Context: Recently, scientists at Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, have developed an algorithm called STARFIRE.

About STARFIRE Algorithm

• The STARFIRE is a new algorithm that will help estimate and map the unwanted Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) signals in space.

• STARFIRE Stands for: Simulation of TerrestriAl Radio Frequency Interference in oRbits around Earth.

• STARFIRE algorithm can help estimate the RFI emitted by Frequency Modulation (FM) radio stations, WiFi networks, mobile towers, radar, satellites, and communication devices.

• These frequencies often tend to interfere with the RFI emitted by the object of research such as universe.

• The estimation of RFI sourcing from these devices will help in finding the correct data of RFI coming from the object of research.

• It can help design instruments that can offer optimal operations in the presence of RFI.

• This will then help in enrichment of data obtained from the future space-based Astronomy missions.

Application of STARFIRE Algorithm

• To study the early Universe and its evolution by detecting faint and weak strength signals coming from the universe.

• This has been challenging before the development of algorithm, due to the presence of signals coming from the devices installed on Earth.

• Use the calculation for designing and fine-tuning the antennas and other instrument for missions like India’s Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen (PRATUSH).

• This algorithm can be useful in orbit selection for future missions.

• STARFIRE allows users to change properties of the antennas that transmit and receive RFI along with including the astrophysical radio signals from Milky way galaxy and the cosmos.

• This will then help to derive meaningful conclusions about experiment sensitivity.

About PRATUSH mission

• The PRATUSH mission aims to address the growing RFI on Earth and to study the birth of the first stars and galaxies in the Universe using the 21-cm hydrogen line obtained from the far side of the moon.

• 21-cm hydrogen line may contain some of the unknown facts about the cosmos.

• Using the data, generated by STARFIRE scientists have quantified the effect of RFI variation with frequency, altitude, and different locations over Earth.

• These RFI effects were studied at the Low Earth Orbit, Medium Earth Orbit, and Geo-stationary orbit.

• As compared to high altitude orbits, lower altitude orbits experiences a smaller fraction of the Earth.

• This makes hence RFI from fewer transmitters more suitable for the Phase-I of PRATUSH.

• The subsequent phase will be a lunar orbiter which will be informed by observations from Phase-I.

What are the problems caused by Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)?

• RFI acts as an inevitable contaminant in a low-frequency cosmological experiment in Earth’s orbit.

• It can swamp out the radio waves astronomers use to learn about black holes, newly formed stars and the evolution of galaxies.

• Radio frequency interference is emitted mostly by electronic and electrical devices like switching power relays, industrial controls, medical instruments, electronic printers, game consoles, computing devices, etc.

Context: Rajya Sabha passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022 to amend the Constitution (Schedule Tribes) Order, 1950 for inclusion of certain communities in the list of Schedule Tribes of Chhattisgarh. It was passed in Lok Sabha in December 2022.

About the Constitution (STs) Order (5th Amendment) Bill

• The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order 1950 with respect to its application to Chhattisgarh. 

• Inclusion of Communities: The Bill includes the Dhanuhar, Dhanuwar, Kisan, Saunra, Saonra, and Binjhia communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Chhattisgarh.

• Synonyms Inclusion: The Bill adds Bhuinya, Bhuiyan, and Bhuyan communities as synonyms for the Bharia Bhumia community.

• Devanagari Versions: Three Devanagari versions of the name of the Pando community are also included.

• The Bill substitutes the names of certain tribal communities in the Constitution Order, with the corresponding names in the Hindi version of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000.  

• Example: the names of Oraon, Dhanka, and Dhangad communities will be substituted.

About Article 342

• Article 342 (1): the President, after consultation with the Governor of state, may specify the tribes/tribal communities/parts of or groups within tribes/tribal communities as Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State/UT.

• ?The Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of STs specified in a notification issued under clause (1) any tribe or tribal community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community.

Future Generali India Life Insurance has tied with up JM Financial Services in order to elevate its product offerings and extend its market presence across the country.

• The collaboration will help the insurer diversify its product portfolio and leverage JM Financial’s distribution and financial advisory capabilities to offer innovative products, it said in a release.
• JM Financial’s distribution network includes 54 branches, 725 Business Affiliates, over 9,000 active financial distributors and a base of 2.2 lakh customers which includes individuals, corporations and financial institutions.
• "Our key task is to empower our customers with this significant financial protection tool and make it accessible for everyone. With this tie–up, our customers can choose from a comprehensive suite of insurance products and plan for a financially secure future,” said Dimplekumar Shah, MD and co-head, Equity Broking Group at JM Financial.

SpaceX launches largest private communications satellite Jupiter 3. It is designed to provide internet services in North and South America. Satellite was launched using a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center. 

• The satellite ifted-off aboard the company's Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A in Florida.
• This marks the seventh launch for SpaceX's triple-booster rocket, Falcon Heavy, which first made headlines with its debut in 2018.
• In a departure from usual practice, SpaceX expended its core booster in the Atlantic Ocean following the first-stage separation, rather than attempting a drone-ship landing at sea.

Accelerated melting of the Himalayan Parkachik Glacier in Ladakh could give rise to three glacial lakes with an average depth ranging between 34 and 84 metres, scientists have found.

• These lakes could be a potential source of glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalayas, the scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, said.  
• Parkachik Glacier is one of the largest glacier in the Suru River valley, which is a part of the Southern Zanskar Ranges, western Himalaya.
• The Zanskar Range, part of the Himalayas, lies in the union territory of Ladakh. 
• In this study, the scientists have identified three potential overdeepening sites for lake formation on the glacier at different elevations. The lake area of each of these lakes could range from 43 to 270 hectares. 
• They said, however, that the expansion and reduction of these lakes depended on the dynamics of the glacier. 
• The study’s surface ice velocity estimation suggested a slowing down, resulting in an increase of debris cover on the glacier surface, or the ablation zone, it said. 

World Ranger Day is celebrated worldwide each year on July 31st to commemorate Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work Rangers do to protect the planet’s natural treasures and cultural heritage. 

• On July 31st we pause and reflect on the courage and sacrifice that Rangers make. We honour Fallen Rangers and stand with the people bravely protecting wildlife on the frontline of conservation.
• The theme of World Ranger Day 2023 is “30 by 30,” building on the momentum from the 2022 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15).
• During COP15, world leaders and decision-makers agreed upon a Global Biodiversity Framework, aiming to effectively conserve and manage at least 30 percent of the planet's areas by 2030 (also known as the '30 by 30' target).
• This ambitious goal highlights the urgent need for increased conservation efforts to safeguard ecosystems and protect the planet's biodiversity.

The Indian contingent finished their Sri Lanka Athletics National Championships 2023 stint with 14 medals including nine gold, four silvers and a bronze over the weekend, as per Olympics.com.

• Indian athletes clinched six medals on the final day of the event at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo.
• The Indian 4x400m mixed relay team of Amoj Jacob, Aishwarya Mishra, Muhammed Anas and Himanshi Malik won the first gold medal of the day.
• The quartet logged a time of 3:17.33 to finish on top of the podium.

The beautiful Indian state of Goa has been chosen to host the world's biggest and most prestigious national pageant for men, the Rubaru Mr. India competition.

• This renowned event will take place this August with the national finals taking place at the Bogmallo Beach Resort on August 5.
• In the month of August, Goa will welcome 32 of the most handsome, charismatic and talented men from different parts of India for the 19th season of the Rubaru Mr. India competition.
• Alongside the handsome candidates, several notable and prominent personalities from the fashion world and the beauty pageant industry will also travel to Goa for this prestigious event.
• At the culmination of the competition on August 5, 2023, the entire India will learn the name of the most handsome man in the nation.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the PSLV-C56 mission, carrying Singapore’s DS-SAR satellite along with six other satellites.

• The launch took place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 6:31 a.m.
• The DS-SAR satellite, developed under a partnership between the Government of Singapore and ST Engineering, will support the satellite imagery needs of various Singaporean government agencies.
• It will also be utilized by ST Engineering to provide multi-modal and highly responsive imagery and geospatial services to their commercial customers.
• The DS-SAR satellite is equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, enabling it to provide all-weather day and night coverage with 1m resolution at full polarimetry.
• In addition to the DS-SAR satellite, the PSLV-C56 mission also carried six co-passenger satellites.
• These include VELOX-AM, a technology demonstration microsatellite, ARCADE Atmospheric Coupling and Dynamics Explorer (ARCADE), a experimental satellite, SCOOB-II, a nanosatellite with a technology demonstrator payload, NuLIoN by NuSpace, an advanced nanosatellite enabling seamless IoT connectivity, Galassia-2, a low earth orbit nanosatellite, and ORB-12 STRIDER, a satellite developed through international collaboration.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of 30 lakh rupees on Indigo Airlines for certain systemic deficiencies in documentation pertaining to operations, training procedures, and engineering procedures.

• It has also directed the airlines to amend their documents and procedures in line with DGCA requirements and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) guidelines.
• Indigo Airlines experienced four tail strike incidents on A321 aircraft within a span of six months in this year.
• DGCA carried out a special audit of the airlines and reviewed their documentation and procedure on operations, training, and engineering programme. DGCA said that during the special audit, certain systemic deficiencies were observed.
• It had issued a show cause notice to the Airlines directing them to submit a reply within the stipulated time period. It added that the reply was reviewed at various levels and was not found satisfactory.

India’s tiger population increased to 3,682 in 2022, up from 2,967 in 2018, according to an estimate released.

• This is an upward revision from April this year, when a minimum of 3,167 animals were estimated by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which coordinates the quadrennial tiger census.
• This also indicates significant growth over the last decade; there were 2,226 tigers reported in 2014, up from 1,706 in 2010.
• In 2022, the maximum number of tigers, 785, were reported to be in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444). Nearly a quarter of the tigers were reportedly outside protected areas.

Indian-American policy expert Nisha Biswal is confirmed by the Senate to serve as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a US finance agency. Ms. Biswal will serve as the Deputy CEO of the United States International Development Finance Corporation.

• A White House press release said that US President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Nisha Desai Biswal earlier in March this year for the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation.
• She has a high-profile career of over 30 years of experience in US foreign policy and international development programmes within the White House; US Congress and the private sector.
• Ms. Biswal currently holds the position of Senior Vice President for International Strategy and Global Initiatives at the US Chamber of Commerce, overseeing the US-India Business Council and US-Bangladesh Business Council.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has said that Indian Footwear and Leather industry provides employment to approximately 4.5 million people, including 40 percent of women. He said this while addressing the India International Footwear Fair 2023 in New Delhi .

• He added that India has the capacity to become the world’s largest and best-quality footwear manufacturer.
• Indian size of footwear will be launched soon to help distinguish Indian footwear around the globe and reduce dependence on foreign sizing trends.  
• Highlighting the beauty of Kolhapuri Footwear of Maharashtra and Mojari Footwear of Rajasthan, the Minister said that it should be an area of attraction for international buyers.
• He mentioned that India is the second-largest exporter of leather garments, the third-largest exporter of Saddlery and Harness products and the fourth-largest exporter of Leather Goods in the world.

Indian shooters and archers bagged six medals including four golds at the World University Games in Chengdu, China. Shooters Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Divyansh Singh Panwar and Arjun Babuta joined forces to outclass local favourites China to win the 10m air rifle men’s team gold. Aishwary also secured gold in the 10m air rifle men’s individual event.

• Avneet Kaur pipped USA’s Alyssa Grace Sturgill in a thrilling shoot off to clinch the compound women’s individual gold.
• Sangampreet Bisla and Aman Saini clinched the gold and bronze medals in the men’s individual event. India have won 17 medals, nine gold, three silver and five bronze, and are second in the tournament. 
• Hosts China lead the standings with a haul of 21 medals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign to honour the brave hearts who laid down their lives for the freedom of the country. The campaign will be launched in the run-up to Independence Day, with special inscriptions to be installed in panchayats in their memory. 

• The announcement was made during his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast. 
•  Announcing the launch of the ;Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign, PM Modi said 'Amrit Kalash Yatra' will be organised under the campaign.
• During this time, 7,500 pots carrying soil from different corners of the country will be brought to the national capital along with saplings. 
• Amrit Vatika will be built near the National War Memorial by fusing the soil and saplings that would arrive in 7500 urns. This 'Amrit Vatika' will also become a grand symbol of ‘Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat

Max Verstappen, the current leader of the Formula One championship, demonstrated his dominance once again by securing his eighth consecutive victory at the Belgian Grand Prix.

• This triumph also marked Red Bull's 13th straight win, a record-breaking achievement that surpasses McLaren's 1988 streak of 12 wins with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
• Despite starting from the sixth position due to a five-place grid penalty, Verstappen managed to extend his championship lead over teammate Sergio Perez to a staggering 125 points.
• This equates to a five-race advantage, as he crossed the finish line a significant 22.3 seconds ahead of Perez.