• Eight asteroids detected by sixteen students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, under the Khagolshala Asteroid Search Campaign 2021 were conferred the “Provisional Status” by the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) recently. 

Khagolshala Asteroid Search Campaign (KASC)

• It is the India chapter of an international student research program that has got students involved in the search for asteroids.
• The aim of this campaign is to train students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas to detect asteroids.
• It is an initiative of the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India,and SPACE Foundation.
• High-quality astronomical data sets are distributed to students for analysis and identification of asteroids.
• Students analyze the data using software which then leads to potential discoveries.

SPACE Foundation

• It was established in 2001, to popularize science and inculcate scientific temperament among the masses especially students in India. 
• SPACE is working to create citizen scientists through various programs on science and astronomy education, and innovation in India.
• These programs have the larger goal of fostering scientific temperament in society, especially among the youth.

National Mineral Exploration Trust

• It has been set up by the Central Government in pursuance of powers conferred by Section 9C (1) of Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015 to enhance mineral exploration activities in the country.
• Now, as per the recent amendment in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021, NMET has to be established as a “non-profit Autonomous Body”.
• The objective of the trust is to use the accrued funds for taking up regional and detailed exploration, for coal and non-coal minerals.
• The NMET should give priority to strategic and critical minerals, funding special studies & projects.

• India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol thereon.
• India signed the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on 14 October 1997.
• However, India has not ratified the Convention.
• India acceded to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on 10.04.1979.

• With an aim to further improve ease of doing business, Union Government had recently launched the Secured Logistics Document Exchange (SLDE).
• A Calculator for Green House Gas Emissions was also launched along with the SLDE Platform.

SLDE platform

• It is a solution to replace the present manual process of generation, exchange and compliance of logistics documents with a digitized, secure and seamless document exchange system.
• This will enable generation, storage and interchange of logistics-related documents digitally using Aadhaar and blockchain-based security protocols for data security and authentication.
• It will also provide a complete audit trail of document transfer, faster execution of transaction, lower cost of shipping and overall carbon footprint, easy verification of authenticity of documents, lowered risk of fraud, etc.

Green House Gas Emission calculator

• It is an efficient, user-friendly tool and provides for calculating and comparing GHG emissions across different modes.
• It allows for commodity-wise comparison of GHG emissions and total cost of transportation, including their environmental cost, between movement by road and rail.
• The tool is intended to facilitate appropriate modal choice for all concerned.

• In a major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) products from the north-eastern region, a consignment of ‘Raja Mircha’ also referred as king chilli from Nagaland was recently exported to London via Guwahati by air for the first time.
• King Chilli is also considered as the World’s hottest based on the Scoville Heat Units (SHUs).
• The chilli from Nagaland is also referred as Bhoot Jolokia and Ghost pepper.
• It got GI certification in 2008.
• In 2021, APEDA has facilitated exports of Jackfruits from Tripura to London and Germany, Assam Lemon (Gol Nemu and Kaji Nemu) to London, Red rice of Assam to the United States and Leteku ‘Burmese Grape’ to Dubai.

Mithila Makhana

• Bihar’s agriculture minister had recently informed the Legislative Council that the state government was pursing the application for allocation of geographical indication (GI) tag for makhana, produced in the Mithila region.

Monkey Pox

• It was first reported in 1958, in monkeys in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and in humans in 1970, also in the DRC.
• In 2017, Nigeria experienced the largest documented outbreak, 40 years after the last confirmed case.
• The natural host of the virus remains undefined. But the disease has been reported in many animals.
• Infected people break out in a rash that looks a lot like chicken pox.
• But the fever, malaise, and headache from Monkeypox are usually more severe than in chicken pox infection.
• There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for Monkeypox infection.
• In the past, the anti-smallpox vaccine was shown to be 85% effective in preventing Monkeypox.

Gharib Nawaz Employment Scheme

• It was launched by the Ministry of Minority Affairs in 2017.
• Maulana Azad Education Foundation, an autonomous body under the aegis of Ministry of Minority Affairs, implements the Scheme.
• The main aim of this scheme is to provide short term job oriented skill development courses to minorities’ youth in order to enable them for skill based employment.
• The monthly stipend for maximum of three months and post placement support for maximum of two months after getting employment are also being paid to the beneficiaries directly into their account.

Forest Acts in India

• The Central government has not laid down any criterion to define forest.
• States are responsible for determining their definition of forests; this prerogative stems from a Supreme Court order called the T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad vs the Union of India 1996 judgment.
• In the judgement, the Supreme Court interpreted that the word “forest” must be understood according to its “dictionary meaning”.
• This description covers all statutorily recognised forests, whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise.
• Forests are included in the Concurrent List in the (Seventh Schedule) of the Constitution of India.
• Through the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 Forests and Protection of Wild Animals and Birds were transferred from State to Concurrent List.
• India’s forests are currently governed by the National Forest Policy, 1988 which has environmental balance and livelihood at its centre.

Evolution of the Collegium System

• Collegium System is the system of appointment and transfer of judges that has evolved through judgments of the SC, and not by an Act of Parliament or by a provision of the Constitution.
• The evolution of the Collegium System is as follows
• First Judges Case (1981): It declared that the “primacy” of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) recommendation on judicial appointments and transfers can be refused for “cogent reasons.”
• The ruling gave the Executive primacy over the Judiciary in judicial appointments for the next 12 years.
• Second Judges Case (1993): SC introduced the Collegium system, holding that “consultation” really meant “concurrence”.
• It added that it was not the CJI’s individual opinion, but an institutional opinion formed in consultation with the two senior-most judges in the SC.
• Third Judges Case (1998): SC on President’s reference expanded the Collegium to a five-member body, comprising the CJI and four of his senior-most colleagues (for example for the transfer of HC judges).

Ganymede

• Ganymede is located half a billion miles (over 600 million km) away, and Hubble can follow changes on the moon and reveal other characteristics at ultraviolet and near-infrared wavelengths.
• However, temperatures there are so cold that water on the surface is frozen solid.
• Ganymede's ocean would reside roughly 100 miles below the crust; therefore, the water vapor would not represent the evaporation of this ocean.
• Scientists used new and archival datasets from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and found first evidence of Water vapor at Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede.