NATIONAL:
1. Technology at LAC
Why in news – Army is preparing for the 4th consecutive winter in eastern Ladakh since the start of the standoff in May 2020.
Key Points –
• It includes –
(a) Latest surveillance devices - AI-based high-resolution cameras
(b) Winter air surveillance operations by helicopters.
(c) Drones and satellites – providing a comprehensive picture to Indian troops.
(d) Additional habitat construction for troops
(e) DRDO is working on a system to reduce the existing acclimatization period.
2. Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)
Why in news – PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor in Uttar Pradesh on October 20, 2023.
Key Points –
• Its foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister on March 8, 2019.
• RRTS is a new rail-based, semi-high-speed, high-frequency commuter transit system.
• It provides high-speed trains (design speed - 180 Kmph) for intercity commuting every 15 minutes.
• A total of eight RRTS corridors have been identified to be to be developed in NCR.
Value Addition –
• RRTS is a regional mobility solution and is comparable to the best in the world.
• In line with PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, the RRTS network will have extensive multi-modal integration with Railway stations, Metro stations, Bus services etc.
• New technologies in the transport sector - Hyperloop, Metrinos, pod taxis, Stadler buses, Freight railroad, Hybrid buses, Bullet trains, RRTS, Cable cars, Flying cars, Self-driving taxis, Underground roads, etc.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Al Ahli Hospital
Why in news – The Palestinians blamed an Israeli missile strike for the deaths at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City.
Key Points –
• The protests erupted across West Asia, raising the specter of a wider regional conflict.
• Israel said that a rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad had misfired and landed on the hospital.
2. Russia-North Korea Deal
Why in news – the USA said that North Korea had delivered 1,000 containers of military supplies to Russia.
Key Points –
• It was transported from North Korea’s Najin port to the port of Dunay in the Russian Far East.
• New “anti-democratic alliance” – Russia, North Korea, China and Iran.
Value Addition –
• Alliances-of-convenience - It is a security cooperation between ideological and geopolitical adversaries in response to an overarching third-party threat.
• Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants to destroy NATO and the European Union.
• North Korea wants to control the southern half of the Korean peninsula.
• China and Iran's grievances are not all exactly the same, but all harbor resentment of the West.”
3. White Phosphorus
Why in news – Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused Israel of using white phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon.
Key Points –
• It is in violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
• They are not under a blanket ban.
• It is not considered a chemical weapon.
• Its use is governed by the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), specifically Protocol III.
• Palestine and Lebanon have joined Protocol III, while Israel has not ratified the protocol.
About White Phosphorus –
• It is pyrophoric that ignites when exposed to oxygen, producing thick, light smoke as well as intense 815-degree Celsius heat.
• Pyrophoric ignite spontaneously or very quickly (under five minutes) when in contact with air.
• It emits a distinct garlic-like odour.
• Its primary military use is as a smokescreen (to hide troop movement).
• It messes with infrared optics and weapons tracking systems, thus protecting forces from guided missiles.
• It can cause severe burns, often down to the bone.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:
1. IndiaSkills 2023-24
Why in news – Dharmendra Pradhan launched the IndiaSkills 2023-24 and felicitated the World Skills 2022 Winners.
Key Points –
• By - Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• India has secured 11th position in the World Skills 2022 competition (best-ever ranking).
• A total of 165 IndiaSkills National Competition winners were trained for the WorldSkills Competition.
ENVIRONMENT:
1. Amazon Rainforest Drought
Why in news – The Amazon rainforest is reeling from an intense drought.
Key Points –
• Rio Negro (Brazil, one of the world’s largest rivers) has fallen to a record low level of 13.59 meters.
• Amazon is called the planet’s lungs. It stores more than 150 billion metric tonnes of carbon.
• Boto (Amazon river dolphin) has been washing up dead.
• It has made the rainforest more vulnerable to wildfires too.
SECURITY:
1. MQ-9B Drone Deal
Why in news – India's MQ-9B drone deal is expected to be finalized by February 2024.
Key Points –
• Deliveries will commence from February 2027.
• USA’s General Atomics (GA) will supply these UAVs.
• The estimated cost of this procurement is $ 3.07 billion through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.
• The MQ-9B drones (Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian variants) will greatly enhance the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
RANKS & INDICES:
1. Global Remote Work Index (GRWI)
Why in news – The research by NordLayer (cybersecurity company).
Key Points –
• India’s Rank – 64 (score – 0.610).
• Top 5 - Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Sweden.
• It evaluates countries based on cyber safety, economic safety, digital and physical infrastructure, and social safety.
POINTERS:
• A group of scientists from India and the United Kingdom have discovered a new species of toads Bufoides bhupathyi in which tiger reserve of Mizoram - Dampa tiger reserve.
• India's first 'Tilapia parvovirus' (TiPV) affecting farm-bred tilapia, a freshwater fish species, and causing a huge mortality rate has been reported for the first time in which state of India - Tamil Nadu.
• Which has become the first women police station in the country to receive ISO certificate – Bhopal.
• Which become the first Indian doubles pair to reach world No. 1 after Asian Games gold medal - Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin visited which country for the first time since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant – Kyrgyzstan.
• NSDC and who has launched ‘Super Power Retailer Programme’ to empower retailers - Coca-Cola India.
• What is India's rank in Global Pension Index 2023 - 45th.
• Which country ordered all media and social media companies not to use the term "homosexuality" and instead to say "sexual deviance – Iraq.
• Who has launched Psyche mission, a journey to a unique metal-rich asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter – Mars.
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is celebrated across the globe on which date - 17 October.
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