09 January 2025: Daily Current Affairs Updates

Indus Valley Civilisation Script; GS-1 (History and Culture) ▪️ Why in the News: Recently, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a $1-million prize for experts or organisations in the event of their success in deciphering the scripts of the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC).

> Harappan Script:

• Decipherment Status: The Harappan script remains largely undeciphered. Although there have been attempts to compare it with contemporary scripts from Mesopotamia and Egypt, it is recognized as an indigenous product of the Indus region, without significant links to Western Asian scripts.

‣ Key Features:

• Short Inscriptions: Harappan inscriptions are generally brief, with an average of about five characters per inscription. The longest known inscription contains only 26 characters.

・ Boustrophedon Script: The Harappan script is written in a boustrophedon style, where writing alternates direction from right to left on one line and left to right on the following line.

o. Pictographic Nature: The script is primarily pictographic, not alphabetical. It consists of approximately 250 to 400 pictographs, with each symbol representing a sound, idea, or object.

‣Specimens and Usage: Over 4,000 examples of Harappan writing are found on stone seals and various other objects. Unlike the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, the Harappans typically did not produce long inscriptions. Most of their inscriptions were short and likely used for marking private property; particularly on seals.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas; GS-2 (Polity and Governance) ▪️Why in the news: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recently inaugurated

the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

> Flagship Event:

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a prominent event organized by the Ministry of External Affairs of India.

• Held in Different Cities: The event is hosted in various cities across India to highlight the diversity and progress of different regions.

> Biennale Evolution: Since 2015, it has become a biennial event, with theme-based conferences taking place during the years in between.

History: Held annually on January 9th, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas marks the day in 1915 when Mahatma Gandhi, the most prominent Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa to lead the freedom struggle.

> Theme for This Year: "Diaspora's Contribution to a Viksit Bharat" (Developed India):

The theme for this year focuses on acknowledging the role of the diaspora in contributing to the development of a 'Viksit Bharat.'

Gravitational Lensing; GS-3(Science and Technology) ▪️ Why in the news: Physicists studying a distant galaxy using a telescopic technique called

"Gravitational lensing" found 44 previously unknown astral bodies.

‣ Definition: Gravitational Lensing refers to the phenomenon where light from a background source is affected by the curvature of spacetime, which is caused by the presence of mass.

> Effect on Light: This effect causes light to bend, distort, and even magnify as it passes near a massive object.

‣ Gravitational Lensing Theory:

• Prediction by Einstein (1915): The concept of Gravitational Lensing was first predicted by Albert Einstein in 1915. It involves the bending of light due to the influence of large masses.

• Spacetime Curvature: According to Einstein's general theory of relativity, time and space are interconnected into a single entity known as spacetime. Large masses cause spacetime to curve, and gravity itself is understood as the curvature of spacetime.

• Light Path Curvature: As light travels through spacetime, its path is bent when passing near a massive object, as predicted by the theory.

• Dramatic Example of Theory: Gravitational Lensing serves as a dramatic and observable demonstration of Einstein's theory in real-world scenarios.

‣ Observable Effects:

• Lensing Objects: The effect is most noticeable when light from a bright background source, such as a star, quasar, or galaxy, passes near a massive object like another galaxy or a galaxy cluster, known as the "lensing object" or simply a gravitational lens.

• Apparent Shifts and Multiple Images: The bending of light can cause the object's apparent position in the sky to shift, or it can create multiple images of a single object. This can sometimes produce striking formations such as rings or crosses.

• Light Amplification: Gravitational Lensing can also amplify light from a background object. This natural magnification allows astronomers to observe distant, faint galaxies and other cosmic objects.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency; GS-3 (Environment and Ecology) ▪️Why in the news: Researchers have demonstrated that reducing nitric oxide

(NO) levels in plants can significantly improve nitrogen uptake and Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) in rice and Arabidopsis.

> Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE):

Nitrogen Use Efficiency refers to how efficiently a plant utilizes applied or fixed nitrogen for biomass production.

• Calculation: NUE is expressed as the ratio of crop yield to the amount of nitrogen absorbed either from the soil through the roots or from the atmosphere via bacterial fixation.

> Importance in Crop Breeding:

NUE is a critical trait in crop breeding programs that aim to enhance crop yields while reducing input costs, such as fertilizers, and minimizing nitrogen's environmental impact.

‣Challenges with Traditional Methods:

o. Over-reliance on Inorganic Nitrogen Fertilizers: Traditional methods of improving NUE often involve the application of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers.

While effective, these practices come with considerable drawbacks.

• Increased Operational Costs: The use of nitrogen fertilizers raises operational costs for farmers.

• Environmental Concerns: Fertilizer production contributes to the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx), and excessive fertilizer use contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, leading to environmental degradation.

‣ Highlights of the Study:

• Novel Approach to Improving NUE: A recent study suggests a new method to enhance NUE by focusing on the regulation of Nitrogen Oxide (NO) levels within plants.

• Impact on Nitrate Transporters: By adjusting NO levels, researchers can influence the activity of high-affinity nitrate transporters (HATs), which are essential for efficient nitrogen uptake, particularly under low nitrogen conditions.

• Sustainable Solution: This approach offers a more sustainable alternative to traditional practices, potentially increasing crop yields while reducing the need for excessive nitrogen inputs.