Current Affairs – 15 May 2024
Memory of the World Programme
Recently, the Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana have been included in ‘UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register’.
- The Memory of the World Programme (MoW) was launched by UNESCO in 1992 to safeguard humanity’s documentary heritage.
- It aims to recognize significant documentary heritage similar to UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention.
- Goals of the MoW Programme include facilitating preservation, enabling universal access, and enhancing public awareness.
- The International Advisory Committee (IAC) advises UNESCO on planning and implementing the MoW Programme.
- The IAC consists of 14 members appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO for their expertise in documentary heritage.
- Nominations for the MoW are made every two years, alternating between the Asia Pacific Register and the International Register.
- India has three items included in the MoW: Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra, and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana.
- Ramcharitmanas was written by Tulasidas in the 16th century in the Awadhi dialect.
- Panchatantra is an ancient Indian collection of fables written in Sanskrit, attributed to Vishnu Sharma.
- Sahṛdayāloka-Locana is a Sanskrit commentary on the Dhvanyaloka.
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is poised to embark on a groundbreaking mission of hunting for primordial black holes dating back billions of years to the Big Bang.
- The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will provide deep views into the Milky Way galaxy.
- Objectives include monitoring stars for signs of planets, distant stars, small icy objects, and isolated black holes.
- Instruments include the Wide Field Instrument with a field of view 100 times greater than Hubble’s infrared instrument.
- The Wide Field Instrument will measure light from a billion galaxies and perform a microlensing survey to find approximately 2,600 exoplanets.
- The Coronagraph Instrument will perform high contrast imaging and spectroscopy of nearby exoplanets.
- The Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey will focus on the Milky Way using infrared vision to see through dust clouds.
- This survey will capture images every 15 minutes for about two months, repeated six times over the five-year primary mission.
Exercise Tarkash
The India-U.S joint exercise in conducting coordinated operations in urban counter terrorism contingencies will conclude in Kolkata.
- Exercise Tarkash is the seventh edition of the Indo-U.S. joint counter-terrorism exercise.
- It involves the elite National Security Guard (NSG) from India and the U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF).
- The exercise commenced on April 22, 2024.
- The primary objective is to build functional relations and enhance interoperability between the two special forces for coordinated counter-terrorism operations in urban environments.
- It aims to improve bilateral cooperation between India and the U.S. in combating terrorism in all forms.
- Activities include sharing best practices, tactics, techniques, and procedures for various counter-terrorism operations in urban settings.
- Specific drills include close-quarter battle, building intervention drills, and hostage rescue operations.
Great Pyramid of Giza
A recent discovery of a mysterious structure buried beneath the sands near the iconic Great Pyramid of Giza might likely change the way we perceive these ancient structures.
Great Pyramid of Giza:
- Also known as Great Pyramid and Great Pyramid of Khufu, it’s the largest of the three Pyramids of Giza.
- Location: Situated on the Giza plateau, five miles west of the Nile River, near Cairo, Egypt.
- Built by Khufu (Cheops), the second king of Egypt’s 4th dynasty, around 2580-2560 BC.
- Once the tallest man-made structure until the completion of the Eiffel Tower in 1889.
- First excavated in 1880 by Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, a British archaeologist. Features:
- Initially around 481 feet tall, now approximately 455 feet due to erosion and top piece removal.
- Base sides are about 755 feet long.
- Comprised of over two million stone blocks, each weighing over 2000 pounds.
- Contains the King’s Chamber, the Queen’s Chamber, and the Grand Gallery, accessed through small tunnels and air shafts.
- Sides rise at an angle of 51.87°, accurately oriented to the four cardinal points.
- Core made of yellowish limestone blocks, inner passages of finer, light-colored limestone, and interior burial chamber built of granite blocks. Key facts about the Pyramids of Giza:
- Three 4th-dynasty pyramids: Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, built for the respective kings.
- Khufu’s pyramid is the oldest, Khafre’s is in the middle, and Menkaure’s is the southernmost.
- The Pyramids of Giza is the last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
Geomagnetic Storms
The strongest geomagnetic storm in over two decades recently hit Earth, causing radio blackouts and extending the northern lights to the southern United States.
Geomagnetic Storms:
- Major disturbances of Earth’s magnetosphere caused by efficient exchange of energy from solar wind into space environment.
- Result from variations in solar wind, leading to changes in currents, plasmas, and fields in Earth’s magnetosphere.
- Conditions for creating geomagnetic storms include sustained periods of high-speed solar wind and southward-directed solar wind magnetic field.
- Largest storms associated with solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) involving billion tons of plasma and embedded magnetic field. Effects:
- Intense currents in magnetosphere, changes in radiation belts, and heating of ionosphere and thermosphere.
- Produce beautiful auroras on Earth due to ionospheric heating and distortion.
- Disrupt long-range radio communication relying on sub-ionospheric reflection.
- Increase satellite drag and affect orbit control due to ionospheric expansion.
- Cause damage to satellite electronics through buildup and discharge of static-electric charges.
- Disrupt global navigation systems and create harmful geomagnetic-induced currents (GICs) in power grid and pipelines.
Solar Wind:
- Continuous stream of protons and electrons from sun’s corona.
- Speeds range from 250 miles per second to 500 miles per second, in plasma state.
- Embedded with solar magnetic field, flows outward from sun.
- Different regions of sun produce solar wind of varying speeds and densities.
- Upon reaching Earth, solar wind sends charged particles into magnetosphere and along Earth’s magnetic field lines towards poles.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
Inflation in India’s wholesale prices rose to a 13-month high of 1.26% in April, owing to an uptick in food inflation and a 1.4% year-on-year rise in fuel and power prices after several months of deflation.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI):
- Measures changes in prices of goods sold and traded in bulk by wholesale businesses to other businesses.
- Calculated and published by the Office of Economic Advisor, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- Published monthly, representing an estimate of the price level for the entire month.
- Used by analysts to track supply and demand dynamics in industry, manufacturing, and construction.
- Upward surge indicates inflationary pressure, while downward movement suggests deflationary pressure.
- Difference from Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) inflation:
- WPI tracks wholesale prices, while CPI measures household expenses.
- WPI focuses on goods, while CPI includes both goods and services.
- RBI no longer uses WPI for policy purposes, opting for CPI instead. New series of WPI:
- Base year updated to 2011-12 from 2004-05, effective from April 2017. Calculation:
- Weighted average of prices of a basket of goods, with weights based on share of total wholesale sales.
- Basket includes three major groups: Primary Articles (22.62%), Fuel and Power (13.15%), and Manufactured Products (64.23%).
- Tracks prices of 697 items, including 117 primary items, 16 fuel and power items, and 564 manufactured products under the 2011-12 series.
Tamil Nadu’s Shyaamnikhil Becomes India’s 85th Chess Grandmaster
- P Shyaamnikhil from Tamil Nadu becomes India’s 85th Grandmaster (GM) in chess.
- Secured the final GM norm at the 2024 Dubai Police Masters Chess Tournament.
- Required one win and eight draws before the Dubai event to attain GM title.
- Had already accumulated 2500 ELO rating points and secured two GM norms in 2012.
- Shyaamnikhil’s chess journey began in Chennai, earning International Master (IM) title in 2011.
- Secured first GM norm at the Mumbai Mayor’s Cup and second at the Indian Championship.
- Grandmaster and International Master titles awarded by World Chess Federation (FIDE).
- Criteria for becoming a GM include earning a 2500 FIDE Elo rating and achieving three GM norms.
- India’s chess legacy includes Vishwanathan Anand, India’s first GM in 1988, and Koneru Humpy, first Indian woman to earn Women’s GM title.
- India boasts three female GMs: Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R. Vaishali.
- Shyaamnikhil’s journey serves as inspiration, highlighting perseverance, dedication, and pursuit of excellence in chess.
Nobel Prize-winning author Alice Munro dies at 92
- Alice Munro, Nobel Prize-winning author known for her masterful short stories, passed away at 92 on May 13.
- Born in Wingham, Ontario, on July 10, 1931, her rural upbringing deeply influenced her writing.
- Munro received numerous literary awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 and the International Booker Prize in 2009.
- Began writing at age 11 and won the Governor General’s Award for fiction three times.
- Her stories, often featured in prestigious magazines, portrayed women’s lives without demonizing men.
- Known as “our Chekhov” for her reliance on narration and insightful portrayal of human experiences.
- Last collection, “Dear Life,” published in 2012, solidified her position as a master of the short story.
- Munro’s legacy as a trailblazer in short fiction continues, inspiring generations of writers and readers.
Meghalaya Gets first woman police chief
- Idashisha Nongrang appointed as Meghalaya’s first woman Director General of Police (DGP).
- A 1992 batch IPS officer, she will succeed Lajja Ram Bishnoi upon his retirement on May 19, 2024.
- Nongrang hails from the Khasi community, known for its matrilineal system.
- Currently serving as Director General of Meghalaya Civil Defence, she previously acted as DGP in 2021.
- Her appointment was widely supported by major political parties advocating for a local IPS officer as DGP.
- The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recommended Nongrang along with two other officers for the position.
- Her selection reflects Meghalaya’s commitment to promoting leadership from within and recognizing local talent.
- Nongrang’s tenure as DGP will last until May 19, 2026, overseeing law enforcement and maintaining order.
- Her appointment marks a significant milestone for women’s empowerment and representation in leadership roles in Meghalaya.
- Meghalaya’s move towards breaking gender barriers aligns with its cultural ethos and commitment to inclusivity.
Important Takeaways for All Competitive Exams:
- Meghalaya Capital: Shillong;
- Meghalaya Chief minister: Conrad Sangma;
- Meghalaya Bird: Hill myna;
- Meghalaya Governor: Phagu Chauhan.