• Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully carried out the controlled Re-Entry experiment for the decommissioned Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT-1) Satellite.
• An uninhabited area in the Pacific Ocean between 5°S to 14°S latitude and 119°W to 100°W longitude was identified as the targeted re-entry zone for MT1.

Controlled Re-entry

• Controlled re-entries involve de-orbiting to very low altitudes to ensure the impact occurs within a targeted safe zone.
• Usually, large satellites or rocket bodies, which are likely to survive aero-thermal fragmentation upon re-entry, are made to undergo controlled re-entry to limit ground casualty risk.
  • Aero-Thermal Fragmentation is a process in which an object traveling through the Earth’s atmosphere at high-speed experiences extreme heat and pressure, causing it to break apart or fragment.

About MT-1 Satellite

• It is an Indo-French Earth Observation Satellite, which was launched in October 2011 for carrying out tropical weather and climate studies
• The main objective of this mission is to understand the life cycle of convective systems that influence the tropical weather and climate and their role in the associated energy and moisture budget of the atmosphere in tropical regions.
• With its circular orbit inclined 20° to the equator, it is a unique satellite for climate research that aided scientists seeking to refine prediction models.
• Payloads: Microwave Analysis and Detection of Rain and Atmospheric Structures (MADRAS), an Imaging Radiometer developed jointly by CNES (Centre National d’études Spatiales), France and ISRO; Sounder for Probing Vertical Profiles of Humidity (SAPHIR), from CNES; Scanner for Radiation Budget (ScaRaB), from CNES; Radio Occultation Sensor for Vertical Profiling of Temperature and Humidity (ROSA), procured from Italy.

• Considered one of the largest women’s gatherings in the world, around 15 lakh women participated in the annual Attukal Pongala festival of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The festival includes offering Pongala, a sweet delicacy made of rice to the deity of Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.
• The highlight of the ten-day festival is the mass offering that takes place on the ninth day. Women from across the state make it to the capital in huge numbers.
• In 2009, the ritual had made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest religious gathering of women on a single day when over 2.5 million people took part in it.
• Attukal Temple is called the “Women’s Sabarimala” as only women perform rituals, while it is predominantly men who undertake the pilgrimage to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala.

• The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has issued Draft Central Electricity Authority (Construction of Electric Lines in Great Indian Bustard Area) Regulations, 2023, making mandatory for electric lines to be underground or overhead through the ‘Great Indian Bustard (GIB) Area’.
• The regulations came in light of a case in the Supreme Court (SC) on the issue of threat to the endangered Great Indian Bustards.
• As per the regulations, all electric lines of 33 kV and below passing through the ‘Great Indian Bustard Area’ will be underground, while those above 33KV will be overhead lines installed with bird flight diverters.
• These diverters are aimed at improving power line visibility for birds and reducing the risk of collision.

About Great Indian Bustard

• The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), the State bird of Rajasthan, is considered India’s most critically endangered bird.
• It is considered the flagship grassland species, representing the health of the grassland ecology.
• Its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  • Small populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Vulnerability: The bird is under constant threats due to collision/electrocution with power transmission lines, hunting (still prevalent in Pakistan), habitat loss and alteration as a result of widespread agricultural expansion, etc.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN red List- Critically Endangered
  • CITES- Appendix1
  • Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix I
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

• Across India, an outbreak of a respiratory illness with symptoms of cold, sore throat and fever accompanied by fatigue has been observed since December 2022 and January 2023.
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) confirmed that Influenza Sub-type H3N2 has been causing this illness. It further warned that the virus appeared to lead to more hospitalisations than other Influenza subtypes.
• H3N2 virus is a type of influenza virus called the influenza A virus. It is a respiratory viral infection that causes illnesses every year. This subtype of influenza A virus was discovered in 1968 in humans.
• The virus derives from types of protein strains of the influenza A virus – hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). HA has over 18 different subtypes, each numbered H1 to H18 while NA has 11 different subtypes, each numbered N1 to N11.
• The H3N2 is a combination of the two protein strains of the influenza A virus.
• Symptoms-cough, runny nose or congested nose, sore throat, headaches, body aches, fever, chills, fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting and breathlessness.
• Precautions- getting vaccinated, sanitise surroundings by washing your hands regularly with soap, avoiding contact with people who are ill, wearing a mask.
• Treatment-
  • take more fluids and keep hydrated.
  • Regular over-the-counter medications for fever, cough or headaches can be consumed to relieve the symptoms.
  • Annual flu shots for the influenza virus.
• There are four types of seasonal influenza viruses, types A, B, C and D.
  • Influenza A and B viruses circulate and cause seasonal epidemics of disease.
  • Influenza A viruses are the only influenza viruses known to cause flu pandemics (i.e., global epidemics of flu disease).

• United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation has come up with a new GGGMI to provide better ways of measuring planet-warming pollution and help inform policy choices.
• GGGMI will integrate space-based and surface-based observing systems, and seek to clarify uncertainties about where greenhouse gas emissions end up.
• GGGMI will build on and expand WMO’s long-standing activities in GHG monitoring, implemented as part of Global Atmosphere Watch, and via its Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System.
• The data provided by this platform will be faster and sharper.
• Three major GHGs are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and account for 66% of global warming.
• Focus of Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Infrastructure is to bring back the long-standing auspices of the Integrated Greenhouse Gas Information System, also called IG3IS launched by Global Atmosphere Watch.
• The IG3IS was launched to provide information about the distribution of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
  • It was launched by the Global Atmosphere Watch Programme.

• A double-lane bridge will be built over the Beas at Pirdi, which will connect the National Highway-3 with the Kullu-Bhuntar main road.
• The work on the bridge will be started after receiving approval from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). A survey has been conducted and Rs 20 crore will be spent on the project.
• The Public Works Department (PWD) has also marked the site for the bridge.
• This bridge will be useful for the people of Mohal, Shamshi, Badah

• Gagan Kapoor and Navesh Narula were elected chairman and vice-chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Himachal Pradesh, respectively, for the year 2023-24 at Shimla today.

• S. Dubey took charge as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA). He is the 28th officer to hold the position of CGA.
• Prior to that, Dubey has served as Chief Controller of Accounts in Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.

• International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th every year to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, as well as to raise awareness of the ongoing struggle for gender equality.
• The first International Women’s Day was observed in 1911.
  • The United Nations (UN) started celebrating International Women’s Day in 1977, it was officially agreed that the day will be widely observed on March 8 every year.
  • International Women’s Day 2023 theme- “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” to honours and celebrate the women and girls who are leading the way in the development of transformational technology and digital education.

• GEM Report was released by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Important takeaways

• Only 17% of countries cover sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression issues – least covered areas in CSE curricula.
  • Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality.
• Only 20% countries have laws and 39% have a national policy that specifically addresses sexuality education.
• Sexuality education in primary education is compulsory in 68% countries and in secondary education in 76%.
• Contraception issues are covered in school curriculum in two-thirds of countries.