Daily Prelims Booster 2nd January 2023

1) Remote Electronic Voting Machine: The new RVM prototype will enable a voter, who is listed in constituencies, to exercise voting rights from a single machine.

• The multi-constituency remote EVM, developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (under dept of atomic energy), can handle up to 72 constituencies from a single remote polling booth.
• It will be a standalone device which doesn’t need connectivity to operate.
• The Representation of the People Act, The Conduct of Election Rules and The Registration of Electors Rules will need to be amended to introduce remote voting.

2) Nilgiri Tahr Conservation Project: Tamil Nadu government 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 etc.

• Nilgiri Tahr is the only Caprinae species found in the tropical mountains of southern
• They are endemic to the Western Ghats and used to inhabit a large part of the Western Ghats between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• IUCN – Endangered, Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972 – Schedule I

3) Polar Vortex: it is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s poles. It was also known as the Polar Pig.

• “vortex” refers to the counterclockwise flow of air that helps keep the colder air near the Poles. It always exists near the poles, but weakens in summer and strengthens in winter.
• However, many times during winter in the northern hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand, sending cold air southward. This occurs fairly regularly during wintertime
• It is also not a feature that exists at the Earth’s surface, rather it exists in upper atmosphere.
• The only danger to humans is the magnitude of how cold temperatures will get when the polar vortex expands, sending Arctic air southward into areas that are not that cold.

4) European Union:  The EU is a group of 27 countries that operate as a cohesive economic and political block.

• 19 of these countries use EURO as their official currency. 8 EU members (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden) do not use the euro.
• The predecessor of the EU was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to foster economic cooperation. The result was the European Economic Community (EEC), created in 1958. A name change from EEC to the European Union (EU) was happened in 1993.
• The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states in matters, where members have agreed to act as one.
• Croatia becomes a fully integrated member of EU as it switched to the euro.

5) King Penguin: They are the 2nd largest penguin species.

• Habitat: They live on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands. Major colonies: Crozet, Prince Edward Island, Kerguelen Island, Heard Island, South Georgia and Macquarie Island.
• King penguins don’t make a nest and they carry their egg around with them at all times on top of their feet by taking turns.
• IUCN status: Least Concern. Threats: Climate change, habitat shifting and southward shifting of the Antarctic Polar Front.