ANSWER: D

ANSWER: A

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: B

• NASA is set to launch the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission in 2024, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere.
• Advanced polarimeters will be employed to study the interplay of light, aerosols, and clouds, contributing to a deeper comprehension of their impact on air quality and climate.
• PACE will orbit Earth every two days.
• The mission’s data will have practical applications, such as improving air quality forecasts and informing policy decisions.

 PAYLOADS

• The Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), the primary science instrument for PACE, is designed to measure the ocean’s color across a spectrum from ultraviolet to shortwave infrared.
• In addition, PACE will feature two polarimeters – the Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary Exploration (SPEXone) and the Hyper Angular Research Polarimeter (HARP2).
  • NASA explains that the collaboration between SPEXone and HARP2 will provide complementary spectral and angular sampling, polarimetric accuracy, and spatial coverage.

ABOUT AEROSOLS

• Aerosols — tiny airborne particles such as sea salt, smoke, dust, and pollutants — play a critical role in shaping our planet’s climate.
• They scatter and absorb sunlight, influencing how much solar energy reaches the Earth’s surface.
• Moreover, these particles are central to cloud formation, affecting weather patterns and climate dynamics.

ANSWER: C

• Camera traps installed at a wildlife reserve have captured a Royal Bengal tiger (IUCN- Endangered) at an elevation of 3640 metres.
• This is the highest elevation in India where tigers have been spotted.
• The photo was captured inside the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary.
• According to officials, before this, the highest altitude where tigers have been spotted in India was in Arunachal Pradesh at a height of 3,630m.

ABOUT PANGOLAKHA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

• It is located in Sikkim’s Pakyong district.
• The Pangalokha Wildlife Sanctuary at the tri-junction of Sikkim, Bengal, and Bhutan, spans a vast 128 square kilometers.
• It is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Sikkim.
• The vegetation in the sanctuary is typically alpine-temperate-subtropical. Species include rhododendrons, silver fir, juniper, and moss-covered oaks.
• The Pangalokha Wildlife Sanctuary, rich in biodiversity, is home to various species, including red pandas, snow leopards, Himalayan musk deer, Himalayan goral, and Himalayan black bears.

ANSWER: C

• The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) closed with an agreement that signals the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era by laying the ground for a swift, just and equitable transition, underpinned by deep emissions cuts and scaled-up finance.
• Negotiators from nearly 200 Parties came together in Dubai with a decision on the world’s first ‘global stocktake’ to ratchet up climate action before the end of the decade – with the overarching aim to keep the global temperature limit of 1.5°C within reach.
• The global stocktake is considered the central outcome of COP28.
• Global stocktake is a process for countries to see where they’re collectively making progress towards meeting the goals of Paris Agreement.
• The stocktake recognizes the science that indicates global greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut 43% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
  • But it notes Parties are off track when it comes to meeting their Paris Agreement goals.
• The stocktake calls on Parties to take actions towards achieving, at a global scale,
  • a tripling of renewable energy capacity and
  • doubling energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
  • The list also includes accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power, phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, and other measures that drive the transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, with developed countries continuing to take the lead.
• Parties agreed on targets for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and its framework, which identify where the world needs to get to in order to be resilient to the impacts of a changing climate and to assess countries’ efforts.
  • The GGA framework reflects a global consensus on adaptation targets and the need for finance, technology and capacity-building support to achieve them.

ANSWER: B

• India is set to launch Vyommitra, a female robot astronaut, into space as part of the ambitious Gaganyaan project.
• Ahead of the manned mission, a test flight with Vyommitra is scheduled for next year.
  • The Gaganyaan project aims to showcase India’s capability in human spaceflight.

ABOUT VYOMMITRA

• Vyommitra is a half-humanoid robot introduced at the “Human Spaceflight and Exploration — Present Challenges and Future Trends” event in January 2020
• It represents a fusion of Sanskrit words—Vyoma (Space) and Mitra (Friend).
• The Isro Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) spearheaded the design, while the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) contributed to its fingers.
• The robot’s AI-enabled features, enable it to speak, see, express facial emotions, and withstand the rigours of space travel.
• Vyommitra’s role spans both unmanned and manned missions, where she will mimic astronaut tasks to analyze their behaviour.
• Capable of executing various procedures and imitating human actions in space, Vyommitra is poised to monitor module parameters, offer alerts, manage life support, and operate switch panels during uncrewed flights.

ANSWER: D

• Switzerland’s Ambassador to India has expressed optimism that the crucial European Free Trade Association (EFTA) deal with the country would be wrapped up before the 2024 general elections.
• India and the EFTA states are negotiating a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with a view to boost economic ties between the two regions.
• Negotiations on the agreement were officially launched in January 2008.
• The EFTA-India merchandise trade exceeded USD 6.1 billion in 2022.

ABOUT EFTA

• EFTA is an intergovernmental organization established in 1960 by the Stockholm Convention.
• It comprises of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
• These are all open, competitive economies committed to the progressive liberalization of trade in the multinational arena as well as in free trade agreements.
• EFTA is not a customs union.
  • The individual EFTA States are free to set their own customs tariffs and arrange other foreign trade measures vis-à-vis the non-EFTA States.
• The EFTA members are not part of the European Union (EU).

ANSWER: A

• In a major boost for the Indian Army, the Defence Ministry has approved a Rs 2,800 crore proposal for buying around 6,400 rockets for Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher systems.
• The Defence Ministry’s Defence Acquisition Council’s cleared the proposal for the acquisition of two types of these rockets, known as Area Denial Munition Type 2 and Type-3.
• The rockets would be procured by the Indian Army from indigenous sources only.
• Two prominent contenders for the rocket supply contract are Economic Explosives Limited of Solar Industries and Munitions India Limited.
• It is named after the bow of Hindu god Shiva.
• It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
• The weapon system is one of the first few Indian military terms to have been exported to foreign countries, including Armenia.
• As part of larger artillery modernisation plans, the army has a requirement of 22 regiments of the Pinaka MBRL.
  • Pinaka regiments of the Indian Army include launchers with automated gun aiming and positioning systems and command posts.