Shadow Fleet

• The term 'shadow fleet' is a media term for vessels trading with sanctioned countries through legal and complex ownership structures.
• Merchant ships – Greece owns the largest share (20%) of global merchant shipping fleet.
• China has surpassed Japan to become the second-largest owner of merchant ships.
• Most ships are built and repaired in China, Japan and South Korea.
• Marine insurance and shipping regulations - Are primarily controlled from European countries.
• An insurance type called Protection and Indemnity (P&I) covers loss of life and damage to property. These P&I insurance firms form ‘clubs’ to pool the risk.
• Flag states – Ships are registered in particular nations called flag states as they fly that country’s flag.
• Flag states were meant to indicate the origins of the ship.
• Flags of Convenience (FoCs) – FoCs are a general shipping practice not exclusive to shadow fleets.
• Classification societies – Can legally certify vessels based on safety parameters regardless of ownership.
• Certify ship structures and machinery for safety of life at sea and marine pollution, facilitating insurance cover for these.
• Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) – Is an international ship classification society providing ship classification and certification as well as technical inspection services.
• In recent times the IRS (Indian Register of Shipping) saw more ships coming for safety certificates.
• This made some people suspect India was helping Russia avoid sanctions.
• Western countries are claiming India is helping Russia bypass sanctions through shipping practices.

Right to Information Museum

The foundation stone for a people’s Right to Information museum was recently laid at Beawar of Rajasthan, the birthplace of the RTI movement.

• The Right to Information (RTI) is an act of the Indian Parliament that gives citizens the right to access information held by public authorities.
• The RTI Act of 2005 replaced the Freedom of Information Act of 2000.
• Right to Information Act, 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information.
• RTI Portal Gateway is an initiative by Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• Right to Information Museum – It is situated in the Beawar, Rajasthan (birthplace of RTI movement).
• Museum's Purpose:
  • Document RTI movement's history.
  • Resource center for rights-based movements.
  • Archive for MKSS documents and materials.
  • Central repository for related film footage.
• Historical Significance of Beawar – In 1996, 40-day dharna by Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) demanding RTI law.
• It led to Rajasthan RTI Act, 2000 and National RTI Act, 2005.
• In 2016, RTI memorial established at Chang Gate.
• In June 2023, Stone slab with Constitution's Preamble laid for museum.

Dry Port

Bihar Industry minister Nitish Mishra recently inaugurated the state’s first dry port at Bihta, a town near state capital Patna.

• A dry port, also known as inland container depot (ICD), provides a logistics facility away from a seaport or airport for cargo handling, storage and transportation.
• ICD acts as a bridge between sea/air ports and inland regions, facilitating efficient movement of goods.
• Features – It is connected by railways to gateway ports of Kolkata and Haldia in West Bengal, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Nhava Sheva in Maharashtra, Mundra in Gujarat, among others.
• It can handle customs clearance procedures, reducing congestion at seaports/airports.
• It caters the entire eastern India, ICD Bihta can help neighbouring states of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

Inland Container Depot, Tughlakabad situated at Delhi is India's biggest dry port.

• Public-Private Partnership (PPP) – It is being run in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode by Pristine Magadh Infrastructure Private Limited and the state industry department.
• Export to Russia – The first consignment exported from the dry port was of leather shoes, which were sent to Russia.
• Need for ICD – Bihar exports items mainly agro-based, garments and leather products that are manufactured in diverse locations.
• To streamline cargo handling and transportation, lowering transportation costs, and securing storage and handling.
• Bihar is a major producer of fruits and vegetables such as potato, tomato, banana, litchi and makhana (fox nuts).
• It also has significant export capacities of maize (with 11 of 38 Bihar districts focussing on maize production), sponge iron, packed food, waste paper, newsprint, rice and meat.

Colopsus Arkavathi

• Colopsus Arkavathi is a new jumping spider species that was recently discovered near the Arkavathi River in the foothills of Nandi Hills, Karnataka.

The Arkavati River originates at Nandi hills in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka. It is a tributary of the Kaveri.

• The species belongs to the rare Genus Colopsus, under the larger Salticidae family.
• Only 2 species were previously identified in India from this genus.
• These spiders live on the ground and they like to stay in areas with short grass and fallen leaves.
• They've been found in several places in South India.

Antelope and Deer

• Antelope – Is any hoofed mammals belonging to the family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla).
• Antelopes account for over 2/3rd of the approximately 135 species of hollow-horned ruminants (cud chewers) in the family Bovidae, which also includes cattle, sheep, and goats.
• Antelopes have adapted to many different ecological niches and so vary in their size, shape, locomotion, diet, social organization, and antipredator strategy.
• Deer – Are in the Cervidae family, while antelopes belong to the Bovidae family, which also includes animals like cattle and goats.
• Taxonomy – Both antelopes and deer are hoofed animals (called "artiodactyls"), but they belong to different families.