• India has launched Operation Karuna to aid those affected by Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar.
• Three ships, INS Shivalik, INS Kamorta, and INS Savitri, arrived in Yangon with emergency relief material such as food supplies, tents, essential medicines, water pumps, portable generators, clothes, and hygiene items.

ABOUT CYCLONE MOCHA

• Cyclone Mocha has been classified as an extremely severe cyclonic storm by the IMD and a ‘Super Cyclone’ by the global weather website Zoom Earth.
• The storm emerged in the Bay of Bengal and has been recorded as the strongest all-season cyclone to form in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal since 1982, with a wind speed of 277 kmph.
• The name ‘Mocha‘ has been suggested by Yemen.
• In Myanmar, Rakhine state is the worst-hit while in Bangladesh the cyclone destroyed shelters in the world’s largest refugee camp at Cox’s Bazar which houses a million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

• PM Modi recently unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima, Japan.
• The Mahatma Gandhi bust serves as a gift from the GoI to the city of Hiroshima.
• The ceremony took place during the Prime Minister’s visit to the G-7 summit.
• Created by the renowned Padma Bhushan awardee Shri Ram Vanji Sutar, the triumphant statue stands tall at 42 inches, crafted from durable bronze material.
• It has been positioned beside the Motoyasu River, which is situated near the iconic A-Bomb Dome.
  • The A-Bomb Dome is a well-known site that attracts thousands of people daily, including tourists and locals alike.

OTHER INFO

• The US conducted the world’s first nuclear attack on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, destroying the city and killing some 140,000 people.
• The uranium bomb, nicknamed Little Boy, weighed 9,700 pounds.
• The second implosion-type plutonium bomb, nicknamed Fat Man, weighed 10,800 pounds and was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945..

• An expert group set up by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has concluded that cooler and drier climates could have been more conducive to the transmission of Covid-19 virus, but available evidence does not suggest that weather conditions played a prominent role in the propagation of the virus.
• The expert group said that “high-quality” research studies indicated a “generally negative association” between temperature and Covid19 transmission, meaning lower temperatures probably helped transmission of the virus.

About World Metrological Organisation

• The WMO is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 192 Member States and 6 Member Territories.
  • India is a member of WMO since 1949.
• It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was established after the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.
• It became a specialised agency of the UN in 1951.
• Parent organization- UN-ECOSOC
• Headquarters-Geneva, Switzerland

• International Tea Day is observed annually on May 21^st to celebrate the long history and cultural significance of tea around the world.
• The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 21st as International Tea Day in 2019 and first official U.N. International Tea Day was celebrated on May 21, 2020.

ABOUT TEA

• The origins of tea can be traced to ancient China.
• Tea is a beverage made from the Camellia sinensis plant.
• It is the world’s most consumed drink, after water, with over 2 billion cups consumed every day.
• It is grown in over 50 countries
• India is the second-largest producer of tea globally.
• Conditions for tea growth
  • It is a tropical and sub-tropical plant and grows well in hot and humid climates.
  • The ideal temperature for its growth is 20°-30°C and temperatures above 35°C and below 10°C are harmful for the bush.
  • It requires 150-300 cm annual rainfall which should be well distributed throughout the year.
  • The most suitable soil for tea cultivation is slightly acidic soil (without calcium) with porous sub-soil which permits a free percolation of water.

• A greater flamingo was rescued recently from Najafgarh wetland. The bird was caught in a high-tension wire and injured its wing and broke a bone.

ABOUT GREATER FLAMINGO (PHOENICOPTERUS ROSEUS)

• It is the state bird of Gujarat.
• Of the six species of flamingos in the world, two are found in India: the tallest of them, the greater flamingo and the smallest one, the lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor).
• Greater flamingoes are found in various regions of Africa, the southeastern parts of Asia as well as southern Europe.
  • In Asia, their distribution range includes the coastal areas of India and Pakistan.
• They are mainly found in shallow waters of lagoons, lakes, estuaries, and muddy beaches.

ABOUT NAJAFGARH WETLAND

• Najafgarh Lake is fed by Sahibi River.
• It was connected to the river Yamuna by a natural shallow nullah or drain called the Najafgarh nullah.
• The presence of 281 bird species, including several threatened ones such as Egyptian vulture, Sarus Crane, Steppe Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Imperial Eagle and those migrating along the Central Asian Flyway has been reported at the lake.
• It is the second largest water body in Delhi-NCR after the Yamuna.
• The Najafgarh water body which was once spread over 226 square kms has been shrinked to 7 square kms.
• The lake is largely filled with sewage from Gurugram and surrounding villages of Delhi.

• A recent peer-reviewed study suggests that even low levels of arsenic consumption may impact cognitive function in children, adolescents, and young adults.
• The study found out that those exposed to arsenic had reduced grey matter (brain tissue that is vital to cognitive functions) and weaker connections within key regions of the brain that enable concentration, switching between tasks, and temporary storage of information.

ABOUT ARSENIC

• It is an odourless and tasteless metalloid widely distributed in the earth’s crust.
• It is naturally present at high levels in the earth crust and groundwater of a number of countries.
• In India, the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Chhattisgarh are reported to be most affected by arsenic contamination of groundwater above the permissible level.
• It is highly toxic in its inorganic form.

ARSENIC POISONING

• Arsenicosis (arsenic poisoning) occurs due to accumulation of large amounts of arsenic in the body.
• It leads to adverse health effects through inhibition of essential enzymes, which ultimately leads to death from multi-system organ failure.
• Long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking-water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• In utero and early childhood exposure has been linked to negative impacts on cognitive development and increased deaths in young adults.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

• Encourage piped water access rather than groundwater extraction,
• Install arsenic removal plants and
• If groundwater extraction is inevitable – encourage extraction from aquifers (water channels below the ground) that are deeper than 100 m, instead of shallower aquifers, which generally contain higher amounts of arsenic.

• The state’s first Education Web-3 Metaverse event was organised at Government Senior Secondary School, Kaloh, in Una district wherein students from 15 nearby schools were given a hands-on experience of the technology used in virtual reality (VR).
• The event was held under the aegis of the district administration and two technical agencies — Cruise Fare and ICP India Hub.
• Metaverse, a vision of the computer industry, will be the next iteration of the Internet, which will be single, shared, immersive and have a 3D virtual space.
• The technology requires interfacing different hardware, including computer, Internet, augmented reality (AR) glasses, virtual reality (VR) headset, gloves and wristbands.

• Manoj Soni was recently sworn in as the chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
• He had joined the Commission as the member on June 28, 2017, has been performing the duties of the UPSC chairman since April 5, 2022.
• Prior to his appointment in the UPSC, he has served three terms as Vice-Chancellor in universities in Gujarat.

• Recently, Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Group, was bestowed with Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur award for his remarkable contributions in strengthening the trade relationship between India and France.
• National Order of the Legion of Honour (French: Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur) is France’s highest civilian award.
• The Legion of Honour consists of five classes, representing descending ranks: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer, and Knight, or chevalier.
• The Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

• A 5,000-year-old tree in Chile has been officially recognized as the world’s oldest.
• It is a Patagonian cypress, also known as Fitzroya cupressoides.
• It is located in the Alerce Costero National Park and is nicknamed “Great Grandfather.”
• It is estimated to be between 5,000 and 6,500 years old, making it the oldest living organism on Earth.
• The Great Grandfather tree is a massive specimen, measuring 28 meters tall and 4 meters (13 Feet) in diameter.
• It is believed to have survived several major climate changes over the centuries, including the Little Ice Age.