Current Affair 1:

What is the Vedic clock that PM inaugurated in Ujjain?

 

News:

PM Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled the ‘Vikramaditya Vedic clock’ in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain. It calculates time based on the Indian “Panchang” (time calculation system).

The Vedic clock

The clock is installed on an 85-foot-high tower constructed at Jantar Mantar in Ujjain, adjacent to the Government Jiwaji Observatory.

It will display 30 Muhurats, tithi and all other time calculations of Vedic Hindu panchang. Additionally, Samvat, Mas, moon position, Parva, Shubhshubh Muhurat, Ghati, Nakshatra, solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, among other things.

This is going to be first digital watch to display Indian Standard Time (IST) and Greenwich Mean Time.

Why Ujjain?

According to experts, the standard time of the world was determined from Ujjain 300 years ago.

The press release said, “Throughout the world, the time prescribed and transmitted from Ujjayini (Ujjain) has been followed. The shortest fraction of time is included in Indian time calculations based on the Indian astronomical theory and the motions of planetary constellations.”

Ujjain was previously thought to be India’s central meridian, and the city determined the nation’s time zones and time difference, according to Hindu astronomical belief.

The city of Lord Mahakal is situated exactly where the Tropic of Cancer and Zero Meridians meet. Additionally, it is situated in the oldest observatory in India, which Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed in the early 1700s.

Current Affair 2:

About Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)

 

Read complete information.

The National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is based on the Directive Principles, contained in Article 47 of the Indian Constitution, which direct the State to endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drugs injurious to health.

The government’s policy on the subject which flows from this constitutional provision is also guided by the international conventions on the subject:

India is a signatory to the single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the Conventions on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988.

The broad legislative policy is contained in the three Central Acts, viz. Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and The Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.

The responsibility of drug abuse control, which is a central function, is carried out through a number of Ministries, Departments and Organisations. These include the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue which has the nodal co-ordination role as administrator of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 which came into effect from the 14th November, 1985 made an express provision for constituting a Central Authority for the purpose of exercising the powers and functions of the Central Government under the Act.

In presence of this provision, the Government of India constituted the NARCOTICS CONTROL BUREAU on the 17th of March, 1986.

The Bureau, subject to the supervision and control of the Central Government, is to exercise the powers and functions of the Central Government for taking measures with respect to:

1. Co-ordination of actions by various offices, State Governments and other authorities under the N.D.P.S. Act, Customs Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Act and any other law for the time being in force in connection with the enforcement provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.
2. Implementation of the obligation in respect of counter measures against illicit traffic under the various international conventions and protocols that are in force
3. Assistance to concerned authorities in foreign countries and concerned international organisations to facilitate coordination and universal action for prevention and suppression of illicit traffic in these drugs and substances.
4. Coordination of actions taken by the other concerned Ministries, Departments and Organizations in respect of matters relating to drug abuse.

 The Narcotics Control Bureau is the apex coordinating agency.

NCB is exempted from the purview of RTI Act.

Current Affair 3:

What is BioTRIG?

 

News:

It is a new waste management technology based on the pyrolysis system.

It works by sealing the waste inside an oxygen-free chamber and heating it above 400 degrees Celsius. Useful chemicals are produced in the process.

In the study, the researchers outlined those three products of pyrolysis — bio-oil, syngas and biochar fertilizer — could help rural Indians live healthier and greener lives.

Significance:

1. The syngas and bio-oil facilitate heat and power the pyrolysis system in future cycles and surplus electricity is utilized to power local homes and businesses.
2. The clean-burning bio-oil to replace dirty cooking fuels in homes and using biochar to store carbon, while improving soil fertility.
3. Computer simulations showed that the BioTRIG system could also be effective in real-world applications.
4. It could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from communities by nearly 350 kg of CO2-eq per capita per annum.
5. It could help rural Indians cut indoor air pollution, improve soil health, and generate clean power

What is Pyrolysis?

 

1. It is a kind of chemical recycling that turns leftover organic materials into their component molecules.
2. It works by sealing the waste inside an oxygen-free chamber and heating it to more than 400 degrees Celsius, producing useful chemicals in the process.

Current Affair 4:

What is Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)?

 

News:

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted two flight tests of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile.

About Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS):

1. VSHORADS is a fourth-generation Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) specially designed to counter low-altitude aerial threats over short distances.
2. These are short-range, lightweight, and portable surface-to-air missiles that can be fired by individuals or small groups.

It has been designed and developed indigenously by DRDO.

Features:

1. It is designed to provide short-range air defence capabilities to protect ground forces and critical assets from aerial threats, including helicopters and low-flying aircraft.
2. It has a range of up to 6-km.
3. It is propelled by a dual-thrust solid motor.
4. The missile and its launcher were designed by the DRDO to be portable, which enables their quick deployment over difficult terrain.

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