UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

 Astronomers generally divide black holes into three categories according to their mass: stellar-mass, supermassive, and intermediate-mass. The mass ranges that define each group are approximate, and scientists are always reassessing where the boundaries should be set. Cosmologists suspect a fourth type, primordial black holes formed during the birth of the universe, may also lurk undetected in the cosmos. A swirling vortex of hot gas glows in this multiwavelength composite, marking the approximate location of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (pronounced ey-star) at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy. NASA, ESA, SSC, CXC, STScI Stellar When a star with more than eight times the Sun’s mass runs out of fuel, its core collapses, rebounds, and explodes as a supernova. What’s left behind depends on the star’s mass before the explosion. If it was near the threshold, it creates a city-sized, superdense neutron star. If it had around 20 times the Sun’s mass or more, the star’s cor...

  South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) is set to become the first coal PSU in India to adopt paste fill technology for coal mining—marking a major step toward sustainable and environmentally friendly mining practices. To implement this innovative underground mining technology, SECL has signed a ₹7040 crore agreement with TMC Mineral Resources Private Limited. Under this agreement, large-scale coal production will be undertaken using paste fill technology in the Singhali underground coal mine located in SECL’s Korba area. Over a period of 25 years, the project is expected to produce approximately 8.4 million tonnes (84.5 lakh tonnes) of coal. What is Paste Fill Technology? Paste filling is a modern underground mining method that eliminates the need to acquire surface land. After coal extraction, the mined-out voids are filled with a specially prepared paste made from fly ash, crushed overburden from opencast mines, cement, water, and binding chemicals. This process prevents land ...

India has nominated Ms. M. Revathi, Joint Wireless Advisor at the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), as its candidate for Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This marks India’s most significant bid in decades to influence global radio spectrum governance. A specialized UN agency based in Geneva, the ITU ensures that the world’s communication systems work together, safely, securely, and fairly. The Radiocommunication Bureau of the ITU regulates the global radio frequencies and satellite orbits—crucial for 5G, 6G, space broadband, disaster response, managing these finite resources. As Director, Ms. Revathi would play a central role in shaping next-gen radiocommunication standards and ensuring equitable spectrum access. ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies (ICTs). ​The Organization is made up of a membership of 194​ Member States and more than 1000 companies, universities and international and ...

SAARC Development Fund (SDF) (also known as SAARC Development Fund Secretariat For Regional Integration) is a regional financial institution based in Thimphu, Bhutan. SDF was founded in 2010 by the member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), an intergovernmental organization comprising eight countries in South Asia, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It carries out and manages various projects and programs across three key areas: Social, Economic, and Infrastructure. The SDF has its roots in two distinct regional funds known as the SAARC Fund for Regional Projects (SFRP) and the SAARC Regional Fund (SRF). These funds were proposed during the 5th SAARC Summit in Malé in November 1990, with the objective of identifying and executing regional projects that emerged from the SAARC process. These funds eventually became a part of the South Asian Development Fund (SADF), which Bhutan started during the...

  India hosted the 8th meeting of the AITIGA Joint Committee to review the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, from April 07 to 11, 2025. The event was conducted in a hybrid format. The meeting was co-chaired by   Shri Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India and Deputy Co-Chair Dr. Sugumari S. Shanmugam Senior Director Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia.   The meeting saw participation from delegates representing ASEAN countries, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The committee's primary objective was to advance the ongoing review of the AITIGA, aiming to modernize the agreement to be more effective, user-friendly, and conducive to trade. Five out of eight Sub-Committees (SCs) under the AITIGA JC also conducted hybrid meetings on the margins of the 8 th  AITIGA JC. Out ...