Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 23 December 2022

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 23 December 2022

::NATIONAL::

Palm- leaf manuscript

• First palm leaf manuscript museum was inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

About:

• Palm-leaf manuscripts are one of humanity’s most ancient and widespread technologies for transmitting and preserving knowledge in written form.
• They are produced from two main types of palms: palmyra and talipot.
• Palmyra leaf is rather thick and inflexible and tends to get brittle over time.
• Talipot is thinner and more flexible and has excellent durability, reportedly lasting as long as 600 years.
• They include many unique sources on Indian, Nepalese, and Southeast Asian culture and religion.

Galleries:

• The first gallery ‘History of Writing’ is an introduction to the evolution of writing, particularly in Kerala, and introduces visitors to the Marayur cave paintings and engravings and the stamps and seals used in Harappa, through their replicas.
• The other galleries are ‘Land and people’, ‘Administration’, ‘War and peace’, ‘Education and health’, ‘Economy’, ‘Art and culture’, amid the Mathilakom records (a collection of 3,000 cadjan manuscript rolls possessed by Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple).

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Dokra Metal Crafts

• Bengal village Lalbazar on the boundary with Jharkhand is becoming a hub for Dokra metalcraft.

About Dokra Metal Crafts:

• Dhokra is a form of ancient bell metal craft practiced by the Ojha metal smiths living in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Telangana.
• However, the style and also the workmanship of this artisan community varies in different states.
• Dhokra or Dokra, is also known as bell metal craft.Its documented history is about 5,000 years old.
• Making dokra art is a difficult process. Each figurine takes about a month to make.
• Dokra artifacts are mainly made in brass and are highly unique wherein the pieces do not have any form of joints. The whole object is fully handcrafted.
• The traditional designs are considered highly aesthetic in nature and a collector’s delight.

About the process:

• There are many processes involved, for which seven to eight varieties of clay is required, apart from other raw material.
• The method of making Dokra is done by combining the metallurgical skills with that of the lost wax technique.
• The handicrafts are known for combining the metallurgical skills with wax technique for making artefacts of distinctive look and beauty.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

Global economy in steep slowdown

• A report by World Bank said the/at the world is in its “steepest slowdown” since 1970 and 685 million people could be living in extreme poverty by the end of 2022.
• This would make 2022 the second-worst year for poverty reduction in the past two decades, after 2020.

Key highlights:

• The “2022 in Nine Charts” report said that 7 per cent of the world’s population-roughly 574 million—will be in extreme poverty in 2030. It is shorter than the global goal of 3 per cent set earlier by the World Bank.
• World’s three largest economies—United States, China, andEuro area—slowing sharply; increasing recession risks overnext year.
• 60% of world’s poorest countries are either in debtdistress or at risk of it.
• It hurts critical investments in economic reform, health,climate action, or education - among other keydevelopment priorities.
• 2nd worst year for poverty reduction with 685 millionpeople estimated to be living in extreme poverty by2022-end.
• Drastic rise in food insecurity around the globe.
• 733 million people currently have no access to electricityand by 2030, 670 million people will remain without it.
• Global energy markets are in continuous shock leading tofuel prices soaring.
• Learning poverty rate in low- and middle-income countriesmay have risen to 70% in 2022.

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TVS-2M Nuclear Fuel

• Russia has supplied first batches of TVS-2M nuclear fuel to India for Kudankulam Nuclear PowerPlant.
• TVS-2M contains mixed Uranium-Gadolinium oxide with Uranium enrichments, but withoutBurnable Absorbers Rods (BARs).
• BARs contain neutron-absorbing material that is inserted into guide tubes of a pressurized waterreactor.

Significance of TVS- 2M:

• More efficient and more vibration-resistant due to rigidity of a fuel bundle.
• Increased uranium capacity- one TVS-2M assembly contains 7.6% more fuel material as compared to earlier fuel.
• Efficiently operated in an 18-months fuel cycle.

::Economy::

Private Cryptocurrencies

• Reserve Bank Governor warned that the next financial crisis can be triggered by private cryptocurrencies, if such speculative instruments are allowed to grow.
• The Governor has been staunchly opposed to such instruments and the RBI has gone till the Supreme Court with its contention.

Key highlights:

• Recent crash of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, one of biggest financial frauds in US history, illustrate the threat posed by suchinstruments.
• Cryptocurrency is a digital, encrypted, and decentralized medium of exchange.
• Cryptocurrencies run on a distributed public ledger called blockchain, a record of all transactions updated and held by currencyholders.

Advantages: 

• Protected from inflation; keeps transaction record accurate and up-to-date; decentralisation helps the currency monopolyfree etc.
• Concerns: 
• Illegal transactions like buying drugs in Dark web; its mining is energy intensive; vulnerable to hacks, etc.

::SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY::

Gelbots

• Recently, John Hopkins University scientists built a soft robot named Gelbots.

About:

• Gelbots are made out of gelatin, capable of moving without requiring an extra power source because of the way their shape, dimensions and patterning of gel are designed and are reportedly a significant advance in the world of soft robotics.
• They are created by 3D printing and would be easy for mass production.

Principle:

• The gels swell or shrink in response to temperature.
• This property can be strategically manipulated to move robots forward and backwards on flat surfaces or to have them crawl in certain directions with an undulating, wave-like motion.

Potential application areas: 

• They can be used to create smart structures.
• Even they can be used for moving on surfaces through the human body to deliver targeted medicines.
• They could also be deployed as marine robots, patrolling and monitoring the ocean’s surface.
• Gelbots can be trained to crawl in response to variations in human biomarkers and biochemical.

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