Prelims Focus – 4th May 2024

Standard Essential Patents (SEP)

In News: Some technology companies are using standard essential patents (SEP) to exert control over the telecom manufacturing sector in India, causing concern.

• A Standard Essential Patent (SEP) is a patent that is crucial for the implementation of a standard set by a Standard Setting Organization (SSO). 
• Standards ensure that technologies can work together, and industry players typically aim to comply with these standards. 
• SEPs give the patent holder a monopoly over the technology needed to meet the standard, making it necessary for manufacturers to obtain a licence to use the technology in their products. 
• SEPs are common in industries like mobile telephony where interoperability is essential.

Shaksgam Valley

In News: India has strongly objected to China’s construction activities in the Shaksgam valley, calling them illegal attempts to change the situation in the area.

• The Shaksgam Valley, also known as the Trans Karakoram Tract, is a disputed territory in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir claimed by India. 
• It borders China to the north, POK to the south and west, and the Siachen Glacier region to the east. Pakistan ceded the valley to China in 1963 as part of a boundary agreement, with the condition that negotiations would be reopened after the resolution of the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India. 
• This agreement led to the construction of the Karakoram highway in the 1970s, a joint effort between Chinese and Pakistani engineers.

Quark Particles

In News: Scientists have recently reported that the insides of most massive neutron stars are most likely made of an unusual state of matter called quark matter.

A neutron star is a super-dense leftover of a massive star that went supernova (collapsing of star).

• Quarks are the fundamental building blocks of matter. They are classified as primary particles, meaning they aren’t made up of any smaller regarded debris.
• Quarks never exist alone. They bind collectively in companies of two or three, by the pressure mediated by gluons (any other fundamental particle), to form composite particles called hadrons. Protons and neutrons are the maximum strong hadrons.
• Unlike electrons with their negative whole number charge, quarks have fractional electric charges.
• There are six forms of quarks: up, down, appeal, strange, top, and bottom.

Aravalli Range

In News: The Supreme Court recently said that illegal mining in the Aravalli range in Rajasthan must stop.

• The Aravalli Range, stretching over about 692 kilometers (430 miles) in a northeastern direction, traverses the Indian states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Haryana earlier than culminating in Delhi, is the oldest mountain range in India.
• The mountain range is characterised by rugged hills, rocky outcrops, and sparse plants, and it performs a crucial position in the region’s ecology and hydrology.
• The Aravallis serve as a natural barrier against desertification, and enables regulate the weather, supports various ecosystems, and acts as a watershed for numerous rivers, consisting of the Sabarmati, Luni, and Banas. 
• Rich in biodiversity, the Aravallis are domestic to a whole lot of vegetation and fauna, including dry deciduous forests, scrublands, and grasslands, as well as numerous species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and bugs.

Antarctic Treaty

In News: India will host the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative meeting in Kochi, Kerala.

• Signed: In 1959 by means of 12 countries and came into effect within the mid-1960s.
• Objective: Demilitarization and non violent use of Antarctica, Freedom of medical cooperation and environmental safety.
• Member Nations: Initially treaty signed by twelve countries, presently have 56 parties. 
• India was a party of the Treaty in 1983. Recently, India enacted Indian Antarctic Act, 2022 reaffirming its dedication to Antarctic Treaty.
• Secretariat headquarter: Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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