IAF s Mi17 helicopters to become more lethal will get made-in-India armour (GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
Details:
- The IAF will now equip its Mi-17 helicopters with indigenous armour that will improve their ability to withstand fire from small arms and snipers.
- This will enable these helicopters to perform better in operations involving close-quarters combat.
- This is part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the Indian government which aims to boost indigenous industry, including the defence sector.
Made-in-India armour plates:
Mi-17 helicopters:
Climate change one of key concerns for CXOs: Deloitte sustainability survey
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- Climate change has been ranked among the top three issues of concern by CXOs with 75 per cent of those surveyed saying that companies have increased their sustainability investments over the past year, according to the Deloitte CXO Sustainability Survey 2023.
- While globally, climate change is a bigger concern than innovation, talent, supply chain and geopolitics, it is second only to economic outlook.
Indian CxOs:
- In Indiait found climate change was a higher priority, ahead of ‘economic outlook’, as compared to global executives, with 57 per cent calling it a “top three priority” compared to 42 per cent of global CXOs.
- Compared to the global average, Indian CxOs are likely to report feeling more stakeholder pressure to act from board members - 78 per cent, the government 72 per cent and shareholders 71 per cent.
- Sixty per cent of Indian CxOs rated a “just transition” to be extremely important to their organisation’s sustainability efforts, as compared to 46 per cent of global executives.
- A just transition seeks to ensure that substantial benefits of transitioning to a green economy are shared widely.
Background:
- Deloitte surveyed 2,016 CxOs across 24 countries to gauge concerns and actions from business leaders on climate change and sustainability.
Ants cant alter behaviour to deal with warmer climate: Report
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- Ants may be unable to adapt to global warming, a new study looking at their behavioural flexibility has warned.
- This leaves them highly vulnerable to impacts of climate change, as the insects could not move away from warmer sites despite costs to their well-being.
Characteristic of ants:
- The insects are cold-blooded creatures, also called ectotherms.
- Their body temperatures depend on external sources like sunlight. Humans (endotherms), on the other hand, maintain their body temperature without relying on the environment.
- As ants’ body temperature varies with the environment, they are thought to be highly vulnerable to climate changes.
- Ants are often called “ecosystem’s engineers”. These insects move the soil during nest-building and foraging, affecting the level of nutrients in it.
Latest research:
- The researchers chose five ant species. They measured air temperatures at collection sites in the forests and used a special thermometer to record the insects’ temperatures. Some ants were taken to the lab and placed in a rectangular chamber with a gradient of temperatures.
- The ants choose a particular temperature, allowing researchers to estimate their comfortable or preferred temperature.
- However, ants in the wild did not stay in preferred cooler environments. Instead, most species were found in warmer sites. This suggests that insects are either unaware or unable to adjust their behaviour by avoiding warmer ecosystems.
Way Forward:
- The researchers only studied mild habitats that experienced moderate warming. In the future, they want to explore more extreme environments to understand if ants undergo behavioural change.
- They also want to study the link between the ants’ foraging activity and the nest. Nests are typically more insulated and are hence more protected against climate change.
