diffuse gamma ray flux. The GRAPES-3 is located at N11.4o, E76.7o, 2200m above mean sea level. The observations began with 217 plastic scintillators and a 560 m2 area muon detector in 2000. The scintillators detect charged particles contained in extensive air showers produced

The 2023–2024 Sundhnúkur eruptions are an ongoing series of volcanic eruptions in the Reykjanes peninsula, near the town of Grindavík, Iceland. The first eruption started on the evening of 18 December 2023, at the Sundhnúkur crater chain north of Grindavík, with lava spewing from fissures in the ground. The intensity of the eruption and accompanying seismic activity decreased early on 19 December 2023, with lava seen spreading laterally from both sides of the newly opened fissures. The eruption was described as the largest in the Reykjanes Peninsula since the beginning of eruptive activity in 2021,[4] with lava fountains, up to 100 metres (330 ft) high, and was visible as far away as the capital Reykjavík, 42 kilometres (26 mi) away. The eruption ended on 21 December 2023, after the Icelandic Meteorological Office said no lava was erupting after a flight over the volcano, but clarified that it was "too early to declare the eruption over." Sundhnúkur is a crater row and curren

The Council and the European Parliament today reached a provisional deal on the regulation establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology products manufacturing ecosystem, better known as the ‘net-zero industry act’ (NZIA). The regulation aims at boosting the industrial deployment of net-zero technologies needed to achieve EU’s climate goals, using the strength of the single market to reinforce Europe’s leadership in industrial green technologies. Under today’s agreement, there will be a single list of net-zero technologies, with criteria for selecting strategic projects in those technologies that will contribute better to decarbonisation. The net-zero industry act aims to ease conditions for investing in green technologies, by simplifying permit-granting procedures and supporting strategic projects. It also proposes to ease market access for strategic technology products, enhance the skills of the European workforce in these sectors (notably throug

  According to the World Bank's 'Logistics Performance Index Report (2023): Connecting to Compete 2023', India ranks 38 out of 139countries. India’s rank has improved by six places from 44 in 2018 andsixteenplacesfrom54in2014. An Inter-Ministerial dedicated team comprising of Stakeholder Ministries/Departments has been formed. These stakeholder Ministries/Departments focus on targeted action  plans with interventions needed to improve logistics performance across all six LPI parameters i.e. Customs, Infrastructure, Ease of arranging shipments, Quality of logistics services, Tracking and Tracing, and Timeliness. In addition, National Committee for Trade Facilitation (NCTF) has a three-tiered structure, constituting of a National Committee on Trade Facilitation, a Steering Committee, and Focused Working Groups (Outreach, Legislative Issues, Time Release Study, Infrastructure Up-gradation, PGA regulation and procedure). Concerning NTFAP 2020-23, 27 action points have been iden

In an innovative step towards transforming LPG delivery experience, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) proudly announces the launch of "Pure for Sure". This initiative, inaugurated by the   Honorable Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs at IEW 2024 in Goa , aims to eradicate last-mile delivery inefficiencies and elevate customer satisfaction to unprecedented levels. Expanding its distinctive "Pure for Sure" initiative from the Retail Business, BPCL is set to provide Quality & Quantity assurance in LPG cylinders directly at the customer's doorstep, a first-of-its-kind service in the nation. At the core of "Pure for Sure" in LPG lies its innovative tamper-proof seal, equipped with QR codes to ensure the integrity of the cylinder from the production plant to the customer's possession. Upon scanning the intact QR code, customers will witness a distinctive Pure for Sure pop-up accompanied by a signature tune,

As our nation's backbone, the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector plays a pivotal role in fostering employment opportunities and reducing regional imbalances. In a significant stride towards fostering digital inclusion in the MSME sector, the Quality Council of India (QCI) and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) are proud to announce the launch of the DigiReady Certification (DRC) portal.  For the initiative, QCI, in conjunction with ONDC, aim to assess and certify digital readiness of MSME entities. By leveraging this online self-assessment tool, MSMEs can evaluate their preparedness to seamlessly onboard as sellers on the ONDC platform, thereby expanding their digital capabilities and business potential. The DRC portal is meticulously designed to facilitate a streamlined seller journey, ensuring that MSMEs and small retailers can integrate seamlessly into existing digitized workflows. The certification process evaluates various aspects of digital readiness, in

  The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved extension of Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) for another 3 years upto 2025-26  within the already approved fund size of Rs 7522.48 crore and budgetary support of Rs 939.48 crore. In order to address the infrastructure requirement for fisheries sector, the union Government during 2018-19 created the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) with a total funds size of Rs 7522.48 crore.  In the earlier phase of implementation of FIDF during the period from 2018-19 to 2022-23, a total 121 fisheries infrastructure projects with an investment cost of Rs. 5588.63 crore have been approved for creation of various fisheries infrastructures. Extension of FIDF will further  intensifies development of various fisheries infrastructures like fishing harbours, fish landing centers, ice plants, cold storage, fish transport facilities, integrated cold chain, modern fish markets, Broo

  The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved   the "Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)", a Central Sector Sub-scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada for formalization of the fisheries sector and supporting fisheries micro and small enterprises with an investment of over Rs. 6,000 crores over a period of next four (4) years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 in all States/Union Territories. Expenditure involved The Sub-scheme will be implemented as a Central Sector Sub-scheme under the Central Sector Component of the PMMSY at an estimated outlay of  Rs.6,000 crore consisting of 50% i.e. Rs.3,000 crore public finance including the World Bank and the AFD external financing, and rest 50% i.e.Rs.3,000 crore being the anticipated investment from the beneficiaries/private sector leverage. It will be implemented for 4 (four) years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 across all the States and UTs. Intended Beneficiaries: Fishers, Fish

Relevance:  Trapped orcas escape from drift ice near Japan - BBC The killer whale, also known as orca, is the ocean’s top predator. It is the largest member of the Delphinidae family, or dolphins. Members of this family include all dolphin species, as well as other larger species, such as long-finned pilot whales and short-finned pilot whales, whose common names also contain "whale" instead of "dolphin." Scientific Classification Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Cetacea Family Delphinidae Genus Orcinus Species orca Found in every ocean in the world, they are the most widely distributed of all cetaceans (whales and dolphins). Scientific studies have revealed many different populations with several distinct ecotypes (or forms) of killer whales worldwide—some of which may be different species or subspecies. They are one of the most recognizable marine mammals, with their distinctive black and white bodies. Globally, killer whales occur in a wide ra

Much like a river is water moving over land, an atmospheric river is a stream of water  vapor  moving in the sky. When you think of the atmosphere, you probably think of gases like nitrogen and oxygen—the air we breathe. But did you know the atmosphere can hold an entire river of water too? Atmospheric rivers are long, flowing regions of the atmosphere that carry water vapor through the sky. They are about 250 to 375 miles wide and can be more than 1,000 miles long. Rivers on land generally flow downhill; atmospheric rivers flow in the direction of moving air created by weather systems. In general, they pick up water vapor from the warm, moist air of tropical regions and they drop the water over land in cooler regions as rain or snow. How do atmospheric rivers form? Atmospheric rivers begin as rising moist air in the tropics and result in heavy rain and snow over land. Credit: NOAA Atmospheric rivers usually begin over tropical regions. Warm temperatures there cause ocean water to evap

Union Budget 2023-24 announced ‘Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI)’ to promote and conserve mangroves as unique, natural eco-system having very high biological productivity and carbon sequestration potential, besides working as a bio shield. Accordingly, MISHTI was launched by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change on the occasion of World Environment Day i.e., 5 th  June 2023. Further, Operational Guidelines for implementation of MISHTI activities have been prepared and circulated to the States for preparation of plans. MISHTI envisages restoration/reforestation of Mangroves covering approximately 540 km 2 , spreading across 9 States and 3 Union Territories for a period of five years commencing 2023-24 onwards. The States have also been encouraged to take activities under MISHTI through convergence with the existing schemes/programs. Overall, the mangrove cover of the country witnessed an increase of 252 km 2  between 2015 to 2021.

Four flight trials of High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) - ABHYAS were successfully carried out by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha during January 30 to February 02, 2024. The trials were conducted with four different mission objectives in a revised robust configuration using a single booster designed by Advanced Systems Laboratory, Hyderabad to provide reduced launch acceleration. The objectives like safe release of booster, launcher clearance and attaining the required end of launch velocity were achieved. During the flight trials, various parameters like required endurance, speed, manoeuvrability, altitude and range were successfully validated. Designed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), ABHYAS   offers a realistic threat scenario for practice of weapon systems. It is designed for autonomous flying with the help of an auto pilot indigenously made by the ADE. It has Radar Cross Sect

While the uncrewed Robot Flight “Vyommitra” will take place this year, “Gaganyaan” will be launched next year Woman Robot Astronaut "Vyommitra" will fly into Space ahead of ISRO's ambitious “Gaganyaan" mission, which will be India’s first human manned Space Flight carrying Indian Astronauts into Space.  Disclosing this in New Delhi during an interaction with media, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the uncrewed "Vyommitra" Mission is scheduled for the third quarter of this year while a manned mission “Gaganyaan” is scheduled to be launched next year, that is 2025.  “Vyommitra” is a name derived from two Sanskrit words namely, “Vyoma” (meaning Space) and “Mitra” (meaning Friend). This Female Robot Astronaut, said the Minister, is equipped with the capability to monitor Module Parameters, issue Alerts and execute Life Support