Bioswales
Bioswales are a powerful Nature-Based Solution (NbS) designed to help manage stormwater runoff while boosting biodiversity and enhancing urban landscapes.
- Vegetated, shallow channels designed to filter and manage stormwater runoff, reducing urban flooding and water pollution.
- Use natural filtration through soil and plants to remove pollutants before water enters local water bodies.
- Helps in groundwater recharge, reduces erosion, and supports urban biodiversity.
- Used in sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) to improve stormwater management in cities
Triple Test
Jharkhand collected data on population of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), first step of “Triple Test”, laid down by Supreme Court for OBC quotas in local bodies
- A Supreme Court-mandated framework ensuring constitutionally valid OBC reservations in local bodies.
- 3 Conditions: (1) Empirical inquiry by a dedicated commission, (2) Reservation proportion based on findings, (3) 50% cap on total reservations (SC+ST+OBC).
- Established in Vikas Kishanrao Gawali vs. State of Maharashtra (2021) to prevent arbitrary quotas.
- Ensures equitable political representation while maintaining constitutional balance
Opinion Trading Platforms
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has cautioned investors against dealing with opinion trading platform.
- Online platforms where users bet on future events (e.g., elections, sports, cryptocurrency) using real money.
- Regulatory Concerns: Operate in a legal gray area, lacking SEBI oversight, raising concerns about gambling, data privacy, and market manipulation.
- Economic Impact: Rapid growth with ₹50,000 crore annual transactions, attracting major investors like Sequoia Capital.
- Legal Status: SEBI warns that opinion trading platforms are not recognized stock exchanges, making certain transactions potentially illegal.
Black Hole Bomb
Researchers have created the first laboratory analog of the “black hole bomb,” a concept proposed by physicist Yakov Zel’dovich in 1971
- A hypothetical astrophysical phenomenon where a rotating black hole could be destabilized by trapped radiation.
- Mechanism: If a mirror-like boundary surrounds a black hole, it could cause exponential energy amplification, leading to a runaway effect.
- Theoretical Basis: Proposed in general relativity, linked to superradiance—a process where waves extract energy from rotating black holes.
- Scientific Importance: Helps in understanding black hole physics, energy extraction, and potential astrophysical explosions
RBI Regulated Markets
An RBI Working Group to undertake a comprehensive review of trading and settlement timings of markets regulated by the Reserve Bank has submitted its report.
- Financial markets regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), including money markets, forex markets, and government securities.
- Key Segments: (1) Call/Notice/Term Money Market, (2) Commercial Paper & Certificates of Deposit, (3) Repo in Corporate Bonds, (4) Government Securities Market.
- Regulatory Role: RBI ensures monetary stability, controls liquidity, and manages interest rates through monetary policy tools.
- Recent Developments: RBI launched Retail Direct Mobile App for G-Sec investments, enhancing financial inclusion