- SMART system was successfully flight-tested from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
- About SMART
- It is a Next-generation missile-based light-weight torpedo delivery system.
- A torpedo is a type of missile or bomb fired underwater.
- Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- It is a canister-based missile system and is equipped with parachute-based release system.
- It consists of advanced sub-systems like two-stage solid propulsion system, electromechanical actuator system, etc.
- It will enhance the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy far beyond the conventional range of lightweight torpedo.
- It is a Next-generation missile-based light-weight torpedo delivery system.
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1 source- Middle powers, lacking a universally agreed-upon definition, typically rank below great powers but exert influence over global politics.
- Great powers are countries with a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
- Middle powers have extensive diplomatic, economic, multilateral, and military heft.
- They comprise:
- Global North countries like Australia, Canada and South Korea.
- Global South nations like India, Argentina, Brazil and Indonesia
- Significance: Strengthen multilateralism; represent the voice of the global south, etc.
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1 source- Researchers found evidence that Taam Ja' Blue Hole is the deepest in the world.
- It is located in Mexico's Chetumal Bay, on the eastern side of the Yucatán Peninsula.
- About Blue hole
- These are water-filled caverns that form below the seafloor. These are often found in coastal areas where the bedrock is prone to erosion.
- They develop as ocean water seeps through cracks, dissolving minerals as they go, leading to sinkholes. Over time, they can grow quite large.
- Other Prominent Blue Holes: Dragon Hole in the South China Sea, Great Blue Hole near Belize and the Dahab Blue Hole (Egypt).
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- India is set to host the prestigious 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.
- Meeting will be organised by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
- About Antarctic Treaty:
- Signed in 1959 and entered into force in 1961.
- Total Parties to the Treaty is 56.
- India signed the treaty and received the consultative party status in 1983.
- Enacted Indian Antarctic Act, 2022, reaffirming its commitment to the Antarctic Treaty.
- Key provisions: Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes, Freedom of scientific investigation, etc.
- Key Protocol and Conventions:
- Protocol on Environment Protection (Madrid Protocol) to the Antarctic Treaty, 1991
- Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, 1980
- Securities and Exchange Board of India has raised the investment limit for passive funds like Index Funds and Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in companies belonging to the sponsor group from 25% to 35% of their total assets.
- Passive Funds are the funds which invest in a particular Index in a similar proportion to generate returns similar to the Index.
- Benefits: Help in accurate reflection of the index's performance in the fund, can provide wider investment options, etc.
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- Scientist have found the green lynx spider in Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary in Churu District of Rajasthan, which was never discovered earlier and is named as peucetia chhaparajnirvin.
- This spider is nocturnal and feeds on small insects.
- The lynx spiders are among the major predators of insects occurring in low shrubs and herbaceous vegetation.
- They are important predators of plant-damaging insects.
- It is also an important predator of insect pests of the forest ecosystem.
- Supreme Court in a case highlighted the cultural and legal significance of wedding ceremonies in Indian society.
- A Hindu marriage is a samskara and a sacrament which has to be accorded its status as an institution of great value in Indian society.
- The judgment emphasised that simply registering a marriage without the performance of these rites does not confer upon it the legitimacy of a Hindu marriage under the law.
- The Hindu Marriage Act, of 1955, solemnly acknowledges both the material and spiritual aspects of this event in the married couple's lives.
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- Scientists have reported that the inside of most massive neutron stars is most likely made of quark matter.
- Neutron stars are formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses.
- About Quarks:
- These are elementary particles. Like the electron, they are not made up of any other particles.
- These can’t exist in isolation. They can only be found in clumps (groups) of two or three and such clumps of quarks are called hadrons.
- A quark’s antiquark clump is called a meson.
- These are the ultimate building blocks of visible matter in the universe.
- There are six types of quarks: up, down, top, bottom, strange, and charm.
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