Bagram Air Base
Syllabus: GS2/ International Relation
In News
- The US President wants the United States to reclaim Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan because of its immense strategic, military, and geopolitical value.
About
- Bagram Air Base is the largest and most strategically significant military airfield in Afghanistan, located in Parwan province around 40–60 km north of Kabul, near the ancient town of Bagram.
- Built by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, it played a pivotal role during the Cold War and the Soviet-Afghan War, and later, it became the nerve center for US and NATO operations after 2001.
- Bagram is positioned at the crossroads of Iran, Pakistan, Central Asia, and close to China’s Xinjiang province, making it a unique vantage point for projecting military force or conducting surveillance in Eurasia.
- The base was vacated by US forces in July 2021 as part of the broader withdrawal from Afghanistan, and it subsequently fell under Taliban control.
Source: HT
Sawalkote Project
Syllabus: GS3/ Infrastructure
In News
- The stalled Sawalkote project which is part of the Indus system is back at the centre of India’s strategy to tap the river’s hydropower potential.
About
- The Sawalkote Project is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power project proposed on the Chenab River, located in the Ramban and Udhampur districts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
- It is being implemented by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), a Government of India Mini Ratna Category-I Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power.
- The project aims to enhance power availability in the region, especially during winter when shortages are frequent, transforming Jammu and Kashmir into a power-surplus region with the potential to export surplus electricity to the national grid.
Source: IE
Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS) 3.0
Syllabus: GS3/ Economy
In News
- The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry launched the Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS) 3.0.
About IPRS 3.0
- Developed by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the initiative aims to further strengthen India’s industrial ecosystem and enhance the competitiveness of industrial infrastructure.
- Under IPRS 3.0, industrial parks will be benchmarked and categorized as Leaders, Challengers, and Aspirers based on their performance across key indicators. This will provide investors with transparent and credible information, foster healthy competition among States and Union Territories, and guide policymakers in designing targeted interventions.
- Building on the pilot phase in 2018 and IPRS 2.0 in 2021, the third edition introduces an expanded framework with new parameters, including sustainability, green infrastructure, logistics connectivity, digitalization, skill linkages, and enhanced tenant feedback.
Source: PIB
Project Vijayak Celebrates 15th Raising Day in Kargil
Syllabus :GS3/Economy
In News
- Project Vijayak of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated its 15th Raising Day in Kargil, marking a legacy of engineering excellence and resilience in Ladakh’s harsh terrain.
Project Vijayak
- It was established in September 2010 in Kargil as a strategic response to the lessons of Operation Vijay (Kargil War, 1999), emphasizing the need for robust road infrastructure along the Line of Control (LC) to enhance military preparedness.
- Areas Covered: Initially covered Kargil and Zanskar—areas formerly under Project Himank.
- It manages two key communication axes in the Western Indus Corridor: the Zojila–Kargil–Leh and Nimmu–Padam–Darcha routes.
- Following a boundary realignment in 2019, it also oversees roads and airfields in the Western Shyok and Nubra Corridors, including the Siachen Glacier region.
Importance
- It has built over 1,400 km of roads and 80 major bridges across Ladakh, playing a crucial role in both military operations and civilian connectivity.
- Upholding its credo, “Always Victorious,” Project Vijayak remains central to both national defense and regional connectivity.
Source :PIB
Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs)
Syllabus: GS3/Space
Context
- Until now, scientists believed gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) were the most powerful explosions since the Big Bang, but researchers have found something even bigger: Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs).
What are ENTs?
- In astronomy, transients refer to celestial objects whose brightness changes significantly over a relatively short period.
- Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs) phenomena occur when massive stars, at least three times the mass of our Sun, are torn apart by supermassive black holes at the centres of distant galaxies.
- The resulting explosions release energy equivalent to what 100 Suns would emit over their entire lifespans, making them visible across vast cosmic distances.
- Gaia18cdj: It is the most energetic ENT studied, it released over 25 times more energy than the most powerful supernova ever discovered, more than the amount of energy that would be released by 100 suns throughout their entire lifetime.
- ENTs traverse immense distances and remain luminous in radio wavelengths for years, making it possible for astronomers to study them.
Significance
- They help scientists study supermassive black holes in the early universe.
- They may explain how galaxies and black holes grow.
- Future telescopes like the Rubin Observatory and Roman Space Telescope will make it easier to spot more ENTs.
Source: TH
Smog Eating Photocatalytic Coatings
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
In News
- The Delhi government is going to conduct a time-bound feasibility study on the use of “smog-eating” photocatalytic coatings on roads, pavements and public.
About
- Smog-eating photocatalytic coatings aim to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and harmful hydrocarbons in public spaces, thereby improving air and water quality.
- These coatings are designed for urban environments to mitigate air pollution by breaking down NO₂ and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are common contributors to smog and poor air quality.
- These coatings contain materials, most commonly titanium dioxide (TiO₂), which serve as a photocatalyst. When exposed to light (primarily ultraviolet), TiO₂ becomes activated and initiates chemical reactions that break down airborne pollutants.
- The activated TiO₂ interacts with NO₂ and harmful hydrocarbons, converting them into harmless byproducts like water, carbon dioxide, and nitrate compounds.
Source: PIB
Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2023
Syllabus: Miscellaneous
Context
- Legendary actor, director, and producer Mohanlal will be conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2023.
- The government of India previously honoured the actor with Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2019.
About
- Instituted in 1969, it is India’s highest award in the field of cinema, presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- It is presented on the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee.
- The award is named after Dadasaheb Phalke (1870–1944), who is regarded as “the father of Indian cinema”. He directed India’s first feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913).
- The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus), a shawl and a cash prize of Rs. 10 Lakhs.
- The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani, who was honored in 1969.
Source: AIR
Previous article
Clean Plant Programme
Next article
France Recognised Palestine as a State
