Daily Current Affairs
To the Point Notes
1: Infrasound: Low Frequency Sound with Big Applications
- What: Low-frequency sound waves inaudible to humans (unlike ultrasound – high frequency).
- Sources: Natural (meteors, storms, volcanoes) and man-made (explosions, rockets).
- Historical: Krakatoa eruption (1883) generated infrasound waves travelling globally.
- Applications:
- Structural health: Buildings, dams, bridges.
- Aerospace: Rocket stress, aircraft instability detection.
- Mining: Shaft integrity check.
- Wildlife tracking: Monitoring whales.
- Detection: Microbarometers measure minute air pressure changes caused by infrasound.
- Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBTO):
- Promotes CTBT treaty adoption (India not yet on board).
- Shares infrasound technology for industrial use.
- International Monitoring System (IMS): Building a global network of 60 infrasound stations across 35 countries.
- Goal: Increase infrasound usage, similar to how ultrasound is widely used.
- Health Concerns: Potential unknown health effects on humans (ongoing research).
2: Nagar Van Yojana (NVY): Urban Greening Initiative
- Launched: 2020 by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Goal: Create urban forests (Nagar Vans) for environmental improvement and community engagement.
- Key Features:
- Green spaces in urban areas.
- Biodiversity awareness and stewardship.
- In-situ flora conservation.
- Pollution mitigation, cleaner air, noise reduction, water harvesting.
- Improved health and climate resilience for cities.
- Financial Assistance: Rs. 4 lakh per hectare for creation and maintenance.
- Nagar Van Area: 10-50 hectares.
- Coverage: All cities with Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and ULBs.
- Target: 1000 Nagar Vans by 2027 with National CAMPA funding.
3: Indian Army Inducts Robotic Mules
- Introduction: 100 robotic mules (Multi-Utility Legged Equipment) inducted for forward area operations.
- Features:
- Sleek design.
- Thermal cameras and sensors for surveillance.
- Capable of climbing stairs, hills, and operating in extreme temperatures (-40 to +55 degrees Celsius).
- Can carry 15kg payload.
- Can be integrated with small arms for remote engagement.
- Benefits: Reduces risk to human life during operations.
4: Nanozymes: Enzyme-Mimicking Nanomaterials
- Enzymes: Biological catalysts accelerating chemical reactions. Proteins or RNA molecules (ribozymes).
- Nanozymes: Nanomaterials with enzyme-like functions. Advantages: stability, broader substrate specificity, easier production.
- Applications: Biosensors, drug delivery, diagnostics, bioremediation, pollutant degradation, chemical synthesis, food processing.
- CSIR-CLRI Study: MnN nanozyme enhances collagen resistance to enzymatic degradation (collagenase).
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