Eta Aquarid meteor shower
Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks during early May each year.
- Occurs when the Earth passes through orbital plane of Halley’s Comet, which takes about 76 years to orbit the Sun.
- Known for their speed.
- Southern Hemisphere is preferable for viewing Eta Aquarids as its radiant – Aquarius Constellation – is higher up in Sky in Southern Hemisphere
- Meteors – Space rocks that enter Earth’s atmosphere burning and causing steak of light.
- Come from – Leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids.
Look out circular (LOCs)
The Bombay High Court recently held that public sector banks (PSBs) cannot recommend or request the issuance of Look Out Circulars (LOCs) against loan defaulters.
- An instrument issued by the government as a directive to its immigration authorities to restrict and regulate the physical movement of a person.
- The immigration department is tasked to stop any such individual against whom such a notice exists from leaving or entering the country.
- Usually issued by – Police, intelligence agencies, or other government agencies authorised by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- Does not have express statutory backing in legislation, the power to issue LOCs and their regulation stems from the executive in the form of an Office Memorandum issued by the MHA
- LOCs can only be opened in criminal or penal cases, and the reason for the LOC must be indicated with the issue of the circular.
Endosymbiotic Theory
Recent research papers related to nitrogen fixation and nitroplast generated interest in the endosymbiotic theory.
- The theory posits that some eukaryotic cell organelles, such as mitochondria and plastids, evolved from free-living prokaryotes.
- Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus which stores the genetic information.
- In prokaryotes, DNA is bundled together in the nucleoid region, but it is not stored within a membrane-bound nucleus.
Arecanut
An Areca Research Centre in Karnataka has declared Thirthahalli Arecanut as the best quality Areca in the state.
- Tropical horticultural and commercial crop
- Soil type – Laterite, loamy, clayey, alluvial.
- Leading producers – Karnataka, followed by Kerala and Assam.
- India imports arecanut from – Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Indonesia.
- The Centre has levied a Minimum Import price on it to curb illegal imports
FWD 200 B
Bengaluru-based company unveiled FWD-200B
- India’s 1st indigenous bomber unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
- Medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV.
- Can carry a maximum take-off weight of 498 kg and has an operational altitude of 9,000 ft above mean sea level.