Prelim Bits 04-03-2023 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

Battle of Bakhmut

Bakhmut is currently in ruins, having been the focal point of Russian assaults and a site of dogged defence by the Ukrainian military.

• Bakhmut is a small mining town in Eastern Ukraine.
• The tiny town with a pre-war population of around 70,000 people.
• Battle of Bakhmut is one of the bloodiest fighting in the Ukraine-Russia War.
• The Russians have surrounded Bakhmut from 3 sides.
• Bakhmut’s civilian population has long fled and only charred ruins remains.

• Russians - They see Bakhmut as a symbol of their resolve to war.
• Ukrainians - They are proud of holding on to the land.
• Significance - Bakhmut does not have either militarily important industry nor is it strategically located such that its capture is vital.
• Bakhmut have less to do with military strategy than political strategy.
• Meat-Grinder - Battle of Bakhmut is a symbol of the bloody struggle.
• The Battle of Bakhmut has taken on a similar character of Battle of Verdun: A meat-grinder.

The Battle of Verdun in World War I has been described by historians as a meat-grinder: where many young men succumbed to death in the war while trying to make negligible strategic gains.

References

1. IE - Battle of Bakhmut: Ukraine-Russia War
2. Forbes - The Bloody Battle of Bakhmut

Lewis Super Acids

Researchers at the Paderborn University, Germany have been able to make a unique class of catalysts called “Lewis super-acids”.

• ‘Lewis super-acids are derived from Lewis acids, named after the chemist, G N Lewis.
• Lewis super-acids’ are used as catalysts in chemistry to accelerate reactions.
• These are compounds that add electron pairs.
• These can be used to break strong chemical bonds and speed up reactions.
• These are highly reactive reagents, thus difficult to produce and use.
• Significance - It enables non-biodegradable fluorinated hydrocarbons (similar to Teflon) to be converted back into sustainable chemicals.
• It can possibly even convert climate-damaging greenhouse gases, such as sulphur hexafluoride into sustainable ones.

Lewis acid and Lewis base

References

1. The Hindu - What are Lewis super acids?

Sisupalgarh

Land mafias have damaged a portion of the wall of the fortified ancient city of Sisupalgarh.

• Sisupalgarh is a majestic archaeological heritage that has survived over 2,600 years.
• It is the only fortified site in India having 8 gateways.
• Sisupalgarh is located on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
• History - Sisupalgarh is believed to have been built around the 7th to 6th century BCE.
• It served as the capital of the Kalinga kingdom.
• It was also an important centre of trade and commerce during ancient times.
• Excavation - The excavation of the Sisupalgarh site was first taken up in 1948.
• Sisupalgarh, Badadhanpu Lingipur, Raghunathpur and Mahabhoisasan, was declared a Centrally Protected Monument in 1950.
• Findings - The urban centre it was surrounded by a moat.
• The water management system of the city was unique.
• The fortification was carried out in the 4^th to 3^rd century BCE, when King Kharavela took up the repair of the city 2,100 years ago.
• Sisupalgarh is one of very few historical references of the present capital city of Bhubaneswar.

References

1. The Hindu - Land mafias damage rampart of Sisupalgarh

Great Pyramid of Giza

A hidden corridor has been unearthed by scientists close to the main entrance of the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza.

• The hidden corridor was roughly 2m wide and 9m long.
• The discovery was made in 2016 using a non-invasive technique called cosmic-ray muon radiography.
• The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the 3 pyramids in Giza.
• It stands roughly 147 m above the Giza plateau.
• It was built 4,500 years ago during the reign of Khufu.
• Khufu is often considered the greatest pharaoh of Egypt’s old kingdom.
• The pyramid is also known as Khufu or Cheops pyramid.
• It is estimated that the pyramid was built using 2.5 million stone blocks, each weighing between 2.5 and 15 tonnes.
• There are 2 distinct tunnel systems inside the Great Pyramid –
  1. The Descending Passage (described by Greeks like Herodotus) and
  2. The Ascending Passage (opened by the Arabs in the 9th century).
• Muography - Muon tomography or muography uses muons to generate three-dimensional images of such large structures.
• Muography is conceptually similar to X-ray but capable of scanning much larger and wider structures, owing to the penetration power of muons.
• Muon tomography was first used in the 1960s and recently found widespread utilisation especially in archaeology.
• Applications - Examining archaeological sites, customs security, internal imaging of volcanoes.
• Muon -Muons are subatomic particles raining from space.
• These are high-energy particles, naturally produced and ubiquitous.
• They are created when the particles in Earth’s atmosphere collide with cosmic rays.

References

1. IE - Great Pyramid of Giza
2. New Indian Express - Egypt reveals chamber inside Great Pyramid

Hallmark Unique Identification

The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs said that the sale of gold jewellery mandates a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) from April 1, 2023.

• The HUID is a unique 6-digit alphanumeric code consisting of numbers and letters.
• The HUID will be given to every piece of jewellery at the time of hallmarking and it is unique for every piece of jewellery.
• This unique number is stamped manually, on jewellery at the Assaying & Hallmarking centres.
• Present scenario - Earlier, the HUID used to be of 4 digits and now both 4 and 6 digit HUIDs are used in the market.
• From April 1^st 2023, only 6-digit alphanumeric code will be allowed.
• Symbol - The BIS Hallmark consists of 3 symbols -

• Advantages - HUID is unique to each piece of jewellery.
• Ensures the credibility of the jewellery
• Enables its traceability
• Doesn’t jeopardise data privacy or security.
• Verification - The authenticity of hallmarked jewellery can be checked by using 'verify HUID' feature on the BIS Care App.

Bureau of Indian Standards

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national Standards Body of India established under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986.
• BIS is working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Government of India.

References

1. IE - No sale of gold jewellery without HUID from April 1
2. ET - What is HUID number in gold jewellery