कैलाश सत्यार्थी को लाइफटाइम अचीवमेंट अवॉर्ड
नोबेल शांति पुरस्कार से सम्मानित कैलाश सत्यार्थी को वॉकहार्ट समूह की ओर से आयोजित एक समारोह में वॉकहार्ट लाइफ टाइम अचीवमेंट अवॉर्ड दिया गया। वॉकहार्ट समूह की तरफ से कैलाश सत्यार्थी और उनकी पत्नी सुमेधा कैलाश के सम्मान में राष्ट्रीय सिनेमा संग्रहालय (National Museum of Indian Cinema) में एक समारोह का आयोजन किया गया था,
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20823-2019-07-09-03-15-57
#KailashSatyarthi #NobelPeacePrize #India #HabilKhorakiwala #healthcare

ईरान ने 2015 न्यूक डील में तय सीमा को तोड़ा
ईरान 2015 में हुए परमाणु समझौते को तोड़ने की दिशा में आगे बढ़ता दिख रहा है। स्थानीय मीडिया के अनुसार, उसने समझौते में यूरेनियम संवर्धन के तय किए गए कैप को तोड़ दिया और इसका यूरेनियम संवर्धन 4.5 प्रतिशत के पार पहुंच गया। उल्लेखनीय है कि 2015 में संयुक्त राष्ट्र सुरक्षा परिषद के स्थायी सदस्यों (पी5), जर्मनी और यूरोपीय संघ के साथ ईरान की डील हुई थी
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20822-2015-3
#UNSC #P5 #EuropeanUnion #nuclear #AbbasMusawi #DonaldTrump #US #Iran

पर्यावरण में घुले प्लास्टिक के सूक्ष्म कण खतरनाक
प्लास्टिक प्रदूषण की समस्या पूरे विश्व के लिए एक बड़ी पर्यावरणीय चिंता बनकर उभर रही है। पर्यावरण में घुले प्लास्टिक के सूक्ष्म कण मनुष्य के शरीर के भीतर पहुंचकर उन्हें नुकसान पहुंचा रहे हैं। दुनिया भर में हर साल 400 मिलियन (लगभग 4 करोड़) टन से अधिक प्लास्टिक का उत्पादन होता है। सौंदर्य प्रसाधन, खाद्य पैकेजिंग, बर्तन आदि जैसे उद्योगों के जरिए भी प्लास्टिक हमारे शरीर में पहुंच कर नुकसान पहुंचा रहे हैं।
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants-hindi/20821-2019-07-09-03-15-40
#plastic #Micro #environmental #ScientificReport #NatarajanChandrasekharan

Vertical steep dive version of Brahmos
India has successfully test-fired a vertical deep dive version of the indigenous BrahMos supersonic missile. The upgraded version of the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile with an enhanced range of up to 500 km is also ready. It was possible to increase the range of this missile since India was now a part of the elite Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20826-vertical-steep-dive-version-of-brahmos
#India #MTCR #BrahMos #IndianAirForce #ISRO #HCOC #Navy

Nag missile tests successful
Moving closer toward the induction of the Nag anti-tank guided missiles into the Army, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out three successful test firings of the missiles in the Pokhran firing ranges. The missiles were test-fired during both day and night on 7 July 2019 during the trials.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20825-nag-missile-tests-successful
#NAMIS #missile #IGMDP #DRDO #APJAbdulKalam #NAMICA

First ever atmosphere of a midsize exo-planet
In a first, scientists have identified the detailed chemical “fingerprint” of a planet between the sizes of Earth and Neptune to uncover clues about its nature and origin, using NASA’s Sptitzer and Hubble space telescopes. No planets like this can be found in our own solar system, but they are common around other stars.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/20824-first-ever-atmosphere-of-a-midsize-exo-planet
#fingerprint #NASA #Earth #planet #MilkyWay #spectroscopy

Resolution to repeal Article 370 approved
Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah, introduced two bills and two resolutions regarding Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in Lok Sabha. These are as follows:
Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Order, 2019 {Ref. Article 370(1) of Constitution of India} – issued by President of India to supersede the 1954 order related to Article 370.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21164-resolution-to-repeal-article-370-approved
#Resolution #Article370 #India #AmitShah #JammuKashmir #Pakistan


Consumer Protection Bill 2019 gets Parliamentary nod
The Parliament on 7 August 2019 gave its nod to the landmark Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 which aims to protect the rights of consumers by establishing authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers’ dispute.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21163-consumer-protection-bill-2019-gets-parliamentary-nod
#Consumer #Protection #Bill2019 #Parliamentary #CCPA #LokSabha

Eviction Bill 2019
The Upper house on 6 August 2019 passed a Bill for speedy eviction of unauthorised occupants from government residential accommodations, with Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri saying the legislation will have a deterrent effect.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21162-eviction-bill-2019
#EvictionBill2019 #HardeepSinghPuri #PPEAct #RajyaSabha #Amendment

Bill to increase number of SC judges
Parliament on 7 August 2019 passed a bill which seeks to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from the present 30 to 33 with a view to reducing pendency of cases. Moving "The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019" for consideration and return, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21161-bill-to-increase-number-of-sc-judges
#SC #CJI #Amendment #NarendraModi #Parliament #RanjanGogoi

Moon, Mercury may contain more water ice than thought
The Moon and Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, may contain significantly more water ice than previously thought, according to a new analysis of data from NASA spacecraft.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21160-moon-mercury-may-contain-more-water-ice-than-thought
#Moon #NASA #telescopic #LRO #spacecraft #planet

India signs UNISA
India on 7 August 2019 signed a key UN convention on international settlement agreements, even as experts called for local laws to support the treaty’s implementation in business contracts.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21180-india-signs-unisa
#UNISA #India #JawedAshraf #NDIAC #ADR #IIIA #Singapore

Living indigenous languages
The Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea has the highest number of 'living' indigenous languages in the world (840), while India stands fourth with 453. 2019 is the United Nations' International Year of Indigenous Languages.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21179-living-indigenous-languages
#indigenous #UN #UNESCO #Australia #Pacific #UnitedNations #India

‘Climate Change and Land’ report
Agriculture and associated land activities related to food production could be contributing over a quarter of the global emissions of greenhouse gases, a new major report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21178-climate-change-and-land-report
#IPCC #GHG #GlobalWarming #anthropogenic #greenhouse #Agriculture

Curiosity rover completes seven years
NASA's Curiosity rover has completed seven years on Mars and it has shared a 360-degree view of the Teal Ridge alongside a throwback video of its landing on the red planet. It’s been seven years since NASA’s Curiosity rover first touched the surface of the Mars.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21177-curiosity-rover-completes-seven-years
#NASA #Mars #planet #MRO #UpperMountSharp #VeraRubinRidge #Curiosity

Tribunal for SFJ
The Centre has set up a tribunal to adjudicate whether or not there is sufficient reason to impose a ban on pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice, which was declared as an unlawful organisation last month.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21176-tribunal-for-sfj
#SFJ #Tribunal #UAPA #Prevention #ParamjeetSinghPamma

Co-origination pact lend to MSMEs
The troubled shadow banks are not yet out of the woods and the largest lender SBI has stitched a co-origination agreement to finance small businesses--which used to be a major customer-base for the crippled financiers.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21275-co-origination-pact-lend-to-msmes
#MSMEs #SBI #RBI #NBFCs #ReserveBank #agreement

DRDO hands over design of MMR
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to the Indian Army at a ceremony held at DRDO Bhawan. With load bearing capacity of 70 metric ton (MT), the MMR has been designed and developed by DRDO’s premier research laboratory.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21274-drdo-hands-over-design-of-mmr
#DRDO #MMR #MT #CFEES #TDEs #DSO #DTDP #Bhawan #IndianArmy

Chandrayaan-2 enters 2nd Lunar orbit
The second Lunar orbit manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was successfully completed on 21 August 2019, said India Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
According to ISRO, the orbit manoeuvre began at 12.50 p.m. and took 1,228 seconds to complete. The orbit achieved is 118 km X 4,412 km. All spacecraft parameters are normal.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21273-chandrayaan-2-enters-2nd-lunar-orbit
#Chandrayaan2 #spacecraft #ISRO #Vikram #GSLVMkIII #Lunar #orbit

Compliance report to FATF
Pakistan has submitted compliance report on its 27-point action plan to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), as three separate evaluations currently in progress will determine the country's possible exit from the grey list of the anti-money laundering watchdog by October.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21272-compliance-report-to-fatf
#FATF #Australia #APG #Pakistan #BaqirReza #Bangkok #ImranKhan

Rocky exoplanet of Moon or Mercury
Scientists at NASA have achieved to get a rare glimpse of the conditions on the surface of a rocky exoplanet orbiting a star beyond the Sun. Using the data of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have detected the light from the planet LHS 3844b, which is located 48.6 lightyears away from the Earth.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21271-rocky-exoplanet-of-moon-or-mercury
#Moon #Mercury #NASA #JPL #TESS #LHS #Mdwarf #planet

CWM Index 2.0
To supplement the efforts of Jal Shakti Ministry, NITI Aayog has prepared the second Round of Composite Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0).The Report was launched on 23 August 2019 by NITI Aayog. CWMI 2.0 ranks various states for the reference year 2017-18 as against the base year 2016-17.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21291-cwm-index-2-0
#CWM #Index2.0 #NITIAayog #JalShaktiMinistry #Gujarat

ESA’s ExoMars programme
NASA has planned to launch its Mars 2020 rover next year sometime in July, however, it will not be the sole expedition to the red-coloured planet. There is another mission called the ExoMars programme, which is a joint venture between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Russian space agency Roscosmos, that is expected to launch sometime in between July 26-August 13 next year.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21290-esa-s-exomars-programme
#NASA #ExoMars #planet #Roscosmos #ESA #RosalindFranklin

Oxytocin issue refers to a larger bench
The Supreme Court referred to a larger Bench the issue of banning manufacture of life-saving drug Oxytocin by private companies. The drug is used to induce labour in pregnant women and stall postpartum bleeding, a leading cause of maternal deaths.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21289-oxytocin-issue-refers-to-a-larger-bench
#Oxytocin #BGP #manufacture #SupremeCourt #Karnataka

Ocean energy now a renewable source
Ocean energy has been included in renewable energy to give a further boost to ocean energy in India. Power Minister R K Singh approved the proposal.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21288-ocean-energy-now-a-renewable-source
#Ocean #India #RPO #NPV #OTEC #RKSingh #stakeholders

IOA blames NADA for suspension
The Indian Olympic Association on 23 August 2019 lashed out at the National Anti-Doping Agency for the suspension of the country’s only WADA-accredited laboratory, saying NADA’s “mistakes” have jeopardised the anti-doping programme in New Delhi.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21287-ioa-blames-nada-for-suspension
#IOA #NADA #WADA #ISL #ISL #LabEG #IOC #UNESCO

First country to issued BSID
India has become the first country in the world to issue smart ID card to seafarers containing their facial biometric details which will replace the existing Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC)—a passport-like document.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21339-first-country-to-issued-bsid
#BSID #CDC #PoS #IDs #India #IDcard #LaunchofSeafarers #Identification

Repeal of Articles 104, 193
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said he would soon approach the Union government and make a request for bringing a Constitutional (amendment) Bill in the Parliament to repeal Article 104 and Article 193 of the Indian Constitution which have now become irrelevant.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21338-repeal-of-articles-104-193
#Articles104 #LokSabha #Speaker #OmBirla #amendment #NeVA

China’s One Country Two Systems policy
Protests in Hong Kong, now in its 13th consecutive week, have brought a decades-old policy of the People’s Republic of China back into focus — One Country Two Systems.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21337-china-s-one-country-two-systems-policy
#China #OneCountry #TwoSystems #policy #HongKong

New clues on humans evolution
A “remarkably complete” 3.8-million-year-old skull of an early human has been unearthed in Ethiopia, scientists announced on August 28, a discovery that has the potential to alter our understanding of human evolution.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21336-new-clues-on-humans-evolution
#Newclues #humans #evolution #MRD #London

Helicopter with Mars 2020 rover
Scientists at NASA have attached the Mars Helicopter to the Mars 2020 rover which the US space agency intends to send to the neighbouring red planet next year.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21335-helicopter-with-mars-2020-rover
#Helicopter #Mars #NASA #JPL #planet #aircraft

NGOs come under RTI Act
Non-Government 0rganisations (NGOs) that are “substantially financed, directly or indirectly”, by government funds will fall within the ambit of “public authority” under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21505-ngos-come-under-rti-act.html
#NGOs #RTIAct #CIC #substantial #SCIC #DeepakGupta

A glimpse of its biodiversity
A team of researchers have reported the discovery of two new plant species belonging to the Asclepiadaceae or milkweed family from the shola forests of the Western Ghats, highlighting its rich biodiversity and the need for a conservation strategy for the fragile ecosystem.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21504-a-glimpse-of-its-biodiversity.html
#glimpse #biodiversity #Gujarat #MSSRF #MSSwaminathan

NASA’s Juno spacecraft
NASA’s Juno mission recently went around Jupiter and released a set of raw images of the giant gaseous planet and its moon Io which cast an eclipse on it. The images showed a small but perfect dark shadow over Jupiter.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21503-nasa-s-juno-spacecraft.html
#NASA #spacecraft #mission #planet #Jupiter

G-20 finance chiefs meet
Finance chiefs and central bankers from the world’s 20 largest economies say they see downside risks to global economic growth persisting and have agreed on a “menu of policy options” amid a viral outbreak that’s disrupted supply chains worldwide.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22944-g-20-finance-chiefs-meet.html
#G20 #finance #OECD #COVID19 #Riyadh #IMF

India to block EU’s WTO panel request
India will block the European Union’s request for a dispute settlement panel at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against New Delhi’s customs duties on imports of certain information and communications technology (ICT) products.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22943-india-to-block-eu-s-wto-panel-request.html
#India #WTO #ICT #EU #NewDelhi #EuropeanUnion

Mystery even scientists can’t crack
The amount of water in the atmosphere of Jupiter has been a mystery scientists have been unable to crack. U.S space agency NASA recently had sent a mission to the planet which has found results contrary to the findings of an earlier mission sent by NASA in 1995.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22942-mystery-even-scientists-can-t-crack.html
#Mystery #NASA #telescope #Junoprobe #planet

Archaeological discovery in Haryana
Sirsa, a district in Haryana, houses a mound which is believed to unravel some clues about the ancient city ‘Sarishika’. In order to study the ancient ruins, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has to relocate nearly 50,000 people residing on around 82 acres of land.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22941-archaeological-discovery-in-haryana.html
#Archaeological #Haryana #ASI #Sarishika #FY19 #Sirsa

Gender Social Norms Index
Nine in 10 people are prejudiced against women, such as thinking university education is more important for men or that men deserve jobs more if work is scarce, the United Nations said on 5 March 2020.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23039-gender-social-norms-index.html
#GSNI #UNDP #NewZealand #InternationalWomensDay

Inclusive Internet Index 2020
India has been ranked 40th out of 100 countries on the inclusive internet index 2020 released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). In South Asia, Pakistan ranked the lowest (76th), India at 40th, Sri Lanka at 56 and Bangladesh on the 70th spot.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23038-inclusive-internet-index-2020.html
#III2020 #EIU #GDP #Bangladesh #InclusiveInternetIndex

CPPP to merge with GeM
India plans to integrate its central public procurement portal (CPPP) with the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to further improve buying and selling process for ministries, departments and other agencies.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23037-cppp-to-merge-with-gem.html
#CPPP #GeM #TalleenKumar #GFR #POC

CIC appointed
Information Commissioner Bimal Julka was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) on 6 March 2020, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23036-cic-appointed.html
#CIC #BimalJulka #RashtrapatiBhavan #CPA #RamNathKovind

NASA’s Mars rover named
NASA’s Mars rover for the 2020 mission finally has an official name: Perseverance. Alexander Mather, a seventh-standard student, submitted the winning entry to NASA’s “Name the Rover” essay contest.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23035-nasa-s-mars-rover-named.html
#NASA #Mars #Earth #JPL #planet #Perseverance

Today's Headlines - 27 July 2023
Raigad landslide brings back focus on Madhav Gadgil report
GS Paper - 1 (Geography)

A landslide in Maharashtra’s Raigad district claimed 27 lives, flattened an entire village, and brought back into focus the 2011 Dr Madhav Gadgil report on conservation of the Western Ghats. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said as per the recommendation of the report, the mapping of all the landslide-prone villages in the state, including those on the Western Ghats, was carried out during his tenure as the Chief Minister of the state between 2014 and 2019 and was submitted to the Union government.

What does the report state?

In 2010, then Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh appointed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), to be chaired by ecologist Dr Madhav Gadgil. The commission submitted its 552-page report to the Centre in August 2011.
The report recommended classifying 64 percent of the Western Ghats, spread over six states, into Ecologically Sensitive Zones called ESZ 1, ESZ 2 and ESZ 3. It also recommended designating the entire region as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
Almost all developmental activities like mining, construction of thermal power plants, dams were to stop along with the decommissioning of similar projects that have completed their shelf life in ESZ 1.
It said that both the Athirappilly and Gundia hydel project sites should not be accorded environmental clearance as they fall in this zone.
For Goa, WGEEP recommended an indefinite moratorium on new environmental clearances for mining in ESZs 1 and 2, a phasing out of mining in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1 by 2016, and continuation of existing mining in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 2 under strict regulation with an effective system of social audit.
In the Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra, the panel advised that in ESZs 1 and 2, no new polluting (red and orange category) industries, which would include coal-based power plants, should be permitted to be established, and the existing red and orange category industries should be asked to switch to zero pollution by 2016.
Further, it found that plains and coastal tracts in these districts were under “severe environmental and social stress”.
In all the zones, genetically modified crops should not be allowed, use of plastic bags be prohibited, Special Economic Zones should not be permitted, new hill stations should not be allowed, changing the land use from farmland to non-farm land and the stoppage of diversions of rivers to protect the ecology of the region, and public lands should not be converted into private lands.
The report also suggested a bottom-to-top approach instead of a top-to-bottom approach in governance of the environment, indicating decentralization and more powers to local authorities.
It recommended theestablishment of a Western Ghats Ecology Authority under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, as a professional body to manage the ecology of the region and to ensure its sustainable development.
What was the need for this report?

The Gadgil commission was formed by the Ministry of Environment in 2010 to study the impact of population pressure, climate change and development activities on the Western Ghats.
Accorded the World Heritage status by UNESCO, the Western Ghats are a 1,600-km-long mountain chain running the western coast of the country covering six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
These Ghats are home to high mountain forests, which moderate the tropical climate of the region and present one of the best examples of the monsoon system on the planet.
They are home to 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species. About 60 percent of the mountain range is in Karnataka.

#upsc #news #todayheadline #raigad #landslide #madhav #gadgil #report #maharashtra #western #ghats #jairamramesh #ecology #ratnagiri #catergory #pollution #socialstress #UNESCO #gujarat #goa #tamilnadu #karnataka #kerala #mountain #forests #monsoon #planet

Today's Headlines - 02 August 2023
Climate change is altering the colour of the oceans
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

The colour of the Earth’s oceans has significantly altered over the past two decades, most likely due to human-induced climate change, according to a new study. Over 56 per cent of the oceans, more than the total land area on the planet, has experienced the shift in colour, it added. The study, ‘Global climate-change trends detected in indicators of ocean ecology’, was published in the journal Nature.

What makes the oceans colourful in the first place?

In most regions across the world, the oceans appear blue or navy blue for a reason. This happens due to “the absorption and scattering of light”.
When the sunlight falls on deep and clear water, colours with longer wavelengths, such as red, yellow and green, are absorbed by the water molecules but blue and violet, which have a much shorter wavelength, are reflected back.
When sunlight hits the ocean, some of the light is reflected back directly but most of it penetrates the ocean surface and interacts with the water molecules that it encounters.
The red, orange, yellow, and green wavelengths of light are absorbed so that the remaining light we see is composed of the shorter wavelength blues and violets.
But when the water isn’t deep or clean, an ocean can appear to be of a different colour.
For instance, along Argentina’s coastline, where major rivers merge into the Atlantic Ocean, the ocean exudes a brown tint because of dead leaves and sediments spewing from the rivers.
In other parts of the world, the oceans appear green, which happens due to the existence of phytoplankton on the upper surface of the water.
Phytoplanktons are microscopic marine algae that contain the green-coloured pigment chlorophyll.
The pigment helps them absorb sunlight, which they use to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into sugars. Moreover, chlorophyll absorbs the red and blue portions of the light spectrum — or photosynthesis — and reflects green light.

What methods were used to carry out the study?

To conduct the study, Cael and his team first analysed data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite, which has been monitoring ocean colour since 2002 — the measurements are taken in terms of the amount of light coming off the surface of the oceans, at all seven of the different wavelengths of light, from violet to red.
The examination of 20 years worth of data indicated that in more than 50 per cent of the world’s oceans, the colour has changed.
Then, to check if the phenomenon has occurred due to climate change, researchers used a climate model – a computer representation of the Earth.
This model simulated the planet’s oceans under two scenarios: one with the addition of greenhouse gases, and the other without it.
The greenhouse-gas model predicted that a significant trend should show up within 20 years and that this trend should cause changes to ocean colour in about 50 percent of the world’s surface oceans — almost exactly what Cael found in his analysis of real-world satellite data.

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Today's Headlines - 16 August 2023
Isro’s space probe to study the Sun
GS Paper - 3 (Space Technology)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) released images of the Aditya-L1 mission — the space agency’s first attempt to study the Sun. The satellite has reached the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, for its integration with the launch vehicle, PSLV.

What is the Aditya-L1 mission?

The Aditya-L1 will observe the Sun from a close distance, and try to obtain information about its atmosphere and magnetic field.
It’s equipped with seven payloads (instruments) on board to study the Sun’s corona, solar emissions, solar winds and flares, and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), and will carry out round-the-clock imaging of the Sun.

Why is studying the Sun important?

Every planet, including Earth and the exoplanets beyond the Solar System, evolves — and this evolution is governed by its parent star.
The solar weather and environment affect the weather of the entire system. Variations in this weather can change the orbits of satellites or shorten their lives, interfere with or damage onboard electronics, and cause power blackouts and other disturbances on Earth. Knowledge of solar events is key to understanding space weather.
To learn about and track Earth-directed storms, and to predict their impact, continuous solar observations are needed.
Every storm that emerges from the Sun and heads towards Earth passes through L1, and a satellite placed in the halo orbit around L1 of the Sun-Earth system has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses.
L1 refers to Lagrangian/Lagrange Point 1, one of five points in the orbital plane of the Earth-Sun system. Lagrange Points, named after Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange, are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system (like the Sun and the Earth) produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion.
These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position. The L1 point is home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite (SOHO), an international collaboration project of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
The L1 point is about 1.5 million km from Earth, or about one-hundredth of the way to the Sun. Aditya L1 will perform continuous observations looking directly at the Sun.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, has already gone far closer — but it will be looking away from the Sun.
The earlier Helios 2 solar probe, a joint venture between NASA and the space agency of erstwhile West Germany, went within 43 million km of the Sun’s surface in 1976.

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Today's Headlines - 18 August 2023
Net zero carbon emission country
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

Bhutan has emerged as a country with net zero emissions and not only curbed its carbon footprints, but has also transformed into a carbon sink, absorbing more carbon dioxide (CO2) than releasing, It reported that the recent report from the World Economic Forum revealed that the eight countries including Bhutan have attained an impressive feat of net zero emissions.

More about the News

Bhutan is one among the 196 nations that committed to the Paris Agreement during the UN Climate Change Conference focused on restricting global temperature increases to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Apart from Bhutan, Comoros, nestled in the Indian Ocean and Gabon in Central Africa have managed to control the carbon emissions and set an example for other countries.
Comoros, by conscientiously managing its agricultural, fishing, and livestock sectors, complemented by rigorous environmental safeguards has maintained low emissions.
Bhutan's unique success as the first nation to achieve net zero emissions is rooted in its population of 8,00,000 and its remarkable forest coverage of 70%.
Why this achievement

The nation prioritizes sustainable organic farming and forestry practices, accentuated by the reliance on hydropower and the prudent management of its main economic driver, tourism.
Notably, Bhutan charges a $200 sustainable development fee per day from tourists, underscoring the value placed on eco-tourism and environmental protection.
It has been reported that another reason behind this control of emissions is the forests being an intrinsic part of its spiritual heritage.
Guided by a climate-conscious forest economy, Bhutan mitigates greenhouse gas emissions, preserves wildlife habitats, mitigates forest fires, and practices sustainable forest management for timber, fruit, and rubber - fostering a circular economy.
The nation has embarked on pilot projects that explore sustainable timber construction, showcasing innovative solutions.
Bhutan's journey to net zero emissions, fueled by an unyielding commitment to its environment and cultural heritage, is a source of inspiration for the world.
As nations navigate the complexities of climate change, Bhutan's story beckons us to embrace sustainable practices and safeguard our precious planet.

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