UPSC Quiz – 2024 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 11th July 2024

·       It is a joint military exercise, currently underway in the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan, involving the armed forces of several Central Asian countries, aiming to enhance cooperation, interoperability, and readiness.

·       It focuses on joint planning, tactical maneuvers, and coordination among the participating forces.

·       Participating Nations are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, while Turkmenistan is absent.

·       The Caucasus country of Azerbaijan is also participating, while Russia, traditionally dominant in the area, is fighting in Ukraine.

·       These countries regularly take part in drills with the two most influential major powers in this strategic region: with Russia as part of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and with China as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Significance

·       The Birlestik-2024 exercise serves as a platform for building stronger regional security partnerships.

·       It fosters mutual understanding, promotes peace, and prepares the armed forces to respond effectively to various security challenges.

·       It aims to investigate the enigmatic origins of radio waves emanating from the Sun, a phenomenon first observed decades ago.

·       The mission employs an innovative technique called low frequency radio interferometry, marking its first use in space.

·       CURIE consists of two miniature spacecraft, collectively no larger than a shoebox, which will orbit Earth approximately two miles apart.

·       This separation enables the instruments to detect minute differences in radio wave arrival times, pinpointing their exact solar origin.

Working

·       This spacecraft will measure radio waves in the 0.1 to 19 megahertz range, frequencies blocked by Earth’s upper atmosphere, necessitating space-based observations.

·       CURIE will orbit 360 miles above Earth’s surface to obtain an unobstructed view of the Sun’s radio emissions.

·       Once in orbit, the two CURIE spacecraft will separate, deploy their eight-foot antennas, and begin collecting data.

·       This mission not only promises to advance our understanding of solar phenomena but also paves the way for future space-based radio astronomy endeavors

·       It is sponsored by NASA’s Heliophysics Flight Opportunities for Research and Technology (H-FORT) Program.

·       It is a legal authorization that gives the agent or attorney-in-fact the authority to act on behalf of an individual referred to as the principal.

·       It is just a delegation of power by one person to another, who in turn, acts as his agent. There is a principal-agent relationship between them.

·       The agent may be given broad or limited authority to make decisions about the principal’s property, finances, investments, or medical care, depending on the terms of the POA.

·       A POA comes into play in the event that the principal is incapacitated by an illness or disability.

·       The agent may also act on behalf of the principal in case the person is not readily available to sign off on financial or legal transactions.

·       Types of POA include conventional, also known as a limited power of attorney, durable, which lasts for a lifetime unless you cancel it, springing, which only comes into play for specific events, and medical, also known as a durable power of attorney for healthcare.

·       The POA lapses when the creator dies, revokes it, or when it is invalidated by a court of law.

·       A POA also ends when the creator divorces a spouse charged with a POA or when an agent is not able to continue carrying out the outlined duties.

·       The term Kallakkadal, used by local fishermen, is a combination of two Malayalam words, including Kallan and Kadal. “Kallan means thief and Kadal means sea, meaning “ocean that arrives as a thief.

Causes:

·       It is caused by waves formed by ocean swells, which originate from distant storms such as hurricanes or prolonged periods of intense gale winds (usually in the southern part of the Indian Ocean).

·       These storms transfer significant energy from the air into the water, resulting in the formation of extremely high waves.

·       These waves can travel vast distances from the storm center until they reach the shoreline.

·       Kallakkadal occurs without precursors or any kind of local wind activity and as a result, it has been very difficult for the coastal population to get an advance warning.

·       However, early warning systems like the Swell Surge Forecast System —launched by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in 2020 gives forewarning seven days in advance.

·       UNESCO formally accepted term “Kallakkadal” for scientific use in 2012.