It is a joint training exercise between the Indian Army and the Kazakhstan Army.
It is aimed at enhancing the military ties between the two countries.
The 2017 version is planned to be conducted in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
INS Ghariyal
INS Ghariyal is the indigenously built Landing Ship Tank (LST), commissioned in 1997.
It was built under INS Magar class of LST.
It is the second LST of the Indian Navy; INS Magar was the first one.
The ship can carry troops and vehicles, and hence is ideally suited for amphibious operations.
INS Ghariyal was followed by INS Shardul class of LST.
It consists of INS Shardul, INS Kesari and INS Airavata which were commissioned in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively.
World’s Highest Motorable Road
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed world’s highest motorable road in Ladakh.
It is being constructed under the Project Himank.
It passes through Umlingla Top at a height of over 19,300 feet and 230 km from Leh.
It is considered as a response to Chinese aggression in LAC in Ladakh.
Other roads were earlier constructed, under the Project Himank, such as Khardung La (17,900 ft) and Chang La Pass (17,695 ft) in Leh by connecting Nubra valley and Durbuk valley in the cold desert.
Global Clubfoot Conference
The conference was recently inaugurated by the President of India.
It is organized by the CURE India in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Clubfoot is a birth defect where one or both feet are rotated inwards and downwards.
It is one of the most common orthopedic birth defects.
ISA and EBRD
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have recently signed a pact for cooperation on energy projects.
It is a joint financial partnership declaration for the promotion of solar energy.
EBRD is an international financial institution founded in 1991.
It is headquartered in London.
It is owned by 65 countries and two EU institutions, and US is the biggest shareholder.
Besides Europe, member countries of the EBRD are also from other continents - North America (Canada and US), Africa (Morocco), Asia (Japan, China, South Korea) and Australia.
The EBRD is not to be confused with the European Investment Bank (EIB) which is owned by EU member states and used to support EU policy.
Election Commission
EC has recently proposed in the Supreme Court that convicted persons should be banned from contesting elections for life.
It is seen as an attempt to take a firm step against criminalization of politics.
It had said that a uniform ban would be in spirit of the fundamental rights of the constitution, including the right to equality.
The commission had submitted a proposal for poll reforms which include
Decriminalization of politics,
Making bribery a cognizable offence,
Prohibition on advertisements 48 hours before elections
Ban on paid news.
Click here to know more on the Election Commission.
Carnivorous plants
Carnivorous plants usually grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen.
Thus these plants derive some or most of their nutrients (but not energy) from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods.
They trap the insects by employing a variety of techniques like nectar, smell, colour and ultraviolet fluorescence to capture the prey.
The Nepenthes genus carnivorous plants capture insects through their leaf-evolved pitchers which act as biological traps.
According to a recent study, carnivorous plants use carbon dioxide (co2) to attract insects and ants to their traps.
It is found that the Indian Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes Khasiana) uses the gas both to attract the prey and to aid the digestive process.
The high CO2 inside the pitchers is produced by the respiration of tissues within the cavity.
The CO2 release and prey capture triggers the release of anti-fungal compounds, preventing infections from prey.
