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By admin: Nov. 26, 2024

Operation Tamarisk The Cold War’s Secret Garbage War

Tags: International News

Operation Tamarisk 

Why in the news?

• Operation Tamarisk The Cold War’s Secret Garbage War was recently in the news.

What is Operation Tamarisk ?

• Operation Tamarisk was a covert intelligence operation that took place during the Cold War, a period marked by fierce rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.
•  In a bid to gain any advantage, intelligence agents resorted to unconventional means to gather information. 
• One of the most unusual and gritty operations was the collection and analysis of discarded waste left behind by Soviet troops in East Germany. 

Important points:

• Set against the tense backdrop of the Cold War, a period when the United States and the Soviet Union were constantly trying to outsmart each other, intelligence operatives had to get creative. 
• Each side sought any advantage, even if it meant scouring through discarded scraps in search of clues that might tip the balance of power.
• Operation Tamariskinvolved agents from the U.S., U.K., and France, who sifted through garbage left behind by Soviet troops stationed in East Germany.
• Discarded itemsincluded food scraps, letters, military documents, and even used toilet paper. Since Soviet troops often used official documents as a substitute for toilet paper, intelligence agents found sensitive information scattered among trash heaps.
•  In some cases, agents retrieved items from hospital waste bins, where discarded limbs provided clues about the types of shrapnel and injuries Soviet soldiers suffered, particularly from their involvement in the war in Afghanistan. 
• This operation, referred to as“tamarisk” by some operatives, was known for its gritty and unsanitary work but was valued for the intelligence it yielded.

The Strategic Importance of Operation Tamarisk:

• The Cold War was a battle of information, and any edge in intelligence was considered invaluable. 
• Operation Tamarisk targeted the vulnerabilities in Soviet operations where crucial information was often discarded recklessly.
• The operation not only revealed operational secrets but also provided personal insights into Soviet officials, aiding psychological and tactical strategies.

Key Challenges in the Operation:

• While Operation Tamarisk was effective, it came with significant challenges. Intelligence operatives risked detection by hostile forces while rummaging through waste, often in high- security zones. 
• ‘Moreover, analyzing and verifying the authenticity of retrieved documents required immense effort and expertise. 
• Despite these hurdles, the operation played a pivotal role in understanding the Soviet bloc's inner workings.

National Anti-Doping Agency has banned wrestler Bajrang Punia

Tags: Sports

National Anti-Doping Agency has banned wrestler Bajrang Punia 

Why in the news?

• The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has suspendedTokyo Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia for four years.

Reason of suspension:

• Bajrang Puniarefused to provide a dope test sample during the national team selection trials on March 10, 2024.
• This suspension effectively ends Bajrang’s career in competitive wrestling and limits his opportunities to pursue a coaching role internationally.

About National Anti Doping Agency:

• National Anti Doping Agency,  is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India. 
• NADA India implements the Anti-Doping Program in India and works towards promoting clean sport practices across the country. 
• The key areas of functioning include Sample Collection (SC), Results Management (RM), Anti-Doping Education & Awareness, Research and Intelligence & Investigations (I&I).
•  NADA India upholds the values of ethics & integrity in sports and is committed to creating a dope-free sporting environment. 

75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution

Tags: National News

75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution

Why in the news?

• On 26th November 2024, marking Samvidhan Diwas and the 75th anniversaryof the adoption of the Indian Constitution, President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the Sanskrit and Maithili translations of the Indian Constitution in New Delhi.

Important points:

• President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the Indian constitution's translation in Sanskrit and Maithili language in New Delhi on 26 November 2024 on the occasion of the Samvidhan Diwas. Maithili is mainly spoken in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Nepal.
• On the occasion, President Droupadi Murmu addressed ajoint sitting of both houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
• The government of India has undertaken a project to translate the Indian constitution into all 22 scheduled languages mentioned in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

Samvidhan Diwas :

• The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Indian constitution on26 November 1949, which was promulgated on 26 January 1950.
• Since 2015, 26 November has been observed in the country as the Samvidhan Diwas. 
• A function was held in the Parliament's Samvidhan Sadan to observe the Samvidhan Diwas and the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the constitution.

Significance:

•  The event celebrated the rich diversity of India’s linguistic heritage and reaffirmed the significance of the Constitution as the guiding framework for the country.
• The old Parliament building has been renamedSamvidhan Sadan by the Modi government.
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Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player in the history of IPL to be auctioned.

Tags: Sports

Vaibhav Suryavanshi 

Why in the news?

• Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player in the history of IPL to be auctioned. 

About Vaibhav Suryavanshi :

• Vaibhav Suryavanshi (born 27 March 2011) is an Indian cricketer whoplays for Bihar.  A left-handed batsman,Vaibhav Suryavanshi made his debut in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 season at just 12 years and 284 days old.
•  He broke records set by cricket legends like Yuvraj Singh (15 years and 57 days) and Sachin Tendulkar (15 years and 230 days), becoming the youngest ever player in the prestigious tournament.
• The 13-year-oldVaibhav Suryavanshi bagged a Rs.1.10 crore contract with Rajasthan Royals on the second day of the mega auction in Jeddah on Monday (November 25, 2024).

About IPL:

• The Indian Premier League, also known as the TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's Twenty20 cricket league held annually in India.
•  Founded by the BCCI in 2007, the league features ten state or city-based franchise teams.
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Release of Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2024

Tags: Reports

Release of Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2024 

Why in the news?

• Union Minister, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh released the annual publication of ‘Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2024’ of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying on the occasion of National Milk Day celebrated in New Delhi on 26 November,2024.

Important points:

Milk, Egg, Meat and Wool Production 2023-24

• ‘Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics (BAHS)’ releases the estimation of production of Milk, Egg, Meat and wool in the country annuallybased on the results of Integrated Sample Survey (ISS) which is conducted across the country in three seasons i.e., Summer (March-June), Rainy (July-October) and Winter (November-February). 

Milk Production:

• The total Milk production in the country isestimated as 239.30 million tonnes during 2023-24 registered a growth of 5.62% over the past 10 years which was 146.3 million tonnes in 2014-15. Further, the production has increased by 3.78% during 2023-24 over the estimates of 2022-23.
• The top five milk producing States during 2023-24 was Uttar Pradesh with a share of 16.21 % of total milk production followed by Rajasthan (14.51 %), Madhya Pradesh (8.91 %), Gujarat (7.65 %), and Maharashtra (6.71 %).
•  In terms of annual growth rate (AGR), the highest AGR recorded by West Bengal (9.76%) followed by Jharkhand (9.04%), Chhattisgarh (8.62%) and Assam (8.53%) over the previous year.

Egg Production:

• Thetotal Egg production in the country is estimated as 142.77 billion nos. during 2023-24 and registereda growth of 6.8% growth over the past 10 years as compared to the estimates of 78.48 billion numbers during 2014-15. 
• Further, the production has increasedannually by 3.18% during 2023-24 over 2022-23.
• The major contribution in the total Egg production comes fromAndhra Pradesh with a share of 17.85 % of total Egg production followed by Tamil Nadu (15.64 %), Telangana (12.88%), West Bengal (11.37%) and Karnataka (6.63 %).
• In terms of AGR, the highest growth rate was recorded by Ladakh (75.88%) and followed by Manipur (33.84%) and Uttar Pradesh (29.88%).

Meat Production:

• The total Meat production in the country is estimated as10.25 million tonnes during 2023-24 and registered a growth of 4.85 % over the past 10 years as compared to the estimates of 6.69 million tonnes in 2014-15.
•  Further, the production was increased by 4.95 % in 2023-24 over 2022-23.
• It is further stated that the Major contribution in the total meat production comes fromWest Bengal with 12.62 % share and followed by Uttar Pradesh (12.29%), Maharashtra (11.28 %), Telangana (10.85 %) and Andhra Pradesh (10.41 %).
• In terms of annual growth rate, the highest Annual Growth Rate (AGR) has been recorded in Assam (17.93%) followed by Uttarakhand (15.63%) and Chhattisgarh 11.70(%).

Wool Production:

• The total Wool production in the country is estimated as 33.69 million kg during 2023-24 registered a slight growth of 0.22% over last year.
•  It was 36.76 million kg during 2019-20 and 33.61 million KG in previous year.
• The Major contribution in the total Wool production comes fromRajasthan with a share of 47.53% followed by Jammu & Kashmir (23.06%), Gujarat (6.18%), Maharashtra (4.75%) and Himachal Pradesh (4.22%).
• In terms of annual growth rate, the highest AGR has recorded by Punjab (22.04%) followed by Tamil Nadu (17.19%) and Gujarat (3.20%).

World scenario:

• India is leading in milk production globally whereas 2nd in Egg production.
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‘One Nation One Subscription’ (ONOS) initiative

Tags: National News

‘One Nation One Subscription’ (ONOS) initiative 

Why in the news?

• The Union Cabinet on Monday, November 25, 2024, approved the ‘One Nation One Subscription’ (ONOS) initiative 

Key points:

• All higher education institutions under central or State governments and R&D institutions of the central government can avail the benefits of the initiative through a national subscription.
• This common platform will host 13,000 journals published by 30 international publishers including Elsevier Science Direct (including Lancet), Springer Nature, Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Taylor & Francis, IEEE, Sage Publishing, American Chemical Society, and American Mathematical Society, among others.
•  All institutions will only need to register on the platform to access these journals. INFLIBNET has been designated as the implementing agency for this initiative. 
• The central government negotiated one subscription price for each of the 30 different publishers and approved Rs 6,000 crore for three calendar years — 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Objectives:

• Aiming to centralise journal subscriptions for nearly 6,300 government-run institutions, ONOS seeks to provide equitable access to 13,000 scholarly journals under a single platform.
• Through the ONOS scheme, theCentre aims to consolidate the disaggregated approach to journal access for all government HEIs.
•  ONOS will enable state and central government HEIs to access thousands of journals on one platform,which will be active from January 1, 2025.
• It will help in centralised access to research articles and journal publication for government higher education institutions and research and development (R&D) laboratories of the central government.

MACE in Ladakh opens its one-of-a-kind eye to cosmic gamma rays.

Tags: Science and Technology

Ladakh

Why in the news?

• MACE in Ladakh opens its one-of-a-kind eye to cosmic gamma rays.

Important points:

• The telescope can examine high-energy gamma rays emitted beyond the Milky Way.
•  Other potential astrophysical targets include pulsars, blazars, and gamma-ray bursts. Scientists will also use MACE to explore one class of hypothetical dark-matter particles.
• The blue spot at the centre of the red ring is an isolated neutron star in the Small Magellanic Cloud. 
• Neutron stars are formed after heavy stars go supernova, in the process emitting gamma rays alongside radiation at other energies.

Objectives:

• MACE’s main goal is to study gamma rays with more than 20 billion eV of energy.

About Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE):

• The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) telescope isa state-of-the-art ground-based gamma-ray telescope inaugurated in Hanle Ladakh, on October 4. Located at around 4.3 km above sea level, it is the highest imaging Cherenkov telescope in the world.
• It boasts ofa 21-metre-wide dish, the largest of its kind in Asia and second-largest in the world.
• The facility was built by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd., and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
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Government announces ₹1,435 crore PAN 2.0 Project.

Tags: Government Schemes

Government announces ₹1,435 crore PAN 2.0 Project.

Why in the news?

• The government on November 25, 2024 announced the PAN 2.0 Project of the Income Tax Department with a financial outlay of Rs.1,435 crore.

What is PAN?

• Permanent Account Number (PAN) is aten-digit alpha-numeric number,issued in the form of a laminated card, by the Income Tax Department, to any “person” who applies for it or to whom the department allots the number without an application.

What is the PAN 2.0 Project?

• The PAN 2.0 Project represents an electronic governance initiative aimed at modernising taxpayer registration services. 
• The PAN 2.0 upgrade introduces an enhanced dynamic QR code that reflects current information from the PAN database. 
• The QR code serves as a verification tool to confirm PAN details and establish authenticity. Users can access aspecific QR reader application for verification purposes.
• Upon scanning, the application displays essential information including the cardholder's photograph, signature, name, parental details, and date of birth. 

Objectives:

• This initiative focuses on improving PAN services through contemporary technological solutions. The project consolidates all PAN-related processes, including allotment, updates and modifications, whilst incorporating TAN services into its framework.
• Additionally, the project will offer online PAN authentication and validation services to various organisations, including financial institutions, banks, government bodies, and both central and state government departments.

How is PAN 2.0 different from existing PAN?

• The new PAN 2.0 Project will unify all PAN/TAN services onto a single portal.
• The system will transition from the current procedures to a completely online, paperless operational framework.
• PAN allocation, modifications, and corrections will be provided at no cost, with e-PAN documents delivered to registered email addresses.

Government Extends Atal Innovation Mission Till 2028

Tags: National News

Government Extends Atal Innovation Mission Till 2028

Why in the news?

• The Indian government has extended the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), the flagship program of NITI Aayog, until 31st March 2028, with an expanded scope and renewed objectives.

About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) :

• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a government of India initiative to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the country. 
• AIM was established in 2016 by the National Institution of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.

Objectives:

• Developing an ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurshipat the school, university, research institute, MSME, and industry levels. 
• Promoting entrepreneurship and Supporting innovatorsto become entrepreneurs through financial support and mentorship.
• Promoting innovation and Creating a platform for generating innovative ideas.
• Developing new programs and policiesto foster innovation in different sectors of the economy. 
• AIM's goal is to open the innovation ecosystem to all languages of India and to create a culture where young Indians are more likely to create jobs. 
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