Monthly Archives: January 2020

Coral Bleaching When coral polyps are too hot, they expel their zooxanthellae. Since zooxanthellae are responsible for the colors of many corals, when coral polyps expel their zooxanthellae, the coral turn white, a phenomenon called coral bleaching. The zooxanthellae return to the polyps when the water cools, but repeated bleaching events lead to the deathContinue reading “Climate change and Coral Reefs”

India’s Top 5 threatened turtles Most threatened top five turtles in India are: Batagurbaska: The northern river terrapin found in the Sundarbans. Batagurkachuga: Red-crowned roof turtle from the National Chambal Sanctuary, spread across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Chitraindica: South Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle found in the gangetic river system. Nilssonianigricans: Black softshell turtleContinue reading “India’s Top 5 threatened turtles”

About NACP In December 2017, the Union government announced the National Clean Air Progamme (NCAP) that proposes multiple strategies to combat air pollution across the country. NCAP is India’s first attempt at working out a coordinated system to curb air pollution. It requires the states to frame their own Clean Air Programmes. The primary goalContinue reading “National Clean Air Progamme”

Plastic waste in India According to Central Pollution Control Board of India data, India generates 15,342 tonnes of plastic waste per day (about 5.6 million tonnes annually), out of which Delhi alone contributes to 690 tonnes daily — making it the largest contributor, followed by the likes of Chennai (429.4 tonnes per day), Kolkata (425.7 tonnes)Continue reading “Plastic waste in India”

Major causes of floods in Kerala 1. Natural causes: Erratic Monsson The floods are triggered by the monsoon rains. According to the meteorological department, the cumulative rainfall in Kerala between this June 1 and August 15 was 2,087.67 mm, which is more than 30% of the normal 1,606.05 mm rainfall. Some districts, such as Idukki,Continue reading “Kerala and Floods”

Headline : When India became republic Details : Why in News?  India is celebrating its 69th Republic Day. History of Republic day Republic Day in India is a day to remember when India’s constitution came into force on January 26, 1950, completing the country’s transition toward becoming an independent republic. India acquired its long cherished independenceContinue reading “When India became republic”

News Summary The model of a floating laboratory ties into a larger initiative by the Centre’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to monitor the health of aquatic systems in the northeast. Last September, the DBT announced plans to have multiple floating boats cruising the 3,500-km Brahmaputra river and collecting water samples to track its health. NeedContinue reading “Loktak lake”

What is a National Disaster? According to 10th Finance Commission (1995-2000) a disaster is a national calamity of rarest severity if it affects one-third of the population of a state. Factors to be considered to classify a ‘calamity of rare severity’ are: Intensity and magnitude of the calamity, Level of assistance needed, Capacity of theContinue reading “What is a National Disaster?”

About Blue Flag certification The tag is given to environment-friendly and clean beaches, equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists. To achieve the Blue Flag standards, a beach had to strictly comply with 33 environment and tourism-related conditions, some of the conditions are given below: To achieve the Blue Flag standards, a beach mustContinue reading “About Blue Flag certification”

About Pesticides The term pesticide covers compounds including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, molluscicides, nematicides, plant growth regulators and others.   Benefits of pesticides Improving productivity: Food grain production has increased almost fourfold from an estimated 169 million hectares of permanently cropped land. Protection of crop losses/yield reduction: Weeds reduce yield of dry land crops byContinue reading “About Pesticides”

About CNG & H-CNG CNG is compressed natural gas. With natural gas mainly composed of methane, CNG emits less air pollutants — carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter — than petrol or diesel. H-CNG is a blend of hydrogen and CNG, the ideal hydrogen concentration being 18%. Compared to conventional CNG, useContinue reading “About CNG & H-CNG”

Major causes of Forest fires: Forest fires can occur because of both natural and man-made causes. Man-made causes contribute to 99% of forest fires in India. They are: Attempts to encroach upon forest lands to convert them into agricultural land. Fire caused by poachers and timber smugglers to destroy evidence of illegal activities. Burning ofContinue reading “Major causes of Forest fires:”

About Belize reef Stretching from the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula all the way to Guatemala and Honduras, the reef includes 380 km in the waters off Belize, the portion covered by World Heritage status It is the second largest after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It spans 96,000 hectares (237,220 acres) and isContinue reading “About Belize reef”

Rhino population and Poaching patterns in Kaziranga: Till 20th century: Kaziranga lost over 500 rhinos in the last two decades of the twentieth century. Start of the new Millenium: The situation improved in the new millennium when an average annual loss to poaching came down to single digit by 2006. The park reported a healthyContinue reading “Rhino population and Poaching patterns in Kaziranga:”

About National Moth Week National Moth Week is a global citizen science project focusing on moths. The first National Moth Week took place in July 2012. National Moth Week celebrates the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of moths. “Moth-ers” of all ages and abilities are encouraged to learn about, observe, and document moths in their backyards, parks, andContinue reading “About National Moth Week”

About Bhitarkanika mangrove conservation area Bhitarkanika is a unique habitat of Mangrove Forests criss-crossed with numerous creeks and mud flats located in Kendrapara district of Orissa. It is one of the largest Mangrove Eco systems in India,Bhitarkanika is home to diverse flora and fauna. The Bhitarkanika mangrove conservation area comprises of Bhitarkanika National Park andContinue reading “About Bhitarkanika mangrove conservation area”

Distinction between OBCs and SCs The yardsticks for recognising specific castes as SC and OBC are distinct. While extreme social, educational and economic backwardness are common qualifications for both groups, SCs draw such backwardness from untouchability. For OBCs, apart from social, educational and economic backwardness, lack of adequate representation in government posts and services isContinue reading “Distinction between OBCs and SCs”

About Dhole The dhole is a canidnative to Central, South and Southeast Asia. Other English names for the species include Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, and mountain wolf. The dhole is a highly social animal, living in large clans without rigid dominance hierarchies and containing multiple breeding females. Such clans usually consist of 12 individuals, but groups of over 40 are known. ItContinue reading “About Dhole”

About Biofuels Conventional Biofuels Conventional Biofuels are produced from food crops. The feedstock used for biofuels include lignocelluloses, algae, corn, maize, jatropha, palm, soybeans, sugarcane, sweet sorghum.   Ethanol Ethanol is produced by fermentation of sugar from cane or beets, starch from corn or wheat, or root crops like cassava. It has a higher-octane ratingContinue reading “About Biofuels”

About the Kaziranga National Park Kaziranga had an area of 232sq.m when it began its journey as a proposed reserve forest on June 1, 1905. Kaziranga National Park lies partly in Golaghat District and partly in Nagaon District of Assam. It is the oldest park in Assam, which now covers an area of 430 SqkmsContinue reading “About the Kaziranga National Park”

About CBD and other related agreements At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development- meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity.Continue reading “About CBD and other related agreements”

‘Gaj Yatra’ campaign It is a nationwide campaign launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on the occasion of World Elephant Day, to protect elephants. Gaj Yatra in Meghalaya is part of this initiative. It is a “journey celebrating India’s national heritage animal”, which is aimed at securing 100 elephantContinue reading “‘Gaj Yatra’ campaign”

About Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR) is the highest biosphere reserve in India reaching elevations of 1,220 m to 8,586 m above sea level. It covers 41% of the entire geographical area of Sikkim. It falls within the Himalaya global biodiversity hot spot, one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. It hasContinue reading “About Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve”

About Tigers The Tiger is listed as Endangered under IUCN red list. In 1998, the global Tiger population was estimated at 5,000 to 7,000 Tigers. A comparison of these population estimates of the 1990s to similar current ones suggests a decline of about 50% i.e. approximately 3,500 in 2014. As per the assessment of theContinue reading “About Tigers”

Why in News?  Smuggling of red sanders from the forests of Andhra Pradesh has once again become rampant as smugglers have opened a new route through Kadapa district. The traditional route of smugglers used to be from Chittoor and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh to Chennai port. From Chennai port, the wood used to beContinue reading “Red Sanders”

Drypetes kalamii It is a small shrub found to be shorter version of its close relative Drypetesellisii. It is named after former President Abdul Kalam. It was found in Buxa and Jaldapara National Park of West Bengal. Scientists have provisionally assessed the plant to be Critically Endangered. Features It is just 1 metre tall. ItContinue reading “Drypetes kalamii”

Animal diversity of Sundarbans Mammalian species- Asian small-clawed Otter, Gangetic Dolphin, Grey and Marsh Mongoose and the wild Rhesus Monkey. Bird species- Osprey, Brahminy Kite, White-Bellied Sea Eagle, Rose-ringed parakeets, flycatchers and kingfishers. Turtles- Olive Ridley and Hawskbill sea turtles and the River Terrapin. Lizards- Monitor Lizards and Geckos. Snakes- King cobra, monocled cobra, Russell’sContinue reading “Animal diversity of Sundarbans”

About Naxalite movement The Naxalite movement was started by Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal in West Bengal in 1967 under the banner of Communist Party of India (Marxist). The CPI (Maoist) was formed in 2004 with the merger of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People’s War, commonly known as the People’s WarContinue reading “Naxalite movement and Forest Rights Act, 2006”

Headline : Missing the grass for the trees in Western Ghats Decline in grasslands There has been a drastic decline in shola grasslands (which are stunted forest growths of diverse grass species) and it seems to be accelerating through the decades. Earlier in 1973, shola grasslands spread across 373.78 sq.km. of the landscape, four decades later inContinue reading “Missing the grass for the trees in Western Ghats”

Bt Cotton: Bt cotton is genetically modified cotton crop that expresses an insecticidal protein whose gene has been derived from a soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis, commonly referred as Bt. Which insects does it control? In 1996, Bollgard cotton ( a trade mark of Monsanto) was the first Bt cotton to be marketed in theContinue reading “Bt Cotton”

Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) The Kaleshwaram project is an off-shoot of the original Pranahitha-Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme taken up by the Congress government in 2007 when Andhra Pradesh was not divided. After the formation of Telangana in 2014, the now state government redesigned the project on the ground that the original plan had tooContinue reading “Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP)”