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UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 28-11-2020

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November 28, 2020

BrahMos missile

  • It is a two-stage missile with solid propellant booster as first stage and liquid ramjet as the second stage.
  • It is named as combination of names of Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
  • They are designed and developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Mashinostroyenia of Russia.
  • There are different versions of the BrahMos, which can be fired from land, warships, submarines and Sukhoi-30 fighter jets.
  • Land version has an extended range of 400 kms from its initial 290 kms.
  • Submarine launched version has capability of being launched from around 50 meters below the water surface.
  • BrahMos equipped Sukhoi-30s have a range of 1,500 kms at a stretch without mid-air refuelling.

Climate Emergency

  • The government of New Zealand will decide if a climate emergency should be declared in the country or not.
  • Some of the countries that have already declared climate emergency include the UK, Portugal, Canada, France and, most recently, Japan. 
  • In 2019, the Oxford dictionaries declared “climate emergency” to be the word of the year. 
  • It defines “climate emergency” as a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it. 
  • Climate emergency reflects the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance.

Brain Fingerprinting

  • The accused in Hathras rape case will undergo brain fingerprinting.
  • Brain fingerprinting is also known as Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature Profiling (BEOSP).
  • It is a neuro psychological method of interrogation in which the accused’s participation in a crime is investigated by studying their brain’s response.
  • The test does not involve a question answer session with the accused.
  • The test is carried out via a process known as electroencephalogram, conducted to study the electrical behaviour of the human brain.
  • In Selvi vs State of Karnataka case (2010), the Supreme Court observed that brain mapping test results cannot be admitted solely as evidence.
  • However any information or material discovered during the tests can be made part of the evidence.

Bioluminescence

  • Beach waves in Chennai appeared blue when bio luminescent marine life made the sea appear a deep shade of blue.
  • Bioluminescence or blue sea sparkle is the property of a living organism to produce and emit light through chemical reactions in proteins.
  • It is generally higher in deep-living and planktonic organisms than in shallow species.
  • Waves disturb the unicellular microorganisms, commonly known as dinoflagellates, and make them release blue light.
  • Bioluminescence may occur as an anti-predatory response that may startle predators, causing them to hesitate, in a form of intimidation.
  • Factors such as the pattern of the wind and the temperature of the ocean also determine the occurrence of bioluminescent waves.
  • The phytoplankton shows up where seawater has low dissolved oxygen and high presence of Nitrogen.
  • It could have been caused by heavy rain, fertilizers run off, discharge of sewage into the ocean.

Brereton War Crimes Report

  • It was released after a 4-year inquiry led by Army Reserve Major General Paul Brereton, following reports of alleged killings of unarmed Afghans.
  • It held Australian Defense Force (ADF) accountable for allegations of grave misconduct by some of its members on Afghan operations.
  • It stated that the soldiers carried out a number of gruesome acts.
  • According to the report, the senior command was unaware of the war crimes that were being carried out.
  • ADF Chief apologised to the people of both Afghanistan and Australia.
  • Australian government would set up a panel to ensure accountability and transparency that sits outside of the ADF chain of command.

 

Source: The Indian Express

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