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1. The Uttarakhand government recently renamed Joshimath tehsil as Jyotirmath and Kosiyakutoli tehsil as Pargana Shri Kainchi Dham. Joshimath is historically significant as the site where Adi Guru Shankaracharya attained enlightenment in the 8th century and serves as the gateway to Badrinath Dham, a major Hindu pilgrimage destination. Kosiyakutoli has been renamed to honor Baba Neem Karoli Maharaj's ashram located there. This change reflects the cultural and religious importance of these areas in Uttarakhand.
2. Researchers at IISc have devised an innovative method to address groundwater pollution by heavy metals like arsenic, ensuring both effective removal and safe disposal of pollutants. This eco-friendly technique involves three steps: capture, concentrate, and transform. Firstly, contaminated water passes through a chitosan-based adsorbent to remove toxic arsenic, which can then be regenerated using a recycled alkaline wash. Next, membranes separate the arsenic-laden alkaline solution, recovering sodium hydroxide for reuse. Finally, microbes in cow dung convert inorganic arsenic into less harmful organic forms, allowing safe disposal of the treated sludge. This approach offers promise in mitigating groundwater contamination, critical in regions like India where numerous districts exceed permissible arsenic and fluoride levels.
3. The eighth edition of the Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2024 (JIMEX 24) is scheduled to occur in Yokosuka, Japan, featuring both harbour and sea phases. INS Shivalik represents the Indian Navy (IN), while the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is represented by the Guided Missile Destroyer JS Yugiri. Integral helicopters from both navies will join in the exercise. JIMEX 24 aims to enhance interoperability across various naval operations through joint war drills, complemented by professional, sports, and social activities. The exercise underscores the commitment of both nations to maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region and facilitates the exchange of best practices. Other bilateral exercises between India and Japan, such as Malabar, Veer Guardian, and Dharma Guardian, further deepen cooperation across different military branches.
4. Recently, ISRO unveiled images captured by its Aditya-L1 solar mission during a significant solar storm in May 2024. The Solar UltraViolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) and the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), among other payloads, captured these images from the Lagrange point in space. These images are invaluable for studying solar flares, energy distribution, sunspots, and understanding space weather. Aditya-L1, India's first dedicated solar mission developed by ISRO in collaboration with international partners, aims to study the Sun and its corona. It will provide crucial data to comprehend the impact of solar activity on Earth's climate and space weather, aiding in long-term solar variations and their environmental implications.
5. The collaborative study between the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) delved into the behavior of multi-drug resistant pathogens within the unique environment of the International Space Station (ISS). A key focus was on Enterobacter bugandensis, identified as a challenging pathogen in hospital-acquired infections due to its broad antibiotic resistance. This study, addressing a WHO priority for new antimicrobials, highlighted how the ISS's microgravity, elevated carbon dioxide, and radiation levels induce rapid mutations in pathogens, setting them apart genetically and functionally from their terrestrial counterparts. Additionally, the study underscored the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in various environments, exacerbated by inappropriate medicine use. The ISS, orbiting Earth since 2000, has evolved into an advanced microgravity laboratory facilitating international research efforts aimed at advancing scientific understanding and benefiting life on Earth.