Enemy Property
Why in News: The Indian government has started auctioning off properties labeled as ‘enemy properties’.
About Enemy Property
- Definition: Enemy properties are immovable and movable assets left behind by individuals who became citizens of Pakistan and China after leaving India during the partition and post the 1962 and 1965 wars.
- Types of Assets: These properties include real estate, bank accounts, shares, gold, and other assets belonging to such individuals.
- Custodian Authority: The Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI), established under the Enemy Property Act of 1968, is responsible for managing these properties.
- 2017 Amendment: The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2017 clarified that successors of those who migrated to Pakistan and China have no claim over the properties left in India. This amendment ensured that the law of succession does not apply to enemy properties, and no transfer of such properties by an enemy or their representatives is allowed. The custodian must preserve these properties until they are disposed of according to the Act’s provisions.
- Current Statistics: According to CEPI, there are 13,252 enemy properties in India, valued at over Rs 1 lakh crore. Most of these properties belong to people who migrated to Pakistan, with over 100 properties belonging to those who migrated to China.
- Regional Distribution: Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of enemy properties (5,982), followed by West Bengal (4,354).
Zebra Mussel
Why in News: The zebra mussel, an invasive species known for its ability to destroy entire aquatic ecosystems, has been detected for the first time in the Colorado River, a crucial river in the American Southwest.
About Zebra Mussel
Zebra mussels are small, invasive mollusks about the size of a fingernail.
- Scientific Name: Dreissena polymorpha
- Native Range: Caspian and Black Seas, south of Russia and Ukraine.
- Introduction to North America: Entered the Great Lakes in the late 1980s via ballast water from ships.
- Spread: Expanded throughout eastern Canada and the United States.
- Living Environment: Found underwater, attached to natural and artificial surfaces such as rocks, wood, plants, native mussels, pipes, docks, boat lifts, swim rafts, moored watercraft, and debris.
- Identification: Characterized by a distinct, flat-bottomed ‘D’ shape and black, zigzag stripes on a cream background.
- Size: Grows up to two inches long; larval stage is microscopic (known as a “veliger”).
- Lifespan: Short-lived, typically two to five years, and begins reproducing at around two years of age.
- Feeding: Filter feeders that attach to almost any surface.
- Reproduction: Females can produce up to one million eggs per breeding season.
- Ecological Disruption: Depletes phytoplankton, disrupting food webs.
- Threat to Native Species: Outcompetes and suffocates native mussels, many of which are endangered.
- Commercial Damage: Causes significant issues by clogging water-intake valves, pipes, and other infrastructure.
Radome
Why in News: The Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) has achieved a significant milestone by developing domestically produced fused silica radomes for missiles.
About Radome
A radome is a protective cover designed to shield radar or antenna systems from environmental conditions without affecting electromagnetic signal transmission.
- Construction Materials: Radomes can be made from either rigid, self-supporting materials or flexible, air-inflated fabrics. They come in various shapes tailored to specific applications.
Functions:
- Performance Protection: Reduces environmental impact on signal transmission and reception, maintaining antenna performance.
- Security: Conceals electronic equipment from public view.
- Collision Prevention: Protects rotating antennas from potential collisions with nearby objects.
- Durability: Ensures the longevity and efficiency of the antenna it encloses.
Fused Silica Radomes of DMRL
- Material: Fused silica is chosen for radomes due to its excellent electromagnetic and mechanical properties, and its resistance to sudden temperature changes.
Production Technology:
- Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP): DMRL has mastered CIP technology to produce high-quality radomes. CIP applies high pressure from all directions to compress powdered materials evenly, resulting in a dense, uniform structure.
- Sintering: The compressed fused silica is then sintered to form a strong, compact structure.
Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (RAMSES)
Why in News: The European Space Agency has recently revealed that its new Ramses spacecraft might observe the asteroid Apophis before and after its safe, though relatively close, flyby of Earth.
About Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (RAMSES)
- Mission Overview: RAMSES is a planetary defense initiative by the European Space Agency (ESA).
- Objective: The mission aims to intercept asteroid 99942 Apophis and monitor it during its exceptionally close flyby of Earth in 2029.
- Asteroid Details: Apophis, measuring approximately 375 meters in diameter, will pass within 32,000 km of Earth’s surface on April 13, 2029.
- This will be the closest approach of an asteroid of this size that has been predicted in advance.
- Visibility: During this event, Apophis will be visible to the naked eye from clear, dark skies for about 2 billion people across Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia.
- Collision Risk: Apophis will not collide with Earth. Astronomers have confirmed there is no risk of impact for at least the next 100 years.
- Scientific Significance:
- The April 2029 flyby represents a rare natural event.
- Researchers will observe how Earth’s gravity affects the asteroid’s physical properties, which will enhance our capacity to protect Earth from similar objects in the future.
- Collaboration: RAMSES will coordinate with NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX mission, which will reach Apophis shortly after its closest approach, allowing for comparative analysis of the asteroid’s properties from both missions.