08 January 2025: Daily Current Affairs Updates

Artesian Condition; GS-1 (Geography) ▪️Why in the News: Recently, water gushed out from underground ina Rajasthan village due to

"artesian condition.

‣ Artesian Condition:

• Artesian conditions arise when groundwater is confined under pressure within an aquifer, which is sandwiched between two impermeable layers of rock or clay.

o. When the upper confining layer is breached, such as through drilling, the pressurized water naturally ascends to the surface without the need for external pumping.

‣ Origin of the Term:

o. The term "artesian" is derived from the Artois region in France, where artesian wells were first drilled during the Middle Ages.

‣ Key Features:

o. Confined Aquifer: The groundwater is stored within a pressurized aquifer, enclosed by impermeable layers that restrict its movement.

o. Natural Flow: The water rises to the surface naturally, propelled by underground pressure,. without requiring mechanical pumping.

• Depth: Artesian aquifers are located at greater depths compared to unconfined groundwater sources, often resulting in a consistent water supply:

‣ Importance in Arid Regions:

o. Artesian conditions play a crucial role in arid and semi-arid regions by providing a reliable water source.

• Examples of regions benefiting from artesian aquifers include Rajasthan in India and parts of Australia.

Bharatpol; GS-2(Governance) ▪️Why in the news: Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently inaugurated the

'Bharatpol' portal which aims to streamline international cooperation for law investigating agencies.

‣ About BHARATPOL Portal:

> Definition: The BHARATPOL portal is designed to streamline the processing of international assistance requests through INTERPOL, including the issuance of Red Notices and other color-coded INTERPOL notices.

• Features:

o. The five key modules of BHARATPOL - Connect, INTERPOL Notices, References, Broadcast, and Resources - provide a technological platform to support all our law enforcement agencies.

• It is poised to become a transformative resource for field-level police officers, enhancing their capabilities to address crimes and security challenges effectively.

• By enabling faster and easier access to international support, the portal strengthens India's efforts to combat transnational crimes.

• The portal facilitates real-time information sharing, significantly aiding Indian Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in expediting access to international police assistance.

> Implementation: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is responsible for the development of the BHARATPOL portal.

BRICS; GS-2(IR) ▪️Why in the news: Indonesia has formally joined the BRICS group, a bloc of emerging economies featuring Russia, China and others that is viewed as a counterweight to the West.

• What is BRICS?

o. BRICS: An intergovernmental organization consisting of ten nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.

• Origin of the Term: The acronym "'BRIC" was introduced by economist Jim O'Neill in 2001.

• Founding Members: Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

• First BRIC Summit: Conducted in 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

• Transformation to BRICS: South Africa became a member in 2010, expanding the grouping to BRICS

• New Members:

• 2024 Expansion: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates were inducted as permanent members.

• 2025 Addition: Indonesia was granted full membership, further broadening BRICS.

> Purpose and Objectives:

• Counterweight to G7: BRICS was envisioned as a counterpart to the Group of Seven (G7), comprising developed nations like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.

> Primary Objectives:

• Foster economic growth and cooperation in trade, investment, and infrastructure development.

• Advocate for global governance reforms, including changes in institutions like the United Nations (UN) and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

• Enhance cultural and social ties through people-to-people exchanges.

New Development Bank (NDB):

• Establishment: Founded by BRICS as a multilateral development bank.

• Purpose: Mobilizes funds for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs).

• Initial Capital: Authorized at $100 billion.

o. Headquarters: Located in Shanghai, China.

Sunobuoys; GS-3 (Science and Technology) ▪️Why in the news: India and the U.S. recently announced cooperation on coproduction of U.S. sonobuoys for Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA) for the Indian Navy

> Definition: Sonobuoys are expendable, electro-mechanical acoustic sensors designed to detect underwater sounds from ships and submarines.

> Duration: They remain active for about 24 hours.

- Role: They assist in the detection, classification, and prosecution of adversarial vessels.

‣ Working Mechanism of Sonobuoys

• Naval aircraft, such as helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft, drop sonobuoys in a pre-determined pattern.

• Sonobuoys are contained in canisters and deploy automatically when they hit the water.

• A radio-transmitting inflatable system stays on the surface for communication with the aircraft or ship tracking it.

• Below the surface, the sensors descend to a designated depth, where they collect acoustic information and relay it back to monitoring units.

> Tracking: Multiple sonobuoys deployed in a specific pattern can locate submarines, enabling further tracking by other naval systems.

> Types of Sonobuoys:

• Active Sonobuoys: Emit sound energy, listen for the echo, and send information back to the aircraft based on the detected sound.

Passive Sonobuoys: Only listen for sounds from ships or submarines and transmit these sounds back to the aircraft.