• Blastomycosis is a rare fungal infection caused by the Blastomyces fungus that is found in the midwestern, south-central, and southeastern states of the US.
• The fungus is endemic to Michigan state, US.
• The fungus is typically present in moist soil and decomposing wood and leaves.
• The disease is contracted by inhaling the spores of the fungus, which can be dispersed in the air if the soil is disturbed.
• Symptoms: Fever, Cough, Breathing difficulty and muscle aches etc.
• Itraconazole is a type of antifungal medication that is typically used to treat mild to moderate blastomycosis

• Utsa Patnaik, a renowned economist, has been selected for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023.

About Malcolm Adiseshiah Award

• It is one of the most prestigious national awards in India that recognizes and honours the outstanding contributions of social scientists to the field of development studies.
• It was instituted in 2000 by the Malcolm and Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust.
• The award is given annually to an outstanding social scientist selected from nominations received by a specially constituted national jury.
• The award includes a citation and prize money of Rs 2 lakh.
• The Malcolm Adiseshiah award for distinguished contributions to Development Studies carries a cash award of 1 lakh and a citation.
• Malcolm Sathiyanathan Adiseshiah (1910 – 1994), was an Indian development economist and educator.
  • he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976.

• Nearly 105 kilograms of sea cucumber was seized by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) near Attangarai in Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu recently.

About Sea Cucumber:

• These are part of a larger animal group called echinoderms and are invertebrates that live on the seafloor (benthic).
• Their body shape is similar to a cucumber, but they have small tentacle-like tube feet that are used for locomotion and feeding.
• There are about 1,250 species of sea cucumber, all of which belong to the taxonomic class Holothuroidea.
• They are found in all marine environments throughout the world, from shallow to deep-sea environments.
• They excrete inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, enhancing the productivity of benthic biota.
• Sea cucumbers exhibit sexual and asexual reproduction.
• Unlike most terrestrial animals, sea cucumber eggs undergo external fertilization—females release eggs into the water that are fertilized when they come into contact with sperm that males have released.
• Protection status
  • Wildlife Protection Act of 1972: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix II
• In 2020, the Lakshadweep administration created the world’s first conservation area for sea cucumbers.

• Radical Islamists in Pakistan demolished an over 100-year-old worship place of the minority Ahmadi community.

About Ahmadiyyas

• Origins of religious sect are in Qadian near Amritsar in Punjab, India.
• Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1889 as a revival movement within Islam, emphasizing its essential teachings of peace, love, justice, and sanctity of life.
• Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the leading Islamic organization to categorically reject terrorism.
• The movement spread Western liberal education among the Indian Muslims.
• The Ahmadiyya community is the only Islamic sect to believe that the Messiah had come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to end religious wars and bloodshed and to reinstate morality, peace and justice.
• They believed in separating the mosque from the State as well as in human rights and tolerance.
• The Ahmadiyya Movement was plagued by mysticism.

• A first-ever census of mangrove pitta birds was carried out in Bhitarkanika in Odisha and around 179 birds were sighted.

About Mangrove Pitta Bird(Pitta Megarhyncha)

• The mangrove pitta belongs to the family of pittas, the Pittidae.
• These are colourful birds which have black head with brown crown, white throat, greenish upper parts, buff under-parts and reddish vent area.
• They are small secretive birds, measuring 17 to 19 cm in length and weighing 45 to 65 grams.
• This bird usually feeds on insects and other small invertebrates.
• It is found in eastern part of India especially in Odisha and West Bengal along with countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore etc.
• IUCN status- Near threatened

About Bhitarkanika National Park

• Bhitarkanika National Park is the 2^nd largest Mangrove ecosystems of India.
• It’s located in the estuaries where the rivers Brahmani and Baitarani meet.
• This is the habitat of the endangered saltwater crocodile.
• The Gahirmatha Beach which forms the boundary of the sanctuary in the east is the largest colony of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles.

• India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert over high temperatures in 3 states (West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh) and claimed that heatwave conditions are to prevail in 4 other states (Sikkim, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh).
• Heatwave is a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to human body when exposed.
• It is defined based on temperature thresholds over a region in terms of actual temperature or its departure from normal.
• Reasons for Heatwaves: Prevalence of hot dry air over a region, Absence of moisture in upper atmosphere, Cloudless Sky, Anti-cyclonic conditions.

Criteria of declaring Heatwaves

• IMD has given following criteria for Heatwave –
• Heat wave is considered if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C or more for Plains and at least 30°C or more for Hilly regions.

Based on Departure from Normal temperature,

• Heat Wave -Departure from normal is 4.50°C to 6.40°C.
• Severe Heat Wave: Departure from normal is >6.40 degree C.

Based on Actual Maximum Temperature:

• Heat Wave: When actual maximum temperature ≥ 45 degree C.
• Severe Heat Wave: When actual maximum temperature ≥47 degree C
• If the above criteria is met at least in 2 stations in a Meteorological subdivision for at least two consecutive days and is declared on the second day.

• Himachal Pradesh has become the “first state” to create a DNA database of unidentified bodies, as per, Assistant Director (DNA), Directorate of Forensics Services, Junga.
• The process was started in April last year and so far the records of 150 DNA samples of unidentified bodies had been stored in the database.
• The database would help in the identification of bodies, giving a big relief to families searching for their loved ones.

• Recently Kagiso Rabada achieved a significant milestone by taking his 100th wicket in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
• He became the fastest bowler to reach this milestone in terms of matches played, completing it in his 64th IPL match.
• He is a right arm fast bowler from South Africa.

• External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar recently inaugurated the Buzi Bridge virtually, which is a part of the 132 km Tica-Buzi-Nova-Sofala Road project.
• The bridge has been constructed by India and is a symbol of the solidarity and friendship between India and Mozambique.

• Finland’s next-generation Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor, the largest in Europe, has gone into regular production.

About Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor (OL3):

• OL3 is an EPR (European Pressurized Water Reactor) located in Finland.
• It is built by the French-led Areva-Siemens consortium.
• It is the most powerful nuclear reactor in Europe, with a capacity of generating 1,600 megawatts.
• It covers approximately 14% of Finland’s electricity demand.