WHY IN NEWS?

The proposed Lemru Elephant Reserve in Chhattisgarh has been in the pipeline for 20 years. However, the reserve has become the subject of yet another controversy.

About Lemru Elephant Reserve:

• The reserve is located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh.
• The reserve is aiming at reducing human-animal conflict and destruction of property in addition to providing a permanent habitat to the elephants.
• Earlier, the state government notified the reserve (Conservation Reserve) in October 2020 under Section 36A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA).
  • Section 36A has a special provision that gives the Union government a say in the process of notification in case the land to be notified as conservation reserve has areas belonging to the Centre.
  • Elephant reserves are not recognised under the WLPA.

WHY IN NEWS?

Square’s hardware head, Jesse Dorogusker, announced recently that company is going to start building a hardware wallet and accompanying service for cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. This decision was taken in a bid to bring crypto coin into mainstream.

What is Hardware Wallet?

Hardware wallet is a special type of cryptocurrency storage which maintains and secures private crypto keys of users in hardware device. This wallet is known for providing security and utility when users interact with blockchains. It allows users to work on multiple blockchains simultaneously. This is translated as utility factor because users can manage Bitcoin, Ethereum & Alt. Coins, Lumens etc on a single device.

How data can be accessed?

On the hardware wallet, everything is backed up and accessible with a recovery phrase or with password or key. The hardware is in form of a small, portable, plug-in device which allows users to access cryptocurrency from anywhere.

How cryptocurrency is stored?

Cryptocurrency is not stored in the hardware of wallet itself. But it is stored in blockchains. Wallet allows users to access in a portable fashion. It is more like a credit card which can access account from any ATM or swiping platform

WHY IN NEWS?

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved “Blue Origin license” in order to carry humans on New Shepard launch system into space.

Key Points

• Former Amazon.com Chief Executive, Jeff Bezos, is to fly to space on July 20 through Blue Origin’s maiden crewed voyage.
• Blue Origin is authorized to carry humans while FAA license is valid through August.
• Blue Origin is approved to conduct these missions from its Launch Site One facility in Texas.
• This flight is coming after space-tourism rival Virgin Galactic successfully sent its crew to the edge of space.

WHY IN NEWS?

Indian researchers have spotted a rare superluminous supernova that shines with the energy borrowed from an exotic type of neutron star with an ultra-powerful magnetic field.

What is Superluminous Supernova?

• A super-luminous supernova is a type of stellar explosion with a luminosity 10 or more times higher than that of standard supernovae.
  • A supernova is the explosion of a star. It is the largest explosion that takes place in space.
• Superluminous supernova is generally rare because they originate from very massive stars (minimum mass limit is more than 25 times that of the Sun) and the number distribution of such massive stars in our galaxy or in nearby galaxies is small.

WHY IN NEWS?

Department of Biotechnology (DBT) & National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) has created a first of its king database of genomic variation in oral cancer. NIBMG made this database accessible to public. Database is being called as dbGENVOC.

About dbGENVOC

• It is a free resource and a browsable online database of genomic Variants of Oral Cancer. First release of dbGENVOC comprises of

1. 24 million somatic and germline variants which have been derived from whole exome sequences of 100 oral cancer patients & whole genome sequences of 5 oral cancer patients.
2. Somatic variation data from 220 patient samples were collected from USA and analyzed by TCGA-HNSCC project.
3. Variants were identified by community approved best practice protocol and were annotated with the help of multiple analytic pipelines.

• dbGENVOC is a catalogue of genomic variants as well as a built-in search engine. It allows a reasonable extent of statistical and bioinformatic analysis to be carried out such as identification of variants in associated altered pathways in oral cancer.
• It will be updated annually with variation data of new oral cancer patients from India southeast Asia.
• It will support advances in oral cancer research.

WHY IN NEWS?

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued an advisory to banks and other financial institutions to be prepared for year-end transition from London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor).

Transition from Libor

Global transition from Libor became necessary because banks were manipulating rate in 2007-08. Following the incident, investigation was led by Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Britain.

Highlights

• India’s exposure to borrowings linked to benchmark is estimated to be around $331 billion.
• RBI asked banks and other financial institutions to incorporate robust fall-back clauses before cessation date, in all financial contracts where maturity is after announced cessation date of benchmark.
• It asked banks to ensure that new contracts entered into before December 31 but mature after cessation date include fall-back clauses.
• Banks are also encouraged to cease using Mumbai Interbank Forward Outright Rate (Mifor).

WHY IN NEWS?

National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY) at Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh has partnered with National Insurance Company Ltd. to insure high-altitude yak.

What are the concerns?

High-altitude yaks are feeling the climate change heat in Himalayan belt. Climate change and inexplicable changes in weather pattern have been reported from yak rearing areas across India. As a result, countrywide population yak has been decreasing at an alarming rate. In 2019, about 500 yaks died in single spell of heavy rainfall in northern Sikkim. That caused a heavy financial burden on owners. As per a report, number of yaks in India has declined by 24.7% between 2012 and 2019.

How Insurance policy will help?

• Insurance policy will shield yak owners against risks posed by weather calamities, in-transit mishaps, diseases, riots, surgical operations and strikes. Thus, this policy will provide financial security to Yak rearing communities in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
• Under the insurance policy, owners will have to get their yaks ear-tagged and provide proper description to get their animals insured.
• Owners will require to submit completed claim form, death certificate from veterinary practitioner, post-mortem report and ear tag in order to get the claim.
• There will be a 15-day waiting period to claim this amount. Thus, death of an animal due to any disease within 15 days from commencement of risk is not payable.

Yak population in India

Total yak population in India is 58,000. Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir have 26,000 Yaks, followed by 24,000 in Arunachal Pradesh, 5,000 in Sikkim and 2,000 in Himachal Pradesh. Some 1,000 Yaks are there in West Bengal and Uttarakhand.

WHY IN NEWS?

Chinese conservation officials have announced that, Chinese giant Panda is no longer an endangered species.

ABOUT:

• Status of giant panda has been updated to “vulnerable”.
• There are now 1,800 giant pandas living in wild.
• Number increased due to the China’s devotion in maintaining nature reserves and other conservation initiatives during recent years.
• Number of other species like Siberian tigers, Asian elephants, and crested ibises have also increased gradually.

IUCN Status of Giant Panda

Giant panda was considered “vulnerable” for five years. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) removed giant pandas the list of endangered species in 2016. This decision was challenged by Chinese officials then.

Giant panda

This bear, also known as panda bear, is native to South Central China. Bear is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. Giant panda name is used to distinguish it from red panda. They belong to order Carnivora, but are also folivore. Bamboo shoots and leaves making more than 99% of their diet. They occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in form of birds, carrion or rodents. They also eat (in captivity) honey, eggs, fish, yams, oranges, bananas or shrub leaves along with specially prepared food.

WHY IN NEWS?

American Space Agency, NASA’s ICESat-2 discovered Antarctic Meltwater Lakes recently.

ABOUT:

Glaciologist Helen Amanda Fricker had made an astonishing discovery in 2007 and found that, a whole hidden network of interconnected lake is found beneath thick Antarctic ice-shelves. She found that, these lakes actively fill and drain. Presence of meltwater beneath ice sheets was known, but such network of an active water system was a breakthrough. She had used data from NASA’s ICESat. This satellite used laser pulses to measure elevation data for ice, clouds & land.

How ICESat-2 was used to map lakes?

ICESat-2 is the successor of ICESat. It was launched by NASA in 2018. This new satellite can gather elevation data with higher precision. Using data from ICESat 2, Fricker has now discovered two new subglacial meltwater lakes under glacial ice of Antarctica. Network of Lakes were mapped high precision.

Significance of the mapping

These maps will help scientists understand water system in Antarctica. They would be able to figure out how these glacial lakes contribute to ocean water. Using these critical measurements scientists would explain & predict appearance & disappearance of Antarctic lakes. For instance, an enormous lake had disappeared in just three days in Amery Ice shelves of Antarctica. So, scientists can calculate how this is caused by global warming and how these lakes will affect movement of Antarctic glaciers. During this movement, ice sheets suffer cracking, crevassing etc which can be measured using space lasers.

WHY IN NEWS ?

Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and Sony India Software Centre have proposed to host a hackathon called Samvedan 2021.

• Under the hackathon, contestants will be asked to develop solutions for societal problems in India.
• Participants of IITM-PTF’s (IIT-Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation) ‘Sensing Solutions for Bharat’ will use Internet of Things sensor board.
• Competition will be based on Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation’s presence board.
• Registration for the competition commenced on July 1.
• Registration is open to all Indian nationals.

Winners of competition

Winners of the competition will be eligible for entrepreneurial support from IITM-PTF. This competition is also open to industry personnel and academics.

About competition

Sony will use its leading-edge technology in solving India’s problems. Under the competition, each team will a maximum of three members. Challenge will be held in three stages. A total of 75 ideas would be selected for quarter-finals. 25 will make to semi-finals. Out of 25, seven finalists will be selected. Each finalist will receive prizes worth ₹3 lakh. Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation will provide a free presence boar to each quarter-finalist