CURRENT-AFFAIRS

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• A government official recently announced that under the Prime Minister JANMAN scheme, roads will be constructed to link 54 settlements of the Pahadi Korwa community in northern Chhattisgarh.
• About the Pahadi Korwa Tribe:
  • Status: The Pahadi Korwa are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Chhattisgarh.
  • Geographic Distribution: They are indigenous to the Chhota Nagpur plateau region in Central India, primarily residing in the Korba and Jashpur districts of Chhattisgarh. A smaller segment is also found in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
• Language:
  • The primary language spoken by the Korwa people is Korwa, also known as Ernga or Singli. They refer to their language as Bhashi, meaning "local language."
  • Korwa is part of the Munda branch of the Austroasiatic language family.
  • In addition to Korwa, the Korwa people also speak Sadri and Chhattisgarhi.
• Economy:
  • The Korwa primarily engage in subsistence farming, fishing, hunting, and gathering forest products.
  • They practice jhoonga kheti, a form of shifting cultivation involving clearing forest land to grow lentils and other crops.
  • The tribe typically follows a nuclear family structure.
  • Living in close proximity to forests, they build simple homes with minimal resources. When a family member dies in their house, the family abandons the house and relocates to construct a new one elsewhere.
• Governance:
  • The Korwa have their own panchayat, where justice is dispensed in group meetings based on traditional customs.
• Religion:
  • Their religious practices focus on ancestral worship and the veneration of a few deities.
  • Major deities include Sigri Dev, Gauria Dev, Lord Shiva (Mahadev), and Parvati, with Khudia Rani being the chief deity of the community.

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• Two Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Watercraft vessels (ASWCWC) of the Indian Navy, INS Malpe and INS Mulki, were recently launched at Cochin Shipyard.
• About INS Malpe and INS Mulki:
  • Design and Construction: INS Malpe and INS Mulki are indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Watercrafts (ASWCWC) for the Indian Navy.
  • Order Details: They represent the fourth and fifth vessels of their class. The construction was undertaken by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), following a contract signed between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and CSL on April 30, 2019, to build eight ASWCWC ships.
  • Class: These vessels belong to the Mahe Class and are set to replace the existing Abhay Class ASW Corvettes in the Indian Navy.
• Features:
  • Capabilities: The vessels are designed for anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, low-intensity maritime tasks, mine-laying operations, sub-surface surveillance, and search and rescue missions.
  • Dimensions: Each vessel measures 78.0 meters in length, 11.36 meters in width, and has a draught of approximately 2.7 meters.
  • Specifications: With a displacement of around 900 tonnes, they can reach speeds up to 25 knots and have an operational range of 1,800 nautical miles.
  • Technology: The ships are equipped with advanced, indigenously developed SONARS for underwater surveillance. They also feature lightweight torpedoes, anti-submarine warfare rockets, a close-in weapon system, and remote-controlled guns.

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• Researchers are revitalizing interest in the photoelectric effect, leading to advancements in protein and virus imaging, a deeper grasp of biochemical processes, and the exploration of new materials for next-generation electronics.
• About the Photoelectric Effect:
  • Definition: The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from a material's surface when exposed to light of sufficient frequency.
  • Mechanism: When photons of light strike a material's surface, typically a metal, they transfer their energy to the material's electrons. If this energy exceeds a certain threshold, known as the work function, the electrons are ejected from the surface.
  • Energy Dynamics: For an electron to be emitted, the incoming photon's energy must be greater than the binding energy of the electron, or work function. Any remaining energy beyond this threshold is converted into the kinetic energy of the emitted electron.
  • Photoemissive Materials: Materials that exhibit this effect are termed photoemissive, and the emitted electrons are referred to as photoelectrons.
  • Discovery: The effect was first observed by German physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz in 1887.
  • Significance: The photoelectric effect is crucial for understanding the quantum nature of light, demonstrating that light has both wave-like and particle-like characteristics. This duality is a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics, showing that light can exhibit properties of both waves and discrete particles.
  • Applications: The insights gained from the photoelectric effect have significant implications for a variety of scientific and technological domains, including the development of photovoltaic cells and advanced imaging technologies.

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• A team of researchers has recently identified a Myristica swamp forest in Kumbral, Maharashtra, which is being preserved by the local community.
• About Myristica Swamps:
  • Description: Myristica swamps are freshwater wetlands dominated by evergreen trees from the Myristicaceae family. These swamps are often referred to as "living fossils" due to the ancient lineage of Myristica plants.
  • Evolutionary Significance: Dating back approximately 140 million years, Myristica swamps are invaluable for studies on evolutionary biology.
  • Characteristics: The forests are known for their distinctive trees with large, protruding roots that emerge from waterlogged, perpetually inundated soil.
  • Geographical Distribution: In India, Myristica swamps are primarily found in the Western Ghats, with smaller occurrences in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Meghalaya. Historically, these swamps formed an extensive hydrological network along the Western Ghats.
  • Climatic Conditions: The formation of these swamps depends on factors such as the valley's shape between forested hills, the region's rainfall (averaging around 3000 mm), and consistent water availability throughout the year.
  • Ecological Role: Myristica swamps are often located adjacent to rivers, acting as natural water retainers and sponges that ensure a steady water supply. They are also more effective at sequestering carbon compared to non-swampy forests.
  • Biodiversity: These swamps support a diverse array of vertebrate and invertebrate species due to stable macroecological conditions such as high humidity, moderate temperatures, and ample habitat availability. For instance, the Myristica Swamp Treefrog (Mercurana myristicapalustris) is known only from select areas within the Shendurney and Peppara Wildlife Sanctuaries in Kerala.

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• A recent study has revealed that tartrazine, a widely used food dye, can temporarily render the skin of living mice transparent.
• About Tartrazine:
  • Chemical Nature: Tartrazine, also known as E102, is a synthetic food colorant categorized as an azo dye.
  • Appearance: It is lemon yellow in color and soluble in water.
  • Usage: Tartrazine is commonly used in a variety of products, including dairy items, beverages, desserts, and confectioneries.
  • Highlights of the Study:
  • Color Absorption: Tartrazine absorbs blue light strongly, which gives it its distinct orange-to-red hue when dissolved in water. This occurs because the blue wavelengths are absorbed, leaving the orange-to-red wavelengths visible.
  • Light Interaction: Typically, biological tissues scatter light due to their complex composition of proteins, fats, and liquids. However, researchers discovered that a concentrated tartrazine solution can align its refractive index with these tissue components, reducing light scattering and allowing light to pass through more effectively. This causes the skin to appear transparent.
  • Effect on Light: When applied, tartrazine absorbs specific wavelengths of light, particularly red light, altering the interaction between light and the tissue. This effect enabled the researchers to observe blood vessels, internal organs, and muscle contractions in real-time.
• Potential Applications:

Medical Uses: This technique holds promise for simplifying blood draws, enhancing laser tattoo removal, and improving early cancer detection.