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Type: Prelims Only

  • Zoonotic Diseases: Medical Sciences Involved & Preventive Measures

    What is Itolizumab, newly cleared for Covid?

    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: Itolizumab

    Mains level: NA

    The Drug Controller General of India recently approved Itolizumab as a novel biologic therapy for restricted emergency use.

    Various drugs in news these days are:

    1) Remdesivir: Ebola

    2) Lopinavir: HIV

    3) Hydroxychloroquine: Malaria

    What is Itolizumab?

    • Itolizumab is an existing drug used for psoriasis, a chronic skin disease involving unregulated growth of some skin cells that develop into red patches mostly on knees and elbows, but also on some other parts of the body.
    • The drug, developed by Bengaluru-based Biocon, was approved in 2013.
    • It is a monoclonal antibody which is used to treat acute psoriasis.

    Why it is being used for COVD-19?

    • The coronavirus has been observed to induce an overreaction of the immune system, generating a large number of cytokines that can cause severe damage to the lungs and other organs.
    • Itolizumab is safe and efficient in preventing cardio-renal complications in Covid-19 patients who also have acute respiratory distress.

    What are monoclonal antibodies?

    • Monoclonal antibodies are proteins cloned in the lab to mimic antibodies produced by the immune system to counter infection.
    • They have their genesis in serum, the colourless constituent of blood that contains antibodies.
    • These proteins bind to an antigen, the fragment of an infectious virus in the case of SARS-CoV-2, and either destroy it or block its action.

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  • Zoonotic Diseases: Medical Sciences Involved & Preventive Measures

    Vitamin D and its health benefits

    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: Vitamin D

    Mains level: NA

    There have been considerable discussions in scientific circles on the importance of vitamin D in these days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Try this question from CSP 2017:

    Q.Regular intake of fresh fruits and vegetables is recommended in the diet since they are a good source of antioxidants. How do antioxidants help a person maintain health and promote longevity?

    (a) They activate the enzymes necessary for vitamin synthesis in the body and help prevent vitamin deficiency.

    (b) They prevent excessive oxidation of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the body and help avoid unnecessary wastage of energy.

    (c) They neutralize the free radicals produced in the body during metabolism.

    (d) They activate certain genes in the cells of the body and help delay the ageing process.

    Vitamin D and its prevalence

    • It is produced when sunlight (or artificial light, particularly in the ultraviolet region of 190-400 nm wavelength) falls on the skin.
    • Light triggers a chemical reaction to a cholesterol-based molecule and converts it into calcidiol in the liver and into calcitriol in the kidney.
    • It is these two molecules that are physiologically active.
    • Since sunlight is important for the generation of vitamin D, tropical countries have an advantage over the northern countries.
    • India, being a tropical country, one would expect naturally derived vitamin D levels to be good.

    Why Vitamin D is important?

    • Vitamin D deficiency can affect COVID-19 high-risk patients, particularly those who are diabetic, have heart conditions, pneumonia, obesity and those who smoke.
    • It is also associated with infections in the respiratory tract and lung injury.
    • Besides, vitamin D is known to help in having the right amount of calcium in the bones, catalyse the process of protecting cell membranes from damage, preventing the inflammation of tissues.
    • Moreover, it helps stop tissues from forming fibres and weakening bones from becoming brittle, leading to osteoporosis.

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  • Wildlife Conservation Efforts

    Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Kaziranga NP

    Mains level: Floods in India

    As a fresh wave of floods ravages Assam, killing, 85 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) remains submerged.

    Try this question from CSP 2019:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
    2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
    3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve

    • The KNTPR is a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam.
    • The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site.
    • Kaziranga is home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 (now the highest tiger density is in Orang National Park, Assam).
    • The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.
    • It is also recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for the conservation of avifaunal species.

    Significance of floods in Kaziranga’s ecosystem

    • The entire area of Kaziranga — formed by alluvial deposits from the Brahmaputra and its tributaries — is centred on the river.
    • There is a consensus that floods are necessary for Kaziranga by virtue of it being riverine ecosystem.
    • The regenerative nature of floods helps replenish Kaziranga’s water bodies and maintain its landscape, a mix of wetlands, grasslands and semi-evergreen deciduous forests.
    • The floodwaters also function as a breeding ground for fish.
    • The same fish are carried away by the receding waters into the Brahmaputra — in a way, the park replenishes the river’s stock of fish too.
    • The waters also help get rid of unwanted plants such as water hyacinth which collect in huge masses in the landscape.

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  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    Hope:  UAE’s first mission to Mars

    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: Hope Mission

    Mains level: Quest for Mars and its possibility to host life

    The launch of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) first mission to Mars has been delayed by two days due to bad weather conditions which were scheduled to take off from its launch site, Tanegashima Space Center, in Japan.

    Try this question from CSP 2014:

    Q.Which of the following pair is/are correctly matched?

    Spacecraft Purpose
    1. Cassini-Huygens Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth
    2. Messenger Mapping and investigating the Mercury
    3. Voyager 1 and 2 Exploring the outer solar system

    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

    Hope Mission

    • The Emirates Mars Mission called “Hope” was announced in 2015 with the aim of creating mankind’s first integrated model of the Red planet’s atmosphere.
    • Hope weighs over 1500 kg and will carry scientific instruments mounted on one side of the spacecraft, including the Emirates exploration Imager (EXI), which is a high-resolution camera among others.
    • The spacecraft will orbit Mars to study the Martian atmosphere and its interaction with outer space and solar winds.
    • Hope will collect data on Martian climate dynamics, which should help scientists understand why Mars’ atmosphere is decaying into space.

    Objectives of the mission

    • Once it launches, Hope will orbit Mars for around 200 days, after which it will enter the Red planet’s orbit by 2021, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the founding of UAE.
    • The mission is being executed by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, UAE’s space agency.
    • It will help answer key questions about the global Martian atmosphere and the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases into space over the span of one Martian year.

    Back2Basics: Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)

    • The MOM also called Mangalyaan is a space probe orbiting Mars since 24 September 2014. It was launched on 5 November 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
    • It aims at studying the Martian surface and mineral composition as well as scans its atmosphere for methane (an indicator of life on Mars).
    • It is India’s first interplanetary mission and it made it the fourth space agency to reach Mars, after Roscosmos, NASA, and the European Space Agency.
    • It made India the first Asian nation to reach Martian orbit and the first nation in the world to do so on its maiden attempt.
    • It was initially meant to last six months, but subsequently, ISRO had said it had enough fuel for it to last “many years.”

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  • Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.

    Mapping: Melghat Tiger Reserve

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Melghat Tiger Reserve

    Mains level: Tiger conservation

    Maharashtra CM has sought alternative routes for the proposed broad gauge conversion of a railway line passing through the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district.

    Try this question from CSP 2012:

    Consider the following protected areas:

    1. Bandipur 2. Bhitarkanika 3. Manas 4. Sunderbans

    Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 1, 3 and 4 only

    (c) 2, 3 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Melghat Tiger Reserve

    • Melghat, part of the Satpura-Maikal landscape was among the first nine tiger reserves notified in 1973-74 under the Project Tiger.
    • The Tapti River and the Gawilgadh ridge of the Satpura Range form the boundary of the reserve.
    • The forest is tropical dry deciduous in nature, dominated by teak.
    • The reserve is a catchment area for five major rivers: the Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga and Dolar. These all rivers are tributaries of the river Tapti.

    Back2Basics: Project Tiger

    • Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
    • In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
    • The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
    • It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
    • Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India-Pakistan

    Azad Pattan Hydel Project

    Prelims Only | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood – Relations

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Azad Pattan hydel project

    Mains level: Dams in PoK

    Pakistan and China have signed an agreement for the 700 MW Azad Pattan hydel power project on the Jhelum River in Sudhoti district of PoK.

    Try this question from CSP 2019:

    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

    Azad Pattan hydel project

    • The project is a run-of-the-river scheme with a reservoir located near Muslimabad village, 7 km upstream from the Azad Pattan bridge, in district Sudhnoti, one of the eight districts of PoK.
    • It is one of five hydropower schemes on the Jhelum.
    • Upstream from Azad Pattan are the Mahl, Kohala, and Chakothi Hattian projects; Karot is downstream. Like Kohala and Azad Pattan, Karot too is being developed under the CPEC framework.
    • The project will comprise a 90-metre-high dam, with a 3.8 sq km reservoir.
    • The $ 1.5-billion project is the second power project under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

    Other projects in PoK

    • Kohala project is a 1,124 MW hydel project that will come upon the Jhelum near Muzaffarabad. This project is one of the biggest investments by China in PoK.
    • The Karot Hydropower station, the third project being executed by China on the Jhelum is on the boundaries of Kotli district in PoK and Rawalpindi district in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
    • Two hydel projects are planned in Gilgit Baltistan – Phandar Hydro Power, and Gilgit KIU.
    • Most recent in the news was Diamer-Bhasha dam in the PoK.

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  • Digital India Initiatives

    Google for India Digitization Fund (GIDF)

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Google for India Digitization Fund (GIDF)

    Mains level: Digital India

    Technology giant Google will invest $10 billion (₹75,000 crores) in India as part of the ‘Google for India Digitization Fund (GIDF)’.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.Discuss the role of foreign investment in the digital transformation of India.

    About GIDF

    • The GIDF focuses on digitizing the economy and building India-first products and services.
    • The plan is in line with big-tech’s bullish outlook on India. Earlier this year, Amazon said it would invest an additional $1 billion in India.
    • This was followed by a marquee investment announcement of $5.7 billion by Facebook in the country’s largest telecom company Reliance Jio.
    • Last month, Microsoft’s venture fund M12 said it would open an office in India to pursue investment opportunities focusing on B2B software startups.

    Focus areas

    The investment will focus on four areas important to digitization including:

    • Enabling affordable access and information for every Indian in their own language,
    • Building products and services that are deeply relevant to India’s unique needs,
    • Empowering businesses in their digital transformation journey and
    • Leveraging technology and AI for social good, in areas like health, education, and agriculture.

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India-Afghanistan

    Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA)

    Prelims Only | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: APTTA

    Mains level: India-Afghanistan trade facilitation

    Pakistan has allowed Afghanistan to send goods to India using the Wagah border. The decision is a part of Islamabad’s commitment under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).

    A statement based question can be asked upon the agreement on terms like:

    1. Reciprocal trade with India

    2. Railways/Road/Air transit whether allowed

    About the agreement

    • The APTTA is a bilateral trade agreement signed in 2010 by Pakistan and Afghanistan.
    • It calls for greater facilitation in the movement of goods amongst the two countries.
    • The 2010 agreement supersedes the 1965 Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement, which granted Afghanistan the right to import duty-free goods through Pakistani seaports, mostly notably from Karachi.

    Features of the agreement

    • Trade-in goods smuggled into Pakistan once constituted a major source of revenue for Afghanistan.
    • The 2010 APTTA allows for both countries to use each other’s airports, railways, roads, and ports for transit trade along designated transit corridors.
    • The agreement does not cover road transport vehicles from any third country, be it from India or any Central Asia country.
    • However, the signed Agreement permits Afghanistan trucks access to the Wagah border with India, where Afghan goods will be offloaded onto Indian trucks.
    • This agreement does not permit Indian goods to be loaded onto trucks for transit back to Afghanistan.
    • Instead, Afghan trucks offloaded at Wagah may return to Afghanistan loaded only with Pakistani, rather than Indian goods in an attempt to prevent the formation of a black market for Indian goods in Pakistan.

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  • Wildlife Conservation Efforts

    Dehing Patkai WLS to be upgraded into National Park

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

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Dehing Patkai WLS

    Mains level: Wildlife conservation and various policy efforts

    The Assam government has decided to upgrade Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into a National Park.

    Try this question from CSP 2019:

    Which one of the following National Parks lies completely in the temperate alpine zone?

    (a) Manas National Park

    (b) Namdapha National Park

    (c) Neora Valley National Park

    (d) Valley of Flowers National Park

    Dehing Patkai WLS

    • Dehing Patkai WLS is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts of Assam and covers an area of 111.19 sq. km rainforest.
    • It is located in the Dehing Patkai landscape which is a dipterocarp-dominated lowland rainforest.
    • It spreads across the coal- and oil-rich districts of Upper Assam (Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar) and is believed to be the last remaining contiguous patch of lowland rainforest area in Assam.
    • The WLS due to their importance for elephant habitat was declared as Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve under Project Elephant.
    • Post upgradation, Dehing Patkai will be the sixth national park in Assam — the other five being Kaziranga, Nameri, Manas, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa.

    Back2Basics:

    [Prelims Spotlight] National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries in India – Part 2

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  • Mapping: Islands of Polynesia

    Prelims Only | Trivia | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Islands of Polynesia

    Mains level: NA

    How did the Polynesian peoples come to live on the far-flung islands of the Pacific? The question has intrigued researchers for centuries.

    The newscard contains some trivial facts. However, aspirants are advised to observe the map.

    Study on Polynesia

    • Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl brought the topic to public attention when he sailed a balsa-wood raft called the Kon-Tiki from Peru to Polynesia in 1947.
    • His goal was to demonstrate such voyages were possible, supporting theories linking Polynesian origins to the Americas.
    • Decades of research in archaeology, linguistics and genetics now show that Polynesian origins lie to the west, ultimately in the islands of Southeast Asia.

    New evidence for American interlopers

    • A new study published in Nature reports genetic evidence of Native American ancestry in several Polynesian populations.
    • Other researchers have previously found evidence of indigenous American DNA in the genomes of the modern inhabitants of Rapa Nui.
    • Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is the part of Polynesia closest to South America.
    • This suggests the “Amerindian” genetic component was likely introduced later via Chilean colonists.

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