Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Remnants of ancient civilization at Peraiyur

News

• Peraiyur near Kamuthi in Tamil Nadu could be holding treasures like Keezhadi, according to amateurs at the Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation.

Beyond News

• Recently, they discovered microlithic tools, Sangam period brick structure, Roman roulette ware shreds and Chinese potsherds at the site.
• Foundation had collected a host of artefacts and antiques during their 6-month-long field exploration at ‘Thidal kaadu’, ‘Semman kaadu’, Sengamadai Raja temple and ‘Kalungu’ Muniappasamy temple in the Gundar river bed at Peraiyur.
• As the examination of the artefacts revealed that they belonged to four different periods – Microlithic age, Megalithic age, Sangam period and Medieval period, the foundation believed that the site, especially the sprawling 50 acre ‘thidal kaadu’ could be a hidden treasure trove of ancient civilisation and archaeological importance, he said.
• The team members found a brick structure in the Sengamadai Raja temple area on the bank of Peraiyur tank and a brick measuring 30 cm in length, 17 cm width and 6 cm tall.
• They also made a huge collection of green, red and glass beads, ivory pendants, black bangles, stones for making beads and terracotta ear lobes, he said.
• The collection could point to the existence of a beads factory at the site.
• High quality Roman roulette wares, decorated black and red wares, whetstones, sling stones, iron arrows, terracotta stand, terracotta pipe, perforated shreds, pyramid shaped potsherds with graffiti, rubbing stone, celadon, porcelain, Chinese wares, garlic shaped beads, spouts and knobs were collected at the ‘Thidal kaadu’ area on the bank of Ragunatha Cauvery canal from Peraiyur to Anaiyur, he said.
• They also collected fascinating microlithic age quartz, jasper, crystal made of ‘soft stones’ at the site.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

Process to procure 110 fighter jets begins

News

• The Ministry of Defence initiated the formal process to buy 110 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) through a global tendering process.

Beyond News

• The move comes almost two decades after the IAF began the last major effort to acquire fighters in large numbers.
• The effort culminated in the global tender for 126 fighters which was cancelled in 2015 after the Modi government decided to buy 36 Rafale fighters from France under a government-to-government deal.
• In February this year, the government also scrapped a move to produce 114 single-engine fighters in India under the Make in India programme, after questions were raised about the narrow competition. The Request for Information issued for 110 fighters is the first step in a long-drawn complex process that could take several years to conclude. It would be the world’s biggest fighter jet tender in market right now.
• The entire cost could be easily worth over $15 billion (almost ₹1 lakh crore), according to informal estimates.
• The RFI says the government plans to buy the 110 fighters jets, of which 85% will have to be built in India under the Make in India programme in partnership with a “Strategic Partner/Indian Production Agency.”
• Given the RFI specifications, IAF sources expect the competition to be a line up very similar to the MMRCA competition.
• New variations of Dassault’s Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin’s F-16, Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Russia’s MIG-35, and Sweden’s Gripen are expected to compete.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Blood test to detect Alzheimer’s disease

News

• Scientists have developed a new blood test for Alzheimer’s disease that can detect early indicators of the disease long before the first symptoms appear in patients.

Beyond News

• The blood test would thus open the door to new avenues in drug discovery.
• The blood test uses a technology called immuno-infrared sensor to measure distribution of pathological and healthy structures of amyloid-beta, according to a study. The pathological amyloid-beta structure is rich in a sticky, sheet-like folding pattern that makes it prone to aggregation, while the healthy structure is not.
• The two structures absorb infrared light at a different frequency, allowing the blood test to determine the ratio of healthy to pathological amyloid-beta in the sample.
• They found that the test reliably detected amyloid-beta alterations in the blood of participants with mild cognitive impairment that also showed abnormal amyloid deposits in brain scans.

Tea exports, the highest since 1981, rose 8.2% in 2017

News

• Indian tea exports had touched 240.7 million kg in 2017.

Beyond News

• Five importing countries, including two of India’s rivals in the global arena, helped India reach this export level.
• In several countries, including the U.S., Indian teas were sold at prices higher than the average export price of $3 per kg. This buoyancy now makes a 15% rise to 275 million kg by 2020 seem attainable, said a source.
• The board is planning to participate in the 64th Summer Fancy Food Show, a major food and beverage exposition in New York, starting June 30. It had first participated in this event last year.
• While last year the biggest contributors to India’s exports were Egypt, (which increased imports by 166%), Sri Lanka (which increased imports by 84.8%) and China (where Indian tea exports increased 50%), exports to the U.S. too had risen. For India, the U.S. is beginning to emerge as an important market, following a Tea Board of India campaign to highlight the beverage as a health drink.
• Exports to the U.S. stood at 14.1 million kg in 2017.
• India is now targeting a larger slice of this market with speciality teas such as orthodox, Darjeeling and green tea.
• In 2017, Indian tea was showcased at food shows and through delegations to the U.S., Russia, Australia, Germany and in Chile.

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