What is the News ?

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is holding an art exhibition in New Delhi from November 3–5, 2023, titled "Silent Conversation: From Margins to the Center."

Facts About:

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has been constituted under section 38 L (1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It is a statutory body, established in 2006 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Objectives:        

• Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance with its directives becomes legal.
• Fostering Center-State accountability in Tiger Reserve management by providing a foundation for MoUs with states within the federal structure.
• Including a provision for parliamentary oversight.
• Addressing the livelihood interests of local residents in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.
• Members of NTCA:

              Minister in charge of MoEFCC (as Chairperson),

              Minister of State in MoEFCC (as Vice-Chairperson),

              Three members of Parliament, the Secretary (MoEFCC), and other members.

What is the News ?

The Lower Subansiri Hydro Electric Power project in Assam encountered a major problem when a significant landslide completely blocked its sole operational diversion tunnel, causing a substantial interruption in water flow through the river.

Facts About:

• This is the country's biggest hydroelectric project to date.

                 It is a run-of-river project on the Subansiri River.

• The Project is situated close to North Lakhimpur, which marks the boundary between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
• Capacity: 2000 MW.
• Up to 7.4 billion kWh of electricity will be produced there each year.
• Along with building a concrete gravity dam rising 116 meters above the riverbed, the project also entails building a surface powerhouse.

                  The dam will be 284 meters in length.

• The powerhouse is situated in the Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, whereas the dam is situated in the Dhemaji district of Assam.
• It is being developed by the state-owned National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC).
• Finance: A term loan was used to finance 30% of the project's debt in addition to 70% equity.
• The budgetary support provided by the central government is a component of the equity component.

What is the News ?

The 'NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar' (NISAR) is set to enable the investigation of how changes in Earth's forest and wetland ecosystems affect the worldwide carbon cycle and exert an influence on climate change.

Facts About:

• NASA and ISRO collaborated to develop the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory known as NISAR.

            It's about the size of an SUV and weighs 2,800 kilograms.

• It is a dual-frequency imaging radar satellite, having both L-band and S-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instruments.
• The first satellite mission to measure variations in the surface of our planet will be NISAR, which will use two distinct radar frequencies (L-band and S-band).

            No matter the weather, SAR can gather data day or night and penetrate clouds to gather information.

• NASA has contributed GPS, an L-band radar, a payload data subsystem, and a high-capacity solid-state recorder for data storage.

            ISRO on the other hand supplied the S-band radar, as well as the GSLV launch system and spacecraft.

• Additionally, it has a sizable 39-foot stationary antenna reflector with an upward-facing feed on the instrument structure that will be used to focus "the radar signals emitted and received."

            The reflector is constructed of gold-plated wire mesh.

• The mission's objectives are to measure the dynamic surfaces, ice masses, and changing ecosystems of Earth in order to gather data on groundwater, biomass, natural hazards, and sea level rise.
• NISAR is going to perform global 12-day regular observations of Earth's land and ice-covered surfaces during ascending and descending passes.

What is the News ?

A seismic swarm has hit the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland with more than 5,500 small earthquakes in the last three days, raising the prospect of a volcanic eruption.

Facts About:

An earthquake swarm is a sequence of earthquakes that occur in a relatively short period, typically days or weeks, with no clear mainshock.

• It can occur anywhere in the world, but they are most common in volcanic regions and areas with active faults.

There are a number of different possible causes of earthquake swarms, but the most common cause is thought to be the movement of fluids through the Earth's crust.

• Fluids can weaken the rocks along faults, making them more likely to slip and generate earthquakes.
• Fluids can also move heat around, which can trigger earthquakes in some cases.

Reasons for swarm sequences:

Fluid migration: When fluids, such as water or magma, move through the Earth's crust, they can lubricate faults and make them more likely to slip.

• This can lead to a swarm of earthquakes as the fault ruptures in multiple places.

Magmatic activity: Earthquake swarms are often associated with volcanic regions.

• This suggests that magma moving underground can also trigger swarms.

Slow fault slip: When a fault slips slowly, the stress on the fault can build up over time until it is released in a series of small earthquakes.

• This can also lead to a swarm.

About the Reykjanes Peninsula:

• The Reykjanes Peninsula, located in southwestern Iceland, is a captivating region known for its dramatic and otherworldly landscapes.
• This geologically active area is characterized by rugged coastlines, extensive lava fields, and numerous geothermal features, including the famous Blue Lagoon.
• As part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, it showcases a bridge between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it a site of significant geological events such as earthquakes and volcanoes.

What is the News ?

The ancient Pallava period paintings at Talagirishwara temple in Panamalai, Villupuram district, have suffered greatly due to neglect. The painting that showed Lord Shiva's dance has nearly disappeared, leaving only the face of goddess Parvathi and a few small sections remaining.

Facts About:

Talagirishwara Temple is situated in Panamalai village, Viluppuram district, Tamil Nadu, India.

• It is built on a small hill overlooking Panamalai Lake.

The temple was constructed by Pallava king Narasimhavarman II, also known as Rajasimha, during the Seventh Century.

Notable features of the temple include a Vimana similar to the one at Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram.

• The Vimana has three layers, with the highest tier being reconstructed.

Inside the temple's garbhagriha, there's a Dharalingam, and a Somaskanda section on the rear wall.

The temple has an Ardhamandapam (partial Mandapam) with walls featuring depictions of divinities like Brahma with Saraswati and Vishnu with Lakshmi.

• It faces east and is surrounded on three sides by sub-shrines.
• Additional sub-shrines and a large Mandapam called Mahamandapam were added at a later date.

The typical Pallava-style pillars with crouching lions can be found in the temple.

The temple houses paintings that resemble those in Ajantha and Chithannavasal.

• These paintings are on the walls of a sub-temple on the northern side of Talagirishwara (Shiva) temple.
• Notable among the paintings is one of Lord Shiva with eight hands dancing, known as Latathilagabhani, watched by Goddess Parvathi.

These paintings are older than the ones in Chithannavasal and were created by covering the stonewalls with a paste made of limestone and sand.