Astra missiles

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: TH   Context: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to induct the indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air to Air Missile by the end of 2023. Astra is already integrated into the SU-30MKI and was successfully test-fired from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. The IAF intends …

Bird species found in Tamil Nadu found to be in ‘rapid decline’

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: TH  Context: A recent analysis of the State of India’s Birds (SOIB) 2023 report reveals that approximately 110 bird species recorded in Tamil Nadu are currently experiencing a decline across India. Some bird species that were once considered common like the garganey, northern shoveler, common sandpiper, and common teal …

India’s NavIC will now be supported by ‘Made in India’ chipsets

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: PIB  Context: For the first time, chipsets capable of receiving and processing signals from India’s indigenous navigational system, NavIC, will be designed and manufactured in India by an Indian company. Currently, not all smartphones and navigational devices are compatible with NavIC, as they require NavIC-compatible chipsets to decode its …

CALIPSO mission

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: IE  Context: NASA has announced the conclusion of its CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation) mission, which analysed climate, weather, and air quality for 17 years. CALIPSO, launched jointly by NASA and France’s CNES, used LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to record over 10 billion measurements …

R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: Live Mint  Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, which was jointly developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India.    Key points about this development: The recommendation is based on pre-clinical and clinical trial data showing …

Project Mariana

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: TOI  Context: Project Mariana, a collaborative effort involving the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the central banks of France, Singapore, and Switzerland, has successfully completed its mission. The project focused on testing the cross-border trading and settlement of wholesale central bank digital currencies (wCBDCs) among financial institutions, utilizing …

IREDA gets upgraded

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: PIB  Context: The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA), a prominent green financing Non-Banking Finance Company focused on renewable energy, has achieved an upgrade from ‘Schedule B’ to ‘Schedule A’ status as a Central Public Sector Enterprise. This elevation to ‘Schedule A’ status sets the stage for IREDA …

Online Registration of FIR

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: PIB  Context: The 22nd Law Commission of India submitted a report which suggest amending Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) to allow for online registration of FIRs (First Information Reports).    Recommendations: The Law Commission recommends enabling the registration of e-FIRs in a phased manner, …

World Bank: Allocation of funds influenced by the elite

Content for Mains Enrichment   Source: TH  Context: World Bank research paper ( titled “The added value of local democracy evidence from a natural experiment in India” (2023) ) focusing on fund allocation in Karnataka’s gram panchayats (local self-government bodies).   What does the research say?   Who are “Elites”? The elite refers to a small, …