Araku Utsav tiled ‘Chali’ is being organised in the Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh.

About Araku Valley

• Location: Part of Eastern Ghats and located at an average altitude ranging between 600 m and 900 m above the sea level.
• Features 
  • Anantagiri and Sunkarimetta Reserved Forest, which are part of Araku Valley, are rich in biodiversity and are mined for bauxite.
  • Often referred to as Ooty of Andhra.
  • Inhabited by different tribes, mainly Araku Tribes.
  • It is renowned for Araku Arabica Coffee, which is accredited with Geographical Indication (GI) Tag in 2019.
  • Valley is surrounded by mountains like Galikonda, Raktakonda, Sunkarimetta and Chitamogondi.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed penalties on India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) for deficiencies in regulatory compliance.

About IPPB

• Genesis: Established in 2018 with 100% equity owned by Government of India
• Aim: IPPB aims to provide every household in India an access to efficient banking services.
• Ministry: Works under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication 

Gujarat has notified "Inland Mangrove of Guneri" in the District of Kutch as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS). 

• It is Gujarat’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site.
• Notified in accordance with the Biodiversity Act, 2002.

About Inland Mangrove of Guneri

• Guneri mangroves grow 45km from Arabian Sea and 4km from Kori Creek, representing a rare inland ecosystem.
  • Unlike conventional mangrove ecosystems, this site does not receive tidal water inflow and lacks muddy or swampy conditions.
• It is reportedly one of only eight of its kind across the world.
• Area houses around 20 migratory and 25 resident migratory avifaunal species.

The Ministry of Railways has introduced the ‘SwaRail’ SuperApp, a one-stop solution to streamline various railway services.

About SwaRail

• Offers services like Reserved Ticket Bookings, Unreserved Ticket & Platform Ticket Bookings, etc. 
  • A key focus of the App is enhancing user experience with a seamless and clean user interface (UI).
• Developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

A small detector, weighing under 3 kilograms, successfully identified antineutrinos, which are the antimatter counterparts of neutrinos.

About Neutrino

• Neutrinos are subatomic particles with no electric charge and an extremely small mass, almost close to zero.
• Neutrinos are among the most abundant particles in the universe, second only to photons.
• Neutrinos interact with matter only via the weak nuclear force and gravity, making them incredibly difficult to detect.
• Global Neutrino Detection Initiatives: IceCube Neutrino Observatory (Antarctica), Super-Kamiokande (Japan), etc
• India’s Initiative: India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) at underground laboratory in Tamil Nadu, India.

OpenAI has ventured into protein engineering by developing a model—GPT-4b micro. The model enhances Yamanaka factors.

About Yamanaka Factors

• Yamanaka Factors are four specific proteins: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. These factors are transcription factors that regulate gene expression and can reprogram somatic (adult) cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
• Applications
  • Regenerative Medicine: iPSCs generated using Yamanaka Factors can differentiate into any cell type, offering potential treatments for diseases.
  • Drug Testing: iPSCs provide a platform for testing drug efficacy and toxicity.
• Discovery & Recognition: Identified in 2006 by Shinya Yamanaka; Awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

The US FDA has approved Suzetrigine, a first-in-class non-opioid treatment for moderate-to-severe acute pain. 

About Opioid

• Definition: A class of drugs that derive from or mimic natural substances found in the opium poppy plant.
• Common Opioids Examples: Oxycodone, Morphine, Heroin etc
• Primary Use: Pain relief. 
• Addiction: Although opioids are effective as painkillers, they can be addictive.

Recently, Yamuna board stated that ammonia problem occurs every year and there are no convergent solutions by states

Ammonia Pollution in water

• According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 0.5 ppm.
• Causes: Intensive rearing of farm animals, can also arise from cement mortar pipe linings, discharge of untreated sewag, etc.
• Ammonia in water is an indicator of possible bacterial, sewage and animal waste pollution.
• Health risk: Affecting the respiratory system through irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat,etc.