1) Standards Machine Applicable Readable and Transferable (SMART):
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in association with IEC and ISO conducted workshop to clarify SMART standards.
- SMART are digitally enabled standards that are machine-applicable, readable, and transferable.
- SMART is joint programme of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) to drive digital evolution of international standards.
- Benefits: Enhanced industry efficiency; Facilitating automation and innovation, User-centric simplicity, etc.
- ISO is a non-governmental international standard-development organization with membership of 170 national standards bodies including BIS (India).
- IEC is international standards organization, publishes international standards for electrotechnology.
2) Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI):
Serum Institute of India joins CEPI global network to boost production of vaccines.
- About CEPI (HQ: Oslo, Norway)
- An innovative global partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil society organisations.
- Founded in Davos, Switzerland in 2017 by Governments of Norway and India, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and World Economic Forum.
- Provide funds to accelerate development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need.
- Examples of CEPI-funded vaccines: Nipah Virus, Lassa fever Vaccine etc.
3) Dynamic Wireless Charging (Inductive charging):
Government is planning to build electric vehicle (EV)-ready highways on Golden Quadrilateral in which dynamic wireless charging can play a key role.
- Dynamic wireless charging technology enables power exchange between vehicle and grid while the vehicle is moving ubiquitously.
- Energy exchange is facilitated by inductive power transfer (IPT) between vehicles.
- Moving Buses/trucks can act as energy sources to EVs that need charging.
- It can also be done by embedding charging infrastructure under the surface of road.
- Significance: Reduced battery size, decarbonization of transport, etc.
4) Mpemba effect:
Researchers contend that hot water freezes faster than its colder counterpart, a phenomenon known as Mpemba Effect.
- According to it, hot water evaporates more rapidly, reducing its mass and inducing a cooling effect.
- When heated, Hydrogen bonds in water break, causing water molecules to move apart and facilitating quicker freezing due to energy loss.
- In contrast, cold water’s freezing process is impeded by presence of gases and impurities.
Places in News:
1) Switzerland (Capital: Bern):
- Switzerland and India have reached consensus on Free-Trade Agreement after 16 years of negotiation.
- Political features
- Landlocked country of central Europe.
- Bordered to France (west), Germany (north), Austria and Liechtenstein (east), and Italy (south).
- Geographical features
- Major Rivers: River Rhine, Rhone
- Highest Point: Dufourspitze.
- Major mountain ranges: Alps, Jura
