Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

British journalist and a Brazilian indigenous affairs expert recently went missing in a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest.

• The duo were last seen in Vale do Javari — the western section of the Brazilian Amazon named after the Javari river, which forms the country’s border with Peru.

Why is the region significant?

• The region where Phillips and Pereira went missing is spread over 85,444 sq km and, according to the Brazilian government, it is home to “the greatest concentration of isolated groups in the Amazon and the world”.
• The area is home to 14 different indigenous tribes with nearly 6,000 inhabitants. These tribes are known to reject contact with the outside world.
• But in spite of that there are repeated attempts to forcibly enter their resource-rich territory.
• Vale do Javari also forms part of an international cocaine trafficking route, with gold being exchanged for drugs and arms, consequently making it a hotspot for violent crimes.
• Besides the Javari it is transected by the Pardo, Quixito, Itaquai and Ituí rivers.
• The Brazilian government has made it illegal for non-indigenous people to enter the territory

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Leading global higher education analysts QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) has released the 19th edition of one of the most-consulted international university rankings.

• It is the only international ranking to have received the approval of International Ranking Expert Group (IREG). 

How are institutions ranked?

QS uses six indicators to compile the ranking: Academic reputation (AR), employer reputation (ER), citations per faculty (CPF), faculty/student ratio, international faculty ratio and international student ratio.

Performance of Indian Institutions:

• The latest edition features 41 Indian universities, of which 12 improved their positions, 12 remained stable, 10 declined and seven are new entries.
• The IISc ranks 155th globally, and is the global leader in the citations per faculty (CpF) indicator, which QS uses to evaluate the impact of the research produced by universities.
• The IISc is the fastest rising South Asian university among the top-200 universities in the QS rankings, having climbed 31 places year on year.
• The IIT Bombay, which was the top Indian university in QS World University Rankings of the previous edition, is the second best Indian institution this time and climbed five places globally to reach the 172 rank.
• The third best Indian university is the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD), followed by IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur.
• Jindal Global University is the top-ranked private institute in India.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Prime Minister is all set to inaugurate The Astol Project that will provide tap water to 4.50 lakh people living in 174 tribal villages and 1,028 hamlets on the hills of Valsad district in Gujarat.

This is significant as the tribes in the area have been protesting against the central government’s Par-Tapi-Narmada Link Project.

Background:

Par-Tapi-Narmada river link project in south Gujarat was scrapped after strong protests by tribal communities of the three districts in the region.

About the Project:

• Envisioned under the 1980 National Perspective Plan.
• The project proposes to transfer river water from the surplus regions of the Western Ghats to the deficit regions of Saurashtra and Kutch.

It proposes to link three rivers:

1. Par, originating from Nashik in Maharashtra and flowing through Valsad.
2. Tapi from Satpura that flows through Maharashtra and Surat in Gujarat.
3. Narmada originating in Madhya Pradesh and flowing through Maharashtra and Bharuch and Narmada districts in Gujarat.

Benefits:

The surplus water proposed to be diverted through the estimated Rs 10,211 crore Par-Tapi-Narmada link project is expected to irrigate an area of 2,32,175 hectares, of which 61,190 ha is en route to the link canal.

Why is this project being opposed?

According to a report by the NWDA, about 6065 ha of land area will be submerged due to the proposed reservoirs.

• A total of 61 villages will be affected, of which one will be fully submerged and the remaining 60 partly.
• The total number of affected families would be 2,509 of which 98 families would be affected due to the creation of the Jheri reservoir, the only one in Maharashtra, spread over six villages.
• In Gujarat, around 2000 families will be affected by the project. The districts where the project will be implemented are largely dominated, by tribals who fear displacement.

Benefits of interlinking:

1. Enhances water and food security.
2. Proper utilisation of water.
3. Boost to agriculture.
4. Disaster mitigation.
5. Boost to transportation.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Assam Rhino Estimation

Manas National Park – Status

• The current rhino population in the park was estimated at 40
• The park’s rhinos have a male-female sex ratio of 1:1, arrived at without considering 10 calves and five sub-adults
• The one-horned rhinos in Manas National Park, have an age structure pyramid, indicating higher life expectancy and significant growth in the population.
• There is no wider representation of calves and sub-adults to sustain the population structure
• Population pyramid for calves is clearly an indicative of a low birth rate, but is also suggestive of a lower death rate, which means that there is higher life expectancy
• But such a population may suffer losses if not supplemented through translocations, the report warned.
• A suitable strategy to bring in more rhinos from other rhino-bearing areas is required so as to have a wider representation of calves and sub-adults over time, the report stated

Counting limitations

• “Total count” or direct count method adopted for the population estimation in Manas has a few limitations.
• A total count is generally used when a single species is targeted to be counted in a well-defined, specific area.
• This method assumes the detection probability to be one, which means that each and every animal has a 100% chance of being seen during the counting.
• The limitations of this method include undercounting, as the assumption of a detection probability of 1 is unrealistic, especially if the population closure cannot be established satisfactorily within a small area of 10-20 sq. km.

Manas National Park:

• Manas national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve.
• It is located in the Himalayan foothills in Assam. It is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.
• The name of the park is originated from the Manas River.
• Significance: The Park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog. It is also famous for its population of wild water buffalo.
• River: The Manas River flows through the west of the park. Manas is a major tributary of Brahmaputra river.

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (Unctad) has released the annual World Investment Report.

 Highlights of the Report: India 7th in FDI Inflows: UNCTAD

• India is ranked seventh despite a 30% decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country.
• The United States ($367 billion) remained the top recipient of FDI.
• China ($181 billion) and Hong Kong ($141 billion) also retained second and third position respectively.
• Among the top 10 host economies, only India saw a decline in its inflows.
• However, outward FDI from India rose 43 per cent to $15.5 billion in 2021.

What is FDI?

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment from a party in one country into a business or corporation in another country with the intention of establishing a lasting interest. With FDI, foreign companies are directly involved with day-to-day operations in the other country.

About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):

• It is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964.
• It is part of the UN Secretariat.
• It reports to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, but has its own membership, leadership, and budget.
• It is also a part of the United Nations Development Group.

 Objectives and roles:

• It supports developing countries to access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively. Along with other UN departments and agencies.
• It also measures the progress made in the Sustainable Development Goals, as set out in Agenda 2030.

 Reports published by UNCTAD

1. Trade and Development Report
2. World Investment Report
3. Technology and Innovation Report
4. Digital Economy Report

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

In a study, astronomers have reported a fast radio burst (FRB) whose characteristics are different from almost all other FRBs previously detected, except one.

• FRBs are bright flashes of light that appear for a few milliseconds and then vanish. Since the first FRB was discovered in 2007, 140 more were discovered until June 2021
• The new study in Nature describes FRB 20190520B, first discovered in 2019, is different is different from other FRBs, it emits frequent, repeating bursts of radio waves. And between bursts, it constantly emits weaker radio waves.
• Only one FRB has been previously observed to behave this way. Called FRB 121102, that was discovered in 2012.
• Calling the behaviour strange the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) stated that the discovery raises new questions about the nature of these mysterious objects and also about their usefulness as tools for studying the nature of intergalactic space.

What are Fast Radio Bursts?

• Fast Radio Bursts are brief (few millisecond) bursts of radio waves coming from far beyond our Milky Way galaxy.
• The phenomenon was first reported in 2007
• A defining property of these bursts is their dispersion the bursts produce a spectrum of radio waves, and as the waves travel through matter, they spread out or disperse with bursts at higher radio frequencies arriving at telescopes earlier than those at lower frequencies.
• This dispersion allows researchers to learn about two important things:
• They can measure this dispersion to learn about the stuff that radio bursts pass through as they travel toward Earth
• They can indirectly determine how far apart things are.

Origin of FRBs:

• FRBs have been spotted in various and distant parts of the universe, as well as in our own galaxy. Their origins are unknown and their appearance is highly unpredictable

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is currently facing a shortage in land for compensatory afforestation.

• This issue of shortage of land for compensatory afforestation was raised by the agency in a letter to the Union Environment Ministry in March
• The DDA, in its letter to the Union Environment Ministry, cited paragraph 2.3 (v) of chapter 2 of the Handbook of Forest Conservation Act, which states: “In exceptional cases where non-forest land for CA is not available in the same State/UT in which the diversion of forest land is proposed, land for CA can be identified in any other State/UTs, preferably in neighboring State/UTs.”

Forest Conservation Act 1980

• Alarmed at India’s rapid deforestation and resulting environmental degradation, the Centre Government enacted the Forest (Conservation) Act in 1980.
• The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 stipulated that central permission is necessary to practice sustainable agro-forestry in forest areas. Violation or lack of permit was treated as a criminal offense.
• An Advisory Committee constituted under the Act advises the Centre on these approvals.
• The Act deals with the four categories of forests, namely reserved forests, village forests, protected forests, and private forests.

Features

• Section 2 of the act lists four criteria where permission of the Central Government is required for any action of State regarding –
• Declaring that any reserved forest ceases to be reserved.
• Use of forestland for non-forest purposes.
• Leasing forest to any private person.
• Declaring that any forest land may be cleared of trees that have grown naturally in that land, for the purpose of using it for reforestation.
• Removing self-regenerating forest for the creation of plantation is also the non-forest purpose.
• Under the act compensatory afforestation has to be carried out for the diversion of forest land, or deemed forest land, for non-forest purposes.
• Agencies carrying out development works are required to compensate for the loss of “land by land” and loss of “trees by trees”.
• The land for CA has to be free of encroachments and legal tussles

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

Turkish President Greece to demilitarise islands in the Aegean Sea

• Turkey says Greece has been building a military presence in violation of treaties that guarantee the unarmed status of the Aegean islands
• It argues the islands were ceded to Greece on the condition they remained demilitarised.
• Greece and Turkey are NATO allies, but the neighboring countries have a history of disputes over a range of issues, including mineral exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and rival claims in the Aegean Sea.
• Greece maintains Turkey has deliberately misinterpreted the treaties and says it has legal grounds to defend itself following hostile actions by Ankara, including a long-standing threat of war if Greece extended its territorial waters.

Aegean Sea

• It is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia.
• It is located between the Balkans and Anatolia, and covers an area of some 215,000 square kilometres.
• In the north, the Aegean is connected to the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea by the straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus.
• The Aegean Islands are located within the sea and some bound it on its southern periphery

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

In a medical trial, 12 patients in the United States were completely cured of rectal cancer without requiring any surgery or chemotherapy.

• The trial used a monoclonal antibody called Dostarlimab every three weeks for six months for the treatment of a particular kind of stage two or three rectal cancer.
• The trial showed that immunotherapy alone – without any chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery that have been staples of cancer treatment – could completely cure the patients with a particular kind of rectal cancer called ‘mismatch repair deficient’ cancer”.
• No cases of progression or recurrence had been reported during the follow-up

What is this deficiency, and how was it cured?

• ‘Mismatch repair deficient’ cancer is most common among colorectal, gastrointestinal, and endometrial cancers.
• Patients suffering from this condition lack the genes to correct typos in the DNA that occur naturally while cells make copies.
• The immunotherapy belongs to a category called PD1 blockades that are now recommended for the treatment of such cancers rather than chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
• PD1 is a type of protein that regulates certain functions of the immune system, including by suppressing T cell activity, and PD1 blockade therapy looks to release the T cells from this suppression.
• By giving the PD1 blockades, we release and T cells to destroy the cancerous growth

If PD1 therapy was already in use, what’s new in the trial?

• Earlier, this therapy was used post-surgery, but the study has shown that a surgery may not be required.
• Although the therapy is usually used for cancers that have metastasised (spread to locations other than where the cancer formed), it is now recommended for all mismatch repair deficient cancers as they result in quicker improvement and lesser toxicity as compared to traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
• This study shows that even the surgery was not needed in these patients

Cost is a concern

• Immunotherapies are expensive and unaffordable for most people in India
• An immunotherapy treatment can cost around Rs 4 lakh per month, with patients needing the treatment for six months to a year.