- AERO INDIA, BIGGEST AIR SHOW IN ASIA
SUBJECT: NATIONAL
- Event:15th edition of Aero India, Asia’s biggest air show.
- Venue:Yelahanka Air Force Station, Bengaluru.
- Dates:February 10-14, 2025.
- Inaugurated by:Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in the presence of Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
- Indian Defence Highlights
- LCA Tejas Mk1A:HAL showcased the aircraft; supply to Indian Air Force confirmed from 2025-26.
- Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA):India’s 5th-generation fighter jet project.
- Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior:Indigenous drone technology unveiled.
- Record Defence Production:₹1.27 lakh crore in 2024; expected to exceed ₹1.60 lakh crore by 2026.
- Defence Exports:Crossed ₹21,000 crore; target ₹30,000 crore by 2026.
- Joint Flight:Chiefs of Army & Air Force flew together in Tejas for the first time
- Key Conferences & Events
- Defence Ministers’ Conclave (Feb 11):Theme -“Building Resilience through Defence Engagement”.
- CEOs’ Roundtable:Industry leaders discussing aerospace innovations.
- India & iDEX Pavilions:Showcasing indigenous defence capabilities.
- Sammartha-Indigenisation Event:Promoting ‘Make in India’ in defence
2. SEEKING AN EYE FOR AN EYE
SUBJECT: SOCIAL ISSUES
- HC rejected West Bengal’s appeal for the death penalty in a rape-murder case.
- State passed the ‘Aparajita Women & Child Protection Bill’ (2024)advocating the death penalty in most rape cases.
- Judicial Perspective
- SC’s 2012 J.S. Verma Committee report:No conclusive deterrence from death penalty.
- HC ruling:Law should uphold justice, not match brutality.
- Challenges & Way Forward
- Challenges:Delayed justice, weak investigations, ineffective deterrence.
3. DISCOVERY OF COLOSSAL RADIO JET FROM A QUASAR3.
SUBJECT: GEOGRAPHY
- Telescopes worldwide detected a massive radio jet from a quasar.
- This quasar dates back to the first billion years of the universe.
- The detected radio jet is the biggest ever recorded so early in the universe’s history.
- Characteristics of the Radio Jet
- The jet extends twice the width of the Milky Way galaxy.
- It emits radio waves, making it a significant astronomical observation.
- Origin:The jet is emitted from a quasar, a supermassive black hole powered celestial object.
- Scientific Significance
- Provides insights into early universe phenomena and black hole activity.
- Helps understand the role of quasars in galaxy evolution.
- Supports theories of supermassive black holes shaping cosmic structures.
4. IN POLL BOUND MEGHALAYA RAT HOLE COAL MINING HOPES RIDE ON ARTICLE 371
SUBJECT: POLITY
- Voice of the People Party (VPP)wants Article 371for Meghalaya to allow rat-hole coal mining(banned in 2014).
- Precedent:Article 371A in Nagaland protects resource ownership under customary laws.
- Legal & Environmental Challenges
- National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned rat-hole mining due to severe environmental hazards.
- Supreme Court extended the ban to other Northeastern states.
- Sixth Schedule gives autonomy, but Paragraph 12A allows state laws to override autonomous councils.
5. AS M.P READIES NEW HOME FOR CHEETAHS, LOCALS SHARE WOES OF BEING NEIGHBOURS TO THE BIG CATS
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT
- Second cheetah habitat after Kuno National Park.
- 6-8 cheetahs to be relocated from South Africa.
- Enclosure prepared with mud mounds, sheds, water sources, surveillance cameras, and electric fencing.
- Scientific & Safety Measures
- Quarantine Bomas (QBs)built for initial adaptation.
- CCTV & remote-controlled gates for monitoring.
- Surveillance cameras & electric fences to prevent escape & predator intrusion.
- Tree trunks covered with smooth fibre to stop climbing.
- 1-month quarantine period, extendable based on health & adaptability.
- Geographical & Historical Significance
- Savanna-like habitat with rocky terrain, grasslands.
- Historical evidence of cheetah existence in Chaturbhuj Nala cave paintings.
- Locals believe cheetahs existed in the region before extinction in 1952
