- President conveyed her greetings on eve of Gudi Padwa, and other festivals of welcoming spring season and Indian New Year.
- Gudi Padwa is observed on first day of Chaitra month.
- It indicates arrival of spring and marks start of new year in Maharashtra.
- Other Spring festivals across India:
- Ugadi: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana.
- Cheti Chand: Celebrated by Sindhis.
- Navreh: celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Sajibu Cheiraoba: Manipur.
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- Cargo ships transiting the Mediterranean and the Black Sea are faced with growing incidents of GPS jamming wherein ship navigation data is manipulated or interfered with near conflict zones.
- About GPS (Global Positioning System) Jamming
- It is the act of using a frequency transmitting device to intentionally block or interfere with GPS signals that are used for positioning, navigation and timing.
- GPS jammers emit radio frequency signals of the same frequency as GPS signals.
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- Researchers at the University of Kerala developed an Air-breathing Magnesium-Copper / Cupric Oxide (Mg-Cu/CuO) Fuel Cell.
- About Mg-Cu/CuO fuel cell
- It is a variation of the Mg-C fuel cell, but uses a copper-based cathode which can be reused unlike carbon-based in Mg-C fuel cell.
- It is operationally more stable than Mg-C fuel cell.
- It is an eco-friendly fuel cell that generates power mainly using air and seawater.
- The cell produces only electricity and heat during its operation and emits water.
- Technology is expected to be as disruptive as Lithium-ion batteries.
- It is a variation of the Mg-C fuel cell, but uses a copper-based cathode which can be reused unlike carbon-based in Mg-C fuel cell.
- Indian banks are battling the worst deposit crunch in 20 years and at 80%, the credit-deposit ratio is at its highest since 2005.
- About CDR:
- It is the ratio of how much a bank lends out of the deposits it has mobilised.
- A higher CDR suggests that a significant portion of the bank's resources are allocated to loans.
- It could potentially stimulate economic growth but also implies higher risk.
- Regulators often monitor CDR to ensure banks maintain a prudent balance between lending and risk management.
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- UN Security Council refers Palestinian application to become full UN member to committee.
- About UN Membership procedure
- State accepts Charter commitments by submitting an application to Secretary-General
- UNSC requiring affirmative votes from 9 out of 15 members and no vetoes by 5 permanent members.
- If recommended, it's presented to General Assembly, which requires a two-thirds majority vote.
- Membership becomes effective upon resolution adoption.
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- Over 73,000 applications received on Suvidha portal since the announcement of Lok Sabha elections.
- Suvidha Portal
- Developed by Election Commission of India to ensure a level playing field upholding the democratic principles of free, fair, and transparent elections.
- It streamlined the process of obtaining and acting upon requests for permissions and facilities from political parties and candidates during election period.
- Caters to permissions for organizing rallies, helicopters, vehicle permits, temporary party offices etc.
- The portal can help to scrutinize election expenditures, contributing to greater accountability and integrity in the electoral process.
- Rise in water level of Ural River due to snow melting affected over 10,000 Homes across Russia.
- Ural River
- It is 2,428 km long river that flows through Russia and Kazakhstan along the continental boundary between Europe and Asia.
- Originates in Ural Mountains and empties into Caspian Sea.
- It is Europe's third-longest river after Volga and Danube rivers.
- Melting snow constitutes about 60% to 70% of the river’s water source.
