• A juvenile reticulated python was sighted inside IIT Madras, slithering across a residential zone.

ABOUT RETICULATED PYTHON

• Scientific name- Malayopython reticulatus
• Reticulated pythons are the world’s longest and third heaviest snakes ever recorded.
• This species has a broad range across southeastern Asia.
  • In India, they are found in the wild only in Nicobar Islands.
• The species, despite its striking color patterns, camouflage well within its environment.
• Growing Conditions- Tropical environments, Heavily dependent on water, Highly adaptable python species.
• Reticulated pythons are non-venomous, slow-moving reptiles and are commonly found in Southeast Asia.
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists reticulated python as “least concern” globally in view of its wide distribution.

• Since its first edition in 2015, the Annual Joint HADR Exercise, CHAKRAVAT, has transformed itself into a multi-agency endeavour involving participation of all three Services, Paramilitary Forces, as well as several disaster response organisations, NGOs, academic institutions and international organisations.
• The 2023 edition would further synergise efforts at the national level among all stakeholders, as well as witness participation from eight countries of the Indian Ocean Region.
• The exercise has been conducted by Indian Army, Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Air Force (IAF) in rotation since 2016.
• The last edition of the exercise was conducted at Agra by IAF.
• The 2023 edition of the exercise is being hosted by the Indian Navy at Goa from 09 to 11 Oct 23.

• Scientists from a University in Thailand are conducting groundbreaking research into the potential of watermealas a source of nutrition and oxygen for astronauts.

ABOUT WATERMEAL

• It is the world’s smallest flowering plant.

• This rootless, stemless plant typically floats on the surface of water bodies in regions like Thailand and other parts of Asia.
• Its simplicity and rapid growth rate make it an ideal candidate for studying the effects of altered gravity on plant development.
• It’s a prolific producer of oxygen through photosynthesis and a rich source of protein.

• The 19^th Asian Games 2023 came to an end with a closing ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium.

• Hosts China finished with a record 201 gold medals followed by Japan and Republic of Korea.
• India finished fourth with a total of 107 medals that included 28 gold.
• The 20^th Asian Games will be held in Japan in 2026.

ABOUT ASIAN GAMES

• Asian Games are the oldest and most prestigious event on Olympic Council of Asia calendar.
• Asian Games is recognised by International Olympic Committee.
• It is second largest multi-sport event after Olympics.
• They are held every four years.

• With China and India holding multiple rounds of talks on the border row along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Territorial Army (TA) has inducted Mandarin experts to act as interpreters during border personnel meetings between the two sides.

ABOUT TERRITORIAL ARMY

• It is an arm of the Indian Army, established under TA Act 1948.
• Raised on 9 October, 1949, the TA is a volunteer force of India that can be quickly mobilised and utilised during war as well as “no-war, no-peace” scenarios in regions with a history of unrest — for instance, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and the Northeast.
• Thus, it relieves Regular Army from static duties and assist Civil Administration in dealing with natural calamities etc.
• It enables young citizens (18 to 42 years age) to serve in a military environment without having to sacrifice their primary professions.
• The TA has also been undertaking ecological tasks around the country and has raised 10 Ecological Task Force (ETF) battalions that solely undertake ecology-related work around the country.
  • The first such battalion was raised in December 1982.
  • About more than nine crore trees have been planted on around 90,000 hectares of land that had been allotted for the work by various state governments.
• The TA’s annual target includes planting roughly 40-45 lakh trees across the country.
• TA personnel can be decorated for their gallantry services through Kirti Chakra, Vir Chakra, Shourya Chakra, etc.

• C3iHub, a cyber-security Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) of The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) hosted the 3rd National Workshop on Technology Innovation in Cyber-Physical Systems (TIPS).
• The workshop was organized by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).

ABOUT NATIONAL MISSION ON INTERDISCIPLINARY CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS (NM-ICPS)

• It was launched in December 2018.
• Implemented by Department of Science &Technology (DST).
• The Mission addresses the ever increasing technological requirements of the society, and takes into account the international trends and road maps of leading countries for the next generation technologies.
• NM-ICPS is a comprehensive Mission that brings together academia, industry, government and international organizations and has created an ecosystem that fosters entrepreneurship, develops next-generation skilled manpower, catalyses translational research, and promotes the commercialization of CPS technologies.
• As part of the Mission implementation, 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) have been established in advanced technologies in reputed institutes across the country.
• These TIHs focus on technology development and translation, human resource and skill development, entrepreneurship and start-ups development, and international collaborative research.

ABOUT CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS

• Cyber-physical systems integrate sensing, computation, control and networking into physical objects and infrastructure, connecting them to the Internet and to each other.
• Examples- autonomous vehicles, robotics, remote sensors etc.

• The Hamas militant group launched its worst attack inside the Jewish state’s territory since 1948, killing at least 250 Israelis and abducting several others.
• The unprecedented attack was launched under ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Storm’ on Israel on 50^th year of Yom Kippur war.

ABOUT CONFLICT

• The roots of the conflict between Arab Palestinians and Jews lie in the 1^st World War and disintegration of the Ottoman Empire.
• During that time, Jewish immigration to Palestine increased, leading to tensions between Jewish settlers and the Arab population.
• In 1917, during World War I, the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, expressing support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine.
• In 1947 the UN voted to split Palestine between Arabs and Jews.
• Jewish residents accepted the agreement and declared independence of Israel in 1948 while Arabs rejected the agreement leading to the 4 wars over the period of time.

ABOUT YOM KIPPUR WAR

• Yom Kippur or Ramadan War was fought in 1973.
• It was the 4^th Arab-Israel war fought between Israel on one side and Arabs led by Egypt and Syria on the other.
• Outcome-Camp David Accords in 1978 in which-
  • Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.
  • Also the 1979 Egyptian–Israeli peace treaty was the first instance of an Arab country recognising Israel as a state.

ABOUT HAMAS

• Hamas are Militant organization that politically controls Gaza Strip and does not recognised Israel’s statehood.
• It violently opposes the Oslo peace accords (1993) under which Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) formally recognised state of Israel.

• The 52^nd GST Council meeting took place on 7th October 2023 at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi.

MAJOR OUTCOMES

• GST on molasses has been reduced from 28% to 5%.
• The District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) in mineral mining are eligible for the same GST exemptions as other government authorities.
• The GST Council has ceded the right to tax the Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) used in liquor for human consumption to states.
  • ENA is highly concentrated alcohol and key ingredient for pharmaceuticals, perfumes, toiletries etc.
• Rules defined for Composition of GSTAT
  • Minimum age limit is 50 years while the maximum is 70 years for the President and 67 years for members of GSTAT.
  • Advocates with 10 years experience can only be appointed as judicial members.

ABOUT GST COUNCIL

• It is a constitutional body under Article 279A (101 Constitution Amendment Act, 2016).
• Composition
  • Chairperson: Union Finance Minister
  • Members:
    • Union Minister of State, in-charge of Revenue
    • Minister in charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State Government.
  • Functions– Under Article 279A (4), the Council makes 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.
  • Decision requires a 3/4^th majority of members present and voting.
    • vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of one-third of the total votes cast.
    • votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast in that meeting.

ABOUT GST APPELLATE TRIBUNAL (GSTAT)

• GSTAT is the forum of the second appeal under the GST laws and the first common dispute resolution forum between the Centre and States.
• All appeals against the orders in the first appeals issued by the Appellate Authorities under the CGST and SGST Laws lie before the GST Appellate Tribunal, common under both the Central and State GST Acts.
• Being a common forum, the GST Appellate Tribunal will ensure uniformity in the dispute redressal under GST and, therefore, in the implementation of GST across India.

• Amid the ongoing counter-offensive by Israeli forces following the multi-pronged terror attacks by Hamas, tourists from Israel in the Kangra’s Dharamkot village shared their willingess to head back and serve their homeland in whatever way they can.
• Dharamkot is also known as ‘Mini Israel’ as it is the only village in Himachal to have a Jewish centre.

• Punjab government has decided to ban sowing of water-guzzling PUSA-44 variety of paddy crop from the next Kharif season.
• It takes 152 days for ripening as against the PR-126 variety which takes just 92 days.
• It was developed in 1993 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• By the end of 2010s, it had gained widespread popularity among farmers across the Punjab, covering approximately 70 to 80% of the area under paddy cultivation.