Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The 19th Conference of Parties (COP19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) urged countries to remove references to parts and derivatives of pangolins “from the official pharmacopoeia” to help save the species.

• The pangolin is ‘the most trafficked animal in the world’. Pangolins are listed in Appendix I of CITES in accordance with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
• This means that the species is threatened with extinction. There are eight species of pangolins in the world of which the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India.

About the Pangolin

• They are scaly anteater mammals of the order Pholidota.

The Pangolin Conservation Status:

• IUCN Status: Endangered (India- Endangered, Chinese Pangolin- Critically Endangered)
• Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Under Schedule I of WPA, 1972

Animal Description

• It has large, overlapping scales on its body that act as armour.
• It can also curl itself into a ball (volvation) as self-defence against predators such as the tiger.
• The nocturnal animal lives in burrows and feed on ants and termites.

Indian Pangolin

• Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered by 11-13 rows of scales on the back. A terminal scale is also present on the lower side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the Chinese Pangolin.
• The species is found in various types of tropical forests as well as open land, grasslands, and degraded habitats, including in close proximity to villages.
• Indian Pangolin is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East. It can be found at elevation up to 2500 m. The species also occurs in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Chinese Pangolin

• It is found in the Himalayan foothills in Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh and through Southern China.
• It is adaptable to a wide range of habitats including primary and secondary tropical forests, limestone and bamboo forests, grasslands, and agricultural fields.

Threats

• Trafficking of live pangolin and its scales is a highly lucrative business for the organized mafia who exploit poor and vulnerable forest-dwelling communities for their criminal interests.
• Hunting and poaching for local consumptive use (e.g. as a protein source and traditional medicine) and international trade, for its meat and scales.
• Heavy Deforestation of their Habitat.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

• It is an international agreement between governments.
• CITES regulates international trade in specimens of species of wild fauna and flora based on a system of permits and certificates issued under certain conditions.
• It covers export, re-export, import and landing from the high seas of live and dead animals and plants and their parts and derivatives.
• CITES has now 183 Parties. Not all members of the United Nations are Parties to the Convention.
• The CITES Secretariat is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Origin

• It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union).
• The text of the Convention was finally agreed at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in Washington, D.C, on 3 March 1973, and on 1 July 1975 CITES entered in force.

Question: How far the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is able to control international of species? Discuss.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

In a significant development in the Tibetan Buddhist circles, the Nyingma sect has identified a boy from Spiti in Himachal Pradesh as the reincarnation of the late Taklung Setrung Rinpoche, a scholar known for his knowledge of Tibetan Tantric school.

The Nyingma Sect

• The Nyingma sect is the oldest of all Buddhist sects, and Taklung Setrung Rinpoche was a profound scholar renowned for his expertise in Tibetan Tantric school. 
• It is founded on the first lineages and translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan in the eighth century, during the reign of King Trisong Detsen (r. 710–755).
• Nyingma traditional histories consider their teachings to trace back to the first Buddha Samantabhadra (Güntu Sangpo) and Indian mahasiddhas such as Garab Dorjé, Śrī Siṃha and Jñānasūtra.
• Traditional sources trace the origin of the Nyingma order in Tibet to figures associated with the initial introduction of Buddhism in the 8th century, such as Padmasambhava, Yeshe Tsogyal, Vimalamitra, Vairotsana, Buddhaguhya and Shantaraksita.
• The Rinpoche used to live in the Takthok monastery of Ladakh, one of the oldest monasteries related to the Nyingma sect. 
• The followers of the sect are spread across Tibet, Bhutan, Ladakh, Sikkim and other Himalayan Buddhist pockets. 
• The Rinpoche was widely consulted by the followers of the faith.
• The “reincarnation” of a prominent Rinpoche is important in the contest for supremacy over Buddhist affairs. 
• The veteran monks of various schools of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Dalai Lama, spread in many of the ancient monasteries in the Himalayas command a wide following across the Buddhist community in Tibet, India and other parts of the world.

Some Unique Aspects Nyingmapa Tradition:

• The practice of Dzogchen (Great Perfection). It the highest perfection in deity visualization.
• It seeks to directly examine the fundamental mind without the aid of Visualization like statue and Thangkha.
• The tradition of Terma. Padmasambhava has hidden lots of scriptures in a different location for the future master to find and preach.

Teachings of the Nyingma Sect:

• Its teachings are mainly based on those of Padmasambhava, called Guru Rinpoche and Shantarakshita who were brought to Tibet through the rule of the Emperor Trisong Detsen from 742 to 797 CE.
• Buddhist teachings are classified into nine yanas with ‘Dzogchen’ being most important.
• Dzogchen (Great Perfection) philosophy revolves around pure awareness which can be achieved through meditation.
• This Vajrayana tradition involves use of ritual, symbols and tantric practices to achieve nirvana.
• Therefore, Nyingma stresses on teachings attributed to Padmasambhava, the Dzogchen doctrines as well as Tantric practices.
• The Nyingma School is also associated with Termas (hidden treasures).

Q. Highlight the important features of the Nyingma Sect.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

India carried out a successful training launch of the nuclear capable Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) Agni-3 from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha as part of routine user training launches conducted by the Strategic Forces Command.

About the Agni-3 Missile

• The 16-meter long missile, weighing more than 48 tonnes, has a range of over 3000 kilometers and is capable of carrying a payload of over 1.5 tonnes. 
• Flight trajectory was tracked by a number of radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and naval ships deployed at the sea.
• The two-stage solid propellent powered IRBM is under operational purview of the Strategic Forces Command, which is part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority and has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The first known developmental trial of Agni-3 was conducted in July 2006 but could not yield the expected result. 
• It was subsequently successfully flight tested in April 2007. 
• The system has been successfully tested several times since then.
• The Agni-3 test comes over a month after India’s Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine, INS Arihant, carried out a successful launch of a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM).

The launch is significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN programme, a key element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability. A robust, survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in keeping with India’s policy to have ‘Credible Minimum Deterrence’ that underpins its ‘No First Use’ commitment.”

Question: Discuss the evolution of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme of India. (150 Words)

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

The birth anniversary of Tippu Sultan was observed recently, bringing his contested legacy to the forefront of political discourse once again.

About Tipu Sultan

• He was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore.
• In the wider national narrative, Tipu has so far been seen as a man of imagination and courage, a brilliant military strategist who, in a short reign of 17 years, mounted the most serious challenge the Company faced in India.

Contribution of Tipu Sultan

• Tipu Sultan is the fearless ‘Tiger of Mysore’, a powerful bulwark against colonialism, and a great son of Karnataka.
• Tipu was the son of Haider Ali, a soldier who climbed the ranks in the army of the Wodeyar king of Mysore, and ultimately took power in 1761.
• Haider died while the 2nd Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84) was on and Tipu succeeded him in 1782.
• In the wider national narrative, Tipu has been seen as a man of imagination and a brilliant military strategist.
• In his short reign of 17 years, he mounted the most serious challenge the EIC faced in India.
• He was killed defending his capital Srirangapatnam in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.
• He made regular endowments during this period to many Hindu temples, including the famed Ranganathaswami Temple at Srirangapatna.
• Many sources mention the appointment of Hindu officers in Tipu’s administration] and his land grants and endowments to Hindu temples, which are cited as evidence for his religious tolerance.
• Among the punishments Tipu applied to rebels or conspirators were forced conversion and the transfer of people from their home territories to Mysore.

Reforms by Tipu Sultan

• Tipu reorganised his army along European lines, using new technology, including what is considered the first war rocket.
• He devised a land revenue system based on detailed surveys and classification, in which the tax was imposed directly on the peasant.
• He collected this tax through salaried agents in cash, widening the state’s resource base.
• He modernised agriculture, gave tax breaks for developing wasteland, built irrigation infrastructure and repaired old dams, and promoted agricultural manufacturing and sericulture.
• He built a navy to support trade, and commissioned a state commercial corporation to set up factories.
• As Mysore traded in sandalwood, silk, spices, rice and sulphur, some 30 trading outposts were established across Tipu’s dominions and overseas.

Question: Discuss the reforms and contributions of Tipu Sultan to modernise his kingdom?

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Karnataka State Forest Department has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority-Project Tiger Division (NTCA), under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, to include Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) in the Economic Evaluation of Tiger Reserves in India – Phase III, to be taken up in 2023.

• The Kali reserve represents great diversity in terms of tiger landscape, ecosystems and socio-economic conditions, and was therefore a fit case to be selected for the economic evaluation.

About the Kali Tiger Reserve

• Kali Tiger Reserve, earlier known as Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve, is located in the central portion of the Uttara Kannada (North Canara)  district of Karnataka state. 
• It is sandwiched between Haliyal and Karwar forest divisions and covers parts of Haliyal, Karwar, and Joida taluks. 
• The Tiger Reserve comprises two important protected areas of the region viz., Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary (475.018 Km²) and Anshi National Park (339.866 Km²). 
• These two protected areas are contiguous to each other and form a single tract of the protected area located in the biologically sensitive Western Ghats. 
• These two protected areas were administratively unified under Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve (DATR) in the year 2007. 
• Forests of the Tiger Reserve are primarily moist deciduous and semi-evergreen, with excellent patches of evergreen forests in the westernmost parts as well as in deep valleys. 
• Animals found in the Tiger Reserve include Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Bison, Wild dog, Sambar, Spotted deer, Sloth bear, Wild boar, Hanuman langur, Bonnet macaque, varieties of reptiles and birds including all four species of hornbills as its residents., etc.
• Kali Tiger Reserve is home to rare black panthers. 
• Kali Tiger Reserve was located in the biologically sensitive Western Ghats, which was an UNESCO World Heritage Site and a global biodiversity hotspot. 
• Kali Tiger Reserve formed an important tiger corridor of Central Western Ghats connecting the tiger habitats in Karnataka, Goa, and southern Maharashtra.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

November 24 is commemorated as the Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth guru of the Sikhs, who stood up against forcible conversions by the Mughals, and was executed on the orders of Aurangzeb in 1675.

About Guru Tegh Bahadur

• Tegh Bahadur was born in Amritsar on April 21, 1621 to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru, who raised an army against the Mughals and introduced the concept of warrior saints.
• As a boy, Tegh Bahadur was called Tyag Mal because of his ascetic nature. 
• He spent his early childhood in Amritsar under the tutelage of Bhai Gurdas, who taught him Gurmukhi, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Indian religious philosophy, while Baba Budha trained him in swordsmanship, archery, and horse-riding.
• He was only 13 when he distinguished himself in a battle against a Mughal chieftain. 
• His bravery and swordsmanship in the battle earned him the name of Tegh Bahadur.
• He was married to Mata Gujri at Kartarpur in 1632, and subsequently left for Bakala near Amritsar.
• After Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru, the guruship became hereditary.
• Aurangzeb was the ruling Mughal emperor at the time Guru Tegh Bahadur’s guruship.
• His sermons, delivered in a mix of Sadukhri and Braj languages.
• While the guru was on the way back from Dhaka, Raja Ram Singh sought his help to broker a truce with the Ahom king.
• Gurdwara Dhubri Sahib on the banks of the Brahmaputra commemorates this peace accord.
• The guru was also honoured at Guwahati’s Kamakhya temple.

Guru’s martyrdom

• Back in Anandpur Sahib, the Guru was approached by Kirpa Das, a Kashmiri Brahmin who sought his protection with a group from the Valley. 
• He told Guru Tegh Bahadur that local chieftains had told him to convert or face retribution. 
• The guru assured Das and his group of his protection and told them to tell the Mughals that they should first try to convert the guru.
• He was tortured to death and beheaded at Chandni Chowk along with his three companions, Bhai Mati Das, who was torn asunder, Bhai Sati Das, who was burnt to death, and Bhai Dyala ji, who was put in boiling water. 
• Till the very end they were asked to change their minds, but they remained resolute. 
• Gurdwara Sis Ganj was built on the site on which they were executed in 1783.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

CCPI 2023 was released in COP 27, assessing 59 countries and the European Union on climate change policies and actions.

Climate Change Performance Index

• Climate Change Performance Index(CCPI) is an independent monitoring tool for tracking the climate protection performance of 59 countries and the European Union which together generate over 92% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• It aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enable comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.
• Published by German Watch, New Climate Institute and Climate Action Network International based in Germany.
• The CCPI aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.
• CCPI assesses each country’s performance in four categories:
• GHG Emissions (40% of the overall ranking), 
• Renewable Energy (20%), 
• Energy Use (20%) 
• Climate Policy (20%).

India’s Performance

• India has been ranked 8th amongst a group of 59 countries and the European Union. It has risen two spots since last year.
• Parameter-wise, India has earned a high rating in the GHG Emissions and Energy Use categories with a medium for Climate Policy and Renewable Energy.
• India had increased its climate targets in the NDC (nationally determined contributions) and also announced a net zero target for 2070. 
• However, India’s climate actions were still not consistent with the 1.5 degree Celsius goal. For instance, India has plans to increase its oil and gas production by over 5% by 2030. This is incompatible with the 1.5-degree Celsius target.

Global Ranking

• Denmark and Sweden have been assessed to be the top performers this year as well.
• China has been ranked 51st. It has dropped 13 places mainly because of the country’s continued reliance on coal and lack of clarity on long-term climate policies. 
• The United States has been ranked 52nd. It has risen three ranks because of the recent climate measures announced by the US administration.

Question: What are the mains features approved by India in NDC (nationally determined contributions to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ? 

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Hearing a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on preservation of Sukhatal Lake in Nainital, the Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday directed the State to stop all construction activities on the lakebed and posted the matter for further hearing.

About Lake Sukhatal

• Sukha Tal cocooned in Mallital was earlier a part of the pristine Nainital Lake. Sukha Tal or Suka Tal literally suggests dry lake which is located half a km from the picturesque lake of Nainital.
• It is a fresh water lake surrounded by the dense pine and oak forests.
• It is believed that Sukhatal is a feeder lake for Naini Lake, as it acts as upstream storage for Naini Lake during monsoon by holding the runoff from catchment of water that would have otherwise flown out, thereby increasing erosion and silt deposition in Naini Lake.
• Sukhatal is a feeder lake for Naini Lake, as it acts as upstream storage for Naini Lake during monsoon by holding the runoff from catchment of water that would have otherwise flown out, 
• Thereby increasing erosion and silt deposition in Naini Lake. Studies show encroachment and dumping of construction and other waste have led to unprecedented deterioration of Sukhatal lakebed and its ability to recharge Naini Lake. 
• Since 2000, Naini Lake has reached zero level —minimum water level to be maintained — on at least 10 occasions.

About Naini Tal Lake

• Nainital Lake, notably known as Naini Lake is the main attraction of Nainital town as well of Uttarakhand. Bounded by panoramic seven hills, Nainital Lake is a much loved spot among romantic travellers around the planet.
• This lake was found long back in 1839 by P.Baron and is at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level which makes it one of the most visited lakes in India.
• At the foot of the Kumaon Hills in the Indian state of Uttarakhand lies a stunning hill-station called Nainital surrounded by a number of hills; Mount Ayarpatha, Mount Naina and Mount Deopatha being the most important ones.
• In fact, the name of the town, Nainital, which can be decoded to ‘Lake of the Eye’ with ‘Naina’ meaning ‘eye’ and ‘tal’ meaning ‘lake’, originated from this lake’s name

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

The Prime Minister has remembered Rani Lakshmibai on her Jayanti. 

About Rani Laxmibai

• Rani Laxmibai is known for her role in the First War of India’s Independence in 1857. 
• She was born in 1835. 
• When growing up with Nana Sahib and Tatya Tope, she got training in martial arts, sword fighting and horse riding and became proficient in them. She was more independent than other girls of her age, due to her unconventional upbringing.
• She got married to the king of Jhansi.  The couple adopted a son before the king’s death which the British East India 
• Company refused to accept as the legal heir and decided to annex Jhansi.
• In 1853, when the Maharaja of Jhansi died, the East India Company took advantage of the situation and applied the Doctrine of Lapse to annex Jhansi.
• Refusing to cede her territory, the queen decided to rule on behalf of the heir and later joined the uprising against the British in 1857.
• Cornered by the British, she escaped from Jhansi fort. She was wounded in combat near Gwalior’s Phool Bagh where she later died. 
• Sir Hugh Rose, who was commanding the British army, is known to have described her as “personable, clever and one of the most dangerous Indian leaders”.
• When the Indian National Army started its first female unit (in 1943), it was named after the valiant queen of Jhansi.

Doctrine of Lapse

• It was an annexation policy followed widely by Lord Dalhousie when he was India’s Governor-General from 1848 to 1856.
• According to this, any princely state that was under the direct or indirect control of the East India Company where the ruler did not have a legal male heir would be annexed by the company.
• Thus, any adopted son of the Indian ruler would not be proclaimed as heir to the kingdom.

By applying the doctrine of lapse, Dalhousie annexed the States of:

• Satara (1848 A.D.),
• Jaitpur, and Sambalpur (1849 A.D.),
• Baghat (1850 A.D.),
• Udaipur (1852 A.D.),
• Jhansi (1853 A.D.), and
• Nagpur (1854 A.D.)

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

A large number of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles have started arriving for mating at the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.

“Olive Ridley turtles usually start mating in the sea near their preferred nesting coast in November and December. After the end of the mating season, most male turtles return leaving behind the females to lay eggs,”

About Olive Ridley turtles: 

These are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.

Olive Ridley turtles Conservation status:

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Characteristics of Olive Ridley turtles

• They are found in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
• Males and female Olive Ridley grow to the same size. However, the females have a slightly more rounded carapace(shell) as compared to the male.
• These turtles are carnivores. They feed mainly on jellyfish, shrimp, snails, crabs, molluscs and a variety of fish and their eggs.
• They spend their entire lives in the ocean. Further, they migrate thousands of kilometres between feeding and mating grounds in a year.
• The major threats to Olive Ridley turtles are: a) Poor fishing practices, b) Development and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, and tourist centres, c) Poaching for their meat, shell and leather.

Arribada (Mass Nesting) of Olive Ridley Turtles

• They are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada. Under this, thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs. 
• Each female digs a sandpit lays 90 to 120 eggs and promptly closes the pit before leaving the shore.
• The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive-ridley. This is followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica.
• To reduce accidental killing in India, the Odisha government has made it mandatory for trawls to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), a net specially designed with an exit cover which allows the turtles to escape while retaining the catch.

 Gahirmatha marine sanctuary

• The Odisha coast has three arribada beaches at Gahirmatha, the mouth of the Devi river, and in Rushikulya, where about 1 lakh nests are found annually.
• It extendes from Dhamara river mouth in the north to Brahmani River moth in the south.
• The Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary is the only marine sanctuary of Orissa.
• In 1997 the Government of Orissa declared the area as Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary considering its ecological significance and diverse floral and faunal resources.
• The Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Odisha is considered the world’s largest nesting beach for Olive Ridleys.
• The Rushikulya river mouth is considered the second-biggest nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtles in India.
• Recently, a new mass nesting site has been discovered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. As per reports, it has more than 5,000 nests in a season.