Recently Government notified to penalise manufacturers of ACs, TVs etc if the actual energy consumption deviates from declaration in the energy star rating label.
About Standards and Labelling Program
- Ministry - Ministry of Power.
- Administered by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (Statutory body under Energy Conservation Act, 2001 under Ministry of Power.)
- Objective -
- To reduce the energy consumption of appliances
- To enable consumers to make informed decision about cost-effectiveness & energy performance of appliances
- Coverage - presently covers more than 40 equipment under mandatory and voluntary appliances list.
- Mandatory Appliances for star labelling: Refrigerators, deep-freezers, air conditioners, fans, televisions, Washing Machine, Chillers, electric geysers, Distribution Transformer, Tubular Fluorescent Lamps ,LED lamps, Induction Hob, Solar Inverter, Domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas Stove etc.
Prime Minister paid tribute to Somnath Temple marking the historic milestone of 1000 years since the first attack on Somnath in 1026 AD.
About Somnath Temple
- Location: Along the coastline in Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Saurashtra region of Gujarat.
- Religious significance: One of the 12 holy Jyotirlings of Lord Shiva is here in Somnath.
- History: It was reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction starting with an attack by Mahmud Ghazni in the 11th century (also recorded by Al Biruni).
- Reconstruction: The then Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel ordered the reconstruction of the Somnath temple on November 12, 1947.
- On May 11, 1951, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the President of India performed the installation ceremony for the temple.
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1 sourceIndian Army has signed a ₹293 crore contract with private defence manufacturer NIBE Limited, in collaboration with Israel, for the supply of an advanced long-range rocket launcher system Suryastra.
About Suryastra
- It is India’s first Made in India universal multi-calibre rocket launcher,
- Capable of executing precision surface-to-surface strikes at ranges extending up to 300 km.
- Capabilities
- Can engage multiple targets simultaneously at varying ranges.
- Can integrate multiple rocket types.
- Accuracy of less than 5 meters.
- Can fire loitering munitions up to 100 km.
Analysis of samples returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission from asteroid Bennu shows the presence of Sugars, Amino acids, all five nucleobases of DNA & RNA, etc., signalling complete molecular inventory needed for life.
About OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security-Regolith Explorer)
- It is the first US mission to collect a sample from an asteroid.
- Returned: Sep 24, 2023, to drop off a capsule with material from asteroid Bennu.
- New Mission: Spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APEX and sent to explore asteroid Apophis in 2029.
About Asteroid Bennu
- Origin: The rocks composing Bennu formed ~4.6 billion years ago, during the early formation of the Solar System; part of a primeval parent body that was later destroyed by a massive collision.
- Formation zone: Likely formed in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and later drifted towards earth.
- Orbital proximity: Bennu makes its closest approach to Earth every 6 years.
OPEC+ has agreed in principle to maintain steady oil output despite rising geopolitical tensions.
About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and OPEC+
- OPEC is a permanent intergovernmental organization of 12 oil-exporting developing nations.
- India is not a member.
- Genesis: Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
- Objective: To co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers.
- HQ: Vienna (Austria)
- OPEC+: In response to falling oil prices driven by significant increase in the US shale oil output, OPEC signed an agreement with 10 other oil-producing countries in 2016 to create OPEC+.
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1 sourceUnion Environment Ministry panel has recommended environmental clearance for Kalai-II hydroelectric project on Lohit River in Arunachal Pradesh despite protest to conserve white-bellied heron bird.
About White-bellied heron
- Other names: Imperial Heron, Great White-bellied Heron
- Features: Second-largest living heron species with distinct white belly,
- Non-migratory but shows local/post-breeding dispersal.
- Habitat: Undisturbed rivers and wetlands in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas
- Distribution: Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia (India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam), Bhutan, Bangladesh etc.)
- Conservation Status
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
- India: Placed in Schedule I under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Five countries Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia; elected to serve as non-permanent members of UNSC for 2 year term.
About UN Security Council
- Genesis: Established in 1945 through the UN Charter as one of the 6 principal organs of the UN.
- Purpose: Maintaining international peace and security.
- Members: 5 permanent members (P5) and 10 non-permanent members.
- P5 includes China, France, Russia, USA and UK.
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1 sourceA Wolf Supermoon occurred recently.
About the Wolf Supermoon:
- The Wolf Moon is the traditional name for the first full moon of January.
- A Supermoon is a full moon that occurs when the Moon is closest to Earth (at perigee), making it appear slightly larger and brighter than usual.
- Therefore, a Wolf Supermoon is the January full moon that coincides with the Moon’s perigee.
