Current Affairs 6th January
1. On January 31st First G-20 meeting is held in Puducherry
According to Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, the first meeting of the G-20 will take place on January 31 in Puducherry. At a party at Beach Road Gandhi Tidal, Lieutenant Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan unveiled the G20 logo for the event. Dr. Tamisai expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allowing all states to host the G-20 meetings. In addition to distributing stickers, badges, and posters, he also opened a selfie booth in the company of Chief Minister Rengasamy.
More Details:
These events will be divided up into various segments and held in various regions of the nation. The initial meeting of the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion will take place in Kolkata.
A meeting on education will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai will host it, Guwahati will host the first meeting on sustainable finance, and Chandigarh will host the first meeting on financial architecture.
India announces its G-20 agenda:
India is also establishing a plan for the well-being of the entire world because it is the group’s president. It goes without saying that India is demonstrating a course that places an emphasis on inclusive, equitable, and sustainable growth while the G20’s priorities are being finalized, and many of them will be brought up during the discussions. India would also try to bring issues related to education, agriculture, and health into the discussion, in addition to women’s empowerment, digital public infrastructure, and technology-enabled development. The host nation will pay close attention to issues like climate financing, the circular economy, and global food security in addition to skill mapping, culture, and tourism.
2. World Day of War Orphans 2023
2023’s World Day of War Orphans:
Every year on January 6, the World Day of War Orphans is observed to raise awareness of children left behind by war. After losing their caregivers, these children face difficulties that go beyond mere neglect. It’s important to remember that war’s aftereffects affect more than just one group of people.
Today is World Orphan Day: Significance
The most important reason the day is observed is to bring attention to the crippling effects of war. Orphans and their plight receive particular attention. Children who aren’t directly involved in the war frequently suffer the most. The day is designated to comprehend the full impact of war’s destructive potential and the burden of loss it brings. In addition, the day is observed to provide war orphans with a platform and demonstrate that their voices are heard. These children are given the opportunity to tell their stories to the world on World Day for War Orphans. In addition, it is a chance to learn about their requirements. World Day for War Orphans is an opportunity to bring attention to the precarious living conditions that orphans frequently face.
Today is World Orphan Day: History
In 400 A.D. the Romans established the first orphanage in the world to care for war widows and orphans. Children whose parents were killed in action were looked after there until they were 18 years old. Foster care did not become a popular alternative to orphanages until the 1800s when American social reformer Charles Loring Brace introduced the concept. For 37 years, he was the Children’s Aid Society of New York City’s executive secretary.
3. The Indian Railways’ Ghaziabad-Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay section becomes the longest fully ABS section.
Ghaziabad-Pt. Section by Deen Dayal Upadhyay:
Ghaziabad-Pt. The 762-kilometre Deen Dayal Upadhyay section of Indian Railways becomes the longest fully automatic block signalling section. Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) is a cost-effective method for expanding Indian Railways’ existing High-Density Routes’ line capacity to accommodate more trains. On a mission mode, Indian Railways has been implementing Automatic Block signalling. During the years 2022 and 2023, ABS has been installed on 268 Rkm. On 3706 Route km over IR as of December 31, 2022, ABS was provided. The increased capacity will accrue as a result of the implementation of Automatic Signaling, making it possible to offer more train services.
In order to reap the benefits of digital technologies in train operation and to improve safety, electronic interlocking systems are being implemented on a large scale. During the years 2022 and 2023, electronic interlocking systems were installed at 347 stations. Electronic interlocking has been provided to 2888 stations, covering 45.5% of the IR, up until December 31, 2022. Recently, the automatic signalling system in the Prayagraj Division’s Sath Naraini-Rundhi-Faizullapur Station section, 762 kilometres long, was put into operation. The Deen Dayal Upadhyay section of Indian Railways is now fully automated and has the longest automatic block signalling section.
4. Silent Valley National Park
Recently, a bird survey conducted at the Silent Valley National Park in the last week of December identified 141 species, of which 17 were new.
Why in news?
This year’s survey marked the 30th anniversary of the first bird survey in Silent Valley.
Brown wood owl, Banded Bay cuckoo, Malabar woodshrike, White-throated kingfisher, Indian nightjar, Jungle nightjar, and Large cuckooshrike were among the 17 species newly
identified in the Silent Valley.
Silent Valley National Park:
It is a beautiful representation of the last remaining rainforest of Kerala. The forests of the Silent Valley National Park harbour some of the most pristine, unique and highly productive forests in the world.Silent Valley is located in the Southwestern corner of Nilgiris.A perennial river named Kunthipuzha is passing through the western side of the park, from north to south direction finally merging into Bharathapuzha. Fauna:Silent Valley Park is known for many highly endangered species such as lion-tailed macaque, tiger, gaur, leopard, wild boar, panther, Indian Civet and Sambhar.The indigenous tribal groups that live within park boundaries include Irulas, Kurumbas, Mudugas and Kattunaikkars.
5. Virovore
Recently, a microbiologist from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the United States found the first known organism that eats viruses.
About Virovore:
- The organisms which eat viruses are called virovore.
- It has been identified as an actual species of protist that feasts on viruses.
- These virus-eating species of protists which are their kingdom on the tree of life and are not an animal, plants, or fungi are now classified as Virovores.
- It is a species of Halteria; microscopic ciliates that populate freshwater worldwide.
- The microbe Halteria is a common genus of protists known to flit about as its hair-like cilia propel it through the water.
- They’re made up of nucleic acids, nitrogen, and phosphorus. It can eat huge numbers of infectious chloroviruses that share their aquatic habitat.
- These organisms can sustain themselves with viruses, consuming many and growing in size.
- The new findings may change our understanding of the role viruses play in the food chain at a microscopic level.
6. Project Nilgiri Tahr
Context:
Recently, the Tamil Nadu govt launched an initiative for the conservation of the Nilgiri Tahr at Rs.25 crore .
About it:
Under the project, the Tamil Nadu govt. Plans to develop a better understanding of the Nilgiri Tahr population through surveys and radio telemetry studies, reintroduce the Tahrs to their historical habitat, address proximate threats and increase public awareness of the species.
The project is to be implemented for 5 year period from 2022 to 2027.
About Nilgiri Tahr:
It is the only caprine species found in the tropical mountains of southern states.
They are endemic to the western Ghats and used to inhabit a large part of Western Ghats between Kerala and Tamilnadu.
Projection Status:
IUCN-Endangered
WPA, 1972-Schedule-1
7. South Asian Black Carbon Aerosols
- Black carbon aerosols are produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, and are characterised by strong light absorption.
- The South Asia region adjacent to the Tibetan Plateau has among the highest levels of black carbon emission in the world.
- Many studies have emphasised black carbon aerosols from South Asia can be transported across the Himalayas to the inland region of the Tibetan Plateau.
- Black carbon deposition in snow reduces the albedo of surfaces — a measure of how much of Sun’s radiations are reflected — which may accelerate the melting of glaciers and snow cover, thus changing the hydrological process and water resources in the region.
- Black carbon aerosols in South Asia heat up the middle and upper atmosphere, thus increasing the North–South temperature gradient.
- Accordingly, the convective activity in South Asia is enhanced, which causes convergence of water vapour in South Asia. Meanwhile, black carbon also increases the number of cloud condensation nuclei in the atmosphere.
- These changes in meteorological conditions caused by black carbon aerosols make more water vapour form precipitation in South Asia, and the northward transport to the Tibetan Plateau was weakened.
- As a result, precipitation in the central and the southern Tibetan Plateau decreases during the monsoon, especially in the southern Tibetan Plateau.
- The decrease in precipitation further leads to a decrease of mass gain of glaciers.
- From 2007 to 2016, the reduced mass gain by precipitation decrease accounted for 11% of the average glacier mass loss on the Tibetan Plateau and 22.1% in the Himalayas.
8. TidalDisruption Event (TDE)
Telescopes operated by NASA recently observed a massive blackhole destroying a star. The incident was the fifth-closest example of a black hole destroying a star and occurred 250 million light-years from the earth in the centre of another galaxy. This astronomical phenomenon of the destruction of a star by a black hole is formally called a “Tidal disruption event”.
Significance:
TDEs are attractive because of their observability and short duration, and the opportunity to study the impact of black hole gravity on materials around them.
They are also an important tool to learn how black holes influence their environments.
9. Rhino Poaching
Context :
Assam CM recently announced that no rhinos were poached in the state in 2022.
2022 was the first since 2000 in which there were no incidents of rhino poaching in Assam.
Indian Rhinoceros:
found only in the Brahmaputra valley, parts of north Bengal and parts of southern Nepal.
Their characteristics include a single black horn that can grow up to 60cm and a tough, grey-brown hide with skin folds.
IUCN-Vulnerable
According to WWF, there are around 3,700 Indian rhinos in the wild today.
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