Daily Prelims Notes 8 October 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

8 October 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Significance of Q-dots in Nanotechnology
2. Improving the compatibility of pig organs for transplantation
3. ISRO Plans Gaganyaan Unmanned Flight Tests, Gears for Abort Mission
4. 19 dolphins rescued alive from canals of Ganga-Ghagra basin, says study
5. Now a more efficacious, inexpensive malaria vaccine
6. Can the tongue taste only sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami?
7. Ashoka’s Gold Mine Set For Comeback Next Year
8. Attophysics — new tools to fathom the world of electrons
9. Hydro-electric Project in Northeast India
10. Army deliberating to convert logistics and transport units into the TA soon
11. State Flag GST on gaming firm
12. Israel is at war with Hamas

1. Significance of Q-dots in Nanotechnology

Subject :Science and tech

Section: Awards

Context:

Alexei I. Ekimov, Louis E. Brus, and Moungi G. Bawendi have been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize for chemistry “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots”.

About Q-dots:

• Quantum dots are nanoscale particles, typically ranging in size from 1 to 100 nanometers. These minuscule structures possess unique properties that are governed by their size.
• The ‘quantum’ in its name comes from the fact that the electrons in these atoms have very little space to move around, so the crystal as a whole displays the  quirky effects of quantum mechanics effects that otherwise would be hard to  ‘see’ without more sophisticated instruments.
• Quantum dots have also been called ‘artificial atoms’ because the dot as a whole behaves like an atom in some circumstances.

Features of Q-dotes as a nanoparticles

• There are two broad types of materials: atomic and bulk.
• Atomic refers to individual atoms and their specific properties.
• Bulk refers to large assemblies of atoms and molecules.
• Quantum dots lie somewhere in between and behave in ways that neither atoms nor bulk materials do.
• One particular behavior distinguishes them the properties of a quantum dot change based on how big it is.
• Just by tweaking its size, scientists can change the quantum dot’s melting point or how readily it participates in a chemical reaction.
• When light is shined on a quantum dot, it absorbs and then re emits it at a different frequency.
• Smaller dots emit blue light and larger dots, redder light. This happens because light shone on the dot energizes some electrons to jump from one energy level to a higher one, before jumping back down and releasing the energy at a different frequency.
• So, quantum dots can be easily adapted for a variety of applications including surgical oncology, advanced electronics, and quantum computing.

Q-dots Applications in Nanotechnology 

• Optoelectronics and Displays: Quantum dots are used in displays and lighting to enhance colour accuracy, brightness, and energy efficiency. QLED (Quantum-dot Light Emitting Diode) technology has led to the developing of high-quality, vivid displays in televisions and monitors.
• Biological Imaging: Quantum dots are valuable in biological and medical imaging. They offer bright, stable fluorescence for precise cell and biomolecule tracking in living organisms.
• Solar Cells: Quantum dots are studied for use in solar cells to boost efficiency and broaden the light absorption spectrum.
• Quantum Dot Lasers: They are used to develop lasers with low threshold current and tunable emission, which find applications in telecommunications and optical signal processing.
• Quantum Dot Computing: Quantum dots may serve as qubits (quantum bits) in quantum computing, advancing the development of robust, efficient quantum computers.
• Sensors and Detection: Quantum dots can be used in sensors for substance detection and environmental monitoring due to their sensitivity and tunable traits.
• Telecommunications: Quantum dots can amplify and transmit optical signals efficiently.
• Material Science: Quantum dots provide insights into nanoscale quantum effects and material behaviour, driving innovation for novel materials and technologies.
• Energy Storage: Quantum dots are explored for use in energy storage devices (like batteries and supercapacitors), where their unique properties can enhance energy storage and efficiency.
• Drug Delivery: Quantum dots serve as drug delivery carriers in medicine, enabling precise and controlled pharmaceutical release. E.g., cancer treatments.
• Environmental Remediation: Quantum dots have applications in environmental remediation, such as removing pollutants from water and soil through photocatalysis.
• Security and Authentication: Tunable optical properties of quantum dots enhance their value in anti-counterfeiting measures used in document and product security features.

2. Improving the compatibility of pig organs for transplantation

Subject :Science and tech

Section: Biotechnology

Context:

The design and successful transplantation of kidney grafts from genetically modified pigs into non­-human primates has been described in a recent study published in ‘Nature’ magazine.

What is Xenotransplantation?

• Xenotransplantation, or transplanting organs across different species, was first tried in humans in the 1980s.
• The experiment was abandoned after the famous case of the American Baby Fae who was born with a congenital heart defect and received a baboon heart in 1984.
• However, pig heart valves have been used for replacing damaged valves in humans for over 50 years now.
• Nowadays, harvesting organs from genetically engineered pigs is seen as a viable alternative to meet organs shortage.

How the pigs are genetically engineered?

• The donor pig underwent 10 genetic modifications, by which the genes responsible for the rapid rejection of foreign organs by the human body were inactivated or knocked out.
• Four pig genes were removed, and six human genes were added.
• “GalSafe” pigs, or pigs that had undergone editing to knock out a gene that codes for Alpha-gal (a sugar molecule) were used.
• Alpha-gal can elicit a devastating immune response in humans.
• GalSafe pigs have been well studied, and are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in pharmacology.

Why pursue xenotransplantation?

• Modern scientific supporters of xenotransplantation argue that the potential benefits to society outweigh the risks, making pursuing xenotransplantation the moral choice.
• None of the major religions object to the use of genetically modified pig organs for life-saving transplantation.
• A crucial case in India
• Harvesting organs from genetically engineered pigs is seen as a viable alternative to meet organs shortage.
• According to the health ministry, around 0.18 million people in India are estimated to suffer from renal failure every year, but only about 6,000 renal transplants are carried out in the country.
• About 25,000-30,000 liver transplants are needed annually in India but only about 1,500 are being performed.
• In the case of the heart, 50,000 people suffer from heart failure and are in need of a heart transplant.
• Yet, only 10-15 heart transplants are carried out in India each year.

Issues with Xenotransplantation

Besides scientific challenges, there are several ethical challenges to overcome:

• Animal rights: Many, including animal rights groups, strongly oppose killing animals to harvest their organs for human use.
• Decreased life expectancy: In the 1960s, many organs came from the chimpanzees, and were transferred into people that were deathly ill, and in turn, did not live much longer afterwards.
• Religious violations: Certain animals such as pork are strictly forbidden in Islam and many other religions.
• Informed consent: Autonomy and informed consent are important when considering the future uses of xenotransplantation.
• Threats of zoonosis: The safety of public health is a factor to be considered. We are already battling the biggest zoonotic disease threat.

3. ISRO Plans Gaganyaan Unmanned Flight Tests, Gears for Abort Mission

Subject :Science and tech

Section: Space technology

Context:

The abort mission is expected by October­ end from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.

About Gaganyaan Mission:

• The Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a three day mission and bringing them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
• The first trial (uncrewed flight) for Gaganyaan is being planned by the end of 2023 or early 2024. This will be followed by sending Vyom Mitra, a humanoid and then with the crew onboard.

ISRO’s first human spaceflight mission:

• This manned mission will be the first of ISRO’s human spaceflight missions.
• The US, Russia and China are the only three countries to have conducted human spaceflights yet.

Launched by: 

ISRO’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV Mk III (3 stages heavy-lift vehicle).

Significance of the Gaganyaan mission

• India’s aim of Self-reliance:It will help India in achieving self-reliance, in line with the vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and also boost the capacity development in launching satellites under the Make in India Initiative.
• It will reduce India’s dependence on foreign cooperation in this direction.
• R&D and robotic programme:It will also enhance the research and development (R&D) at science and technology levels especially in the space sector.
• It is in line with India’s progress towards a sustained and affordable human and robotic programme to explore the solar system and beyond.
• Focus on regional needs:Gaganyaan will focus on regional needs because one International Space Station (ISS) may not be enough to cater to global requirements.
• Strengthening international partnerships: The programme will strengthen international partnerships and global security through the sharing of challenging and peaceful goals.

Challenges:

• Environmental Hazards: Hostile space environment with a lack of gravity and atmosphere and danger of radiation.
• Astronauts may have medical issues due to: Microgravity and Solar insolation.
• Behavioural issues are likely to crop up when astronauts are confined into small spaces and have to rely on limited resources.
• They may encounter depression, cabin fever, fatigue, sleep disorder and other psychiatric disorders.
• Artificial Atmosphere: There are two choices for an artificial atmosphere, either an Earth-like mixture of oxygen in inert gas or pure oxygen.

Abort Mission for Gaganyaan

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will conduct two unmanned ‘Abort Mission’ to ensure crew safety during the Gaganyaan mission.
• The abort missions are meant to test the systems that can help the crew escape from the spacecraft mid-flight in case of a failure.
• ISRO already conducted a pad abort test — where the crew can escape from the spacecraft in case of an emergency at the launch pad — in 2018.
• For the abort missions, ISRO has developed test vehicles that can send the systems up to a certain height, simulate failure, and then check the escape system.
• Escape system is designed with five “quick-acting” solid fuel motors with a high burn rate propulsion system, and fins to maintain stability.
• The crew escape system will separate from the crew module by firing explosive nuts.
• ISRO’s focus is on perfecting the system that will launch and land Indians on missions to space and to protect the astronauts if the mission fails.

Payloads:

• The payload will consist of:
  • Crew module: Spacecraft carrying human beings.
  • Service module: Powered by two liquid propellant engines.
  • It will be equipped with emergency escape and emergency mission abort.
• Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3/GSLV Mk3) rocket – heavy lift launcher of ISRO, is identified as the launch vehicle for Gaganyaan mission.
  • India’s heaviest rocket consists of 3-stage propulsion (solid stage, liquid stage and cryogenic stage).
• All systems in the LVM3 launch vehicle are re-configured to meet human rating requirements i.e. Human Rated LVM3/HLVM3.
• Under the Gaganyaan schedule (to be launched in 2023):
  • Three flights will be sent into orbit.
  • There will be two unmanned flights and one human spaceflight.

Why Abort Mission Before Gaganyaan?

• The abort missions are meant to test the systems that can help the crew escape from the spacecraft mid-flight in case of a failure.
• The Test Vehicle is a single-stage liquid rocket developed for this abort mission that can send the systems up to a certain height, simulate failure, and then check the escape system.
  • Escape system is designed with five “quick-acting” solid fuel motors with a high burn rate propulsion system, and fins to maintain stability.
  • The payloads consist of the Crew Module and Crew Escape Systems (CES) with their fast-acting solid motors.
• The crew escape system will separate from the crew module by firing explosive nuts.

4. 19 dolphins rescued alive from canals of Ganga-Ghagra basin, says study

Subject : Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

• A recent publication by scientists and researchers has revealed that 19 Gangetic river dolphins had been rescued from the irrigation canals of the Ganga-Ghagra basin in Uttar Pradesh between 2013 and 2020.

Details about the publication:

• Titled ‘Rescuing Ganges river dolphins (Platanista gangetica) from irrigation canals in Uttar Pradesh, North India, 2013–2020‘.
• The publication details about:
  • Highlights the capture and relocation methods
  • Describes the behavioral and demographic details of rescued animals and locations of these canals where the animals had been trapped.

Key findings:

• 24 rescue operations had been conducted from 2013 to 2020 (19 successful rescue operations) and five dolphins had died.
• Dams and barrages had severely affected this habitat as dolphins moved into irrigation canals where they were at a risk of injury or death from multiple factors, such as rapidly receding waters, heat stroke and human interferences.
• The dolphins may either stray into the canal while following prey upstream or get flushed into the canal by a sudden discharge of water from the barrage gates.
• Over 70% of entrapments were reported either post monsoon or during peak winter.

Global efforts to protect dolphins:

• In 2016, the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) scientific committee recognised that both Ganges and Indus river dolphins require prompt and coordinated action to protect them from imminent threats.
• In 2017, the IWC created the Asian River Dolphin Task Team (AR‐TT) to identify information gaps and research priorities and develop concerted action for the protection of the Ganges and Indus river species in their range.

Gangetic dolphins:

• The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind.
• They hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds or by echolocation.
• They are frequently found alone or in small groups, and generally a mother and calf travel together.
• Females are larger than males and give birth once every two to three years to only one calf.
• Gangetic dolphins are the national aquatic animal of India.
• National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has accorded the 5th October as National Dolphin Day in 2022.
• The Ganges river dolphin is in:
  • Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972,
  • Endangered in IUCN Red list.
  • Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and
  • Appendix 1 of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

International Whaling Commission (IWC):

• Formation: 2 December 1946
• Headquarters: Impington, United Kingdom
• Membership (2020): 88 nations
• The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a specialized regional fishery management organisation, established under the terms of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) to “provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry”.
• Through the “Florianópolis Declaration” of 2018, members of the organization concluded that the purpose of the IWC is the conservation of whales and that they would now safeguard the marine mammals in perpetuity and would allow the recovery of all whale populations to pre-industrial whaling levels.
• In response, Japan announced on 26 December 2018, that since the IWC failed its duty to promote sustainable hunting, which is one of its stated goals, Japan is withdrawing its membership and will resume commercial hunting in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone from July 2019, but will cease whaling activities in the Southern Hemisphere.

Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation India:

• Formed in 2001 and gaining nonprofit status in 2004, Turtle Survival Alliance is a global conservation organization that works to create a planet where tortoises and freshwater turtles can thrive in the wild.
• These science-based initiatives are directed by local leaders, inspiring sustainable, community-based stewardship to prevent extinctions.
• Where populations cannot yet thrive in the wild, our captive breeding programs preserve opportunities for their future survival.

Ghaghra river:

• The Ghaghara River, called Karnali River in Nepal, Mapcha Tsangpo in Tibet, and the lower Ghaghara in Awadh called Sarayu River, is a perennial trans-boundary river that originates in the northern slopes of the Himalayas in the Tibetan Plateau, cuts through the Himalayas in Nepal and joins the Sharda River at Brahmaghat in India.
• Together they form the Ghaghara River, a major left bank tributary of the Ganges.
• With a length of 507 km (315 mi) it is the longest river in Nepal. The total length of Ghaghara River up to its confluence with the Ganges at Revelganj in Bihar is 1,080 km (670 mi).
• It is the largest tributary of the Ganges by volume and the second largest by length after Yamuna.
• Tributaries:
  • Left: Bheri, Kuwana, Rapti, Chhoti Gandak
  • Right: Seti, Dahawar, Sarda, Budhi Ganga

Source: TH

5. Now a more efficacious, inexpensive malaria vaccine

Subject :Science and tech

Section: Biotechnology

Context:

• A malaria vaccine– R21/MatrixM– developed by the University of Oxford, manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India and tested in a phase-3 trial at five sites in four countries– Mali, Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Tanzania– in Africa was recommended (but yet to be prequalified) by the WHO on October 2.

About the vaccine:

• The Matrix-M component is a proprietary saponin-based adjuvant developed by Novavax and licensed to the Serum Institute for use in endemic countries.

What is Adjuvant?

An adjuvant is an ingredient in a vaccine that enhances the immune system’s response to that vaccine.

Adjuvants help the immune system better recognize what’s in a vaccine and remember it longer, increasing the amount of time that a vaccine may offer protection.

Matrix-M adjuvant is derived from saponins, naturally occurring compounds found in the bark of the Quillaja saponaria tree in Chile. Saponins have a history of medicinal use.

• It is a new vaccine approved for the prevention of malaria in children.
• It is the first malaria vaccine to reach the WHO’s target of 75% efficacy.
• It has already been approved for use in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Nigeria.
• The vaccine will be rolled out in those African countries in early 2024 and will be available in mid-2024 in other countries.

What is Malaria?

• It is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
• There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, pose the greatest threat.
• Malaria is common in tropical areas where it’s hot and humid.
• Children under 5 years of age are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria.

It is mostly found in tropical countries. 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%).

Elimination Strategies:

India:

• National Framework for Malaria Elimination (2016-2030)
• Malaria Elimination Research Alliance-India (MERA-India)

Vaccine efficacy of the new malaria vaccine:

• Three countries- Nigeria, Ghana, and Burkina Faso– have already approved the use of the vaccine to immunize children aged less than 36 months.
• The vaccine efficacy at the end of one year in children aged 5-36 months was 75% where malaria is seasonal and 68% where malaria is perennial.
• In children aged 5-17 months, who are more likely to die due to severe malaria, the vaccine efficacy was higher — 79% where malaria is seasonal and 75% where malaria is perennial.
• The higher vaccine efficacy in younger children (5-17 months) compared with older children (18-36 months).
• The vaccine was more efficacious in places where malaria was seasonal than when it was perennial.
• The vaccine efficacy is highest 14 days after the third dose and begins to slowly wane.
• The vaccine efficacy of R21/MatrixM is much higher than the first malaria vaccine — RTS,S/AS01 that has been recommended by the WHO in 2021 — which had a vaccine efficacy of 56% at the end of one year in children aged 5-17 months. According to the preprint, even after four booster shots of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, the efficacy was only 58% over five years.
• There was “significantly reduced” parasite load in children who received the vaccine (R21/Matrix-M) that suggests that the vaccine may help reduce malaria transmission, especially when combined with other strategies such as mosquito nets.
• The cost of the R21/Matrix-M manufactured by Serum Institute will be between $2 and $4 per dose.

Source: TH

6. Can the tongue taste only sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami?

Subject :Science and tech

Section: Health

Context:

• Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda first proposed umami as a basic taste — in addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter — in the early 1900s. About eight decades later, the scientific community officially agreed with him.

Details:

• Scientists have evidence of a sixth basic taste.
• Researchers have found that the tongue responds to ammonium chloride through the same protein receptor that signals sour taste.
• Scientists had earlier recognized that the tongue responds strongly to ammonium chloride but were unable to specify the tongue receptors that respond to it.
• Recently, they uncovered the protein responsible for detecting sour taste.
• That protein, called OTOP1, sits within cell membranes and forms a channel for hydrogen ions moving into the cell.
• To confirm this, they turned to a technique that measures electrical conductivity, simulating how nerves conduct a signal. They measured how well the taste cells generated electrical responses called action potentials when ammonium chloride is introduced.
• Taste bud cells from wildtype mice showed a sharp increase in action potentials after ammonium chloride was added while taste bud cells from the mice lacking OTOP1 failed to respond to the salt.
• This confirmed their hypothesis that OTOP1 responds to the salt, generating an electrical signal in taste bud cells.

Source: TH

7. Ashoka’s Gold Mine Set For Comeback Next Year

Subject :History

Section: Ancient

Context:

• In a rock edict, the emperor Ashoka declared all the gold and gemstones found at Jonnagiri were his. Now, a private company ‘Geomysore’ is gearing up to start gold mining at the ancient site again.

About Suvarnagiri or Jonnagiri:

• The ancients called it Suvarnagiri (Gold mountain).
• With time the name changed to Sonnagiri and then Jonnagiri.
• Jonnagiri in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district is just a village now, but in the days of Ashoka The Great it was the headquarters of the southern part of his empire.
• Some of his famous 3rd century BCE rock edicts have been found here. A huge rock-cut well near a temple is probably a relic of an ancient gold rush.
• Hundreds of years later, the Cholas were masters of Jonnagiri’s gold.
• In the colonial period the British tried but weren’t very successful so they moved on to Kolar, about 300 km away in Karnataka.

Back To Golden Age:

• The studies from Geological Survey of India (GSI) between 1991 and 1994 identified the potential for gold extraction.
• In Jonnagiri the mining company has to sift through up to 2 tonnes of soil to find 1 gram of gold.

About the mining company:

• Geomysore is jointly owned by Thriveni Earth Movers Pvt Ltd (60%) and Deccan Gold Mines Ltd (40%).
• It has spent the past 10 years analyzing the Jonnagiri site.
• Advanced exploration for gold mining includes trenching, soil sampling, IP survey, magnetic survey and drilling.
• Full-scale commercial operations at Jonnagiri by August 2024.
• They will be only the second operational gold miner in India after the Karnataka government-owned Hutti Gold Mines Co Ltd, and have set a target of producing about 1 tonne of gold every year through the open pit mining and processing project.

How much gold does Jonnagiri hold?

• The gold is distributed across the four blocks – east, west, south and north – of the license area and detailed evaluation of the east block has shown the presence of 6.8 tonnes of mineable gold. Enough to keep the mine going for 8-9 years.

Moving Mountains Of Ore

• Gold in the Jonnagiri ore can be recovered with the cheap ‘gravity separation’ method.
• To achieve the target of 1 tonne per annum of gold, a processing plant with a capacity to sift through 1,500 tonnes of ore daily will be set up.
• The ore will be crushed in three stages and then pulverized in a ball mill before the gold is separated from the dirt in a hydrocyclone, a kind of centrifuge.

Closed now, Kolar Gold mine was far bigger

• The Kolar gold mines are centuries old. The Cholas have tried for gold mining here more than 1,000 years ago.
• British industrialist John Taylor III (his company- John Taylor & Sons) succeeded in extracting gold from the Kolar mine in the 1880s. In 1956 the company was nationalized.
• The Kolar mine was shut in 2001 due to a sharp fall in international gold prices. At that time the mine had yielded about 900 tonnes of gold.
• India’s only significant gold producer now is the Hutti mine in Karnataka that was revived in 1947. Since then, it has produced nearly 2 tonnes of gold per year.

8. Attophysics — new tools to fathom the world of electrons

Subject : Science and tech

Section: Awards

Context:

• On October 3, the 2023 Nobel Prize for physics was awarded to Anne L’Huillier, Pierre Agostini, and Ferenc Krausz “for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter”.

What is attosecond science?

• Attosecond science, including attosecond physics, or attophysics, deals with the production of extremely short light pulses and using them to study superfast processes.

Why in news?

• The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2023 has gone to three scientists – Anne L’Huillier, Pierre Agostini, and Ferenc Krausz.
• The work of these scientists made it easier to observe electrons and has potential applications in the field of diagnosing diseases and developing electronic gadgets.

Electrons move so fast that it is impossible to observe them in real time.

• These three scientists produced pulses of light that last only attoseconds, which is 1×10⁻¹⁸ of a second.
• The short pulses of light thus produced can be used to measure the rapid processes in which electrons move or change energy.

How do we know a pulse lasts for an attosecond?

• A major technique to measure the duration of a short light pulse is called RABBIT — and Pierre Agostini and his colleagues developed it in 1994.
• Here, the attosecond pulse and another pulse of a longer duration are shined on atoms of a noble gas.
• Due to the photoelectric effect, the photons in the two pulses kick out electrons from the atoms. Physicists harvest data about these electrons and the atoms.
• The principles of producing and then measuring attosecond pulses were finally in place.
• In 2001 Agostini et al., in Paris, and Ferenc Krausz et al. in Vienna were able to produce verified attosecond pulses in a ‘train’: a pulse followed by a gap, followed by a pulse, and so forth.
• The pulse duration in the former case was 250 as. In the latter, the Krausz group produced a pulse train with a pulse duration of 650 as, and using a filtering technique was also able to isolate a single pulse, a bullet of light.
• By 2017, experts were able to produce a pulse as short as 43 attoseconds.
• The current world record for the shortest light-pulse generated by human technology is 43 as.

The main interests of attosecond physics are:

• Atomic physics: investigation of electron correlation effects, photo-emission delay and ionization tunneling.
• Molecular physics and molecular chemistry: role of electronic motion in molecular excited states (e.g. charge-transfer processes), light-induced photo-fragmentation, and light-induced electron transfer processes.
• Solid-state physics: investigation of exciton dynamics in advanced 2D materials, petahertz charge carrier motion in solids, spin dynamics in ferromagnetic materials.
• One of the primary goals of attosecond science is to provide advanced insights into the quantum dynamics of electrons in atoms, molecules and solids with the long-term challenge of achieving real-time control of the electron motion in matter.

For details of Attophysics: https://optimizeias.com/2023-nobel-prize-in-physics-seeing-electrons-in-brief-flashes-of-light/

Source: TH

9. Hydro-electric Project in Northeast India

Subject :Geography

Section: Places in news

Source: Neepco

10. Army deliberating to convert logistics and transport units into the TA soon

Subject :  Schemes

Context: The Indian Army, in its plan for larger manpower optimisation of its force, is deliberating to convert its logistics and transport units into the Territorial Army (TA).

More about the news:

• The Indian Army is considering converting its logistics and transport units into the Territorial Army (TA) as part of its broader manpower optimization plan.
• This move aims to reduce the government’s pay and pension burden.
• The TA is also recruiting Chinese language interpreters for border personnel meetings and cyber security experts to support the Army.
• Additionally, the Army plans to optimize its manpower by involving veterans on a contractual basis, cross-skilling technical trades, and outsourcing various services at its static units.
• This transformation is expected to be implemented over the next five years in phases.

What is Territorial Army(TA):

• The Indian Territorial Army (TA) serves as a secondary defense force to the regular army.
• It is open to individuals already employed in civilian professions, requiring gainful employment or self-employment as a prerequisite.
• TA’s role includes relieving the regular army of static duties, aiding civil authorities during calamities, and providing essential services in challenging areas.
• TA volunteers serve periodically, ready to bear arms for national defense during emergencies.
• The Motto of Territorial Army is Savdhani Va Shoorta i.e Vigilance and Valour

What is the history of Territorial Army(TA):

• The Territorial Army was raised by the Britishers in 1920 through Indian Territorial Act of 1920 and it was organized into two wings namely – ‘The Auxiliary Force’ for Europeans & Anglo-Indians and ‘The Indian Territorial Force’ for Indian Volunteers.
• After Independence Territorial Army Act was passed in 1948 and the Territorial Army was formally inaugurated by the first Indian Governor General Shri C Rajagopalachari on 09 Oct 1949.

What is the eligibility criteria of Territorial Army(TA):

• Nationality: Must be a citizen of India, open to both men and women.
• Age: Age range for candidates is 18 to 42 years.
• Educational Qualifications: Applicants should hold a graduate degree from any recognized university.
• Physical Standards: Candidates must meet the required physical and medical fitness standards.
• Employment: Must be gainfully employed in civilian professions.
• Exclusion: Individuals currently serving in the Regular Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, GREF, Para Military, or similar forces are not eligible to apply

11. State Flag GST on gaming firm

Subject : Economy

Section: Fiscal Policy

Context: GST Council affirms 28% tax on online betting from October 1

More about the news:

• During the 52nd GST Council meeting, various decisions were made, including the reduction of GST rates on certain products and clarifications on tax treatment.
• The council defended the 28% levy on online gaming despite some states terming it retrospective taxation.
• The taxation rights on extra neutral alcohol were transferred to states, and a prospective plan for a GST surcharge after March 2026 was discussed.
• Clarifications were provided on corporate guarantees and appeals, and age-related norms for GST Appellate Tribunal members were adjusted. The Council gave its nod to cap the maximum age of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) president and members at 70 years and 67 years respectively. The minimum age for appointment would be 50 years. Also, an advocate with up to 10 years of substantial experience in litigation under indirect tax laws would be eligible for judicial membership in the tribunal.

What is Goods and Services Tax (GST):

• GST is an indirect tax that came into effect from 1 July 2017 through the implementation of the 101st Amendment to the Constitution of India by the Indian government.
• It has actually replaced various indirect taxes such as – service taxes, VAT, excise and others in the country.
• GST rates are divided into five different tax slabs for collection of tax – 0%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%.
• There are three types of GST i.e State Goods and Services Tax (SGST), Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST)

What is the GST Council:

• GST Council is a constitutional body for making recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax.
• It makes recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax and was introduced by the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016.
• As per Article 279A of the amended Constitution, the GST Council which will be a joint forum of the Centre and the States, shall consist of the following members: –
  • Union Finance Minister – Chairperson
  • The Union Minister of State, in-charge of Revenue of finance – Member
  • The Minister In-charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State Government – Members
• As per Article 279A (4), the Council will make recommendations to the Union and the States on important issues related to GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected or exempted from GST, model GST Laws, principles that govern place of Supply, threshold limits, GST rates including the floor rates with bands, special rates for raising additional resources during natural calamities/disasters, special provisions for certain States, etc.
• Every decision of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be taken at a meeting by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes of the members present and voting, in accordance with the following principles, namely:
  • The vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of one third of the total votes cast, and
  • The votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast, in that meeting.

Some facts about gambling in India:

• The Gambling Act, also known as The Public Gambling Act of 1867, is the law governing gambling in India.
•  Gambling is regulated by individual states, and they are responsible for crafting laws pertaining to gambling within their jurisdictions.
•  Goa and Sikkim are exceptions, as they have legalized and regulated gambling and betting within their states, with Goa also permitting casinos.
• Some states, such as Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, have enacted specific laws to regulate online gaming.
•  However, only Nagaland and Meghalaya have separate regulations for “games of skill.“
• Fantasy league betting, such as fantasy football and cricket, has generally remained unregulated across India, although Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Assam have imposed bans on it.
• Additionally, Telangana and Karnataka have banned all forms of online gaming and gambling, and similar laws were passed in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. However, the laws in Kerala and Tamil Nadu were challenged and subsequently overturned in court, exempting games of skill.

12. Israel is at war with Hamas

Subject : IR

Section: Places in news

Context: Israel declared a state of war after Palestinian militants launched barrages of rockets into southern and central Israel.

More about the news:

• Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, infiltrating its borders through various means and firing thousands of rockets. 
• The attack resulted in casualties on both sides, with Israel caught off guard.
• The conflict escalated tensions in the region due to various factors, including settlement construction and Jerusalem’s holy site.
• The situation led to a state of war, raising questions about Israel’s preparedness and security.
• Hamas is calling its attack ‘al-Aqsa Flood.’

Some of the worst flare-ups between Hamas and Israel:

• In 2014, the deadliest confrontation between the two sides unfolded, resulting in 2,251 Palestinian deaths, including 1,462 civilians, and 67 Israeli soldiers and six civilians killed during 50 days of conflict.
• In May 2021, tensions flared with clashes at Al Aqsa in Jerusalem, leading to rocket exchanges between Hamas in Gaza and Israeli airstrikes, lasting 11 days.

What is Al-Aqsa Mosque:

• Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, is the third holiest site in Islam. 
• The mosque was built on top of the Temple Mount, known as the Al Aqsa Compound or Haram esh-Sharif in Islam.
• Muslims believe that Muhammad was transported from the Great Mosque of Mecca to al-Aqsa during the Night Journey.
• Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the 16th or 17th month after his migration from Mecca to Medina, when Allah directed him to turn towards the Kaaba in Mecca.

Why is al-Aqsa so inflammatory:

• The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem holds deep religious significance for both Muslims and Jews, situated on the Temple Mount.
•  It symbolizes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with claims to Jerusalem rooted in its history.
• Palestinians view it as a symbol of national aspirations, while some Israelis see it as a statement of sovereignty.
• Control of the complex remains contentious, particularly regarding Israeli security forces and Jewish prayer, seen as destabilizing the status quo.

What is Hamas:

• Hamas is the largest Palestinian militant Islamist group and one of the two major political parties in the region.
• Currently, it governs more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
• It was founded in the late 1980s, after the beginning of the first Palestinian intifada
• The organization, however, is also known for its armed resistance against Israel
• Hamas as a whole, or in some cases its military wing, is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other countries.

How was Hamas formed:

• Hamas, formed in the late 1980s during the first Palestinian intifada, against Israeli occupation, evolved from the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood.
• The Brotherhood had pursued a non-confrontational approach, focusing on Islamizing Palestinian society.
• However, in response to perceived failures in the Palestinian national movement, particularly PLO concessions to Israel, Hamas emerged with a mission to confront the occupation through armed struggle, marking a shift in Palestinian resistance dynamics.

How did Hamas begin its ‘resistance

• Hamas rose to prominence by opposing the Oslo Peace Accords, as it believed the two-state solution would neglect Palestinian refugees’ right to return.
• Using suicide bombings, it disrupted the peace process, contributing to Israel’s withdrawal and the ascent of Benjamin Netanyahu.
• In 2006, Hamas won democratic elections, capitalizing on disillusionment with failed peace efforts and its social initiatives.