1 2 GS PAPER-1 (History, Art & Culture, Social Issues & Geography) Tidal wave washes away portion of Odisha village (Topic- GS Paper I- Geography, Source- The Hindu) Why in the news • Recently, ‘ Ramayapalli’ an odisha village has been facing the threat of tidal surge for the last 14 years, with the Bay of Bengal menacingly marching towards the mainland. About Tidal Waves • Tides can be defined as the alternate rise and fall of the ocean water. It is caused by the combined effects of : a. The gravitational force exerted on Earth by the Sun b. The gravitational force exerted on Earth by the Moon c. Rotation of the Earth Types of Tides Tides Based on Frequency a. Semi-Diurnal Tides b. Diurnal Tides c. Mixed Tides Based on the Position of Earth, Sun, and the Moon 3 a. Spring Tides b. Neap Tides Arctic’s ‘Last Ice Area (Topic- GS Paper I – Geography, Source- Indian Express) Why in the news? • Recently, a part of the Arctic’s ice called “Last Ice Area”, located north of Greenland, has melted before expected. • Scientists had believed this area was strong enough to withstand global warming. • In August 2020, the scientists noted that the area where the Last Ice Area (LIA) is located experienced a record low concentration of sea ice. About the Last Ice Area • In an article published in 2015, the National Geographic noted that while climate projections forecast the total disappearance of summer ice in the Arctic by the year 2040. • It is the only place that would be able to withstand a warming climate would be this area of ice called the “Last Ice Area”. 4 • The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) notes that climate change is shrinking the extent of Arctic summer sea ice, which is not only important for animals but also the local Inuit communities. Significance of the area • The area is important because it was thought to be able to help ice-dependent species as ice in the surrounding areas melted away. • The area is used by polar bears to hunt for seals who use ice to build dens for their offspring. • Walruses too, use the surface of the ice for foraging. • The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. Reasons for change • Through satellite images, researchers noted that the sea ice concentration was at a record low of 50 percent, as of August 14, 2020. • The team also explored the reasons for the record low concentration of sea ice. • They say that about 80 percent of thinning can be attributed to weather-related factors such as winds that break up and move the ice around. • The remaining 20 percent can be attributed to longer-term thinning of the ice due to global warming. About the World Wide Fund for Nature • It is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. • It’s headquartered at Gland, Switzerland. • Its mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Heat dome (Topic- GS Paper I – Geography, Source- Indian Express) Why in the news? • Recently, the Pacific Northwest and some parts of Canada recorded temperatures around 46 degrees, causing a "historic" heat wave. • This is a result of a phenomenon referred to as a "heat dome". About heat dome 5 • According to the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a heat dome is created when strong high-pressure atmospheric conditions combine with weather patterns like La Niña, creating vast areas of sweltering heat that get trapped under the high-pressure "dome". Reasons for this Heat Dome • A team of scientists funded by the NOAA MAPP Program found that the main cause of this heat dome is a strong change (or gradient) in ocean temperatures from west to east in the tropical Pacific Ocean during the preceding winter. About Heat waves 6 • It is a period of unusually hot weather that lasts for more than two days. • Heat waves typically occur between March and June, and in some rare cases even extend till July. • Heat waves can occur with or without high humidity and have the potential to cover a large area, “exposing a high number of people to hazardous heat.” Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) (Topic- GS Paper II +I- IR and Geography, Source- Indian Express) Why in the news ? • Ethiopia has started the second phase of filling a mega-dam’s reservoir also known as Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the upper Blue Nile. More on the news • Egypt and Sudan has raising tensions ahead of an upcoming UN Security Council meeting on the divisive project. • Both Cairo and Khartoum said they had been notified by Addis Ababa that the second phase of filling had begun at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Concern • The huge dam, set to be Africa’s largest hydroelectric project when completed, has sparked an almost decade-long diplomatic stand-off between Addis Ababa and downstream nations Egypt and Sudan. \ 7 • Ethiopia says the project is essential to its development, but Cairo and Khartoum fear it could restrict their citizens’ water access. About Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam • It was formerly known as the Millennium Dam is located in Ethiopia, on the Blue Nile River about 40km east of Sudan. • It is a gravity dam on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia that has been under construction since 2011. • The dam will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa when completed as well as the seventh largest in the world. Location • It is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, about 15 km east of the Border with Sudan. • The dam will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa when completed, as well as the seventh largest in the world. Contentious issue • The contentious issue around the GERD, Africa’s biggest hydropower project, concerns control of the flow of water in the world’s longest river among the riparian states. • Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populated country and a manufacturing hub, views the mega dam as a symbol of its sovereignty. • Egypt fears the project will allow Ethiopia to control the flow of Africa's longest river. • Hydroelectric power stations do not consume water, but the speed with which Ethiopia fills up the dam's reservoir will affect the flow downstream. 8 What is the dispute? • The Nile River has been at the center of the dispute involving several countries that are dependent on the river’s waters. • At the forefront of this dispute are Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan. • The main waterways of the Nile run through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt and its drainage basin runs through several countries in East Africa including Ethiopia, the portion where this dam is being constructed. • Egypt has objected to the dam’s construction saying the dam’s location on the Blue Nile tributary would allow Ethiopia to gain control of the flow of the river’s waters and could result in lower water levels within its own borders. • Sudan too is concerned that if Ethiopia were to gain control over the river, it would affect the water levels Sudan receives. Note: • The construction of the dam was initiated in 2011 on the Blue Nile tributary of the river that runs across one part of Ethiopia. Haiti (Topic- GS Paper I-Geography, Source- AIR) Why in the news? • Recently, Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse has been killed in an attack on his home in the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince. About Haiti 9 • It is a country in the Caribbean Sea that includes the western third of the island of Hispaniola and such smaller islands as Gonâve, Tortue (Tortuga), Grande Caye, and Vache. • It occupies the western three-eighths of the Hispaniola Island (the second largest island in the Greater Antilles) which it shares with the Dominican Republic. • It is the third largest country in the Caribbean behind Cuba and the Dominican Republic. • The capital is Port-au-Prince. Silambam: a martial art form (Topic- GS Paper I-Art and Culture, Source-Indian Express) Why in the news? • Recently, Ganesan Sandhirakasan from Tamil Nadu has won the top prize in a government-initiated competition for migrant workers in Singapore for his performance of Silambam. About Silambam • Silambam is an ancient weapon-based martial art that emerged in Tamilakam, which is now Tamil Nadu region of India. Origin • It was brought by the sage Agastya Munivar. • Sillappadikkaram and many other works of Samgam literature mentions about the practice and it dates back to 2nd century BC whereas oral folk tales traces it back even further around 7000 years. • But according to recent surveys and archaeological excavation, it has been confirmed that Silambam was practiced from at least 10,000 BC. Main Weapon 10 • The bamboo staff is the main weapon and the length of the bamboo staff depends on the height of the practitioner. Other weapons used in Silambam • Maru- thrusting weapon which is made from horns of deer. • Aruva- sickle • Savuku- a whip • Vaal- curved sword • Kuttu Katai- spiked knuckleduster • Katti- knife • Sedikuchi- cudgel or short stic Other Martial Arts of India • Gatka- Punjab • Paika- Odisha • Thag Ta- Manipur • Kalaripayattu- Kerala • Choliya- Uttarakhand • Pang Lhabsol- Sikkim • Musti Yudha- Uttar Pradesh • Mardani Khel- Maharashtra • Pari Khanda- Bihar Related Information • In December 2020, the Sports Ministry has recently approved the inclusion of four Indigenous Games to be a part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, scheduled to take place in Haryana.