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Type: Prelims Only

  • Air Pollution

    What is Yellow Dust?

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Yellow dust

    Mains level: Air pollution

    North Korean authorities have urged citizens to remain indoors to avoid contact with a mysterious cloud of ‘yellow dust’ blowing in from China, which they have warned could bring Covid-19 with it.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following

    1. Birds
    2. Dustblowing
    3. Rain
    4. Windblowing

    Which of the above spread plant diseases?

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    What is yellow dust?

    • Yellow dust is actually sand from deserts in China and Mongolia that high-speed surface winds carry into both North and South Korea during specific periods every year.
    • The sand particles tend to mix with other toxic substances such as industrial pollutants, as a result of which the ‘yellow dust’ is known to cause a number of respiratory ailments.
    • Usually, when the dust reaches unhealthy levels in the atmosphere, authorities urge people to remain indoors and limit physical activity, particularly heavy exercise and sport.
    • Sometimes, when the concentration of yellow dust in the atmosphere crosses around 800 micrograms/cubic meter, schools are shut and outdoor events cancelled in the affected areas.

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  • Wildlife Conservation Efforts

    Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Vultures

    Mains level: Not Much

    Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get a vulture conservation and breeding centre each, according to the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025.

    Action Plan for Vulture Conservation

    • The action plan was approved by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) October 5, 2020. An earlier one was formulated in 2006 for three years.
    • The new plan has laid out strategies and actions to stem the decline in vulture population, especially of the three Gyps species:
    1. Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
    2. Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
    3. Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus)

    Note: These three vulture species were listed by  IUCN, in 2000 as ‘Critically  Endangered’,  which is the highest category of endangerment.

    • This would be done through both ex-situ and in-situ conservation.
    • The plan has also suggested that new veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) be tested on vultures before their commercial release. NSAIDS often poisons cattle whose carcasses the birds pray on.

    Highlights of the new plan

    • A system to automatically remove a drug from veterinary use if it is found to be toxic to vultures, with the help of the Drugs Controller General of India.
    • Conservation breeding of red-Headed vultures and Egyptian vultures and the establishment at least one vulture-safe zone in each state for the conservation of the remnant populations in that state.
    • Coordinated nation-wide vulture counting, involving forest departments, the Bombay Natural History Society, research institutes, non-profits and members of the public.
    • A database on emerging threats to vulture conservation, including collision and electrocution, unintentional poisoning, etc.

    Why protect vultures?

    • Vultures are often overlooked and perceived as lowly scavengers, but they play a crucial role in the environments in which they live.
    • The scavenging lifestyle that gives them a bad reputation is, in fact, that makes them so important for the environment, nature and society.
    • Vultures, also known as nature’s cleanup crew, do the dirty work of cleaning up after death, helping to keep ecosystems healthy as they act as natural carcass recyclers.

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  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    NASA’s OSIRIS-REx lands on Asteroid Bennu

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Asteroids, Bennu

    Mains level: NASA's feat of landing on an asteroid

    NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly touched asteroid Bennu, from where it is meant to collect samples of dust and pebbles and deliver them back to Earth in 2023.

    The OSIRIS-REx mission

    • OSIRIS-REx stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer. This is NASA’s first mission meant to return a sample from the ancient asteroid.
    • The mission is essentially a seven-year-long voyage and will conclude when at least 60 grams of samples are delivered back to the Earth.
    • As per NASA, the mission promises to bring the largest amount of extraterrestrial material back to our planet since the Apollo era.
    • The mission was launched in 2016, it reached its target in 2018 and since then, the spacecraft has been trying to match the velocity of the asteroid using small rocket thrusters to rendezvous it.
    • This week, the spacecraft’s robotic arm called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), made an attempt to “TAG” the asteroid and collected a sample.

    About Bennu

    • Bennu is a B-type asteroid, implying that it contains significant amounts of carbon and various other minerals.
    • It was discovered by a team from the NASA-funded Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research team in 1999.
    • Because of its high carbon content, the asteroid reflects about four per cent of the light that hits it, which is very low when compared with a planet like Venus, which reflects about 65 per cent of the light. Earth reflects about 30 per cent.
    • Around 20-40 per cent of Bennu’s interior is empty space and scientists believe that it was formed in the first 10 million years of the solar system’s formation, implying that it is roughly 4.5 billion years old.

    Why are scientists studying asteroid Bennu?

    • Bennu is an asteroid about as tall as the Empire State Building and located at a distance of about 200 million miles away from the Earth.
    • Scientists study asteroids to look for information about the formation and history of planets and the sun since asteroids were formed at the same time as other objects in the solar system.
    • Another reason for tracking them is to look for asteroids that might be potentially hazardous. It is also relatively close to the Earth.
    • It is for these reasons that scientists are interested in gathering information about this particular asteroid.
    • Significantly, Bennu hasn’t undergone drastic changes since its formation over billions of years ago and therefore it contains chemicals and rocks dating back to the birth of the solar system.

    How do chemicals and rocks offer scientists clues about the solar system?

    • Because of Bennu’s age, it is likely to contain material that contains molecules that were present when life first formed on Earth, where life forms are based on carbon atom chains.
    • Even so organic material like the kind scientists hope to find in a sample from Bennu doesn’t necessarily always come from biology.
    • It would, though, further scientists’ search to uncover the role asteroids rich in organics played in catalyzing life on Earth.

    Back2Basics: Asteroid

    • Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the Sun, much smaller than planets. They are also called minor planets.
    • According to NASA, 994,383 is the count of known asteroids, the remnants from the formation of the solar system over 4.6 billion years ago.
    • Asteroids are divided into three classes. First, those found in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, which is estimated to contain somewhere between 1.1-1.9 million asteroids.
    • The second group is that of Trojans, which are asteroids that share an orbit with a larger planet.
    • The third classification is Near-Earth Asteroids (NEA), which have orbits that pass close by the Earth. Those that cross the Earth’s orbit are called Earth-crossers.
    • More than 10,000 such asteroids are known, out of which over 1,400 are classified as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs).

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  • Innovations in Biotechnology and Medical Sciences

    Discovering the Tubarial Glands

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Tubarial glands

    Mains level: Not Much

    Researchers from the Netherlands have discovered a new location of salivary glands.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.With references to the scientific progress of ancient India, which of the statements given below are correct?

    1. Different kinds of specialized surgical instruments were in common use by 1st century AD.
    2. Transplant of internal organs in the human body had begun by the beginning of 3rd century AD.
    3. The concept of sine of an angle was known in 5th century AD.
    4. The concept of cyclic quadrilaterals was known in 7th century AD.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1, 3 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Tubarial Glands

    • The salivary gland system in the human body has three paired major glands and over 1,000 minor glands that are spread throughout the mucosa.
    • These glands produce saliva necessary for swallowing, digestion, tasting, mastication and dental hygiene.
    • When researchers were studying scans from about 100 people, they found a bilateral structure at the back of the nasopharynx and these glands had characteristics of salivary glands.
    • Researchers have proposed the name “tubarial glands” for their discovery.
    • The researchers believe that these glands would qualify as the fourth pair of major salivary glands.
    • The proposed name is based on their anatomical location; the other three glands are called parotid, submandibular and sublingual.

    Why are these glands being discovered only now?

    • The location of these glands is at a poorly accessible anatomical location under the base of the skull, which is an area that can only be visualized using nasal endoscopy.
    • Further, conventional imaging techniques such as a CT scan, MRI and ultrasound have not allowed the visualization of these glands.
    • For the scans done on the 100 patients, a new type of scan called the PSMA PET/CT scan was used, which was able to provide the high sensitivity and specificity required to detect these glands.

    What is the purpose of these glands?

    • So far, researchers suspect that the physiological function of the glands is to moisten and lubricate the nasopharynx and the oropharynx.
    • However, this interpretation needs to be confirmed with additional research.

    Significance of this discovery

    • The discovery is potentially good news for some cancer patients with head and neck cancers.
    • Patients with head and neck cancers and tumours in the tongue or the throat are treated with radiation therapy that can damage the new salivary glands, whose location was not previously known.
    • Oncologists will be able to circumvent these areas and protect them from the side effects of radiation which can lead to complications such as trouble speaking, swallowing and speaking.
    • Some patients may even face an increased risk of caries and oral infections that can significantly impact their life.

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  • New Species of Plants and Animals Discovered

    Medicinal plants in news

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Plants mentioned in the newscard

    Mains level: NA

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in DownToEarth.

    Explained below are the medicinal properties of 10 valuable plants known to boost natural immunity:

    (1) Abrusprecatorius (Indian liquorice, Ratti)

    • The bright red ovoid seeds with a black spot weigh 1/10th of a gram, and were hence used as weighing unit called ‘Ratti’ in ancient India by goldsmiths.
    • Its seeds are said to have immune-modulating properties.

    (2) Artemisia scoparia (Redstem Wormwood)

    • These plants have excellent clinical anti-malarial properties due to the presence of artemisinin.
    • They possess potent anti-inflammatory properties and help regulate both innate and adaptive immunity.

    (3) Azadirachtaindica (Neem)

    • It is a well-known tree used in various systems of traditional medicine since time immemorial. In Sanskrit, it is known as Arishtha, which means ‘reliever of sicknesses’.
    • Neem bark is known to have strong immunostimulant Neem oil has been shown to possess activity by selectively activating cell-mediated immune mechanisms.

    (4) Boerhaviadiffusa (Punarnava)

    • In Ayurveda, Punarnava is included in the category of rasayana herbs that possess anti-ageing properties. It helps prevent diseases.
    • This means they increase resistance by providing hepatoprotection (the ability of a substance to prevent damage to the liver) and immune-modulation.

    (5) Cardaminehirsuta (Hairy Bitter Cress)

    • The plants contain vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, beta carotene, antioxidants and sulfur-containing compounds that boost immunity.

    (6) Clerodendrumphlomidis (Sage Glory Bower, Arni, Agnimantha)

    • It is an essential medicinal plant that is also mentioned in texts since the Vedic period. It is known to boost the immune system, purify the blood and cure urinary tract infection.
    • The decoction made from the whole plant is useful in improving strength and immunity following a bout of fever or other ailments.

    (7) Phyllanthus tenellus (Mascarene Island leaf-flower)

    • It is an annual herb commonly found near wetlands, ditches, wet places, edges of drains and disturbed places. It is known for immune-modulatory properties.
    • Physalis peruviana (Cape Gooseberry, Rasbhari) (Family: Solanaceae): It is used in traditional folk medicines as an immunomodulatory drug. It is rich in vitamin C and helps enhance body immunity.

    (8) Portulaca oleracea (Purslane)

    • Purslane has been used in folk medicine since ancient times and is included in the World Health Organization’s list of most widely used medicinal plants.
    • The leaves of the plant are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is important in preventing heart attacks and strengthening the immune system.

    (9) Withaniasomnifera (Indian Winter Cherry, Indian Ginseng, Aswagandha)

    • Ashwagandha is an important ancient herb and has been used in the indigenous medical system for over 3,000 years.
    • It is considered to be one of the best rejuvenating agents in Ayurveda that helps to maintain proper nourishment of the tissues. It possesses antioxidant, mind-boosting and immune-enhancing properties.

    Now try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. The Taxus tree is naturally found in the Himalayas
    2. The Taxus tree is listed in the Red Data Book.
    3. A drug called “taxol” is obtained from Taxus tree is effective against Parkinson’s disease

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 3 only

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  • Wildlife Conservation Efforts

    Species in news: Lion-tailed Macaque

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Shravathi river, Macaque

    Mains level: Not Much

    The Union government allowed a geotechnical investigation that involved drilling of 12 boreholes inside Sharavathi Valley Lion-tailed Macaque Sanctuary in the Western Ghats in Karnataka.

    Try this PYQ:

    Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?

    (a) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda, Asiatic Wild Ass

    (b) Kashmir Stag, Cheetah, Blue Bull, Great Indian Bustard.

    (c) Snow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey, Saras (Crane)

    (d) Lion Tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur, Cheetah

    About Lion-tailed Macaque

    • Endemic to rainforests of the Western Ghats, the Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca Silenus) is an Endangered species, according to IUCN assessment.
    • It is listed in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
    • It is a Schedule 1 species under WPA, 1972 and thereby, accorded the highest protection under the Indian law.
    • Their total (global) population is 2,500 mature individuals.

    Why in news?

    • Sharavathi is likely one of the most exploited rivers.
    • It flows for mere 132 km, but four major power projects on it produce 40 per cent of all hydroelectric power in Karnataka.
    • Yet, in an attempt to squeeze more power from the river flowing through the Western Ghats, a new pumped hydro-storage project has been proposed.
    • This will only intensify the cumulative adverse impact of previous projects on the biodiversity of the Sharavathi valley.
    • In particular, the impacts on the iconic Lion-tailed Macaque are likely to be huge.

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  • Indian Navy Updates

    Malabar Naval Exercise

    Prelims Only | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3: Various Security Forces, Agencies & Their Mandates

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Countries participating in exerciese

    Mains level: Paper 3- Defence exercises

    Upping the ante against China amid the ongoing LAC confrontations, Australia has formally accepted India’s invite for the upcoming Malabar Exercise.

    About Ex. Malabar

    • Exercise Malabar is a trilateral naval exercise involving the United States, Japan and India as permanent partners.
    • Originally begun in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and the United States, Japan became a permanent partner in 2015.
    • Past non-permanent participants are Australia and Singapore.
    • The annual Malabar series began in 1992 and includes diverse activities, ranging from fighter combat operations from aircraft carriers through Maritime Interdiction Operations Exercises.

    Significance of Australia’s inclusion

    • Earlier, India had concerns that it would give the appearance of a “quadrilateral military alliance” aimed at China.
    • Now both look forward to the cooperation in the ‘Indo-Pacific’ and the strengthening of defence ties.
    • This has led to a convergence of mutual interest in many areas for a better understanding of regional and global issues.
    • Both are expected to conclude the long-pending Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) as part of measures to elevate the strategic partnership.

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  • Civil Aviation Sector – CA Policy 2016, UDAN, Open Skies, etc.

    India’s First Seaplane Project

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Seaplanes

    Mains level: Seaplane connectivity in India

    The first of the five seaplane services in Gujarat, connecting Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad to the Statue of Unity in Kevadia in Narmada district, will be inaugurated on October 31

    India’s first seaplane

    • A seaplane is a fixed-winged aeroplane designed for taking off and landing on water. It offers the public the speed of an aeroplane with the utility of a boat.
    • The first seaplane project of the country is part of a directive of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.
    • As per the directive, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) requested state governments of Gujarat, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and the administration of Andaman & Nicobar to propose potential locations for setting up water aerodromes to boost the tourism sector.

    Where will the seaplane connect?

    • In Kevadia, the proposed Terminal will be spread over 0.51 acres in the premises of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd., located in the Panchmuli lake (Dyke 3) of the Sardar Sarovar Dam at Limdi village.
    • It is approximately 90 km from Vadodara, 150 km from Surat and 200 km from Ahmedabad — with an aerial distance of 74.6km from Vadodara airport.

    What impact will it have on the environment?

    • The water aerodrome is not a listed project/activity in the Schedule to the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 and its amendments.
    • However, the activities proposed under the water aerodrome project may have a similar type of impact as that of an airport.
    • There has to be a bathymetric and hydrographic survey by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
    • During seaplane operations, there will be turbulence created in the water while takeoff and landing of seaplanes. This will lead to more operation process i.e. mixing of oxygen in the water.
    • This will have a positive impact on the aquatic ecosystem near seaplane operations increasing oxygen content and decreasing carbon content in this system.

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  • Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

    Thanjavur Art Plates

    Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: GI tags in news

    Mains level: Not Much

    The makers of the Thanjavur Art Plate, with its roots in a craft that dates back to the Marathas of the 1800s, are banding together for its cultural and commercial rejuvenation.

    Must read:

    All time GI tags in news

    Thanjavur Art Plates

    • The Thanjavur Art Plate is an artefact which is exclusively made in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India.
    • It is a circular plate made as a gift item. It is a handicraft consisting of metals such as silver, bronze, and copper embossed with figures of gods and goddesses at its centre.
    • Patronised by Maratha ruler Serfoji II (1777-1832), Thanjavur Kalai craftsmen were kept busy with orders for royal gifts, mostly decorative salvers, jewel boxes and vessels like water pots and ewers.
    • In its contemporary version, the craft has been commercially reinterpreted as ‘Thanjavur kalai thattu’ or Thanjavur Art Plate, a ceremonial platter made with silver, copper and brass layers in three stages.
    • The base is plated with alternate copper and silver panels, a bigger embossed silver motif on the central section, and the setting of globular jigna or sequins in the secondary relief.
    • It was given a Geographical Indications (GI) tag in 2007, as a proof of its long heritage.

    Back2Basics: Geographical Indications in India

    • A Geographical Indication is used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
    • Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality.
    • This tag is valid for a period of 10 years following which it can be renewed.
    • Recently the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry has launched the logo and tagline for the Geographical Indications (GI) of India.
    • The first product to get a GI tag in India was the Darjeeling tea in 2004.
    • The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 (GI Act) is a sui generis Act for the protection of GI in India.
    • India, as a member of the WTO, enacted the Act to comply with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.
    • Geographical Indications protection is granted through the TRIPS Agreement.

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  • Water Management – Institutional Reforms, Conservation Efforts, etc.

    Places in news: Mullaperiyar Dam

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Mullaperiyar Dam

    Mains level: Not Much

    The Mullaperiyar dam has recently turned 125.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati?

    (a) Recently discovered uranium deposits

    (b) Tropical rain forests

    (c) Underground cave systems

    (d) Water reservoirs

    Mullaperiyar Dam

    • It is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in the Indian state of Kerala.
    • It is located 881 m above mean sea level, on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala.
    • It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by John Pennycuick and also reached in an agreement to divert water eastwards to the Madras Presidency area (present-day Tamil Nadu).
    • Pennycuick is widely worshipped as a hero by farmers in the four districts of southern Tamil Nadu, where water from the dam meets the drinking water needs and irrigates thousands of hectares.

    Why is the dam special?

    • The dam was constructed surmounting many odds, with malaria and thick jungles taking a toll on workers. It was a huge challenge before him to construct the dam and divert the river course.
    • Pennycuick sowed the seeds of river interlinking to bring barren and rain-starved areas under cultivation.
    • To fund dam construction, gold ornaments were donated by Chettiar families and farmers in Cumbom valley also gave their meagre savings to Pennycuick.
    • Pennycuick even sold his ancestral property in Britain and spent the amount for completing the works of the dam when the expenses exceeded the allotted funds.
    • The British government endowed him with the ‘Companion of Star of India’, a high civilian honour. He died on March 9, 1911, at Frimley in Britain.

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