NATIONAL – DIARY OF EVENTS

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)

• Context: The Central Adoption Resource Authority has issued nationwide guidelines aimed at improving adoption procedures, ensuring the proper maintenance of records, and protecting the identity and rights of adopted children.

About Central Adoption Resource Authority

• • The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a statutory organisation functioning under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.

• It obtained statutory status through Section 68 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

• • CARA mainly manages the adoption process for orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children through a network of approved adoption agencies.

• It serves as India’s Central Authority for inter-country adoptions, following the provisions of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co‑operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, which India ratified in 2003.

Functions of CARA

• Encourage domestic adoptions and support inter-state adoptions in collaboration with state authorities.
• Supervise and regulate inter-country adoptions involving children from India.
• Formulate and update adoption regulations and related guidelines whenever required.
• Perform the responsibilities assigned to India’s Central Authority under the Hague Convention on inter-country adoption.
• Carry out additional duties assigned by the government.

 

Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary

• Context: Recently, the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) identified nine new species during a faunal survey conducted in the Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary

• The sanctuary is situated in the state of Tamil Nadu.

• It lies along the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border and acts as a buffer zone for the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

• • The sanctuary supports rich biodiversity, with numerous plant species and a wide range of wildlife.

• The vegetation varies from scrub forests at the foothills to thick evergreen forests and shola grasslands at higher elevations.

• Important plant species found here include Banyan tree, Syzygium zeylanicum, Nothopegia vajravelui, Memecylon flavescens, Symplocos oligandra, Symplocos wynadense, and Meiogyne ramarowii.
• The sanctuary hosts several animals such as elephants, tigers, leopards, Nilgiri tahr, gaur, spotted deer, barking deer, sambar deer, wild boar, porcupine, Nilgiri langur, and lion-tailed macaque.
• The wood snake is a species endemic to Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, meaning it is found only in this region.

 

Self Assessment Test and Help for Entrance Exams (SATHEE App)

• Context: The SATHEE App has been developed by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

• It is a free digital learning platform aimed at helping students prepare for various competitive examinations.

Key Features

• • Offers high-quality study resources such as video lectures, mock tests, study materials, and previous years’ question papers.
  • Designed especially to support students who cannot afford costly coaching institutes.
  • Provides a structured and guided approach to exam preparation.
  • Content is developed by subject experts from IITs and other reputed institutions.
  • Acts as a comprehensive platform for students preparing for entrance and recruitment exams.
  • The name SATHEE stands for Self Assessment Test and Help for Entrance Exams, highlighting its focus on self-evaluation and learning support.

• The app supports preparation for several major national-level exams, including: JEE, NEET, CUET, CLAT, SSC exams, RRB exams, IBPS exams, ICAR entrance exams

• With its wide range of exam coverage and free access to quality content, the SATHEE App has emerged as a multi-purpose and inclusive platform for competitive exam preparation in India.

 

Dimethyl Ether (DME) – An Alternative Fuel

• Context: Researchers at CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory developed a patented method to convert methanol into Dimethyl Ether (DME), reducing reliance on imported cooking fuel.

About Dimethyl Ether

• DME is a synthetically produced fuel that serves as an alternative to diesel fuel.

• It is designed for use in specially modified Compression Ignition (Diesel) engines.

• • It possesses a very high Cetane number, which indicates its excellent combustion properties.

• Under normal atmospheric conditions, DME exists as a colour less gas.

• It burns cleanly, generating very low emissions of pollutants such as Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulfur Oxides (SOx), and particulate matter.

Applications and Significance

• It delivers thermal efficiency comparable to that of conventional fuels.
• In terms of performance, it serves as an excellent alternative to diesel.
• It can be adapted to serve as an alternative fuel for standard diesel engines currently operating in India.