Dark Oxygen
Scientists discovered ‘dark’ oxygen 13,100-feet deep in the Pacific Ocean.
- Generated by – Metallic nodules present on the seafloor.
- Appear to catalyze the splitting of seawater (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen.
- Previously, it was believed that most of the oxygen came from marine plants performing photosynthesis, a process which is dependent on sunlight.
- Discovery challenges existing paradigms about oxygen production in Earth’s most inaccessible marine environments.
Magnetotactic bacteria
A study found that rock varnish in Ladakh, containing magnetofossils, could help identify habitable environments in space.
- Widespread, motile, diverse prokaryotes
- Biomineralize a unique organelle called the magnetosome (consists of magnetic iron mineral).
- Can orientate themselves within Earth’s geomagnetic field.
MERCOSUR
Bolivia became a full member of MERCOSUR.
- Southern Common Market in Latin America.
- Objective – Facilitating the free movement of goods, services, capital and people among the member countries
- Established by – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in 1991
- Joined by Venezuela (suspended since December 1, 2016) and Bolivia.
- India has a Preferential Trade Agreement with MERCOSUR
Domestic Money Transfer
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in a review revised framework for domestic money transfer
- Introduced in – 2011
- Revised by RBI under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
- Review was done as there has been significant increase in the availability of banking outlets, developments in payment systems for funds transfers, etc.
Right to be forgotten
Supreme Court will examine the issue of the ‘right to be forgotten’ concerning digital privacy.
- Also known as – ‘Right to erasure’
- Deals with individual rights to have control of the use of personal data by organisations.
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 does not mention the ‘right to be forgotten’.
- Europe’s GDPR law covers the right to be forgotten