Daily Current Affairs

To The Point Notes

Location in News

1.Kenya

Location: Eastern Africa

• Borders: Tanzania (South), Uganda (West), South Sudan (North West), Ethiopia (North), Somalia (East)
• Indian Ocean coastline: 480 km (Eastern border)
• Great Rift Valley runs through Kenya

Key Features:

• Capital: Nairobi
• Highest Point: Mount Kenya
• Major Rivers: Tana, Athi
• Lakes: Lake Victoria (shared with Uganda and Tanzania), Lake Turkana (largest desert lake)

Other Information:

• Admitted to the United Nations: December 16, 1963
• Recent downgrade by a credit rating agency might impact ability to secure loans.

 

Location in News

2.Austria

Location: Central Europe

• Borders: Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein
• Capital: Vienna

Geographical Features:

• Highest Mountain: Grossglockner
• Biggest Lake: Lake Constance
• Longest River: Danube (2,848 km, 350 km in Austria)

India-Austria Relations:

• Established diplomatic relations in 1949
• Celebrated 70 years of bilateral relations in 2019

 

Award

3.Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2024 Award

Indian seafarers to be honored for exceptional bravery at sea.

About the Award:

• Presented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized UN agency for regulating maritime transport (established in 1958).
• Three categories: Award, Certificates of Commendation, Letters of Commendation.
• Recognizes acts of exceptional bravery at sea that risk the lives of rescuers.

2024 Awardees:

• Captain Avhilash Rawat and crew of oil tanker Marlin Luanda for their bravery in containing a fire after a missile strike.

 

 

Defence

4.Exercise Pitch Black

Indian Air Force contingent to participate in Exercise Pitch Black 2024 in Australia.

About the Exercise:

• Biennial, multinational air combat exercise hosted by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
• Focuses on night flying over large, unpopulated areas.
• 2024 edition: Largest in its 43-year history.
  • 20 participating countries
  • Over 140 aircraft
  • 4400 military personnel
• Provides opportunity for IAF to:
  • Integrate forces with other air forces.
  • Exchange best practices.
• IAF previously participated in 2018 and 2022 editions.

 

 

Geography

5.Heat Domes Phenomenon

Heat Dome Explained:

• A large area of high pressure traps hot air near the Earth’s surface, acting like a lid on a pot.
• This prevents warm air from rising and forming clouds, leading to clear skies.
• Trapped heat intensifies with more sunlight reaching the surface, drying the soil and hindering rain formation.
• The longer the heat dome persists, the hotter it gets.

Impact:

• Heat waves: Heat domes are a major contributor to heat waves.

Role of Jet Stream:

• Jet stream, a fast-moving air current, influences weather patterns.
• Elongated jet stream waves can slow down or stall, trapping high-pressure systems and creating heat domes.
• La Niña events can influence jet stream behavior,

affecting heat wave locations.

Climate Change Connection:

• Climate change is making heat domes more intense, frequent, and longer-lasting.
• A warming planet contributes to extreme weather events.

Remember: Heat domes are a natural phenomenon, but climate change is amplifying their effects.

 

 

International Relations

6.Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Partnership

About FIPIC:

• Established in 2014 by India to engage with Pacific Island countries.
• Members: 14 island countries including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa (Full List in Source).
• Significance:
  • Strengthens India’s Act East Policy (extends influence beyond Asia).
  • Offers economic and geostrategic benefits for India.

FIPIC Initiatives:

• Launched at the 3rd FIPIC Summit in Papua New Guinea.
• Focus on development assistance:
  • FIPIC SME Development Project
  • Solar Projects for Government Buildings
  • Desalination Units for Drinking Water
  • Supply of Sea Ambulances
  • Jan Aushadhi Kendras (affordable healthcare)
  • Yoga Centres
• Beyond infrastructure: Collaboration in education, health, and culture.
• Advocacy for India’s UN Security Council Seat.

 

Economy

7.Upper Siang Hydropower Project

Project Description:

• Proposed 11,000 MW dam on Siang River (Arunachal Pradesh) by NHPC.
• Includes construction of a 300-meter high dam (largest in subcontinent).
• Seen as strategic counter to China’s Tsangpo River dam projects.

Siang River:

• Originates in Tibet (as Tsangpo River).
• Flows eastward for over 1,000 km before entering Arunachal Pradesh (becomes Siang River).
• Eventually joins Brahmaputra River in Assam.

Concerns about the Project:

• Threat to local ecosystems, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity.
• Potential submergence of over 300 villages of the Adi tribe, including district headquarters.