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- Recent eruption of Mount Kanlaon in central Philippines led to the sheltering of hundreds in evacuation centers.
- Mount Kanlaon is a stratovolcano situated in the north-central region of Negros Island, Philippines.
- It holds the distinction of being the highest mountain on Negros Island and ranks as the 42nd tallest peak on an island worldwide.
- As one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines, Mount Kanlaon is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
- The volcano is characterized by numerous pyroclastic cones and craters.
- At an elevation of 2435 meters, the summit of Kanlaon volcano features a broad, elongated caldera with a crater lake, alongside a smaller but more active crater to the south.
- The base of Mount Kanlaon spans an area of 30 km by 14 km and is underlain by tropical volcanic materials such as sheeted lava flows, lahar deposits, airfall tephra, and apron pyroclastic materials.
- Mount Kanlaon boasts rich biodiversity, serving as a habitat for various flora and fauna species.
- Its slopes play a vital role as headwater catchments for major river systems across Negros Island.
- Since 1886, Mount Kanlaon has experienced multiple eruptions, typically characterized by phreatic explosions of small to moderate size, resulting in minor ashfalls in the vicinity of the volcano.
- Recent research highlights Tmesipteris oblanceolata, a fork fern species, possessing a genome size that surpasses all previous records.
- Tmesipteris oblanceolata is a rare fern species predominantly found on the ground or atop fallen tree trunks in New Caledonia, an overseas French territory in the Southwest Pacific, and neighboring islands like Vanuatu.
- This fern species typically grows to a height of 10-15 centimeters (4-6 inches).
- Its genome size measures an astounding 160.45 billion base pairs (Gbp), breaking the previous record held by the Japanese flowering plant Paris japonica by 11 billion base pairs and exceeding the human genome's size by over 50 times.
- If the DNA in each cell of Tmesipteris oblanceolata were stretched out, it would extend nearly 350 feet (106 meters), contrasting with the human genome's mere 6-1/2 feet (2 meters) when similarly extended.
- Tmesipteris belongs to a small genus of ferns whose evolutionary lineage dates back about 350 million years, preceding the existence of dinosaurs on Earth.
- It is notably characterized by its predominantly epiphytic habit, thriving mainly on the trunks and branches of trees, and has a limited distribution in Oceania and various Pacific Islands.
- The "None of the Above" (NOTA) option recently made headlines in Madhya Pradesh's Indore constituency, emerging as the runner-up with a record-breaking 2,18,674 votes, the highest-ever tally.
- NOTA, or "None of the Above," is a voting option on the ballot that enables voters to express their disapproval of all contesting candidates without selecting any of them.
- It empowers electors to convey their negative opinions and lack of support for the candidates while maintaining the secrecy of their decision.
- NOTA made its debut in the 2013 Assembly elections in five states - Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh - and later in the 2014 General Elections, following a directive from the Supreme Court in the PUCL versus Union of India case.
- Despite its introduction into the electoral process, NOTA votes are counted as 'invalid votes,' according to the Election Commission. Even if NOTA garners the most votes in a constituency, the candidate with the second-highest number of votes is declared the winner, meaning NOTA votes do not alter the election outcome.
- Currently, the Supreme Court is deliberating on a petition to establish guidelines for elections to be declared "null and void" if NOTA receives the highest number of votes in the constituency.
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to foster collaboration in operating a special cell of Tele-MANAS.
- Tele-MANAS, short for Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States, was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in October 2022, aiming to offer free tele-mental health services nationwide, particularly targeting individuals in remote or underserved areas.
- The initiative is structured in a two-tier system:
- Tier 1 consists of state Tele-MANAS cells, staffed with trained counsellors and mental health specialists.
- Tier 2 encompasses specialists from the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) and Medical College resources, providing physical consultations and/or audio-visual consultations through e-Sanjeevani.
- Presently, there are 51 operational Tele-MANAS cells operating across all 36 States and Union Territories, offering services in 20 different languages.
- As part of the initiative, a toll-free, 24/7 helpline number (14416) is available, enabling callers to choose their preferred language for accessing services. Additionally, the service is accessible at 1-800-891-4416.
- The helpline operates on an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) basis, employing a timely auto-call back approach.
- Upon receiving a call, a trained counsellor will initially attend to the caller. Depending on the required level of care, the counsellor will either provide appropriate care within their capacity or refer the caller for specialist assistance.