What is NATO?

The United States, Canada and various western European countries formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1949, in response to the perceived threat of the Soviet Union’s expansion in post-war Europe.

There are currently 30 members in NATO, and according to article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, any European country that can “contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area” can join the alliance.

However, accession requires the approval of each member state. In 2008, Greece vetoed North Macedonia’s bid to join NATO due to a long-term dispute over the country’s name, ‘Macedonia’. Only in 2018, when the country changed its name to North Macedonia, did Greece grant its approval, after which the country was officially admitted as a member in March 2020.

NATO is essentially a collective security alliance, with its members committed to mutual defence if any one of them is attacked by an external force.

The alliance’s chief principle of collective defence is laid out in article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty: “The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the party or parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.”

What is Sidhu Moosewala’s song (SYL) about?

Just a few weeks prior to the singer's murder, the song SYL was completed and released on June 23. It is named after the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, which is currently under construction. The song is about the water dispute between Punjab and Haryana, and the music video, which has  been removed, discussed the 1984 anti-Sikh Riots while depicting the Sikh flag being raised at the Red Fort during the farmer uprising. In less than three days, the YouTube video received 27 million views. On the video streaming website, it also earned 3.3 million likes.

Difference between resume and portfolio

RESUME

A resume is a formal document used by people to list their educational background, professional experience, and accomplishments. A standard resume should not be longer than two pages and should include all pertinent career-related information. Regardless of the format, a resume needs to contain the information below:

A brief summary of the candidate's background, accomplishments, and personality should be included in the opening statement [Introduction].

Work experience: List every relevant experience you have here, preferably in reverse chronological order.

List all of your qualifications in reverse chronological order, including any academic and other achievements.

List all of your hard and soft abilities that are pertinent to the position you're applying for. Update as and when you retrain or acquire new skills

PORTFOLIO

A portfolio provides the prospective employer with visual examples of the professional work done through assorted samples. These can be created both in print and digital formats. A portfolio should include:

Statement of originality: One has to state that everything in the portfolio is original and confidential.

Work summary: This section should include details of professional achievements.

Philosophy statement: Candidates should provide insights into their beliefs, values and motivations.

Resume: Remember, the portfolio is not a replacement for your resume. It is always an addition.

Work samples: This is the most important part where candidates provide samples of their best work with charts, articles, plans and more.

What is the Bharat Gaurav Scheme, and how does it work?

In November 2021, the Indian Railways made a landmark decision by allowing private companies to conduct theme-based Bharat Gaurav trains to promote India's rich cultural history and historical sites to Indians and visitors from around the world. To conduct theme-based trains, the initiative will tap into the expertise of tourism specialists. The plan is comparable to the IRCTC's theme-based tourist trains, like the Ramayana Express, which takes passengers on a tour of many locations associated with Lord Ram.

What is the mechanism behind it?

As part of a particular tourism package, any operator can lease trains from Indian Railways to run on a theme-based circuit. The route, halts, services supplied, and, most crucially, the tariff is all up to the operator. A prospective service provider must register to put a demand for a rake of Bharat Gaurav trains in order to use them. The train can be entrusted to the service provider for a minimum of two years and a maximum of up to the remaining life of the coaches. The rake must include a minimum of 14 coaches and a maximum of 20 coaches, including at least two SLRs (Guard Vans). The locomotive and guard will be provided by the railways.

The Bharat Gaurav scheme is significant in two ways. First, it allows private companies with domain knowledge in the tourism sector to operate these special trains. Previously, the IRCTC was responsible for this. The second benefit is that Railways receives additional revenue from a new line of business. This might open the way for increased privatisation of freight and passenger train operations.

Some see the idea as a boon to people who want to visit the country's many tourist attractions. Some, however, see this plan as the first big step toward privatising the railways, which officials dispute. A group of Railway personnel held a demonstration at the city railway station after the first train was flagged off in Coimbatore.

What is lightning?

Lightning is a rapid and huge discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, part of which is directed towards the ground, according to science. The discharges are caused by massive moisture-bearing clouds that reach a height of 10-12 kilometres. The bottom of these clouds is usually within 1-2 kilometres of the Earth's surface, while the top is 12-13 kilometres away. Temperatures in the top of these clouds are in the range of –35° to –45°C.

The dropping temperature causes water vapour to condense as it goes upward in the cloud. The water droplets turn into little ice crystals as the temperature drops below 0°C. They continue to rise, accumulating mass until they are so heavy that they begin to plummet to Earth. This results in a system in which smaller ice crystals move up and larger crystals move down at the same time.

Collisions cause the release of electrons, a process that is remarkably similar to the formation of electrical sparks. A chain reaction occurs as the moving free electrons produce more collisions and more electrons. As a result of this process, the cloud's top layer becomes positively charged, while the middle layer becomes negatively charged.

The difference in electrical potential between the two layers is enormous, on the order of a billion to ten billion volts. A large current, on the scale of 100,000 to a million amperes, begins to flow between the layers in a very short period.

The Earth is electrically neutral, despite being a good conductor of electricity. However, when compared to the cloud's central layer, it becomes positively charged. As a result, roughly 15 percent to 20% of the current is also directed towards the Earth. The destruction of life and property on Earth is caused by this current movement.

Direct lightning hits are uncommon, but given the enormous amount of energy involved, even indirect impacts can be devastating.

What are microplastics?

Microplastics are microscopic plastic fragments with a length of less than 5 mm, smaller than a grain of rice.

Microplastics are divided into two categories. Primary microplastics are microscopic particles that are purposefully produced for commercial usage, such as in cosmetics, nurdles-plastic pellets used in industrial manufacturing, and nylon fibres.

Secondary microplastics are created when bigger plastic products, such as bottles, fishing nets, and plastic bags, degrade. This happens as a result of exposure to the environment, such as sunlight, wind, and ocean waves.

What is west Nile Virus?

What is west Nile Virus?

The West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne, single-stranded RNA virus. According to the WHO, it is “a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese Encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae”. Culex species of mosquitoes act as the principal vectors for transmission. It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes between and among humans and animals, including birds, which are the reservoir host of the virus.

The virus was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. It was identified in birds (crows and columbiformes like doves and pigeons) in the Nile delta region in 1953. Before 1997, WNV was not considered pathogenic for birds, but then, a more virulent strain caused the death in Israel of different bird species, presenting signs of encephalitis and paralysis.