UPSC QUIZ 30.12.2023

Explanation:

• Bhutan’s King has announced plans to build a massive “international city” in an area of over 1,000 sq. km. on its border with Assam. This project is known as the Gelephu Project.

Highlights of the Gelephu Smart City Project

• The project is expected to be an “economic corridor connecting South Asia with Southeast Asia via India’s northeastern States”.
• The city is expected to follow environmental standards and sustainability as a goal, and will aim to attract “quality investment” from “specially screened” international companies.
• The project is expected to include “zero emission” industries, a “mindfulness city” that plays to Bhutan’s strength in tourism and wellness, as well as infrastructure companies.
• The project is expected to be a “Special Administrative Region” that would be run under different laws to facilitate more international investment.
• The project is expected to be a “point of inflection” and “transformation” for Bhutan and South Asia.

Explanation:

• Lok Sabha passed the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, repealing the colonial era law of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.The Bill has already been passed by Rajya Sabha in August 2023.

Key Features of Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023

• Registration of Periodicals: The Bill provides for the registration of periodicals, which include any publication containing public news or comments on public news.Periodicals do not include books or scientific and academic journals.Whereas, the act provides for the registration of newspapers, periodicals, and books. It also provided for the cataloguing of books.Books have been taken away from the purview of the bill, as books as a subject are administered by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development.

Explanation:

• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had officially announced the increase in tiger population in Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR).
• It witnessed the growth in the number of big cats from 31 (2018) to 54 (2023).
• The Bihar government is waiting to obtain NTCA approval for declaring Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary as the state’s second tiger reserve after VTR.

Number of Tigers in VTR Increased

• A total ban on sand and stone mining inside VTR, and strict restrictions on mining in its eco-sensitive zone, helped increase grassland cover.
• An increase in grassland cover thus helps in supporting the prey population, in turn increasing the chances of the carnivores’ survival.
• The reserve is dedicated to managing and sustaining the tiger population by raising awareness among local residents and monitoring mining activities in and around the area to minimize human-wildlife conflict.
• The NTCA placed the reserve in the ‘Very Good’ category.

Explanation:

• AstroSat, India’s first multi-wavelength space-based observatory, has detected bright sub-second X-ray bursts from a new and unique neutron star with an ultrahigh magnetic field (magnetar).

Scientists performed the timing and spectral analysis of this magnetar using two instruments onboard AstroSat

• The Large Area X-Ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) and Soft X-Ray telescope (SXT).

Magnetars

• Magnetars are neutron stars having an ultrahigh magnetic field that are much stronger than the terrestrial magnetic field (over one quadrillion times stronger than the magnetic field of Earth).
• High-energy electromagnetic radiation emitted by magnetars results from the decay of their powerful magnetic fields.
• They display strong temporal variability, typically including a slow rotation, a rapid spin-down, bright but short bursts going on up to months-long outbursts.
• One such magnetar, called SGR J1830-0645, was discovered in October 2020 by NASA's Swift spacecraft.

Explanation:

• Ministry Of Power announced reforms in the Carbon Credits Trading Scheme.
• The Ministry of Power has introduced amendments to the Carbon Credits Trading Scheme (CCTS).
• This is a significant step towards establishing India's independent standards for carbon trading.
• The amendments to the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme have the potential to reshape India's carbon credit landscape.
• The amendment introduced an "offset mechanism" to empower non-obligated entities in credit generation.
• The reforms in the Carbon Credits Trading Scheme will strengthen India's carbon credit market.
• This will allow the concerned entities to register projects which will lead to the issuance of Carbon Credit Certificates.
• The non-obligated entities can register their projects to seek issuance of Carbon Credit Certificates.