500 Most Probable Topics- List 3

1. Koya Tribes

2. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana Summary:

• Scheme: A Central Sector Sub-scheme under PMMSY.
• Funding: Total outlay of Rs.6,000 crore, with 50% public finance (including World Bank and AFD financing) and 50% expected from beneficiaries/private sector.
• Duration: 4-year implementation from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27, nationwide.
• Beneficiaries: Encompasses fishers, aquaculture farmers, fish workers, vendors, micro and small enterprises, SHGs, FFPOs, startups in fisheries/aquaculture, and other stakeholders identified by the Department of Fisheries.

3. Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD):

• Purpose: Technology designed to remove sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from exhaust gases.
• Source of SO2: Primarily from the burning of high-sulphur fossil fuels like coal and oil, contributing to significant air pollution and acid rain.
• Environmental Impact: SO2 emissions harm ecosystems, aquatic life, infrastructure, and contribute to acid rain.
• FGD Process: Involves using absorbents like ammonia, sodium sulphite, or commonly, a limestone slurry, to chemically bond with and remove up to 95% of SO2 in flue gases.

4. World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2024- New Delhi

• Annual flagship event of the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
• Established in 2001, promoting ‘sustainable development’ for over two decades.
• The sole independently convened international summit on sustainability and environment in the Global South.
• Aims to provide long-term, global solutions by bringing together eminent leaders and thinkers.
• WSDS 2024 marks the 23rd iteration of the summit.
• Theme for 2024: ‘Leadership for Sustainable Development and Climate Justice’.

5. MXenes

Researchers recently reported on the potential of using MXene coatings that can guide microwaves in space and lighten satellite payloads.

• Discovery: First identified in 2011, representing a significant class of two-dimensional (2D) materials.
• Composition: Consist of transition metal carbides and nitrides, with titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) being a prominent example.
• Characteristics: Known for inherent good conductivity and excellent volumetric capacitance, distinct from typical 2D ceramics.
• Origin: Derived from a parent bulk crystal known as MAX.
• Applications: Utilized in energy storage (e.g., lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors), electromagnetic interference shielding, catalysis, sensing technologies, and water treatment due to their conductive nature and expansive surface area.

6. Himalayan griffon

In the first-ever Tri-State synchronised vulture survey 320 individual vultures were counted in the seven-protected areas spread over Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Himalayan griffon is only reported from Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Classification: An Old-World vulture from the family Accipitridae, among the largest of its kind.
• Behavior: Monogamous with long-term nesting sites, diurnal, and mostly solitary.
• Habitat: Native to the Himalayan region, extending into Tibet and Central Asia, with occasional altitudinal migrations to northern India.
• Conservation Status: Listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

7. ABHYAS :

• High-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT) designed for weapon systems practice.
• Developer: DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).
• Purpose: Provides realistic threat scenarios for weapon system training and validation of newly inducted military equipment requiring aerial engagement.
• Features:
  • Autonomous flight capability via an indigenously developed autopilot system.
  • Equipped with radar cross-section, visual, and infrared systems for enhanced target simulation.
  • Supported by a laptop-based Ground Control System for integration, pre-flight checks, data recording, and post-flight analysis.

8. Aldabra giant tortoise

A six-year-old project to return giant tortoises to the wild in Madagascar could result in thousands of megaherbivores re-populating the island for the first time in 600 years.

• Rank: Second-largest land tortoise species, following the Galapagos giant tortoise.
• Lifespan: Capable of living for a century, showcasing a rich evolutionary history.
• Origins: Descended from the Aldabrachelys abrupta lineage from Madagascar, migrated to Seychelles around four million years ago.
• Habitat: Indigenous to the Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles, thriving in diverse environments such as scrub forests, mangrove swamps, and coastal dunes, with significant populations in grassland “platins”.
• Ecosystem Impact: Influential in creating “tortoise turf” habitats through extensive grazing.
• Conservation Status: Classified as Vulnerable by IUCN and listed under CITES Appendix II.

9. Thrips Parvispinus

Union Agriculture Minister informed the Rajya Sabha that Thrips Parvispinus might have dominated or even replaced the native chilli thrips known as scirtothrips dorsalis in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh region.

• It is an invasive pest species.
• It is a polyphagous pest, which can also grow and multiply on alternate hosts like drumstick, pigeon pea, chickpea, papaya, mango and weed species like Parthenium, Cleome viscosa, Prosopis sp., Lantana camara, Calotropis sp., Tecoma sp. and wild solanum plants.

10. Forest Owlet

Three back-to-back sightings of endangered Forest Owlet took place in the Melghat Tiger Reserve during a camp held recently.

• It is endemic to the forests of central India. 
• It was observed in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and at a few locations in the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.
• Habitat: The natural ecosystems and habitats of these species include tropical and subtropical moist lowland woods, dense deciduous woodlands, open dry deciduous teak woods, and tropical and subtropical dry forests.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I

11. Black-necked Crane:

• Classification: Medium-sized crane, Grus nigricollis.
• Habitat: Prefers high-altitude wetlands on the Tibetan plateau, suitable for breeding.
• Distribution: Found in India, China, and Bhutan, breeding at elevations between 2,950 and 4,900 meters.
• Threats: Faces challenges from habitat loss, climate change, agricultural changes, and pollution.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Near Threatened.
  • India’s Wildlife Protection: Listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • CITES: Included in Appendix I.

12. Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

The Tamil Nadu government has declared 80,114.80 hectares of reserve forests in Bargur Hills in Erode district, as the Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary :

• Links Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) with Male Mahadeshwara Hills and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries, serving as a vital tiger corridor.
• Strategically positioned at the confluence of Eastern and Western Ghats, extending into the Nilgiris.
• Hosts a rich variety of flora and fauna, contributing to its status as a diverse habitat.
• Recognized as a crucial tiger corridor by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and part of the Nilgiris Elephant Reserve.
• Supports significant populations of large herbivores like elephants and Indian Gaur.
• Acts as a catchment area for the Palar River, feeding into the Cauvery River, essential for regional agriculture.
• Holds cultural and historical value for tribal and local communities, underpinning their livelihoods and traditions.

13. Black-crowned Night Heron

A ringed juvenile black-crowned night heron, which landed recently at a local pond in Imphal and died later, was banded at the Weishan Bird Banding Station in China’s Beijing.

Black-crowned Night Heron:

• It is a medium-sized heron with a stocky build.
• Scientific Name: Nycticorax nycticorax
• Distribution: It is found across North America, as well as locally in Central America and the Caribbean.
• Habitat: Most colonies of black-crowned night herons are associated with large wetlands. They inhabit a variety of wetland habitats, such as swamps, streams, rivers, marshes, mud flats, and the edges of lakes.
• IUCN Red List: Least Concern

14. Payments Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently imposed restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL), following a system audit report and subsequent compliance validation report of external auditors.

Payments Bank:

• A payments bank is like any other bank but operates on a smaller scalewithout involving any credit risk. 
• It was set up based on the recommendations of the Nachiket Mor Committee.
• Objective: To advance financial inclusion by offering banking and financial services to the unbanked and underbanked areas, helping the migrant labour force, low-income households, small entrepreneurs, etc.
• It is registered as a public limited company under the Companies Act 2013 and licensed under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act 1949.
• It is governed by a host of legislation, such as the Banking Regulation Act, 1949; RBI Act, 1934; Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, etc.
• Features:
• They are differentiated, and not universal banks.
• These operate on a smaller scale.
• The minimum paid-up equity capital for payments banks shall be 100 crores.
• The minimum initial contribution of the promoter to the Payment Bank to the paid-up equity capital shall be at least 40% for the first five years from the commencement of its business.
• Activities that can be performed:
• It can take deposits up to Rs. 2,00,000. It can accept demand depositsin the form of savings and current accounts.
• The money received as depositscan be invested in secure government securities only in the form of a Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR). This must amount to 75% of the demand deposit balance.
• The remaining 25% is to be placed as time deposits with other scheduled commercial banks.
• It can offer remittance services, mobile payments/transfers/purchases, and other banking services like ATM/debit cards, net banking, and third-party fund transfers.
• It can become a banking correspondent (BC) of another bank for credit and other services which it cannot offer.
• Activities that can be performed:
• It cannot issue loans and credit cards.
• It cannot accept time deposits or NRI deposits.
• It cannot set up subsidiaries to undertake non-banking financial activities.

15. Martand Sun Temple:

• It is a Hindu temple located near the city of Anantnag in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is dedicated to the Sun God. Martand is another Sanskrit synonym for Surya.
• It was built by King Lalitaditya Muktapida around the 8th Century CE. Lalitaditya Muktapida was the third ruler of the Karkota Dynasty. 

16. India’s First Snow Leopard Population Estimation:

• Initial Findings: India is home to an estimated 718 snow leopards, with the highest numbers in Ladakh (477), followed by Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Jammu and Kashmir.
• Global Significance: Indian snow leopards represent 10-15% of the global population.
• Methodology: The survey utilized camera traps at 1,971 locations and covered 13,450 km of trails, employing statistical methods for accurate estimations.
• Institutional Efforts: Conducted by state surveys and the Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with WWF-India and the Nature Conservation Foundation, the project offers a scientifically established baseline for future studies.
• Conservation Status: Classified as ‘vulnerable’, snow leopards face threats from human-wildlife conflicts, free-ranging dogs, and poaching, though poaching is not as significant a threat as for other species like tigers.
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I

17. Nilgiri Tahr:

• Endemic Species: The Nilgiri Tahr is a unique mountain ungulate found only in the southern Western Ghats of India.
• Scientific and Local Names: Known scientifically as Nilgiritragus hylocrius and locally as ‘Varayaadu’.
• Adaptation: Renowned for their remarkable climbing abilities on steep terrains, earning the title ‘Mountain Monarch’.
• State Symbol: Designated as the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
• Geographical Range: Confined to about 5% of the Western Ghats, predominantly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with Eravikulam National Park hosting the largest population.
• Natural Habitat: Prefers open montane grasslands at altitudes ranging from 1200 to 2600 meters.
• Conservation Status: Listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List and protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in India.

18. Shumang Leela and Lai Haraoba- Manipur

• Shumang Leela:
  • Traditional theatre form from Manipur.
  • Features cross-gender casting: males play female roles (Nupi Shabis) and vice versa in female theatre groups.
  • Originated as a comic genre for royalty; now a medium for education, entertainment, and social commentary.
  • Derived from Lai Haraoba, a ritual of the Meitei community.
  • Purposes include public education on social, political, and economic issues.
  • Two types: Nupa Shumang Leela (male performers) and Nupi Shumang Leela (female performers).
• Lai Haraoba:
  • A religious festival of the Meitei people in Manipur.
  • Celebrated at local shrines dedicated to umanglai deities.
  • Held between February and May-June.

19. Generative AI:

• • Algorithms produce content like text, images, audio, and video.
  • Creates new content, unlike traditional AI which recognizes patterns and predicts.
  • Powered by large, multi-tasking foundation models trained on extensive data.
  • Uses ML to learn from human-created content and generate new content based on prompts.
  • Popular Tools:
    • ChatGPT: An OpenAI-developed chatbot capable of generating content and conversing.
    • Bard: Google’s generative AI chatbot based on LaMDA, answering questions and creating content from prompts.

Machine Learning (ML):

• • AI discipline enabling automatic learning from data and experiences.
  • Allows for pattern identification and predictions with minimal human input.
  • Operates autonomously without explicit programming, adapting and learning from new data.

20. Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Recently, the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their immediate withdrawal from the West African bloc ECOWAS.

• Established in 1975 via the Lagos Treaty.
• Mandate: Promote economic integration among members.
• Vision: Create a “borderless region” with integration, democracy, rule of law, and good governance.
• Members: Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Togo.
• Goals: Single common currency, large trading bloc covering industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, financial, social, and cultural matters.
• Efforts in quelling military conflicts in the region; operated peacekeeping force ECOMOG, led by Nigeria in the 1990s and early 2000s.
• Headquarters: Abuja, Nigeria.

21. E-Ink Displays

• Used in e-readers like Amazon Kindle, developed in the 1990s at MIT and owned by E Ink Corporation.
• Working: Utilizes microcapsules with positively charged white particles and negatively charged black ones in fluid. Electrical charges control particle movement to form text/images.
• Reflects light like paper, making it easier on the eyes and ideal for long reading sessions.
• Low power consumption, energy used only when the image changes.
• Better readability in bright lighting conditions compared to LCD/LED displays due to lack of backlighting.

22. Indian Grey Wolf

Recent sighting of Indian grey wolf in the expansive confines of National Chambal Sanctuary in Etawah.

• A subspecies of the grey wolf found from Southwest Asia to the Indian Subcontinent, adapted to warmer conditions.
• Characteristics: Smaller packs, less vocal, nocturnal, hunts from dusk till dawn. Intermediate size between Tibetan and Arabian wolves, lacks a luxuriant winter coat.
• Habitat: Prefers scrub, grasslands, and semi-arid pastoral agro-ecosystems.
• Distribution: Ranges from the Indian subcontinent to Israel, with around 3,000 in India, including some in captivity.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Least Concern
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix 1

23. Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve

• A 17-square-kilometre biodiversity hotspot in Arunachal Pradesh, near Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Established in 2017 to protect regional biodiversity.
• Habitat for the critically endangered Bugun Liocichla (Liocichlabugunorum), a bird species named after the local Bugun community.
• The Bugun Liocichla represents one of the first bird species discovered in India post-1947, exclusively found on Bugun community lands.
• The Buguns are an indigenous community of around 2,000 individuals across 12 villages near the Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary.

24. Tasar Silk

• A type of wild silk from silkworms feeding on Asan and Arjun plants.
• Known by various names across India: tusaar, tusser, tushar, tusa, tassore, tasar.
• Producers:
  • Globally produced in China, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
  • India: Second-largest producer, and the exclusive producer of Indian tussar (tropical tussar), primarily by tribals.
  • Major Indian production in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, with Jharkhand being one of the largest producers.

25. Free Movement Regime (FMR)

• Allows hill tribes, from both India and Myanmar, to travel within 16 km of the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB).
• Requires a border pass with one-year validity for crossing, allowing up to two weeks’ stay per visit.
• Implemented in 2018 under the Central government’s Act East policy.
• Aimed at cultural assimilation, promoting weddings, common festivals, and trans-border trade among villagers.
• Reflects the deep physical, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and fraternal connections among trans-border communities.

26. K-Shaped Recovery

The Finance Minister recently rejected the theory that India’s ongoing recovery is ‘K-shaped’. 

• Occurs when parts of the economy recover at different rates, times, or magnitudes post-recession.
• Results in structural changes in the economy and society, altering economic outcomes and relations.
• Named K-shaped due to the diverging recovery paths resembling the letter “K”; the upper part indicates quickly recovering sectors, while the lower part signifies slower recovery groups.

27. Armado:

• It is India’s first Armoured Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV).
• It is a fully indigenous vehicle designed and built by the Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS) for the Indian armed forces.
• It can be used in counter-terrorist and special forces operations. It can also be used by quick reaction teams, as a reconnaissance vehicle and for patrolling the borders.
• The new Mahindra Armado recently made its first appearance at the Republic Day Parade.

28. Vulture Survey in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

• Location: Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), covering parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
• Findings: Over 300 vultures recorded, with the Mudumalai-Sathyamangalam-Bandipur-Wayanad complex accounting for over 82% of sightings.
• Species Recorded: 217 white-rumped vultures, 47 long-billed vultures, 50 Asian king vultures, 4 Egyptian vultures, and 2 Himalayan griffon vultures.
• Resident Species: White-rumped, long-billed, and Asian king vultures; significant populations south of the Vindhya Range.
• Increase in Numbers: From 246 vultures in February 2023 to 320 in December 2023.
• Conservation Efforts: Tamil Nadu government’s vulture conservation framework, carcass-handling protocol for increased scavenger food availability, strict ban on harmful NSAIDs like diclofenac, with 104 manufacturers/sellers prosecuted.
• Source: Tamil Nadu Forest Department, The Hindu.

29. Grantham Inscriptions

A team of archaeologists recently discovered two stone inscriptions of ‘Grantham’ and Tamil dating 11th and 16th centuries respectively at Pazhnchervazhi village near Kangayam.

• Grantha Script: Historically significant script used for writing Sanskrit in South East Asia and greater Tamil Nadu.
• Meaning: In Sanskrit, “Grantha” means “a literary work,” indicating its use for scholarly writings.
• Prevalence: Once widespread across South India.
• Use in Malayalam: Adopted for writing Malayalam, where it was referred to as Arya Ezhuthu, due to the language’s heavy borrowing from Sanskrit.
• Similarities with Tamil Script: Modern Grantha and Tamil scripts share visual similarities, both evolving from the ancient Brahmi script.

30. Wandering Albatross Vulnerability

• Species: Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), the largest flying bird with a 3.5m wingspan.
• Lifespan: Up to 60 years, mostly spent at sea.
• Habitat: Predominantly the Southern Ocean and nearby islands, with significant breeding populations on Marion and Prince Edward Islands.
• Reproduction: Breeds about every two years on land post sexual maturity.
• Conservation Status: Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, threatened by longline fishing bycatch, pollution, and climate change.
• Climate Change Impact: Potential disruption in low, coastal nesting preferences due to changes in temperature, rainfall, and wind patterns, affecting nest site selection, construction, and chick rearing.

31. Binturong and Small-clawed otter

Recently, the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam has received the addition of two new mammalian species, the elusive binturong (Arctictis binturong) and the small-clawed otter.

Binturong

• Also known as Asian Bearcat or Asian Civet.
• Scientific Name: Arctictis binturong.
• Characteristics: Largest civet in India, solitary, nocturnal, slow and cautious tree climber.
• Unique Feature: Prehensile tail, one of only two carnivores with this adaptation.
• Habitat: Dense forests of South-East Asia.
• Distribution: China, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Borneo.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • Wildlife Protection Act of 1972: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix III

32. Small-Clawed Otter

• Characteristics: Partially webbed feet, short claws, adept aquatic hunters.
• Habitat: Freshwater environments, diet of fish and crustaceans.
• Distribution: From India to Southeast Asia and southern China, notably in protected areas of West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala (Western Ghats) in India.
• Threats: Habitat destruction, deforestation, reduction in prey biomass.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • Wildlife Protection Act of 1972: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix I

33. Gir and Kankrej cattle

India has imported 40,000 doses of bull semen from Brazil for the first time to boost milk output via artificial insemination of Gir and Kankrej cattle breeds.

Kankrej

• Also known as Wadad, Waged, or Wadhiar.
• Origin: Southeast Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and adjacent regions of Rajasthan (Barmer and Jodhpur districts).
• Appearance: Silver-grey to iron-grey or steel black color.
• Use: Highly valued for draught capabilities; used in ploughing and carting.
• International Presence: Known as Guzerat in Brazil, maintained as a pure breed in large numbers.

Gir Breed

• Renowned dairy cattle breed from India.
• Also known as Bhodali, Desan, Gujarati, Kathiawari, Sorthi, and Surati.
• Native Region: Gir hills and forests of Kathiawar, Gujarat.
• Characteristics: Known for stress tolerance and resistance to tropical diseases.

Why from Brazil?

• Brazil preserved the original Gir breed, gifted by the Maharaja of Bhavnagar in the 18th century.
• Gir and Kankrej cattle, exported from India centuries ago, have been adapted in Brazil for high milk yield.
• Collaborative efforts between India and Brazil in training, capacity building, and technology transfer for cattle breeding.

34. Great Indian Bustard

The Supreme Court recently directed the Centre to come clean on its plans to save the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard.

• Scientific Name: Ardeotis nigriceps, a bustard native to the Indian subcontinent.
• Size: Among the heaviest flying birds, with some individuals weighing up to 15 kg (33 pounds).
• Distribution: Viable population of 100-150 in India, predominantly in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan.
• Habitat: Dry grasslands and scrublands.
• Breeding: Mostly during the monsoon season, laying a single egg on open ground.
• Lifespan: 12-15 years.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule 1
  • CITES: Appendix 1

35. Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Programme:

• It is a subcomponent of National Green Hydrogen Mission.
• Aim: To bolster domestic electrolyser manufacturing and green hydrogen production.
• In the initial stage, two distinct financial incentive mechanisms were proposed with an outlay of ₹ 17,490 crore up to 2029-30:
  • Incentive for manufacturing of electrolysers
  • Incentive for production of green hydrogen.

36. Global Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality

• Launched by India at the 54th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.

Objectives and Focus

• Aims to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality.
• Focuses on bringing together global best practices, knowledge sharing, and investment in women’s education, health, and enterprise.
• Targets multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, 4, 5, and 17.

Support and Collaboration

• Gained support from industry giants like MasterCard, Uber, Tata, TVS, Bayer, Godrej, Serum Institute of India, IMD Laussane, and over 10,000 industry partners through the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• Backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Housed and anchored by the CII Centre for Women Leadership.
• World Economic Forum as ‘Network Partner’ and Invest India as ‘Institutional Partner’.

37. Gangetic Dolphin

• Common Name: Susu
• Scientific Name: Platanista gangetica gangetica
• Population: Estimated between 1,200 to 1,800 individuals
• Habitat: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh
• Characteristics:
  • Exclusively freshwater dwelling
  • Essentially blind, relies on ultrasonic sounds for hunting
  • Sturdy and flexible body with large flippers and a low triangular dorsal fin
  • Chocolate brown at birth, transitioning to grey-brown, smooth, hairless skin in adulthood
  • Females larger than males, birthing one calf every 2-3 years
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule-I
  • CITES: Appendix I

38. Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)

• Establishment: Formed by the Government of India on 21st July 2015, under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• Statutory Status: Granted by Section 211 of the Companies Act, 2013.
• Objective: To detect and prosecute or recommend prosecution of white-collar frauds or crimes.
• Investigation Criteria:
  • Complex cases involving multidisciplinary and inter-departmental investigations.
  • Cases with significant monetary impacts on the public.
  • Situations where investigations can prompt systemic cleanups and legal or procedural reforms.
  • Serious fraud cases referred by the Department of Company Affairs.
• Operational Autonomy: SFIO can independently initiate cases upon the Director’s discretion, with documented reasons.
• Exclusive Authority: Once SFIO takes on a case, no other agency can investigate the related offences under the Companies Act.

39. Soligas and Yeravas: Indigenous Communities of Peninsular India

Soligas

• Location: Primarily in Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts, Karnataka, near Biligiri Rangana Hills and Male Mahadeshwara.
• Diet: Honey and foraged food from the Ghats; use Silver cockscomb as a nutritious vegetable.
• Recognition: First tribal community within a tiger reserve in India to have forest rights recognized by law.
• Cultural Contribution: A new genus of wasp, Soliga ecarinata, named in their honor.

Yeravas

• Origin: Migrated from Wayanad, Kerala to Kodagu, Karnataka.
• Diet: Heavy reliance on tubers, with mushrooms being a monsoon dietary addition.
• Language: Speak their own language, Ravula.

Common Challenges

• Land use changes and policy shifts impacting traditional food sources.
• Loss of traditional knowledge due to youth migration.

40. ISRO’s Advanced Distress Alert Transmitter for Fishermen

• ISRO developed an advanced version of the Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT) for emergency communication by fishermen at sea.
• Initial Version: Operational since 2010, using communication satellites to send distress messages to the Indian Mission Control Centre (INMCC), which then coordinates with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) under the Indian Coast Guard for rescue operations. Over 20,000 units in use.
• Enhancements: The Second Generation DAT (DAT-SG) introduces advanced capabilities, including the ability to send acknowledgements back to fishermen and receive messages from control centres.
• Features:
  • Transmission of distress signals and receipt of emergency alerts (e.g., bad weather, cyclones, tsunamis).
  • Regular updates on potential fishing zones to improve catch efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.
  • Connectivity to mobile phones via Bluetooth, with message display in native languages through a mobile app.
• Sagarmitra System: A web-based network management system at INMCC, maintaining a database of registered DAT-SGs for real-time coordination during rescue operations by the Indian Coast Guard.
• Operational Status: DAT-SG services are operational 24/7, enhancing the safety and efficiency of fishermen at sea.

41. Indian Vulture

• Scientific Name: Gyps indicus
• Common Name: Indian long-billed vulture
• Size: Medium-sized and bulky, with males larger than females
• Diet: Scavenger, primarily feeding on dead animal carcasses
• Distribution: Native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal
• Habitat: Found in savannas and open habitats near villages, cities, and cultivated areas
• Threats: 97-99% population decline due to poisoning from veterinary drug usage in working animals, which is toxic to vultures
• Conservation Status: Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List

42. Yen Denominated Green Bonds:

• It is REC Limited’s eleventh venture into the international bond market and inaugural Yen Bond issuance, which is also the first Yen Green Bonds issuance by any Indian PSU.
• Time period: 5-year, 5.25-year and 10-year bonds issued at yield of 1.76%, 1.79%, and 2.20% respectively
• It is the largest ever Euro-Yen issuance in South and South East Asia.
• It is the largest Yen-denominated issuance from India.

43. Reviving ‘Hambi Kepathu’: A Traditional Game at Karbi Youth Festival

• Event: The 50th Karbi Youth Festival (KYF) in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.
• Significance: Revival of ‘Hambi Kepathu’, a traditional game associated with Karbi community origins, now deemed their ‘national game’.
• Conservation Effort: Local dedication to preserving the Entada rheedii creeper, also known as African dream herb, crucial for the game.

44. Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival:

• The first-ever PPHF was held in 2015. The aim was to recognise the role played by the Nyishi tribal group in conserving hornbills in Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR).
• Other objectives were to raise alternative sources of income for the region and to create awareness in the rest of India about the wonders of PTR and its surrounding areas.
• This year, the festival’s theme is Domutoh Domutoh, Paga hum Domutoh. It translates to ‘Let Our Hornbills Remain’ in the Nyishi language.

45. Farsi will be included in Classical Languages- Only announcement currently.

Criteria for ‘Classical’ Status

• Over 1500-2000 years of recorded history.
• Rich ancient literature considered valuable heritage.
• Original literary tradition, not borrowed from other communities.
• Distinct from modern forms, with a possible discontinuity from classical language to later forms.

Languages with ‘Classical’ Status

• Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), Odia (2014).

Benefits of ‘Classical’ Status:

• International awards for scholars in classical Indian languages.
• Establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Classical Language studies.
• UGC to create Professional Chairs for Classical Languages in Central Universities.

46. Interim Budget vs Vote-on-Account

Interim Budget

• Purpose: Serves as a provisional financial plan for a few months until a new government assumes office.
• Contents: Includes economic status, plan and non-plan expenditures, tax changes, and estimates for the current and coming financial year.
• Constraints: Subject to Election Commission guidelines to prevent undue influence before voting.
• Approval Process: Undergoes discussion and approval in the Lok Sabha like a full budget.

Vote-On-Account

• Purpose: Allows government to meet essential expenses such as salaries and ongoing project funding for 2-4 months.
• Tax Changes: Cannot propose any changes in the tax regime.
• Approval Process: Passed in the Lok Sabha without formal discussion.
• Nature: Considered an advance grant or interim arrangement for short-term expenses, drawing funds from the Consolidated Fund of India.

Key Differences

• Tax Policy: Interim budgets can propose tax changes; Vote-on-Account cannot.
• Duration: Interim budgets are valid for a year; Vote-on-Account is valid for 2-4 months.
• Discussion: Interim budgets are discussed like full budgets; Vote-on-Account is approved without discussion.

47. Tibetan Brown Bear

A rare and elusive bear, the Tibetan brown bear, has been recently sighted in Sikkim, making it the first confirmed record of the animal being sighted in India.

• Tibetan brown bear, also known as the Tibetan blue bear, is a rare subspecies, seldom seen in the wild.
• Historically found in eastern Tibet, western China, Nepal, and Bhutan, now mainly in eastern Tibet and Bhutan.
• Inhabits alpine forests, meadows, and steppes near the tree line.
• Lifespan is approximately 20 to 30 years, with a highly developed sense of smell.
• Solitary creatures with overlapping territories, primarily terrestrial, feeding on marmots and alpine vegetation.
• Conservation status: IUCN Red List – Least Concern, CITES – Appendix I, Wildlife Protection Act 1972 – Schedule II.

48. Windfall Tax

• Windfall tax is levied on industries with significantly above-average profits due to economic conditions.
• Imposed when unexpected, non-strategy related external events cause a sharp revenue increase.
• Example: Oil and gas industries’ profits during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
• Taxed over and above normal rates, commonly affecting oil, gas, and mining sectors.
• Aims to redistribute unexpected gains, fund social welfare, supplement government revenue, and narrow trade deficits.

49. Punganur Cows

• Punganur cow, one of the world’s smallest cattle breeds, stands 70-90 cm tall, weighs under 200 kg.
• Native to Punganur, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh; adaptable to drought and low-quality feed.
• Known for high-fat milk (8% fat content), ideal for ghee, producing 1-3 liters/day.
• Milk is nutrient-rich, containing Omega fatty acids, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
• Eco-friendly: Requires less water, feed, space than hybrid breeds.
• Culturally significant in Andhra Pradesh; milk used in temple rituals, including Tirupati Tirumala Temple’s Ksheera Abhishekam.

50. Lentil Production

India is set to become the world’s largest producer of lentil (masoor) during the 2023-24 crop years on account of higher acreage.

• Lentils, valued for consumption mostly as dry seeds, are known as ‘Dal’ in India after dehulling and splitting.
• Referred to as Masur and Malka in India, particularly for bold-seeded varieties.
• Thrives in cold climates, tolerates frost and severe winter, requiring cold temperatures for vegetative growth and warm temperatures at maturity.
• Optimal growth temperature is 18-30°C, suitable for cultivation up to 3,500 m altitude.
• Prefers well-drained, loam soils with a neutral pH; acidic soils are unsuitable.
• Cultivated across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and major Indian states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and others.
• Nutritious, easy to cook, and digest, with the by-products used as valuable cattle feed.
• Top global lentil producers in 2022 per FAO: Canada, India, Australia, Turkey, Russia.
• Despite being the second largest producer, India imports lentils from countries like Australia, Canada, Russia, along with recent imports from UAE, USA, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.