Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Autonomous District Council (ADC)
Mains level: Read the attached story
The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) in Meghalaya has called for a meeting of traditional heads to revisit the Instrument of Accession that made the Khasi domain a part of the Indian Union.
About KHADC
- KHADC is an autonomous district council in the state of Meghalaya in India.
- It is one of the three autonomous district councils within Meghalaya, and one of twenty-five autonomous regions of India.
- Meghalaya is divided into three regions dominated by as many matrilineal communities â the Khasis, Garos and Jaintias.
- The Khasi hills straddle 25 Himas or States that formed the Federation of Khasi States.
Why in news?
- Some members of the KHADC agreed that the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement signed with the Dominion of India between December 15, 1947 and March 19, 1948, should be studied.
- The treaty was signed by Governor General of India, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, on August 17, 1948.
What is Instrument of Accession?
- It was a legal document first introduced by the Government of India Act, 1935.
- It was used in 1947 to enable each of the rulers of the princely states under British paramountcy to join one of the new dominions of India or Pakistan created by the Partition.
- The instruments of accession executed by the rulers, provided for the accession of states to the Dominion of India (or Pakistan) on three subjects, namely, defence, external affairs and communications.
Back2Basics: Autonomous District Council (ADC)
- The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution allows for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions which have been given autonomy within their respective states.
- Most of these ADC are located in North East India with the exception of two in Ladakh and one in West Bengal.
- Presently, 10 Autonomous Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura are formed by virtue of the Sixth Schedule with the rest being formed as a result of other legislations.
Powers and competencies
(1) Executive and legislative powers
Under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule, ADCs can make laws, rules and regulations in the following areas:
- Land management
- Forest management
- Water resources
- Agriculture and cultivation
- Formation of village councils
- Public health
- Sanitation
- Village and town level policing
- Appointment of traditional chiefs and headmen
- Inheritance of property
- Marriage and divorce
- Social customs
- Money lending and trading
- Mining and minerals
(2) Judicial powers
- ADCs have powers to form courts.
- They can hear cases where both parties are members of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and the maximum sentence is less than 5 years in prison.
(3) Taxation and revenue
- Autonomous district councils have powers to levy taxes, fees and tolls on: building and land, animals, vehicles, boats, entry of goods into the area, roads, ferries, bridges, employment and income and general taxes for the maintenance of schools and roads.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Cloudburst
Mains level: Extreme weather events
At least eight people have died after a cloudburst occurred at the Amarnath Cave Shrine near Pahalgam in south Kashmir.
What is a Cloudburst?
- Cloudbursts are short-duration, intense rainfall events over a small area.
- According to the IMD, it is a weather phenomenon with unexpected precipitation exceeding 100mm/h over a geographical region of approximately 20-30 square km.
What causes Cloudburst?
- A study published last year studied the meteorological factors behind the cloudburst over the Kedarnath region.
- They analysed atmospheric pressure, temperature, rainfall, cloud water content, cloud fraction, cloud particle radius, cloud mixing ratio, total cloud cover, wind speed, wind direction, and relative humidity during the cloudburst, before as well as after the cloudburst.
- The results showed that during the cloudburst, the relative humidity and cloud cover was at the maximum level with low temperature and slow winds.
- It is expected that because of this situation a high amount of clouds may get condensed at a very rapid rate and result in a cloudburst.
Impact of climate change
- Several studies have shown that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts in many cities across the globe.
- As temperatures increase the atmosphere can hold more and more moisture and this moisture comes down as a short very intense rainfall for a short duration.
- This results in flash floods in the mountainous areas and urban floods in the cities.
- Also, there is evidence suggesting that globally short-duration rainfall extremes are going to become more intense and frequent.
Try this PYQ
Q.During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the:
- meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
- lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
- violent upward movement of air and water particles
Select the correct option using the codes given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) None of the above
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Derecho
Mains level: Not Much
States of Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois in the US were hit by a storm system called a Derecho which turned the skies green.
What is a Derecho?
- A derecho is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms.
- The name comes from the Spanish word âla derechaâ which means âstraightâ.
- Straight-line storms are those in which thunderstorm winds have no rotation unlike a tornado.
- Being a warm-weather phenomenon, a derecho generally â not always â occurs during summertime beginning May, with most hitting in June and July.
- However, they are a rare occurrence as compared to other storm systems like tornadoes or hurricanes.
Why does the sky turn green during the derecho?
- Severe thunderstorms result in a âgreen skyâ due to light interacting with the huge amount of water they hold.
- The big raindrops and hail scatter away all but the blue wavelengths due to which primarily blue light penetrates below the storm cloud.
- This blue then combines with the red-yellow of the afternoon or the evening sun to produce green.
Are there different types of derechos?
They fall into three categories â progressive, serial and hybrid.
- Progressive derecho is associated with a short line of thunderstorms that may travel for hundreds of miles along a relatively narrow path. It is a summer phenomenon.
- Serial derecho, on the other hand, has an extensive squall line â wide and long â sweeping across a large area. It usually occurs during spring or fall.
- Hybrid derecho are that ones have the features of both progressive and serial derechos.
Where do derechos usually occur?
- They mostly occur across central and eastern parts of the United States.
- Derechos have also been documented elsewhere across the world.
- In 2010, Russia witnessed its first documented derecho.
- They have also swept through Germany and Finland, and more recently in Bulgaria and Poland.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Pasmanda community
Mains level: Upliftment of minorities
In a political conclave in Hyderabad, PM made a special mention for the Pasmanda muslim community and their social upliftment.
Who are the Pasmanda Muslims?
- The word Pasmanda is derived from the Persian language meaning ‘left behind’.
- The Pasmanda community comprise of Dalits and Backward Muslims who are fighting a different social battle inside the society.
- This community has its stronghold in Uttar Pradesh where the Pasmandas account for around 75% of the total Muslim population.
- In fact, 85% of the total population of Muslims in the country is known as Pasmanda.
- It is believed that the so-called untouchable Hindu converts are categorised as Pasmanda.
A caste system in minorities
- The caste system is applicable to Asian Muslims in the same way as it is applicable in the Indian society.
- Among the South Asian Muslims including those living in India, 15% are considered upper class or upper caste, called Ashraf.
- The remaining 85% Muslims known as Arzal and Ajlaf are considered to be Dalit and backward. Arzal means degraded.
Why political parties are focusing on them?
- If reports are to be believed then the creamy section of the Muslim society looks down upon them.
- They are backward and oppressed economically, socially and educationally. This oppressed section among Muslims is called Pasmanda in India.
A social movement in making
- Actually the Pasmanda movement in India is 100 years old. A Muslim Pasmanda movement had emerged in the second decade of the last century.
- After this, in the 90s in India, two big organisations were formed in favour of the Pasmanda Muslims.
- This was the All India United Muslim Front, whose leader was Ejaz Ali.
- Apart from this, Ali Anwar of Patna founded an organisation named All India Pasmanda Muslim Merej.
- However, both are termed as non-Islamic by Muslim religious leaders.
- All the small organisations of Pasmanda Muslims are mostly found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Nominated members in Rajya Sabha
Mains level: Functioning of Rajya Sabha
Olympic sprinter PT Usha and music composer Ilaiyaraaja among others have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha in the category of eminent persons nominated by the President.
Nominated Members in RS
- Twelve members are nominated to the RS by the President of India for six-year term.
- This is for their contributions towards arts, literature, sciences, and social services.
- This right has been bestowed upon the President according to the Fourth Schedule under Articles 4(1) and 80(2) of the Constitution of India.
Normal composition
- The present strength is 245 members of whom 233 are representatives of the states and UTs and 12 are nominated by the President.
- The Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution; one-third of its members retire every second year.
Constitutional provisions for nominated members
- 80(1)(a) of Constitution of India makes provision for the nomination of 12 members to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India in accordance with provisions of Arts.80(3).
- 80(3) says that the persons to be nominated as members must be possessing special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as the following namely: Literature, science, art and social service.
Powers and privileges of such members
- A nominated member enjoys all the powers and privileges and immunities available to an elected Member of Parliament.
- They take part in the proceedings of the House as any other member.
- Nominated members are however not entitled to vote in an election of the President of India.
- They however have rights to vote in the vice presidential election.
- As per Article 99 of the Constitution, a nominated member is allowed six monthsâ time should he join a political party.
Try this PYQ:
Consider the following statements:
- The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not the members of that House.
- While the nominated members of the two Houses of the Parliament have no voting right in the presidential election, they have the right to vote in the election of the Vice President.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Post your answers here.
Also read:
[Sansad TV] Perspective – Rajya Sabha: The Upper House
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986
Mains level: Not Much
The Union Environment Ministry proposes to soften the provisions of the EP Act (EPA) by replacing a clause that provides for imprisoning violators with one that only requires them to pay a fine.
Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986
- EP Act was passed under Article 253 of the Constitution, which empowers the Centre to enact laws to give effect to international agreements signed by the country.
- The purpose of the Act is to implement the decisions of the UN Conference on the Human Environment.
- They relate to the protection and improvement of the human environment and the prevention of hazards to human beings, other living creatures, plants and property.
- It was enacted in 1986 on the backdrop of Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
- The Act was last amended in 1991.
Why this Act?
- The Act is an âumbrellaâ legislation that has provided a framework for the environmental regulation regime in India.
- It covers all major industrial and infrastructure activities and prohibits and regulates specific activities in coastal areas and eco-sensitive areas.
- The Act also provides for coordination of the activities of various central and state authorities established under other environment-related laws, such as the Water Act and the Air Act.
Key provisions
- The Environment (Protection) Rules lay down procedures for setting standards of emission or discharge of environmental pollutants.
- The objective of Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 is to control the generation, collection, treatment, import, storage, and handling of hazardous waste.
- The Manufacture, Storage, and Import of Hazardous Rules define the terms used in this context, and sets up an authority to inspect, once a year.
- The Cells Rules,1989 were introduced with a view to protect the environment, nature, and health in connection with the application of gene technology and micro-organisms.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Consider the following statements:
The Environment Protection Act, 1986 empowers the Government of India to
- State the requirement of public participation in the process of environmental protection, and the Procedure and manner in which it sought.
- Lay down the standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PMI
Mains level: Not Much
Indiaâs services firms saw growth in new business and output accelerate to a 11-year high in June, as per the survey-based S&P Global India Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI).
What is the news?
- The index rose to 59.2 last month, from 58.9 in May, signalling a strengthening in demand across the services sector, which had borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Purchasing Managersâ Index (PMI)
- PMI is an indicator of business activity â both in the manufacturing and services sectors.
- It is a survey-based measure that asks the respondents about changes in their perception of some key business variables from the month before.
- It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors and then a composite index is constructed.
- The PMI is compiled by IHS Markit based on responses to questionnaires sent to purchasing managers in a panel of around 400 manufacturers.
How is the PMI derived?
- The PMI is derived from a series of qualitative questions.
- Executives from a reasonably big sample, running into hundreds of firms, are asked whether key indicators such as output, new orders, business expectations and employment were stronger than the month before and are asked to rate them.
How does one read the PMI?
- A figure above 50 denotes expansion in business activity. Anything below 50 denotes contraction.
- Higher the difference from this mid-point greater the expansion or contraction. The rate of expansion can also be judged by comparing the PMI with that of the previous month data.
- If the figure is higher than the previous monthâs then the economy is expanding at a faster rate.
- If it is lower than the previous month then it is growing at a lower rate.
What are its implications for the economy?
- The PMI is usually released at the start of the month, much before most of the official data on industrial output, manufacturing and GDP growth becomes available.
- It is, therefore, considered a good leading indicator of economic activity.
- Economists consider the manufacturing growth measured by the PMI as a good indicator of industrial output, for which official statistics are released later.
- Central banks of many countries also use the index to help make decisions on interest rates.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Quarks
Mains level: Not Much
The Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment has observed three never-before-seen particles.
What is the discovery?
- CERN was investigating the slight differences between matter and antimatter by studying a type of particle called the âbeauty quarkâ, or âb quarkâ.
- The three âexoticâ additions â a new kind of âpentaquarkâ and the first-ever pair of âtetraquarksâ â to the growing list of new hadrons were found.
- This discovery will help physicists better understand how quarks bind together into these composite particles.
What are Quarks?
- Quarks are elementary particles that come in six âflavoursâ: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom.
- They usually combine together in groups of twos and threes to form hadrons such as the protons and neutrons that make up atomic nuclei.
- But they can also combine into four-quark and five-quark particles, called tetraquarks and pentaquarks.
- These exotic hadrons were predicted by theorists about six decades ago â around the same time as conventional hadrons â but they have been observed by LHCb and other experiments only in the past 20 years.
What about tetraquarks and pentaquarks?
- Most exotic hadrons discovered in the past two decades are tetraquarks or pentaquarks.
- They contain a charm quark and a charm antiquark â with the remaining two or three quarks being an up, down or strange quark or their antiquarks.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fields Medal
Mains level: NA
Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska was named as one of four recipients of the prestigious Fields Medal, which is often described as the Nobel Prize in mathematics.
What is Fields Medal?
- The Fields Medal is awarded by the International Mathematical Union (IMU), an international non-governmental and non-profit scientific organisation.
- It is awarded every four years to one or more mathematicians under the age of 40 in recognition of âoutstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of future achievementâ.
- The winners are announced at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM), which was supposed to be held in Russia this year, but was moved to Helsinki.
Belongings of the award
- The honour carries a physical medal of 14K gold, 63.5 mm in diameter and weighing 169 g, and with a unit price of approximately 5,500 Canadian dollars.
- There is also a cash award of CAD 15,000.
- The obverse of the medal is embossed with the head of Archimedes facing right, and some Latin quotes.
History of the Medal
- According to the IMU website, the 1924 ICM in Toronto adopted a resolution that at each conference, two gold medals would be awarded to recognise outstanding mathematical achievement.
- The Canadian mathematician Prof J C Fields, who was secretary of the 1924 Congress, later donated funds to establish the medals, which were named in his honour.
- In 1966, it was agreed that, in light of the great expansion of mathematical research, up to four medals could be awarded at each Congress.
Indian-origin winners
- Among the more than 60 mathematicians who have been awarded the Fields Medal since 1936, there are two of Indian origin.
- Akshay Venkatesh of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, won in 2018, the last time the honour was announced.
- Manjul Bhargava of the Department of Mathematics at Princeton University was awarded in 2014.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
Mains level: Not Much
The worldâs most powerful particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), will begin smashing protons into each other at unprecedented levels of energy beginning July 5.
What is the LHC?
- The Large Hadron Collider is a giant, complex machine built to study particles that are the smallest known building blocks of all things.
- Structurally, it is a 27-km-long track-loop buried 100 metres underground on the Swiss-French border.
- In its operational state, it fires two beams of protons almost at the speed of light in opposite directions inside a ring of superconducting electromagnets.
- The LHCâs second run (Run 2) began in 2015 and lasted till 2018. The second season of data taking produced five times more data than Run 1.
- The third run will see 20 times more collisions as compared to Run 1.
How does it work?
- The magnetic field created by the superconducting electromagnets keeps the protons in a tight beam and guides them along the way as they travel through beam pipes and finally collide.
- Just prior to collision, another type of magnet is used to âsqueezeâ the particles closer together to increase the chances of collisions.
- The particles are so tiny that the task of making them collide is akin to firing two needles 10 km apart with such precision that they meet halfway.
Extreme conditions involved
- Since the LHCâs powerful electromagnets carry almost as much current as a bolt of lightning, they must be kept chilled.
- The LHC uses a distribution system of liquid helium to keep its critical components ultracold at minus 271.3 degrees Celsius, which is colder than interstellar space.
- Given these requirements, it is not easy to warm up or cool down the gigantic machine.
What is the latest upgrade?
- Three years after it shut down for maintenance and upgrades, the collider was switched back on this April.
- This is the LHCâs third run, and it will operate round-the-clock for four years at unprecedented energy levels of 13 tera electron volts.
Note: A TeV is 100 billion, or 10-to-the-power-of-12, electon volts. An electron volt is the energy given to an electron by accelerating it through 1 volt of electric potential difference.
Targets this year
- It now aims to be delivering 1.6 billion proton-proton collisions per second.
- The last time, the proton beams will be narrowed to less than 10 microns â a human hair is around 70 microns thick â to increase the collision rate.
- ATLAS is the largest general purpose particle detector experiment at the LHC.
- The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment is one of the largest international scientific collaborations in history, with the same goals as ATLAS, but which uses a different magnet-system design.
Previous runs & âGod Particleâ discovery
- Ten years ago, in 2012, scientists at CERN had announced to the world the discovery of the Higgs boson or the âGod Particleâ during the LHCâs first run.
- The discovery concluded the decades-long quest for the âforce-carryingâ subatomic particle, and proved the existence of the Higgs mechanism, a theory put forth in the mid-sixties.
- This led to Peter Higgs and his collaborator François Englert being awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 2013.
- The Higgs boson and its related energy field are believed to have played a vital role in the creation
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Chenkurinji
Mains level: Not Much
This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in The Hindu.
Chenkurinji
- Chenkurinji (Gluta travancorica) is a species endemic to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
- Belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, the tree was once abundant in the hills on the southern parts of the Aryankavu Pass in Keralaâs Kollam district.
- The Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary derives its name Chenkurinji (Gluta travancorica), a species endemic to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
Why in news?
- It is very susceptible to climate change and the present condition of the species is quite bad with low regeneration performance.
- Though there are seemingly enough number of the tree, most are not productive, generating a negative trend in its population.
- The majority of the trees is old with poor flowering and fruiting rates.
- Though the flowering usually happens in January, of late, the species has reported a tendency to extend the process due to climate change.
Significance of Chenkurinji
- It is reported to have medicinal properties and is used to lower blood pressure and treat arthritis.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Rampa Rebellion
Mains level: Major tribal uprisings in freedom struggle
Hundred years ago, in August 1922 the âRampa Rebellionâ or âManyam Rebellionâ took place in the forests of the Godavari Agency in the Madras Presidency.
Rampa Rebellion
- The Rampa Rebellion of 1922, also known as the Manyam Rebellion, was a tribal uprising led by Alluri Sitarama Raju in Godavari Agency.
- It began in August 1922 and lasted until the capture and killing of Raju in May 1924.
- Forced labour, embargoes on collecting minor forest produce and bans on tribal agriculture practices led to severe distress among the Koyas in the area.
- Sitarama Raju did not belong to the tribal community, but understood the restrictions that the British colonial administration placed on the tribal way of life.
Background of the revolt
- The Rampa administrative area comprised around 1,800 square km and had a mostly tribal population of approximately 28,000.
- They had traditionally been able to support their food requirements through the use, in particular, of the podu system, whereby each year some areas of jungle forest were burned to clear land for cultivation.
- The British Raj authorities had wanted to improve the economic usefulness of lands in Godavari Agency, an area that was noted for the prevalence of malaria and blackwater fever.
- The traditional cultivation methods were greatly hindered when the authorities took control of the forests, mostly for commercial purposes such as produce for building railways and ships.
- This was done regardless of the needs of the tribal people.
Why did people revolt?
- The tribal people of the forested hills, who now faced starvation had long felt that the legal system favoured the muttadar (estate landowners) and merchants.
- This had also resulted in the earlier Rampa Rebellion of 1879.
- Now they objected also to the Raj laws and continued actions that hindered their economic position and meant they had to find alternate livelihood.
- They objected to attempts at that time to use them as forced labour in the construction of a road in the area.
Role of Raju
- Raju was a charismatic sanyasin, believed by many tribal people to possess magical abilities and to have an almost messianic status.
- He saw the overthrow of colonial rule in terms similar to a millenarian event and he harnessed the discontent of the tribal people to support his anti-colonial zeal.
Course of revolt
- Alluri Sitarama Raju, along with 500 tribal people, attacked the police stations of Chintapalli, Krishnadevipeta and Rajavommangi.
- They walked away with 26 police carbine rifles and 2,500 rounds of ammunition.
- Legend has it that Alluri himself would forewarn the British officers of an imminent attack and would challenge them to stop him with the superior resources that they had at hand.
- He was finally captured, tied to a tree and shot dead.
Try this PYQ:
Q. With reference to the history of India, âUlgulanâ or the Great Tumult is the description of which of the following event?
(a) The Revolt of 1857
(b) The Mappila Rebellion of 1921
(c) The Indigo Revolt of 1859-60
(d) Birsa Mundaâs Revolt of 1899-1900
Post your answers here.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MADS27
Mains level: Not Much
Researchers led by those from the National Centre of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru (NCBS-TIFR), have found a new pathway that regulates nitrate absorption in plants.
Nitrogen in plant nutrition
- Nitrogen is one of the most important macronutrients needed for development of a plant.
- It is a part of chlorophyll, amino acids and nucleic acids, among others.
- It is mostly sourced from the soil where it is mainly absorbed in the form of nitrates and ammonium by the roots.
- Nitrates also play a role in controlling genome-wide gene expression that in turn regulates root system architecture, flowering time, leaf development, etc.
- Thus, while a lot of action takes place in the roots to absorb and convert nitrogen into useful nitrates, the absorbed nitrates in turn regulate plant development apart from being useful as a macronutrient.
What is MADS27?
- The gene MADS27, which regulates nitrate absorption, root development and stress tolerance, is activated by the micro-RNA, miR444, therefore offers a way to control these properties of the plant.
- The researchers studied this mechanism in both rice (monocot) and tobacco (dicot) plants.
Regulatory switches
- In addition to this route, several gene regulatory switches that regulate nitrate absorption and root development, such as the micro-RNA, miR444, are known in monocot plants, such as rice.
- The micro-RNA âmiR444â is specific to monocots.
- When this is not made, its target, MADS27, is produced in higher abundance, and it improves biosynthesis and transport of the hormone auxin, which is key for root development and its branching.
- This regulatory miR444 switch is known to turn off at least five genes called MADS box transcription factor genes.
- The speciality of the MADS box transcription factors is that they function like switch boxes of their own.
- They bind to their favourite specific DNA sequences and they switch the neighbouring genes âon.â
Why is the discovery important?
- Presence of nitrates is important for the plant development and also for grain production.
- However, the overuse of nitrates in fertilizers, for instance, can lead to the dumping of nitrates in the soil which leads to accumulation of nitrates in water and soil.
- This accumulation adds to soil and water pollution and increased contribution to greenhouse gases.
- Also, since the whole process of nitrate absorption takes place in the roots, a well-developed root system is needed for this to take place optimally.
- At one level, it is known that the hormone auxin is responsible for well-developed roots across all plants.
- A number of genes are known to help with auxin production, improved nitrate transport and assimilation in plants.
Significance of MADS27
- The MADS27 transcription factor has a three-pronged effect on the plant.
- First, it regulates nitrate absorption by switching âonâ proteins involved in this process.
- Second, it leads to better development of the roots by regulating auxin hormone production and transport.
- Finally, and somewhat surprisingly to the researchers, it helps in the abiotic stress tolerance by keeping the main stress player proteins âon.â
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GI indication
Mains level: Not Much
The Kai Chutney made from Red Ants by the tribals of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha are seeking a Geographical Indications (GI) tag.
Ant Chutney
- Despite this, weaver ants are popular among the people, mostly of the tribes,
- This food item, rich in proteins, calcium, zinc, vitamin B-12, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, copper, fibre and 18 amino acids, is known to boost the immune system and keep diseases at bay.
- Applied under food category, the GI tag will help develop a structured hygiene protocol in the preparation of Kai chutney for standard wider use.
- Geographical Indications labels enhance the reputation and value of local products and support local businesses.
How is the Chutney prepared?
- Weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina, are abundantly found in Mayurbhanj throughout the year.
- They make nests with leaves of host trees.
- The chutney is prepared by mixing and grinding salt, ginger, garlic and chilly and is sold by tribal people in rural markets.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.Which of the following has/have been accorded âGeographical Indicationâ status?
- Banaras Brocades and Sarees
- Rajasthani Daal-Bati-Churma
- Tirupathi Laddu
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Post your answers here.
Back2Basics: Â Geographical Indication
- A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
- Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 w.e.f. September 2003.
- GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
- GI is granted for a term of 10 years in India. As of today, more than 300 GI tags has been allocated so far in India (*Wikipedia).
- The tag stands valid for 10 years.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator
Mains level: India's defence exports, Atmanirbharta in defence
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out the maiden test flight of a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), an autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, from the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka.
About the Indigenous Drone
- The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is powered by a small turbofan engine.
- It is developed under unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) programme.
- It is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, a premier research laboratory of DRDO.
- The engine is Russian TRDD-50MT originally designed for cruise missiles.
- A small turbo fan engine is being developed indigenously for meeting the requirement.
Various initiatives by DRDO
- DRDO is in the process of developing UAVs of different classes to met the requirements of the armed forces.
- Rustom-2, the indigenous Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV under development, had crossed a milestone by reaching an altitude of 25,000 feet and an endurance of 10 hours.
- It is now being designed to reach an altitude of 30,000 feet and 18 hours endurance.
- An Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle is also on the drawing board.
Significance of the development
- Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way point navigation and a smooth touchdown.
- This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft.
- This is a significant step towards self-reliance in strategic defence technologies.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Rath Yatra
Mains level: NA
Lakhs of devotees thronged the coastal town of Puri town to witness the annual Rath Yatra with three decorated chariots of sibling deities Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra towed in front of the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple.
About Jagannath Rath Yatra
- Ratha Jatra, the Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannatha is celebrated every year at Puri, the temple town in Orissa, on the east coast of India.
- It involves a public procession with a chariot with deities Jagannath (Vishnu avatar), BalaBhadra (his brother), Subhadra (his sister) and Sudarshana Chakra (his weapon) on a ratha, a wooden deula-shaped chariot.
- The huge, colourfully decorated chariots, are drawn by hundreds and thousands of devotees on the bada danda, the grand avenue to the Gundicha temple, some two miles away to the North.
- It attracts over a million Hindu pilgrims who join the procession each year.
Back2Basics: Puri Temple Architecture
- Jagannath Temple is a very big temple and covers an area of 37000m2. The height of the outer wall is 6.1m.
- It is surrounded by a high fortified wall 6.1 m high is known as Meghanada Pacheri.
- The main portion of the temple is also surrounded by a wall known as Kurma Bheda.
- The temple is built in Rekha Deula style and has four distinct sectional structures, namely â
- Deula, Vimana or Garba griha (Sanctum sanctorum) where the triad deities are lodged on the ratnavedi (Throne of Pearls)
- Mukhashala (Frontal porch)
- Nata mandir/Natamandapa, which is also known as the Jagamohan (Audience Hall/Dancing Hall), and
- Bhoga Mandapa (Offerings Hall)
Try this question from CSP 2019:
Q.Building âKalyaana Mandapasâ was a notable feature in the temple construction in the kingdom of-
(a) Chalukya (b) Chandela (c) Rashtrakuta (d) Vijayanagara
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: POEM
Mains level: Not Much
The ISRO has launched three Singaporean satellites in precise orbit through the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module or âPOEMâ.
What is POEM?
- The POEM is a platform that will help perform in-orbit experiments using the final, and otherwise discarded, stage of ISROâs workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
- The PSLV is a four-stage rocket where the first three spent stages fall back into the ocean, and the final stage (PS4) â after launching the satellite into orbit â ends up as space junk.
- However, in PSLV-C53 mission, the spent final stage will be utilised as a âstabilised platformâ to perform experiments.
- POEM is carrying six payloads, including two from Indian space start-ups Digantara and Dhruva Space.
Features of POEM
- POEM has a dedicated Navigation Guidance and Control (NGC) system for attitude stabilisation, which stands for controlling the orientation of any aerospace vehicle within permitted limits.
- The NGC will act as the platformâs brain to stabilize it with specified accuracy.
- POEM will derive its power from solar panels mounted around the PS4 tank, and a Li-Ion battery.
- It will navigate using four sun sensors, a magnetometer, gyros & NavIC.
- It carries dedicated control thrusters using Helium gas storage. It is enabled with a telecomm and feature.
Has ISRO repurposed and used PS4 rocket junk earlier?
- The Indian space agency first demonstrated the capability of using PSLV-C44 as an orbital platform in 2019.
- It injected Microsat-R and Kalamsat-V2 satellites into their designated orbits.
- The fourth stage in that mission was kept alive as an orbital platform for space-based experiments.
- While in that mission, the fourth stage had Li-Ion batteries, solar panels are an addition this time.
- The latest repurposing and upgrade of the fourth stage of the PSLV rocket involves the stabilization of the orbital platform.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CAPSTONE satellite
Mains level: Not Much
NASA has launched CAPSTONE, a microwave oven-sized CubeSat weighing just 55 pounds (25 kg).
What is CAPSTONE?
- CAPSTONE, short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, is designed to test a unique, elliptical lunar orbit.
- It aims to help reduce risk for future spacecraft by validating innovative navigation technologies, and by verifying the dynamics of the halo-shaped orbit.
Its launch
- It is heading toward an orbit intended in the future for Gateway, a Moon-orbiting outpost that is part of NASAâs Artemis program.
- The orbit is known as a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO).
- It is significantly elongated, and is located at a precise balance point in the gravities of Earth and the Moon.
- This offers stability for long-term missions like Gateway, NASA said on its website.
Mission details
- CAPSTONE will enter NRHO, where it will fly within 1,600 km of the Moonâs North Pole on its near pass and 70,000 km from the South Pole at its farthest.
- The spacecraft will repeat the cycle every six-and-a-half days and maintain this orbit for at least six months to study dynamics.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Salmonella Typhi
Mains level: Not Much
The bacteria causing typhoid fever is becoming increasingly resistant to some of the most important antibiotics for human health.
What is the news?
- The largest genome analysis of Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) also shows that resistant strains â almost all originating in South Asia â have spread to other countries nearly 200 times since 1990.
- The researchers noted that typhoid fever is a global public health concern, causing 11 million infections and more than 1,00,000 deaths per year.
- Antibiotics can be used to successfully treat typhoid fever infections, but their effectiveness is threatened by the emergence of resistant S. Typhi strains.
What is Salmonella Typhi?
- Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) are bacteria that infect the intestinal tract and the blood.
- It is usually spread through contaminated food or water.
- Once S. Typhi bacteria are eaten or drunk, they multiply and spread into the bloodstream.
- The disease is referred to as typhoid fever. S. Paratyphi bacteria cause a similar, but milder illness, which comes under the same title.
- Paratyphoid has a shorter duration, generally, than typhoid.
- Typhi and S. Paratyphi are common in many developing countries where sewage and water treatment systems are poor.
How does it spread?
- Salmonella Typhi lives only in humans.
- Persons with typhoid fever carry the bacteria in their bloodstream and intestinal tract.
- Symptoms include prolonged high fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and constipation or diarrhoea.
- Some patients may have a rash. Severe cases may lead to serious complications or even death.
- Typhoid fever can be confirmed through blood testing.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Corals, Coral Bleaching
Mains level: Not Much
Scientists have recorded four species of corals for the first time from Indian waters. These new species of azooxanthellate corals were found from the waters off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
What are Azooxanthellate Corals?
- The azooxanthellate corals are a group of corals that do not contain zooxanthellae and derive nourishment not from the sun but from capturing different forms of planktons.
- They are deep-sea representatives with the majority of species being reported from depths between 200 metres and 1,000 metres.
- They are also reported from shallow waters unlike zooxanthellate corals that are restricted to shallow waters.
Which are the news species found?
- Truncatoflabellum crassum, T. incrustatum, T. aculeatum, and T. irregulare under the family Flabellidae were previously found in Japan, the Philippines and Australian waters.
- Only T. crassum was reported with the range of Indo-West Pacific distribution.
Significance of the discovery
- Most studies of hard corals in India have been concentrated on reef-building corals while much is not known about non-reef-building corals.
- These new species enhance our knowledge about non-reef-building solitary corals.
Back2Basics: Coral Reefs
- Corals are marine invertebrates or animals not possessing a spine.
- Each coral is called a polyp and thousands of such polyps live together to form a colony, which grows when polyps multiply to make copies of themselves.
- Australiaâs Great Barrier Reef is the worldâs largest reef system stretching across 2,300 km.
- It hosts 400 different types of coral, gives shelter to 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc.
- Corals are of two types â hard coral and soft coral:
- Hard corals, also called hermatypic or âreef buildingâ corals extract calcium carbonate (also found in limestone) from the seawater to build hard, white coral exoskeletons.
- Soft coral polyps, however, borrow their appearance from plants, attach themselves to such skeletons and older skeletons built by their ancestors. Soft corals also add their own skeletons to the hard structure over the years and these growing multiplying structures gradually form coral reefs. They are the largest living structures on the planet.
How do they feed themselves?
- Corals share a symbiotic relationship with single-celled algae called zooxanthellae.
- The algae provides the coral with food and nutrients, which they make through photosynthesis, using the sunâs light.
- In turn, the corals give the algae a home and key nutrients.
- The zooxanthellae also give corals their bright colour.
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