Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The effects of climate change range are being witnessed across a range of environments – from changes in crop yields due to unreliable weather conditions to the extinction of species. 

According to new research, yet another effect could be the increased risk of “viral spillover” in some regions that could cause new pandemics over the next few years.

Viral Spillover Risk

• Climate change could shift the species range of certain viral vectors and reservoirs northwards, and the High Arctic zone could become fertile ground for emerging pandemics.
• Viral spillover risk increases with climate change in High Arctic lake sediments.
• Viruses are some of the most abundant entities on earth, but they need to infect a host’s cell in order to replicate. 
• According to the research, these virus/host relationships seem relatively stable within superkingdoms, the major groupings of organisms. 
• However, below this rank, viruses may infect a new host from a reservoir host (in which it usually resides) by being able to transmit sustainably in a novel host a process defined as ‘viral spillover’.

The study

• To study the possibility of a viral spillover, researchers from the University of Ottawa collected sediment and soil samples from Lake Hazen in Canada the largest High Arctic lake by volume in the world, and the region’s largest freshwater ecosystem.
• Then they undertook DNA and RNA sequencing to reconstruct the lake area’s virus composition. 
• They estimated the spillover risk and found that the chances of a virus moving to a new host increases with runoff from glacier melt, treated by them as a proxy for climate change. 
• As temperatures increase, the melting of glaciers increases as well, and there is a greater possibility for previously ice-trapped viruses and bacteria to find new hosts.

The Result

• It was found that the risk of viral spillovers increases with changes in the environment at a particular location, driven by global warming.
• As long as viruses and their ‘bridge vectors’ – that act as hosts and lead to their spread – are not simultaneously present in the environment, the likelihood of dramatic events probably remains low.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

A study has now shown that this ‘invisible’ disease, which is wiping out the sandalwood trees, can transmit through seeds of infected trees through the presence of disease-causing bacteria called Phytoplasma. 

• This phenomenon has been blamed for the spread of the SSD to commercial farms in a study by the Bengaluru-based Institute of Wood Sciences & Technology (IWST) in association with the National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune.
• Recently, Sandalwood Spike Disease started infecting natural habitats in Karnataka and Kerala. India’s sandalwood trees, particularly of Karnataka are facing a serious threat with the return of the destructive Sandalwood Spike Disease (SSD).

Sandalwood Spike Disease (SSD)

• It is caused by phytoplasma — bacterial parasites of plant tissues — which are transmitted by insect vectors.
• Phytoplasmas are bacterial parasites of plant tissues which are transmitted by insect vectors and involved in plant-to-plant transmission.
• The disease is characterized by a huge reduction in leaf size which is also accompanied by stiffening and reduction of internode length.
• The disease was first reported in Kodagu in 1899.
• It is being classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1998.
• Presently, there is no option but to cut down and remove the infected tree to prevent the spread of the disease.
• Between 1 and 5% of sandalwood trees lost every year due to the disease.
• SSD has been one of the major causes for the decline in sandalwood production in the country for over a century.

Reasons for Spread

• The present rapid spread of the infection is largely due to restrictions on green felling in forests, which has allowed vectors to spread the disease to healthy trees.
• Green felling (silviculture felling) is the felling of green trees of one or more types.

Sandalwood

• Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods. Further, they can retain their fragrance for decades. 
• India has been the traditional leader of sandalwood oil production for perfumery and pharmaceuticals. As early as 1792, Tippu Sultan had declared it a ‘Royal Tree’ of Mysuru.
• Red Saunder/ Red Sandalwood- Found in southern Eastern Ghats Mountain range of South India.
• This tree is valued for the rich red colour of its wood. The wood is not aromatic.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has put it under the category of near threatened from earlier endangered species in the Red List.
• Sandalwood has several antibacterial, antibiotic & anti-cancer benefits amongst others. Hence, it finds its uses in pharmaceuticals, personal care & furniture.
• Sandalwood has been long associated with the Indian heritage & culture, as the country contributed 85% of the world’ sandalwood trade erstwhile. However, of late this has been declining at a fast rate.
• Globally, India & Australia are the largest growers of sandalwood. On the other hand, the biggest markets lie in the United States, China, Japan & the Indian domestic market.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have studied the interactions between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS). 

• The study will help devise strategies for the disinfection of space stations to minimise any potential impact of microbes on the health of astronauts.
• During spaceflight, crews may have altered immunity and limited access to terrestrial medical facilities. 
• Therefore, studying the microbes inhabiting the space station becomes important to understand the risks associated with short-term and long-term space travel on the health of astronauts. 

About

• The present study was motivated by the earlier observations of the dominance of Klebsiella pneumoniae on the surfaces of the ISS. 
• This pathogen has been known to cause pneumonia and other nosocomial infections.
• It is beneficial to various other microbes also present on the ISS, especially the bacteria from the Pantoea genus. 
• However, it was found that its presence was hampering the growth of Aspergillus fungus.
• This bacterial family includes members like E coli, Salmonella, etc, which are also present in the human gut.
• This bacterial family was found to be the most beneficial among the other microbes present on the ISS.
• The microbial strains found in this study pose no threat to the space station astronauts.
• One of the ways the microbes are introduced in the sealed and closed space station is through crew members.

Importance

• The microbial strains found in this study pose no threat to the space station astronauts, and this study provides evidence on why it’s important to monitor the microbiome of the ISS. 
• Keeping an eye on what microbes are on the ISS and learning how they adapt in microgravity continues to help us protect astronaut health. 
• The interaction between the microbes is also affected by these adverse environmental conditions in space, necessitating such studies. 
• More knowledge on the microbes in space can help devise appropriate safety measures for long-term space travel.
• This will also open the doors of space travel to the common people and to ensure the travel safer into the sky.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Five new Basmati varieties, developed by a group of scientists of Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), in 2020 and 2021 are all set to bring revolutionary changes in the way this type of paddy is cultivated in the country.

• Three of the five varieties can resist two common diseases of paddy.
• The other two can save 35% of the water now required as the seeds can be directly sown, obviating the need for transplanting seedlings.
• These two seeds are resistant to herbicides too, helping the farmers control weeds more efficiently. 
• All of the five seeds have the combined qualities of disease and herbicide resistance.

Basmati Rice

• It is one of the best known varieties of rice all across the globe.
• Basmati rice has a unique fragrance and flavour caused due to the presence of a chemical called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.
• Basmati rice needs specific climatic conditions to grow which is why it is cultivated in selected regions of India.
• India is the largest producer of Basmati rice with about 70 per cent share in global production.
• Basmati rice constitutes one of India’s significant exports both in terms of soft power and hard money.
• It is cultivated in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and western Uttar Pradesh.
• In May 2010, GI status was given to basmati grown only in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
• Major chunk of India’s basmati rice is exported to Gulf countries viz. Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait.

ICAR

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare , Government of India.
• The Council is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country.
• The institute was then known as Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) which functioned with five departments, namely Agriculture, Cattle Breeding, Chemistry, Economic Botany and Mycology. Bacteriology unit was added in 1907.
• The name of ARI was changed to Imperial Institute of Agricultural Research in 1911 and, in 1919 it was renamed as Imperial Agricultural Research Institute.
• Post-independence, the institute has been renamed as Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Union Government announced a month-long programme to “strengthen” and “rekindle” the cultural and civilisational bond between Tamil Nadu and Varanasi. Named the ‘Kashi-Tamil Sangamam.

• The period will cover the Tamil month of Karthikeya during which all Tamil households go pray to Lord Shiva. 
• This programme, which would be a part of the Ek Bharat Sreshtha Bharat initiative, is aimed at rekindling the civilisational link between the new Kashi and Tamil Nadu — both deep centres of knowledge.
• As part of the programme, a total of 2,500 people divided into 12 groups would be travelling to Varanasi by train during the month-long period. 
• The journey points in Tamil Nadu would be Chennai, Rameswaram and Coimbatore. 
• +The groups would include students, teachers, artisans and people from various walks of life.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), which functions in the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, might approve the commercial cultivation of modified mustard. 

• GM mustard, also called DMH-11.
• A group of activists have also written to the ministry, objecting to the potential approval of “unsafe, unneeded and unwanted genetically modified organisms.
• This would be the first time since 2002 for such approval to grow GM mustard, a genetically modified hybrid variety of the mustard species, for consumption by the masses.
• The green signal for GM mustard was given by the central government in May 2017 after trials in Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).

Experts are fearful

• The move that could pose a threat to crop diversity, food security and increase tolerance for use of pesticides.
• The entire biosafety assessment of GM mustard has been unscientific and no guidelines have been followed.
• GM mustard is also a herbicide tolerant crop, which can become hazardous for the environment. 
• Genetically modified seeds will also threaten crop biodiversity.
• Indigenous crop varieties may get threatened, which are crucial to fight climate change.
• Genetic modifications can have irreversible damage to the environment.

The modification technology is comparatively new and we do not know how it will reflect in the long term. It may open gates for unwanted or unknown diseases and how it will manifest in an open field is not assessed or analysed. Even scientists cannot predict this without its execution. In such a situation, agriculture will go beyond the control of farmers and scientists. Therefore, India must prepare to pick up its battles thoughtfully.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) had recommended to the Union Environment and Forest Ministry to put the new Forest Conservation Rules, 2022, on hold.

The commission wrote to the government about the rules, which essentially eliminate the requirement of consent of local tribespeople and forest dwellers for diversion of forest land for other purposes.

What are the Forest Conservation Rules?

• The Forest Conservation Rules deal with the implementation of the Forest Conservation Act 1980. They prescribe the procedure to be followed for forest land to be diverted for non-forestry uses such as road construction, highway development, railway lines, and mining.
• Forest (Conservation) Act was enacted for providing a higher level of protection to forests and to regulate diversion of forest lands for non-forestry purposes.
• The term “forest land” mentioned in the Act refers to the reserved forest, protected forest, or any area recorded as forest in the government records. The term “tree” will have the same meaning as defined in the Indian Forest Act 1927.
• The Act extends to the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
• As per the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 Prior permission of the Central Government is essential for De-reservation/ Diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes.
• The Act has made ample provisions to check deforestation and encourage afforestation of non-forest areas.
• This act put certain conditions on the user(s) that need to deposit the required amount to undertake compensatory afforestation for mitigate the negative impact of forest land diversion.

Forest Advisory Committee (FAC)

• For forest land beyond five hectares, approval for diverting land must be given by the Central government. This is via a specially constituted committee, called the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC).
• This committee examines whether the user agency, or those who have requested forest land a) Have made a convincing case for the upheaval of that specific parcel of land, b) Whether they have a plan in place to ensure that the succeeding damage will be minimal and c) The said piece of land doesn’t cause damage to wildlife habitat.
• Once the FAC is convinced and approves (or rejects a proposal), it is forwarded to the concerned State government where the land is located.
• The state government has to ensure that provisions of the Forest Right Act, 2006 are complied with. State bodies would forward documents to the FAC that would also include information on the status of whether the forest rights of locals in the area were settled or not.
• The FAC approval also means that the future users of the land must provide compensatory land for afforestation as well as pay the net present value (ranging between ₹10-15 lakh per hectare.)

New Rules 

• The latest version of the rules consolidates changes to the Act over the years from various amendments and court rulings.
• Private plantation:
• The rules make a provision for private parties to cultivate plantations and sell them as land to companies who need to meet compensatory forestation targets.
• This, according to the government, will help India increase forest cover as well as solve the problems of the States not finding land within their jurisdiction for compensatory purposes.

Consent of Gram Sabha for diversion of land

• Prior to the updated rules,state bodies would forward documents to the FAC that would also include information on the status of whether the forest rights of locals in the area were settled.
• After 2009, the Environment Ministry passed an order mandating that proposals would not be entertained by the FAC unless there was a letter from the State specifying that the forest rights in the place had been “settled” and the gram sabha, or the governing body in villages in the area, had given their written consent to the diversion of the forest.
• However, there have been a series of orders by the Environment Ministry over the years that have sought to skirt the necessity for consent from the gram sabha.
• The new rules formally codify this and say that a project, once approved by the FAC, will then be passed on to the State authorities who will collect the compensatory fund and land, and process it for final approval.
• Only in passing, is it mentioned that the States will ensure“settlement” of Forest Rights Acts applicable.
• This, many forestry experts say, doesn’t automatically imply the consent of the resident tribals and forest dwellers.

Concerns

• Corporates and other commercial entities can now easily arm-twist tribal communities to obtain necessary consent or suppress any opposition.
• Tribals use the revenue forest land for livelihood purposes. The new guidelines allow private players to use the land for plantation, which can lead to monoculture cultivation — thus affecting biodiversity.
• Due to relaxation in the clearance process a developer does not need to take clearances at one go for diverting land use.
• One may take approval over a part of the land to begin the work and take clearance at the final stage.

The new forest protection regulations should be re-evaluated following constructive consultations with the key stakeholders. They must be adjusted to take into account the crucial importance of tribal and forest rights and the responsibility of the government to safeguard them.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

The government recently revamped the scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) to develop sustainable and responsible destinations with tourist and destination centric approach.

• 15 states with two or three destinations each have been identified to be developed under the scheme which seeks to provide financial support to strengthen tourist infrastructure 

Swadesh Darshan 2.0

• Fifteen States are part of the first phase which include Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
• Two destinations from each State have been identified
• Some of the prominent places identified are Jhansi and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Gwalior, Chitrakoot and Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh and Ajanta and Ellora in Maharashtra.
• The Swadesh Darshan scheme is 100% centrally funded.
• The government recently revamped the scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) to develop sustainable and responsible destinations with tourist and destination centric approach.
• The scheme has been revamped with the mantra of “vocal for local”.
• According to the Ministry, domestic tourist visits in 2021 were around 677 million and in 2022 (data available till date) is 572 million.

Significance

• This is a very positive step as it has made State government as well as the local government as stakeholders. 
• Local community would immensely benefit as It would help create jobs and that would lead to skill development among the natives. 
• This shall directly boost the economy of the region. 
• Further destination division as adventure tourism, beach tourism, wellness tourism, Eco-tourism and several other categories would help segregate the tourists as per their preference.

The Swadesh Darshan Scheme 

• It was launched by the Centre in 2014-15 for the integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits. 
• Under the scheme, the Ministry of Tourism provides financial assistance to State governments, Union Territory Administrations or Central Agencies for development of tourism infrastructure in the country.
• The scheme was envisioned to synergise with other government schemes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill India, and Make in India with the idea of positioning the tourism sector as a major engine for job creation, driving force for economic growth, building synergy with various sectors to enable tourism to realise its potential.
• Some of the prominent circuits launched under this were the Buddhist tourist circle, Ambedkar Tourist Circle and the North-East Tourist Circle.
• Part 1 of Swadesh Darshan had faced some criticism mainly pertaining to “resources being spread thin due to the many destinations being covered and too many stakeholders being involved”.
• Out of the 76 projects sanctioned under the scheme, 52 have been completed.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Pokkali farmers met on the sidelines of a pokkali rice harvest festival organised under the aegis of Kadamakudy panchayat, on the outskirts of Kochi, and Pokkali Cooperative with sustainability dominating sessions addressed by agricultural officers and farmers.

• The cultivation of the rice variety, which is part of the ‘one fish and one rice’ annual cycle, had been strained over recent years with a tendency among farmers in most parts of the coastal areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts of Kerala to give it up entirely.
• The farmers were worried about impact of climate change with unseasonal rain flooding fields.

Pokkali Rice

• It is a unique variety of rice known for its saltwater resistance and is cultivated in the districts of Alappuzha, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts of Kerala.
• GI Tag: The brand Pokkali has received a GI tag from the Geographical Indications Registry Office,Chennai.
• Vyttila-11: It is the latest variety of pokkali developed by the Kerala Agricultural University.
• It is a salt water-resistant variety that grows tall.
• It is cultivated in the coastal regions of Kerala.
• The prawn seedlings feed on the leftovers of the harvested crop, while the rice crop, which gets no other fertiliser or manure, draws nutrients from the prawns’ excrement and other remnants.
• Rice farming and prawn farming are mutually complementary.
• They are useful in climate- resilient agriculture as they can withstands flooding.
• A storehouse of nutrition, they are rich in fibre and protein content, antioxidants with benefits of vitamin E, and minerals such as iron, boron and sulphur.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The indigenous medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is expected to complete all user trials by August 2023.

• Four prototypes of Rustom-2 are currently flying. 
• Five production models will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL).

Rustom-2

• Rustom-2 had crossed a milestone by reaching an altitude of 25,000 feet and an endurance of 10 hours. 
• The target is to reach an altitude of 30,000 feet with an endurance of 20 hours endurance which has to be demonstrated.
• Rustom-2 technologically matched the contemporary UAVs available and would also be cheaper than the imported ones while meeting the requirements of the three Services.
• Rustom-2 has been designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, with the production partners being HAL and Bharat Electronics Ltd. 
• It is being developed to carry out surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles and is capable of carrying different combinations of advanced payload and capable of auto landing, among others.

Significance

• High endurance UAVs are a priority requirement for the Indian armed forces especially in view of the stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh. 
• Indian armed forces rely heavily rely on Israeli Searcher and Heron drones to meet their requirements and they have need for more such UAVs.

The Services have embarked on a major upgrade project of the Heron UAVs in use.