Phytoplankton Boom
Recently, scientists found evidence that desertification leads to large amounts of nutrient-rich dust causing phytoplankton (Algae) bloom.
- Exponential growth of phytoplankton.
- Favorable conditions – Warm Sea surface temperature, calm waters, availability of excessive nutrients etc.
- Impact – Depletes the oxygen level in the ocean creating ‘Dead Zone’.
- Phytoplanktons are microscopic, single-celled plants that live in the ocean.
Bharat NCX
National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) inaugurated Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise (Bharat NCX 2024).
- Objective – To strengthen India’s cybersecurity resilience by training cybersecurity professionals and leaders
- Includes immersive training, live-fire simulations, and strategic decision-making exercise
VISION Portal
Union Minister of Science and Technology has inaugurated VISION portal
- Stands for Viksit Bharat Initiative for Student Innovation and Outreach Network (VISION) portal.
- Objective – Nurturing education, skill development, and innovation among underprivileged children..
AI Data Bank
Ministry of Science and Technology launched India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Bank.
- Objective – To provide researchers and developers access to high-quality, diverse datasets essential for creating scalable and inclusive AI solutions.
- Significance – Provides real-time analytics of satellite, drone, and Internet of Things (IoT) data.
Doppler Radar
Department of Consumer Affairs released the draft Rules for the Microwave Doppler Radar equipment for measuring speed of vehicles under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011.
- Type of radar that uses the Doppler Effect to determine an object’s location, speed, and distance.
- Doppler Effect – Change in wave frequency during the relative motion between the source and the observer.
- Applied in the fields of Meteorology (track weather patterns); aviation (track air traffic); military (track aircraft and missiles), etc.