Latest News
EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
30th May 2021
Goa Statehood Day
The Prime Minister of India has greeted the people of Goa on their Statehood Day.
According to a recent research, high concentrations of mercury were found in the water bodies fed by the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Mekedatu project:
- On 30 May 1987, Goa was conferred statehood and Daman and Diu was made a separate union territory.
- The Portuguese continued to hold territory in some parts of the country after 1947.
- The Government of India as well as local forces made many attempts to free Goa from clutches of the foreign invaders.
- After several attempts at peaceful negotiations, the Government of India decided to deploy the armed forces.
- Operation Vijay began on December 17, 1961 when the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehruordered the invasion.
- With minimal bloodshed, the attack was successful and was carried forward to retrieve the other Portuguese-controlled areas, Daman and Diu.
- At this point on December 18, the Portuguese Governor General Vassalo da Silva gave up control of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu.
- Three days after the attack began, Goa finally became a part of India.
- Goa celebrated its 52nd Opinion Poll Day on January 16.
- It was on this date in 1967 that Goans voted against merging with Maharashtra and chose to remain a Union Territory. Though referred to as an ‘opinion poll’, the vote was in fact a plebiscite.
- Soon after Goa’s liberation from colonial Portuguese rule in 1961, murmurs began of a merger with Maharashtra on grounds of cultural similarity and the argument that Konkani was a dialect of Marathi and not an independent language.
- The proposal to recognise the day was floated by the United Arab Emirates. It was adopted unanimously by the delegates.
- The day will be an important opportunity to engage a wide range of partners at global, national & local level to help accelerate the end of NTDs & the suffering associated with these devastating diseases.
- NTDs are a group of infections that are most common among marginalised communities in the developing regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas.
- They are caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and parasitic worms.
- These diseases generally receive less funding for research and treatment than malaises like tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS and malaria.
- Examples of NTDs include snakebite envenomation, scabies, yaws, trachoma, Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.
- A major milestone in the movement to recognise the global burden of these diseases was the London Declaration on NTDs adopted on January 30, 2012.
- NTDs affect more than a billion people globally.
- They are preventable and treatable.
- However, these diseases continue to cause devastating health, social and economic consequences.
- From measuring process to measuring impact.
- From disease-specific planning and programming to collaborative work across sectors.
- From externally driven agendas reliant to programmes that are country-owned and country-financed.
- The census was carried out by the state forest department February 28, 2021.
- The antelopes numbered 7,358 — 4,196 females, 1,712 males and 1,450 young.
- Blackbucks are found only in the Ganjam district in the southern part of the state, which is where the census was carried out.
- It used to be sighted in the Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary in Puri district till 2012-13, but now has vanished from the area.
- The numbers were 6,875 in 2020, 4,082 in 2018, 3,806 in 2015 and 2,194 in 2011.
- Improvement of habitats, protection given by the local people and forest staff were some of the reasons for the increase of the population of the blackbuck in Ganjam, Satya Narayan Behura.
- The people of Ganjam had been enthusiastically protecting the animal like the Bishnois of western Rajasthan and the Vala Rajputs of Saurashtra.
- The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), also known as the Indian antelope.
- It is native to Indian and Nepal.
- It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources.
- The blackbuck is a Schedule-1 animal according to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended in 1992) and is considered as ‘Vulnerable’ according to the Red Data Book.
- The blackbuck is known in Odisha and Ganjam as Krushnasara Mruga.
- The State of Uttarakhand is home to the Western Himalayan temperate forests which harbour a large number of endemic bird species.
- The researchers studied an area of about 1,285 square kilometres between the altitudes of 1,700 and 2,400 metres.
- Six major land-use types which included natural oak forest, degraded oak forest (lightly used), lopped oak forest (intensively used), pine forest, agricultural cultivation area and sites with buildings were studied.
- The results showed that there was a low diversity of species in monoculture areas and urban sites.
- They also noted a drastic loss of pollinator birds and insectivores in the degraded forests, monocultures and urbanised sites.
- Strong decline in some of the habitat guilds in the areas that experienced land-use change.
- Habitat guilds are groups of bird species that have common habitat preferences.
- For instance, forest specialists include species which forage and breed only in dense protected oak forests at this altitude, while forest generalists can adapt to modified habitats such as orchards and degraded forests.
- Many of the species that dropped out of the modified land areas were recognised oak forest specialists such as rufous-bellied woodpecker, greater yellownape, rufous sibia, white-throated laughingthrush and black-faced warbler.
- The broadleaf forest sits in the mid-elevation in the western Himalaya.
- This ecoregion is a narrow band between 1,500 and 2,600 m in width, starting from the deep creeks of the Kali Gandaki River gorge in Central Nepal through northwestern India into Pakistan westward.
- The climate is seasonal. The southwest monsoon brings rainfall from June to September, but this region receives less precipitation than the eastern Himalaya.
- The drier conditions influence the vegetation, and the tree line declines from 4,000 m in the east to about 3,500 m in the west.
- This ecoregion is a critical link for the altitudinal migrations of a suite of birds, such as river chats, dippers, drongos, forktails, wagtails, fantails, sunbirds, and redstarts.
- These birds winter in the low elevation ecoregions and migrate to higher elevations for the summer, using the broadleaf forests as a habitat corridor or as summer habitat.
- The ecoregion has two distinct forest types: the evergreen broad-leaved forests and the deciduous broad-leaved forests.
- The oak forests on drier and higher slopes are mixed with various conifers, such as fir, abies, spruce, cedar, and pines.
- The deciduous broadleaf forests are composed of walnut, Himalayan horse chestnut, alder, maple, Himalayan poplar, Himalayan elm, and Turkish hazel.
- It is made out of soft sandstone.
- It resembles the Sarnath Buddha.
- Belongs to the Gupta style.
- The Buddha figure is seated on a lotus pedestal in Dharma Chakra Pravarthana Mudre.
- Below the seat, six disciples are seated on either side of the Dharma Chakra.
- The Lord wears clothes and ear-rings.
- A small Ushnisha is shown on the top of the head.
- In the back of the head, a beautifully carved round lobe is seen.
- On the top corners, two Yakshas and, on either side of his back, two winged horses have been carved out.
- A Brahmi inscription of the 4th or the 5th century AD carved out on an earthen lid was found in the same vicinity.
- The ancient Tulu Nadu was said to be ruled by the Kadambas of Banavasi. The Guptas and the Kadambas of Banavasi had matrimonial relations.
- The canvas was commissioned to promote participation in the smallpox vaccination programme with women from the Wadiyar dynasty as its protagonists.
- The painting is believed to be painted in 1805 by Irish-born artist Thomas Hickey and it was initially thought to be portraits of “dancing girls or courtesans”.
- In the 1990s it was pointed out that the painting was of historic significance and depicted one of the first vaccine drives in India, with bejewelled women from the Wadiyar dynasty posing for Hickey.
- The youngest woman, on the right, has been identified as Devajammani, the younger queen of King Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. She has her hand on her left arm, suggesting she has been vaccinated against smallpox, which had led to numerous deaths in India over the years.
- On the left is the older queen, who has pigmentation around her mouth, which could possibly be a sign of surviving smallpox, probably through variolation, which would often lead to a mild infection that resulted in lasting immunity.
- The woman in the middle is one of the king’s sisters.
- Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor.
- The initial symptoms of the disease included fever and vomiting which was followed by formation of ulcers in the mouth and a skin rash.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) certified the global eradication of the disease in 1980.
- The risk of death after contracting the disease was about 30%, with higher rates among babies.
- Often those who survived had extensive scarring of their skin, and some were left blind.
- The smallpox vaccine, discovered by Edward Jenner in 1796, was the first successful vaccine to be developed.
- On June 14, 1802, Anna Dusthall, an Anglo-Indian toddler, was the first person in India to be successfully vaccinated against the virus that relied on the cowpox virus “a mild cousin of smallpox” to trigger immunity.
- It was also said that Hamas’ indiscriminate rocketing during the conflict was also a clear violation of the rules of war.
- Air strikes in such densely populated areas resulted in a high level of civilian fatalities and injuries, as well as the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.
- The strikes raise serious concerns of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law.
- Such attacks may constitute war crimes, if deemed to be indiscriminate and disproportionate in their impact on civilians.
- According to the United Nations, a war crime is a serious breach of international law committed against civilians or “enemy combatants” during an international or domestic armed conflict.
- A war crime occurs when superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering is inflicted upon an enemy.
- The extent of civilian casualties resulting is excessive compared to the military advantage gained from the attack.
- Wilful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, including wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement of a protected person taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.
- Its mandatory contributions as a UN member rose by 1,096% between 2010 and 2019, while voluntary donations increased by 346% from $51 million in 2010 to $172 million in 2019.
- China`s main intent was to help set international standards in order to boost the fortunes of Chinese companies.
- Its mandatory contributions and voluntary donations combined made China the fifth largest donor to the UN.
- China directly heads four of 15 principal agencies of the UN – ITU, UNIDO, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
- Chinese deputies are present in nine of these agencies, including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and World Health Organization (WHO).
- India can take to counter China’s moves, including a more proactive role as a rule-maker.
- Setting up and leading its own multilaterals such as the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
- Increasing voluntary contributions to agencies and bodies.
- Sponsoring Indian nationals for influential policy positions in the UN system.
- DRDO established the near-isothermal forging technology to produce all the five stages of high-pressure compressor (HPC) discs out of difficult-to-deform, titanium alloy, using its unique 2000 MT (metric tonne) isothermal forge press.
- An isothermal process is a thermodynamic process in which the temperature of a system remains constant.
- This technological breakthrough involves developing complex titanium and nickel-based alloys that can withstand temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Celsius.
- With this development, India has joined the league of limited global engine developers to have the manufacturing capabilities of such critical aero-engine components.
- A fighter jet engine functions by sucking in a large volume of air, compressing it rapidly in several stages, injecting aviation fuel into the air and then setting it alight to create a high-pressure, high-temperature gaseous mix.
- That is expelled backward through the exhaust, its reaction propelling the aircraft forward.
- To achieve this, jet engines have seven modules, which from front to rear are: the input fan, low pressure and high-pressure compressors, the combustion chamber, high pressure and low-pressure turbines and the exhaust.
- The United Arab Emirates has adopted the Golden Visa system.
- The Golden Visa system offers long-term residency (5 and 10 years) to people belonging to the following groups: investors, entrepreneurs, individuals with outstanding talents the likes of researchers, medical professionals and those within the scientific and knowledge fields, and remarkable students.
- The mandatory quarantine of Dweep-bound travellers in Kochi was done away with and because of that Covid hit the Lakshadweep.
- Lakshadweep descends from being a ‘COVID-free region’ for nearly a year into one with 6,847 cases until May 24.
- The latest draft regulation for the creation of a Lakshadweep Development Authority (LDA) is widely resented as the people suspect that this might have been issued at the behest of ‘real estate interests’ seeking to usurp the small holdings of property owned by the islanders, a majority of them (94.8% as per the 2011 census) belonging to the Scheduled Tribes.
- The regulation empowers the government, identified as the administrator, to constitute Planning and Development Authorities under it to plan the development of any area identified as having “bad layout or obsolete development”.
- Only cantonment areas are exempted from this.
- An authority thus created would be a body corporate with a government-appointed chairman, a town planning officer and three ‘expert’ government nominees besides two local authority representatives.
- The islanders opposing the plan have pointed out that the ecologically fragile islands are tiny and thickly populated.
- The largest of the inhabited islands is Androth with a landmass of 4.9 sq km area where the density of population is 2,312 per sq km. People are questioning the need of construction of highway or tram-way in this area.
- One of the petitions seeking the withdrawal of the LDA regulation says the legislation can prepare comprehensive development plans for any area and relocate people regardless of their will.
- It provides for forcible eviction, puts the onus on the owner to develop his holding as per the plan prepared by the authority as also to heavily penalise them in the event of non-compliance.
- Online campaigns to save Lakshadweep is gaining strength with celebrities including actor Prithviraj raising their voice in solidarity.
- A Rajya Sabha MP has written to President Ramnath Kovind urging him to recall the 'authoritarian' administrator.
- Lakshadweep, formerly (1956–73) Laccadive is a union territory of India.
- It is a group of some three dozen islands scattered over some 78,000 square km of the Arabian Sea off the southwestern coast of India.
- The principal islands in the territory are Minicoy and those in the Amindivi group.
- The easternmost island lies about 300 km from the coast of the state of Kerala.
- Ten of the islands are inhabited.
- The administrative centre is Kavaratti.
- Almost all the inhabited islands are coral atolls.
- Commonly known as African violets.
- Genus belonging to the plant family: Gesneriaceae.
- Didymocarpus vickifunkiae is currently known from only three locations near the north-eastern State’s border with Myanmar.
- Members of its family are distributed in Asia from Western Himalayas to Sumatra,
- It is an epiphyte — a plant that grows on trees — and produces light pink flowers during the monsoons.
- The species has been named after Vicki Ann Funk, a noted botanist who worked at the Smithsonian Institute in the U.S.
- It is considered an endangered species.
According to a recent research, high concentrations of mercury were found in the water bodies fed by the Greenland Ice Sheet.
- The mercury content in the rivers and fjords of southwestern Greenland was similar to that found in the polluted inland rives of China.
- The scientists found dissolved mercury levels in excess of 150 ng L-1, far higher than an average river. The dissolved mercury content in rivers are about 1 – 10 ng L-1.
- Greenland is a major seafood exporter. The large volumes of the metal can find its way into the coastal food webs through bioaccumulation and impact the Arctic ecosystem.
- The findings strengthen a growing body of research that dismisses the conception that glaciers have little or no influence on the Earth’s geochemical and biological processes. It opens a new chapter in understanding the impacts of global warming.
- The symbol Hg that mercury is known by comes from its Greek name, hydrargyrum, which means "liquid silver" — to reflect its shiny surface.
- The element is also known as quicksilver for its mobility.
- The element conducts electricity and is used in electrical switches of thermostats and clocks.
- Due to its high density and compactness, mercury is also used to make thermometers, barometersand other scientific instruments.
- Phase at room temperature: Liquid
- Atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus): 80
- Mercury is a very toxic element.
- It can enter the body through an open wound or by inhaling or ingesting it. It can then cause damage to nerves, the liver and the kidney, as well as a number of other symptoms.
- The Climate Breakthroughs Summit took place virtually May 27, 2021.
- It is a collaboration between:
- World Economic Forum
- Mission Possible Partnership
- United Nations Climate Champions
- United Kingdom Climate Change Conference (COP26) Presidency.
- The summit had discussions focussed on steel, shipping, hydrogen and nature-based solutions needed to achieve a net-zero carbon emissions in future.
- The Karnataka government had proposed to construct a dam across the Cauvery River.
Mekedatu project:
- Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir is a proposed gravity dam in Karnataka which aims to store 67 tmc water, a part of which will be pumped to water-starved Bengaluru and Kanakapura.
- The project is estimated to submerge over 7800 acres of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and over 4500 acres of the adjoining reserve forests.
- The project was first proposed along with Shivanasamudra hydro power project at Shimsa in 2003 with an intention to use the water for a hydro power station and supply drinking water to Bengaluru city.
- Neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu fears the project would further deplete its meagre share of Cauvery water, which is crucial for cultivation of paddy fields in the Thanjavur-Nagapattinam-Trichy delta region.
- At Mekedatu, river Cauvery dives into an amazing gorge, facilitating the creation of a complex riverine forest.
- The word mekedatu, roughly translated from native Kannada language, means “goat’s leap”.
- It connects the Biligiri Ranga Hills National Park and Male Mahadeshwara Hills.
- The dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the sharing of Cauvery waters is decades old.
- For many years, both the states have been maintaining differences over the sharing of water.
- Tamil Nadu objected the Mekedatu project saying Karnataka had not sought prior permission for the project.
- Its argument was that the project would affect the flow of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
POSTED ON 30-05-2021 BY ADMIN
Next previous 
General Studies
Political Science and International Relations
Some Reference Essays
List of previous year essay topics (1997-2019)
IAS GOOGLE is googled by the team of Raja Sir’s Cracking IAS Academy. Sources include The Hindu, Indian Express, pib.nic.in, Down To Earth, Economic Times, Vigyan Prasar, AIR and the like. IAS GOOGLE has been prepared in pace with emerging UPSC Trends.