{"id":28048,"date":"2024-08-20T19:10:18","date_gmt":"2024-08-20T13:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=28048"},"modified":"2024-08-23T23:22:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T17:52:04","slug":"news-in-short","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/20-08-2024\/news-in-short","title":{"rendered":"News In Short"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Guam Island<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Geography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>INS Shivalik reached Guam, for an Operational Turnaround on successful completion of the recently concluded world\u2019s largest Multinational Maritime Exercise RIMPAC 2024.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Guam Island<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location:<\/strong> It is an island territory of the <strong>United States of America<\/strong>, in the <strong>North Pacific Ocean.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Island is the <strong>largest, most populous, and southernmost<\/strong> of the Mariana Islands.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Capital: <\/strong>Hag\u00e5t\u00f1a (Agana)&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>History:<\/strong> Guam remained under Spanish possession until <strong>1898. <\/strong>However in the course of the <strong>Spanish-American War<\/strong>, the island was ceded to the United States.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Native population: <\/strong>Ethnically called Chamorros, they are of Malayo-Indonesian descent with a considerable admixture of Spanish, Filipino, Mexican, and other European and Asian ancestries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXftJuDO5eRCHh7avtU69Cq-GmBBNPeN5wKeXeYU0xMhJ5_AvVT5ZhhmDj_aRfmgUcnRVi8_ZZEbgLJ7TYF0kPceQDpJAPe7afrn-bSKfAF6CSCd0plod_RjFj48z_q3cyeh08q8T-pTsDVySVlYTqgx4TMf?key=2pXalcDhBgamRwvV0veBFw\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Exercise RIMPAC 2024<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a <strong>biennial event,<\/strong> hosted by the United States, that brings together naval forces from various countries to foster cooperative relationships and enhance maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the 29th exercise in the series that <strong>began in 1971.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Theme: <\/strong>\u2018Partners: Integrated and Prepared\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It provides a unique platform for joint training, interoperability, strategic maritime partnerships, and trust-building among friendly foreign navies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/cities\/Visakhapatnam\/ins-shivalik-reaches-guam-an-island-territory-of-the-us\/article68529200.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Revised Model Foster Care Guidelines<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry<\/strong> has released the revised model foster care guidelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Revised Guidelines<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It has broadened the scope of foster care in India by <strong>permitting single individuals <\/strong>\u2014 regardless of their marital status \u2014 to foster children, with the <strong>option of adoption after two years.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This change represents a significant departure from the previous regulations, which restricted foster care to married couples.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Individuals aged between <strong>25 and 60 <\/strong>can now foster children, regardless of their marital status.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This includes those <strong>who are unmarried, widowed, divorced, or legally separated.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Single women can foster and adopt children of any gender, while single men are restricted to fostering and adopting male children.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For married couples, a stable marital relationship of <strong>at least two years<\/strong> is now required before they can foster a child<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Foster Care<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Foster care involves placing a child with either<strong> extended family members or unrelated individuals temporarily.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eligible children for foster care in India are <strong>typically over the age of six, <\/strong>residing in childcare institutions, and without suitable guardians.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/child-adoption-revised-guidelines-wcd-ministry-adoption-eligibility-criteria-9522802\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Super Blue Moon<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus GS3\/Space&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) coincided with a \u201csuper blue moon\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Super Blue Moon: <\/strong>It is a rare event where the full moon is both a \u201cblue moon\u201d and a \u201csuper moon.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Super blue moons are rare, occurring roughly every 10 to 20 years.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Super Moon:<\/strong> Occurs when the moon is closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit (perigee) and is also a full moon. It appears about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a full moon at apogee (farthest point)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The term &#8220;supermoon&#8221; was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Blue Moon<\/strong>:Though the expression \u201conce in a blue moon\u201d implies a rare or unusual occurrence, a blue moon is not that rare an astronomical phenomenon. There are a couple of definitions of a blue moon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a second full moon in a single calendar month.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Or The third full moon in a season with four full moons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The first recorded use of &#8220;Blue Moon&#8221; in English dates from 1528.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Visibility<\/strong>: The moon won\u2019t actually appear blue; the term &#8220;blue&#8221; refers to rarity, not color.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The moon might appear more yellow or orange when closer to the horizon due to atmospheric scattering.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: TH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Snowball Earth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Geography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scientists have discovered rocks marking the <strong>Snowball Earth<\/strong> moment on<strong> The Garvellach islands off the west coast of Scotland.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These rocks likely formed during the <strong>Sturtian glaciation<\/strong>, one of the planet\u2019s <strong>most severe ice ages, <\/strong>which occurred <strong>between 662 and 720 million years ago.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This period is thought to have been crucial for the evolution of complex, multicellular life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Researchers believe these ancient rocks could<strong> signal the beginning of the Cryogenian Period.&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In geology, this important marker is known as a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), often symbolized by a <strong>\u201cgolden spike\u201d embedded in the rock.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The big freeze, which covered nearly all the globe in two phases for 80 million years, is known as <strong>&#8220;Snowball Earth&#8221;,<\/strong> after which the first animal life emerged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Significance:<\/strong> Clues hidden in rocks about the freeze have been wiped out everywhere &#8211; except in the Garvellachs.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Researchers hope the islands will tell us why Earth went into such an extreme icy state for so long and why it was necessary for complex life to emerge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXe_X4XtlUhGh8Ygnglx9kkU5jwYzA3RqZuUKbaGp2onwUN3yXKxSWE4JlZOmcUaAa4H7rOt6Q7DqwbZL-Ky41e4RNd7BnPkEVmxaUhZMhRgt8nupgHoCcW-vUz55M_xaT3orOd2sWNvBoScI_aTQIAfFMz7?key=2pXalcDhBgamRwvV0veBFw\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:424px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: TH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Namdhari Sect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus :GS 1\/History&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hundreds of followers of two rival groups of the Namdhari religious sect clashed violently in Rania in Haryana\u2019s Sirsa district.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Namdharis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The sect was founded by Satguru Ram Singh of Baisakhi in 1857.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&nbsp;He challenged the status quo, advocated social reform, and resisted the Raj in various ways.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The British inflicted terrible punishments on the Namdharis and deported Ram Singh to Rangoon, from where he never returned.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Namdharis believe Ram Singh is still alive, and will return one day.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&nbsp;Until then, they mourn his absence by wearing white.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Believe system: <\/strong>Namdhari Sikhs consider the Guru Granth Sahib as the Supreme Gurbani, but they also believe in a living human Guru.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Namdharis consider the cow to be sacred, they are teetotallers, and avoid even tea and coffee.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The sect\u2019s sprawling headquarters is located in Ludhiana\u2019s Bhaini Sahib near village Raiyaan, where Ram Singh was born.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&nbsp;The sect has its deras across Punjab and Haryana, and has a presence in a few other countries, too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source :IE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Restoration of Banni Grasslands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Conservation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Researchers evaluated different areas within Banni for sustainable grassland restoration for ecological value.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Restoration of Banni Grassland<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Researchers grouped Banni\u2019s prospective restoration zones<strong> into five categories <\/strong>based on suitability:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Highly Suitable: <\/strong>About 937 sq. km (or 36%) of existing grassland falls into this category.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Suitable:<\/strong> Another 728 sq. km (28%) qualifies here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Moderately Suitable:<\/strong> Covering 714 sq. km (27%).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Marginally Suitable:<\/strong> A smaller area of 182 sq. km (7%).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Not Suitable:<\/strong> Only 61 sq. km (2%) falls into this category.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The first two categories\u2014those \u201chighly suitable\u201d and \u201csuitable\u201d zones\u2014make up nearly two-thirds of the entire Banni grassland.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Banni Grassland<\/strong><br>&#8211; It is nestled in <strong>Kachchh district in Gujarat<\/strong>, which is home to one of the largest tracts of grasslands in the country.<br>&#8211; It is a mixture of two ecosystems, arid <strong>grassland and wetland.<\/strong><br>&#8211; This region is home to a nomadic pastoralist community, <strong>the Maldharis.<\/strong><br>&#8211; This community has to maintain their community forest rights.<br><strong>Conservation<\/strong><br>&#8211; Declared as Protected Forest in 1955 under Indian Forest Act, 1927.<br>&#8211; Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has declared <strong>Banni grassland and Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary<\/strong> (both in Kutch) as the last remaining <strong>habitats of the cheetah in India.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/how-the-banni-grasslands-of-kachchh-gujarat-can-be-restored\/article68544243.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Waggle Dance &amp; Circle Dance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently scientists have flagged evidence of \u201cproblematic behavior\u201d in scientific papers concerned with the honeybee waggle dance and co-authored by Mandyam Srinivasan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bees use <strong>two kinds of dances<\/strong> to communicate information: the waggle dance and the circle dance.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The purpose of either dance is for some honey bees to <strong>communicate to others the location of a flower patch <\/strong>with more nectar or pollen.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One bee dances while the others watch it to figure out the directions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Waggle dance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>During a waggle dance, the bees move in a figure of eight formation. The dance <strong>indicates both the distance and the direction<\/strong> to the patch.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In this the straight line in the roughly figure of eight formation is called the waggle run.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Circle dance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In a circle dance, the bees move in a circle.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The dance <strong>indicates only the distance<\/strong> to the hive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/mandyam-srinivasan-of-bee-studies-fame-faces-misconduct-allegations\/article68542267.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Operation Parakram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Defense<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, Former Chief General S Padmanabhan, who led the Indian Army in the &#8216;Operation Parakram&#8217; against Pakistan, passed away.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Operation Parakram<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was the <strong>second major military confrontation<\/strong> between <strong>India and Pakistan<\/strong> after both countries conducted nuclear tests in 1998.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The first such conflict was the Kargil War in 1999.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The trigger for Operation Parakram was a terrorist <strong>attack on the Indian Parliament <\/strong>in New Delhi on December 13, 2001, and subsequent <strong>attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India attributed these attacks to two Pakistan-based terror groups: <strong>Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These groups were believed to be backed by Pakistan\u2019s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Military Buildup<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In response to these attacks, India initiated a massive military buildup, deploying troops along the Indo-Pakistani border and the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed region of Kashmir, with codename Operation Parakram.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The operation aimed<strong> to demonstrate India\u2019s resolve and readiness <\/strong>for a potential conflict with Pakistan. Troops were positioned for an <em>\u201ceyeball to eyeball confrontation\u201d<\/em> with the Pakistani forces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Operation Parakram remains a significant chapter in India-Pakistan relations. It highlighted the <strong>delicate balance between deterrence and the risk of escalation<\/strong> in a nuclear-armed region.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Despite the military buildup, diplomatic channels ultimately prevailed, preventing a full-scale war.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/former-coas-general-s-padmanabhan-passes-away-in-chennai\/article68541726.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>INS Shivalik reached Guam, for an Operational Turnaround on successful completion of the recently concluded world\u2019s largest Multinational Maritime Exercise RIMPAC 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28048"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28056,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28048\/revisions\/28056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}