Union Cabinet gave approval for Chandrayaan-4 Mission, a successor to Chandrayaan-3 which demonstrated soft landing on Moon.

About Chandrayaan 4

• It aims to develop and demonstrate key technologies for landing on the Moon, collecting lunar samples, and returning to Earth safely.
• It will achieve the foundational technologies capabilities eventually for an Indian landing on the moon (planned by year 2040) and return safely back to Earth. 
• ISRO will be responsible for the development of spacecraft and launch. 
• Timeline: Expected to be completed within 36 months. 
• Budget: ₹2104.06 crore.

National Pension System Vatsalya (NPS Vatsalya) scheme, a pension scheme for minors, has been launched.

NPS Vatsalya Scheme

• Eligibility: All minor citizens (age below 18 years).
  • On attaining the age of majority, plan can be converted seamlessly into a normal NPS account. 
• Regulation and Administration: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• Objective: Promoting long-term financial planning and security, inculcate habit of savings and dignified life in old age.
• Subscriber Contribution: 
  • Minimum: Rs 1000/- per annum.
  • Maximum: No limit.
• PFRDA will provide multiple investment choices to subscribers such as government securities, corporate debt, equity etc.  

Union Cabinet approved the establishment of National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR).

• NCoE will be set up in Mumbai as a Section 8 Company (Non-Profit Organization) under the Companies Act, 2013.
• NCoE will offer specialized training-cum-learning programs, foster R&D and function as an incubation centre. 

About AVGC-XR sector

• Industry currently employs 2.6 lakh people and is expected to create 23 lakh direct jobs by 2032.
• Revenues are expected to cross $26 billion by 2030, up from $3 billion currently.
• Challenges: Lack of standardization, lack of skilling and vocational training centres, etc.

Ministry of Commerce & Industry unveiled the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) based Trademark Search Technology and IP Saarthi Chatbot.

• IP Saarthi Chatbot is a digital assistant designed to provide instant support and guidance to users navigating the Intellectual Property (IP) registration process.

Trademark Search Technology:

• Advanced AI and ML algorithms for precise trademark identification.
• Streamlined search processes for domestic and international businesses.
• Enhanced protection capabilities for trademarks.
• Benefits: Expedite trademark registration processes, improve overall user experience, foster international collaboration.

Indian scientists have developed a sustainable pheromone dispenser with a controlled release rate which can help reduce costs of pest control and management.

• Released pheromones alter the behaviour of the target insect species and attract them to sticky traps. 

About Pheromones

• Pheromones are chemical signals which trigger a response or elicit specific behavioural expressions from the opposite sex, same sex or both sexes of the same species. 
• Pheromones can be found in body fluids like urine, sweat, specialized exocrine glands, and genital mucous secretions.
• Used by Insects: To help attract mates, warn about predators, and find food.

The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) published the ‘State of the Rhino’ report.

Findings of Report

• Greater One-Horned Rhinos are benefiting from improved habitats and wildlife corridors.
  • Its population has grown 20% in the last decade, and now exceeds 4,000 animals.

About Greater one-horned Rhino

• Habitat: Indo-Nepal Terai, northern parts of West Bengal, and Assam.
• IUCN status: Vulnerable
• Sociability: Usually solitary except for females with young. Males maintain loosely-defended territories.
  • Gestation lasts approximately 15 – 16 months, and mothers give birth to one calf every 2 – 3 years.
• Population in india: 3,262 (2021). Assam has the largest population of greater one-horned rhinos.
  • More than 90% of them are in Kaziranga National Park.

Solimoes, one of the main tributaries of the mighty Amazon River, is facing the worst drought on record.

• Nearby Lake Tefé has also dried up.

About Amazon River: 

• Largest River system in the world in terms of the volume of water flow and area of its basin.
• Origins: High in the Peruvian Andes
• River basin: Includes the greater part of Brazil and Peru, significant parts of Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia, and a small area of Venezuela.
• Tributaries: Approximately 1,100 tributaries,
  • Notable tributaries: Japurá (Caquetá in Colombia), Juruá, Madeira, Negro, Purus, and Xingu rivers.
• River's Drains into:  Atlantic Ocean, on the northeastern coast of Brazil.

New study highlights the role circumnutations could play in plant growth patterns. 

About Circumnutation:

• It refers to small, continuous movements made by plants to explore their environments.
  • These movements appear as spirals or zigzags.
• Significance: It is an inherent behavior across plant species, allowing them to adapt to environmental conditions and maximize their growth potential.
  • E.g. Self-organization of Sunflower: Sunflowers form a zigzag pattern when grown in dense rows, allowing sunflowers to lean away from one another, avoiding shade and maximizing sunlight exposure.

• Researchers found that circumnutation often seems random, with plants moving in unpredictable ways.

Recently, MoUs were signed under Green Strategic Partnership to strengthen the India-Denmark’s maritime relations

About Green Strategic Partnership 

• Signed in 2020, It expands economic relations and green growth, creates jobs and strengthens cooperation on addressing global challenges.
• Focus of GSP: Implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Joint Action Plan on Green Strategic Partnership (2021-2026): was also drawn up for furthering GSP.
• Under GSP, collaboration has expanded across key areas such as Quality shipping, Cooperation on Port State Control, Maritime training and education etc.