What are the most popular keywords of 2024? From brain decay and sobriety Keffiyeh And black coat syndrome, here’s our pick of what remained popular and relevant for UPSC aspirants.
1. Crypto: No, it is not related to cryptocurrency! Cryptosporidium, or crypto, is a coccidia group of protozoan parasites that can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported 22 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis, a waterborne disease. This infection is caused by parasites found in feces and can be contracted by consuming contaminated food or water.
2. 3 Zero Club: It is an initiative to achieve Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus’ vision of creating a world of three zeros.– Zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration and to end poverty Zero unemployment By unleashing entrepreneurship in all.
3ZERO Club’s mission is to inspire young people to think, create and lead with an entrepreneurial spirit to solve the most pressing social and environmental issues of our time.
Have you ever found yourself scrolling through Instagram reels after a long day, only to glance at the clock and realize it’s 3am? You, my friend, have fallen victim to an epidemic of brain rot. (freepik)
3. Brain rot: Oxford University Press (OUP) has chosen brain-rot as its “Word of the Year” for 2024. Brain-rot is the perceived deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially as a result of excessive consumption of content (now especially online content) perceived as trivial or challenging.
4. 4B Movement: 4B stands for Four twentyOr not in Korean: bihon, bichulsan, biyeonaeand bisekseuNamely the rejection of (heterosexual) marriage, childbirth, romance, and sexual relations respectively.
The movement started in 2010 South Korea Around 2016. After Donald Trump’s victory, many American women announced on social media that they are adopting it in their lives.
5. Peak oil: The term “peak oil” means the point at which global production rises, before it is completely depleted.
This theory was proposed in 1956 M. King HubertAn American geologist working for fossil fuel giant Shale, who predicted – based on statistical modeling of known oil reserves at the time – that global crude oil production would peak around 2000, before declining and eventually ceasing entirely. But Hubert’s prediction did not come true.
6. Operation Indravati: The Indian government launched ‘Operation Indrawati’ in March to evacuate its citizens affected by the crisis. Haiti in the neighboring Dominican Republic.
Haiti, located in the Caribbean, has descended into chaos as armed gangs take over the streets, resulting in the virtual disappearance of the government.
The Maori Haka. (Wikimedia Commons)
7. The Maori Haka: The Maori haka became a topic of discussion when 22-year-old New Zealand Maori Party MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clark demonstrated in parliament against the controversial bill.
The Haka is a traditional dance of the Maori people that is often performed in groups and includes chanting, dramatic facial gestures, hand movements, and foot stamping. It also served as a medium for storytelling, a way to express communal grievances, celebrate victories, or honor ancestors.
8. 4E Wave Movement: The 4E Wave movement is a student-led national movement for energy conservation Originated from the students of Government College of Engineering and Technology (GCET), Jammu.
It is a youth-led initiative committed to advancing the principles of environmental friendliness, economy, education, and empowerment (4Es) in the field of energy conservation and sustainability.
9. Keffiyeh: Keffiyeh is A traditional headdress Used in the Middle East. In recent decades, they have become a symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance. Recent Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri refused to accept the award on Wednesday from New York City’s Noguchi Museum after three employees were fired for wearing ‘keffiyehs’.
10. Cyber ​​Slavery: Cyber ​​slavery refers to a situation where a person is allegedly held against their will and forced to commit cyber fraud.
Indian officials say cyber slavery is an emerging and terrifying form of modern-day trafficking. Individuals are coerced or trafficked into online scams for organized criminal networks. This growing cybercrime exploits vulnerable people, luring them into illegal activities and online fraud.
11. Digital Arrest: A “digital arrest” scam involves fraudsters impersonating law enforcement via video calls, threatening fake arrests to extort money. Criminals who use a photo or ID of a police officer to prove authenticity often demand money from the target to ‘deal’ and close the case.
In some cases, victims are “digitally arrested”, and forced to remain visible Skype or other video conferencing platforms to criminals until their demands are met.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi feeding cows on Makar Sankranti at his residence in New Delhi on January 14, 2024. (PTI photo)
12. Punganur caste: Punganur is an indigenous breed native to Punganur, Vaylapadu, Madanapally and Palamanir taluks of Chittoor district in southern Andhra Pradesh. They are a unique dwarf breed, considered to be the shortest-humped cattle in the world.
On the occasion of Pongal/Makar SankrantiPrime Minister Narendra Modi fed green fodder to a group of about 6 cattle Punganur caste.
13. Sarco Pod: It is a coffin-shaped, air-tight machine designed by Exit International. It is used for euthanasia in Switzerland. It consists of a 3D printed detachable capsule placed on a stand with a canister of liquid nitrogen. The person inside it can press a button to start the dying process, flooding the air inside with nitrogen gas.
14. Operating Harmony: India launched Operation “Sadbhava” to provide aid and essential supplies to Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, which are dealing with the devastating effects of Typhoon Yagi.
As part of Mission Sadbhav, India sent 10 tonnes of aid including dry rations, clothes and medicines to Myanmar aboard the Indian naval ship INS Satpuda.
15. HFC-23: HFC-23, also known as trifluoromethane, is produced during the manufacture of a common refrigerant gas called HCFC-22, which belongs to the hydrochlorofluorocarbon family. HFC-23 is 14,800 times more likely to cause global warming than carbon dioxide.
The Nature study found that about 68 percent of the credits generated in the HFC-23 abatement projects the researchers reviewed reduced actual emissions.
16. Project Nexus: RBI has joined Project Nexus, a multilateral international initiative to enable instant cross-border retail payments by connecting domestic Fast Payment Systems (FPSs). It is conceptualized by the Bank’s Innovation Hub for International Settlements (BIS).
17. Constitutional Autonomy: Constitutional Autochthony refers to the fact that a Constitution Legally speaking, “domestic” or rooted in native soil. This political science term asserts that the constitution’s authority and legitimacy derive from local legal factors, not from foreign legal processes, but rather its constitutional independence.
18. Moderation: Online dictionary platform Dictionary.com has officially announced “demure” as its 2024 Word of the Year. to be moderation Represents an attentive, understated demeanor – being thoughtful, present, and intentionally cute without being overbearing.
19. Disclosure: Cambridge Dictionaries has announced ‘manifest’ as its word of the year for 2024, highlighting the growing influence of the concept in popular culture and beyond. It is defined as “using methods such as visualization and affirmations to help you imagine getting what you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen.”
20. blood money: Blood money or DIY A concept in Islamic law where the victims of a crime have a say in how the perpetrators are punished.
In the case of murder, this principle applies to the victims’ families. Although murder is punishable by the death penalty, the victim’s family (specifically, heirs) may choose to “pardon” the killer in exchange for monetary compensation. This monetary compensation is blood money.
CJI Sanjeev Khanna on Tuesday emphasized the need for reforms to promote compassionate and humane justice and eliminate the so-called black coat syndrome. (ANI)
21. Black coat syndrome: This is described as the fear and alienation experienced by marginalized communities in their interactions with the legal system., Fear of financial and mental stress due to prolonged judicial process. This is similar to “white coat hypertension”.
22. FOMO: FOMO, or fear of missing out, refers to the anxiety experienced when someone misses out on a social gathering with people they really care about. It’s this kind of sinking, hating feeling that people are bound without us, and we’ve somehow lost it.
23. Tari Rangkook Potatoes: A Google Doodle on April 29, 2024 celebrated Tari Rangkuk Alu, a dance form from Manggarai, Indonesia. This dance style originated from the traditional Rangkuk Alu Khel of Mangagarai, which involves maneuvering on a moving bamboo grid.
24. Green washing: It refers to the growing tendency of companies, organizations, or countries to make dubious or unsubstantiated claims about activities, products, or services being environmentally-friendly or climate-friendly.
Greenwashing misrepresents progress on the climate change front, thereby pushing the world toward disaster, while at the same time rewarding organizations for irresponsible behavior.
The Indian Express UPSC Compulsories brought to you December issue of its monthly magazine. Click here to read. Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com
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