Read Current Affairs
- Why in News?
- The Cabinet Gives Green Light to Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY)
- Key Provisions:-
- The PMDDKY scheme takes inspiration from NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme (ADP), launched in 2018, which focused on fast-tracking development in 112 underperforming districts. PMDDKY, however, is the first initiative solely targeting agriculture and allied sectors. The scheme spans six years starting in 2025-26 and aims to cover 100 districts, selected based on low agricultural productivity, poor cropping intensity, and limited credit flow. At least one district will be chosen from each state or UT, determined by the share of net cropped area and operational holdings.
- The program leverages convergence across 36 existing schemes under 11 central departments, along with state-level programs and private sector partnerships. District-level plans, created by dedicated Dhan-Dhaanya Samitis including progressive farmers, will focus on national agricultural priorities such as crop diversification and natural farming. Monitoring will be rigorous, using 117 key indicators, with oversight from NITI Aayog to ensure effective implementation and outcomes.
- Why in News?
- A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake recently struck off the coast of Alaska, a region situated within the highly active Pacific Ring of Fire. This zone is notorious for frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to intense tectonic movements.
- About the Pacific Ring of Fire
- The Pacific Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped belt encircling the Pacific Ocean, marked by a high concentration of volcanoes and earthquake zones. It stretches across more than 15 countries, including parts of North and South America, Alaska, Russia, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Zealand, and Antarctica.
- Approximately 90% of the world’s earthquakes and around 75% of all active volcanoes are located along this ring. The region’s geological activity is driven by the movement and interaction of tectonic plates. These dynamics also contribute to the formation of deep-sea features like the Mariana Trench—the world’s deepest oceanic trench—highlighting the volatile nature of this global seismic hotspot.
- Why in News?
- Astronomers have recently uncovered new insights into powerful Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) that triggered rare displays of the northern lights over Ladakh in May 2024. These massive solar eruptions underwent an unexpected thermal shift during their journey through space.
- Initially, CMEs release significant amounts of heat, but scientists found that midway through their path, they start to absorb and retain thermal energy instead—a surprising behavior that could affect how we understand their impact on Earth.
- About Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)
- CMEs are massive bursts of plasma and magnetic fields expelled from the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. These events can hurl billions of tons of solar material into space and often carry a strong magnetic field. Earth-bound CMEs can travel at speeds allowing them to reach the planet in just 15 to 18 hours, though some take several days. When directed at Earth, they can trigger geomagnetic storms that disrupt satellites, communication, and power systems.