ANSWER: B

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: C

• A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar has found the presence of tantalum, a rare metal, in the Sutlej river sand in Punjab.

ABOUT TANTALUM

• Tantalum is a rare metal with the atomic number 73 — the number of protons found in one atom of the element.
• It is grey, heavy, very hard, and one of the most corrosion-resistant metals in use today.
• It possesses high corrosion resistance because when exposed to air, it forms an oxide layer that is extremely difficult to remove, even when it interacts with strong and hot acid environments.
• It is almost completely immune to chemical attack at temperatures below 150°C, and is attacked only by hydrofluoric acid, acidic solutions containing the fluoride ion, and free sulphur trioxide.
• When pure, tantalum is ductile (meaning it can be stretched, pulled, or drawn into a thin wire or thread without breaking).
• Tantalum also has an extremely high melting point, exceeded only by tungsten and rhenium.
• Discovery
  • Tantalum was discovered by Anders Gustaf Ekenberg, a Swedish chemist, in 1802 in minerals obtained from Ytterby, Sweden.
  • The rare metal has been named after a Greek mythological figure Tantalus, the rich but wicked king of a town above Mount Sipylus in Anatolia.
• Applications
  • It is most prominently used in the electronic sector.
  • As tantalum has a high melting point, it is frequently used as a substitute for platinum, which is more expensive.
  • The rare metal is also used to make components for chemical plants, nuclear power plants, aeroplanes and missiles.
  • Tantalum does not react with bodily fluids and is used to make surgical equipment and implants, like artificial joints.

ANSWER: C

• Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) probe will use double gravity assist, for the first time ever, from Earth and Moon to propel itself towards Jupiter.
• It was launched to study the planet as well as its three icy and potentially ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa.
• JUICE is among the heaviest interplanetary spacecraft ever launched with a total weight of around 6000 kg.
• European Space Agency’s (ESA) successfully launched its JUICE spacecraft from its spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in April 2023.
• JUICE aims to make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and is equipped with remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments.
• It is planned to reach Jupiter in 2031.
• Only two other spacecraft have ever examined Jupiter-
  • the Galileo probe, which orbited the gas giant between 1995 and 2003, and
  • Juno, which has been circling the planet since 2016.

ABOUT GRAVITY ASSIST

• Gravity assist is a technique by which a spacecraft, with the help of the gravitational field of a planet, gets a speed boost.
• However, it is tricky to do so, to execute a gravity assist, the spacecraft needs to pass through the planet’s gravitational field at a carefully calibrated exact point in order to get a “slingshot effect.”
• JUICE would have to arrive at the Earth-Moon system at precisely the correct time, and speed and be travelling in the correct direction.

ANSWER: A

• The 54^th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is taking place in Goa currently.
• It will showcase over 270 films from 105 countries across four venues.

ABOUT IFFI

• It was established in 1952 and stands among the prominent film festivals in Asia.
• It aims at providing common platform for cinemas of world to project the excellence of the film art.
• It is held annually in Goa since 2004.
• It is jointly organized by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG).

ANSWER: B

• The black-spotted croaker, or the ghol fish — considered a fisherman’s lottery — was declared the state fish of Gujarat recently.
• The fish is usually found in the Indo-Pacific region that stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Pacific Ocean.
• Ghol fish has the scientific name Protonibea dianthus.
• The Ghol fish is also called Ghoti, Jewfish, Palli Kora, Pulli Panna and Kathalai.
• While Ghol is one of the costliest fish, its heart has tremendous medicinal value which is why it is known as ‘sea gold.’
• It is highly esteemed in East Asia due to its medicinal attributes.
• The air bladder of the Ghol fish holds significant value in international markets, especially in China, Hong Kong, and other countries, where it is commonly used in the preparation of soups.
• Packed with a wealth of nutrients such as iodine, omega-3, DHA, EPA, iron, taurine, magnesium, fluoride, and selenium, this fish is considered a nutritional powerhouse.

ANSWER: D

• The cyclonic storm named “Midhili” impacted the Northeast Bay of Bengal, near the coast of Bangladesh.
• The designation ‘Midhili’ has been assigned by the Maldives.

ABOUT CYCLONES

• Cyclones are large-scale air masses that rotate around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure.
• They are characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Favorable conditions-
  • Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C.
  • Presence of the Coriolis force.
  • Small variations in the vertical wind speed.
  • A pre-existing weak low- pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation.
  • Upper divergence above the sea level system.

ANSWER: C

• Indian cueist Pankaj Advani rallied to win the IBSF (the International Billiards and Snooker Federation) World Billiards Championship title for a staggering 26th time, beating compatriot Sourav Kothari in the final.
  • Advani won his first world title in 2003.

ANSWER: B

• The six-day international Renuka Ji fair was inaugurated in Sirmaur district.
• The palanquin of Lord Parshuram and other deities is brought to Renuka Ji from the ancient temple at Jamu Koti village and it departs after religious ceremonies, which include a dip in Renuka Lake.
• The fair signifies the union of Lord Parshuram with his mother Goddess Renuka on Dashmi.
• Every year on the Devprobodhini Ekadashi, the traditional Renukaji fair is organised on the banks of the Renuka Lake where lakhs of devotees converge.