NASA’s Europa Clipper embarked on long voyage to Jupiter to investigate its moon Europa.

About Europa Clipper

• Objective: Determine whether Europa has conditions that could support life. 
  • Evidence suggests presence of enormous, salty ocean with more water than Earth beneath Europa’s ice. 
• It is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission.
• It is also the first NASA mission dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth.
• It will begin orbiting Jupiter in 2030 and conduct flybys of Europa from 2031. 
• Its instruments include ice-penetrating radar, cameras and a thermal instrument to look for any recent eruptions of water.

Drugs Controller General of India has announced that 11 countries have recognized Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) as their standard.

• IP prescribes standards for identity, purity and strength of drugs essentially required from health care perspective. It is published and updated by IPC.

About IPC

• An autonomous institution under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It is created to set standards of drugs in country.
• Functions:
  • Responsible for regularly revising and publishing IP and National Formulary of India. 
  • Provides IP Reference Substances (IPRS) which act as a fingerprint for identification of an article under test.

Atmospheric rivers are shifting toward higher latitudes which is reshaping global weather pattern.

• Reason for this shift is changes in sea surface temperatures in eastern tropical Pacific.

About Atmospheric rivers

• They are long, narrow bands in atmosphere that transport most of the water vapor outside the tropics. They play a critical role in replenishing water supplies.
• Consequences of Shifting
  • Subtropical areas may experience longer droughts and reduced water supplies, impacting agriculture.
  • Higher latitude regions may witness more extreme rainfall, flooding and landslides.
  • More atmospheric rivers could speed up sea-ice melting in Arctic, contributing to global warming and affecting wildlife.

WHO team arrived in Deeg, Rajasthan amidst rising cases of Diphtheria.

About Diphtheria

• Contagious disease that is caused by toxin producing bacteria (Corynebacterium diphtheria).
• Infects respiratory system mainly affecting children from newborns to 16 years of age. 
• Spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• Prevented by vaccines that are often given in combination with tetanus and pertussis, hepatitis B and inactivated polio.
• It is covered under Universal Immunization Program in India and is given as Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP). 

Recently, an online application window for PLIWG attracted huge response with 43% of new applicants from MSME sector.

About PLIWG

• Aim: Provide financial incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in White Goods manufacturing value chain.
• Target Segment: Air conditioners and LEDs Lights.
• Outcome: Domestic Value Addition is expected to grow from 15-20% to 75-80%.
• Ministry: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Eligibility: Incentive shall be provided to Companies making brownfield or greenfield Investments for manufacturing in target segments in India.
• Tenure: FY 2021-22 to FY 2028-29.

Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Labour & Employment launched the e-Migrate portal and mobile app.

About E-Migrate portal

• Online Platform to facilitate and manage the migration of Indian workers seeking employment abroad.
• It aims to provide various services to migrant workers including information access, documentation, helpline support etc.
• Feature a 24/7 multilingual helpline and will be integrated with Digilocker for secure document storage and obtain paperless clearance at immigration.
• It also brings foreign employers, registered recruitment agents and insurance companies on one common platform designed to promote safe & legal migration. 

Union Ministry of Earth Sciences approved installation of an X-band radar in Kerala's Wayanad district following devastating floods and landslides.

X-band Radar

• Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) uses radio waves to determine the distance, velocity, and physical characteristics of objects. 
• An X-band radar emits radiation in X-band (8-12 GHz) of electromagnetic spectrum corresponding to smaller wavelengths of around 2-4 cm.
• Small wavelengths allow it to produce images of higher resolution but have a relatively shorter range.
• Benefits: Monitor movement of particles, such as soil, inform landslide warnings.

According to EnviStats India-2024, Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve has been ranked first among tiger reserves for hosting largest leopard population.

Nagarjuna Sagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR)

• Location: Nallamala hill ranges (offshoot of the Eastern Ghats), Andhra Pradesh. 
• Constitutes of two wildlife sanctuaries - Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Natural Vegetation: Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest having an under growth of bamboo and grass.
• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Asiatic Wild dog, Jackal, Sambar, Wild Boar etc.
• River Krishna traverses through reserve.
• Waterfalls: Ethpothala Falls, Pedda Dukudu, Gundam, Chaleswaram.