Read Current Affairs
- Why in News?
- The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a large underground detector located in China, about 700 meters beneath the surface.
- Key Provisions:-
- Like most neutrino observatories, its underground placement shields it from unwanted cosmic particles such as muons, enabling sensitive detection. JUNO’s primary mission is to resolve the neutrino mass hierarchy—the relative masses of the three known neutrino types: electron, muon, and tau neutrinos. It also seeks to measure the precise oscillation frequencies with which neutrinos change from one type to another.
- Neutrinos, often called “ghost particles,” are charge-less, nearly massless subatomic particles that interact only through the weak nuclear force and gravity, making them extraordinarily difficult to detect. They are the second most abundant particles in the universe, after photons, and move almost at light speed, unaffected by magnetic fields. Other major observatories include India’s upcoming INO, the IceCube facility in Antarctica, China’s TRIDENT, and the U.S. DUNE experiment.
- Why in News?
- The Delhi Government has commissioned a study to explore the effectiveness of smog-eating photocatalytic coatings on city roads as part of its pollution-control strategy. These specialized coatings are designed to improve air quality by reducing nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and other harmful hydrocarbons commonly found in urban environments.
- Key Provisions:-
- The technology works on the principle of photocatalysis, where light energy triggers chemical reactions that break down toxic gases and organic waste into harmless byproducts such as water and carbon dioxide. Most commonly, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is applied as a thin coating on surfaces, which, under ultraviolet (UV) light, activates the decomposition of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other pollutants.
- If proven effective, such coatings could serve as a low-maintenance, sustainable solution to mitigate Delhi’s severe air pollution. The study aims to assess their feasibility in real-world road conditions, potentially offering a cleaner, healthier urban environment.
- Why in News?
- The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is set to review the Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project for environmental clearance. This project is designed as a run-of-the-river scheme on the Chenab River, which flows through the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Key Provisions:-
- The project site is spread across Ramban and Udhampur districts, regions known for their hydropower potential due to the Chenab basin. The implementing authority is the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), a Mini Ratna Category-I public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Power. NHPC has been instrumental in harnessing hydropower resources across the country, and the Sawalkote project is part of its ongoing expansion in the northern region.
- Once cleared, the project is expected to contribute to clean energy generation, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and strengthen the power supply infrastructure in Jammu & Kashmir as well as northern India.