31st October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Static Cloud Seeding involves introducing ice nuclei, such as silver iodide or dry ice, into cold clouds that have supercooled liquid water droplets. Dynamic cloud seeding is a method of inducing rain by boosting vertical air currents. Hygroscopic Cloud Seeding involves spraying fine particles of hygroscopic materials, such as salts through flares or explosives into the base of warm clouds
2) The GLOF that occurred in Sikkim washed away the 1200-MW Teesta-III and caused severe damage to NHPC projects downstream, including the 510 MW Teesta-V and the under-construction 500 MW Teesta-VI
3) Octane Number measures the fuel’s resistance to engine knocking. Higher octane numbers signify better resistance to premature combustion in gasoline. Cetane Number indicates the ignition quality of diesel fuel. A higher cetane number signifies easier ignition
30th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) The 2019 livestock census showed a 70% increase in purebred Gir cows since 2013. In contrast, other indigenous breeds like Sahiwal and Hariana have not experienced similar growth, with some even witnessing a decline in numbers. This trend raises concerns about the loss of diversity in indigenous cattle breeds in India
2) The 5T initiative in Odisha is a governance model that stands for Teamwork, Transparency, Technology, Time, and Transformation, launched with the aim of improving governance and ensuring efficient delivery of public services
3) China, South Korea, and Japan are the only Asian countries to have hosted the Olympics, with Japan having hosted the games in both 1964 and 2020
28th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) India has initiated a $10 billion plan to bolster local chip production, with companies like Micron Technology setting up assembly and packaging facilities in Gujarat
2) To date, 53 projects have been completed under PMKSY-AIBP, generating an additional irrigation potential of 25.14 lakh hectares
3) The case of Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu is an example of research misconduct, where at least 200 academic papers published by researchers contain plagiarized text, manipulated images, and fudged data in which the university’s vice-chancellor was also an author
27th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Tamil Nadu has the highest number of medical college seats (11,225), followed by Karnataka (11,020), and Maharashtra (10,295). Meanwhile, there is an acute shortage of medical college seats in relation to population in Meghalaya, Bihar, and Jharkhand, where the deficit is more than 75%
2) Between October 2019 and September 2023, India, Mexico, and China experienced significant refusals of food export shipments to America. India’s refusal rate, which measures the percentage of shipments refused out of all food export shipments, was 0.15%
3) Over a year after Parliament passed the Criminal Procedure Identification Act (CrPI), 2022, the Centre is preparing to introduce ‘DNA and Face Matching’ systems in 1,300 police stations nationwide, despite the Act’s provisions not yet being fully implemented
26th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) developed a proposal featuring a corporate minimum tax of 15% on foreign profits of large multinationals, which would give countries new annual tax revenues of USD 150 billion
2) The Supreme Court, in Joseph Shine vs. The Union of India, 2018 judgment recognized the importance of individual autonomy and the right to privacy
3) Dust suppressants are typically composed of calcium or magnesium salts, which are mixed with water and then sprayed on roads. This mixture effectively suppresses dust, providing longer-lasting relief from particulate matter in the air.
25th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Marine cloud brightening (MCB) seeks to boost marine cloud reflectivity (albedo), making clouds whiter and brighter. It involves using water cannons or specialized vessels to release fine sea water droplets into the atmosphere. As these droplets evaporate, they leave behind salt particles, serving as cloud condensation nuclei that foster the formation of denser, brighter clouds.
2) In the TV-D1 flight by ISRO, the Crew Escape System separates from the Test Vehicle around 11.7 km altitude. After approximately 90 seconds, the crew module detaches, deploys parachutes, and descends slowly over seven minutes. The Indian Navy will recover the crew module from the Bay of Bengal, marking a crucial milestone in the Gaganyaan program’s development
3) According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India’s contribution to global economic growth is expected to rise by 2%, as 16% contribution will grow to 18% in the next five years due to India growing faster.
24th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) The Supreme Court in a landmark judgment in the Vishakha and others v State of Rajasthan 1997 case gave ‘Vishakha guidelines’. These guidelines formed the basis for the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
2) The annual SDG funding gap, which was USD 2.5 trillion before the pandemic, has now increased to an estimated USD 4.2 trillion, emphasizing the urgent need for substantial investment in achieving the SDGs.
3) The World Bank, established in 1944, has committed USD 97.6 billion in lending to India, encompassing both active and closed projects. Out of the total commitments,19% has been dedicated to projects in the public administration sector, 15% to agriculture, fishing, and forestry, and 11% to the transport sector.
23rd October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) The infamous “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram” slogan was coined against the background of continuous defections by the legislators in the 1960s, and encouraged the passage of the Anti-Defection Law through the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985
2) Comprising about 40% of Brazil’s total area, Peru, and also parts of Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Suriname, French Guiana, and Venezuela, the Amazon River Basin is the world’s largest drainage system
3) Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the continent, with a history dating back at least 45,000 years. However, European colonization in the 18th century had severe and lasting impacts on these communities. These communities account for only 3.8% of the Australian Population today
21st October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) In 2020, global agrifood systems emissions were 16 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, an increase of 9 % since 2000
2) The International Space Station, currently managed by the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, and European space agencies, is anticipated to be decommissioned by 2030
3) India is the third country to report the occurrence of TiPV (Tilapia Parvovirus). TiPV has caused mortality rates ranging from 30% to 50% on fish farms. In laboratory settings, it has led to 100% mortality, highlighting its devastating impact
20th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) When the Constitution was adopted, contempt of court was made one of the restrictions on freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 (2) of the Constitution of India. Article 129 of the Constitution conferred on the Supreme Court the power to punish contempt of itself. Article 215 conferred a corresponding power on the High Courts, along with Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 giving a statutory backing
2) The Alvars were a group of twelve Vaishnava (devotees of Lord Vishnu) saint-poets. The Alvars’ devotional hymns and poems were collected in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. The Nayanars were a group of sixty-three Shaiva (devotees of Lord Shiva) saint-poets. The Nayanars’ hymns and poems were collected in the Thirumurai, a corpus of Shaivite scriptures
3) Angel tax is an income tax levied at the rate of 30.6% when an unlisted company issues shares to an investor at a price higher than its fair market value. Fair market value is the price of an asset when buyer and seller have reasonable knowledge of it and are willing to trade without pressure.
19th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) China’s trade with BRI partners registered an annual growth rate of 6.4%, reaching USD 19.1 trillion between 2013 and 2022
2) Only the political parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and have secured not less than 1% of the votes polled in the last general election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly, are eligible to receive electoral bonds.
3) FCRA registration is valid for five years, and NGOs are required to apply for renewal within six months of the registration’s expiry. Once FCRA registration is canceled, an NGO is ineligible for re-registration for three years
18th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Globally, approximately 580 million tonnes of methane are emitted annually. Human activities contribute to 60% of these emissions
2) The MTP Act was amended in 2021 to allow certain categories of women, such as rape victims, minors, mentally ill women, etc., to obtain abortions up to 24 weeks of gestation, raising it from the previous 20 weeks. It sets up state-level Medical Boards to decide if a pregnancy may be terminated after 24 weeks in cases of substantial fetal abnormalities
3) Shafin Jahan v. Asokan K.M. and others Case 2018: While referring to Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Right and the Puttaswamy case, the SC held that the right to marry a person of one’s choice is integral to Article 21 of the Constitution
16th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) The Holocaust resulted in the tragic loss of approximately six million Jewish lives, along with numerous other atrocities such as concentration camps, and mass deportations
2) India ranks 4th globally in terms of iron ore production and is the world’s 2nd largest coal producer as of 2021
3) Ethnic violence has been a significant concern in Manipur, resulting in the tragic loss of over 175 lives since May 3, 2022. Manipur has witnessed as many as 137 insurgency-related incidents out of the total 201 recorded in the northeastern states in 2022
15th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) The term “R-EVM” stands for “Remote Electronic Voting Machine.” It is a proposed system by the Election Commission of India (ECI) aimed at facilitating voting for domestic migrants who are unable to vote in their home constituencies due to their current location away from their registered constituencies
2) Periodic Labour Force Survey is a survey conducted by the NSO under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to measure the employment and unemployment situation in India
3) Properties of Quantum Computing: a) Superposition – a qubit can exist in a superposition of both states, meaning it can represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously, b) Entanglement – Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where the quantum states of two or more qubits become correlated in such a way that the state of one qubit instantly affects the state of another, even when they are separated by vast distances
14th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) According to a recent study conducted by the World Bank, human settlements in some of the world’s riskiest flood zones have increased by a staggering 122% since 1985, contributing to the vulnerability of millions to water disasters induced by climate change.
2) Justice V.S. Malimath Committee on Reforms of the Criminal Justice System emphasised that the “successful prosecution of the guilty depends on a thorough and careful search for truth and collection of evidence which is both admissible and probative”
3) Four types of CPI are: CPI for Industrial Workers (IW). CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL). CPI for Rural Labourer (RL). CPI for Urban Non-Manual Employees (UNME). Of these, the first three are compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Fourth is compiled by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
13th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) OpenAI is working on a project named “Gobi,” which aims to create a multimodal AI system from scratch, distinct from the GPT models. Another major player in the field is Google’ new yet-to-be-released multimodal large language model Gemini
2) Many areas in Punjab may go dry after 2029 and the state has already over-exploited its groundwater for irrigation purposes as it fills granaries of the Centre by growing wheat and paddy worth Rs 70,000 crore every year
3) As of June 2022, there are over 10.52 Lakh ASHAs in all states/UTs (except Goa). Generally, there is “1 ASHA per 1000 population”
12th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Two out of every five amphibian species are threatened with extinction
2) In India, according to National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences data, more than 80% of people do not access care services for a multitude of reasons, ranging from lack of knowledge, stigma and high cost of care
3) Arunachal Pradesh has recently received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Arunachal Yak Churpi, Khaw Tai (Khamti rice), and Tangsa textile
11th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Recently, the United Kingdom’s first uterus transplant was conducted, providing new hope for women facing reproductive challenges.
2) India’s Dehyphenation Policy on Israel-Palestine: India’s policy on the longest running conflict in the world has gone from being unequivocally pro-Palestine for the first four decades, to a tense balancing act with its three-decade-old friendly ties with Israel. In recent years, India’s position has also been perceived as pro-Israel.
3) India has become the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world. India’s airport capacity is expected to handle 1 billion trips annually by 2023
10th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) A wilful defaulter means a borrower or a guarantor who has committed wilful default and the outstanding amount is Rs 25 lakh and above.
2) The Arabian Sea accounts for about 2% of the annual global mean of tropical cyclones but poses a considerable threat due to its densely populated coastlines
3) In August 2021, Afcons, an Indian company, signed a contract for the largest-ever infrastructure project in Maldives which is the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP)
9th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) A total of 107 Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have hate speech cases registered against them
2) Peak flows during GLOFs have been recorded as high as 15,000 cubic meters per second (as per National Disaster Management Authority)
3) The Iranian law strictly recommends women to wear hijabs or headscarves with their regular outfits. Anyone not following this is recently being arrested, warned, or punished severely. Mahsa Amini, a 22 years old youth, was arrested for breaching the dress code of Iranian women leading to the Mahsa Amini Protests (Iranian Hijab Movement)
7th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Evergreening of patents is a strategy to extend the term of a patent by obtaining new patents before the original one expires. Evergreening is not allowed under Indian patent law
2) According to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s weekly Epidemiological Record, the World reported more than twice as many cholera cases in 2022 as it did in 2021
3) In the Cadila Healthcare Limited vs. Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited case, 2001 the Supreme Court ruled that passing off is a form of unfair trade competition through which one party attempts to benefit from the reputation established by another in a particular trade or business
6th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Total FDI inflows in the country in the last 23 years (April 2000-March 2023) are $919 bn.
2) Ruminant livestock and manure management contribute to approximately 32% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. Rice paddies account for an additional 8% of methane emissions
3) According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 80% of global trade by volume and 70% by value is transported by sea, with 60% of it passing through Asia and one-third of global shipping moving through the South China Sea
4) Four African countries accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths worldwide: Nigeria (31.3%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.6%), United Republic of Tanzania (4.1%) and Niger (3.9%)
5th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Atoms in molecules exhibit movements on the order of femtoseconds, which are incredibly short time intervals, constituting a millionth of a billionth of a second. Electrons, being lighter and interacting even faster, operate within the attosecond realm, a billionth of a billionth of a second (1×10^−18 of second)
2) In the ongoing financial year (2023-24), social audit units flagged misappropriation amounting to ₹27.5 crore under MGNREGA
3) The very name Nilgiris’ with literary meaning ‘blue mountains’ has originated from the appearance of blue flower clad mountains (Neelakurinji flowers) of the Nilgiris plateau within the State of Tamil Nadu
4th October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) India retains 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2023 rankings published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
2) Gandhi was chosen for banknotes because of his national appeal, and in 1996, a new ‘Mahatma Gandhi Series’ was launched by the RBI to replace the former Ashoka Pillar bank notes
3) Cookies are files generated by the websites a user visits and serve the purpose of retaining information regarding the user’s interactions and preferences during their online navigation. They can be categorised as session cookies, persistent cookies, secure cookies and third-party cookies
3rd October #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair
1) Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002
2) Indian pharmaceutical industry is the 3rd largest pharmaceutical industry in the world by volume with current market size of around USD 50 Billions
3) A surety bond can be defined in its simplest form as a written agreement to guarantee compliance, payment, or performance of an act. It is a unique type of insurance because it involves a three-party agreement (between Principal, Surety and Obligee)
