1. Pegasus
- Context: The Supreme Court asked petitioners what’s wrong if the government used Pegasus spyware for security reasons against “anti-national elements”.
Pegasus:
Prelims special:
Q. The terms ‘WannaCry, Petya and EternalBlue’ sometimes mentioned in the news recently are related to (UPSC 2018)
- Exoplanets
- Cryptocurrency
- Cyber attacks
- Mini satellites
Ans: (c)
2. Rabies
- Context: The number of rabies deaths has been increasing in Kerala reportedly at an alarming rate over the past four-five years.
Rabies
- It is a fatal but preventable viral disease.
- It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal.
- It is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes, dogs and most rabies deaths in people around the world are caused by dog bites.
- The rabies virus infects the central nervous system.
- If a person does not receive the appropriate medical care after a potential rabies exposure, the virus can cause disease in the brain, ultimately resulting in death.
- Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets, staying away from wildlife, and seeking medical care after potential exposures before symptoms start.
Prelims special:
Q. Which one of the following is synthesised in the human body that dilate blood vessels and increases blood flow?(UPSC 2024)
- Nitric oxide
- Nitrous oxide
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Nitrogen Pentoxide
Ans: (a)
3. Cyberattacks
- Context: Cyber attacks were reported on the websites of four institutions associated with the armed forces. The cyber attacks originated from Pakistan: official sources
Cyberattacks
- They are unwelcome attempts to steal, expose, alter, disable or destroy information through unauthorized access to computer systems.
- Such forms of attacks to keep networks from functioning after encrypting data
- They are carried out by ransomware-seeking entities and organisations are sent demands which are often negotiated and paid without informing law enforcement.
- Cyberterrorism: It is often defined as any premeditated, politically motivated attack against information systems, programs and data that threatens violence or results in violence.
Prelims special:
Q. Consider the following:(UPSC 2022)
1. Aarogya Setu
2. CoWIN
3. DigiLocker
4. DIKSHA
Which of the above are built on top of open-source digital platforms?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2, 3 and 4 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: (d)
4. Indian Rhino Context: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has drawn flak for passing off an African rhino as the one-horned Indian rhinoceros in the class 4 mathematics textbook.
Prelims Special:
Q. With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements: (2020)
- The leader of an elephant group is a female.
- The maximum gestation period can be 22 months.
- An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only.
- Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 4 only
- 3 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
Ans: (a)
5. Axiom space mission
- Context: Indian astronaut Group Captain mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to be launched on May 29 2025 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Key highlights:
- The Axiom Mission 4 crew will be launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the ISS and will spend up to 14 days at the orbiting laboratory.
International Space Station (ISS):
Prelims special:
Q. Consider the following statements: (2016)
The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO
- is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission
- made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA
- made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first attempt
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Ans: (c)