News in shorts: 16 December 2024

Jupiter’s moon Io’s volcanic secrets

Context: NASA’s Juno mission has resolved a long-standing mystery about Jupiter’s moon Io.

Key finding

• New findings reveal that Io’s volcanoes are fed by individual magma chambers, not a global magma ocean.
• Other moons of Jupiter:  Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. 

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

Insights into Io’s Volcanic Activity

• Io is the most volcanic celestial body in the solar system.
  • Around 400 volcanoes erupt on its surface, ejecting lava and plumes.
• Discovered by:  Galileo Galilei in 1610, its volcanic activity was confirmed in 1979 when Voyager 1 captured volcanic plumes.
• Galileo initially named Jupiter’s moons the Medicean planets, in honor of the powerful Medici family.
• Potential for Life
  • Io is an unlikely candidate for life due to:
    • Constant volcanic activity.
    • High levels of intense radiation.
• Size and Distance
  • Io is slightly larger than Earth’s Moon.
    • It is the third-largest of Jupiter’s moons and the fifth closest to the planet in terms of orbital distance.
• Reasons for  Io’s Volcanic Activity
  • Elliptical Orbit: Io’s orbit around Jupiter is not circular which causes changes in gravitational forces. 
  • Gravitational Heating: Io is pulled by the strong gravitational force of Jupiter and its moons. 
    • Tidal flexing: This pull stretches and bends Io which causes it to heat up inside. 
  • Internal Heating: Radioactive elements inside Io also release heat due to which, melt rocks.  

Significance of the Discovery

• These findings could reshape theories about planetary formation and evolution.
• Insights may also enhance understanding of other moons, such as Enceladus and Europa.

1st India Maritime Heritage Conclave (IMHC 2024)

Context: Recently, The 1st India Maritime Heritage Conclave (IMHC 2024) was organized by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW). 

Key Highlights of India Maritime Heritage Conclave 2024 (IMHC 2024)

• Theme: “Towards Understanding India’s Position in Global Maritime History”.
• Major Themes
• Discussions centered on:
  • Skill development.
  • Youth engagement.
  • Cultural preservation, aligning with India’s broader developmental goals.
• Global Participation
  • Prominent maritime nations like Greece, Italy, and the UK participated, emphasizing India’s global maritime significance.
  • A key highlight was the focus on the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) in Lothal.

National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC)

• Aim: To showcase India’s 4,500-year-old maritime heritage, making it the world’s largest maritime complex.
• Nodal Authority: Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

Golan Heights

Context: Recently,  the Israeli Prime Minister announced a plan to double the population in the Golan Heights.

More on the news

• The government unanimously approved a budget of over 40 million shekels ($11 million) to encourage demographic growth.

Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store

About Golan Heights

• Location: It is located in the southwest corner of Syria, it is a basaltic plateau.
• Capital ; Katzrin 
• Bordering regions
  • Bordered by:
    • South: Yarmouk River
    • West: Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley
    • North: Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon
    • East: Wadi Raqqad
• Strategic importance
  • Location: This plateau is on high elevation which provides a natural vantage point to monitor surrounding regions. 
    • The area is  useful for military and surveillance purposes due to its proximity with Syria, Israel, and Lebanon. 
  • Source of water: The region is a key source of water due to the Jordan river. 
  • Fertile Land: The region’s volcanic soil is very fertile for vineyards, orchards, and other agricultural activities.

Other important information

Historical Context

• Seizure by Israel: Captured from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War.
• Displacement: Most Syrian Arab inhabitants fled during the conflict.
• Annexation by Israel
  • 1981 Annexation: Israel unilaterally annexed the Golan Heights.
  • US Recognition: In 2019, US President Donald Trump recognised Israeli sovereignty over the region.
• Major river: Yarmouk River forms the southern boundary of the Golan Heights. 
• Highest Peak: Mount Hermon, also known as Jabal al-Shaykh.

African Swine Fever outbreak reported in Kottayam district

Context: An outbreak of African Swine Fever, a highly contagious disease affecting pigs, has been reported in Kottayam district, Kerala. 

About African Swine Fever (ASF)

• ASF was earlier endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. 
• It affects only pigs and wild boars but is not transmissible to humans. Thus it is not a zoonotic disease.
• Symptoms in pigs include high fever, loss of appetite, hemorrhages, and high mortality rates.
• Lack of Vaccine: ASF has no available vaccine or treatment, making culling an essential control measure.
• Thus, the virus leads to significant deaths among pigs, creating a critical situation.
• It is listed in the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)’s Terrestrial Animal Health Code.

Impacts of the Outbreak

• Economic Losses
  • Farmers face substantial financial setbacks due to the mandatory culling of infected and at-risk pigs.
• Food Supply Disruption
  • Pork production and distribution are critical in Kerala’s meat consumption patterns.
• Public Health and Livelihood Concerns
  • Spread of misinformation in people

Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store

Ustad Zakir Hussain

Context: Tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away in San Francisco at the age of 73 recently due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

About Zakir Hussain

• Father: He is the son of Ustad Allah Rakha Khan, a well-known Indian tabla player.
• Career: He collaborated with the greatest of India’s iconic performers, including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma.
• Global Collaboration: Hussain made his American debut performing with Ravi Shankar at the Fillmore East in New York City. 
  • Shakti (a musical group) was started in New York by Hussain along with guitarist John McLaughlin and Indian violinist L. Shankar.
  • In 1984 he started his own percussion ensemble, the Zakir Hussain Rhythm Experience.
  • In 1996 he was involved in composing music for the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
  • Others: Planet Drum and Global Drum Project with Mickey Hart; Sangam with Charles Lloyd and Eric Harland; CrossCurrents with Dave Holland and Chris Potter; in trio with Béla Fleck and Edgar Meyer.
• Awards and Recognition:
  • 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024: Zakir became the first musician from India to receive 3 Grammys at one time for Best Global Music Album, Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
    • 1st Grammy: The 1992 album Planet Drum with Mickey Hart earned them a Grammy Award and the Downbeat Critics Poll for best world beat album
  • Nominated for an award at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival for his musical contributions in the film Heat and Dust 
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi: In 1996 he was presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and in 2019, became a Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellow (a rare lifetime distinction)
  • Padma Awards: He received the Padma Shri in 1988, Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.
  • Other: The USA’s National Heritage Fellowship and Officier in France’s Order of Arts and Letters.
• Legacy:  
  • He is the founder and president of Moment Records, an independent record label presenting rare live concert recordings of Indian classical music and world music. 
  • Educator: Zakir has been a resident artist at Princeton University and Stanford University, and, in 2015, was appointed Regents Lecturer at UCBerkeley.

Algorithmic  Trading

Context: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) recently has proposed a framework to allow retail investors to participate in algorithmic trading through stock brokers.

Key Provisions in the Draft Circular

• Approval: Stock Exchanges needs to grant approval for each algo that will be used by retail investors.
• Unique Identification:  All such orders will need to be tagged with a unique identifier for transparency in audit processes.
• Registration: Algos developed by tech-savvy retail investors will need to be registered with exchanges.
• Supervision: Exchanges will be responsible for supervising algorithmic trading for retail investors, including defining the roles and responsibilities of brokers.

About Algorithmic Trading

• Algorithmic trading, also called automated trading or black-box trading, uses a computer program that follows a defined set of instructions (an algorithm) to place a trade based on timing, price, quantity, or any mathematical model. 
  • It combines computer programming and financial markets to execute trades at precise moments.
• Introduction: SEBI introduced algorithmic trading for the first time in 2008 only for institutional investors.
• Scale of Usage: As per SEBI’s study in 2024, algorithmic trading accounted for 97% of foreign investors’ and 96% of proprietary traders’ profits in futures and options.
• Types:
  • Arbitrage: An algorithm that seeks to profit by buying a stock at a lower price on one exchange and selling it at a higher price on another exchange 
  • Mean Reversion: A strategy that assumes an asset’s price will eventually return to its average price over time 
  • Trend Following: The strategy assumes that future asset price returns will follow the same direction as historical returns 
  • Index Fund Rebalancing: A strategy that periodically buys or sells assets to keep an index fund’s composition in line with its benchmark index 
  • Time Weighted Average Price (TWAP): It breaks up a large order and releases dynamically determined smaller chunks of the order to the market using evenly divided time slots between a start and end time

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes

Location Based: Kerch Strait

Context: Recently, two Russian oil tankers have been badly damaged in the Kerch Strait, causing an oil spill.

About Kerch Strait

• Geographical Location
  • Strait in Eastern Europe connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
  • Separates the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea (west) from the Taman Peninsula of Russia’s Krasnodar Krai (east).
  • Also known historically as the Cimmerian Bosporus and Straits of Yenikale (after the Yeni-Kale fortress in Kerch).
• Strategic Importance:
• • Vital for Russian exports of crude oil, grain, and liquefied natural gas.
  • Key geopolitical point due to its proximity to Crimea.
  • Controls access to the Black Sea from the Sea of Azov, making it crucial for maritime military and economic strategy.
• Key Harbor: The Crimean city of Kerch: Lends its name to the strait, known for its historical and economic relevance.