Coral Spawning
Great Barrier Reef witnessed mass coral spawning event that happened after the November full moon in Australia.
- Process by which corals reproduce by releasing eggs and sperm into the water simultaneously.
- Typically occurs once a year and is synchronized with lunar cycles, often during a full moon.
- Environmental Factors –
- Temperature: Optimal water temperatures are crucial for successful coral spawning.
- Water Quality: Clean, unpolluted water is essential for the survival of coral larvae.
- Light: Light conditions, influenced by lunar cycles, play a significant role in triggering coral spawning events.
Amrit Gyaan Kosh Portal
Amrit Gyaan Kosh Portal on iGOT platform launched.
- Purpose – To empower educators and enhance the quality of public administration training across India.
- Jointly developed by Capacity Building Commission and Karmayogi Bharat
- Encompasses diverse policy themes such as health, education, agriculture, and digital governance.
Consumer Confidence Survey
Latest RBI survey shows weakened consumer confidence in India’s economy, employment, and spending.
- An economic indicator reflecting optimism or pessimism about the economy and personal finances.
- Published by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) measures it through a bi-monthly
- Consists of 2 indexes –
- Current Situation Index (CSI): Consumer sentiment about the economy, employment, and prices compared to a year ago.
- Future Expectation Index (FEI): Expectations about the economy, employment, and prices a year ahead.
Diamond Battery
Scientists from University of Bristol and UKAEA have created world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery.
- Utilizes the radioactive decay of carbon-14, commonly used in radiocarbon dating, to generate electricity.
- Energy Conversion – Similar to a solar panel, it converts energy, but instead of using light, it harnesses fast-moving electrons from radioactive decay.
- Generates low levels of electricity without any leakage.
- Potential Applications –
- Can power devices such as pacemakers, hearing aids, and ocular devices.
- Ideal for space missions due to its long-lasting power, making it suitable for satellites.
- Helps manage nuclear waste by extracting carbon-14, thereby reducing radioactivity and storage costs.
Anti-Drone Systems
India soon to create a comprehensive Anti-Drone Unit to secure its borders: Union Home Minister
- Refers to methods/systems used to detect, track, and mitigate unauthorized UAVs or drones that may pose a security threat.
- Technology Used – Radio Frequency jammers, Global Positioning System (GPS) spoofers, net guns, etc.
- Recent Anti-Drone Measures Deployed by India –
- DRDO’s Soft Kill (for jamming the communication links of Drone) and Hard Kill (Laser based hard kill to destroy the Drone)
- Counter Drone System (D4 System) of Bharat Electricals Limited