PRELIMS
ICMR-NIE – Silent Salt Consumption Epidemic
Why in News: ICMR-NIE flags health risk from excessive salt intake; launches pilot in Punjab & Telangana.Definition: Excessive hidden salt consumption contributing to chronic diseases like hypertension.
WHO Limit: Safe daily salt intake is ≤5g/day.
Current Intake:
- Urban India: 9.2g/day
- Rural India: 5.6g/day
ICMR Initiative:
- 3-year project on salt-reduction counselling.
- Aims to lower blood pressure & sodium intake.
- Pilot States: Punjab and Telangana (targeting hypertensive individuals).
Salt Composition:
- Common salt = Sodium Chloride (NaCl).
Excess sodium → hypertension, NCDs.
Low-Sodium Salt:
- Partly replaces NaCl with potassium/magnesium salts.
- Lowers BP by ~7/4 mmHg.
Challenges:
- Silent symptoms; culturally ingrained high-salt diets.
- Public unaware of safe limits and risks.
Health Impact in India:
- Hypertension, heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease on the rise.
- Poor salt awareness worsening NCD burden.
E10 Shinkansen Bullet Train
Why in News:India and Japan announce E10 Shinkansen deployment for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor. Successful completion of tunnelling for 21-km undersea section between BKC and Thane.
What is E10 Shinkansen?
- Japan’s next-gen high-speed bullet train, developed to replace E2 and E5 series.
- Designed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and UK-based Tangerine.
Design Inspiration:
- Inspired by cherry blossom petals.
- Uses “Tsugaru Green” and “Evening Elm” shades.
- Reflects the natural Tohoku region of Japan.
Key Features:
- L-shaped derailment guards for earthquake safety.
- Lateral dampers + advanced braking system – enhances stability and reduces stopping distance.
- Blowerless induction motor – lowers maintenance and improves energy efficiency.
- Autonomous-ready design – can adapt for cargo in future.
- 2-seat-per-row layout – ensures more comfort for passengers.
India–Japan Collaboration (MAHSR Project):
- India becomes first country outside Japan to adopt E10 Shinkansen.
- MAHSR includes India’s first undersea rail tunnel (BKC–Thane, 21 km).
- Japan: Provides technology, funding, and rolling stock.
- India: Project executed by NHSRCL.
- Target completion year: 2030.
- Fast progress in viaducts, tunnels, and stations underway.
Biggest Ever Merger of Two Massive Black Holes Detected
- Source: LVK Network (LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Collaboration)
- Event: GW231123
- Detected via Gravitational Waves (GW) – ripples in space-time caused by extreme cosmic events.
- First predicted by Einstein in 1916 under General Theory of Relativity.
- Occurred billions of years ago; detected recently by LVK detectors.
The Black Hole Merger
- Most massive binary black hole merger detected so far.
- Two black holes with masses ~100 and 140 solar masses.
- Final black hole formed weighs ~225 solar masses (some mass lost as gravitational energy).
Types of Black Holes
Stellar-mass: ~20 solar masses or more.
Intermediate-mass: ~100 to 100,000 solar masses.
Supermassive: 100,000 to billions of solar masses.
Gravitational Wave Detection Network (LVK)
- LIGO (USA): Two detectors – Hanford (Washington) & Livingston (Louisiana); funded by NSF.
- LIGO-India: Upcoming in Hingoli, Maharashtra, in collaboration with NSF.
- Virgo (Italy): In Pisa, run by European Gravitational Observatory (EGO).
- KAGRA (Japan): Located inside Kamioka Mine; cryogenic and underground.
