Heat Index
Recently, the Heat Index reached 50°C in Delhi.
- Launched by – India Meteorological Department (IMD)
- Also known as – Apparent Temperature (temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature)
- Provides information about impact of humidity on high temperatures and can be used as an indication for human discomfort.
- Colour codes used for HI – Green (HI less than 35 °C) Yellow (36-45 °C), Orange (46-55 °C), Red (> 55 °C)
Zero-Carbon Cement
Researchers from University of Cambridge have developed a method for producing Zero-Carbon Cement.
- Newly developed process to make clinker involving reusing cement paste from demolished buildings and utilizing electric arc furnace which is used to recycle steel.
- Producing cement is highly polluting, responsible for around 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
- Making cement requires “clinker”, made by heating raw materials, including limestone and clay
- Clinker production accounts for 90% of cement’s carbon footprint.
eVTOL aircraft
IIT Madras-incubated ePlane Company is expected to launch electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Bengaluru.
- Can take off and land vertically, enabling them to operate in congested urban areas.
- Fly through electric propulsion and vertical lift.
- Batteries, typically lithium-ion, or other energy storage systems store and provide energy required to lift off and fly.
- Benefits – Reduction in traffic congestion, addressing air pollution, improving accessibility and connectivity, emergency medical services, etc
PRIRP (Pre-Packaged Insolvency Resolution Process)
PPIRP has resulted in the full settlement of operational creditors’ claims in five cases.
- It provides for the resolution of stress of corporate MSMEs within a period of 120 days.
- Introduced in the – Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 through an amendment in 2021.
- Initiated voluntarily by the debtor and is available for defaults of at least ₹ 10 lakh.
- PPIRP envisages a hybrid process, where pre-initiation phase is largely informal and post-initiation stage is formal.
Radiation Processing
Government is planning radiation processing of onions to prevent shortages.
- Incorporates controlled application of ionizing radiations (gamma rays, accelerated electrons and X-rays).
- Benefits – Delays ripening, enhances shelf life by destruction of spoilage microbes, etc.
- Nutritional value is least affected in comparison to other processing methods.
- Cannot be used to destroy microbial toxins and pathogen viruses.
- Regulation – Prevention of Food Adulteration (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 1994, mandates all packages of irradiated foods to display the green irradiation logo