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  Tsunami These are a series of waves usually  generated by the movement of the seafloor.  These movements are  caused by different types of geophysical phenomena  such as  earthquakes ,  landslides,   and volcanic eruptions. The word tsunami is a  Japanese word,  represented by two characters: tsu, meaning, "harbor", and nami meaning, "wave". The tsunami waves behave very differently in deep water than in shallow water as their  speed is related to the water depth. They  frequently occur in the Pacific,  where dense oceanic plates slide under the lighter continental plates. When these plates fracture they provide a vertical movement of the seafloor that allows a quick and efficient transfer of energy from the solid earth to the ocean. Source:-  https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/

INCOIS was  established in 1999  as an  autonomous body  under the  Ministry of Earth Sciences. INCOIS  through Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) is the  nodal agency to provide tsunami advisories to India. It is coordinating with the Disaster Management Officials (DMOs) for implementation of  Tsunami Ready  programme in India. It conducts  IOWave Tsunami mock exercises biannually  to strengthen the readiness to handle emergency situations with stakeholders. INCOIS also identifies the  Potential Fishing Zones  (PFZ) for the fishermen community. It has also  made improvement in overcoming the cloud cover  through the usage of geostationary satellites and numerical modelling. INCOIS has also partnered with  Indian Space Research Organisation  (ISRO) and  Airports Authority of India  (AAI) to  develop a satellite-based message broadcasting service  through the indigenous navig...

  Why in News According to experts from the  Indian National Centre for Ocean Information System (INCOIS) , India is much safer against tsunami threats than it was in 2004, due to the establishment of a state-of-the-art tsunami early warning system at INCOIS. Key Points Indian Tsunami Early Warning System: The Indian Tsunami Early Warning System (ITEWS) was  established in 2007  and is based at & operated by INCOIS, Hyderabad. It is an  integrated effort  of different organizations including the Department of Space (DOS), Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Survey of India (SOI) and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). ITEWS comprises a  real-time network of seismic stations,  tide gauges and a  24X7 operational tsunami warning centre  to detect tsunamigenic earthquakes, to monitor tsunamis and to provide timely advisories to vulnerable communities. Indian s...

  Why in News? Recently, the  Election Commission  (EC) has found former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister’s  remark on a woman politician violative of the Model Code of Conduct  (MCC). Points to Remember:- The MCC is a  set of guidelines issued by the EC to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. It helps EC in keeping with the  mandate it has been given under Article 324  of the Constitution, which gives it the  power to supervise and conduct free and fair elections  to the Parliament and State Legislatures. The MCC is  operational from the date on which the election schedule is announced until the date of result announcement. Evolution: The origins of the MCC lie in the  Assembly elections of Kerala in 1960  when the State administration  prepared a ‘Code of Conduct’ for political actors. Subsequently, in the  Lok Sabha elections in 1962,  the ECI  circulated the code  to ...

Why in News? 59 th  Raising Day of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). About the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): Raised on 24 October, 1962 during India-China War, the ITBP primarily guards the nation’s 3,488 kilometer long borders in the Himalayas at the BOPs (border outposts) located at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 18,800 feet. ITBP is deployed on border guarding duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. Apart from guarding the border, the Force is also deployed for anti-Naxal operations and other internal security duties. ITBPF is a specialized mountain force and most of the officers and men are professionally trained mountaineers and skiers. It is a border guarding police force specializing in high altitude operations. ITBP is headed by a Director-General who is an IPS officer. Being the first responder for a natural disaster, ITBPF has been carrying out numerous rescue and relief operations across the country. ITBP is a Central Armed Poli...

Why in News? PM inaugurated Kisan Suryodaya Yojana in Gujarat. Points to Remember:- The scheme is aimed at providing day-time electricity to the farmers in Gujarat for irrigation and farming purposes. It will provide 16 hours of power supply to farmers. Earlier, most of the farmers got power for irrigation in the night only and had to wake up all night. In Girnar and Junagadh, the farmers also face the problem of wild animals. Under the Kisan Suryodaya Yojana, farmers will get 3 phase power supply from 5 AM to 9 PM. The state government has allocated a budget of Rs.3500 crore for installing transmission infrastructure under this scheme by 2023. 234 ‘66-Kilowatt’ transmission lines, with a total length of 3490 circuit km (CKM) will be established under the project, in addition to 220 KV substations.

  World Polio Day  (October 24) provides an opportunity to highlight global efforts toward a polio-free world and honor the tireless contributions of those on the frontlines in the fight to eradicate polio from every corner of the globe. Through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), CDC works with partners to eradicate polio and end the suffering from this devastating disease. Stopping polio in all forms will require us to be resilient, adapt, and innovate to deliver a polio-free world. Resiliency and Innovation in the Face of Challenges This year the polio program has marked inspiring and important milestones, developments, and challenges for advancing progress toward polio eradication, including: Certification of the African Region as wild poliovirus-free in August Testing and preparation for the introduction of novel oral poliovirus type 2 vaccine (nOPV2), a new tool to stop outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). Supporting many count...

  Why in News? Recently,  Kabar Tal Wetland (Bihar)  and  Asan Conservation Reserve (Uttrakhand)  have been designated as  Ramsar sites , making them  ‘Wetlands of International Importance’. Earlier in 2020, India  designated 10 more wetlands as a Ramsar site , taking the total number from 27 to 37. With 2 more inclusions, the  total number of Ramsar sites in India  is  39,  the  highest in South Asia. Points to Remember:-  Kabar Tal Wetland: Kabar Tal Lake Also known as  Kanwar Jheel,  it covers 2,620 hectares of the Indo-Gangetic plains in the Begusarai district of Bihar. It acts as  a vital flood buffer  for the region besides providing livelihood opportunities to local communities. Significant biodiversity  is present, with 165 plant species and 394 animal species recorded, including 221 bird species. It is also a  valuable site for fish biodiversity  with over 50 species documen...

  The federal poverty level is a key consideration in assessing anyone’s eligibility to receive government benefits. Your access to many state and federal safety net programs is often based on where you or your household falls on the  federal poverty guidelines .    For example, premiums on the federal health insurance exchange are defined against this metric, as are many forms of tax relief. Here’s what you need to know about the federal poverty level. Federal Poverty Level Defined Government programs typically measure households on a sliding scale of incomes against the federal poverty level. For example, a household with an income earns 100% of the poverty level or less may receive full benefits, while one that earns 300% of the poverty level may receive fewer. Most state and federal programs cap eligibility at 400% of the federal poverty level. When the federal government refers to “income,” it is referring to modified adjusted gross income, which is not a n...

Why in News? Recently, the Foreign Ministers’ meetings of the  South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation  (SAARC) and the  Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA)  took place in a virtual manner. Points to Remember:- India-Pakistan Tussle: India called the SAARC countries to collectively resolve to defeat the scourge of  terrorism,  including the forces that nurture, support and encourage an environment of terror and conflict. This was a  clear criticism of Pakistan  who has been involved in crossborder terrorism. Pakistan also made a detailed statement on the resolution of “long-standing disputes”, a veiled reference to Jammu and Kashmir and India’s move to  withdraw Article 370. Background: Recently,  India said  that the degree of seriousness of each SAARC member-nation in collectively fighting the  Covid-19  pandemic can be gauged by their behavior. The statement was in cle...