Current Affair 1:

Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) project

 

The goal of the Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) project is to provide a set of mapping products using existing spacecraft data that delineate subsurface ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars. The recently released fourth set of maps is the most detailed and accurate since the project started in 2017.

It is led by the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, and managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

The project uses data from several NASA missions, such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), the 2001 Mars Odyssey, and the defunct Mars Global Surveyor.

Now about latest map:

The blue areas on this map of Mars show regions where NASA missions have detected subsurface water ice. Scientists can use the map – part of the Subsurface Water Ice Mapping project, or SWIM – to decide where the first astronauts to set foot on the Red Planet should land. Triangles on the map are past and present Mars missions; circles are ice-exposing impact craters.

Mars has both water ice and carbon dioxide ice (dry ice); water ice would be a critical resource for the first astronauts to step foot on Mars, who can use it for drinking, rocket fuel, and other purposes. The more water ice these astronauts land next to, the less they need to bring with them.

Because the Martian atmosphere is so thin – less than 1% the pressure experienced at sea level on Earth – liquid water is unstable on the Red Planet and will vaporize unless it's frozen. But water ice on the planet's surface is only stable at high latitudes that are far too cold for astronauts and robots to survive. So, SWIM attempts to locate water ice preserved within the subsurface in the mid-latitudes, where landing would be feasible. Such regions are far enough toward the pole for water ice to be plentiful, but close enough to the equator to avoid the coldest temperatures seen on Mars.

 

Current Affair 2:

Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM)

 

The Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) is being implemented for development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds since December 2014. The scheme is also continued under umbrella scheme Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikas Yojna from 2021 to 2026 with a budget outlay of Rs.2400 crore.

The RGM will result in enhanced productivity and benefit of the programme, percolating to all cattle and buffaloes of India especially with small and marginal farmers. This programme will also benefit women in particular since over 70% of the work involved in livestock farming is undertaken by women.

Current Affair 3:

Pichwai Painting

 

News:

It is a traditional style of painting that originated in the state of Rajasthan, India. The history of this art form can be traced back to the 17th century.

It is believed to have originated in the town of Nathdwara in Rajasthan.

Theme: It mainly features the various stages of Lord Krishna’s life.

Material used: The artists use stone pigments, especially for gold and silver tones. The brighter orange, red, chrome yellow and kesari colours come from vegetable dyes.

Current Affair 4:

Global Declaration for River Dolphins

 

News:

Representatives from the 14 countries that are home to the world’s populations of river dolphins, came together on October 23 and 24 for the Global Declaration of River Dolphins and their Rivers convening. Eleven countries signed a first-of-its-kind global declaration for the protection of river dolphins by 2030.

Countries that adopted the declaration include Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, and Venezuela.

These countries committed to:

Key facts about river dolphins:

River dolphins are any of six species of small, usually freshwater aquatic mammals that are related to whales (Order Cetacea).

All six species of river dolphins are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The largest is the Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis). They are important indicators of the health of rivers.

River dolphins are important indicators of the health of the rivers where they live; rivers that are also the lifeblood of huge economies and hundreds of millions of people. Where freshwater dolphin populations are thriving, it is likely that the overall river systems and fish stocks are flourishing.

<< Previous Next >>