500 Most Probable Topics- List 2

1.  Stratospheric Aerosol Intervention (SAI):

• Geoengineering method that involves injecting reflective aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight and cool the Earth, aiming to counteract global warming.
• Modeled after the natural cooling effect of volcanic eruptions, like the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption, which lowered global temperatures by approx. 0.5°C (0.9°F).
• Introduces Sulphur dioxide (SO2) into the stratosphere, forming sunlight-reflecting sulphate aerosols to reduce solar radiation absorption by the troposphere.
• Potential deployment via cannons, balloons, or aircraft to create an artificial aerosol layer in the stratosphere.

2. Large Language Models (LLMs) Summary:

• AI programs capable of understanding and generating human language, relying on vast data sets for training.
• Built on transformer models, a type of neural network within machine learning, emphasizing the significance of deep learning for pattern recognition in text.
• Utilizes extensive Internet-sourced data, with an emphasis on data quality for effective natural language learning. Further refined through task-specific tuning methods like fine-tuning or prompt-tuning.
• Employs deep learning for probabilistic analysis of text, enabling nuanced understanding and generation of language without explicit programming for each task.
• Versatile in tasks, notably in generative AI for creating coherent and contextually relevant text responses, such as essays or poems, based on user prompts.

3. Loss and Damage Fund:

The establishment of a Loss and Damage Fund was, for many, the highlight of the United Nations Climate Conference (COP 27).

• Purpose: A financial initiative aimed at aiding countries severely impacted by climate change effects through rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
• Principle: Based on the concept that industrialized nations, responsible for significant emissions contributing to global warming, should compensate less developed countries facing severe climate adversities like sea level rise, extreme weather events, etc.
• Categories:
  • Economic Loss: Tangible, monetary-valued impacts like infrastructure repair costs or lost agricultural revenue due to natural disasters.
  • Non-economic Loss: Intangible impacts hard to quantify monetarily, such as psychological trauma, community displacement, or biodiversity loss.

4. G-33

• Formation: Established before the 2003 Cancun WTO conference, focusing on agricultural issues.
• Membership: Comprises 47 developing and least-developed countries, including India, China, and Indonesia.
• Purpose: Aims to address developing nations’ concerns in WTO agricultural negotiations.
• Key Advocacies: Proposes “special products” exemption and “special safeguard mechanism” for protecting local agriculture from import surges and market liberalization pressures.

5. Household Consumption Expenditure Survey Summary:

For the first time in about 11 years, the government released the broad findings of the All India Household Consumption Expenditure Survey carried out between August 2022 and July 2023.

• Frequency and Purpose: Conducted every five years by the NSO to estimate household Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) across various demographics and regions.
• Recent Findings: Urban household MPCE rose by 33.5% to ₹3,510, and rural MPCE by 40.42% to ₹2,008 since 2011-12.
• Spending Patterns: Decline in the proportion of spending on food—46.4% in rural areas (from 52.9%) and 39.2% in urban areas (from 42.6%), indicating potential implications for retail inflation calculations.
• Regional Variations: Highest MPCE in Sikkim (₹7,731 rural, ₹12,105 urban) and lowest in Chhattisgarh (₹2,466 rural, ₹4,483 urban).
• Economic Impact: Data critical for evaluating GDP, poverty levels, and Consumer Price Inflation (CPI).

6. Nordic-Baltic cooperation:

• It is a regional cooperation format that brings together five Nordic countries and three Baltic countries in order to discuss important regional and international issues in an informal atmosphere.
• In 2000, it was decided that the Nordic-Baltic cooperation format would be called the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8).
• Member countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
• Nordic countries are members of the European Union (except Iceland and Norway which are members of EFTA).

7. Sammakka Sarakka Jatra

10. Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle

Recently, conservationists from the University of Portsmouth uncovered the nesting site of the “secretive” Cantor’s giant softshell turtle on the banks of the Chandragiri River in Kerala.

• Aliases: Asian giant softshell turtle, frog-faced softshell turtle.
• Behavior: Rare, secretive, mostly buried with only eyes and mouth visible; breathes twice a day and ambushes prey.
• Diet: Carnivorous, feeding on fish, crustaceans, molluscs.
• Habitat: Prefers freshwater environments like rivers, lakes, streams, estuaries across Asia including India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asian countries.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered.
  • CITES: Listed in Appendix II.
  • Indian Law: Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Threats: Habitat destruction and poaching for meat.

11. NaViGate Bharat Portal:

• The New Media Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting developed the ‘National Video Gateway of Bharat (NaViGate Bharat).
• It is a unified bilingual platform that hosts videos on the entire gamut of Government’s development-related and citizen welfare-oriented measures.
• It empowers citizens by providing a single platform with an interactive user interface to search, stream, share, and download videos related to various Government schemes, initiatives, and campaigns, with a filter-based advanced search option.

12. ADITI Scheme

• Union Minister of Defence launched the ADITI scheme at DefConnect 2024 in New Delhi.
• ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX) aims to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies.
• Targets to develop 30 deep-tech technologies within a set timeframe.
• Eligibility: Start-ups can receive up to Rs 25 crore for R&D in defence technology.
• Scheme budget: Rs 750 crore from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
• Part of the iDEX framework under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.
• Introduces a ‘Technology Watch Tool’ to align defence innovation with Armed Forces’ needs.
• First edition features 17 challenges from Indian Army (3), Indian Navy (5), Indian Air Force (5), and Defence Space Agency (4).
• Expansion to iDEX Prime increases funding assistance from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 10 crore.
• Aims to transform India into a knowledge society and advance youth innovation in technology.

13. Mission On Advanced And HighImpact Research (MAHIR)

• Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy launched National Mission MAHIR.
• Mission duration: Five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28, using a technology lifecycle approach from idea to product.

Objectives:

• Identify and develop emerging technologies for the global power sector.
• Provide a platform for brainstorming and technology development among stakeholders.
• Support and commercialize pilot projects of indigenous technologies from Indian start-ups.
• Leverage international alliances for R&D and technology transfer in advanced technologies.
• Promote R&D in the power sector to create an innovative ecosystem and position India as a leader in power system technologies.

Funding:

• Resources pooled from Ministry of Power, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, and related Central Public Sector Enterprises.
• Additional funds may be sourced from the Government of India’s budgetary resources.

Research Areas:

1. Alternatives to Lithium-Ion storage batteries.
2. Modification of electric cookers/pans for Indian cooking.
3. Green hydrogen for mobility and high-efficiency fuel cells.
4. Carbon capture technologies.
5. Geo-thermal energy exploration.
6. Solid state refrigeration methods.
7. Nanotechnology enhancements for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
8. Development of indigenous CRGO technology.

14. Collective Security Treaty Organisation- CSTO

• Armenia has withdrawn from the CSTO, a Russia-led security bloc.
• CSTO  (HQ: Moscow):
  • Established from a treaty signed in 1992 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
  • Initially included Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Belarus; effective from 1994.
  • Current members: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Belarus.
  • Belarus held the presidency in 2023.
  • Functions as an intergovernmental military alliance among former Soviet republics.
  • Objectives include national and collective security, politico-military cooperation, coordination of foreign policies on security issues, and establishing multilateral cooperation mechanisms.

15. Singhbhum Craton:

• It is a vast swathe of rocky land that stretches mainly across parts of Jharkhand and Odisha, between the Chhota Nagpur plateau and the Eastern Ghats.
• This ancient part of the Earth’s crust has been found in previous research to date back to 3.5 billion years ago.
• The craton’s oldest rock assemblages are largely volcanic and sedimentary rocks also known as greenstone successions

16. Pigeon Pea (Arhar/Tur):

• A protein-rich legume, primarily consumed as dal in India, suitable for tropical, semi-arid regions.
• Climatic Requirements:
  • Rainfall: Needs 600-650 mm annually; moist early growth stage followed by dry conditions for flowering and pod development.
  • Temperature: Grows best between 26°C-30°C during rainy season and 17°C-22°C post-rainy season.
  • Soil: Adapts to various soils, with sandy loam or loam being ideal.
• Cultivation: Sensitive to low radiation during pod development; often intercropped, with significant challenges in breeding due to its long growth cycle and photoperiod sensitivity.
• Diseases: Vulnerable to Wilt, Sterility mosaic disease, Phytophthora blight, Alternaria blight, and Powdery mildew.
• Nutritional Value: Low glycaemic index, rich in B vitamins, vitamin A, and minerals like calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.
• Major Producers: Predominantly cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand in India.

17. Rashtriya Udyamita Vikas Pariyojana:

• Target Audience: Beneficiaries of the PM SVANidhi scheme, aimed at fostering job creators nationwide.
• Objective: To provide holistic entrepreneurship training to transform individuals into job providers, focusing on reskilling and upskilling to navigate technological advancements.
• Training Program: 22-week comprehensive course offering a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical, experiential learning in offline, online, and hybrid formats.
• Certification: Participants to receive certificates post-training, adding value and recognition to their entrepreneurial skills.
• Government partnership with Flipkart to skill street vendors and small shopkeepers, including a stipend and training for vendors in 10 major cities to grow their businesses.

18. Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP):

• Government-mandated price that sugar mills must pay to farmers for sugarcane procurement.
• Set by the Union government, particularly the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), based on the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommendations.
• Governed by the Sugarcane Control Order, 1966, with a mandatory 14-day payment window post-delivery.
• Payment Flexibility: Mills can negotiate instalment payments with farmers through agreements.
• Penalties for Delays: Late payments may incur up to 15% annual interest, with the sugar commissioner authorized to enforce revenue recovery actions against defaulting mills.

19. Model Code of Conduct (MCC):

• Purpose: Guidelines to regulate political behavior during elections, ensuring free and fair conduct as overseen by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Voluntary Compliance: Agreed upon by political parties and candidates, detailing election conduct, meetings, advertisements, and poll day activities.
• Enforcement: Monitored by ECI under Article 324 of the Constitution for adherence by parties in power and candidates.
• Prevention: Aims to avoid misuse of official machinery and electoral malpractices; violations addressed through appropriate measures.
• Duration and Applicability: Effective from election announcement to result declaration, applicable nationwide during Lok Sabha elections, state-wide during Assembly elections, and in specific constituencies during by-elections.
• Legal Status: Not enforceable by itself but certain aspects can be upheld through existing laws like the Representation of the People Act, IPC, and CrPC.

20. Shompen Tribe:

• Location: Resides in the dense tropical rainforests of Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Isolation: Among the world’s most isolated tribes, largely uncontacted and avoiding external interactions.
• Population: Census 2011 estimated 229, but the exact number remains uncertain.
• Status: Classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in India, with minimal studies conducted on them.
• Lifestyle: Semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, relying on hunting, gathering, fishing, and basic horticulture for sustenance, with pandanus fruit as a staple food.

21. Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH):

• It is a WHO-managed network aiming to amplify and align resources toward country-led digital health transformation through strengthened collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• It is a platform for sharing knowledge and digital products among countries.
• The initiative aims to achieve the following objectives through collaborative efforts:
  • Assess and prioritise the country’s needs for sustainable digital health transformation.
  • Increase the alignment of country-level digital health resources and unfunded priorities.
  • Support the accelerated achievement of the strategic objectives of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025.
  • Build capacity and converge efforts to encourage local development, maintenance, and adaptation of digital health technologies to continuously changing needs.

22. Bull Shark:

Recently, the bull shark attacked a fisherman in Vaitarna river at Dongripada in Maharashtra’s Palghar district was the first sighting of a bull shark 40 km upstream in the river.

• Behavior: Known for aggression towards humans, considered one of the most dangerous shark species.
• Habitat: Common in tropical coastal waters worldwide, capable of venturing into freshwater rivers.
• Reproduction: Uses viviparity, where embryos develop inside the mother, resulting in live births.
• Conservation Status: Classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

23. U.S.-India Defense Accelerator Ecosystem (INDUS-X):

• Launch: Inaugurated in June 2023 during the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to the US.
• Purpose: To enhance strategic tech partnerships and defense industry cooperation between India and the US through government, business, and academic collaborations.
• Encompasses Joint Challenges, Innovation Fund, academia engagement, industry-startup connections, private investment in defense, expert mentoring, and specialized technology projects.
• Promotes high-tech cooperation, joint R&D, and production in defense, exploring co-production of jet engines, artillery, and infantry vehicles.
• Spearheaded by India’s Innovations for Defense Excellence (iDEX) and the US Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).

Innovations for Defense Excellence (iDEX)

• It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Defence, Govt of India, launched in 2018.
• The objective of the scheme is to cultivate an innovation ecosystem in the Defence and Aerospace sector by collaborating with startups, innovators, MSMEs, incubators, and academia.

24. Anoxic Marine Basins

According to scientists, anoxic marine basins may be among the most viable places to conduct large-scale carbon sequestration in the deep ocean.

• Definition: Water bodies devoid of oxygen, typically found in oceanic depressions.
• Formation: Result from strong water column stratification due to variations in salt concentration or temperature, limiting circulation with oxygenated water.
• Consequence: Oxygen is depleted as microorganisms consume it, maintaining the anoxic condition.

25. Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR):

• It is located in the Amaravati district of Maharashtra.
• It is located on the southern offshoot of the Satpura Hill Range in Central India, called Gawilgarh Hill.
• Kula Mama Volleyball Tournament-2024 in Melghat Tiger Reserve’s (MTR) Semadoh sends a strong message to save tigers and the pristine forest with the involvement of local youths.
• The Korkus are the largest tribal community in Melghat. Other communities include the Gawli community, the Gond tribe, and several other smaller tribal communities.

26. Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA):

• It is the regulatory body in the field of civil aviation primarily dealing with safety issues.
• It is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• It is responsible for the regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for the enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards.
• It also coordinates all regulatory functions with the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
• Headquarters: New Delhi 

27. Central Asian Flyway (CAF) :

• Encompasses Eurasia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans, including island chains, covering 30 countries across North, Central, South Asia, and the Trans-Caucasus.
• A flyway is a migratory route used by bird species for their annual life cycle activities such as breeding and non-breeding.
• One of nine global flyways, with some overlap with the AEWA Agreement Area, involving 16 out of the 30 CAF countries.
• Features distinctive migrations, like the high-altitude journey of the Bar-headed Goose across Central Eurasia and the Himalayas.
• India’s Role: Initiatives include listing 14 species in CMS appendices and establishing a coordinating unit with financial backing from the Indian Government.

28. International Single Species Action Plan

Recently, the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) adopted the Single Species Action Plan for the conservation of the Hawksbill Turtle.

International Single Species Action Plan:

• It is the key instrument developed under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
• Purpose: It is for the purpose of implementing coordinated measures to restore migratory waterbird species to a favourable conservation status.

29. Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)

• It is an intergovernmental treaty dedicated to the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago.
• It is developed under the framework of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

30. Magnetoelectric multiferroics:

• These are a special class of materials popular among the research fraternity for their rarity and unique properties.
• These materials can exhibit both magnetism and ferroelectricity simultaneously. 
• Application: For advanced technology applications like spintronics, electronic memory devices, and other electronic components like actuators and switches.

31. MnBi2S4

• It is also known as mineral graţianite and belongs to the ternary manganese chalcogenide family.
• It has distinct magnetic structures in the material, including a spin density wave, as well as cycloidal and helical spin structures.
• News- Researchers have identified a unique mechanism of electric polarisation via magnetic ordering in a novel mineral named “MnBi2S4”, which can be useful for energy-efficient data storage.

32. Anti-Dumping Duty and Countervailing Duty

India has initiated an anti-dumping probe into imports of certain solar glass from China and Vietnam, following a complaint by domestic players.

Anti-Dumping Duty:

• Purpose: Protects domestic industries from imports sold below fair market value, aiming to prevent unfair competition.
• WTO Compliance: Permitted under WTO rules, provided there’s evidence of material injury to the domestic market.
• Impact: Helps local businesses but may increase prices for consumers.

Countervailing Duty (CVD):

• Objective: Counters the negative effects of subsidies on imported goods, safeguarding domestic producers.
• Rationale: Imposed to eliminate the price advantage of subsidized foreign imports, ensuring fair competition.
• WTO Stance: Its imposition is sanctioned by the WTO to maintain balanced trade.

33. New crustacean Species

Researchers at Odisha’s Berhampur University recently found a new crustacean in Odisha’s Chilika lagoon.

• It is a new species of marine amphipod-a shrimp-like crustacea of genus Parhyale.

Amphipods:

• Invertebrates within the order Amphipoda, part of the class Crustacea.
• Habitats: Ubiquitous across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments, including extreme locations like deep-sea trenches.
• Crucial components of the marine food chain, serving as prey for various animals including fish, birds, and marine mammals.
• Diversity: Greater species variety in colder waters compared to warmer ones.
• Environmental Indicators: Useful in assessing the effects of climate change and the condition of coastal ecosystems.

34. Coal Gasification:

• Process: Converts coal into syngas (mixture of CO, H2, CO2, CH4, H2O) using water, air, and/or oxygen in a high-temperature/pressure gasifier.
• Applications: Syngas can be used for electricity, fuel cells, and as industrial chemical feedstock. Hydrogen extracted for hydrogen economy.
• Benefits:
  • Reduces local pollution and is cleaner than direct coal combustion.
  • Decreases dependence on imported natural gas and other chemicals.
  • Aids in lowering carbon emissions, aligning with global environmental commitments.

35. PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana:

• Objective: Provide 300 units of free electricity/month to beneficiaries, with a ₹75,000 crore investment by the central government.
• Target: Illuminate 1 crore households, promoting rooftop solar systems via Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats.
• Financial Strategy: Substantial subsidies deposited directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts and accessible concessional bank loans to ensure no financial burden on citizens.
• Expected Benefits:
  • Annual savings of ₹15,000-₹18,000 for households through free solar electricity and surplus sales to distributors.
  • Facilitates electric vehicle charging.
  • Opens entrepreneurship opportunities in supply and installation sectors.
  • Generates employment for technically skilled youth in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance fields.

36. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) Summary:

• Nature: A UN environmental treaty focused on the conservation and sustainable use of migratory species and their habitats.
• Inception: Signed in Bonn, Germany, on 23 June 1979.
• Scope: The only global UN-based organization dedicated to the conservation of terrestrial, aquatic, and avian migratory species across their ranges.
• Commitment: Parties recognize the need to conserve migratory species, especially those in unfavorable conservation states.
• Mechanisms: Includes legally binding agreements and informal instruments like Memoranda of Understanding for species conservation.
• Governance: Governed by the Conference of Parties (COP), the decision-making body.
• Appendices:
  • Appendix I: Lists endangered migratory species with take prohibitions.
  • Appendix II: Encourages agreements for species with ‘unfavourable conservation status’.

37. Cuscuta Dodder:

• Origin: Native to North America.
• Nature: A rootless parasitic vine, holoparasitic, forming dense canopies over host plants.
• Impact: Threatens local vegetation and ecology, including habitats in Chengalpet forests and Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, by strangling host plants.

38. Golden-backed Frog

Scientists made a surprising discovery in the foothills of the Western Ghats in India — a Bonnet mushroom growing out of the side of the Golden-backed Frog.

Golden-backed Frog:

• Habitat: Endemic to the Western Ghats in Karnataka and Kerala, prefers water bodies like streams and ponds.
• Size: Comparable to a human thumb.
• Diet: Insectivorous, feeding on small insects and arthropods.
• Threats: Faces habitat loss, water pollution, and invasive species.

39. Bonnet Mushroom:

• Nature: Saprotrophic, often found on decaying wood.
• Genus: Mycena, known for challenging species identification.
• Edibility: Varies; some species are edible, others toxic.

40. India-EFTA Trade Deal :

• Key Aspect: $100 billion investment commitment over 15 years by EFTA nations (European Free Trade Association) just before Indian election dates announcement.
• Comparison: Less complex, with more complementarities than ongoing negotiations with the UK and the EU.
• Significance: First European deal with such investment commitment, potentially a model for future deals with developed nations seeking market access in India.
• EFTA deal excludes pension and wealth funds from investment commitment, limiting investor confidence.

European Free Trade Association (EFTA):

• Foundation: Established in 1960 by the Stockholm Convention.
• Purpose: Aims to enhance free trade and economic integration among members, both within Europe and globally.
• Members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, known for their open and competitive economies.
• Trade Policy: Advocates for trade liberalization both multilaterally and through free trade agreements.
• Distinction: Unlike the EU, EFTA does not function as a customs union.

41. Data Exclusivity Provisions

India has rejected the demand of the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA) for ‘data exclusivity’ provisions in the free trade agreement that both sides are negotiating.

What is India’s concern?

• Data exclusivity provisions will bar generic drug producers from using data of preclinical tests and clinical trials of former patent holders.
• If generic medicine makers wish to introduce their version of an off-patent drug then they will have to either generate their own clinical data or wait for the exclusivity period to end.

42. Olive Ridley Turtles

The Andhra Pradesh government recently imposed a month-long ban on fishing in the 5-km radius of Hope Island to prevent the death of Olive Ridley turtles off the Kakinada coast.

Olive Ridley Turtles:

• Size: Smallest and most abundant of sea turtles.
• Coloration: Named for the olive-green hue of its shell.
• Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea.
• Nesting: Notable for Arribada, a unique mass nesting phenomenon.
• Habitat: Inhabits warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
• Significant Site: Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Odisha, recognized as the world’s largest sea turtle rookery.

Hope Island:

• Location: Off Kakinada coast, Andhra Pradesh, in the Bay of Bengal.
• Naming: Provides natural protection for sailors, hence “Hope.”
• Formation: Emerged in the late 18th century from Koringa River sediments, a distributary of the Godavari River.

43. Market Capitalisation

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) became the first Indian company to surpass Rs 20 lakh crore in market capitalisation.

• Definition: Represents a company’s total market value, calculated by multiplying current share price by the number of outstanding shares.
• Indicates: Reflects market’s valuation of a company’s worth, size, and financial market significance.
• Categories:
  • Large-Cap: Market-leading, stable companies with market caps over INR 20,000 crore.
  • Mid-Cap: Companies with market caps between INR 5,000 crore and INR 20,000 crore.
  • Small-Cap: Smaller scale companies with market caps below INR 5,000 crore.

Free-float market capitalisation

• But in the free-float market capitalisation, we exclude shares held by private parties like promoters, trusts, or the government. We only consider shares held and traded by the public and multiply them by the share price to arrive at the free-float market capitalisation of a company.

44. GROW Portal:

• Platform: “Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW)-Suitability Mapping” portal hosted on Bhuvan.
• Objective: Supports India’s goal to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and enhance carbon sequestration.
• Leadership: Spearheaded by NITI Aayog, with contributions from various institutions.
• Technology: Utilizes remote sensing and GIS for nationwide agroforestry suitability assessment.
• Outcome: Developed an Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) based on thematic datasets.

45. Biodiversity Heritage Site

Odisha government declared the Gupteswar forest in Koraput district as its fourth Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS).

Biodiversity Heritage Site

• Definition: Unique and ecologically fragile ecosystems with significant biodiversity.
• Characteristics: Notable for species richness, high endemism, presence of rare/endangered species, keystone species, evolutionary significant species, and areas with historical biological importance or cultural/aesthetic values.

Who can declare BHS?

• Underthe Biological Diversity Act, the State Governments are empowered to notify in the official gazette, in consultation with ‘local bodies’, areas of biodiversity importance as Biodiversity Heritage Sites.
• Also, the State Government in consultation with the Central Government may frame rules for the management and conservation of BHS.

46. Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS):

• BAPS is a socio-spiritual Hindu faith with its roots in the Vedas.
• It is based on the Vedic teachings propagated by Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830 CE).
• It was formally established in 1907 CE by Brahmaswarup Shastriji Maharaj. 
• Founded on the pillars of practical spirituality, the BAPS reaches out far and wide to address spiritual, moral and social challengesand issues.
• No Alcohol, No Addictions, No Adultery, No Meat, No Impurity of body and mind are the five-lifetime vows of BAPS followers.

47. Kalasa-Bhanduri Project:

• The project involves the construction of dams and a canal system to divert water from the Mahadayi River, located in Goa, to the Malaprabha River (a tributary of the Krishna River) basin in Karnataka.
• The main goal of the project is to meet the drinking water needs of the districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, and Gadag in Karnataka.

48. Dhokra Shilpkala

Chhattisgarh’s Ocher Studio is helping to preserve India’s 4,000-year-old craft- Dhokra Shilpkala

• Origin: Derived from Dhokra Damar tribes, central to tribal cultures in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha.
• Technique: Notable for the lost wax casting method, contributing to its distinctiveness.
• Artistry: Features rustic charm with motifs inspired by nature, mythology, and daily life, ranging from figurines to functional items.
• Challenges: Faces threats from urbanization and mechanization, endangering traditional craftsmanship.

49. High-Altitude Pseudo Satellite vehicle (HAPS)

National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru completed the first test of a solar-powered high-altitude pseudo satellite vehicle.

• It is a new-age unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can significantly increase India’s surveillance and monitoring capabilities in the border areas.
• It is a still-developing technology, and the successful test flight last week puts India among a very small group of countries currently experimenting with this technology.

50. Earth System Model

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology is developing a first-for-India Earth System Model to improve climate forecasts and predict climate impacts.

• It is open-source software that is designed to integrate the interactions of atmosphere, ocean, land, ice, and biosphere to estimate the state of regional and global climate under a wide variety of conditions.