UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 November 2024

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 November 2024 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles

InstaLinks :  Insta Links help you think beyond the  current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.

Table of Contents 

GS Paper 3: (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 November 2024)

1. Black Hole Triple System

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

1. Electronic Voting Machine

2. Hwasong-19

3. Namo Drone Didi

4. Analog Space MissionMilitary Exercises

5. Digital India Common Service Center Project

Mapping:

1. Mount Annapurna

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 November 2024

GS Paper 2:

Black Hole Triple System

Syllabus: Science and Technology

Source:  IE

 Context: For the first time, scientists have discovered a rare “black hole triple” system located around 8,000 light years away in the constellation of Cygnus. This unique configuration comprises a black hole consuming a nearby star, with another distant star orbiting the system.

About Black Hole Triple

• Definition: A “black hole triple” system consists of a black hole with two companion stars. In the discovered system, one star orbits the black hole closely, while the second star is positioned at a far greater distance, orbiting every 70,000 years.
• Discovery:
  • The black hole, named V404 Cygni, was identified by researchers while examining a repository of astronomical observations.
  • Located in the constellation Cygnus, V404 Cygni has a mass approximately nine times that of the Sun.
  • The presence of gravitational interactions among the two stars confirmed the system’s triple configuration.
• Significance:
  • Challenges traditional theories: The discovery questions the conventional understanding of black hole formation, which typically involves a supernova explosion that ejects nearby stars.
  • Direct collapse formation: V404 Cygni is thought to have formed through a “direct collapse” or “failed supernova,” where the star collapsed into a black hole without an explosive event.
  • Retention of nearby stars: This gentler formation process enabled the black hole to retain its nearby stars, which would have been ejected in a supernova scenario.
  • Implications for binary systems: This finding suggests that some known binary black hole systems could have originally been triple systems, with the black hole later consuming one of its companions.

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PYQ:

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 November 2024 Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Electronic Voting Machine

Source: IE

 Context: During the Haryana Assembly elections, Congress raised concerns about EVM battery life discrepancies, questioning why some EVMs showed 99% charge after polling

About Electronic Voting Machine (EVM):

• Purpose: Portable device for conducting elections to the Parliament, State Legislatures, and local bodies, enabling electronic voting over traditional paper ballots.
• Key Features:
  • Voting capacity: Records up to 2,000 votes for efficient election handling.
  • Secure storage: Encrypted memory ensures confidentiality of votes.
  • Backup power: Alkaline batteries enable use in remote areas without electricity.
  • Multilingual options: Supports multiple languages for voter accessibility.
  • Audit trail (VVPAT): Voters can verify their votes with a paper trail for audit purposes.
• Development: Designed by the Election Commission’s Technical Experts Committee, manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), both Indian PSUs.

About EVM batteries:

• Battery type: EVMs and VVPATs use non-rechargeable alkaline batteries chosen for reliability and a five-year shelf life.
• Voltage display: The 99% indicator reflects a voltage range (8.2V to 7.4V) rather than exact charge. Actual percentage only appears below 7.4V.
• Choice rationale: Alkaline batteries were selected for their stable performance in extreme temperatures and gradual power decline, ensuring uninterrupted function.
• Power use: EVMs consume minimal power, remaining disconnected from networks, unlike mobile phones, which ensures battery longevity.

 Insta links:

Hwasong-19

Source:  TH

 Context: North Korea recently conducted a test launch of its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-19, which it claims to be “the world’s strongest strategic missile.”

About Hwasong-19:

• Nation: North Korea
• Purpose: Long-range intercontinental ballistic missile, aimed at deterring external threats and asserting North Korea’s military capabilities.
• Key features:
  • Fuel type: Uses solid fuel, enhancing mobility and readiness by eliminating the need for on-site fueling.
  • Size: Estimated to be over 28 meters long, significantly larger than similar ICBMs from other nations.
  • Detection risk: Large size and transport vehicles make it easier to detect, raising concerns about its survival in actual combat.

• Comparable Missiles from Other Nations:
  • United States: Minuteman III
  • Solid-fueled ICBM, designed for long-range precision nuclear strike capabilities.
• Russia: RS-24 Yars
  • Solid-fueled, highly mobile and with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) for enhanced strike potential.
• China: DF-41
  • Solid-fueled ICBM, capable of reaching targets over 12,000 km away, with MIRV capability.

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Namo Drone Didi

Source:  PIB

Context: The Government of India has launched the “Namo Drone Didi” scheme to empower women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).

About Namo Drone Didi Scheme:

• Origin: Launched by the Government of India under the DAY-NRLM initiative.
• Aim: To provide women SHGs with drones for agriculture-related services, empowering them with new income sources while enhancing farming efficiency.
• Ministry: Administered by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, in partnership with the Ministry of Rural Development.
• Features:
  • Financial Support: Central Financial Assistance covering 80% of the drone cost, capped at ₹8 lakh per drone.
  • Loan Assistance: SHGs can secure loans for the remaining cost through the National Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) with 3% interest subvention.
  • Drone Package: Includes drones with spray systems, additional battery sets, training for a pilot and drone assistant, a one-year warranty, two years of maintenance, and insurance.
  • Training and Support: SHG members receive 15-day training for drone operation, maintenance, and agricultural use.
  • Implementation: State-level Lead Fertilizer Companies (LFCs) and State Departments manage implementation, with drones allocated to SHG clusters.
  • Monitoring: An IT-based Management Information System (MIS) Drone Portal will monitor drone operations and service delivery.

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Analog Space Mission

Source: DD News

Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched India’s first analog space mission in Leh, Ladakh.

About Analog Space Mission:

• Objective: Simulate interplanetary habitat conditions to assess the feasibility of a sustainable extraterrestrial base.
• Significance of location: Ladakh’s isolation, dry climate, and high-altitude, barren terrain provide Mars- and Moon-like conditions, making it ideal for analog simulations.
• Collaborative effort: Led by ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Centre with partners including AAKA Space Studio, the University of Ladakh, and IIT Bombay.
• Key benefits: Supports Gaganyaan and other future space missions by testing life-support technologies, habitat feasibility, communication systems, and behavior in isolated conditions.
• International context: Analog missions, also conducted by NASA, simulate space conditions on Earth to evaluate human and robotic responses, technology, and operational dynamics essential for deep-space missions.

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Military Exercises

Source:  PIB & PIB

Context: India participated in two notable joint exercises involving its Special Forces: Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR with the United States and Exercise GARUD SHAKTI with Indonesia.

About Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR:

• Participants: Indian Army Special Forces and the US Army Green Berets.
• Location: Orchard Combat Training Centre, Idaho, USA
• Purpose: To enhance cooperation, joint operations capability, and interoperability between Indian and US Special Forces.
• Training Focus:
  • Execution of joint missions in desert and semi-desert conditions.
  • Tactics, including joint planning, reconnaissance missions, use of Unmanned Aerial Systems, and psychological warfare.

About Exercise GARUD SHAKTI:

• Participants: Indian Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and Indonesia’s Special Forces, Kopassus.
• Location: Cijantung, Jakarta, Indonesia.
• Purpose: To boost cooperation, enhance tactical knowledge, and improve interoperability between Indian and Indonesian Special Forces.
• Training Focus:
  • Special operations in jungle terrain, strikes on terrorist camps, and tactical drills.
  • Sharing information on weapon systems, equipment, and specialized techniques.

Insta Links:

Digital India Common Service Center Project

Source:  IE

Context: The Digital India Common Service Center (DICSC) project is an initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) aimed at bridging the digital divide in rural areas by providing digital services at the grassroots level.

About Digital India Common Service Center Project:

• Origin: Launched under the Digital India initiative by MeitY to improve rural digital access by setting up model centers in gram panchayats across select districts.
• Aim: Provide rural citizens with e-governance, financial, and digital services, promoting inclusion and digital literacy.
• Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), with CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd. overseeing execution.
• Key features:
  • Centers: 4,740 centers across 10 districts, including Pilibhit and Gorakhpur.
  • Services: Aadhaar, banking, tele-law, telemedicine, education, and e-commerce.
  • Infrastructure: High-speed broadband, modern facilities, and GPS-enabled mobile vans.
  • Economic boost: Supports job creation and Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs).
  • Budget: ₹31.6 crore for six months, extendable to nine.

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UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 2 November 2024 Mapping:

Mount Annapurna

Source:   DD News

Context: Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), located at the base of Annapurna-I, has witnessed a record-breaking influx of tourists following this year’s Dashain festival.

About Mount Annapurna:

• Location: Situated in the Annapurna Range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal.
• Elevation: Stands as the world’s tenth-highest peak, reaching 8,091 meters above sea level.
• Conservation: Encompassed within the Annapurna Conservation Area, covering 7,629 square kilometers.
• Nickname: Often called the “Killer Mountain” due to its high fatality rate among climbers attempting to summit.

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Daily Current Affairs + PIB Summary 2 Nov 2024

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