Current Context : India conducted its first-ever satellite tagging of a Ganges River Dolphin in Assam.

Tagging involves attaching a device, marker, or tag to an animal for identification or tracking.

Aim : to study dolphins’ migratory patterns, habitat utilization, and distribution.

Implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and NGO Aaranyak.

About Project Dolphin:

• Launched in 2020by MoEFCC to conserve Ganges River Dolphins and their ecosystems.
• Modeled after Project Tiger.

About Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica):

• India’s National Aquatic Animal and an Endangered species (IUCN).
• Habitat: Freshwater systems like the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
• India hosts 90% of the global population.

Features:

• Blind: Relies on echolocation for navigation and hunting.
• Known as the “Tiger of the Ganges”, an umbrella species for riverine ecosystems.
• Locally called ‘Susu’due to its breathing sound.

Current Context : Japanese startup Orbital Lasers and Indian robotics company InspeCity signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the development of laser-equipped satellites aimed at mitigating space debris.

Objectives:

• De-orbiting Defunct Satellites: Utilizing laser technology to remove inactive satellites from orbit.
• Extending Spacecraft Lifespan: Providing in-space services to prolong the operational life of active satellites.

About Space Debris:

• Space debris encompasses all non-functional, human-made objects in Earth’s orbit, including defunct satellites and fragments from disintegration.
• Current Statistics: Of the 35,150 tracked objects in orbit, only about 25% are operational satellites.

Global Initiatives to Mitigate Space Debris:

• RemoveDEBRIS Mission: Demonstrates active debris removal (ADR).
• LignoSat: A wooden satellite to reduce space debris.
• UN Liability Convention (1972): Deals with damage caused by space objects.
• UN Registration Convention (1976): Requires registration of space objects.

India’s Initiatives:

• Project NETRA (Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis) : Tracks space debris to protect Indian space assets.
• Goal for debris-free space missions by 2030.

Occurs on December 21st each year.

Significance:

• Northern Hemisphere: Winter solstice(shortest day, longest night).
• Southern Hemisphere: Summer solstice(longest day, shortest night).

Seasonal Transition:

• Marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Celebrated annually on December 21^st.

Significance:

• Commemorates the invention of basketball by Dr. James Naismith on December 21, 1891.
• Recognizes basketball’s role in promoting peace, development, human rights, and gender equality.
• The UN General Assembly declared December 21st as World Basketball Day in 2023.

Current Context : Mount Semeru, located in East Java, Indonesia, erupted on 15th December, releasing a thick column of white-to-grey ash up to 1,000 meters into the sky.

About Mount Semeru

• Location : Mount Semeru is located in East Java, Indonesia.
• It is the highest volcano on the island of Java, standing at 3,676 meters (12,060 feet).
• Activity:One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes.
• Geological Setting:Located in a subduction zone where the Indo-Australian plate subducts under the Eurasian plate.
• Significance:Part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for high volcanic and seismic activity.
• Cultural Reference:Named after Sumeru, the central world mountain in Hinduism.

Current Context : The Ram Temple project in Ayodhya has been honored with the ‘Sword of Honour’ by the British Safety Council, acknowledging its exceptional safety standards during construction.

About the ‘Sword of Honour’:

• Prestigious Safety Award:One of the highest accolades in health and safety management, awarded to organizations demonstrating excellence in this field.
• Eligibility Criteria:Organizations must achieve a five-star rating in the British Safety Council’s audit, followed by a comprehensive on-site assessment.
• Significance:One of the highest global awards in the field of safety, showcasing the organization’s commitment to safety standards and risk management.

Current Context : Recently, experts suggest that Santa Ana winds contributed to wildfires in Malibu, California, highlighting their role in intensifying fire hazards.

About Santa Ana Wind:

• Santa Ana winds are Strong, dry winds originating inland and affecting coastal Southern California and northern Baja California.
• It is named after Southern California’s Santa Ana Canyon.

Cause: High pressure over the Great Basin and low pressure over California’s coast drive winds westward.

Characteristics:

• Heat up as they descend from mountains.
• Low humidity (often below 10%), creating extremely dry conditions.

Seasonality: Occur primarily from October to January.

Impact on Wildfires: Dry vegetation and strong gusts increase wildfire risks and spread.

Current Context : Israel plans to double its settler population, citing security concerns from Syrian instability on the occupied Golan Heights

About Golan Heights:

• Location:Southwestern Syria, overlooking the Jordan River valley and Sea of Galilee.
• Boundaries:Jordan River (west), Mount Hermon (north), Wadi Al-Ruqqād (east), Yarmūk River (south).

History:

• Captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.
• Syria’s 1973 attempt to reclaim it failed; armistice signed in 1974.
• Israel annexed it in 1981 (unrecognized internationally).

Population: 30+ Israeli settlements (~20,000 residents), deemed illegal under international law.

Strategic Importance:

• Controls routes to Damascus (~60 km) and borders Jordan and Lebanon.
• Key water resource: Sea of Galilee.

Observed on 20 December annually.

• Purpose: To celebrate unity in diversity and promote solidarity for poverty eradication and sustainable development.
• Establishment: Formally established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 22, 2005

Current Context :The state government is exploring the possibility of the construction of an underwater transport tunnel in the Gobind Sagar Lake to connect Bilaspur city with the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway near Rishikesh.

About Gobind Sagar Lake

• Location: Situated in Bilaspur and Una districts, Himachal Pradesh.
• Origin: Created by the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River, a 225.5 m high gravity dam.
• Size: 90 km long, covering 170 sq. km.
• Purpose: Hydro-power generation, irrigation, flood control, fisheries, and water sports.
• Historical Impact: Submerged the old Bilaspur town, rich in cultural heritage.