Debt ceiling

The debt ceiling,which was introduced in 1917 during World War I, is the maximum amount that the US federal government can borrow to fulfill its financial obligations.

Geminids meteor shower

The constellation for which a meteor shower is named only serves to aid viewers in determining which shower they are viewing on a given night.

SWOT: Surface Water and Ocean Topography

• Surface Water and Ocean Topography
• To conduct a comprehensive survey of the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers for the first time.
• A NASA-led international satellite mission
• Developed by the U.S. space agency in collaboration with its counterparts in France and Canada

SWIFT

• Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications. 
• SWIFT is headquartered in Belgium 

Harissa: Spicy

• Harissa is a condiment popular in Tunisia.
• Got special heritage status from UNESCO

Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

The world's largest radio astronomy facility is currently under construction in Australia and South Africa. Scientists will use the exceptionally powerful Square Kilometre Array (SKA) to probe the mysteries of the universe.

Source: The Indian Express

ChatGPT: The AI Chatbot

• Developed by OpenAI 
• ChatGPT is based on GPT-3.5, a language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text

Agroforestry

• known as 'social forestry'
• aims at achieving a more ecologically diverse and socially productive output from the land than is possible through conventional agriculture

DART Mission

• Asteroid Dimorphos
• NASA

Word

•  Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL)

SA8000 certificate

• By Social Accountability International
• social certifications for decent workplaces across all industrial sectors

Facts

• In 2007, Medak district administration became the first government agency in Asia to receive SA8000 certificate
• It was one of the world’s first auditable social certifications for decent workplaces across all industrial sectors

Reference:

• Social Accountability International

iDEX

 Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)

• Launched in 2018
• innovation ecosystem for Defence

Funded and Managed by Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)

 Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)

• not-for-profit organisation
• formed under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013
• funded by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)

Objective

• indigenization
• innovation

Source

• The Indian Express

PESA Act

The Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA  Act), 1996

• Fifth Schedule Areas
• Except for these States: Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram
• Bhuria Committee recommendations

 Types of powers have been given to a Gram Sabha under PESA:

• Developmental
• Dispute resolution
• Ownership and management of natural resources

State governments are expected to amend their respective Panchayati Raj Acts without making any law that would be inconsistent with the mandate of PESA.

Source

• The Indian express

Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

• emergency measures when air quality worsens in Delhi

International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE)

• It is Interpol’s initiative against child sexual abuse
• The ICSE database uses video and image comparison to analyse Child Sex Exploitation Material (CSEM)

Related to India

• India is the 68th country to have access to this database and software.

Data

• India reported over 24 lakh instances of online child sexual abuse from 2017 to 2020, with 80% of victims being girls below the age of 14 years, according to Interpol data.

Source: IE

Nord Stream 1 Pipeline

• Russia to Germany
• Under the Baltic Sea

Location-Based Question

• Baltic Countries
• Map
• Keyword Type Qs
• Refer

Digital Nomads

Digital Nomads are people who work remotely while traveling to different places and spending their earned income in the host country.

**Indonesia Announced Digital Nomad VISA

Source: IE

Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (TiHAN)

• Funded by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology
• The multi-departmental initiative includes researchers from electrical, computer science, mechanical and aerospace, civil, mathematics, and design at IIT-H.
• TiHAN aims to fill this gap by developing a fully functional and exemplary testbed facility dedicated to connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

Source: The Indian Express

Kai (red ant) chutney

• Odisha’s district of Mayurbhanj
• Geographical Indicator (GI): set to register
• Red ants are also rich in protein, vitamin B-12, and minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, sodium, and as many as 18 amino acids.

Entomophagy: the practice of eating insects 

Derecho

 A widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm.

• Strom System
• Area: Nebraska, Minnesota, and Illinois (US)

Progressive Derecho

• Short line of thunderstorms
• Summer phenomenon

Serial Derecho

• Extensive Squall Line - wide and long
• Large Area
• During Spring

Hybrid: Both Progressive and Serial