Recently, there has been a proposal to change name of Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America”.

About Gulf of Mexico

• Boundaries: United States (North), Mexico (West and South), Cuba (South-east).
• It connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida and to the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatán Channel.
• Draining Rivers: Mississippi River, Rio Grande
• Control and Ownership: Shared by U.S., Mexico, and Cuba
• Significance: Large continental shelf, oil and natural gas extraction, fisheries etc. 
• Vulnerability : Prone to hurricanes and twisters due to warm waters and atmospheric conditions 

Supreme Court dismissed the review petitions against the verdict delivered in Supriya Chakraborty vs. UoI Case .

Supriyo  vs. UoI Case 2023 

• Court declined to recognize queer marriages, leaving it to the legislature.
  • Queer refers to people who identify themselves as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex). 
• Directed Centre to form a committee to examine queer rights without recognizing marriage.
  • Centre has formed a committee, led by the Cabinet Secretary in compliance with this direction. 
• Queer couples have the right to cohabit without violence or interference, but no marriage recognition.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)  has stated that DALHs flying safety records are better in comparison to global standards.

About Dhruv ALHs

• Is an indigenously developed utility aircraft by HAL with a twin engine. 
• It has a multi-role, multi-mission dimension to it. 
• It can be used for the military as well as for civil operations.

Variations

• ALH Dhruv Mk III UT (Utility): Indian Army version, is designed for Search & Rescue, Troop Transportation, Internal Cargo, etc.
• ALH Mk III MR (Maritime Role): Indian Coast Guard version, designed for Maritime Surveillance and Interdiction, Search and Rescue, Rappelling Operations, etc.

The Centre has made it mandatory for new applicants to obtain a farmer ID for enrolment into the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan). 

• PM Kisan provides income support of 6,000/- per year in three equal instalments to all land-holding farmer families.

Kisan Pehchaan Patra

• This Aadhaar-like digital identity links farmers to state land records and verifies land ownership. 
• The database created through the farmer ID will be known as Farmer’s Registry. 
  • Farmer’s Registry is one of the three registries under the Agri-Stack (others being Geo-referenced village maps, and Crop Sown Registry). 

E-way bills in December was at second highest level in two years signalling supply chain recovery.

About E-way bills

• E-way bills are electronic bills are required for transporting goods valued over ₹50,000 within and across states. 
  • They serve as an early indicator of economic activity by tracking goods movement. 
• It is generated from the GST Common Portal for the E-Way Bill system by registered persons or transporters
• Starting April 1, Multi-Factor Authentication will become mandatory for all taxpayers using the e-way bill system.

Sustainable, efficient nano catalysts have been developed which have uses in  environmental remediation, nanoscale electronics, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

About Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)

• It is a highly sensitive technique that enhances Raman scattering of molecules supported by nanostructured materials.
• Raman Spectroscopy is a non-destructive chemical analysis technique and provides Information such as 
  • chemical structure and identity, 
  • Intrinsic stress/strain, 
  • contamination and impurity.
• Applications: Nanotechnology, Biomedicine, Food Science, Environmental Analysis, Biochemistry and Biosensing etc.

The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) of NITI Aayog has launched EmpowHER Biz – Sapno Ki Udaan.

• WEP, incubated in NITI Aayog in 2018 as an aggregator platform have transitioned into a public-private partnership in 2022

EmpowHER Biz

• Objectives
  • Empower women entrepreneurs by equipping them with the skills and resources needed.
  • It will offer mentorship covering retail management, digital tools, financial literacy and business development to aspiring women entrepreneurs.

Cornell University's AnemiaPhone technology, now transferred to ICMR, offers quick, accurate, and cost-effective iron deficiency assessment.

• ICMR will integrate it into its programs for anemia, women’s health and maternal and child health throughout the country.

About Anemia in India 

• Anaemia is a condition in which number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal.
• It affects 59% of adolescent girls, 57% of women (15-49 years) and 67% of children (6-59 months) in India (NFHS-5) 
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat strategy uses a 6x6x6 approach (6 target beneficiary groups, 6 interventions, 6 institutional mechanisms) to reduce anaemia in the life cycle approach.