CURRENT-AFFAIRS

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• Recent detailed 3D imaging of the earliest discovered tardigrade fossils is providing scientists with clues about when these remarkable creatures developed their legendary resilience, enabling them to endure extreme environments.
• About Tardigrades:
  • Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are tiny, eight-legged microscopic animals. They are minute invertebrates classified under the phylum Tardigrada. Approximately 1,300 tardigrade species are found globally.
  • Habitat: Though they are considered aquatic due to their need for a thin layer of water to prevent dehydration, they can thrive in a wide range of environments, from the deep sea to sandy deserts. Their favorite habitats include freshwater mosses and lichens, which is why they are sometimes called moss piglets. Tardigrades belong to a special group known as extremophiles, animals capable of surviving in harsh conditions. They can withstand intense heat, freezing temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, and even the vacuum of outer space. In harsh conditions, they enter a state called "tun" where their bodies dry out and become a dormant, ball-like form. As tuns, tardigrades can endure for years, and sometimes even decades.
  • Physical Features: Tardigrades are small, robust, and encased in a tough cuticle, similar to that of grasshoppers and other insects, which they shed periodically to grow. Typically about 1 mm (0.04 inch) in length, their bodies lack bones and are instead supported by a fluid-filled compartment known as hemolymph, functioning as a hydrostatic skeleton. They have four pairs of legs, each equipped with 4-6 claws. Their specialized mouthpart, the bucco-pharyngeal apparatus, enables them to extract nutrients from plants and other microorganisms.

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• A sizable python was recently rescued from the Subarnarekha River in Jhargram, West Bengal, drawing significant attention from the local community.
• About the Subarnarekha River:
  • The Subarnarekha River is one of the longest east-flowing interstate rivers in India. The name 'Subarnarekha' translates to 'Streak of Gold,' reflecting the river's reputation as a treasure trove of gold. It traverses the Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha.
• Course:
  • Origin: The river originates near Nagri village in the Ranchi District of Jharkhand at an elevation of 600 meters. It flows eastward through a region rich in copper deposits and exits the Chota Nagpur plateau via the Hundrugbagh waterfall. Continuing its journey east, it passes through West Bengal, including several major industrial towns and cities such as Jamshedpur, Chaibasa, Ranchi, and Bhadrak. The river eventually empties into the Bay of Bengal at Kirtania port in Odisha. The Subarnarekha River stretches for 395 kilometers. Its basin is bordered by the Chhotnagpur Plateau to the northwest, the Brahmani basin to the southwest, the Burhabalang basin to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. Key tributaries of the river include the Kanchi, Kharkai, and Karkari rivers.

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• A recent study has found that ozone pollution is significantly impairing the growth of tropical forests, resulting in the loss of nearly 300 million tonnes of carbon annually.
• About Tropical Forests:
  • Tropical forests are lush ecosystems situated in the tropical zones around the equator. They cover about six percent of the Earth's land area. These forests feature a dense upper canopy formed by broad-leaved trees. Tropical forests are known for their rich biodiversity, supporting a wide array of plant and animal species, and are characterized by nutrient-poor soils with rapid decomposition rates.
  • Over 50 percent of the world's terrestrial plant and animal species inhabit these forests. They include both tropical deciduous forests and tropical rainforests. Tropical rainforests are found in regions where temperatures remain consistently high, and rainfall exceeds approximately 1,800 to 2,500 millimeters (70 to 100 inches) annually, distributed fairly evenly throughout the year.
  • Tropical deciduous forests typically occur in similarly hot climates with annual rainfall between about 800 and 1,800 millimeters, often experiencing a distinct dry season.
  • The countries with the largest tropical forest areas are Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Peru, and Colombia. Other nations with significant tropical rainforest areas include Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, India, Suriname, Venezuela, and Mexico.
  • Brazil contains about a third of the world’s remaining tropical rainforests, including two-thirds of the Amazon rainforest. Tropical forests play a vital role in the Earth's water cycle and serve as crucial carbon sinks, storing roughly a quarter of all terrestrial carbon.

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• AI-powered Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms are transforming industries by enhancing efficiency and fostering innovation.
• About Software-as-a-Service (SaaS):
  • SaaS is a cloud-based software delivery model where users subscribe to access applications via the internet, rather than purchasing and installing them locally. The software is hosted on external servers managed by SaaS providers, rather than on in-house servers.
  • SaaS vendors offer services and applications that users can access on-demand over the internet, eliminating the need for local installation. Examples of SaaS include email services, calendar applications, and cloud-based collaboration tools like Slack. This model operates similarly to streaming services, providing flexible, subscription-based access from any compatible device. By hosting software in the cloud, SaaS delivers a comprehensive solution that improves accessibility and convenience, enabling users to access applications on a pay-as-you-go basis.
  • The SaaS model transfers the responsibility of software maintenance and hosting to the provider. This arrangement offers significant advantages, including regular maintenance, strong security measures, and ensuring that software remains up-to-date and continuously accessible. As a result, businesses can concentrate on their core operations without the burden of managing software infrastructure.

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• Recently, an Indian Army contingent has departed to participate in the 5th edition of Exercise AL NAJAH.
• This joint military exercise between India and Oman is set to take place from September 13th to 26th, 2024, at the Rabkoot Training Area in Salalah, Oman. Exercise AL NAJAH has been held every two years since 2015, alternating between India and Oman. The previous edition was conducted in Mahajan, Rajasthan.
• The Indian Army contingent, consisting of 60 personnel, is represented by a Battalion from the Mechanised Infantry Regiment.
• The primary objective of the exercise is to bolster the joint military capabilities of both nations for counter-terrorism operations in accordance with Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
• The focus will be on desert environment operations. Tactical drills to be practiced include Joint Planning, Cordon and Search Operations, Combat in Built-Up Areas, setting up Mobile Vehicle Check Points, Counter Drone tactics, and Room Intervention. Additionally, the exercise will feature combined field training exercises designed to simulate real-world counter-terrorism scenarios.