{"id":41776,"date":"2025-04-22T19:36:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T14:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=41776"},"modified":"2025-04-22T19:36:55","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T14:06:55","slug":"news-in-short-22-04-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-04-2025\/news-in-short-22-04-2025","title":{"rendered":"News In Short-22-04-2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>UNESCO Adds 16 New Global Geoparks<\/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>The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added 16 new sites across 11 countries to its Global Geoparks Network.<\/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>The newly featured geoparks are located in <strong>China, North Korea, Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Norway, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the UK, and Vietnam.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With the new entries, the Network now comprises <strong>229 sites<\/strong> across <strong>50 countries,<\/strong> collectively spanning nearly <strong>855,000 km\u00b2.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Are UNESCO Global Geoparks?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, brings together<strong> territories recognized for their rich geological heritage<\/strong>, rock formations, mountain or volcanic ranges, caves, canyons, fossil sites or ancient desert landscapes, which bear witness to our planet\u2019s history, evolution and climate.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Established:<\/strong> The Global Geopark designation was established in<strong> 2015 by UNESCO.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India and Global Geoparks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Current Status: <\/strong>India does <strong>not yet have any site<\/strong> designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Potential Sites (Under Consideration):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lonar Crater (Maharashtra):<\/strong> Impact crater formed by a meteorite.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>St. Mary\u2019s Island (Karnataka):<\/strong> Columnar basaltic lava formation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Siwalik Fossil Park (Himachal Pradesh):<\/strong> Paleontological significance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/world\/unesco-16-new-global-geoparks-north-korea-saudi-arabia-firsts-9955194\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Kokborok Language<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Culture&nbsp;<\/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>Kokborok Sahitya Parishad an indigenous linguistic organisation has demanded inclusion of <strong>Kokborok language<\/strong> in the<strong> 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India<\/strong> with native script preferably with Devanagari or Bengali Script.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Kokborok<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kokborok is the language of the <strong>Borok people<\/strong> and was notified as one of the <strong>official languages of Tripura in 1979.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Other official languages are <strong>Bengali, and English<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The word Kokborok is composed of <strong>two words<\/strong>, viz., kok which means &#8220;language&#8221; and borok means &#8220;man&#8221;. Thus Kokborok means &#8220;the language of man&#8221; or &#8220;the language of the Borok people&#8221;.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The dialect belongs to the <strong>Tibeto-Burman group of languages<\/strong> and its root can be traced to the <strong>Sino-Tibetan speech family<\/strong>. It is closely related to the <strong>Bodo language and the Dimasa language<\/strong> of the neighbouring state of <strong>Assam<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Kokborok dialect has<strong> no script of its own<\/strong> and is written in <strong>Devanagari, Bengali and Roman scripts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/tribal-literary-body-kokborok-in-eight-schedule-tripura-cm-manik-saha-9955260\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>BharatNet<\/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>In India, more than <strong>2.18 lakh<\/strong> Gram Panchayats (GPs) have been made service ready (as on March 19) under the BharatNet project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is BharatNet?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The government of India launched <strong>BharatNet in October 2011<\/strong>, under the <strong>Ministry of Communications.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is an ambitious project aimed at providing affordable high-speed internet access to every Gram Panchayat in the country.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>BharatNet operates as the world\u2019s largest rural broadband connectivity program.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Amended BharatNet 2023<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In 2023, the government approved the <strong>Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) <\/strong>at a cost of <strong>Rs. 1,39,579 crores.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The program provides for internet access by Optical Fibre (OF) connectivity to<strong> 2.64 lakh GPs in ring topology<\/strong> and also to provide connectivity to the remaining non-GP villages (approx. 3.8 lakhs) on demand basis.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The ABP is aiming at;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Provision of optical fiber connectivity<\/strong> to non-GP villages on demand basis,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Provision for Operation and maintenance for 10 years<\/strong>, including monitoring of network uptime through Centralized Network Operating Centre (CNOC) and payment to Project Implementation Agency (PIA) as per Service Level Agreement (SLA),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Provision of Power backup<\/strong> of adequate level at GPs and Blocks,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Provision of Remote Fibre Monitoring System (RFMS)<\/strong> at Block for fibre monitoring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Working of BharatNet<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), <\/strong>a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was incorporated in 2012 for the execution of the project.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 2016, the Telecom Commission approved to implement the project in three phases:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Phase I: <\/strong>Focused on laying optical fiber cables to connect <strong>1 lakh <\/strong>Gram Panchayats by utilizing existing infrastructure.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Phase II: <\/strong>Expanded the coverage to an <strong>additional 1.5 lakh<\/strong> Gram Panchayats using optical fiber, radio, and satellite technologies.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Phase III:<\/strong> Aims at future-proofing the network by integrating 5G technologies, increasing bandwidth capacity, and ensuring robust last-mile connectivity. This phase is ongoing, with a focus on improving accessibility and reliability.<\/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>Article 355<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and 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>The Supreme Court answered a plea to <strong>invoke Article 355 of the Constitution.<\/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>It is a part of <strong>Part XVIII: Emergency Provisions.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Article 355 mandates it the \u201c<strong>duty of the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance<\/strong> and to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Used during events like:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Law and order breakdown in a state.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Threats to the sovereignty or unity of the country within a state.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Communal riots or insurgencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/128949\/OPS\/GJQE8F2BU.1+GK8E9FE6U.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Indonesia-China Maritime Cooperation\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ International Relations<\/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>Indonesia and China have reaffirmed their commitment to maritime cooperation, amid ongoing tensions over Chinese activity near the Natuna Islands.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>South China Sea<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a marginal sea of the <strong>Western Pacific Ocean.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is located between <strong>southern China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a crucial maritime gateway and junction for shipping between the <strong>Pacific and Indian Oceans.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Dispute in South China Sea<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Southeast Asian countries like<strong> China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan<\/strong> have had disputes over the contentious South China Sea region for centuries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The two primary points of contention are: The <strong>Spratly Islands<\/strong> and the <strong>Paracel Islands<\/strong> in the sea.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nine-dash line: <\/strong>China stakes claim to most of the region and at the heart of this claim is the U-shaped \u2018<strong>nine-dash line\u2019<\/strong> that includes as much as <strong>90 percent<\/strong> of these waters.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This dotted line was adopted from Chinese maps in the 1940s, and represents Beijing\u2019s claim over the sea and all the land features that are contained within the line.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"c1cdcb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"579\" height=\"595\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Indonesia-China-Maritime-Cooperation.png\" alt=\"Indonesia China Maritime Cooperation\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-41777\" style=\"--dominant-color: #c1cdcb; width:363px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Indonesia-China-Maritime-Cooperation.png 579w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Indonesia-China-Maritime-Cooperation-292x300.png 292w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 579px) 100vw, 579px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Natuna Island<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Natuna Island, also known as Bunguran Island is the largest island in the Natuna Islands archipelago, located in the<strong> northernmost part of Indonesia&#8217;s Riau Islands<\/strong> Province.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Location: It is located in the <strong>South China Sea<\/strong> and lies approximately halfway between Peninsular <strong>Malaysia and the island of Borneo.\u200b<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Topography:<\/strong> The island features <strong>Mount Ranai,<\/strong> its highest point, reaching 1,035 meters above sea level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/china\/china-and-indonesia-agree-to-boost-maritime-security-cooperation-in-south-china-sea-despite-tensions\/articleshow\/120478992.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TOI<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Rare Earth Elements (REEs)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy<\/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>Amid the ongoing U.S.\u2013China trade war, Chinese authorities have reportedly imposed export controls on <strong>rare earth elements (REEs) and magnets.<\/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><strong>Rare earth elements<\/strong> are a series of <strong>seventeen substances<\/strong> that are <strong>present in the earth\u2019s crust.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unlike what the name may indicate, <strong>rare earths occur plentifully in nature,<\/strong> but the<strong> rarity comes from the ability to isolate them chemically <\/strong>and make them usable in industrial applications.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Demand for rare earth metals <\/strong>such as neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium and yttrium is increasing alongside technological advancements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Heavy and light rare earths occur naturally in several countries,<\/strong> such as India, China, Myanmar, Japan, Australia and North Korea.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>China <\/strong>is the world\u2019s largest producer of rare earths followed by the USA.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Significance:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They are used in everyday technologies like a cellphone and computer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are also used in advance medical technologies like MRIs, laser scalpels and even some cancer drugs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In defense applications, they are used in satellite communications, guidance systems and aircraft structures.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are critical in a number of green technologies, especially those that are going to support net zero carbon emissions goals, like wind turbines and electric vehicles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/why-did-china-block-exports-of-rare-earth-elements\/article69476009.ece#:~:text=outside%20the%20country.-,What%20are%20rare%20earth%20elements%3F,them%20usable%20in%20industrial%20applications.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>RBI Mandates 2.5% Additional Run-off Factor on Digital Deposits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus :GS3\/Economy<\/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>The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has eased the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) norms for banks, reducing the additional run-off factor for digital deposits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is an essential component of the <strong>Basel III reforms,<\/strong> which are global regulatory standards on bank capital adequacy and liquidity endorsed by the G20 Leaders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It ensures that <strong>banks maintain enough easily sellable assets to cover 30 days of withdrawals and obligations.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It acts as a financial safety net, protecting depositors by enabling banks to manage sudden market disruptions or customer panic without freezing up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The changes aim to improve banks&#8217; liquidity resilience, align India\u2019s regulations with global standards, and provide a non-disruptive enhancement to the system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Do you know?<\/strong><br>&#8211; The <strong>run-off factor<\/strong> represents the percentage of deposits that could be withdrawn by depositors during a stress scenario.\u00a0<br>&#8211; <strong>Internet and Mobile Banking (IMB) <\/strong>refers to services like internet banking, mobile banking, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which allow customers to transfer funds digitally from their accounts.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Source :IE<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>SPADEX Mission: Demonstration of Second Docking\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Space<\/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>The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the second docking of two satellites,<strong> SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), as part of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Do you know?<\/strong><br>&#8211; Docking is the process of bringing two fast-moving spacecraft into the same orbit, then manually or autonomously bringing them together to join.\u00a0<br>&#8211; This capability is essential for missions requiring large spacecraft that a single launch vehicle cannot carry.\u00a0<br>&#8211; It is crucial for space station construction and for transporting crew and supplies to the station.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SPADEX Mission<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The PSLV-C60 \/ SpaDeX mission was launched on 30 December 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a cost-effective technology demonstrator by ISRO, showcasing in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The first docking occurred on 16 January 2025, and the first undocking was on 13 March 2025.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India becomes the fourth country, after the U.S., Russia, and China, to successfully conduct a spacecraft docking experiment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Objectives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It aims to develop and demonstrate technology for spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It aims to support future space missions, such as sending an Indian astronaut to the moon, returning moon samples, and building an Indian space station.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It will also demonstrate the transfer of electric power between docked spacecraft, crucial for future applications like in-space robotics, spacecraft control, and payload operations.<\/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>Bullseye Galaxy: Galaxy with Nine Rings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus :GS3\/Space<\/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>A team of researchers recently discovered the <strong>Bullseye Galaxy (LEDA 1313424<\/strong>) using the Hubble Space Telescope.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Bullseye Galaxy\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is nearly 2.5 times the size of the <strong>Milky Way <\/strong>and may evolve into a <strong>Giant Low Surface Brightness (GLSB) galaxy<\/strong> in the future.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has nine rings, a rare feature for galaxies and the unique structure is believed to have formed after a blue dwarf galaxy passed through it <strong>50 million years ago, <\/strong>creating gas ripples that led to the formation of rings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Bullseye Galaxy&#8217;s current ring structure may be a transitional phase, and over billions of years, these rings may fade, leaving behind a GLSB galaxy.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Do you know ?<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Giant low surface-brightness (GLSB) galaxies<\/strong>, such as <strong>Malin 1<\/strong>, are massive spiral galaxies with diffuse stellar disks and large hydrogen gas disks.\u00a0<br>&#8211; They also have lower-than-usual black hole masses at their centers.<br>&#8211; They have unusual characteristics, such as rapid dark matter halo rotation, which may explain their expansive, low-density disks.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source :TH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Pope Francis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: Personalities in News<\/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>Pope Francis,<\/strong> leader of the Roman Catholic Church has passed away and India has announced a three-day state mourning, as a mark of respect.<\/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>Pope Francis was the <strong>266th pope, <\/strong>in a lineage dating back to<strong> Saint Peter in 30 CE.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He assumed the papacy in <strong>2013<\/strong>, taking over from <strong>Pope Benedict XVI.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pope Francis was the<strong> first non-European pope <\/strong>in more than a millennium and the <strong>first Latin American pope.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Office of Pope<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In Christianity, there are<strong> three major branches<\/strong> \u2014 Catholic, Protestant, and (Eastern) Orthodox.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And among them, the <strong>Pope is the supreme spiritual leader of Roman Catholics.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The papacy oversees the <strong>Holy See<\/strong>, the central governing body of the Church and Vatican City.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Ring of the Fisherman, <\/strong>the Pope\u2019s signet ring bearing the seal of his papacy, is broken off to symbolise the end of his rule.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Election of Pope<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The College of Cardinals,<\/strong> the Church&#8217;s most senior officials worldwide, chooses the pope.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Within 15-20 days<\/strong>, cardinals under age 80 arrive from all over the world to participate in the papal conclave, the <strong>secret election process<\/strong> to determine a successor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A candidate must receive a<strong> two-thirds majority of votes<\/strong> to be elected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In India, four cardinals <\/strong>are eligible to vote in a papal conclave.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-global\/pope-francis-dies-next-steps-explained-9956542\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added 16 new sites across 11 countries to its Global Geoparks Network.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The newly featured geoparks are located in China, North Korea, Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Norway, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the UK, and Vietnam.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">With the new entries, the Network now comprises 229 sites across 50 countries, collectively spanning nearly 855,000 km\u00b2.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-04-2025\/news-in-short-22-04-2025\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41776","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\/41776","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\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41776"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41789,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41776\/revisions\/41789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}