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Current Affairs – 17 May 2024

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Current Affairs – 17 May 2024

Synchrotron

China’s latest scientific milestone, the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS), set to be the first fourth-generation synchrotron light source in Asia, will begin operations by the end of this year.

Here are the key facts about the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) :

  • Location: Approximately 50 kilometers from Beijing in Huairou, China.
  • Design: A 36-kilometer circumference storage ring.
  • Electron Energy: Capable of accelerating electrons up to 6 gigaelectron volts.
  • X-ray Production: Generates high-energy X-rays suitable for deep sample penetration at nanometer scales.
  • Beamlines: Provides access to 14 beamlines covering fields such as energy, condensed matter physics, materials innovation, and biomedicine.
  • Time Resolution: Offers a time resolution 10,000 times superior to third-generation synchrotrons like the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility

Venezuela

Venezuela is thought to be the first nation in modern times to have completely lost all of its glaciers.

About Venezuela:

  • It is located on the northern coast of South America with its capital located in Caracas.
  • Boundaries: It is bounded by the Caribbean Seaand the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the southwest and west. 
  • A physiographically diverse country, Venezuela incorporates the northern Andean Mountain chains and interior highlands, the main portions of the Orinoco Riverbasin with its expansive Llanos (plains), Lake Maracaibo, which is the largest lake in South America and the spectacular Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall. 
  • Major Rivers:
    • Rio Negro (shared with Colombia and Brazil): 2,250 km. It is a major tributary of the Amazon River.
    • Orinoco (shared with Colombia): 2,101 km. It is the third-longest river in South America, after the Parana and the Amazon.
  • Venezuela administers several Caribbean islands and archipelagos, among which are Margarita Island, La Blanquilla, La Tortuga, Los Roques, and Los Monjes. 
  • Since the early 19th century, Venezuela has claimed jurisdiction over Guyanese territory west of the Essequibo River, totaling some 53,000 square miles (137,000 square km)—nearly two-thirds of the land area of Guyana.
  • Resources: Venezuela is home to the world’s largest oil reserves as well as huge quantities of coal, iron ore, bauxite, and gold.
  • Languages: Spanish (official) 98.2%, indigenous 1.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.4% (2023 est.)
  • Currency: Venezuelan bolívar

Ambaji White Marble

Marble mined in Gujarat’s Ambaji has recently been awarded the Geographical Indication, or GI tag, by the Central Government.

About Ambaji White Marble:

  • It is a type of marble known for its stunning white appearance and unique natural patterns. It is named after the town of Ambaji in the state of Gujarat, where it is predominantly quarried.  It is also known as Amba White Marble and Ambe White Marble.
  • It is characterized by its pristine white colour, which often features subtle grey or beige veining.
    • The veins can vary in intensity, ranging from fine and delicate to bold and pronounced, giving each slab a distinct and individualistic appearance.
    • These variations occur naturally due to the presence of minerals and impurities during the marble formation process.
  • It has very long-lasting shine and durability. 
  • The smooth and polished surface of the marble adds to its appeal and sophistication.
  • It is widely used for luxury architectural projects, sculptures, and monuments.

Key Facts about Marble:

  • Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is subjected to the heat and pressure of metamorphism.
  • It is composed primarily of the mineral calcite(CaCO3) and usually contains other minerals, such as clay minerals, micas, quartz, pyrite, iron oxides and graphite.
  • Under the conditions of metamorphism, the calcite in the limestone recrystallizes to form a rock that is a mass of interlocking calcite crystals.
  • A related rock, dolomitic marble, is produced when dolostone is subjected to heat and pressure.
  • The transformation of limestone into marble usually occurs at convergent plate boundaries, where large areas of Earth’s crust are exposed to the heat and pressure of regional metamorphism.
  • Some marble also forms by contact metamorphism when a hot magma body heats adjacent limestone or dolostone. This process also occurs at convergent plate boundaries.

PREFIRE Polar Mission

A NASA PREFIRE polar mission is set to be launched from New Zealand on May 22.

  • Mission Name: PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment)
  • Objective: To measure and understand the full spectrum of heat loss from Earth’s polar regions, improving climate models.
  • Satellites: Twin cube satellites, each carrying a thermal infrared spectrometer.
  • Launch Vehicle: Electron launch vehicle, deploying satellites about the size of a shoebox.
  • Orbit: Near-polar asynchronous orbits, overlapping near the poles every few hours.
  • Instruments: Thermal infrared spectrometer using thermocouple sensors.
  • Mission Goals:
    • Study why the Arctic has warmed faster than the global average since the 1970s.
    • Measure far-infrared heat emission from snow, sea ice, and clouds.
    • Predict future changes in heat exchange between Earth and space, influencing ice melting, atmospheric temperatures, and global weather.

Swachhata Pakhwada

Recently, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) has taken a significant step towards promoting cleanliness and environmental sustainability with the launch of Swachhata Pakhwada and it will run from 16th May to 31st May 2024.

Swachhata Pakhwada:

  • Initiated: April 2016 under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
  • Objective: Intense focus on Swachhata issues and practices by engaging central government ministries/departments.
  • Aim: Engage all ministries through a common programme to contribute to Swachh Bharat Mission.
  • Implementation: Ministries plan activities based on an annual pre-circulated calendar.
  • Monitoring: Done through Swachhata Samiksha, where ministries upload action plans, images, and videos.
  • Outcome: Ministries aim for qualitative improvements in Swachhata during the fortnight.

Swachh Bharat Mission (Key Facts):

  • Launch: October 2, 2014, by the Indian government.
  • Coverage: Includes all rural and urban areas of India.
  • Urban Component: Managed by the Ministry of Urban Development.
  • Rural Component: Managed by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
  • Objectives: Elimination of open defecation, conversion to sanitary toilets, eradication of manual scavenging, solid waste management, and promoting healthy sanitation practices.

Kapil Sibal Elected as the President of Supreme Court Bar Association

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal has been elected as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in a recent election held on 16th May in New Delhi.

Kapil Sharma’s Previous Tenure:

  • Held SCBA president position in 2001.
  • Served two separate stints in the mid and late 1990s.
  • Re-elected due to trust and confidence in his leadership and legal expertise.

Succession from Adish C. Aggarwala:

  • Kapil Sibal to succeed Adish C. Aggarwala as SCBA president.
  • Reflects democratic transition and continuity in leadership.

Runner-up and Other Office Bearers:

  • Pradeep Rai was the runner-up in the SCBA elections.
  • Vikrant Yadav elected as SCBA secretary.

Election Results and Contestants:

  • Kapil Sibal won with 1,066 votes, defeating Pradeep Rai (689 votes).
  • Prominent candidates included Priya Hingorani, Tripurari Ray, and Neeraj Srivastava.

Reactions to the Election:

  • Jairam Ramesh praised Sibal’s win for liberal, secular, democratic, and progressive values.
  • Reflects broader ideological alignments within the legal community.