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A new kangaroo lizard species has been discovered from Western Ghat.

• This is the second species of Agasthyagama genus. The early species was Beddomii which was reported from Sivagiri hills in Tamil Nadu.

About Kangaroo Lizard Species

• Size: The tiny lizard is known to have a maximum snout-vent length of 4.3cm.
• Belongs to: Agasthayagama edge or the Northern Kangaroo lizard belongs to Agamidae family
• Feeding Habit: Feed on small insects, run fast and hide within dry leaves to evade predators.
• Climbing: It’s a poor climber since it has a reduced fifth toe and hence does not climb trees like other lizards.
• Endemic to: Western Ghat.
• Distinctive Features of Kangaroo Lizard: 
  • It has a slightly dark head and uniform dull olive brown body.
  • Broad dark brown strip is found on its dewlap. Also it contains a white throat.
  • Its appearance is further distinguished with brick yellow scales found on its body.

Also Read: 

• New Silverline Butterfly Species Discovered In Western Ghats
• New Marine Amphipod Species Found In Chilika Lake

News Source: The Hindu

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An unusual object is found to be falling in the Black Hole Mass Gap by astronomers.

What is a Black Hole?

• High Gravity: A black hole is a cosmic object with strong gravity that nothing can escape from it, not even light. NASA explains the intensity of a black hole as “20 times the sun’s mass could fit easily in a 16 km ball”.
• Invisible to Eyes: Since no light can escape, none can bounce back. This makes the black hole invisible to our eyes and telescopes that we rely on.
• Mass: The mass of small black holes is around 5 to 20 times the mass of the sun (solar mass); for supermassive black holes, it is millions to billions times the solar mass.

What Are Neutron Stars?

• Origin: Neutron stars are created after a star dies violently after a supernova explosion.
• Density: They are extremely dense celestial bodies with twice the solar mass contained in a diameter of 20 km.
• Magnetic fields: They have huge magnetic fields around 1012 gauss (Earth’s magnetic field is 0.5 gauss.

• Comparison to Black Hole: 

  • Blackholes are much larger in mass than the neutron stars.
  • Both Black hole and Neutron stars are created after a star dies violently after a supernova explosion.
  • Neutron stars are significantly brighter than black holes.
  • Black holes are not solid objects whereas Neutron stars are the densest solid matter in space.
  • Black holes trap all the surrounding light that crosses its vicinity whilst Neutron stars do not.

News Source: The Hindu

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The government has extended the ban on a group called ‘Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)’ for five more years under a law called the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. 

• SIMI was banned in 2001 initially, Since then, the outlawing of SIMI has been consistently renewed at regular intervals.

About SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India)

• It’s a group with Islamic fundamentalist beliefs.
• The SIMI group was established in 1977, in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh
• It was initially started as the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH).

Reasons for Declaring SIMI As An ‘Unlawful Association’

• SIMI has been involved in activities that promote terrorism, disrupt peace, and threaten the sovereignty, security, and integrity of the country.

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967

• The UAPA is an anti-terrorism law first passed in 1967, aimed at protecting the sovereignty and integrity of a nation by preventing activities that threaten it. 
• Objective: It provides more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations and dealing with terrorist activities and other connected matters.
• Designation as a  terrorist organisation: 
  • Commits or participates in acts of terrorism,
  • Promotes terrorism
  • Prepares for terrorism
  • Is otherwise involved in terrorism.
  • The Bill also empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists on the same grounds. 
• Punishments: The highest punishment is the death penalty and life imprisonment.
• Coverage: Offense and offender can be both Indian and foreign nationals. The offence committed on foreign land can also attract UAPA provisions.
• Investigation: To be conducted by officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police or above. NIA officers of the rank of Inspector or above are empowered to investigate cases under UAPA (National Investigation Agency functions as the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency in India).
• Seizure of property: Prior approval of the Director General of Police/NIA needs to be taken by the investigating officer to seize properties connected with terrorism.

News Source: News on Air

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Recently, some startups have been exploring the potential of E Ink display technology in smartphones.

About E Ink Display

• E Ink Display is a specific type of E-paper screen technology often used in e-readers like the Amazon Kindle,  Kobo eReader, and Sony Reader.
• Development: The E Ink display technology was originally developed in the 1990s at MIT and is now owned by E Ink Corporation.

• How Does E Ink Display Work? 

• • The screens use tiny microcapsules filled with positively charged white particles and negatively charged black ones suspended in the fluid inside the display.
  • The white or black particles can rise to the surface by applying positive or negative electrical charges to different screen areas, creating the text and images on the display.

• Characteristics of E Ink Display

• • Enhance User Experience: The lack of a backlight and the paper-like visual experience, the matte surface and high contrast make them easily readable without causing strain on the eyes.
  • Readable: They reflect light, just like paper and makes them readable at angles and under different lightingL
  • Longer Battery Life: They require very little power since they don’t need a backlight and only use energy when the image changes, meaning they can display a static image for weeks or months without needing a charge.
  • Better Outdoor visibility: No backlight makes them easier to read under bright light conditions, unlike where legibility takes a hit under bright sunlight.
• Application: Apart from its use in Kindle devices for reading purposes, they are also being used as,
  • Mobile devices like smartphones eg. BlackBerry – Minimal Phone
  • Bus stop displays and walking direction signs.
  • Restaurants are using E-Ink menu boards.

How is E Ink Different from E-Paper?

• E Ink and E-Paper may sound similar but refer to different display technologies. 
• E-paper is a broad term for any display designed to mimic the appearance of real paper.
• Meanwhile, E Ink is a specific type of E-Paper display that uses millions of tiny microcapsules filled with positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid.
• An example of a device with an E-Paper display but not an E-Ink display is the Pebble smartwatch.
  • This cool gadget uses a low-power LCD with a reflective layer to look like paper, which is a very different implementation from E Ink.

News Source: The Indian Express

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Nearly 400 Ethiopians in the Tigray Region have died of starvation recently.

Dual Crisis in Ethiopia: Drought and Conflict

• Millions of people in Ethiopia’s Tigray and Amhara regions are gripped by drought. 
• They need humanitarian food aid due to drought, conflict and a tanking economy. 
• They are still reeling from a devastating civil war that officially ended 14 months ago.

About Tigray Region 

• Tigray, Renowned for its mountainous landscapes, is in northern Ethiopia.
• It has historically used its terrain to defend against invaders, including the Greeks, Turks, and Italians. 
• Ethnicity: Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama peoples.
• Mekelle serves as both the capital and the largest city of Tigray. 
• Bordering Area: Tigray shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, the Amhara Region to the south, and the Afar Region to the east and southeast.

Tigray Conflict

• Tigray, home to 5.5 million people, was the centre of a devastating two-year civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and split into neighbouring regions.
• In November 2022, Ethiopia’s federal government and the rebellious authorities of Tigray agreed to a ceasefire.

Prelims Facts

• Horn of Africa: SEED ( Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti) countries.
  • Bounded by the Red Sea & Gulf of Aden.
• The largest lake in Ethiopia is Lake Tana, which is the source of the Blue Nile river.
• Tigray and Amhara regions in Ethiopia.
• HQs of the African Union is in Addis Ababa.

News Source: The New Indian Express

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The first scientific survey of the Snow leopard in India shows the country is home to 718 of the elusive cats.

SPAI Report On Snow Leopard in India

• This is the first-ever scientific exercise, which took around 4 years ( 2019 to 2023) to complete.
• Agencies Involved: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) served as the National Coordinator for SPAI.
• Region Covered: snow leopard habitat across the trans-Himalayan region, including Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Estimation Method: The program conducted a two-step framework. 
  • The first step involved evaluating snow leopard spatial distribution, aligning with the MoEFCC’s guidelines in 2019. 
  • The second step estimated snow leopard abundance using camera traps in identified regions. 

Snow Leopard in India: Key Findings Of SPAI

• Estimation of Snow Leopard in India: The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program, reveals a snow leopard population of 718 individuals in India. 
  • The maximum number estimated to be in Ladakh (477), followed by Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu and Kashmir (9).
• The current estimate puts the number of Indian snow leopards from 10-15% of the global population.

SPAI Report Recommendation

• The report suggests establishing a dedicated Snow Leopard Cell at WII under MoEFCC to focus on long-term population monitoring. 
• Regular population estimation every four years is recommended for effective conservation strategies and addressing threats to snow leopards’ long-term survival.

About Snow Leopard

• Geographical Distribution of Snow Leopards:
  • Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
  • Geographical Distribution of Snow Leopard In India: Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh. 
• Threats: Habitat destruction, invasive species, climate change, and pollution, which collectively exert an unprecedented impact on their survival. 
• Protection Status: IUCN status: Vulnerable 
  • Internationally, snow leopards are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), signifying the highest level of protection. 
  • within India, they hold Schedule I status under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
  • Conservation Efforts:Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP):

• • It is an alliance of all snow leopard range countries, non-governmental organisations, multilateral institutions, scientists and local communities, united by one goal: saving the snow leopard and its mountain ecosystems.
• Major Findings of GSLEP
  • It estimated  roughly 4000-6500 Leopard Populations worldwide, majorly in 12 snow leopard-ranging countries around 18 lakh sq km. 
  • The largest share encompasses the Tibetan plateau of China, followed by Mongolia and India.

News Source: The Hindu

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Recently released, Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index positions India at 93 out of 180 countries.

What is Corruption According to Transparency International?

• Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. 
• It erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis.

Key Findings of Corruption Perceptions Index 2023: 

• Global Level

  • The global Average remains stagnant at a mere 43, with most countries showing no improvement or experiencing a decline over the past decade.
  • Furthermore, this year witnessed 23 countries reaching their lowest scores ever recorded.
• Asia Pacific region: The average score is stagnated at 45, New Zealand ranked 3rd with a score of 85, Singapore at 5th & 14th with scores of 83 and 75 respectively.

• India’s Score in Corruption Perceptions Index 2023

• India has tied with Maldives, Kazakhstan &  Lesotho to rank at 93 with a score of 39, only small fluctuations from the previous year’s score of 40.
  • Compared to our neighbouring countries, China scored 42 with a rank of 76 & Pakistan 29 with a rank of 133.

What is the Corruption Perception Index (CPI)?

• Released by:  Transparency International.
• It shows that corruption is thriving across the world. 
• The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories around the globe by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

About Transparency International

• It is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organisation, collaborating with like-minded partners worldwide to end the injustice of corruption.
• It was founded in 1993 based in Berlin, Germany.
• It operates as a global movement in over 100 countries, dedicated to eradicating the injustice of corruption. 
  • It works on issues that have the most significant impact on people’s lives, holding those in power accountable for the greater good. 
  • Through advocacy, campaigns, and research, it strives to uncover the systems and networks that foster corruption, advocating for increased transparency and integrity in all aspects of public life.

News Source: Indian Express

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Scientists in Berlin, Germany announced the first successful embryo transfer in a white rhinoceros through in vitro fertilization (IVF). 

World First IVF Rhino Pregnancy For White Rhinos

• They created a rhino embryo in the lab and successfully transferred it into a surrogate mother, using southern white rhinos, a closely related sub-species.

About White Rhinoceros

• The white rhinoceros includes two distinct subspecies, northern and southern.
• Habitat: Grasslands and Savanna woodlands of Africa 
• Reason for Decline in Population: Northern white rhinos were once found across central Africa, but illegal poaching, fuelled by the demand for rhino horn, wiped out the wild population.

News Source: BBC

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Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Rural 2023 shows the extent of digital literacy in the teenagers of the age group 14-18 years.

Annual Status of Education Report 2023

• The survey was conducted in 28 districts from September to November 2023.
• Purpose:  To provide insights into the digital ability of high school and college students in India.

Key Findings of ASER Report 2023

• Categorization: Students in the 14-18 age group were asked to read a paragraph based on which they were graded.
  • Word level: Those who could read the words but not the sentences.
    • More than 30% managed to find a YouTube video, browse information on the web, and set an alarm on their smartphone
  • Grade 1: Those who could read the paragraph but not a bunch of paragraphs
    • More than 55% could do all the above task
  • Grade 2: Those who could read many paragraphs
• Parameters of digital literacy: These are based on the knowledge of usage and protection aspects of digital use. While more than 90% use social media, only about 50% know how to block someone  profile or make their account private
• Accessing  youtube video: 70% or more teenagers in every district are adept in.
  • Browsing for information on internet
• Setting alarm clock:  The India average is 66.4%
  • Using google maps: The least used feature
  • To block/report a profile: Only 52.3% knew how to block a profile
  • Account privacy: Only 47.8% knew how to make their account private.
• Variations: Inequality and variation can be seen on regional and gender lines, with more males aware of the blocking and reporting features than females.

News Source: The Hindu 

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Chenab River was  successfully diverted to  achieve expedite construction of a dam at Ratle Hydro Electric Project in Kishtwar district J&K.

• The river diversion will enable isolation of the dam area at the river bed for starting the critical activity of excavation and construction of the dam. 

Ratle Hydro Electric Project

• Execution: Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL)
• Situated on: River Chenab 
• Capacity: Installed capacity of  850 MW. 
• Nature:  It is a Run of the  River Scheme located on River Chenab. 
• Dam type: Concrete Gravity
• Components: The Ratle Hydro Electric Project includes a 133 m (436 ft) tall gravity dam and two power stations adjacent to one another.

News Source: PIB

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This article is based on the news “Why Centre plans to replace the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 with a new law” which was published in the Indian Express. The Indian government is proposing to take actions to invalidate the old Indian stamp act and introduce new law for stamp duty. 

What is Stamp Duty?

• It is essentially a government tax, which is levied to register documents, like an agreement or transaction paper between two or more parties, with the registrar.
• The specified amount is usually fixed based on the type of document.
  • Sometimes, it is a percentage of the value mentioned in the agreement.
• Types of Document: Stamp duty can be imposed on various documents like bills of exchange, cheques, promissory notes, bills of lading, letters of credit, insurance policies, share transfers, debentures, proxies, and receipts.
• Legal Validity: Documents with paid stamp duties are considered valid evidence in a court of law.
• Government Authority and Revenue Allocation: 
  • The Central government imposes stamp duties but the money collected goes to the respective states.
  • This is done according to Article 268 of the Constitution, allowing states to appropriate these funds within their territories.

What is the Indian Stamp Act 1899?

The Indian Stamp Act, 1899 (2 of 1899) is a fiscal statute. It makes laws related to  taxation by using stamps on documents that record transactions.

• Definition of Instrument: According to Section 2 of the Act, an instrument includes any document that creates, transfers, limits, extends, extinguishes, or records any right or liability.
• Section 3 of the Indian Stamp Act 1899 specifies that certain instruments or documents must have a stamp duty, as mentioned in Schedule 1 of the Act.
• Examples: Instruments like bills of exchange or promissory notes fall under documents requiring a stamp duty.

Govt Introduces Draft Indian Stamp Bill 2023

• Proposed Repeal of Indian Stamp Act 1899: The Centre has proposed repealing the Indian Stamp Act 1899 and bringing in a new law for the stamp duty regime in the country. 
• Indian Stamp Bill 2023: On January 17, the Ministry of Finance released the draft for public review.

Reasons for Proposing the Indian Stamp Bill 2023

• Outdated Provisions: The Ministry of Finance states that certain parts of the Indian Stamp Act 1899 are no longer useful or effective.
• Digital E-stamping Absent: The existing law doesn’t include rules for digital e-stamping, a missing feature.
• Inconsistent State Laws: There is a problem with the current situation as not all Indian states have the same rules for stamp duties.
• Coverage Discrepancy: While the 1899 Act applied to 30 states and Union Territories, six states had separate stamp acts and rules.

Major Features of Draft Indian Stamp Bill 2023

• The new draft Bill includes rules for digital e-stamping. As per Section 2 (18) of the Bill, the term “Electronic stamp” or “e-stamp” refers to a digitally created mark indicating the payment of stamp duty through electronic methods or other means. The Bill incorporates provisions for digital signatures. 
  • A digital or electronic signature is how a subscriber can verify an electronic record through an electronic process.
  • According to  Section 2 (17) of the Bill, The words “executed” and “execution” in the bill align with “signed”  and “signature”. 
  • As per the IT Act, 2000, it includes electronic records and signatures too. 

• The Draft Bill Suggests Increasing Penalties.
• • The maximum penalty may go up from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000.
  • There is a provision of a Rs 1000 fine for repeated offences. 

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