- India ranked 159 among 180 countries in annual WPFI 2024.
- It is released by Paris based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), one of the world’s leading NGOs in defense and promotion of freedom of information.
- It is published on World Press Freedom Day (3 May).
- Theme: “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis”.
- About WPFI 2024
- Top 3 rankers are Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
- Based on 5 indicators- Political, Economic, Legislative, Social and Security.
- Centre has appointed retired Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra as President of GSTAT.
- About GSTAT
- It is a Second Appellate Authority established under Central GST (CGST) Act, 2017 for hearing appeals against orders passed by Appellate Authority under CGST Act, 2017 and State GST Acts.
- It ensures uniformity in redressal of disputes arising under GST.
- It consists of a Principal Bench (New Delhi) and various State Benches.
- Principal Bench shall be presided over by President and shall consist of two Technical Members (one each from Centre and State).
- Registered Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) domiciled at the GIFT International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) have been allowed to issue participatory notes (p-notes).
- About P-notes: They are issued by registered foreign FPIs to overseas investors to invest in the Indian stock market without registering themselves directly.
- P-Notes act like a substitute for underlying Indian company shares.
- Benefits:
- Avoids the hassle of registering with SEBI and offers anonymity.
- More choices for investors for investing in Indian stocks.
- Challenge: lack of transparency, uncontrolled money in Indian stock, etc.
- An NGO has embarked on an ambitious project to build 10,000 percolation wells across Bengaluru by 2026.
- About Percolating Wells
- They are earthen dams padded with concrete rings inside and filled with gravel.
- Mechanism: Rain falls into percolation well, water leaks into soil in multiple layers and it goes down to the ground and natural aquifers get activated.
- An aquifer is a body of rock and/or sediment that holds groundwater.
- Significance: Improve groundwater levels and Prevents flooding.
- Other Water Harvesting Structures
- Kund or Tanka (Rajasthan);
- Pat (Madhya Pradesh);
- Eri (Tamilnadu), etc.
- A new species of marine tardigrade discovered from the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu is named Batillipes chandrayaani after Chandrayaan-3 moon mission.
- About Batillipes chandrayaani
- Third marine tardigrade species to have been scientifically described from the Indian waters.
- It has a trapezoid-shaped head and four pairs of legs with sharp-tipped sensory spines.
- About Tardigrade
- They are near-microscopic aquatic animals with plump, segmented bodies and flattened heads.
- Also known as ‘water bears’, they are among the hardiest animals.
- Marine Tardigrade account for 17% of all known tardigrade species.
- Recently, China announced successfully launching of more than 8 metric ton Chang'e-6 lunar probe.
- About Chang'e-6
- Aims to bring back 2 kilograms of samples from the far side of the moon, which humans have never done before.
- China sampled from the near side of the moon in 2020 with the Chang'e-5 mission.
- It is expected to make a soft landing in the South Pole of the moon i.e Aitken Basin.
- It included the ICUBE-Q orbiter, a cubesat developed by Pakistan.
- CubeSats are miniature satellites typically characterized by their small size and standardized design.
- Aims to bring back 2 kilograms of samples from the far side of the moon, which humans have never done before.
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Article Sources
1 source- Delhi High Court orders police action against oxytocin use on cattle in city dairies.
- About Oxytocin
- It is a hormone secreted by the pituitary glands of mammals during sex, childbirth, lactation or social bonding.
- It helps new mothers from excessively bleeding after giving birth.
- It is misused on milch cattle to increase yield.
- It is regulated under Section 26 A of Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940.
- Administering Oxytocin is considered animal cruelty and is punishable under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
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- Inscriptions found at Sri Madhava Perumal Temple, which has largely remained submerged by Bhavanisagar dam, revealed a 1000 years old trade route.
- The route connected the Kongu region in western Tamil Nadu with southern Karnataka and Kerala by crossing the River Bhavani and River Moyar.
- In 1338, Veera Siddha Keththaya Dhandanayaka constructed the Sri Madhava Perumal Temple.
- Temple is dedicated to Thondreeshwaramudiayar (Lord Shiva).
- The area came under the Hoysala rulers.
