First rocky planet has been spotted orbiting a burned-out star called a white dwarf.

About White dwarf Star

• It is stellar core left behind after a dying star has exhausted its nuclear fuel and expelled its outer layers to form a planetary nebula.
• Chandrasekhar limit (1.44 times mass of Sun) is maximum mass theoretically possible for a stable white dwarf star.
• A star that ends its nuclear-burning lifetime with a mass greater than Chandrasekhar limit must become either a neutron star or a black hole.

Amid reports of ‘cyber slavery’, telecom ministry to disconnect 2.17 crore mobile connections.

About Cyber slavery

• Cyber slavery is a form of modern exploitation that begins with online deception and evolves into physical human trafficking.
  • It’s emerging as a form of organized crime of unprecedented severity and scale
• Offenders target lure individuals by giving fake promises to offer them employment
• Recently over 5,000 Indians were reported to be trapped in Southeast Asia (Laos, Cambodia), where they are allegedly being coerced into carrying out cyber fraud.

TRAI released consultation paper on “Formulating a Digital Radio Broadcast Policy for Private Radio Broadcasters”

• Presently Private sector radio broadcasters are licensed to transmit programs in FM frequency band (88-108 MHz) only.

About Digital radio broadcasting

• It uses a process called modulation to convert audio and video signals into a digital format that can be transmitted over airwaves. 

Advantage over analogue Broadcasting:

• Capability of broadcasting 3 to 4 channels on a single frequency carrier with better audio quality.
  • Whereas in analogue mode only 1 channel broadcasting is possible on a frequency carrier.
• No need to manually tune or search for channels.

Government approved changes to the RoDTEP scheme.

Key Changes

• For Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) units: Extended by 1 year till 30th September, 2025. 
• For Authorisation holders (except Deemed exports), export-oriented units and special economic zone units: Applicable till the end of this year.
• Applicability of New rates: From October 10th, 2024 based on the recommendations of RoDTEP Committee. 

About RoDTEP Scheme

• Introduced in  2021 by Ministry of Commerce and Industry
• Aim: Refunding taxes, duties, and levies at the central, state and local levels on the exported products. 
• It replaced the Merchandise Exports from India scheme which was challenged at World Trade Organization. 

Two critically endangered species of amphibians, Micrixalus spelunca, commonly known as cave dancing frog, and Nyctibatrachus indraneili, Indraneil’s Night Frog were found in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR):

• Located in Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, 
• It’s part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve along with Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) , Bandipur National Park (Karnataka) , Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley.
• River: Moyar River flows through MTR.
• Forest Type: Tropical evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, moist teak forest, etc.
• Important flora & fauna:  Elephant Grass, Tiger, Elephant, Indian Gaur etc.

8th edition of India-Kazakhstan Annual Joint Military Exercise commenced in Auli (Uttarakhand).

• Aim: Enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter terrorism operations in a sub conventional scenario.

Hurricane Helene in USA downgraded to post-tropical cyclone.

• A hurricane is a tropical cyclone that has maximum sustained surface winds of 74 mph or greater (64 knots or greater).

What is Post-Tropical Cyclone?

• A cyclone that no longer possesses sufficient tropical characteristics to be considered a tropical cyclone. 
  • It can continue to carry heavy rains and high winds. 
• Two specific classes:
  • Former tropical cyclones that have become fully extra-tropical cyclone. 
  • Remnant lows, no longer possesses the convective organization required of a tropical cyclone.

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) and National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) launched SARTHIE 1.0.

• They also signed an MoU for enhancing public awareness towards social welfare schemes for vulnerable communities.

About SARTHIE 1.0

• Aim: Empower disadvantaged communities (like Scheduled Castes, Transgenders, Denotified and Nomadic Tribes, etc.) through awareness generation, legal support promoting effective access to welfare schemes. 
  • Offers synergy between executive and judiciary to further social justice. 

About NALSA

• Constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. 
• Functions: Provide free Legal Services to the eligible persons, organize Lok Adalats etc.