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31.01.2025 UPSC Daily Current Analysis

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

31.01.2025

GS-1 Geography

About The News:

Amid a rapid expansion of Russian activity in the Arctic region, a nuclear-powered icebreaker named “50 Let Pobedy” (also known as 50 Years of Victory) suffered damage after colliding with a cargo vessel in the Kara Sea.

Key points for prelims

Kara Sea:

It is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean that is located to the north of Siberia, Russia.
It covers an area of 880,000 sq.km.
The sea has been named after the Kara River.
It is situated between the Franz Josef Land in the northwest, the Novaya Zemlya islands in the west, and the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago in the east.
The Kara Strait and the Novaya Zemlya archipelago separate the Kara Sea from the Barents Sea in the west.
In the east, the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago separates the Kara Sea from the Laptev Sea.
In the north, the Kara Sea is also connected with the Arctic Basin.
It is regarded as one of the world’s coldest seas and remains covered with ice from September to May.
Different rivers, including the Kara, Ob, Pyasina, and Yenisei rivers, drain into the Kara Sea.
The significant islands that are found here include Bely, Dikson, Kamennyye, Oleni, and Taymyr Islands.
NEWS 2: BHASHINI Platform

GS-03 Science and Tech

About The News:

In a first for Northeast India, Tripura has pioneered the use of artificial intelligence for greater digital inclusion by adopting state-of-the-art text-to-speech technology under the BHASHINI initiative, government officials said recently.

Key points for prelims:

BHASHINI Platform:

BHASHINI, or the BHASHa INterface for India, is India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI)-led language translation platform, breaking down language barriers and enabling conversations between speakers of different Indian languages.
It aims to enhance internet accessibility and digital services in Indian languages, incorporating voice-based functions and promoting content creation in diverse languages.
Launched in July 2022 under the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM), BHASHINI aims to provide technology translation services in 22 scheduled Indian languages.
It aims to make Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP) resources available in the public domain to be used by Indian MSMEs, startups, and individual innovators.
BHASHINI is implemented by the Digital India BHASHINI Division, a division under the Digital India Corporation, a Section 8 Company of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
The platform is accessible through dedicated Android and iOS apps, providing a user-friendly experience.
This online platform also has a separate ‘Bhasadaan’ section which allows individuals to contribute to multiple crowdsourcing initiatives.

GS-03 Science and Tech

About the news:

A recent study shows that the bacterial strain Labrys portucalensis F11 (F11) can break down the strong carbon-fluorine bonds in polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or forever chemicals.

Key points for prelims:

F11 Bacteria:

F11 bacteria (Labrys portucalensis) are a strain of aerobic bacterium from the Xanthobacteraceae family.
These have adapted to survive in harsh, polluted environments by using contaminants as energy sources.
These bacteria were originally isolated from contaminated industrial soil in Portugal.
It can break down and transform at least three types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and some of the toxic byproducts.

Forever Chemicals:

These are toxic, man-made, hazardous chemicals that have dangerous effects on the environment and our health.
They are called “forever chemicals” because of their tendency to stick around in the atmosphere, rainwater and soil for long periods of time.
They are known to stay in the environment virtually forever and contribute to environmental degradation which adversely impacts the health of all organisms including human beings.
PFAs can migrate to the soil, water and air during their production and use.
These are listed in the Stockholm Convention.

Mains Questions:

Discuss the geopolitical and environmental significance of the Kara Sea. How does climate change impact Arctic navigation, resource exploration, and international relations?