1. Ikshvaku period coins unearthed at Telangana
Telangana’s Department of Heritage has recently unearthed a coin hoard at Phanigiri, a renowned Buddhist heritage site located 110 km away from Hyderabad.
The lead coins were found in an earthen pot during the ongoing excavations in Telangana’s Suryapet district by a team lead by director N Sagar and co-excavator B Mallu. The coins numbering 3,730 bore an elephant symbol on the obverse and a Ujjain symbol on the reverse.
Studies have determined that the coins belong to Ikshvaku Period, said by principal secretary Sailaja Ramaiyer and department director Bharathi Hollikeri. Numerous significant cultural art crafts and architectural remnants, such as stone and glass beads, shell bangle fragments, stucco motifs, shattered limestone sculptures, toy cartwheels, iron nails, and pottery, were also discovered during the excavation.
The field season 2023-2024 was the eighth season of excavation at the site which started back in 2001.
2. The US and UK sign agreement on AI Safety testing
The United States and United Kingdom signed an agreement that would see them work together to develop tests for the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models.
Both countries will share vital information about the capabilities and risk associated with AI models and systems, according to the agreement, which was taken effect immediately. They will also share fundamental technical research on AI Safety and security with each other, and work on aligning their approach towards safely deploying AI Systems.
As part of the partnership, both the countries will work to align their scientific approaches and work closely to accelerate and rapidly iterate robust suites of evaluations for AI models, systems, and agents. Both the countries AI Safety Institutes have also laid out plans to build a common approach to AI Safety testing and to share their capabilities to ensure these risks can be tackled effectively.
In an interview, Raimondo and Donelon emphasized the urgency of addressing AI risks particularly with the imminent release of more capable AI models. Their focus lies on specialized areas of concern, necessitating immediate action to mitigate potential threats posed by generative AI.
3. Centre appoints Manoj Panda as member of Finance Commission
The government has appointed Manoj Panda, former director at the Institute of Economic Growth as the full-time member of the 16th Finance Commission.
Manoj Panda replaces Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, Executive Director, Arth Global in the Commission, who quit as a member citing “Unforseen personal circumstances”. Manoj Panda research areas span monitoring and analysis of macro-economic trends and prospects, evaluation of alternative trade and fiscal policy options from the point of view of growth and distribution.
Previously, Manoj Panda served as Director of the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad and as a Professor and Associate Professor at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), Mumbai.
He also worked as an economist and senior economist at the New Delhi based National Council of Applied Economic Research. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Indian Statistical Institute and was a post-doctoral fellow at Yale University.
4. Igla-S Air Defence System
The first batch of 24 Russia-made Igla-S Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS) was received by India. 120 launchers and 400 missiles were also part of a larger deal which included domestic production in India.
The Induction of the Igla-S System enhances the Indian Army’s Very Short-Range Air Defence (VSHORAD)capabilities. Sources in the defence establishment revealed that this procurement is a significant one, as opposed to the smaller emergency purchase made in 2021.
The Igla-S is a hand-held defence system that can be operated by an individual or crew. It is designed to bring down low-flying aircraft and can also identify and neutralise air targets such as cruise missiles and drones.
According to a report in the Defence Post, the Igla-S System comprises the 9M342 missile, the 9P522 launching mechanism, the 9V866-2 mobile set. These components work together to provide a comprehensive air defence solution. India signed a contract with Russia in November, 2023 for 120 launchers and 400 missiles. While the first batch has come from Russia, the rest of these systems will be made in India through Transfer of Technology (TOT) from Russia by an Indian company.
5. Solar Eclipse witnessed on April 8
The First Solar Eclipse commonly known as Surya Grahan, of 2024 was witnessed on April 8. It was a rare total Solar Eclipse where the moon entirely covered the sun and the spectacle appeared as a Ring of Fire.
The Total Solar Eclipse takes place when the moon passes between the Sun and Earth completely blocking the face of the sun. The total darkening of the sky, also known as totality was visible across a 185-Kilometre stretch between Mexico, the US, and Canada.
Other 18 different US States was also witnessed the Solar Eclipse. The whole event was taken about two and a half hours, but totality was only last about four minutes.
6. Tata deploys its TSAT-1A Satellite in space
The Earth Observation Satellite TSAT-1A built by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) was deployed in space by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The announcement was made jointly with Satellogic Inc, which has wide experience in sub-metre resolution Earth Observation data collection.
The deployment of TSAT-1A was done abroad the Bandwagon-1 mission via SpaceX. Notably, SpaceX’s Flcon 9 rocket launched the TSAT-1A Satellitefrom the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, as confirmed by TASL in a statement. SpaceX is run by billionaire Elon Musk.
This instrument also has logged other achievements and two of the notable ones are that it was assembled and tested within India. TSAT-1A was assembled at Tata Advanced’s Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) plant in Karnataka. The Satellite is equipped to deliver high-resolution optical satellite images and it expected to achieve full functionality in a few months.
The seeds of the project were laid in a collaboration agreement signed between TASL and Satellogic in November. The strategy behind the decision was to leverage Satellogic’s expertise in developing and integrating advanced Earth Observation Satellites in India.
7. Neptis Philyra Butterfly discovered
A team of Butterfly enthusiasts have discovered a rare butterfly species named Neptis Philyra for the first time in India in Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. The Butterfly species is commonly known as Long-Streak sailor. These were found across various regions of East Asia like Siberia, Korea, China etc. The specie is a part of the Nymphalidae family.
The study was conducted by Atanu Bose, Mahesh Baruah and Abhishek Dutta Choudhury from Assam and Anitava Roy and Tarun Karmakar from West Bengal and Karnataka respectively. The researchers reported their findings, based on photographic evidence, in the scientific journal Tropical Lepidoptera Research.
8. 2024 Global Hepatitis Report
The Global Hepatitis Report 2024 was released by the World Health Organisation (WHO. India has the highest number of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C cases in the world as per the report.
It is the first Consolidated WHO report o viral Hepatitis epidemiology, service coverage and product access. Hepatitis refers to an inflammatory condition of the Liver and is a viral infection. According to the WHO’s 2024 Global Hepatitis Report, 254 million people lived with Hepatitis B and 50 million with Hepatitis C in 2022 globally.
India, which was second only to China in the viral hepatitis burden, registered 2.98 crore Hepatitis B cases in 2022 while the number of Hepatitis C infections stood at 55 lakhs. China registered 8.3 crore cases of hepatitis B and C, representing 27.5 percent of the total disease burden.
9. Fiscal Monitor Report
The IMF recently published Fiscal Monitor Report stated that industrial policy could drive innovation if done well, but it is no magic cure for slow economic growth.
The provides an overview of latest public finance developments and it is prepared twice a year based on databases used for World Economic Outlook (WEO) and the Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR).
The IMF, in a chapter of its forthcoming Fiscal Monitor said industrial policy could drive innovation if done well, but history was full of cautionary tales of policy mistakes, high fiscal costs and negative spillovers in other countries. It focusing mainly on subsidies and tax breaks posed risks, given high fiscal costs, the risk of capture by special interests and possible massive mis-allocation of resources.
10. Volcanic Vortex Rings
Mount Etna Volcano, the largest volcano in Europe, and among the world’s most active and iconic volcanoes, has been sending up almost perfect rings of smoke into the air. The rings are a rare phenomenon that scientists refer to as volcanic vortex rings.
Mount Etna is an active volcano in the east coast of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, lying just off the toe of the Italian boot. Etna’s peak is the highest in Italy south of the Alps, and it is Europe’s largest and one of the most active volcanoes.
Vortex rings are generated when gas predominantly water vapour, is released rapidly through a vent in the crater. The vent that has opened up in Etna’s crater is almost perfectly circular, so the rings that have been seen above the mountain since April 2 are also circular.
11. GUJCOST Nodal Centre for START
Gujarat Council on Science and Technology (GUJCOST) has been designated as the nodal centre for the Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START) programme, aimed at nurturing aspiring scientists and engineers in the field of space science and technology. The programme, conceptualized by ISRO, provides an introductory online platform covering various areas of space science research.
Under the START programme, GUJCOST will conduct live classes, acting as the central hub for knowledge dissemination. Four Regional Science Centres in Rajkot, Patan, Bhavnagar, and Bhuj will also contribute to facilitating the programme, expanding its reach across the region.
12. Green Credit Programme
Recently, the ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change has notified rules for the Green Credit Program. The Green Credit Program is an initiative to reward and incentivize individuals and entities for their positive environmental contributions.
Under this program, Participants will be able to earn Green Credits for activities that promote environmental sustainability. This program is a part of the “LIFE” campaign (Lifestyle for Environment). The generation of Green Credit under Green Credit Rules, 2023 is independent of the carbon credit under Carbon Trading Scheme 2023.
The Management structure of GCP consists of steering committee members selected from relevant government ministries/departments, experts, and organizations. The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) is designated as the manager of GCP and is accountable for carrying out and supervising GCP activities.
13. Russia Successfully Launches Angara-A5 Space Rocket
Russia successfully test-launched its Angara-A5 space rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the country’s space exploration efforts. After two failed attempts earlier due to technical issues, the third launch proved to be successful. The rocket received impressive speeds as it placed a test load in low orbit.
The Angara-A5, a three-stage rocket weighing about 773 tonnes and capable of carrying 24.5 tonnes into space, is set to replace the Proton M as Russia’s heavy-lift rocket, offering a more environmentally friendly and domestically produced alternative.
The Angara project, initiated after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, has been of utmost national importance, providing Russia with independent access to space without relying on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Roscosmos emphasized the strategic significance of the Angara spacecraft in enabling Russia to launch variety of payloads from its own territory.
14. OpenAI’s GPT-4 Vision
A developed version of the GPT-4 turbo with vision capability was recently unveiled by OpenAI in its latest Generative AI model. It can analyse image inputs from users and it is capable of taking information in multiple modalities like text and images or text and audio.
It can help in academic research, interpreting historical documents and manuscripts etc. GPT-4 Vision has been considered OpenAI’s step forward towards making its chatbot multimodal-an AI model with a combination of image, text and audio as inputs.
It is a Large Multi Modal, which is essentially a model that is capable of taking information in multiple modalities like text and images or text and audio and generating responses based on it.
15. Escaping Oxygen and Carbon Detected in Venu’s magnetosphere
A recent flyby of Venu’s by the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission detected escaping oxygen and carbon ions from Venu’s atmosphere for the first time. The study revealed the acceleration of carbon and oxygen ions to speeds allowing them to escape Venu’s gravitational pull.
This finding helps us understand how Venus lost its water over time sets the stage for future missions to comprehensively study the planet. BepiColombo is a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to study Mercury.
