21st Sept 2021

 

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Earth System Governance Project (ESGP)

Established When and by Whom:  Developed under the auspices of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change. It started in January 2009.

Headquarter: The Earth System Governance Project Office is hosted at Lund University, Sweden.

Key Functions:

The Earth System Governance Project aims to contribute to science on the large, complex challenges of governance in an era of rapid and large-scale environmental change.

The project seeks to create a better understanding of the role of institutions, organizations and governance mechanisms by which humans regulate their relationship with the natural environment

The Earth System Governance Project aims to integrate governance research at all levels. The project aims to examine problems of the ‘global commons’, but also local problems from air pollution to the preservation of waters, waste treatment or desertification and soil degradation

However, due to natural interdependencies local environmental pollution can be transformed into changes of the global system that affect other localities. Therefore, the Earth System Governance Project looks at institutions and governance processes both local and globally

The Earth System Governance Project is a scientific effort, but also aims to assist policy responses to the pressing problems of earth system transformation

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Established When and by Whom: The Global Environment Facility was established in October 1991 as a $1 billion pilot program in the World Bank to assist in the protection of the global environment and to promote environmental sustainable development.

Headquarter: Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America

Key Functions:

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 183 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives.

Today the GEF is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment.

An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

Funding: The GEF also serves as the financial mechanism for the following conventions:

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
• Minamata Convention on Mercury

India specific trivia:

*India has formed a permanent Constituency in the Executive Council of the GEF together with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives.

The Council Meetings are held semi-annually or as frequently necessary. At each meeting, the Council elects a Chairperson from among its members for the duration of that meeting. India’s Executive Director in the World Bank represents the GEF Council from our Constituency.

India is both a donor and a recipient of GEF. It has been a leading developing country participant in the GEF since its inception in 1991 and has played a major role in shaping the restructuring of the GEF. It had contributed US $ 6.0 million to the core fund in the GEF Pilot Phase.

India has pledged an amount of US $ 9.0 million towards the resources of each of the Five GEF replenishments. The total funds pledged so far amounts to US$ 51 million and an amount of US$ 48.75 million has been paid by December 2012 towards GEF replenishments.

Ministry of Finance is the political focal point while Ministry of Environment & Forests is the Operational Focal Point for the GEF Projects.

Global Green Growth Institute

Established When and by Whom: GGGI was first launched as a think tank in 2010 by Korean President Lee Myung-bak, and was later converted into an international treaty-based organization in 2012 at the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil.

Headquarter: It is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea

Key Functions: GGGI works to produce three major outcomes: adoption and implementation of green growth plans; provision of research for policymakers; and private sector engagement in the implementation of the national green growth plans. The organization uses three approaches to achieve these outcomes: Green Growth Planning & Implementation (GGP&I), Knowledge Development & Management (KDM), and Public-Private Cooperation (PPC).

Funding: Funds are given by Contributing members. Contributing members are defined as Member countries that make a multi-year financial contribution of core funding of no less than USD 15 million over three years. Participating members are defined as Member countries that are not contributing members.

India specific trivia:

GGGI has been working in India to promote green growth and sustainable development since 2013.

GGGI has worked at national, state, and city levels to develop and implement green growth strategies that reconcile short-term priorities with long-term vision of higher economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion

At the state level, GGGI worked closely with the governments of Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh (HP), and Punjab to develop comprehensive green growth strategies together with each.

GGGI also supported each of the three state governments in adopting integrated analytical approaches to assess green growth challenges and prioritize opportunities across key sectors, including energy, water, agriculture, and forestry

Building on these strategies, in 2015, GGGI supported the state governments in implementing specific green growth opportunities by formulating detailed project proposals, policy implementation roadmaps, and capacity building initiatives.

KIMO (Local Authorities International Environmental Organisation)

Established When and by Whom: KIMO was founded in August 1990 by four municipalities and from this modest start has grown in size to represent over 70 members in Belgium, Denmark, The Faroe Islands, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Headquarter: Esbjerg, Denmark

Key Functions:

• KIMO is committed to the development of sustainable coastal communities by:
• Preventing pollution of the seas and coastal waters of North-Western Europe and preserving, improving and enhancing them for future generations
• Protecting coastal communities from the impacts of marine pollution and climate change.
• Representing its member local authorities and associated members at an international and national level.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Established When and by Whom:   It was first established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and later endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly.

Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland

Key Functions:

• The IPCC produces reports that support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• IPCC reports cover all relevant information to understand the risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
• The IPCC does not carry out its own original research.
• Thousands of scientists and other experts contribute on a voluntary basis.
• The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was shared, in two equal parts, between the IPCC and an American Environmentalist.

The aims of the IPCC are to assess scientific information relevant to:

1. Human-induced climate change,
2. The impacts of human-induced climate change,
3. Options for adaptation and mitigation.

Funding: The IPCC receives funding through the IPCC Trust Fund, established in 1989 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

India specific trivia: India will have its own climate change models to project the impact of global warming over the decades and these will form part of the forthcoming Sixth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Reports that is expected to be available in 2020.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Established When and by Whom: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organisation.

Founded in 1948, today IUCN the largest professional global conservation network. IUCN has more than 1,200 member organizations including 200+ government and 900+ non-government organizations.

Headquarter: The Union’s headquarters are located in Gland, near Geneva, in Switzerland.

Key Functions: Conserving biodiversity is central to the mission of IUCN. The main areas of function are:

1. Science  – the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™.
2. Action – hundreds of conservation projects all over the world.
3. Influence – through the collective strength of more than 1,200 government and non-governmental Member organizations.

Funding:  Funded by governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, foundations, member organisations and corporations.

More about the IUCN

Governance by a Council elected by member organizations every four years at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.

Observer Status at the United Nations General Assembly.

India specific trivia:

• India became a State Member of IUCN in 1969, through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• The IUCN India Country Office was established in 2007 in New Delhi.
• IUCN India works with Members and Commissions to reduce ecosystem and species loss by providing the necessary tools and knowledge to value, conserve and use biodiversity sustainability; enhance governance and policy for better management of ecosystems and habitats, including protected areas; and address challenges related to poverty alleviation, food security and climate change.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Established When and by Whom: It was founded as a result of the UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) in 1972

Headquarter: Nairobi, Kenya

Key Functions:

• It coordinates UN’s environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.
• Its activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, environmental governance and green economy.
• UNEP has also been active in funding and implementing environment related development projects
• UNEP has aided in the formulation of guidelines and treaties on issues such as the international trade in potentially harmful chemicals, transboundary air pollution, and contamination of international waterways
• UNEP is also one of several Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
• The International Cyanide Management Code, a program of best practice for the chemical’s use at gold mining operations, was developed under UNEP’s aegis.

Funding:  The three main sources of funding of UN Environment are the UN Regular Budget, the Environment Fund, the core funding that enables UN Environment to implement its global and regional work, and Earmarked Contributions.

India specific trivia: UN Environment has sponsored the development of solar loan programs, with attractive return rates, to buffer the initial deployment costs and entice consumers to consider and purchase solar PV systems.

The most famous example is the solar loan program sponsored by UN Environment helped 100,000 people finance solar power systems in India.

Success in India’s solar program has led to similar projects in other parts of the developing world like Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia and Mexico.

World Nature Organization (WNO)

Established When and by Whom:  WNO initiative was born in 2010 by states which are threatened by rising sea levels. The WNO Treaty officially entered into force on 1st May 2014.

Location : Geneva

Key Functions:

• It is an intergovernmental organisation which promotes global environmental protection.
• WNO acts as a centre of competence for environmental protection, green technologies and sustainability, and as a mediator and initiator, making available experience of practical applications and strategies, offering support on all issues related to responsible conduct as regards the natural environment and its resources and assisting States to benefit from efficient development and from scientific and technology transfer.
• The World Nature Organization  promotes sustainable conduct as regards the natural environment, together with new, environments-friendly technologies, green economies and renewable energies.

India specific trivia: India is not a member

World Food Programme

Established When and by Whom:  The WFP was formally established in 1963 by the FAO and the United Nations General Assembly.

Headquarter: Rome

Key Functions:

• The WFP strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal in mind of eliminating the need for food aid itself.
• WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations.
• WFP food aid is also directed to fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat disease, including HIV and AIDS.
• WFP has coordinated the five-year Purchase for Progress (P4P) pilot project which assists smallholder farmers by offering them opportunities to access agricultural markets and to become competitive players in the marketplace.

Funding:  The WFP operations are funded by voluntary donations from world governments, corporations and private donors

India specific trivia: The World Food Programme has been working in India for over 50 years. In line with the developments in India, WFP has realigned its focus from a food aid provider to a catalytic partner to the Government of India, strengthening food-based social safety nets.

International Whaling Organization

Established When and by Whom:  The IWC was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2nd December 1946.

Headquarter:

Key Functions:

• The preamble to the Convention states that its purpose is to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry.
• An integral part of the Convention is its legally binding ‘Schedule.’  The Schedule sets out specific measures that the IWC has collectively decided are necessary in order to regulate whaling and conserve whale stocks.
• These measures include catch limits (which may be zero as it the case for commercial whaling) by species and area, designating specified areas as whale sanctuaries, protection of calves and females accompanied by calves, and restrictions on hunting methods. Unlike the Convention, the Schedule can be amended and updated when the Commission meets (a change requires at least three quarters majority agreement).
• There are a number of reasons why changes to the Schedule may be necessary.  These include new information from the Scientific Committee, and variations in the requirements of aboriginal subsistence whalers.
• The Commission also co-ordinates and, in several cases, funds conservation work on many species of cetacean. In addition to research, this includes building an international entanglement response capacity, working to prevent ship strikes, and establishment of Conservation Management Plans for key species and populations.
• The Commission has also adopted a Strategic Plan for Whalewatching to facilitate the further development of this activity in a way which is responsible and consistent with international best practice.

Funding:  Financial contributions from member governments form the IWC’s core income, but additional voluntary donations to support particular work programmes are generously made by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), industry bodies, and also by member governments.

India specific trivia: India is a Member

Bio-carbon Fund initiative

Established When and by Whom:  The BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL) is a multilateral fund, supported by donor governments and managed by the World Bank. It is has been operational from 2013.

Headquarter: USA

Key Functions:

• It seeks to promote reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the land sector, from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+), and from sustainable agriculture, as well as smarter land-use planning, policies and practices.
• The initiative will be managed by the BioCarbon Fund, a public-private program housed within the World Bank that mobilizes finance for activities that sequester or conserve carbon emissions in forest and agricultural systems.
• The new Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes seeks to scale up land-management practices across large landscapes, including improved livestock management, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable forest management, with a focus on protecting forests and greening and securing supply chains.
• It will engage a broader range of actors, including the private sector, initially through a portfolio of four to six programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Funding: Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States together committed $280 million – up to $135 million from Norway, $120 million from the U.K, and $25 million from the U.S. – as part of their efforts to slow climate change.

Arctic Council

Established When and by Whom: The Arctic Council was founded on the initiative of the Government of Finland in September 1989 where officials from the 8 Arctic Countries met in Rovaniemi, Finland, to discuss cooperative measures to protect the Arctic environment.

Headquarter: The location of the Secretariat was rotated biennially with the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.

Key Functions:

The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.

The main focus areas of the Arctic Council are:

1. The Environment and climate change
2. Bio-diversity
3. Oceans
4. The indigenous Arctic peoples

Funding: By member states

India specific trivia: India is an Observer State

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UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Current Affairs Based Most Probable Questions on Geography – by Sukanya Rana

Q1) With respect to Tropical Cyclones, consider the following statements: 

1. A tropical cyclone is a rotating low pressure weather system that has organized thunderstorms but has no fronts. 

2. Tropical cyclones rotate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. 

3. Tropical cyclones across the globe, except South Pacific Typhoons, are moving westward, closer to land, in recent decades. 

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

a. 1 only 

b. 1 and 2 only 

c. 1 and 3 only 

d. 1, 2 and 3

Q2) Consider the following statements with respect to Mid-ocean ridges?

1. They are created by the upwelling of basaltic lava and lateral rifting of ocean crust.
2. They cover the largest fraction of the abyssal zone in the Arctic Ocean and are absent from the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
3. The mid-ocean ridges are the Earth’s largest volcanic system.
4. They are absent in the South Pacific Ocean.

Select the correct code using the codes given below.

a. 1, 2 and 3 only

b. 2, 3 and 4 only

c. 1 and 4 only

d. All the above

Q3) Polar fleeing force relates to:

a. Revolution of the Earth

b. Rotation of the earth

c. Gravitation

d. Tides

Q4) Consider the following statements with respect to the troposphere.

1. The troposphere is marked by temperature inversion, turbulence and eddies.
2. It is the atmospheric layer between the earth’s surface and an altitude of 16 km at the poles.
3. It is meteorologically the most significant zone in the entire atmosphere.
4. It is also called the convective region.

Select the correct code using the codes given below.

a. 2 and 3 only

b. 1, 3 and 4 only

c. 1, 2 and 4 only

d,. All the above

20th Sept 2021

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Indian Bullfrogs

• The Indian Bullfrog Hoplobatrachus Tigerinus (native to
  the Indian subcontinent) has rapidly invaded the Andaman
  islands after it was introduced there in the early 2000s.
• In human-dominated areas, it now shares space with other
  native (and often endemic) frog species.
•  The bullfrogs are prolific breeders: they have short breeding
  seasons, and each egg clutch can contain up to 5,750 eggs.
• Its tadpoles are carnivorous and eat other tadpoles (including their own species).
• The proportion of bullfrog tadpoles surviving was greater
  in the presence of both endemic frog tadpoles.
• This is worrying because other native frog species – many
  of which are only being described – could also be affected

Balsams of Eastern Himalayas

• Consisting of both annual and perennial herbs, balsams
  are succulent plants with high endemism.
• Because of their bright beautiful flowers, these groups of
  plants are of prized horticultural significance.
• The details of the new species, including several new
  records, have been highlighted in the book, recently published by the Botanical Survey of India.
• Of the 83 species described, 45 are from Arunachal Pradesh,
  24 from Sikkim and 16 species common to both states.

Threats:

• Prior to 2010, specimens of Impatiens that had potential
  of being identified as new species would be collected but
  the dried-up specimens looked identical to the species
  discovered earlier and their effort yielded no results.
• Other than high endemism, what sets Impatiens apart is
  their sensitivity to climate change.
• Most of the species of Impatiens cannot endure persistent
  drought or extended exposure to direct sunlight.
• As a result Impatiens species are typically confined
  to stream margins, moist roadsides, waterside boulders, near waterfalls and wet forests.

Miracle Plant Arogyapacha

• This ‘miracle plant’ is known for its traditional use by the
  Kani tribal community to combat fatigue.
• Studies have also proved its varied spectrum of pharmacological properties such as anti-oxidant, aphrodisiac, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, anti-ulcer, anti-hyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective and anti-diabetic.

Dracaena Cambodiana: India’s first dragon blood-oozing tree

• A group of researchers has discovered Dracaena cambodiana, a dragon tree species in the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi Anglong, Assam.
•  This is the first time that a dragon tree species has been
  reported from India.
• In India, the Dracaena genus belonging to the family Asparagaceae is represented by nine species and two varieties in the Himalayan region, the northeast and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• But Dracaena cambodiana is the only true dragon tree species.
• The Dracaena seeds are usually dispersed by birds. But due
  to the large fruit size, only a few species of birds are able
  to swallow the fruits, thus limiting the scope of its nature
  conservation.

7 New Species Of Insects That Can Walk On Water Discovered

• The newly described species belong to the genus Mesovelia
  whose size ranges from 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm and are equipped
  with hydrophobic setae (bristles) on their legs.
• The combination of hydrophobic setae and water surface
  tension prevents them from sinking.
• The insects are pale green with silver-white wings with
  black veins on the basal half which make them stand out
  over the green mat of aquatic weeds.
• Among the new discoveries, Mesovelia andamana is from
  Andaman Islands, bispinosa and M. isiasi are from Meghalaya, M. occulta and M. tenuia from Tamil Nadu and M.brevia and M. dilatata live both in Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu.

Evolution

•  These bugs are hemimetabolous insects without having
  larval stage i.e., they go from egg to nymph to adult.
• They are found on freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes,
  pools, streams, rocks with moss and sometimes on estuaries.
• These bugs serve as predators and scavengers (feed on
  midges, water fleas, feed on dead and dying mosquitoes),
  thereby removing organic waste and also providing a natural sanitation service.
• The females of Mesovelia are larger than males and dig
  several holes on plants and insert eggs in plant tissues with
  a specially adapted long serrated ovipositor (genital organ).

Emperor Penguin Colony In Antarctica Vanishes

• The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest
  and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic
  to Antarctica.
• Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body,
  and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat.
• Its diet consists primarily of fish, but also includes crustaceans, such as krill, and cephalopods, such as squid.
• The only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, emperor penguins trek 50–120 km over the ice to breeding colonies which can contain up to several thousand individuals.
• In 2012 the emperor penguin was uplisted from a species of least concern to near threatened by the IUCN.

Arctic Kelp Forests

• Kelp is a type of large brown seaweed that grows in shal-low, nutrient-rich saltwater, near coastal fronts around the world.
• They occur on rocky coasts throughout the Arctic.
• Kelp is a type of large brown seaweed that grows in shallow, nutrient-rich saltwater, near coastal fronts around the world.
• They occur on rocky coasts throughout the Arctic.
• The longest kelp recorded in the Arctic in Canada was 15 metres, and the deepest was found at 60-metre depth (Disko Bay, Greenland).
• Kelps function underwater in the same way trees do on land. They create habitat and modify the physical environment by shading light and softening waves.
• The underwater forests that Kelps create are used by many animals for shelter and food.More than 350 different species – up to 100,000 small invertebrates – can live on a single kelp plant, and many fish, birds and mammals depend on the whole forest.
• Kelp forests also help protect coastlines by decreasing the power of waves during storms and reducing coastal erosion.

Neelakurinji Blossom

• Kurinji or Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthianus) is a shrub that is found in the shola forests of the Western Ghats in South India
• Nilgiri Hills, which literally means the blue mountains, got their name from the purplish-blue flowers of Neelakurinji that blossoms only once in 12 years.
• It is the most rigorously demonstrated, with documented bloomings in 1838, 1850, 1862, 1874, 1886, 1898, 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 and 2018
• Some Kurinji flowers bloom once every seven years, and then die. Their seeds subsequently sprout and continue the cycle of life and death.

Kashmir Stag (Hangul)

• Hangul, the state animal of Jammu & Kashmir, is restricted to the Dachigam National Park some 15 km north-west of Jammu & Kashmir summer capital Srinagar.
• The Hangul is placed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the J&K Wildlife Protection Act, 1978.
• The Hangul was once widely distributed in the mountains of Kashmir and parts of Chamba district in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.
• The IUCN’s Red List has classified it as Critically Endan-gered and is similarly listed under the Species Recovery Programme of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Environmental Information System (ENVIS) of the MoEFCC.
• From a population of 5,000 in the early 1900s, the Hangul’s numbers have constantly declined over the decades.
• The Hangul is considered equally significant to the state of Jammu & Kashmir as the tiger is to the whole of India.
• The Paliyan tribal people living in Tamil Nadu used it as a reference to calculate their age.
• It is the only Asiatic survivor or subspecies of the European red deer.
• But the state animal’s decreasing population remains a big concern.
• According to the latest survey in 2017, the population of Hangul is 182 in Dachigam and adjoining areas. Earlier population estimates suggest that there were 197 deer in 2004 and 186 in 2015. T
• The IUCN Red Data Book — which contains lists of species at risk of extinction — has declared the Hangul as one of three species that were critically endangered in J&K.
• The other two are the Markhor — the world’s largest species of wild goat found in Kashmir and several regions of central Asia — and the Tibetan antelope or ‘Chiru’.

Great Indian Bustard

• The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is one of the few species that the Government of India has included in its ‘recovery programme for critically endangered species’.
• With less than 200 GIBs remaining in the world, most of them were found in Rajasthan’s ‘Desert National Park’. We are on the brink of forever losing a majestic bird species, which was once a strong contender to be declared as India’s National Bird.
• Habitat: Arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub, tall grass interspersed with cultivation.
• It avoids irrigated areas. It is endemic to Indian Sub-continent. found in central India, westem India and eastern Pakistan.
• Currently, it is found in only six states in the country Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Protection: Listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
• It is also listed in Appendix I of CITES and covered under CMS or Bonn Convention.
• Bustard Species Found in India: Great Indian Bustard, the Lesser Florican and the Bengal Florican; Houbara also belong to Bustard family but it’s a migratory species.
• Importance to Ecosystem: GIB is an indicator species for grassland habitats and its gradual disappearance from such environments shows their deterioration. Once the species is lost. there will be no other species to replace it, and that will destabilise the ecosystem of the grassland and affect critical bio-diversities, as well as blackbucks and wolves, who share their habitat with the GIB.
• Conservation Steps: Great Indian Bustard, popularly known as ‘Godawan is Rajasthan’s state bird. The state government has started “Project Godawan” for its conservation at Desert National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer. It’s one of the Spades for The Recovery Programme under the Integrated Development of  Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Tasmanian Tiger

• The Tasmanian tiger or thylacine (a dog headed pouched dog) was an exclusively carnivorous marsupial that is considered to be extinct.
• It has resemblance to a dog, with its distinguishing features being the dark stripes beginning at the rear of its body and extending into its tail, its stiff tail and abdominal pouch.
• The last known thylacine died in captivity over 80 years ago, in Tasmania’s Hobart Zoo in 1936.
• It may also be the only mammal to have become extinct in Tasmania since the European settlement.

Adratiklit boulahfa

• Named Adratiklit boulahfa, it is also the first stegosaurus to be found in North Africa.
• Its remains were discovered in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
• The scientists believe it is not only a new species but also belongs to a new genus.
• The name is derived from the words used by the Berber (an ethnic group indigenous to North Africa) for mountains (Adras), lizard (tiklit) and and the area where the specimen was found. (Boulahfa).

---

Samanvaya: Free 1-to-1 mentorship for UPSC IAS

Fill up this form to schedule a free on-call discussion with senior mentor from Civilsdaily. Once submitted we will call you within 24 hours.

Maintaining consistency is one of the biggest issues faced by IAS Aspirants. Streak’s initiative is to help Aspirants in their day-to-day preparation. You can follow the monthly, weekly, and daily timetables and continue this streak until you find yourself on the final list.

Please register for Streak Initiative (free) through this link:- https://www.civilsdaily.com/course/streak-daily-initiative/

You will get following study material:-

1. Questions (PDF).
2. RSTV/Yojana monthly notes (PDF).
3. Burning issue (PDF).
4. Subject specific (PDF).
5. Mentor’s phone call for support & encouragement.

_____________________________________________

Daily Study Plan with Answer Writing Challenge || STREAK FREE INITIATIVE FOR UPSC IAS – by Ravi Ranjan

UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Current Affairs Based Most Probable Questions on International Relations – by Sukanya Rana

Q1) Consider the following statements with respect to International Labour Conference (ILC)

1. The member States of the International Labour Organization (ILO) meet at the ILC every year in Geneva, Switzerland.
2. Every two years the Conference adopts the ILO’s biennial work programme and budget, which is financed by member States.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Q2) Consider the following statements with respect to UN Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC) 

1. India was recently elected to ECOSOC from the Asia-Pacific States category for the 2022-24 term. 

2. The ECOSOC, established in 1945 by the 4th Geneva Convention, is one among the six main organs of the United Nations (UN). 

3. The council‟s 54 members are elected for three-year terms by the General Assembly based on geographical representation. 

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

a. 2 only 

b. 1 and 2 only 

c. 1 and 3 only 

d. 1, 2 and 3

Q3) Consider the following statements with respect to East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) 

1. It stretches from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu and connects India to the production networks of South, Southeast, and East Asia. 

2. Asian Development Bank (ADB) is the lead partner of the Government of India in developing East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC). 

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

a. 1 only 

b. 2 only 

c. Both 1 and 2 

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Q4) Which of the following countries are not parts of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Plus (OPEC+)?

1. India 

2. Russia 

3. Malaysia 

4. Australia 

5. South Sudan 

Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 

a. All except 1 

b. 1 and 4 only 

c. 1, 3 and 4 only 

d. 2, 3 and 5 only

Q5) Fit for 55 Package is a proposal of which of the following organizations? 

a. World Health Organization (WHO) 

b. UN-Developmental Program (UNDP) 

c. World Trade Organization (WTO) 

d. European Union (EU)