Daily Current Affairs  – 4 October 2021

In Context According to US Fish and Wildlife Services, the American bumblebee population has decreased by 89% in the past 20 years, and it could be declared as an “endangered species”. Reasons for Decline According to CBD, the population of American bumblebees has declined due to habitat destruction, climate change, exposure to disease & pesticides, […]

In Context According to a recent study, the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) is becoming one of the promising observatory sites globally.                Image Courtesy: TH   According to the Department of Science and Technology, this is due to its advantages of:  Clear nights Minimal light pollution Background aerosol concentration Extremely dry atmospheric condition  Uninterrupted monsoon […]

In Context Recently, the Langa-Manganiyar artists are in the news as efforts are made by the government to document and digitize their folk art performances. The project is aimed at saving the rapidly disappearing narrative traditions of these communities. About Langa-Manganiyar community: The Langas and Manganiyars are communities of Muslim folk musicians residing mostly in […]

In News  Two kumki elephants were brought again from the Theppakadu Elephant Camp for the operation to locate tiger T23 in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).  About Mudumalai Tiger Reserve It is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu state, at the tri-junction of three states, viz, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It has […]

In Context  The solar conjunction will halt communication with Mars missions for 2 weeks. It is between October 2 and October. 14, 2021, when Mars is within 2 degrees of the Sun. What is Solar Conjunction?  It is the period when Earth and Mars, in their eternal march around the Sun, are obscured from each […]

In News Recently, the Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Shyamji Krishna Varma on his Jayanti.  The Prime Minister also recalled bringing the ashes of Shyamji Krishna Varma back to India from Switzerland in 2003 and getting his reinstatement certificate from the UK in 2015. About Shyamji Krishna Varma He was one of the […]

In News Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its Global Financial Stability Report 2021. Key Findings Global Prevalence: As per Global Consumer Survey in 2020, 99 per cent of its respondents responded that they did trade in cryptocurrencies.  Nigeria, Vietnam and the Philippines topped the mentioned survey.  Tempting Option: It pointed out that for […]

In News The latest leak of offshore financial records has shown that the elites are finding ingenious new ways to ring-fence (protect) their assets from scrutiny at home. It is reshaping the secrecy industry in international finance after regulators worldwide have begun cracking down on global money flows. Pandora Papers Pandora papers are 11.9 million […]

In Context Researchers from the University of Madras and Presidency College, Chennai, have discovered an alga species that shows promise as an agent of biodegradation of plastic sheets.  Key Points About: The alga identified is microalga Uronema africanum Borge. This is a species of microalgae that is commonly found in Africa, Asia and Europe. The […]

In News Recently, the Vice-President inaugurated the Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre on Guwahati’s Barphukanar Tila, meaning Barphukan’s Hillock.  The Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre has been set up in a nearly 150-year-old bungalow in Guwahati, Assam. Key Points The hillock by the Brahmaputra, mentioned in ancient scriptures as Mandrachal, was from where Ahom General Lachit […]