Madagascar, though blessed with abundant water, has recently undergone a change in its hydrological cycle, due to global warming, leading to drought and famine.

Madagascar

• Madagascar, an island country lying off the southeastern coast of Africa.
• It is bordered by the Indian Ocean and the Mozambique Channel.
• The topic of Capricorn passes through this country.
• Capital: Antananarivo; formerly Tananarive
• It is the fourth largest island and the second-largest island country in the world.
• It shares maritime borders with Comoros, France (Mayotte Island, Reunion), Mozambique, and Seychelles.

Serbians have been taking to the streets, blocking main roads and bridges and halting traffic, to protest against Rio Tinto’s plans to mine lithium in the Jadar valley near Lozinca town in the country.

Lithium

• It is soft, silvery-white metal, often referred to as ‘White gold’.
• Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element.
• It is highly flammable and reactive, and must be stored in mineral oil.
• It is an alkali and a rare metal.
• Reserves: Chile, Australia and Argentina are the world’s largest reserves of lithium.

Uses

• Used in making alloys.
• Used in thermonuclear reactions.
• To make rechargeable batteries and electrochemical cells used in electric vehicles, computer parts, etc.

Lithium Triangle

• It is a region in South America.
• Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.

Lithium in India

• A significant amount of Lithium is found in Karnataka’s Mandya district.

Earth’s interior is cooling faster than expected, study notes.

Bridgmanite

• Bridgmanite is commonly found between Earth’s core and mantle.
• Researchers have suspected that Earth’s inner heat is dissipating sooner, making it cool faster than expected due to Bridgmanite thermal conductivity.
• The international team measured the radioactive thermal conductivity of bridgmanite in the laboratory.
• The core-mantle boundary of Earth is rich in bridgmanite.
• The results showed that the thermal conductivity of bridgmanite was about 1.5 times higher than assumed.
• These findings also suggest that other rocky planets may be cooling and becoming inactive faster than expected.
• The paper recently published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters adds that this cooling can weaken many tectonic activities.

Important Sessions of Indian National Congress

• The Indian National Congress was founded in Bombay in December 1885.
• The early leadership – Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W.C. Bonnerji, Surendranath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt, S. Subramania Iyer, among others – was largely from Bombay and Calcutta.
• First Session: held at Bombay in 1885. President: W.C. Bannerjee
• Formation of Indian National Congress.
• Second Session: held at Calcutta in 1886. President: Dadabhai Naoroji
• Third Session: held at Madras in 1887. President: Syed Badruddin Tyabji, first Muslim President.
• Fourth Session: held at Allahabad in 1888. President: George Yule, first English President.
• 1896: Calcutta. President: Rahimtullah Sayani
  • National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ sung for the first time by Rabindranath Tagore.
• 1905: Benaras. President: Gopal Krishan Gokhale
  • The formal proclamation of the Swadeshi movement against the government
• 1906: Calcutta. President: Dadabhai Naoroji
• Adopted four resolutions on Swaraj (Self Government), Boycott Movement, Swadeshi & National Education
• 1929: Lahore. President: Jawahar Lal Nehru
  • Passed the resolution on ‘Poorna Swaraj'.
  • Civil Disobedience movement for complete independence to be launched
  • 26 January to be observed as Independence Day.
• 1931: Karachi. President: Vallabhbhai Patel
  • Resolutions on Fundamental Rights and National Economic Programme.
  • Endorsement of Gandhi-Irwin pact.
  • Gandhi was nominated to represent INC in the Second Round Table Conference to be held in London.
• 1941–45: This Period is marked by events i.e. Quit India movement, RIN Mutiny & INA trials.
  • The phase of constitutional negotiations such as Cripps Mission, Wavell Plan, and Cabinet Mission.
  • On account of these events during this phase, no congress session was held.

Marginal Standing Facility

• Marginal standing facility (MSF) is a window for banks to borrow from the Reserve Bank of India in an emergency situation when inter-bank liquidity dries up completely.
• Banks borrow from the central bank by pledging government securities at a rate higher than the repo rate under liquidity adjustment facility or LAF in short.
• The MSF rate is pegged 100 basis points or a percentage point above the repo rate.
• Under MSF, banks can borrow funds up to one percent of their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).
• Banks can borrow through MSF on all working days except Saturdays.
• The minimum amount for which RBI receives application is Rs.1 Crore, and afterward in multiples of Rs.1 Crore.
• MSF provides a safety valve against unexpected liquidity shocks to the banking system.