Star Campaigner
- Various political parties have mentioned the list of their star campaigners for the Lok sabha General Elections.
- Star Campaigners
- Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, deals with expenditure incurred by ‘leaders of a political party’, also known as ‘star campaigners’.
- A recognised political party can appoint a maximum of 40 star campaigners while a registered unrecognized political party can appoint up to 20.
- Expenditure incurred by star campaigners on account of travel is not deemed to be part of the election expenditure of a candidate of such party.
- Tags :
- Star Campaigner
ISHAN Initiative
- The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started work on ISHAN (Indian Single Sky Harmonized Air Traffic Management) Initiative.
- About ISHAN
- It involves Combining India's four airspace regions (FIRs) into a single system overseen from Nagpur.
- Currently, Indian airspace is divided into 4 FIRs i.e. Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, and a sub-FIR in Guwahati, each managed separately.
- Unifying these FIRs under a single authority in Nagpur is projected to improve efficiency, safety, and seamlessness in air traffic operations.
- It involves Combining India's four airspace regions (FIRs) into a single system overseen from Nagpur.
- Tags :
- ISHAN Initiative
- Indian Single Sky Harmonized Air Traffic Management
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
- Prime Minister recently addressed the 6th edition of the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI).
- ICDRI is an annual international conference of the CDRI.
- About CDRI
- About: It is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies, multilateral development banks to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems.
- It was launched at UN Climate Action Summit in 2019 by India.
- Strategic priorities: Technical Support and Capacity-building, Research and Knowledge Management and Advocacy and Partnership.
- Members: 39 countries and 7 organizations
- Key Initiative: Infrastructure For Resilient Island States (IRIS), Global Infrastructure Resilience Report etc.
- Governance: India is the permanent co-chair of the CDRI Governing Council and Executive Committee.
- Secretariat: New Delhi
- About: It is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies, multilateral development banks to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems.
- Tags :
- CDRI
- ICDRI
South-China Sea
- Philippines denied China’s claim on agreement over disputed South China Sea’s Second Thomas Shoal.
- South China Sea is a part of western Pacific Ocean stretching roughly from Singapore and the Strait of Malacca in the southwest, to the Strait of Taiwan in the northeast.
- Key Disputes in the South-China Sea
- Nine-dash line (imaginary line) of China: It covers most of the South China Sea and overlaps with the exclusive economic zone claims of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It includes
- Paracel Islands: Controlled by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.
- Spratly Islands: Claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia
- Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef is located near this Island.
- Scarborough Shoal: Claimed by China, Taiwan, and Philippines.
- Nine-dash line (imaginary line) of China: It covers most of the South China Sea and overlaps with the exclusive economic zone claims of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It includes
- Tags :
- South-China Sea
- Nine-dash line
- Paracel Islands
Nilgiri Tahr
- The Tamil Nadu government is executing a synchronized survey to estimate the population of Nilgiri Tahr.
- About Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiri Ibex)
- Stocky goats with short, coarse fur with both sexes having curved horns, which are larger in the males.
- It is the only Mountain Ungulate (Hoofed Mammal) in southern India.
- Habitat: Open montane grassland habitats of South Western Ghats.
- Conservation Status: Listed as Endangered under the IUCN Red List.
- Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- State animal of Tamil Nadu.
- Tags :
- Tamil Nadu
- Nilgiri Tahr
- Nilgiri Ibex
- State animal
Rampage Missiles
- Recently, Rampage Missiles has been inducted by the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
- About Rampage Missile
- Long-range, supersonic, Air-to-Surface, precision strike missile.
- Developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and Israeli Military Industries Systems.
- Range: ~250 km.
- Guidance: GPS/ Inertial Navigation System (INS) navigation with anti-jamming capabilities.
- INS is an electronic system that can detect and measure changes in the motion of an object.
- Integrated into Russian-origin aircraft fleet, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, and Jaguar fighters, and also into Indian Navy's MiG-29K fleet.
- Tags :
- Rampage Missiles
- Air to Surface Missile
- Supersonic Missile
Bisphenol A (BPA)
- Negotiations are being under the aegis of UNEP to address plastic pollution across the life cycle including the issue of harmful chemicals such as BPA used in plastic packaging.
- About BPA
- Chemical used primarily in production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins.
- Polycarbonate plastics are often used in containers that store food and beverages.
- Epoxy resins are used to coat the inside of metal products, such as food cans, bottle tops, etc.
- Exposure to BPA can have health effects on brain and prostate gland of foetuses, infants and children.
- Chemical used primarily in production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins.
- Tags :
- Bisphenol A (BPA)
- polycarbonate plastics
Salmonella
- US authorities have rejected some spice-related exports from an Indian company over salmonella (bacteria) contamination.
- About Salmonella:
- It is a group of anaerobic bacteria.
- These can be found in a variety of foods, including chicken, beef, pork, etc.
- Humans become infected by bacteria most frequently through contaminated water or food.
- They live in animal and human intestines.
- Health Impacts: Food Poisoning, Diarrhea, etc.
- Tags :
- Salmonella
- Food Poisoning