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One Liners 18-11-2025
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History, Art and Culture
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Berenike in Egypt
Tamil Nadu archaeologists join excavations at Berenike in Egypt.
- Aim – To identify further evidence of ancient Mediterranean trade connections between the Tamils and the Romans.”
- Earlier excavations –
- At Berenike in 1995 – Archaeologists unearthed a potsherd bearing the Tamil-Brahmi text korrapuman.
- At Quseir al-Qadim – Archaeologists yielded potsherds bearing the Tamil-Brahmi texts kanan and catan.
- Iravatham Mahadevan’s book – Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D., which documented Brahmi pottery inscriptions found outside India, including those in ancient Roman settlements along the Red Sea coast in Egypt.
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Geography
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Senkaku Islands
China Coast Guard ships sail through Japan administered Senkaku Islands.
- China's Stance – "Lawful patrol operation" to uphold rights and interests, calls islands Diaoyu.
- Japan's Stance – Administered islands; calls as Senkaku.
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Coronal Mass Ejection
Recently, astronomers spotted a coronal mass ejection on another star for the first time.
- Discovery – 1st detection of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on another star called Red dwarf star StKM 1-1262, 133 light-years away.
- Intensity – At least 10,000 times more violent than solar CMEs.
- Detected by – LOFAR (European network of telescopes) data.
- Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – These are huge bubbles of coronal plasma threaded by intense magnetic field lines that are ejected from the Sun over the course of several hours.
- Appearance – Huge, twisted rope, which scientists call "flux rope."
- Occur along with – Solar flares (explosions on the Sun's surface), but they can also occur spontaneously.
- Frequency – It varies with the 11-year solar cycle.
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Polity & Governance
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16th Finance Commission
Sixteenth Finance Commission submits its Report to the President of India.
- Constituted by – President of India, in pursuance of clause (1) of Article 280 of the Constitution.
- Headed by – Dr. Arvind Panagariya.
- Report covers – A period of 5 years commencing on the 1st day of April, 2026.
- Recommendations on – The distribution of the net proceeds of taxes between the Union and the States as well as the allocation between the States of the respective shares of such proceeds, grants-in-aid to States, review arrangements on financing Disaster Management initiatives, etc.
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International Relations and Issues
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Visa Waiver Facility
Iran suspends visa waiver for Indians after ‘misuse by criminal elements”.
- Aim – To avoid several incidents of Indian nationals being lured to Iran on false promises of employment or with assurances of onward transit to third countries.
- Visa waiver – It permits nationals of certain countries to visit another nation for brief stays related to tourism or business without the need for a standard visa.
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Security
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AJEYA WARRIOR-25
- It is 8th edition of Joint Military Exercise between the India & United Kingdom.
- Commenced at – Foreign Training Node, Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
- Held biennially – Since 2011.
- Conducted under – United Nations mandate.
- Focuses on – Counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban environment.
- Troops – Indian Army is being represented by Sikh Regiment.
- Exercise includes – Joint mission planning at Brigade level, integrated tactical drills, simulation-based scenarios and company-level field training exercises replicating real-life counter-terror contingencies.
- Aim – To share best practices, enhance tactical proficiency and develop coordinated responses for managing complex operations in challenging environments.
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Mahe
- It is the 1st ship of the indigenously designed and built Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC).
- Named after – The historic coastal town of Mahe on the Malabar Coast.
- Built by – Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi.
- Crest features – An ‘Urumi’, the flexible sword of Kalaripayattu, symbolising agility, precision, and lethal grace.
- Motto – “Silent Hunters,” embodies stealth, vigilance and unwavering resolve - qualities that define anti-submarine warfare ethos.
- Significance – It marks another step in the Indian Navy’s commitment to indigenisation, innovation, and Aatmanirbharta (with over 80 percent indigenous content).
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Science
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Genetic switch - HOXA10 and TWIST2
A study revealed a fundamental biological switch that controls embryo implantation.
- 2 genes – HOXA10 and TWIST2, work to open or close a small "gate" on the wall of the womb at the right time.
- Gene HOXA10 – It keeps the wall closed and guarded.
- But when an embryo comes in contact with the lining, HOXA10 temporarily switches off at that location.
- This short 'switch-off' allows another gene, TWIST2, to act.
- Activation of TWIST2 – It opens the gate by making the uterine cells soft and flexible, allowing them to move slightly and let the embryo in.
- Present in – The study was conducted in mice, hamsters, monkeys and human cells.
- Significance – By controlling the balance between HOXA10 and TWIST2 could guide new strategies to improve IVF (in vitro fertilisation) success rates in future.
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Wearable Air Purifiers
- These are compact, portable devices designed to deliver cleaner air directly to the wearer’s breathing zone.
- Available in 2 main forms –
- Mask-type purifiers
- Compact devices worn around the neck.
- Small, battery-operated units that release charged ions.
- These ions attach themselves to fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and smaller), increasing the particles’ mass and causing them to settle out of the air.
- To create a “personal clean air zone”—a bubble of purified air around the mouth and nose.
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Miscellaneous
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Ramoji Excellence Awards
- Instituted in – The memory of Sri Ramoji Rao garu.
- Aim – To honour individuals who embody the values of service, discipline, and nation-building and whose contributions strengthen the nation’s moral and intellectual foundations.
- 7 distinguished categories – 2025 awardees
- Rural Development – Smt. Amla Ashok Ruia ("Water Mother”)
- Youth Icon – Shri Srikant Bolla;
- Science and Technology – Prof. Madhavi Latha Gali;
- Service to Mankind – Shri Akash Tandon;
- Art and Culture – Prof. Sathupati Prasanna Sree;
- Journalism – Shri Jaideep Hardikar;
- Woman Achievers – Smt. Pallabi Ghosh.
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