1. Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) System
Context
- The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system.
About
- India is pursuing its ballistic missile defence programme in two phases – the first phase has been completed while the second is underway for validating intercept systems in a new range category.
- Test demonstrates India’s capability to defend against ballistic missiles of 5000 km class.
- The Phase-II AD Endo-atmospheric missile is an indigenously developed, two-stage, solid-propelled, ground-launched missile system designed to neutralise various types of enemy ballistic missile threats within the altitude bracket of endo- to low exo-atmospheric regions.
- In 2022, DRDO successfully tested for the first time a long-range interceptor missile, called AD-1, designed for both exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric interception of ballistic missiles.
- The two systems have been integrated for a multi-layered defence against ballistic missiles
2.Liberia Might Relocate its Capital City Monrovia
In News
Severe flooding in Liberia has led a group of senators to propose relocating the capital city away from Monrovia.
About Liberia
- Liberia is situated on the west coast of Africa north of the equator, with Guinea on the north, Sierra Leone on the west, Côte d’Ivoire on the east and the Atlantic Ocean on the south.
- Main resources : iron ore, timber, diamonds and gold
- Geographical Features :
- Highest point Mount Wuteve
- Rivers : the Mano the Cavalla ,the Lofa, St. Paul, St. John and Cestos River.
3. Anti defection law
News
On the eve of the six-day monsoon session, the Jharkhand Assembly Speaker’s Tribunal on Thursday disqualified two legislators under the anti-defection law with effect from July 26.• Both the MLAs had unsuccessfully contested this year’s Lok Sabha election against the wishes of their parties
About anti defection law
The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, commonly known as the anti-defection law, was introduced in 1985 with a view to curb the tendency among legislators to switch loyalties from one party to another and facilitate the toppling of regimes and formation of new ones. It provides for the Presiding Officer of the legislature to disqualify any defector on a petition by another member.
• The law contemplates two kinds of defection: (a) by a member voluntarily giving up membership of the party on whose symbol he got elected (b) by a member violating a direction (whip) issued by his party to vote in a particular way or to abstain from voting.
4. What are orangutans?
Overview:
Scientists recently observed a wild male orangutan repeatedly rubbing chewed-up leaves of a medicinal plant on a facial wound in a forest reserve in Indonesia.
Why in News?
It’s the first known observation of a wild animal using a plant to treat a wound, and adds to evidence that humans are not alone in using plants for medicinal purposes.
About Orangutans:
- Known for their distinctive red fur, Orangutans are the largest arboreal (animals that live in trees) mammals.
- They spend more than 90 percent of their waking hours in the trees.
- Distribution: They live on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and on both the Malaysian and Indonesian portions of the island of Borneo.
- Habitat: Habitats range from peat swamp forests near sea level to mountainous forests almost a mile (1.6 kilometers) above sea level.
- There are three species of Orangutans-the Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli.
- They are one of humankind’s closest relatives. These great apes share 96.4% of our genes and are highly intelligent creatures.
- Features:
The adult male is typically twice the size of the female and may attain a height of 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) and a weight of 130 kg (285 pounds) in the wild.
They have long, sparse orange or reddish hair unequally distributed over their bodies.
They are very well adapted to life in the trees, with arms much longer than their legs. They have grasping hands and feet with long curved fingers and toes.
Older males develop wide cheek pads, a unique feature among primates.
Lifespan: Up to 50 years in the wild.
Diet: Daytime eaters, their diet consists mostly of fruit and leaves, but they also eat nuts, bark, insects, and, once in a while, bird eggs, too.
Social Structure: Orangutans live semi-solitary lives in the wild. While they are the most solitary of the great apes, they exhibit social tolerance during times of high fruit abundance when they come together in aggregations known as parties.
Conservation status: All three species are classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List.