News in Shorts: 26 February 2025

China’s Zhurong Rover

Context: Data from China’s Zhurong rover, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), reveals buried beach deposits beneath the Martian surface which support the fact that Mars once had a vast ocean.

About Zhurong Rover

• It is China’s first Mars rover, making the country the third to successfully land on Mars.
• It is part of the Tianwen-1 mission, launched by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
• The rover is named after Zhurong, a mythological Chinese god associated with fire and light.
• Mars is called “the Planet of Fire” in China and other East Asian countries.

Zhurong Rover’s Mission

• Zhurong, launched in 2020 by China National Space Administration (CNSA), operated from 2021 to 2022.
• Objective: To study the topography and geology of the Martian surface in the Utopia Planitia region, specifically examining the soil, ice content, minerals, rocks, and atmospheric conditions.
• Key Findings of the Study
  • An illustration released shows a hypothetical image of Mars 3.6 billion years ago.
  • The image suggests that an ocean, named Deuteronilus, may have covered nearly half the planet.
  • The buried structures resemble coastal sediments on Earth, suggesting they formed along an ancient Martian shoreline.
  • Scientists ruled out volcanic activity, sand dunes, or river deposits as possible causes.
  • The patterns indicate the presence of tidal and wave processes, proving that Mars once had a stable water body.

‘Gold Card’ Route to US Citizenship

Context: Recently, President Donald Trump announced a new immigration initiative aimed at wealthy foreign investors: a “gold card”

About Gold card

• Gold Card will offer green card privileges and allow wealthy individuals to purchase a path to US citizenship.
• Objective: The Gold Card initiative aims to replace the EB-5 program with a higher-priced, streamlined option for foreign investors.
• Investors can obtain a US green card and a pathway to citizenship by paying a fee of $5 million.
  • It will allow them to become permanent US residents through financial investment.
  • This change will reduce fraud and bring in wealthier individuals to invest in the US.
  • $800,000 for Targeted Employment Areas (TEAs) (economically distressed zones)

Indian Coast Guard

Context: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) apprehended 115 pirates over the past year and confiscated an illegal drug consignment valued at ₹837,000 crore.

About Indian Coast Guard

• History: The Indian Coast Guard was officially established in 1978 through the enactment of the Coast Guard Act, 1978.
• It functions as an independent Armed Force of India, dedicated to maritime security.
• Objective: The primary objective of the Indian Coast Guard is to safeguard India’s coastline and ensure the security of vital maritime trade routes.
• Ministry: The Indian Coast Guard operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Headed by: Director General Indian Coast Guard (DGICG).
• Functions
• • The Indian Coast Guard is responsible for protecting offshore installations and ensuring maritime security.
  • It provides assistance to fishermen in distress and undertakes maritime search and rescue operations.
  • The Indian Coast Guard enforces maritime laws and ensures compliance with national and international regulations.
• Emerging area of threats: Indian Coast guard need to be  alert about emerging threats like cyber attacks, data breaches, signal jamming, radar disruption, and GPS spoofing, in addition to conventional threats.

Battle of Karnal

Context: The Battle of Karnal marked a turning point in Indian history leading to the decline of the Mughal empire. 

About the Battle of Karnal

• The Battle of Karnal was fought on 24 February 1739 between the Mughal Empire, led by Emperor Muhammad Shah, and the Persian Empire, led by Nader Shah.
• The battle took place near Karnal in present-day Haryana.
• It was a decisive victory for Nader Shah and marked a turning point in Indian history.

Consequences of the Battle of Karnal

• Massacre of Delhi: Nader Shah entered Delhi unopposed and ordered the infamous massacre of Delhi, killing thousands.
• Looting of the wealth: He looted enormous wealth, including the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
• Weakening of the Mughal Empire: The Mughal Empire was left humiliated and severely weakened, accelerating its decline.
  • The Mughals lost financial and military strength, making them dependent on regional powers.
• Exposure of Mughal Military Inefficiency: The battle demonstrated the Mughal military’s inefficiency against a modern, well-organized force.
• Decline of Mughal Empire: Over the next century, the empire continued to weaken until the British formally ended Mughal rule in 1857.

Time Use Survey (TUS)

Context: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has recently released the 2nd all India Time Use Survey (TUS) 2024.

• Time use information was collected for persons aged 6 years and above with a reference period of 24 hours.
• The first country-wide Time Use Survey (TUS) was conducted during January-December, 2019. 
• Objective: The primary objective of the survey is to measure the participation of men and women in paid and unpaid activities.

Key Highlights of the Survey

• Share of the Population (15-59 years):
  • Employment and Related Activities: 75% of the men and 25% of the women participated in 2024, as compared to 70.9 per cent for males and 21.8 per cent for females during 2019.
  • Unpaid Domestic Services: Both men and women spent more time in a day on “unpaid caregiving activities for household members” in 2024. 
    • Women spent 27 per cent more time compared to 2019 while men spent 18% more during the same time period
  • Socializing and Communication, Community Participation and Religious Practice: Both men (124 minutes as compared to 134 minutes) and women (126 minutes as compared to 127 minutes) spent less time in 2024 than in 2019
• Women: 
  • Employment Related Activities: Women spent a total of 71 minutes in 2024 in “employment-related activities”.
    • Women Spent 10 minutes more in 2024 than 2019 in employment related activities
  • Unpaid Domestic Services: Women spent a total of 236 minutes in 2024 on “unpaid domestic services for household members” in a day.
    • The amount of time spent by women declined by 7 minutes in 2024. 
  • Culture, Leisure, Mass-Media and Sports: Women spent 148 minutes in 2024 as compared to 141 minutes in 2019.
• Men:
  • Employment Related Activities: Men spent 287 minutes in total in 2024 for employment-related activities
    • It rose from 263 minutes in 2019
  • Unpaid Domestic Services: Men spent a total of 25 minutes on unpaid domestic services for household members in 2024.
    • They spent one minute less (24 minutes) compared to 2019.
  • Culture, Leisure, Mass-Media and Sports: They spent 169 minutes as compared to 146 minutes in 2019