Prelim Bits 09-12-2023 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

Agni Missiles

Recently, training launch of Short-Range Ballistic Missile ‘Agni-1’ was carried out successfully from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.

• It is a family of medium to long-range surface-to-air ballistic missile.
• Design and development – Defence Research and Development organisation (DRDO)
• Umbrella program – Integrated Guided Missile Program (IGMP)
• Operated by – Strategic Forces Command (SFC), a key tri-services formation that administers all the strategic assets and falls under the Nuclear Command Authority of India.
• Purpose - To act as deterrence & meet the country’s security requirements.

Agni-I is the 1^st in the series which was tested in 1989.

References

1. PIB| Successful training launch of Agni-I
2. Times Now| Agni Missile Series

Diel Vertical Migration (DVM)

Deep sea organisms plays a crucial role in the earth’s carbon cycle through the process of diel vertical migration.

• It is a synchronised vertical movement of billions of animals, mostly zooplankton (e.g., smallish animals, including fish, various shrimp, and jellies) in the ocean.

DVM is the largest migration on the planet by biomass which occurs daily in all oceans.

• Principle – A delicate balance between the need to feed and to avoid becoming prey.
• Timing of migration – In tune to the natural rhythms of sunrise and sunset.
• During the night – They ascent from the mesopelagic layer to the epipelagic layer to graze on the microscopic phytoplankton while avoiding their daytime predators.
• During day – They descent into deeper, darker levels of ocean to escape from the predators.

• Role in carbon sequestration - They remove carbon from the upper ocean as they feed on surface-dwelling plankton and carry the carbon to deeper waters while returning.
• When they are consumed by predators, the carbon is passed to them.
• The carbon-rich wastes produced by the predators then sinks to the ocean floor, where it remains trapped for millennia.

Reference

The Hindu| Diel Vertical Migration (DVM) as a Carbon Sink

Permakore

The Koyas have moved on from using traditional Indian Bison horns to palm leaves to craft their ‘Permakore’.

• A traditional flute of Koya tribes that are made of Bison horn.
• In Koya language,
  • Permam –Indian Bison or Guar
  • Kore – Horn
• The koya women are nowhere associated with the Permakore in any phase of its use.

‘Bhumi Panduga’, a festival to mark the commencement of the agricultural season will not be held without the Permakore.

Koya tribes

• The Koya are a tribe of hunter-gatherers.
• They inhabit the Papikonda hill range in the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and in the states of Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.

Papikondalu hill range is also called as the’ Bison hill range’ as it is home to the Indian Bison. It got the national park status in 2008.

• Importance of Bison horns
  • 2 Bison horns are adorned on the head as part of the attire during the Kommu Koya dance
  • The Permakore flute is made of a single horn.

Reference

The Hindu| Replacing Bison horn with Palm leaf flute

Santiago Network

The draft text on the Santiago Network has been adopted by the Parties and sent to the Conference of the Parties (COP) of UNFCCC at COP28 in UAE.

• It is a collaborative framework established as part of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage (WIM) under the UNFCCC.
• Aim - To connect vulnerable developing countries with technical support and resources to effectively address and manage loss and damage caused by climate change.
• Genesis
  • At COP19,2013 (Warsaw, Poland) – Proposal to establish
  • At COP25, 2019 (Madrid, Spain) – Establishment
  • At COP26, 2021 (Glassgow, UK) – Decision on functions
  • At COP27, 2022 (Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt) – Adopted terms of references and established advisory body
• Function – To contribute for the effective implementation of the functions of the Warsaw international mechanism.
• Hosts - The United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and United Nations Office for Project Services have been selected as hosts.

Santiago is the capital of Chile.

References

1. Down To Earth| Adoption of Santiago Network draft
2. UNFCCC| Santiago Network

India Art, Architecture, and Design Biennale (IAADB) 2023

Recently, the 1^st edition of IAADB was held at the Red Fort.

• It is a celebration of our country’s diverse heritage and vibrant culture and it will serve as an introduction to the Cultural Space at Delhi.
• Aim – To institutionalise a flagship Global Cultural Initiative in India like the International Biennales at Venice, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Sharjah, among others.

Cultural spaces are being built in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Varanasi to enrich these cities culturally.

• 7 Exhibition themes – Doors of India, Gardens of India, Baolis (step-wells) of India, Temples of India, Architectural Wonders of Independent India, Indigenous Design and Women in Architecture and Design.
• They are designed in both physical and digital forms.
• Exhibition curated by
  • The National Gallery of Modern Art
  • The National Council of Science Museums
  • Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
  • Lalit Kala Akademi
  • Council of Architecture
  • The outreach department of the Ministry of Education
• Atmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design - A special gallery to provide a platform to promote rare crafts of India which was curated by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts.
• It will pave way for cultural economy by empowering artisan communities with new designs and innovations.
• Samunnati – It is a student biennale at Lalit Kala Akademi, to showcase their work and interact with peers & professionals within the architecture community.

References

1. The Hindu| 1^st Edition of IAADB 2023
2. PIB| Cultural Spaces in India