UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

Shiva & Shakti - ancient building blocks of Milky Way Headlines Today: "Thailand poised to legalise same-sex marriage after parliament passes bill" - The Guardian "New diamond transistor is a world-1st — paving the way for high-speed computing at the highest temperatures" - LiveScience "Black Carbon" - Climate & Clean Air Coalition "Article 23: What is Hong Kong's tough new security law?" - BBC "India in undersea race to mine world's battery metal" - BBC

Scientists discovered two streams of stars "Shiva" & "Shakti", which formed Milky Way. They ware so  ancient that they are likely formed over  12 billion years ago. Scientists reported that these two stream of stars  stood out from the rest among stars of a certain chemical composition. This discovery is achieved by analysing data from  ESA’s Gaia space telescope. Gaia is a space observatory of the European Space Agency (ESA), launched in 2013 and expected to operate until 2025. The spacecraft is designed for astrometry: measuring the positions, distances and motions of stars with unprecedented precision, and the positions of exoplanets by measuring attributes about the stars they orbit such as their apparent magnitude and color. The mission aims to construct by far the largest and most precise 3D space catalog ever made, totalling approximately 1 billion astronomical objects, mainly stars, but also planets, comets, asteroids and quasars, among others. The Europ

Statio Shiv Shakti As part of overseas deployment to ASEAN countries, ICG Ship Samudra Paheredar arrives at Manila Bay, Philippines Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road Bima Sugam - Insurance Electronic Marketplace District Election Management Plan ( DEMP )

Statio Shiv Shakti or Shiv Shakti Point is the landing site of Chandrayaan-3, the third lunar mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The mission's lander Vikram and rover Pragyan landed 600 km from the south pole of the Moon on 23 August 2023. The landing site was named on 26 August 2023 at the ISTRAC headquarters in Bengaluru,[4] after India became the fourth nation to make a successful soft landing on the Moon and also becoming the first country that landed on the lunar south pole. Statio Shiv Shakti is located at the coordinates 69.373°S 32.319°E and lies between the lunar craters Manzinus C and Simpelius N. Name The name Shiv Shakti is derived from the names of Hindu deity Shiva, who is also associated with the Moon, and Shakti, the divine feminine energy, who is often depicted as the consort of Shiva. Announcement The name was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 26, 2023 while meeting ISRO scientists in Bangalore. Prime Minister Modi noted that t

Indian Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, arrived at Manila Bay, Philippines on 25 March 2024 on a three-day visit. The visit of specialized Pollution Control Vessels is part of a broader initiative aimed at demonstration of ICG Marine Pollution Response capabilities and shared concern & resolve towards Marine Pollution in the ASEAN region, besides bolstering bilateral cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). The ICG ship is on an overseas deployment to ASEAN countries namely the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei from 25 March to 12 April 2024. The deployment is the third in a row by the Indian Coast Guard to ASEAN countries. Earlier in the year 2023, ICG Pollution Control Vessels visited Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia as part of the initiative. During this deployment, the ship is scheduled to make port calls in Manila (Philippines), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), and Muara (Brunei). The ship is equipped with special

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) connected the strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh on March 25, 2024. This 298-km road will connect Manali to Leh through Darcha and Nimmu on Kargil – Leh Highway. The road is now the third axis apart from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh which connects Ladakh to the hinterland. The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road derives its strategic importance from the fact that it is not only shorter vis-a-vis the other two axes, but crosses only one pass; Shinkun La (16,558 feet) on which tunnel work is about to commence by the BRO. This will result in the road having all weather connectivity to the Ladakh region. The connectivity will strengthen the defence preparedness and provide a boost to the economic development in the Zanskar valley. DG Border Roads Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan said that in January, when the River Zansakar was frozen, the equipment and personnel were mobilised and the work of establishing the connectivity was completed. He exuded confidence that the wor

 A Digital Public Infrastructure called “Bima Sugam - Insurance Electronic Marketplace” is proposed to be established to empower and protect the interest of policyholders, to increase penetration of insurance in India and to enhance availability, accessibility and affordability.  Bima Sugam shall be a one stop solution for all Insurance stakeholder’s visa-vis customers, insurers, intermediaries or insurance intermediaries and insurance agents to promote transparency, efficiency, collaboration across the entire insurance value chain, technological innovation in insurance sector, universalize and democratize insurance and to achieve the vision of “Insurance for all by 2047”.  Regulatory framework for establishment, governance, functioning of the Bima Sugam - Insurance Electronic Marketplace with following is proposed to be laid down:-  a) Not for profit company shall be formed as per Sec 8 of Companies Act, 2013.  b) The company shall establish, facilitate, develop, operate and maintain

Planning is the first and most important function of management. In the absence of planning, all the activities of an organisation will become meaningless. The importance of planning in conduct of election has increased all the more in view of the increasing complexities and multifarious activities. The District Election Officer leads the election at District level. They have to prepare for logistics, deployment and capacity building of human resource, increase participation of different stakeholders in the election process, identify the possible vulnerable areas and address them suitably so that the elections are conducted in a free and fair manner.  The District Election Management Plan (DEMP in brief) is a document which helps in planning for election preparations at a glance. It presents the essential work to be done in various aspects of election process. The DEMP uses statistics and its analysis for drawing conclusions from it and undertaking detailed and focused planning for con

UK quits Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) Government to replace minimum wage with living wage by 2025 UN General Assembly adopts resolution on AI NASA’s BurstCube Mission ISRO achieves yet another success in the RLV Landing Experiment

The Energy Charter Treaty: The Energy Charter Treaty provides a multilateral framework for energy cooperation that is unique under international law. It is designed to promote energy security through the operation of more open and competitive energy markets, while respecting the principles of sustainable development and sovereignty over energy resources. The Energy Charter Treaty was signed in December 1994 and entered into legal force in April 1998. Currently there are fifty-three Signatories and Contracting Parties to the Treaty. This includes both the European Union and Euratom.  The Treaty's provisions focus on four broad areas: the protection of foreign investments, based on the extension of national treatment, or most-favoured nation treatment (whichever is more favourable) and protection against key non-commercial risks; non-discriminatory conditions for trade in energy materials, products and energy-related equipment based on WTO rules, and provisions to ensure reliable cro

India plans to transition to living wages by 2025 with ILO' ssupport. As reported by Economic Times, India approached ILO for capacity building, data collection, and demonstrating the positive economic impacts of living wages. Key technical terms: “Every worker has a right to a wage adequate to maintain a reasonable standard of life, having regard to the civilisation of his time and country”.(Point 4. – The Principle of the Minimum Wage - ILO ) The principle of a living wage for all workers – that is, a wage sufficient to maintain, in the circumstances of each country, an adequate standard of life. ( ILO ) The ILO approved this reform during its recent governing body meeting in Geneva. International Labour Charter: In any case in which wages are insufficient to secure a normal standard of comfort and in which it is impossible to secure an agreement between workers and employers the Government shall set up joint commissions to establish minimum wages.( Point No. 10, International La

  General Assembly adopts landmark resolution on artificial intelligence. It represents the first time the Assembly has adopted a resolution on regulating the emerging field.  Key points of resolution: 1. A ll Member States and stakeholders “to  refrain from or cease the use of artificial intelligence systems that are impossible to operate in compliance with international human rights law  or that pose undue risks to the enjoyment of human rights.” 2.  “The same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, including throughout the life cycle of artificial intelligence systems,” it affirmed. 3.  The Assembly also urged all States, the private sector, civil society, research organizations and the media, to develop and support regulatory and governance approaches and frameworks related to safe, secure and trustworthy use of AI. UN News

NASA’s BurstCube, a shoebox-sized satellite designed to study the universe’s most powerful explosions, is on its way to the International Space Station. Short gamma-ray bursts usually occur after the collisions of neutron stars, the superdense remnants of massive stars that exploded in supernovae. The neutron stars can also emit gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space-time, as they spiral together. Astronomers are interested in studying gamma-ray bursts using both light and gravitational waves because each can teach them about different aspects of the event. This approach is part of a new way of understanding the cosmos called multimessenger astronomy. The collisions that create short gamma-ray bursts also produce heavy elements like gold and iodine, an essential ingredient for life as we know it. Currently, the only joint observation of gravitational waves and light from the same event – called GW170817 – was in 2017. It was a watershed moment in multimessenger astronomy,

ISRO has achieved a major milestone in the area of Reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technology, through the RLV LEX-02 landing experiment, the second of the series, conducted at Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga in Karnataka today morning at 7:10 hrs IST. After the RLV-LEX-01 mission was accomplished last year, RLV-LEX-02 demonstrated the autonomous landing capability of RLV from off-nominal initial conditions at release from Helicopter. The RLV was made to undertake more difficult manoeuvres with dispersions, correct both cross-range and downrange and land on the runway in a fully autonomous mode. The winged vehicle, called Pushpak , was lifted by an Indian Airforce Chinook helicopter and was released from 4.5 km altitude. After release at a distance of 4 km from the runway, Pushpak autonomously approached the runway along with cross-range corrections. It landed precisely on the runway and came to a halt using its brake parachute, landing gear brakes and nose wheel steering syst

  EUNAVFOR ASPIDES SC refuses to stay new procedure for appointment of Election Commissioners Agnibaan SOrTeD (short form of SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator) Cerebras' Wafer Scale Engine 3 ( WSE - 3 ) The 41st Steering Committee Meeting, International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE), New Delhi International Telecommunication Union elects India as co-chair of its Digital Innovation Board

The European Council launched today EUNAVFOR  ASPIDES . The objective of this  defensive   maritime security operation  is  to restore and safeguard freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf . Operation ASPIDES will ensure an EU naval presence in the area where numerous  Houthi attacks  have targeted international commercial vessels since October 2023. In close cooperation with like-minded international partners, ASPIDES will contribute to safeguard maritime security and ensure freedom of navigation, especially for merchant and commercial vessels. Within its  defensive mandate , the operation will provide maritime  situational awareness, accompany vessels,  and  protect them  against possible multi-domain attacks at sea. The operation will be active along the main sea lines of communication in the Baab al-Mandab Strait and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as international waters in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Gulf. The  Operation Comma

Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed application seeking a stay on the new procedure for appointing new election commissioners. It issued notice to centre on application questioning constitutional validity of  the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023. Supreme court in its March 2023 verdict, ruled that appointment Election Commissioners and Chief election commissioner should be based on advise rendered by committee comprises of  Prime Minister, the CJI and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha until a law is made by the Parliament. While dismissing application questioning exclusion of Chief Justice of India from the committee to appoint Election Commissioners, SC affirmed that it is an interim arrangement till centre enacts law in this regard.  SC also questioned the procedure followed by Centre in appointing Members of Election Commission of India. Economic Times

Agnibaan SOrTeD (short form of SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator) is a planned suborbital test-flight of the Agnibaan launch vehicle, manufactured by Indian space startup Agnikul Cosmos. AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited is an Indian aerospace manufacturer based in National Center for Combustion R&D (NCRD) of IIT Madras, Chennai. The start up aims to develop and launch its own small-lift launch vehicle such as the Agnibaan, capable of placing 100 kg (220 lb) payload into a 700 km (430 mi) orbit. The first commercial launch was expected in 2022. However, no launch happened in that year. The first suborbital mission will be conducted on 22 March 2024. The SOrTeD mission is a single-stage launch vehicle demonstration that will be powered by a semi-cryogenic engine called the Agnilet. The test flight will last just over two minutes The 6.2 meter-tall vehicle will have an elliptical nose cone at the top to protect the package from harsh conditions during the flight. Unlike traditional

It is the  world's largest computer chip. It was  designed to power AI systems. Chip contains  900,000 AI cores. It has a dimension measuring  8.5 by 8.5 inches (21.5 by 21.5 centimeters). It has  125 petaflops of peak AI performance. Live Science , Cerebras Press Release

  The 41 st  Steering Committee Meeting of the  International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) , being hosted by India in New Delhi during March 18 – 22, 2024, continued its formal proceedings at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi on March 20, 2024. The United States is a founding member of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE), which was created in 2003 to foster international inter-governmental cooperation on hydrogen and fuel cells. IPHE has more than 20 member countries with the objectives to accelerate progress in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and to provide a forum for sharing information on member country initiatives, policies, and technology status, as well as on safety, regulations, codes, standards, and outreach. The United States served as chair of the IPHE steering committee from 2003 through 2007 and from 2018 through 2021. Currently the United States acts as vice-chair of the steering committee and

  International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has started Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development to respond to significant unmet needs of ITU Membership in the area of innovation, as articulated in the Kigali Action Plan adopted at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2022 (WTDC-22) and the Outcomes of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 (PP-22). The Alliance has three main vehicles: - Digital Transformation Lab Network of Acceleration Centres Digital Innovation Board The Alliance establishes the Digital Innovation Board to provide strategic guidance, expertise and advocacy regarding its mission of building critical local enablers and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development, to create a more inclusive and equitable digital future for all. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has selected 17 organizations from around the world to host Network of Acceleration Centres with the Global Innovation Centre at ITU A

India-European Free Trade Association ( EFTA ) signed Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) About European Free Trade Association ( EFTA ) Algal Blooms Zero-Boil-Off (ZBO) or Reduced Boil-Off (RBO) technologies Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management Programme ( FARM ) initiative jointly launched by India and six other countries

  The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It was set up in 1960 by its then seven Member States for the promotion of free trade and economic integration between its members. EFTA was founded by the Stockholm Convention in 1960. EFTA has three committees with an advisory role whose mandate is to provide advice to its member states on all issues of relevance to the organisation.  The EFTA Parliamentary Committee The EFTA Consultative Committee The EEA EFTA Forum The Consultative Committee of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a forum for trade unions and employers’ organisations in the four member countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Through its co-operation with social partners in the European Union, the Committee also serves as a link between social partners in EFTA and in the EU. The EFTA Council is the highest governing body of EFTA. The Council usually meets e

  India-European Free Trade Association signeda Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) today i.e. on 10 th   March 2024. India has been working on a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with EFTA countries comprising Switzerland, Iceland, Norway & Liechtenstein. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister has approved signing of the TEPA with EFTA States. EFTA is an inter-governmental organization set up in 1960 for the promotion of free trade and economic integration for the benefit of its four Member States. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Food and Consumer Affairs and Textiles said: "TEPA is a modern and ambitious Trade Agreement. For the first time, India is signing FTA with four developed nations - an important economic bloc in Europe. For the first time in history of FTAs, binding commitment of $100 bn investment  and 1 million direct jobs in the next 15 years has been given. The agreement wi

Algae Algae are a group of plants that are usually found in water. Like all plants, algae have a pigment called chlorophyll that they use to turn sunlight into food. Algae can be found in all types of waters, including salt water, fresh water, and brackish water (a mix of salt and fresh water). Algae that live in the water can be grouped into two categories, seaweed and phytoplankton. Seaweed are large plants made up of many cells and phytoplankton are small, single-celled plants. Dead zones are areas of water bodies where aquatic life cannot survive because of low oxygen levels. Dead zones are generally caused by significant nutrient pollution, and are primarily a problem for bays, lakes and coastal waters since they receive excess nutrients from upstream sources. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus cause an overgrowth of algae in a short period of time, also called algae blooms. The overgrowth of algae consumes oxygen and blocks sunlight from underwater plants. When the algae eventually d

 During long space voyages  Heat conducted through support structures or from the radiative space environment can penetrate even the formidable Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) systems of in-space propellant tanks, leading to boil-off or vaporization of the propellant and causing tank self-pressurization. The current practice is to guard against over-pressurizing the tank and endangering its structural integrity by venting the boil-off vapor into space. Onboard propellants are also used to cool down the hot transfer lines and the walls of an empty spacecraft tank before a fuel transfer and filling operation can take place.  Thus, precious fuel is continuously wasted during both storage and transfer operations, rendering long-duration expeditions—especially a human Mars mission—infeasible using current passive propellant tank pressure control methods. Zero-Boil-Off (ZBO) or Reduced Boil-Off (RBO) technologies provide an innovative and effective means to replace the current passive tank pres

It was jointly launched by  Ecuador, India, Kenya, Laos, Philippines, Uruguay, and Vietnam. It is a  $379 million initiative to combat pollution from the use of pesticides and plastics in agriculture.  It was   led by the  UN Environment Programme  (UNEP) with financial support from the  Global Environment Facility  (GEF). It was launched with the support of  United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the African Development Bank. UNEP

25T Bollard Pull (BP) Tug, Baljeet was launched by   Cmde Rajat Nagar, WPS (Mbi)   on   10 Mar 24   at M/s Shoft Shipyard Pvt Ltd, Bharuch, Gujarat. This Tug is a proud flag bearer of “Make in India” initiative of Govt of India. Contract for construction and delivery of three 25T BP Tug was concluded with M/s Shoft Shipyard Pvt Ltd (M/s SSPL), an MSME, in consonance with “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative of the Government of India. These Tugs are being built under the classification rules of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The availability of Tugs will provide impetus to Operational commitments of  IN  by facilitating assistance to Naval ships and submarines during berthing and un-berthing, turning and manoeuvring in confined waters. The Tugs will also provide afloat firefighting assistance to ships alongside, at anchorage and will also have capability to conduct limited Search and Rescue Operations. PIB

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted first successful flight test of indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle ( MIRV) technology. The flight test named Mission Divyastra was carried out from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. Various Telemetry and radar stations tracked and monitored multiple re-entry vehicles. The Mission accomplished the designed parameters. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi lauded the efforts of the DRDO scientists who participated in the conduct of the complex Mission. In a post on social media platform X He said, “ Proud of our DRDO scientists for Mission Divyastra, the first flight test of indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.” Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has also congratulated the scientists and the entire team, terming it as an exceptional success. PIB About  Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry V