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Time: 40 Min. Date: 21-06-2021
Polity and Governance
National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) Syllabus: GS 2/Formal/Informal Associations
In News
Recently, National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) celebrated its 18th Foundation Day.
About
● NIXI hosted a webinar on “Digital Economy – expanding footprints" on the occasion
of completing 18 years.
○ Through this webinar that NIXI will provide a personalized email with 10GB
space to every .IN user.
About NIXI
● NIXI is a not for profit Organization under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013,
and was registered on 19th June, 2003.
● NIXI was set up for peering of (Internet Service Providers)ISPs among themselves for
the purpose of routing the domestic traffic within the country, instead of taking it all the
way to US/Abroad, thereby resulting in better quality of service (reduced latency) and
reduced bandwidth charges for ISPs by saving on International Bandwidth.
● NIXI is managed and operated on a Neutral basis, in line with the best practices for
such initiatives globally.
● India currently has over 2.7 million registered domains on the internet which is the
third-largest Asian nation in the country-centric top-level domain growth..
Functions
○ NIXI has been working since 2003 for spreading the internet technology to the
citizens of India through the following activities:
○ Internet Exchanges through which the internet data is exchanged amongst ISPs
and CDNs.
○ .IN Registry, managing and operation of .IN country code domain and. भभभभ IDN
domain for India.
■ IN is India’s Country Code Top Level domain (ccTLD).
DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS
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■ The Government of India delegated the operations of INRegistry to NIXI
in 2004.
● The INRegistry operates and manages India’s .IN ccTLD.
○ IRINN, managing and operating Internet protocol (IPv4/IPv6).
■ NIXI also manages the National Internet Registry of the country
delegating Internet Protocol addresses (IPv4 and IPv6) and
Autonomous System numbers to the Indian Affiliates.
Recent Initiatives
● In April 2021, NIXI had announced new initiatives aimed at raising awareness about the
IPv6 protocol in India.
○ IPv6 is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol system and provides
identification and location information for connected devices and networks.
● NIXI announced an expert panel (IP Guru) that would help Indian organizations move
to IPv6 systems from IPv4, an education portal for IPv6 called NIXI Academy, and the
NIXI IP-Index, which will showcase the adoption rate for IPv6 in India.
○ The country is already number one in IPv6 adoption worldwide
Achievements
● NIXI is also credited with localizing internet domains and encouraging websites to
register with the .in address.
○ Its efforts have seen fruition as India surpassed 2.7 million registrations of .in
domain, making India the third-largest nation in Asia in the country-centric,
top-level domain growth.
○ The company has also set out to promote local content with its .भभभभ
initiatives.
■ Starting with five languages, the. भभभभ domain is now available in all 22
official languages. India is the only country to provide domain in 22
official Indian Languages.
About Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6 or IPng) ● Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6 or IPng) is the next generation of IP and has
been designed to be an evolutionary step from IP version 4 (IPv4). ● While IPv4 has allowed the development of a global Internet, it is not capable of
carrying much farther into the future because of two fundamental factors: limited address space and routing complexity.
● The IPv4 32-bit addresses do not provide enough flexibility for global Internet routing. ● The deployment of Classless InterDomain Routing (CIDR) has extended the lifetime of
IPv4 routing by a number of years, but the effort to better manage the routing will continue.
○ Even if IPv4 routing could be scaled up, the Internet will eventually run out of network numbers.
● The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) recognized that IPv4 would not be able to support the phenomenal growth of the Internet, so the IETF IPng working group was formed.
● IPv6 extends the maximum number of Internet addresses to handle the ever
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increasing Internet user population. ● As an evolutionary change from IPv4, IPv6 has the advantage of allowing the new
and the old to coexist on the same network. This coexistence enables an orderly migration from IPv4 (32 bit addressing) to IPv6 (128 bit addressing) on an operational network.
● The most well-known benefit that IPv6 offers is the exponentially increased address space, providing many more unique IP addresses than what can be derived through IPv4, and hence, covering all users and devices connected to the internet.
Source: PIB
International Relations
International Day of Yoga Syllabus: GS 2, Health, Government Policies and Interventions
In News
Recently, the Prime Minister of India, while addressing a programme to mark the 7th
International Day of Yoga (IDY), has termed yoga a “ray of hope” and a source of strength
amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
About International Day of Yoga
● Background
○ The idea for an UN-mandated IDY was first proposed by the Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) in 2014.
■ He highlighted yoga as an invaluable gift from Indian ancient tradition. It
embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action and is a holistic
approach that is valuable to our health and our well-being.
■ It is not just about exercise but it is a way to discover the sense of
oneness with oneself, the world and nature.
○ This initiative was backed by as many as 177 nations, the highest number of
cosponsors ever for any UNGA Resolution of such nature.
○ The UN proclaimed 21st June as IDY by passing a resolution on 11th December
2014, during the 69th session of the General Assembly.
■ 21st June was chosen as it marks the summer solstice, the longest day
of the year in the northern hemisphere, which holds special
significance in many parts of the world.
● Theme for 2021: Yoga for Well-being.
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○ It is relevant for current times where society is still recovering from the impact of
the Covid-19 pandemic.
○ Beyond its immediate impact on physical health, the Covid-19 pandemic has also
exacerbated psychological suffering and mental health problems, including
depression and anxiety, as pandemic-related restrictions continue in various
forms in many countries.
○ This has highlighted the urgent need to address the mental health dimension
of the pandemic, in addition to the physical health aspects.
● As it is an event of a global scale, preparations for the IDY event usually begin 3-4
months prior, ultimately culminating in a grand programme where millions of people
come together to observe the spiritual history and significance of the day.
● Logo: The brown leaves in the logo symbolize the earth element, the green leaves of
nature, blue the fire element while the sun symbolises the source of energy and
inspiration.
(Image Courtesy: UN)
About Yoga
● It is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India.
● The word ‘yoga’ is derived from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing
the union of body and consciousness.
● Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in
popularity.
● A growing trend of people around the world are embracing yoga to stay healthy and
rejuvenated and to fight social isolation and depression.
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● Yoga is also playing a significant role in the psycho-social care and rehabilitation
of Covid-19 patients in quarantine and isolation. It is particularly helpful in allaying their
fears and anxiety.
Yoga Related Initiatives by Indian Government
● M-Yoga Application
○ It was launched in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
○ The app will have videos of yoga training based on a Common Yoga Protocol
and will be available in different languages. It will help the government in making
the ‘One World, One Health’ motto successful.
● Common Yoga Protocol
○ In its ‘Common Yoga Protocol’ from 2019, the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga &
Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) lists Yama, Niyama,
Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi, Bandhas and
Mudras, Satkarmas, Yuktahara, Mantra-japa, Yukta-karma among popular yoga
‘sadhanas’.
● Educational Yoga Courses
○ The Beauty and Wellness Sector Skill Council (B&WSSC) has vocational
education courses in Yoga for the Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE) schools.
■ B&WSSC is a non-profit organisation that works under the National
Skill Development Corporation, Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
● Yoga Training
○ Candidates in lakhs have been trained as yoga instructors and trainers
through various skilling initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas
Yojana (PMKVY), a flagship scheme of the MSDE.
● Fit India Movement
○ Yoga is also a part of the Fit India Movement, a nation-wide campaign
encouraging people to include physical activities and sports in their
everyday lives.
● Special Cancellation Stamp
○ India Post will issue a special cancellation stamp on all mail booked on 21st
June to capture the essence of the Day.
■ A cancellation is defined as a postal marking used to deface a stamp to
prevent its reuse. Such cancellations are valued collectibles and often
subjects of philatelic studies.
○ The special pictorial cancellation stamp will be an inked marking or impression
with a graphical design with IDY 2021 written in both Hindi and English
languages.
Summer Solstice
● The word "solstice" originated from Latin word "sol" which means sun and "sistere"
which means stationary or stand still.
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● It occurs at the moment when the Earth’s tilt toward the Sun is at a maximum,
therefore, on the day of the summer solstice, the Sun appears at its highest
elevation with a noontime position that changes very little for several days before
and after the summer solstice.
● This phenomenon occurs twice a year, once in the Northern Hemisphere (between
20-22 June, depending on the year and time zone) and once in the Southern
Hemisphere (between 20-23 December).
● Other Names: Midsummer, First Day of Summer.
● It is an auspicious time to revere the Sun, align the body & mind with positive
energy and embrace nature. Sun worship has been an intrinsic part of sacred
traditions throughout history and many cultures across the world.
● On 21st June, the Northern hemisphere experiences its longest day of the year and
shortest night.
● It happens when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer which is located at
23.5° latitude North and for every place north of it, the sun is at its highest point in the
sky and thus making the days longer.
Winter Solstice
● It marks the shortest day and longest night of the year and occurs when the Sun is
directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, which is located at 23.5° South of the
Equator.
Equinoxes
● An equinox is an event in which a planet's subsolar point passes through its
Equator.
○ Subsolar point is the area of a planet where the sun is perceived to be directly
overhead.
● The word equinox is derived from two Latin words: Aequus (equal) and nox (night).
● There are only two times of the year when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward
nor away from the Sun, resulting in a nearly equal amount of daylight and
darkness at all latitudes and these events are referred to as Equinoxes.
● On Earth, there are two equinoxes every year: one around 21st March and another
around 22nd September.
○ Sometimes, the equinoxes are nicknamed the “vernal equinox” (spring
equinox) and the “autumnal equinox” (fall equinox), although these have
different dates in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
○ The March equinox is the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, and the
autumnal equinox in the Southern. The September equinox is the autumnal
equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the vernal in the Southern.
● The days become a little longer at the higher latitudes (those at a distance from the
equator) because it takes the Sun longer to rise and set.
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(Image Courtesy: NWS)
Source: TH
International Relations
World Competitiveness Index Syllabus: GS 2/Various Agencies & Forums
In News
Recently, India maintained 43rd rank on an annual World Competitiveness Index.
About Index
● The World Competitiveness Index is compiled by the Institute for Management
Development (IMD). It was first published in 1989.
● It is a comprehensive annual report and a worldwide reference point on the
competitiveness of countries. It provides benchmarking and trends, as well as statistics
and survey data based on extensive research.
● The index ranks 64 economies and assesses the extent to which a country promotes
the prosperity of its people by measuring economic well-being through hard data and
survey responses from executives.
● It measures the prosperity and competitiveness of 64 nations by examining four factors
-- economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure
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○ This year, the rankings expose the economic impact of the pandemic across the
globe.
Major Highlights
● Top 5 Performers
○ The index was led by Switzerland, while Sweden has moved up to the second
position
○ Denmark has lost one place to rank third, the Netherlands has retained its
fourth place and Singapore has slipped to fifth place (from first in 2020).
● Asian
○ The top-performing Asian economies are, in order, Singapore (fifth), Hong Kong
(seventh), Taiwan (eighth) and China (16th).
● BRICS nations
○ Among the BRICS nations, India is ranked second after China (16), followed by
Russia (45th), Brazil (57th) and South Africa (62th)
● Indian
○ India’s position has remained unchanged at 43 for the third year in a row.
○ India has maintained its position for the past three years but this year, it had
significant improvements in government efficiency.
■ India's improvements in the government efficiency factor are mostly due
to relatively stable public finances (despite difficulties brought by the
pandemic.
■ In 2020 the government deficit stayed at 7 per cent) and to the
positive feedback, it registered among Indian business executives with
respect to the support and subsidies provided by the government to the
private companies
■ India’s strengths lie in investments in telecoms, mobile telephone costs,
ICT services exports, remuneration in services professions and terms of
trade index.
■ India’s performance is the worst in sub-indices such as broadband
subscribers, exposure to particulate pollution, human development index,
GDP per capita and foreign currency reserves per capita among others..
● Factors responsible for better performance
○ The report finds that qualities such as investment in innovation, digitalization,
welfare benefits and leadership resulting in social cohesion have helped
economies better weather the crisis, allowing them to rank higher in
competitiveness.
○ The report said top-performing economies are characterised by varying
degrees of investment in innovation, diversified economic activities, and
supportive public policy, according to the experts at the World Competitiveness
Center.
■ Strength in these areas prior to the pandemic allowed these economies
to address the economic implications of the crisis more effectively
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○ Competitive economies succeeded in transitioning to a remote work routine while
also allowing remote learning.
○ Addressing unemployment has been fundamental.
○ Countries that ensure the effectiveness of key public spending, such as public
finance, tax policy, and business legislation, are seen as essential policies to
relieve the pressure on the economies hit by COVID-19.
Source: FP
Environment
Doubles Sea Level Rise and Its Impact Syllabus: GS3/ Environmental Pollution and Degradation
In News A recent study, projecting different greenhouse gas scenarios, stated that Climate change will increase sea level in Lakshadweep Islands and it will affect airports and residential areas. About
● Sea-levels will rise around the Lakshadweep Islands in the range between 0.4 mm/year to 0.9 mm/year.
● The study highlights that the worst possible inundation (flooding) scenarios projected for Lakshadweep Islands are almost similar under different emission scenarios projected and all the islands in the archipelago would be vulnerable to impact from sea-level rise.
● For the first time, climate model projections were used to assess the potential areas of inundation.
● Smaller islands Chetlat and Amini are expected to have major land-loss. ● The present work highlights that larger islands Minicoy and the capital Kavaratti are
also vulnerable to sea-level rise, and expected to experience land-loss along 60% of the existing shoreline.
● Sea-level rise effects are seen to have the least impact on Androth Island under all emission scenarios.
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(Image Courtesy : Researchgate)
● Average sea levels have swelled over 8 inches (about 23cm) since 1880, with about three of those inches gained in the last 25 years.
Three Primary Factors For Sea Level Rise
● The change in sea levels is linked to three primary factors, all induced by ongoing global climate change:
○ Thermal expansion: ■ When water heats up, it expands. About half of the sea-level rise over the
past 25 years is attributable to warmer oceans simply occupying more space.
○ Melting glaciers: ■ Large ice formations such as mountain glaciers naturally melt a bit each
summer. ■ In the winter, snows, primarily from evaporated sea water, are generally
sufficient to balance out the melting.
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■ Recently, though, persistently higher temperatures caused by global warming have led to greater than average summer melting as well as diminished snowfall due to later winters and earlier springs.
■ That creates an imbalance between runoff and ocean evaporation, causing sea levels to rise.
○ Loss of Greenland and Antarctica’s ice sheets: ■ As with mountain glaciers, increased heat is causing the massive ice
sheets that cover ■ Greenland and Antarctica to melt more quickly. ■ Scientists also believe that meltwater from above and seawater from below
is seeping beneath Greenland's ice sheets, effectively lubricating ice streams and causing them to move more quickly into the sea.
■ While melting in West Antarctica has drawn considerable focus from scientists, especially with the 2017 break in the Larsen C ice shelf, glaciers in East Antarctica are also showing signs of destabilizing.
Threats
● Projected inundation due to sea-level rise can impact the islanders as residential areas are quite close to the present coastline.
● Airport and residential areas will be severely affected ○ The only airport in the archipelago is located at the southern tip of Agatti Island,
and has a high likelihood of damage due to inundation from sea-level rise. ● Devastating effect on coastal areas:
○ Destructive erosion ○ Wetland flooding ○ Aquifer and agricultural soil contamination with salt, and ○ lost habitat for fish, birds, and plants.
● Higher sea levels are coinciding with more dangerous hurricanes and typhoons that move more slowly and drop more rain, contributing to more powerful storm surges that can strip away everything in their path.
● Forced migration of people due to flooding ● The prospect of higher coastal water levels threatens basic services like internet access,
since much of the underlying communications infrastructure lies in the path of rising seas. ● A higher sea level causes heavy rains and strong winds, unleashes severe storms and
other big atmospheric phenomena that can be a real threat to places that might be on its way.
● If all the ice that currently exists on Earth in glaciers and sheets melted it would raise sea level by 216 feet. That could cause entire states and even some countries to disappear under the waves, from Florida to Bangladesh.
Adapting to the threat
● As a result of these risks, many coastal cities are already planning adaptation measures to cope with the long-term prospects of higher sea levels, often at considerable cost.
● Building seawalls, rethinking roads, and planting mangroves or other vegetation to absorb water are all being undertaken.
● The communities vulnerable to rising seas can only go so far in holding back the tide. Way Forward
● In the Marshall Islands, where rising sea levels are forcing a choice between relocating or building up the land, residents will need help from other nations if they decide to undertake the expensive latter option.
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● The Coastal cities can implement following measures to address sea level rise ○ Using Beaches As Barriers ○ Building Seawalls ○ Raising Roads ○ Building Stormwater Pumps ○ Upgrading Sewage Systems ○ Creating Natural Infrastructure ○ Slowing Land Sinkage
Best Practices: ● In Jakarta, a $40 billion project will aim to protect the city with an 80-foot-high seawall. ● Rotterdam, home to the global Center on Adaptation, has offered a model to other cities
seeking to combat flooding and land loss. The Dutch city has built barriers, drainage, and innovative architectural features such as Water Square with temporary ponds.
GoI’s Implementation Plan
● Assess the factors attributable to the sea level changes through a comprehensive studies
○ associated with the change in volume of the Indian Ocean basin in terms of sea water density (steric), salinity (halosteric), temperature (thermosteric) and change in mass due to glacier/ice melting (Eustatic)
○ associated with the changes to the shape of the Indian Ocean geometry due to vertical displacement of land (tectonic) and deltaic subsidence
● Classify coastal environments based on tidal oscillations and using relative wave/tide energy, fluvial discharge in a temporal framework including transgression and progradation.
● Studying changes in sea level and its impact on shoreline migration.Carbon dating and age determination based on bore hole samples and identifying sediment depositional trends – deriving brief overview of the Indian coastal zone based on sediment supply and geologic heritage (antecedent geology) such as Quaternary sea level history.
● Beach profile measurements to study the changes in beach volume in the event of erosion caused by rise in sea level and predict the extent of loss of beaches - Sediment transport and associated models to assess the fate of lost sediments
● The proposed programme is an integrated approach based on utilization of expertise from physical, chemical, biological and geological scientists together with scientists working in remote sensing and will be implemented by NCCR (National Centre for Coastal Research)
Sources: PIB
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Biodiversity and Environment
Doubles Sea Level Rise and Its Impact Syllabus: GS 3, Conservation
In News
Recently, Hayagriva Madhava Temple Committee, Assam has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with two NGOs namely Turtle Survival Alliance India and Help Earth
for long-term conservation of Black Softshell turtle.
● The temple, revered by both Hindus and Buddhists, is at Hajo, about 30 km northwest
of Guwahati and harbours various threatened species of turtles.
About the MoU
● This multi-stakeholder association also involves the State Zoo cum Botanical Garden
and the Kamrup district administration.
● The conservation pact aims to restock the wild with viable, self-sufficient and
genetically pure threatened turtle populations in the region.
● A Vision Document 2030 was also launched which sets in motion a plan to have an
ecologically viable population of 1000 adult black softshell turtles in Assam by 2030.
● It will offer assistance for the required improvement of husbandry of turtles kept in
temple ponds and further recovery efforts for the long-term survival and existence of
the turtles.
● It will spread mass awareness on the conservation issues of all species of turtles in the
region while working on threats and opportunities to strengthen the turtle population
in Assam.
● A proposal was also mooted for retaining the hatchlings from eastern Assam at the
Nature Discovery Centre at Biswanath Ghat run by Turtle Survival Alliance India for
proper upkeep and monitoring before they are released in the wild.
About Black Softshell Turtle
● Scientific Name: Nilssonia nigricans
● Features
○ It is a rare freshwater species of turtles.
○ It is also called the Bostami turtle or Mazari.
○ Their shell is light and flexible which allows them to move easily in open waters
and muddy lakes. It also allows them to move faster on land than other turtles.
● Habitat
○ It is confined only to ponds of temples in northeastern India (Assam mainly)
and Bangladesh.
■ Until sightings along the Brahmaputra River’s drainage in Assam, it
was thought to be ‘extinct in the wild’.
● Threats
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○ It is hunted for its meat and cartilage which is traded in regional and
international markets.
○ Also, silt mining, wetland encroachment and changing flooding patterns
also contribute to reducing populations.
○ Major threats for the semi-captive subpopulations are the possible health risk
from fungal infestation and the inbreeding depression.
○ Since the turtles are conserved in temple ponds only based on religious
grounds, many biological requirements for building a sustainable wild
population have since long been overlooked.
● Turtle Conservation Efforts
○ Observation of the World Sea Turtle Day on 16th June every year.
■ The celebrations highlight the importance of sea turtles in the marine
system and aim to save the aquatic species from extinction.
○ Sea Turtle Conservation Programme
■ It includes locating turtle nesting sites, excavation and relocation of eggs
to the hatchery site.
○ India is a signatory to the Indian Ocean Sea Turtle Agreement (IOSEA) of the
Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), a United Nations backed initiative.
■ The main objective of the policy is to secure the turtle nesting habitats in
the country and rope in the local communities for their safeguard.
○ National Marine Turtle Action Plan
■ It promotes inter-sectoral action for conservation and guides improved
coordination amongst the government, civil society and all relevant
stakeholders on turtle accidents and conservation.
○ Development of KURMA Application by the Indian Turtle Conservation
Action Network (ITCAN)
■ The app has a built-in digital field guide covering 29 species of freshwater
turtles and tortoises of India.
● Protection Status
○ IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered.
○ Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule IV, however, it should be in
Schedule I.
○ CITES: Appendix I.
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(Image Courtesy: TH)
Source: TH
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Facts in News
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Cicadas
Recently, billions of periodical cicadas have emerged across
eastern parts of the USA.
● Periodical cicadas, of the genus Magicicadae, are called
so because of their 13- or 17-year life cycle.
○ In any given place, they come out only once every
13 or 17 years.
○ Occasionally, part of a population will come out
four years early and part four years late.
○ With climate warming, more four-year early
emergence in larger numbers are witnessed.
● The three lineages are the basis of the modern periodical
cicada species groups, Decim, Cassini and Decula (each
has 13-year and 17-year broods).
○ The term ‘brood’ is used to refer to all periodical
cicadas that emerge the same year and occupy
a geographically contiguous area.
○ Roman numerals were assigned to designate their
year of emergence and the sequence started
arbitrarily in 1893. 2021 is the year of the Brood X
periodical cicadas.
● These cicadas spend most of their lives underground
and grow burrowed in their earthy homes by feeding on
root xylem.
● During this time, they complete five developmental
stages, known as “instars”, entirely underground.
● The fifth-instar nymphs emerge from the ground by
making holes and then transform into adults, only to
perish approximately four weeks later.
● As adults, they gather in so-called chorus groups, where
the males sing to woo the females. After mating, the
female lays eggs in thin twiggy branches of trees and then
dies.
● The eggs hatch and the nymphs drop into the earth like
rain, burrowing into it. About 95 per cent of the nymphs
die, and the ones that are left feed on root sap and
remain underground, till it is time to emerge.
● In the USA, they are found to the east of the Great Plains
and north of Florida.
● In Indian subcontinent, there are three species namely,
Chremistica mixta (Sri Lanka), C. seminiger (Nilgiri hills)
and C. ribhoi (Meghalaya).
○ Mass emergence has been noticed only in the
case of Chremistica ribhoi, which takes place
after dusk and once in four years.
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○ The insect is referred to as ‘niangtaser’ in the
local Khasi language.
(Image Courtesy: UCONN)
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Guinea Ebola
Outbreak Ends
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared
that the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Guinea is over,
which started in February 2021.
● EVD was formerly known as Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever,
is a rare but severe, often fatal illness in humans.
● Transmission: To people from wild animals (zoonotic)
and spread in the human population through human-to-
human transmission.
● It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family
are natural hosts.
● Symptoms
○ Fever, fatigue, muscle, pain, headache, and sore
throat.
○ This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash,
symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function and
in some cases internal and external bleeding.
● Treatment and Prevention
○ Community engagement is key to successfully
controlling outbreaks.
○ Supportive care, rehydration with oral or
intravenous fluids, and treatment of specific
symptoms improve survival.
○ A range of potential treatments including blood
products, immune therapies and drug therapies are
currently being evaluated.
○ Two monoclonal antibodies (Inmazeb and
Ebanga) were approved in late 2020.
○ The Ervebo vaccine and the 2-component
vaccine called Zabdeno-and-Mvabea have been
shown to be effective.
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Chennai-
Kanyakumari
Industrial Corridor
Recently, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the
Government of India has signed a USD 484 million loan to
improve transport connectivity and facilitate industrial
development in the Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor
(CKIC) in the state of Tamil Nadu.
● CKIC is part of India’s East Coast Economic Corridor
(ECEC), which stretches from West Bengal to Tamil
Nadu and connects India to the production networks of
South, Southeast and East Asia.
○ ADB is the lead partner of the Government of
India in developing ECEC.
● It will upgrade about 590 km of state highways in the
CKIC influence areas that cover 23 of the 32 districts
between Chennai and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
● Objectives: To spur industrial transformation through
provisioning of essential transport, energy and urban
infrastructure for holistic development of industrial growth
centres.
● Significance
○ Seamless road connectivity across industrial
clusters, transport gateways and consumption
centers, and help reduce logistics and
production costs.
○ Enhanced connectivity will help increase the
participation of Indian manufacturing in global
production networks and global value chains,
thereby creating jobs along the corridor.
● In line with Strategy 2030, ADB’s long-term corporate
strategy, the project emphasises sustainability, climate
change resilience, and road safety elements.
○ Established in 1966, ADB is owned by 68
members (49 from the region).
○ It is committed to achieving a prosperous,
inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the
Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate
extreme poverty.
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Mekedatu Dam
Project
● Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has closed proceedings against the Mekedatu dam project .
● The Mekedatu dam is being constructed by the Karnataka government across the Cauvery River.
● The project cost is estimated at Rs 9,000 crore. ● The proposal is aimed at providing drinking water
facilities to Bengaluru Metropolitan region and its surrounding areas (4.75 TMC) and generate 400 MW of power as an additional benefit.
● As per the plan, Bengaluru and other areas would get regular potable water.
● It would be able to help the city address its water woes.
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Sickle cell disease (SCD)
● Union Minister of Tribal Affairs flagged off mobile vans under the Unmukt project for strengthening screening and timely management of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD )in Khunti district of Jharkhand and Kanker in Chhattisgarh.
● Sickle cell disease (SCD), or sickle cell anaemia, is a major genetic disease that affects most countries in the African Region.
● In this disease, the normal round shape of red blood cells become like crescent moons.
● Round red blood cells can move easily through the blood vessels but sickle-shaped cells interconnect and can result in blood clots and these blood clots can cause extreme pain in the back, chest, hands and feet.
○ This disrupted blood flow can also cause damage to bones, muscles and organs.
● People with sickle cell disease often feel weak, tired and look pale and the whites of the eyes and skin often have a yellowish tint.
● In countries such as Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana and Nigeria the prevalence is between 20% to 30% while in some parts of Uganda it is as high as 45%.
● Sickle cell disease (SCD) , which is the most prevalent inherited blood disorder, is widespread amongst many tribal population groups in India, posing a considerable health burden in several states.
● Causes ○ Environmental factors often play a role in the
occurrence of painful attacks and common triggers include cold temperatures, dehydration, excessive amounts of exercise and tobacco smoke and other triggers such as plane flights and high altitudes can also trigger an attack.
● Treatment ● Hydroxyurea is a medicine that can decrease
several complications of SCD. ○ This treatment is very safe when given by
medical specialists experienced in caring for patients with SCD. However, the side effects of taking hydroxyurea during pregnancy or for a long time are not completely known.
● The Food and Drug Administration has also approved a new medicine to reduce the number of sickle cell crises in adults and children older than age five; it is called Endari .
● Another treatment, which can actually cure SCD, is a stem cell transplant (also called a bone marrow transplant).
● This procedure infuses healthy cells, called stem cells, into the body to replace damaged or
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diseased bone marrow (bone marrow is the center of the bone where blood cells are made).
● Steps ○ The Ministry of Tribal Affairs formed the National
Council on Sickle Cell Disease and established a Tribal Health Cell, which would coordinate with the Ministry of Health and State Governments.
○ The Ministry has devised a mechanism for making a Central Repository of data through development of Sickle Cell Support Corner which is posted on the Ministry's dashboard.
NISHTHA
Program
● Recently, 120 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) teachers and principals from 3 states completed a 40 days’ NISHTHA-National initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement Program.
● It was launched in 2019 through face-to-face mode to improve learning outcomes at the elementary level in the country.
● It is a capacity-building programme to improve the quality of school education through integrated teacher training and aims to develop competencies among all the teachers and school principals at the elementary stage.
● The initiative is first of its kind wherein standardized training modules are developed at national level for all States and UTs.
● It is the world's largest teachers' training programme of its kind.
● The basic objective of this massive training programme is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.
● Following the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been restructured and customized for the online mode to be conducted through Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) and NISHTHA portals by NCERT.
