• NCGG has successfully trained the 24^th batch of civil servants from Maldives.
• So far, 685 officers from Maldives have been imparted training.

ABOUT NATIONAL CENTRE FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE

• It is an autonomous institute set up in 2014, under the aegis of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• It was previously known as the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR).
• It seeks to carry out policy-relevant research and prepare case studies.

• It curates training courses for civil servants from India and other developing countries;
• It provides a platform for sharing existing knowledge and proactively seeking out and developing ideas for their implementation in the government, both at the National & International levels.
• It is governed by a Governing Body, under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary.

• PM Modi was conferred with ‘Order of the Nile’ award, Egypt’s highest state honour.
• This is the 13^th such highest state honour that various countries across the world have conferred upon PM Modi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honored with the Order of the Nile by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during his visit.

ABOUT THE AWARD

• The Order of the Nile was established in the year 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt.
• Originally intended to recognize individuals who had rendered valuable service to the country, the Order of the Nile became Egypt’s highest state honor after the monarchy was abolished in 1953.
• The ‘Order of the Nile’ is now conferred upon Heads of state, Crown Princes, and Vice-Presidents who offer Egypt or humanity invaluable services.
• The ‘Order of the Nile’ is a pure gold collar consisting of three-square gold units comprising Pharaonic symbols.
• The first unit resembles the idea of protecting the state against evils, the second one resembles prosperity and happiness brought by the Nile, and the third one refers to wealth and endurance.
• Its rich history and symbolism make it a coveted accolade.

• Following the passage of Cyclone Biparjoy near Jakhau in Kutch, birdwatchers and enthusiasts have reported sightings of Pelagic birds, including species like shearwaters, petrels, storm petrels and terns in places not typically associated with their presence.

ABOUT PELAGIC BIRDS

• These are seabirds that live on open seas and oceans rather than inland or around more restricted waters such as lakes and rivers.
• They can be found thousands of miles offshore but can get blown onto land during high winds and storms.
• The only other time they come inland is to breed.
• Examples- albatrosses, frigatebirds, fulmars, petrels, shearwaters, and tropicbirds.
• Most of them eat fish, crustaceans, mollusks, or aquatic vegetation.
• Generally, they have dense, waterproof feathers and layers of fat to keep them warm.
• A unique feature about seabirds is that they have desalination filters in their bills that can eliminate salt from the water they drink.
• They have exceptionally long and thin wings that allow them to fly effortlessly for long periods without rest.
• Some have webbed or partially webbed feet for swimming, plucking fish from the shallows, or executing precise, plunging dives.
• In general, seabirds live longer than other wild birds; most have an average lifespan of 50 years.
• Almost all seabirds live in colonies, migrate annually, and mate for life.

• Researchers have revealed global observations of auroras associated with carbon dioxide using satellites.

ABOUT AURORAS

• Auroras are caused by interaction of charged particles (electrons and protons) of solar wind with atoms of upper atmosphere i.e. ionosphere.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), while in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s called the southern lights (aurora australis).
• The usually observed green and red auroras happen between 100 kilometres and 250 kilometres above the surface of the planet due to an excited state of atomic oxygen.

CO₂ AURORAS

• When charged particles crash into planet’s atmosphere, they interact with many different atoms and molecules including Carbon dioxide.
  • While the gas is known for acting as a greenhouse gas due to its presence in the lowest part of the atmosphere, trace parts of carbon dioxide also exist in the atmosphere at the edge of space.
• When CO₂ molecules about 90 km above Earth become excited during an aurora, they emit infrared radiation.
• This leads to more infrared radiation than is typically observed in the planet’s atmosphere.

• More than 100 cows have died in Meghalaya due to the highly infectious Lumpy Skin Disease and over 8000 animlas have been infected.

ABOUT LUMPY SKIN DISEASE

• LSD is an infectious viral disease mainly affecting cattles.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that its mortality rate is less than 10%.
• The first reported outbreak of LSD occurred in Zambia in 1929.
• LSD is primarily spread between animals through the bite of vectors, such as mosquitoes, ticks and flies.
• The primary symptoms of LSD include fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, drooling, and blisters on the skin.
  • Also, affected animals may also lose their appetite and have difficulty in eating, leading to reduced milk production.
• Currently, in India the goat pox vaccine and sheep pox virus vaccines are administered for LSD.
• It’s a heterologous vaccine that offers cross-protection for cattle against the disease.
  • Goat pox, sheep pox and LSD belong to the same capripoxvirus genus.

• The Larji Hydropower Project management will open the gates of the dam de-silting purpose.
• The district administration has, therefore, advised tourists and local residents to avoid venturing close to the Beas banks in Mandi district.
• Larji is a 126MW hydro power project. It is located on Beas river/basin.

• World Health Organization has recently certified Belize as malaria-free.

ABOUT BELIZE

• It is located on the northeast coast of Central America and south of the Yucatán Peninsula.
• It has a land of mountains, swamps, and tropical jungle.
• It is bounded by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.
• The Northern half of country has limestone lowlands and swamps less than 200 feet (60 metres) above sea level whereas the southern half has Maya Mountains, a plateau of igneous rock cut by erosion into hills and valleys
• Belize Barrier Reef is the second-largest barrier reef in the world.
  • The reef reserve system was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.

• Scientists explored nutraceutical properties of Joha rice (a GI Tag rice from Assam) and detected two unsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic (omega-3) acid.
• It is unique in aroma and grain characteristics and distinct from other aromatic rice like Basmati
• It is grown in Sali/ Kharif season.
• Major Joha varieties included in this are Kola Joha, Keteki Joha, Bokul Joha and Kunkuni Joha.
• Joha rice has a more balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in comparison to widely consumed non-scented variety.
• Joha varieties are mostly short or medium grained and have very low yield potential.
• It is effective in lowering blood glucose and preventing diabetes onset.

• According to RBI bulletin, Indian rupee was turning out to be one of the most stable currencies with implied volatility at its lowest level since 2008.
• Implied volatility is the metric that captures the market’s view of likelihood of fluctuations in its value.
• However, it doesn’t predict the direction in which the price change will proceed.
  • It can often be thought to be a proxy of market risk.

• India and Belgium have signed MLATs in criminal matters to help both countries to execute each other’s search warrants and summons against fugitives wanted by individual investigating agencies.
• MLATs is a mechanism whereby countries cooperate with one another to provide and obtain formal assistance to ensure that the criminals do not escape or sabotage the due process of law.
• Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal ministry for executing court orders under the MLATs.
• Section 105 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) explains the reciprocal arrangements to be made.