1) Graphene: Researchers in Georgia have created the world’s first functional semiconductor made from graphene.
- For the first time, graphene has showed band gap property.
- Band Gap is a crucial electronic property that allows semiconductors to switch on and off.
- About Graphene:
- It is a two-dimensional single-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms bonded in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice structure.
- It is extracted from graphite and displays unique physicochemical properties like:
- High surface area, excellent thermal conductivity, etc.
- Other Applications: Energy (Solar cell, Fuel cell, Super computers etc); Sensor, Bio-sensor; Biomedical (diagnostic, drug delivery etc.), etc.
2) Harike and Gharana wetland: A significant number of migratory birds have arrived in Harike and Gharana wetland recently.
- About Harike wetland:
- It is north India’s largest wetland situated at the confluence of Satluj and Beas rivers in Punjab.
- It came into existence in 1953 due to the construction of a barrage on River Sutlej.(Man-made).
- It is also a Ramsar site.
- About Gharana Wetland:
- The Wetland is located on the Indo-Pak border in Jammu district.
- It is situated along the Central Asian Flyway.
- It is Important Bird Area (IBA), declared by BirdLife International (UK) and the Bombay Natural History Society
3) SVAMITVA Scheme: SVAMITVA ((Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas) Scheme won the Best Innovation Award for Innovation Sandbox presentation during Public Policy Dialogues–2024.
- Scheme Type: Central Sector Scheme
- Ministry: Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR)
- Objective: To establish clear ownership of property in rural areas, with issuance of legal ownership cards to the property owners.
- It uses drone technology for mapping land parcels.
- Significance of scheme: Facilitating monetization of properties, enabling bank loans and comprehensive village-level planning, mitigating disputes.
4) Bio-Imaging Bank (BIB): Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), has established a ‘BioImaging Bank’ for cancer.
- Through it, the hospital is utilizing deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to craft a cancer-specific tailored algorithm that aids in early-stage cancer detection.
- BIB aims at creating a robust repository encompassing radiology and pathology images.
- It will be linked with clinical information, treatment specifics.
- This will be also used for training, validation, and rigorous testing of AI algorithms for early detection of cancer.
Places in News:
1) Saudi Arabia (Capital: Riyadh):
- India and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on annual Haj pilgrimage.
- Political features:
- Located in the Middle East or West Asia.
- It is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula.
- Bordering nations: Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Yemen
- Bordering water bodies: Persian Gulf, Red Sea
- Geographical features:
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- Deserts: Rub Al-Khali (world’s largest continuous sand desert – part of larger Arabian Desert), Al Nafud, etc.
- Highest Mountain Peak: Jabal Sawda
- Largest country with no permanent rivers.
