Titan

Facts For Prelims  Source: The Hindu   Context: NASA’s Dragonfly mission to explore Titan is scheduled for launch in 2027, and the spacecraft is expected to arrive at its destination in around 2034.   About Titan: Titan is the second largest moon (Saturn’s) in our solar system (after Jupiter’s Ganymede). It is larger than Mercury …

How Plants Communicate

Facts For Prelims Source: Indian Express   Context: A team led by experts at Tel Aviv University has shown tomato and tobacco plants, among others, not only make sounds but do so loudly enough for other creatures to hear. Plants have evolved complex biochemical responses and the ability to dynamically alter their growth (and regrow …

Novel catalyst offers to make hydrogen more viable as a fuel

Facts For Prelims Source: The Hindu   Context: Researchers at IIT Mandi have developed a novel carbon-based catalyst to make water electrolysis more efficient. Water electrolysis is the process of choice to produce ‘green hydrogen ‘thus making it more significant.   About water electrolysis: In water electrolysis, water molecules are split into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity inside …

Compact supercapacitor

Facts For Prelims Source: The Hindu   Context: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have designed a novel ultra-micro supercapacitor, a tiny device capable of storing an enormous amount of electric charge. Apart from being small in size and more compact than existing supercapacitors, they can potentially be used in many devices ranging from streetlights …

Gamosa

Facts for Prelims (FFP) Source: IE   Context: A scarf – a hybrid creation of an Assamese gamosa and a Bengali gamcha – became the subject of controversy in Assam.   Assamese gamosa/gamusa (Body wipes or Towel): It is generally a white rectangular piece of cloth with primarily a red border on two sides and …

FAME II subsidy for electric vehicles at only 52% of its target

GS Paper 3  Syllabus: Infrastructure/Manufacturing sector   Source: Business Standard, DTE  Context: The parliamentary standing committee on heavy industry highlighted that Phase 2 of the FAME scheme to subsidize electric vehicles has achieved only 51.96 per cent of its target. In related news, the Committee on Estimates (2022-23) for the evaluation of electric vehicle policy under …

What do Russia-China and Saudi-Iran deals mean for India?

GS Paper 2 Syllabus: International Relations   Source: TH  Context: As Russia-China bolster ties, Saudi Arabia-Iran strike a deal (with China’s mediation), India’s tightrope walk gets tougher ahead of a number of crucial meetings – G7, G20, SCO and Quad.   Recent global developments:   Other developments: AUKUS: US, Australia and UK announced the 3-phase …

Impact of Antarctic ice melting on Ocean currents

GS Paper 1/3  Syllabus: Salient features of the World’s Physical Geography/ Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation    Source: IE   Context: According to a new study, an alarming effect on the global temperature, the marine food chain and the stability of ice shelves is being caused by the Antarctic ice sheet’s rapid melting.   Background: …