Daily Prelims Notes 26 January 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

26 January 2024

Table Of Contents

1. PM wishes people on Thaipoosam
2. PM Young Achievers’ Scholarship Award Scheme for a Vibrant India (PM YASASVI) for OBC, EBC and DNT Students
3. A new alloy developed can act as alternative magnetic refrigerant for minimizing greenhouse gas emissions
4. INDIA FRANCE COOPERATION
5. Hindu temple existed at Gyanvapi mosque site: ASI survey report
6. ED-States tussle: SC moots mechanism to identify vendetta
7. India’s research institutes need top level collaboration across the world
8. The finer touch: when ‘artificial skin’ is more sensitive than the original
9. Restoring Lake Victoria: CSE, Tanzanian authorities hold multi-nation stakeholder consultation
10. India one of the nine countries to sign a global pact to protect endangered river dolphins
11. Ultra-Processed Foods: Here’s What the Evidence Actually Says About Them
12. The Moon is a Tough Customer

1. PM wishes people on Thaipoosam

Subject: History

Section: Art and Culture

Context:

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, extended his warm wishes on the occasion of Thaipoosam today.

About Thaipusam:

• Thaipusam or Thaipoosam is a Tamil Hindu festival celebrated on the first full moon day of the Tamil month of Thai coinciding with Pusam star.
• The festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Hindu god Murugan over the demon Surapadman using a vel, a divine spear granted by Parvati.
• The festival includes ritualistic practices of Kavadi Aattam, a ceremonial act of sacrifice carrying a physical burden as a means of balancing a spiritual debt.
• Worshipers often carry a pot of cow milk as an offering and also do mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers.
• Devotees prepare for the rituals by keeping clean, doing regular prayers, following a vegetarian diet and fasting while remaining celibate.
• Geographical Spread:
• Thaipusam is observed by Tamils in India, Sri Lanka, South East Asia notably in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, other countries with significant people of Tamil origin like Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa and Canada, Caribbean countries including Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname, countries with significant Indian migrants including United States and Australia.
• It is a holiday in Mauritius, in many states in Malaysia and in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

About Kavadi Aattam:

• Kavadi Aattam (roman: burden dance) is a ceremonial sacrifice and offering practiced by devotees during the worship of Murugan, the Hindu god of war.
• It is a central part of the festival of Thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage.

2. PM Young Achievers’ Scholarship Award Scheme for a Vibrant India (PM YASASVI) for OBC, EBC and DNT Students

Subject: Schemes

Section: Education

Context:

• Till December 2023, Rs 12.75 Crore was released to States/UTs for Construction of Hostels for OBC Boys and Girls under PM YASASVI scheme.

More on news:

• OBC, EBC and DNT students can apply for Top Class School Education scheme and Top Class College Education scheme at National Scholarship Portal till 31st January, 2024 under PM YASASVI
• Rs 32.44 Crore released for Pre-matric Scholarship and Rs 387.27 Crore released for Post-Matric Scholarship to States/UTs under PM YASASVI scheme

About the scheme:

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJ&E) of the Government of India has created the PM Young Achievers Scholarship Grant Scheme for a Vibrant India (YASASVI).
• PM YASASVI is a Scholarship scheme for Other Backward Class (OBCs), Economically Backward Class (EBC) and Denotified Nomadic Tribes (DNT) Students.
• Under this Scheme students can avail Pre-Matric Scholarship from Class 9 to 10 and Post Matric Scholarship for their higher studies at post-matriculation or post-secondary stage.
• Students who excel in their studies also get an opportunity of Scholarship to study in Top Class Schools and Colleges under the Scheme of ‘Top Class School Education’ and ‘Top Class College Education’.
• Hostel facilities are also provided to OBC students under the ‘Scheme of Construction of Hostels for OBC boys’ and girls’. 

Components of Schemes are as under.

• Pre-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
• Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
• Top Class School Education for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
• Top Class College Education for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
• Construction of Hostel for OBC Boys and Girls.

3. A new alloy developed can act as alternative magnetic refrigerant for minimizing greenhouse gas emissions

Subject: S&T

Section: Msc

Context:

• Researchers have found a new alloy that can act as an effective magnetic refrigerant that can be an alternative cooling agent for minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and meet the global demand for higher energy efficiency for tackling global warming.

More on news:

• A team from N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences which an autonomous institute of the department of science and Technology (DST) experimented with a certain type of alloys called all-transition metal based Heusler alloys (magnetic intermetallics with face-centered cubic crystal structure) in their search for material exhibiting giant reversible MCE.

About current research:

• Current research is focused on developing new magnetic materials such as refrigerants.
• Three critical criteria need to be fulfilled.
  • The material must be capable of operating for millions of cycles without any fatigue and failure
  • The material must have high thermal conductivity and
  • The material should respond to an external magnetic field of about 2 T (Tesla) which can be generated by permanent magnets.
• Since most of the materials developed so far show giant magneto caloric effect (GMCE) only at fields as high as 5 T, there is an urgent need to look for materials in which GMCE is achieved in lower fields.
• The team at S.N. Bose Centre has chosen Ni (Co)-Mn-Ti Heusler system because such systems often exhibit multifunctional properties with ultrahigh mechanical stability because of their intrinsic d-d hybridization.
• Authors claimed from the temperature and field-dependent magnetization measurements that this investigated alloy yields giant reversible MCE parameters.

Fig 2. Four FCC lattices of full-Heusler Ni(Co)-Mn-Ti Heusler alloy

Applications:

• The researchers claim that the obtained magnitude of reversible MCE and MR is the highest reported value so far in the all-d-metal Heusler family.
• The concurrent observation of refrigerant capacity and MR is also very rare in Heusler alloys.
• The search for the right kind of magnetic material has yielded positive results at the S.N. Bose Centre Lab.
• The synergistic combinations of giant MCE and MR by proper tailoring of Cu-doped Heusler alloys may lead to a diverse range of solid state-based technological applications.

About Magnetic cooling effect:

• Magnetic cooling effect (MCE) is defined as the reversible temperature change of a magnetic material when it is subjected to an external applied magnetic field.
• In the magnetic refrigeration cycle, a magnetic field is applied on the magnetic material under an adiabatic process (no exchange of heat with the surrounding). 
• Initially randomly oriented magnetic moments get aligned along the external magnetic field, resulting in the heating of the magnetic material.
• This heat is transferred from the material to the ambience. 
• When the magnetic field is removed during adiabatic demagnetization, the magnetic moments of the material become randomized, resulting in a decrease in temperature below the ambient temperature.
• This process causes the material to absorb heat from the surrounding heat-transfer medium.

About Magnetic Refrigeration:

• Magnetic refrigeration offers an energy-efficient and environment-friendly cooling technology as an alternative to the vapor-cycle refrigeration technology in use today.
• It is based on the principle of magnetocaloric effect.
• Hence efforts are on to fabricate magnetic refrigerators for household, industrial, and technological applications.

4. INDIA FRANCE COOPERATION

Subject: IR

Section: India relations with major power

Context:

• French President Emmanuel Macron is the chief guest at Republic Day 2024 celebrations.

More on news:

• This will be the sixth time that a French leader will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations.
• In December 2023, when India invited French President Emmanuel Macron for Republic Day after US President Joe Biden was unavailable.
• Macron accepted despite knowing he was the second choice, showing the comfort between the French and the Indian system.
• Chirac, an admirer of India who had studied Sanskrit, saw India as a major emerging power and pushed for boosting political and economic cooperation.
• This is Macron’s third visit to India as the French President and these visits will have the chance to elevate our relationships further.
• The comprehensive Roadmap between India and France, which was adopted last year in July during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit as Guest of Honour for Bastille Day, was classified under three pillars ie
  • Partnership for Security and Sovereignty; 
  • Partnership for the Planet; and 
  • Partnership for People.

Various partnerships:

25th anniversary of strategic partnership:

• Macron’s visit caps a milestone year for India-France ties i.e. the 25th anniversary of their strategic partnership.
• The India-France Strategic Partnership was  the first that India signed with any western country.
• This partnership has seen considerable progress in bilateral, regional and international contexts. The partnership draws strength, trust and consistency from a shared sense of strategic autonomy and sovereignty, a quest for a multi-polar world, and a natural affinity for democratic values and rule of law.
• Defense and security, civil nuclear matters, and space constitute principal pillars of this partnership.
• It now includes a strong Indo-Pacific component.

Major pillars of cooperation

Defense:

• India and France have had a strong and robust defense partnership.
• Bilateral defense cooperation between the two sides is reviewed under Annual Defence Dialogue (Defence Minister level) and High Committee on Defence Cooperation (Secretary level). 
• A DRDO office was opened in the Embassy in 2023 for strengthening technology cooperation.
• The procurement of Rafale jets as part of India’s air power is a testament to the deep defense ties. The
• India France joint defense exercises have also grown in scope and complexity over the years.

Space:

• There’s a rich history of cooperation in the field of space for over 50 years between ISRO and the French Space Agency, Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales (CNES). 
• France remains a major supplier of components and equipment for the Indian space programme.

Civil Nuclear Cooperation: 

• During the PM’s visit to Paris in July 2023, both leaders welcomed the progress made during discussions related to the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP). 
• However, the progress here has been slow, though the first pact was agreed in 2008.
• The two sides have also agreed to establish a partnership on Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMR).

Economic:

• France is one of the largest investors in India with FDI inflow of US$ 659.77 million for FY 2022-23 (as of June 2023) and a cumulative FDI stock of $10.76 billion from April 2000 to September 2023.
• There are over 70 Indian companies employing over 8,000 employees in France.
• For FY 2023-24 (till August 2023), Indian exports to France totaled $3.06 billion and imports from France totaled $2.36 billion.
• India’s main exports include engineering goods, petroleum products, pharmaceutical products, electronic equipment and ready-made garments.
• The main imports from France are aviation products, machine equipment, electrical equipment and chemical products.

Digital: 

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was launched from the Eiffel Tower to offer secure and convenient transactions for Indian visitors and NRIs.
• C-DAC and M/S Atos, an European multinational IT service and consulting company based in France have developed 14 supercomputers for India  which also included  the fastest supercomputer Param Siddhi at 4.6 petaflops/second.

Education: 

• It is estimated that there are about 10,000 Indian students in France. An agreement on mutual recognition of degrees was signed in 2018.
• The Indo French Campus for Health was also launched in June 2022 to offer double degrees.
• During Modi’s visit, France announced the issuing of a five-year Schengen visa to Indian alumni who have completed at least one semester of their Master’s degree in France, a first for alumni from any country.

Community in France:

• Mainland France has an estimated 1,19,000 Indian community (including NRIs) members, largely originating from erstwhile French colonies of Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam, Mahe and Chandernagore and the States of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Punjab.

Tourism: 

• About 2.5 lakh French traveled to India in 2019 while about 7 lakh Indians went to France for tourism.

Rajasthan continues to lead among all Indian destinations for French tourists. Foreign tourist arrivals into Rajasthan are growing at a double digit since 2016.

Support on international fora

• France has continued to support India’s claim for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council and the reforms of the United Nations. 
• France’s support was vital in India’s accession to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) and Australia Group (AG).
• France continues to support India’s bid for accession to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
• India and France have resolved to work together for adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN.

Other areas of discussion:

• The current visit will give Modi and Macron an opportunity to exchange notes on issues of mutual interest such as  the
  • Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Hamas war, 
  • China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, and 
  • defense and security cooperation.

5. Hindu temple existed at Gyanvapi mosque site: ASI survey report

Subject: History

Section: Art and culture

Context:

• The western wall of the Gyanvapi mosque located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, is the remaining part of a pre­existing Hindu temple, says the ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey report of the structure prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

About Gyanvapi Mosque

• It is a popular belief that the Gyanvapi Mosque was built in 1669 by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb by demolishing the ancient Vishweshwar temple. It is worth mentioning that in Saqib Khan’s book ‘Yasir Alamgiri’, it is also mentioned that Aurangzeb had demolished the temple in 1669 by ordering Governor Abul Hassan.
• The case of Gyanvapi mosque has been in court since 1991, when three persons, including Pandit Somnath Vyas, a descendant of the priests of the Kashi Vishwanath temple, filed a suit in the court of the civil judge of Varanasi claiming that Aurangzeb had demolished the temple of Lord Vishweshwar and built a mosque on it so that the land should be returned to them.

Legal Safeguards 

• Under Section 3 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, it is prohibited to convert a place of worship, even its clause, into a place of worship of a different religious denomination or a different class of the same religious denomination.
• Section 4(2) of the Act states that all litigations, appeals or other proceedings relating to changing the nature of the place of worship (which were pending till August 15, 1947) shall cease after the enactment of this Act and no fresh action can be taken on such cases.
• However, if the change in the nature of the place of worship has occurred after the cut-off date of August 15, 1947 (after the act came into force ), legal action can be initiated in that case. The disputed site of Ayodhya (Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid) was exempted from the Act.

6. ED-States tussle: SC moots mechanism to identify vendetta

Subject: POLITY

Section: National body

Context:

• The Supreme Court called for a “pan­ India mechanism” to determine whether political vendetta or vindictiveness is a motive behind the Union government unleashing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on officials and Ministers in Opposition­ ruled States, and States then retaliating by arresting the Central agency’s officers.

More About News

• The court observed that, We should explore a fair and transparent mechanism or a body which will look into the interState ramifications, especially when different parties are at the Centre and States, and keep intact the object of punishing the guilty while preventing vindictive arrests. Unless that is evolved.
• The court said that the mechanism should also ensure that the accused in genuine cases filed by the ED do not go scot free by crying “political vendetta”. “Allegations and counter allegations of political vendetta cannot be evolved as a paradise for those who are corrupt.
• There should be some mechanism for screening, with a view to eliminate the apprehension of so­-called or actual political vendetta.

7. India’s research institutes need top level collaboration across the world

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: 

• While the Centre has announced the first set of recipients of a fellowship programme called Vaibhav (VAIshwik BHArtiya Vaigyanik), the premise of the initiative remains intriguing.

About VAIBHAV Fellowship Scheme

• The VAIBHAV Fellowship aims at improving the research ecosystem of India’s Higher Educational and Scientific Institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian Institutions and the best institutions in the world through mobility of faculty/researchers from overseas institutions to India.
• It is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology.

Key Features of the VAIBHAV Fellowship Programme:

• Knowledge Verticals: The programme will focus on 18 identified knowledge verticals, including quantum technology, health, pharmaceuticals, electronics, agriculture, energy, computer sciences, and material sciences, among others.
• Eligibility: The fellowship is open to outstanding scientists and technologists of Indian origin (Non-resident Indians (NRI)/ Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)/Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) who are actively engaged in research activities in their respective countries.
• Collaboration Duration: Selected fellows will have the opportunity to work in collaboration with Indian Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), universities, and public-funded scientific institutions.
• They may spend up to two months per year, for a maximum of three years, at an Indian institution of their choice.
• Fellowship Grant: VAIBHAV fellows will receive a monthly fellowship grant of INR 4,00,000, which will support their research activities during the collaboration period.
• Travel, Accommodation, and Contingencies: The fellowship will cover international and domestic travel expenses, accommodation, and contingencies, ensuring a conducive research environment for the fellows.

VAJRA Faculty Scheme

• Ministry: Ministry of Science and Technology
• VAJRA  stands for Visiting Advanced Joint Research
•  Scheme enables NRIs and overseas scientific community to participate and contribute to research and development in India.

Scheme:

• The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology will implement the Scheme.
• Foreign researchers of Indian origin or otherwise can collaborate with faculties in public funded Indian institutions.
• The researchers would receive endowments at par with those in their own countries. They would be given USD 15,000 in the first month of residency and USD 10,000, for the remaining months.
• The scheme would promote broad areas of research like energy, health, advance material among others.
• Public funded academic institutions and national laboratories will be eligible for hosting the VAJRA Faculty.
• The VAJRA faculty can reside in India for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months a year.

What are the Other Government Initiatives involving Overseas Indian?

• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community in the development of India.
• Know India Program (KIP) is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for diaspora engagement which familiarises Indian-origin youth (18-30 years) with their Indian roots and contemporary India.

8. The finer touch: when ‘artificial skin’ is more sensitive than the original

Subject: S&T

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

• Researchers at TU Graz in Austria have received funding to examine real­ life applications for their successful ‘artificial skin’ prototype that can reportedly ‘feel’ more than the real thing. The synthetic skin project is an attempt to emulate at least some of the functions that skin performs.

About Artificial Skin

• Artificial skins are a series of materials that try to emulate the functionality of our skin.

What is the SmartCore Project?

• Dr. Coclite and her team had succeeded in developing a three in one “smart skin” hybrid material, which closely resembles human skin by simultaneously sensing pressure, moisture and temperature and converting them into electronic signals.
• With 2,000 individual sensors per square millimetre, the hybrid material is more sensitive than a human fingertip, giving it its reputation, and, at 0.006 millimetres thick, many times thinner than human skin. 
• The team says that by reacting to these three human sensory impressions, the smart skin prototype surpasses all electronic skin materials on the market to date which only react to pressure and temperature.
• Further, “Human skin has a resolution of one millimetre square. So this means that if you have an object that is one millimetre square or bigger, you can feel it with your finger. With the device that has been produced, we were able to even measure the electrical current from a pixel that was 0.25 millimetre square, smaller than one millimetre square.

Materials Used

• One is a piezoelectric material which when compressed or stretched, generates an electric current. This type of material for example, is the one that allows the artificial skin to sense force or pressure.
• The other material that is also very fundamental in this is the smart polymer that changes thickness depending on humidity and temperature, and in particular, these two materials have been combined in various nano rods.
• So very, very, very small rods in which the polymer is in the middle and the piezoelectric material is on the outside. When the polymer expands, because the temperature or humidity changes, it applies a pressure on the piezoelectric material, and then consequently, an electrical current.

Applications

• One area of practical application is prosthetics. The artificial skin could cover the prosthetics and help the patient with the amputation regain sensation.
• Smart skin could also be used as a sensor with smart watches, when it is programmed to collect precise information about the health status of patients. In this way, skin moisture, pH value and temperature could be continuously monitored.

9. Restoring Lake Victoria: CSE, Tanzanian authorities hold multi-nation stakeholder consultation

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

• On January 23, 2024, a multi-nation stakeholder consultation was held in Dar es Salaam, organized by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in India and Tanzania’s National Environment Management Council (NEMC).
• This meeting aimed to develop strategies for restoring the lake, which is essential for the livelihoods of around 45 million people.

Details:

• Lake Victoria is facing serious environmental challenges.
• The lake’s ecosystem is at risk due to heavy pollution and requires urgent intervention to prevent irreversible damage.
• The lake is shared by Tanzania (51%), Uganda (44%), and Kenya (5%), and the consultation was attended by representatives from these countries, as well as Burundi and Rwanda.
• Previously, CSE and NEMC had identified Mwanza town in Tanzania as a major pollution hotspot and released a report and a management strategy for cleaning the lake and sustaining its ecological integrity. The efforts aim to improve Lake Victoria’s water quality and ensure sustainable use.

About Lake Vicotria:

• Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km2 (23,146 sq mi), Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake by area, the world’s largest tropical lake, and the world’s second-largest freshwater lake by surface area after Lake Superior in North America.
• In terms of volume, Lake Victoria is the world’s ninth-largest continental lake.
• Lake Victoria occupies a shallow depression in Africa.
• The lake’s area is divided among three countries: Tanzania occupies 49% (33,700 km2 (13,000 sq mi)), Uganda 45% (31,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi)), and Kenya 6% (4,100 km2 (1,600 sq mi)).
• Lake Victoria is considered to be part of the Rift Valley system although it lies between the two branches. All of the African Great Lakes were formed as the result of the rift, and most lie in territories within the rift.

Source: DTE

10. India one of the nine countries to sign a global pact to protect endangered river dolphins

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Global Declaration for River Dolphins:

• A meeting was held in Bogotá, Colombia, around International River Dolphin Day (Oct. 24), to discuss the political context, success stories, and collaborative efforts for river dolphin conservation.
• The global declaration aims to double river dolphin populations in Asia and halt their decline in South America.
• A key goal was to encourage nations to sign the Global Declaration for River Dolphins, led by Colombia’s government, WWF, the Omacha Foundation, the World Bank, and the South American River Dolphin Initiative (SARDI).
• This declaration, signed by nine of the 14 range countries, aims to reverse dolphin population declines, protect river habitats, promote research, and address unsustainable fishing practices.
• The declaration stresses the under-recognized crisis facing river dolphins and the mutual responsibility to save them, benefiting both rivers and wetlands.

Impact of climate change on both dolphins and human populations in Amazon:

• River dolphins inhabit major rivers in Asia and South America, impacting nearly 1 billion people living along these rivers.
• Transport and water supply challenges due to low river levels. Nearly half a million people are affected in the Amazonas state of Brazil alone.
• High temperatures in Lake Tefé caused algae to release a neurotoxic toxin.

Importance of Dolphins:

• River dolphins, top predators in some of the world’s largest river systems, are crucial for ecological balance and serve as indicators of ecosystem health.
• The six species of river dolphins are: the Amazon river dolphin, the Ganges river dolphin, the Indus river dolphin, the Irrawaddy dolphin, the tucuxi, and the Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, with the Yangtze finless porpoise, sometimes considered a separate species. All these species are threatened, with the baiji, a Yangtze River dolphin, declared likely extinct in 2007.
• These dolphins face numerous threats, including unsustainable fishing, climate change, pollution, illegal mining, direct hunting, and infrastructure construction, leading to a 73% population decline since the 1980s.
• Both Asian and Amazonian river dolphin populations are decreasing.

Efforts to save dolphins:

• In China, the Yangtze finless porpoise population has increased by 23% over five years, a critical success following the extinction of the baiji in the same river system. In Indonesia, signalling devices in fishing nets have protected dolphins while benefiting local fish catches.
• In Pakistan and India, the Indus River dolphin population has nearly doubled in the past 20 years.

Places in news:

1. Lake Tefé- Brazil
2. Bogotá- Colombia
3. Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and Yasuní National Park- Ecuador

11. Ultra-Processed Foods: Here’s What the Evidence Actually Says About Them

Subject: S&T

Section: Health

Context:

• The health risks of ultra-processed foods have gained attention recently, partly due to Chris Van Tulleken‘s book “Ultra-Processed People.”

Ultra-processed foods (UPF):

• UPF is an industrially formulated edible substance derived from natural food or synthesized from other organic compounds. The resulting products are designed to be highly profitable, convenient, and hyper-palatable, often through food additives such as preservatives, colourings, and flavourings.
• These are commercial food products that contain ingredients not typically used in home cooking, often designed to enhance flavour, extend shelf life, or reduce costs.
• While it’s known that foods high in saturated fats, salt, sugar, and calories, and lacking in whole grains and fibre contribute to health issues like obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, not all ultra-processed foods have these unhealthy nutritional profiles.
• The process of ultra-processing itself, rather than just nutritional content, is harmful and could be more deadly than tobacco and is the leading cause of early death globally.

Myths scrutinised:

• There is no scientific evidence that ultra-processed foods are the largest cause of death globally. This claim seems to misinterpret research suggesting poor diet is a leading cause of death, primarily due to inadequate consumption of fruits, vegetables, oily fish, or whole grains, not ultra-processed foods per se.
• Studies do show that diets high in certain ultra-processed foods, like sugary drinks and processed meats, are linked to poorer health. However, not all ultra-processed foods are detrimental, with some, like brown bread and cereals, even associated with better health.
• There’s no definitive evidence showing that food processing itself harms health. Expert panels in the US and UK, regardless of their funding sources, concur that the impact of food processing on health is not clear.

Source: The Wire

12. The Moon is a Tough Customer

Subject: S&T

Section: Space tech

Explorers of the Moon:

1. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter- 2009, by USA, to create a 3D map of the moon’s surface to identify landing sites and environments necessary for robotic and human missions.
2. YUTU-2 Rover- 2018, By China, the lander made a touchdown in the Von Karman crater to understand more about the early solar system and Earth.
3. Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, 2019, by ISRO
4. Chang’e 5 orbiter 2020 by China. Consists of 4 modules: an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a returner. The goal was to collect and return around 2 kg of lunar samples, which it achieved in Dec.2020
5. Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter 2022: South Korea launched it to study the moon’s surface to inform future missions about the polar region. It will also hunt for ice deposits, observe seasonal changes and measure the terrain inside the craters.
6. CAPSTONE Orbitor 2022: NASA launched a microwave-sized satellite on elliptical lunar orbit, it can offer stability to long-term missions like Gateway- a moon-orbiting outpost that is part of NASA’s also aims to demonstrate spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation services.
7. Chandrayaan-3: 2023 by ISRO- to land a rover and ladder on the moon, and ISRO successfully did it.
8. SLIM mission: Japan achieved significant success with the soft landing of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) on January 20, 2024, making Japan the fifth nation to accomplish this feat. However, the mission faced issues with its solar antennae, jeopardising its scientific objectives.
9. Hakuto-R mission:

• Launched in 2023
• A Japanese mission to land on the moon.
• It was not Hakuto-R Mission 2, a lunar lander and rover, is scheduled for launch in 2024.

Challenges in Moon mission:

• January 2024 was marked by significant developments in lunar missions, with two robotic missions to the Moon having mixed outcomes: one a failure and the other a minimal success. NASA, under its Artemis program, announced a delay in its first crewed Moon missions, now planning a flyby around September 2025 and a landing attempt in September 2026. This comes over fifty years after NASA’s successful Apollo program, where twelve men walked on the Moon.
• The US company Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine lunar lander, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, failed after a propellant leak led to the loss of control and eventual re-entry over the South Pacific.
• Contrastingly, Japan achieved significant success with the soft landing of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) on January 20, 2024, making Japan the fifth nation to accomplish this feat. However, the mission faced issues with its solar antennae, jeopardising its scientific objectives.
• The history of private lunar missions has been challenging, with failures from SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries’ Beresheet in April 2019, the Japanese agency ispace’s Hakuto-R mission in April 2023, and Russia’s Luna-25 mission in August 2023.
• Despite SpaceX’s successes with ISS transport and satellite launches, its Starship missions have failed, and other major players like Boeing’s Starliner have faced delays. This raises questions about the private sector’s role and reliability in future Moon, Mars, and beyond missions.
• Technical and financial challenges are significant in Moon missions, including landing precision and navigation without space-based aids.
• India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission stands out as a notable success amid these developments, highlighting the complexity and difficulty of lunar exploration for both states and private entities.

Source: The Wire